Sweet Fall Pinks

On my way around town last Friday

I spotted a sign that read, "Vintage Garage Sale,"
 with the littlest pink rocker at the end of the drive.

Alert! Alert!  Chippy goodness ahead!

Once I got out of the car, it was mine.

I sure thought it was nifty, but actually wasn't very thrifty...

it set me back $30.
I was sucked it by the nail head trim, suede seat, and
deep vintage pink paint.

SO....

into the truck she went,

and once we arrived home, my daughter claimed it as her own, of course,

that's the way she rolls around here.  

If the shoe...er rocker....FITS...

So the little chippy rocker just had to get

some proper photos taken,

with some tiny white pumpkins and dried pink roses....

She's so shabby chic, and just perfect for any time of year, really:

crisp fall romance, winter's Valentine's preparation,

or spring pastel flavor.

Right now, she's still sitting in my front room,

but as SOON as Tahbies' room gets painted grey

(and the paint is in the garage ready to go, I just have to find the time)

she'll be transported upstairs to her room 

for book reviews and doll cuddling.

Wishing you all sweet moments in 
these warm fall days...


Sharing with :
Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
Ivy and Elephants

Vintage Glam Fairy Pumpkins

I harvested an armload of wee mini-pumpkins today,

all of them a creamy ivory white.
I then decided they needed to be dressed up, of course!

This little September Cinderella vignette 
has them snuggled up in one of my bird nests

with some vintage jewels that were Grandma's,

 on her vintage Quaker lace linen.

These pumpkins are soooo sweetly tiny...

I can fit TWO of them in the nest!
Just the size of a rose bud
or a brooch,
they are almost naturally for dolls.

We grew them in the garden,

one of the only pumpkin varieties
 that survived the garden traumas this year.

I KNOW we planted more pumpkins...
I think they all succumbed to the squirrels love for freshly hoed earth.

Aren't they lovely,

such a perfect combination of textures, sparkles,

and reflected light.

It sparks a certain kinda woodsy Cinderella charm
that makes me want to break out the glass slippers,
if I actually had any.

Just perfect for a fairy or left behind by fairy god-mother's spell...

you'd almost expect one to pop out here
and sit awhile for my photo shoot.

My daughter has been leaving a small tea cup of milk

out for the fairies on these early autumn nights.

We're livin' in a sweet dream world right now.
She's totally into fairies.

Is it the fairies that drink the milk-
or the neighborhood cat?

I vote for the fairies.







Sharing with

Coastal Charm
Savvy Southern Style
Common Ground
French Country Cottage
Debbie Doo's Primp Your Pumpkin!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Gather around a table with family and friends...

 

 

 

I think my friend Kate will have the best Thanksgiving this year.

 

After being diagnosed with an aggressive form of ovarian cancer at age 19

 

in February of this year,

 

she has undergone multiple surgeries, chemo, radiation, and complications alike.

 

This week, 10 months later, she had her port taken out and

 

her scans show she is cancer free.

 

Let's pray it stays that way!

 

That's what Thanksgiving is all about.

 

Share the day and your gratitude for all of God's gifts.



Linking with Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Cloves and Oranges

I know for sure that I was first introduced to the decorated orange

 

through the "Little House" books.

 

 

 

 

A colonial treasure, these served as natural Christmas decorations

 

and also gifts to friends and neighbors.

 

 

 

 

This year I let the kids do this project again.

 

They enjoy it because it's something different to do, and they

 

feel they are helping with the decorating and preparations.

 

All you have to do is pierce the flesh of an orange with a clove and push it in.

 

Repeat in rows!

 

If the skins are a little tough, you can first pierce the rind with a safety pin

 

before inserting the clove.  I recommend safety pins because the kids pushed the straight pins

 

all the way in.

 

 

 

 

These make a very powerful natural deoderizer for your home.

 

Super pungent and highly highly fragrant, you only need a few to capture

 

that aroma of holiday citrus spice.

 

The first day out on the table, if you sit there for too long your eyes will water.

 

But they smell so clean.

 

 

 

 

Here in a table setting, the bold natural hue of orange

 

can serve as a direct contrast to white and green linens and tableware.

 

A few evergreen branches will add rhythm between forms.

 

 

 

 

I love them because they are natural and elegant...

 

 

 

 

...and of course old-fashioned!

 

It's getting time to deck the halls around here...

 

 

 

I'll be sharing with:

 

Tabletop Tuesday at a Stroll Through Life

 

{Primp} Your Home Wednesday

 

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style



Green Garden Pumpkin

 

 

Who doesn't love a pumpkin?

 

Especially a gorgeous one.

 

This little green plump-kin was home grown.

 

 

It's such a beautiful little pumpkin,

 

 the only greenie this year.  He turned out to be in a pack of

 

seeds that were just gourds (supposedly).  He took us by surprise!

 

He has very firm flesh.

