On the First Day of Winter...

Early this morning Shirley came over and had a Nice Cup o' Cocoa on the porch...
I had to chuckle- After all it WAS a balmy 39 degrees-
This is how she arrived-

Notice the Stylish ear Warmers... and she Brought her own Blankie !!

Fed the Birdies... Found a nice new Feed- has pieces of Almond, Sunflower seed, Peanuts, and the usual seedy bits I'm not sure what is...

This Snowman has hung out here for the last 4-5 years... His little Bells 'Yingle' when the wind Blows... And Boy, it has been choosing to blow Gustily intermittently the last week or so !! Blasts of cold East winds 30 to 45 m.p.h.

These Cardinals were to be Ornaments--- but they are made of Resin--- and h.e.a.v.y.
So they swing from the Rafters !!

My little Drawer/Shelf by the door...

Silk Poinsettias in my little metal Egg Basket...

The Poor little Battered Charlie Brown Christmas Tree... Blow over too many times and looking rather Untidy... But still Cheery & makes me smile- what more does it need to do ?

 

All the Leaves Scoured from the huge Old Horse chestnut tree...

Now the Moss covered limbs are in view...

In the Evenings these are the Sweet Faces I am presented with---
Alice asking if it is Beddy Bye time ??

She has her Brown Raggedy box all Fluffed and Ready for lights out !!

Babylon looks at me with infinite Patience... Knowing Soon it will be Snuggle time...

Okay Mama--- Get out your Book to read and let me get on with Snoozin' !!

Kuchi always needs to make sure I know how Put Upon she is and gives me her Deluxe version of "Stink Eye"...

Someone take them batteries out of that Danged camera !!
Kuchi trying to get comfy here !!

And finally she is Convinced the Photo Session is over---
And that means just one more click of the Camera !!

So off the the Land of Nod...

Wishing you All a Safe and Cozy night !!

xoxo

Midwinter~Yule~ the Longest Night

Blessings to You and Yours on this Winter Solstice...

xoxo

Crocheting in Grape...

One of the best things in Later Life- 50 plus- is that Nieces and Nephews start Fanilies...
My Niece AnnaLee is expecting her next child/second baby/first daughter late this month...
Since her little boy was born I have always referred to him as 'Fang'.
Noe New Baby Girl has been given the title 'Bump-ette'...
Poor little thing !!
With the impending baby I felt the need to get my Crochet Game going and purchased More Yarn ( really- I need- Need- NEED- more Yarn.) and soon the Bounty arrived...

Not sure what hooky creation I would Finally Decide to make I chose just my usual mish-mash of colours...

 Whoever they put in charge of 'Naming of the Yarn' has a Wild Imagination... and most assuredly a Dictionary/Thesaurus...

Bubble gum and Toast and Pagoda...

Ocean and Blackberry Wine and Mint Julep...

Guacamole and Coconut and Watermelon...

Cornflower and Heather Hedge Tweed...

Bone and Grape...

Mallard and Cherry Red...

And Grape...

Did I mention Grape ?

Cause right at this moment I think I am 'In Love' with Grape.

Grape gave a Wiggley to my Thoughts as to what I would be making... 

 

I saw a Beauteous 'Patchwork' Afghan that Sucrette ...
had made for her new Baby Boy Joe ( who is really one of the sweetest looking little sugar plums Ever !!)...

So- Off to the races I went !!

Coconut with Grape-
Peach Frappe with Grape-

Guacamole with grape-

Cherry Red wittthhhh   :wait for it:   GRAPE !!
Grape and Bone- and Pagoda-

Minty, Toasty, Peachy... with Grape-

Bump-ettes blanky will be nine squares by eleven Squares...
I have my 99 Patches completed and am in the Process right now of stitching them into Strips...

Alice is 'Helping' as usual...

... seeing how Many Kittheh furz can Actually be Crocheted directly into the blanket. She has it down to a Science now !!

::*note to self- include a pair of tweezers in gift to remove cat hairs::

Photos to follow (first I have to get new batteries !!)

 
Grape--- and Yarn--- Yum !!!

xoxo

~Prepping My Brain~

 Thanksgiving has to be one of Most favorite of the Cooking Holidays...
I love all the Cooking and Preparation and Chopping and Slicing and Stewing and Baking and Smearing and Spreading and Roasting...

So staring early Tomorrow I get to Begin my day of Glorious Dinner Prep- Chopping and Dicing Celery to add to the Dressing...

Mincing and Sauteing Onions for above mentioned Dressing-

 Cleaning and Trimming Brussel Sprouts...

