Nuts for Acorns

It's really beginning ti feel like fall here. At night the temps are dropping to the mid 30's and it's been really windy the past three days. This year, I've fallen in love with acorns. They're so cute and small and perfect looking.



Did you know that acorns only appear on oak trees that have been around awhile? And that the tiny fruit has become a symbol of patience?



And have you ever heard that some people believe that plopping an acorn on the windowsill will protect your house from being struck by lightening?

Boo!

I was at my daughter's house this weekend and we were busy checking out the local thrift shops We went to a couple of cute gift shops and everything is so beautiful but tended to be expensive.

One item caught my eye and I knew this could be our craft project. So off we went in search of a cheap plate to spray paint black - chalkboard black that is!

Probably the hardest part of this project was finding something round to trace for the background. Once that was found, we stamped on the letters and filled the letters in with a permanent marker. I used a tea bag to make my look aged and but Crystal decided not to A little mod podge and we were finished!

Now I need to dig out my fall decorations and put this plate to use!

Off to See My Baby Girl

This week at work was incredibly busy and the weekend couldn't get here quick enough.
I'm off to spend the weekend with my daughter.

And spend time with Bailey - she's so cute and full of energy!

Have a nice weekend.

Just in Case You Weren't Feeling Old Today

The people who are starting college this fall were born in 1991.

They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.

Their lifetime has always included AIDS.

The CD was introduced two years before they were born.

They have alwa ys had an answering machine.

They have always had cable..

Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show.

Popcorn has always been microwaved.

They never took a swim and thought about Jaws.

They don't know who Mork was or where he was from.

They never heard: 'Where's the Beef?', 'I'd walk a mile for a Camel ', or 'de plane Boss, de plane'.
McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers.

They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter.

Pass this on to the other old fogies on your list.

Notice the larger type?

That's for those of us who have trouble reading.

Welcome Fall Party - Fresh Apple Cake

I can hardly believe that we are now offically in the Fall season, can you?

Last night, or I should say, early this morning, it started to rain hard and it was really windy!

I laid awake wondering if my cute scarecrow had been blown away and if the pumpkin was gone too. And I laid there wondering what would be the chance that they were still there?

But did I get up? Nope! I just laid there and worried.

When I was leaving to go to work, I saw that the scarecrow and pumpkin were still exactly where I put them!

The day was off to a good start!

DH surprised me and made an apple cake today on his day off! He got the recipe from a co-worker and it is so good!

Fresh Apple Cake

4 c. diced fresh apple (peeled)
2 c. sugar

1/2 c. cooking oil
2 well beaten eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 t. soda
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 c nuts (optional)

Pour sugar over apples; mix and let stand while preparing rest of ingredients.

Pour oil, eggs, vanilla & nuts over apples.
Sift together flour, soda, cinnamon & salt.
Stir all together and pour into a greased 9 X 13 pan. (very thick)
Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and serve with whipped topping or ice cream.

Stop over to Rose Colored Glasses for more Welcome Fall Party!

Donny Osmond - Dancing With the Stars!

This how I think of Donny & Marie - so young looking aren't they?

I'm so excited that Donny Osmond is on Dancing With the Stars! I've never really watched the show but this season, I'll be watching my first crush
Donny Osmond!

When I was much younger, I bought every Tiger Beat magazine and had my room covered with his posters. Never mind that my twin sister loved Leif Garrett!
I wonder where Leif is these days?

Are you watching Dancing With the Stars? Who did you have a crush on?

Today's Thrifty Treasures

The weekend's seem to fly by so fast and then it's time to head back to the super fast pace of work. I was able to get to Goodwill on Saturday and found some great things. I've already spray painted this container and have it on the kitchen table.



And I put these in the container - how lucky I was to find both on the same day!



But my best find, was this wire chicken. It was so grimmy that I had to put it in my dishwasher to clean it. Maybe tomorrow night, I'll be able to spray paint it a nice cream color.



I was happy to hear that the manager of this store is now managing another Goodwill store in town. This other store, has the same look and feel from 1960 and I don't think it's been cleaned since then either. A friend was telling me that as soon as this manager took over, she started cleaning house - employees, carpet and merchandise. I stopped in to check it out on Saturday, didn't find anything but it definitely was cleaner. Last weekend, one of the clerks was wearing winter ear muffs (it was 80 degrees outside) - kinds of interesting.

Anyway - here's wishing everyone a fantastic Monday. Stop over to Southern Hospitality for more Today's Thrifting Treasures.

I Gilded!

Can you believe it's Saturday already? Crystal and I spent most of last Sunday crafting. We were busy gilding, spray painting and dreaming of our next projects.


Here's my little gilded pumpkin!


It's so cute that now I need to make some more...good thing I went to Hobby Lobby this morning. Housecleaning can wait.. :)

Not So Spooky Pumpkin Redo

I'm linking to A Soft Place to Land and Do It Yourself Day.