 

 

 



I think it's of the Jarrahdale variety.

 



I love the soft color of the skins

 

and the dry textures of the stem.

 

 

 





 

It seemed like such a magical little garden pumpkin....

 



 

 

 

I also brought in some milkweed pods from the nature trail.

 

They too were a textural mystery-

 

feathery, velvety, and spiny.

 

 

 

They could almost be mistaken for a sea creature.

 





 

 

 

Sharing these sweet textures with

 

Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

 

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage



Falling Down

You may be wondering where I've been at.

 

 

 

I seem to have fallen off the blogospere.

 

Leaves are falling and we can't keep up with them...

 

the rider is busted, which we we were using to mulch the leaves quickly

 

and get the nutrients back into the drought ridden ground anyway.

 

 

 

 

Work has us feeling like the movie Ground Hog Day lately.

 

Get up early, face the same issues. get home, more work to do.

 

Try to get to bed early to rest.

 

The next morning feels like a broken record.

 

 

 

 

The kids have an overwhelming amount of homework to do and always need help.

 

We help them every day, but 3-4 hours a night in 4th grade wears you down, man.

 

Not even joking on that.

 

(BTW, textbook companies need to seriously reconsider the weight

 

of these books these kids carry home every day).

 

It seems there has been little time to devote to my little blog as of late.

 

 

 

 

What is down the road for me?

 

Hopefully, sunshine.

 

As soon as I turn the corner, and pop out of my funk,

 

I'll do my best to prepare

 

T&P

 

for the holidays in a proper festive manner.

 

I feel it is near, I just have to shove myself through this rough patch.

 

Please bear with me, folks!

 

 

*****

Linking with Friday Fences





Chocolate-Pumpkin Love

Does anybody else love the pumpkin-chocolate combo as much as I do?

 

 

I have been making these every Sunday for the last month...

 

and they don't last longer than 48 hours because everyone gobbles them up.

 

 

 

 

Here's my easy-peasy super cheap recipe:

 

*1 package of chocolate cake mix

 

*2 eggs (farm fresh, no less!)

 

*1 can of canned pumpkin

 

*half bag of choco-chips (optional, but so worth the extra pop of chocolate!)

 

 

 



 

Line your muffin tin with paper liners,

 

heat that oven up to 350 degrees and bake for 25 minutes.

 

 

Trust me, you won't regret it!

 

The canned pumpkin gives your mix enough natural moisture

 

so that you don't need to add any oils.

 

 

 



 

 

Served with milk around here!

 

 

Sharing with:

 

Sunday Best at My 1929 Charmer

 

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

 

Savvy Southern Style's Wow US Wednesday

Holding on to Autumn

The air is getting colder and colder...

 

we finally broke down and put the heat on this week (just a little).

 

 

 

 

The fall colors are amazing.

 

With the horrible drought and then the cold weather,

 

the remaining leaves are actually pretty bright.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes fall around here tends to be rainy

 

and everything turns brown and falls rather quickly.

 

 

 

 

But this year, a drive in the country

 

is sure to reward you with colorful vistas.

 

 

 

 

These little purple blooms...

 

are they wild asters?

 

...are all over the roadsides.

 

 

 

 

Milkweeds are just exploding with energy!

 

I had to bring a handful of pods home, like a little kid.

 

 

 

 

Even thorny thistles acquire

 

the regal stance of natural scepters.

 

 

 

 

And so autumn hangs on... truly the longest season.

 

Not marked by dates on calendars,

 

but by events..we enjoy her

 

from August's back to school season till Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

Linking this week with:

 

Rural Journal

 

Friday Fences

 

 



A Fall Dinner

This past weekend was an extended one for us,

 

in observance of Columbus day,

 

and since we had a little extra time, we put a little extra time into dinner.

 

 

 

 

That's right!  We roasted a turkey!

 

 

 

 

No special occasion, except we had a bird in the freezer

 

and you know those leftovers make great sandwiches for the next lazy day!

 

 

 

 

I also was dying to use these amber colored goblets

 

that I purchased at Homegoods this past summer.

 

They'll make another appearance at the real Thanksgiving feast.

 

 

 

 

The kids were excited and starving. 

 

Extra mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing,

 

and sauteed cabbage, mushrooms, and onions, please!

 

If you don't like the cabbage, then, "You're just not European enough!"

 

(This is what I tell the boys to get them to eat more Polish and German foods

 

and to bust out of the chicken nugget mold).

 

Although, I am glad that the nugget consumption in our home has been

 

thwarted for the most part!

 

Dan gave one boy a dollar to finish off the pot of beets last week

 

so we didn't have to refridgerate or toss the leftovers.

 

I myself am NOT a beet fan.

 

But I ate my beets.

 

 

 

 

Sharing this fall tablescape with:

 

Marty's Table Top Tuesday at a Stroll Through Life

 

Savvy Southen Style's Wow Us Wednesday