I always add a handful of Walnuts too. I like that Nutty tang & the  Riches they add.

For a side/garnish, I Spread Neufchatel Cheese into bite sized Celery pieces. Poke in a tooth-pick and Ta-Dah !!

 For a lot of years I was one of those who did Everything and Anything to a poor ol' bag of Cranberries possible.  Cooked with Orange rind. Chopped raw with grated Onion and Sugar. Molded, Blended, Stewed...
Then I went All Retro--- And had a Genuine moment of Enlightenment...

I loved the regular Old-fashioned easy sliced Jellied Sauce from a can !!

If all goes as Planned... After hours of Labor intensive work in the Kitchen--- All of the above Ingredients will be Miraculously converted into  this:

taken from BHG.com

And all will be Consumed in about Thirty-five minutes !!
Love It !!

Hpoe You & Yours have a Safe and Thankful Turkey Day !!

xoxo

~May Your Night be Long & Full of Magic...

Wishing You All (what ever Your Persuasion) a Very Nice- 

Halloween
Samhain
Hallow-tide
All Hallowseve
Hallowmas
Hallo'ween

Or as my Grandma used to say 'The night When the Veil is Thin' ... and she would tell us stories- that her Mama had told her- of the Nights events she saw in Scotland before coming coming to the States...

"c.1745, Scottish shortening of Allhallow-even "Eve of All Saints, last night of October" (1556), the last night of the year in the old Celtic calendar, where it was Old Year's Night, a night for witches. Another pagan holiday given a cursory baptism and sent on its way. Hallowmas..."All-saints" is first

attested 1389."

 

 

Enjoy !!

 

xoxo

 

~Done Decorating~

Now that the painting of the Patio is all done...
Let the Decorating begin !!

:actually it's all done... this past weekend:

 Love my old cauldron...
The ceramic pumpkins were a B-day gift from my sister-in-law Judy...
My hanging Wreath is made of Spring flowers with a Heavy coat of Black spray paint...

Yep- those are bricks under the pumpkins- holds down the cloth nicely !! 
And the Crow is a creation involving my printer, an Old Sawn Cedar Shingle annnnnnd- Mod Podge !!
Slap on a pouffy ribbon and its Done !!

Coming up onto the patio... Can you tell by all the leaves that are Fallen it is Fallen ?

My Big ol' Rocker I found used a month or so ago...
May I say 'Score !!' ?
(Ignore the white Bucket please)

Another Mod Podge Creation- use any Wooden Board you can get Your hands on
 -I am not too Proud to Beg so at the Lumber counter-...
This Sweet gal-Sascha- at Lowes cut my 1" x 10" x 8' board into Pieces for Me !?!
Print out your saying.
Spray paint your board a Nice Pea Greenish colour. Let dry.
Apply Mod Podge and Print. Let dry.
More Mod Podge of course...
Use liquid shoe polish to 'Age' the sign.
 Use spotty Ribbon for a Hanger.
And if you could see Closer...
Use 8mm Bone Carved Skull Beads along the top-
All you have to do is Drive Nails down thru the bead hole in the Skulls !!!
:Insert a Crazed Maniacs Evil Chortle here:

On the Railing... a little Three legged iron Cauldron...

Fake Acorns held down with a Slab of Rock-

Corn-King with His Kittheh on the railing.

Painted this 'Sascha-cut-Board' Black after drilling & gluing in Knobs.
Mod Podge Saying that I printed out.
Attach Beaded Dangley Spider from a slice of Twisted Wire...

Isn't  She a Pretty Spider ?

Wrapped Shirleys Rocker in some Yardage...

Can we all See that I Like Bright ??

Arrangement by the Patio Door... Shelf with Drawer was a Uckky Powder Blue.
Spray painted Ivory.
Then Worked over with Black Creme Shoe polish and a bit of the Brown Liquid Shoe Polish....
I was Going for that 'Chalk pain-Waxed' looking style.

Again... Made the Sign-
Painted the Birdhouse-
Made the Baby Besom...

A Bit Closer-

All you need to construct the Baby Besom is a length of Dowel, a nice Patch of Dry Grasses, a twist of Wire to attach the grass to your 'Broom handle', a bit of a Trim to the Grass ...
And a good Smearing of Black Creme Shoe-polish  on the Dowel !!!

Then I Wrapped a bit of Satin Ribbon arund to give it a Boost...
Easy Peasy !!

My Crow... I Love Him (or Her? ) !!

Now as you are Leaving the Porch...
Here is your Packed Full of Texture and Colour view of Fall  at My House !!

(Think I used Enough Silk Flowers ?)
;-}

xoxo