My daughter, Crystal, was here this weekend and we made a trip to Goodwill . I don't think I've seen so much Fall/Halloween decor until today! We each got one of those plug-in, plastic pumpkin lights.

I was thinking that we might just spray paint them orange to freshen them up. But Crystal was ahead of me and wanted to spray paint her pumpkin family white. And it turned out so cute - Pumpkin family gone shabby chic..

Make sure to head over to A Soft Place to Land for more ideas!

Metamorphis Monday - Halloween Light Gone Shabby Chic?

My daughter, Crystal, was here this weekend and we made a trip to Goodwill . I don't think I've seen so much Fall/Halloween decor until today! We each got one of those plug-in, plastic pumpkin lights.

I was thinking that we might just spray paint them orange to freshen them up. But Crystal was ahead of me and wanted to spray paint her pumpkin family white. And it turned out so cute - Pumpkin family gone shabby chic..

I'm sure she'll have people asking her where she found a white pumpkin family. It is truly very cute! I'm still debating on whether I'm going to paint mine white or leave it as it is..

(I did buy four cans of white spray paint today...)

Stop over at Between Naps on the Porch for more Metamorphis Monday projects!

Love TJ Maxx

A couple of weeks ago, I was at TJ Maxx on the hunt for wood pears. Once I found them, I was free to continue to look at everything else(love how this works). I came across some vintage looking pool table balls and knew my son-in-law needed them for his man cave!

So I surrended one of my Goodwill jars to put them in.

I hope he likes it!

Crystal and Stuart will be here early this afternoon for a golf tournament.

Crystal & I will need to make a trip to Hobby Lobby to get some crafting supplies and other important items! :)

Halloween Magazine Giveaway

Check out Matthew Mead's newest Halloween magazine: Hundreds of Spooky Treats and Clever Crafts for the Best Holiday Ever! Beautiful photos of easy, creative and fun projects and straight-forward directions and patterns that will appeal to crafters of every age. On newstands now throughout the U.S. and Canada!

Head over to Restyled Home and leave a comment to enter the drawing!

Gilding Project from Country Living

Thank you to those who responded yesterday to my plea to find out what blog posted about updating wood pears . I think I might have found a different way to decorate them now. Over at The Inspired Room, she's having a drawing for a gilding kit. Head over and leave a comment to get your name in the drawing.

Heres a video and see if you aren't inspired to gild every pumpkin and gourd you can get your hands on!

CHeck out these beautiful pears - what color do you like? Gold? Silver?







And just think how easy it would be to gild some small pumpkins..



Don't they look so festive?



I believe I'll be making a trip to Hobby Lobby to get my supplies and start gilding. Have you ever done any guilding?

Anthropology Versus Memory Problem

I went to TJ Maxx on Friday and got two wood pears, because I was inspired by a blog that painted them so they looked like they were from Anthropology. Were they painted completely white or cream or what? I can't remember and I can't find that blog.

Does this ever happen to you when you want to copy someone and then you can't remember where you saw it? If anyone happens to remember reading about the pears, please let me know. And if you were the one with that blog - I loved the pears so much that I got two. I don't know that I have ever been able to buy just one of anything.

(DH thinks I have a problem...and he's right - I have two pears that I
don't know what to do with them!)

A Busy Monday

I hope everyone is enjoying the three day weekend. The weather couldn't be more perfect here, mid 70's during the day and cool at night, so we can open the windows at night.

And of course, no weekend would be complete, without a trip to Goodwill. This weekend I was on a mission to find fall items for decorating outside. I could hardly believe that there was sooo much to pick from. (I was told when I was paying that they had put out 3 tubs of Halloween/Fall items Friday afternoon and 2 more that morning. He said that if they have alot of Christmas stuff that they've been saving to put out shortly - WOO HOO!)

So anyway - back to ME - here's what I found!

Three pumpkins, $1 each


3 fabric pumpkins $1 each!


A cute scarecow -$3


Fabric turkey - $1


And here's my front deck!

And because Storm hung out with me all day - I had to get his picture taken.


Not a fall item - but I grabbed this creamer - $1


Glass jar $2


And even though summer is coming to an end - I snatched up this cute lady bug teapot..its so sweet..


Now it's time to show my Metamorphis and my Before and After...

Here's the wicker chair we got one Friday night at GW - many months ago. I immediately knew it would be white but DH said I should wait. Well I waited until Saturday - and I got out the white spray paint!

And here it is after! (Storm once again helping me - he was getting ready to lay down and take another nap!)



I got the rug on clearance at Shopko for $16 and the curtains from K-Mart (Country Living stuff is amazing).

Make sure you stop by to visit Rhoda and her Today's Thrifty Treasures Party,Susan and her Metamorphis Monday Party and Sarah at Before and After Party. It's always fun to see what everyone else has been up to.

Wishing everyone a safe Labor Day weekend.