The Latest and In The Mail

Good morning to everyone. Are you all busy decorating and shopping? I am, I love this time of year, with all the hustle and bustle. Yesterday I did a little shopping and decorating, and I'm happy to say I'm nearly finished with the decorating, except for the tree. I had hoped to put up our tree this weekend but that has been postponed for a few days. We have an artificial tree and it's stored in the rafters, getting it down is a big job. With out getting too graphic my husband was using a box cutter and had a freaky accident. He nearly cut off the top part of his thumb. Believe me this is a big ouchie. He's feeling better now and goes back to the doctor tomorrow to see how it's healing up. I'm so thankful that it wasn't worse than it is....you just never know what a day holds in store for you. Last week was so busy I didn't get a chance to share the lovely treasures I received in the mail. Let me show you now......

The first package was from my Deck the Halls swap partner Tamsen.
Lily wants to see too. In the box there were two packages all wrapped in pink, with a lovely card. Look at the beautiful hand crochet ornament she made. It is so sweet and very delicate...I love it and it looks perfect on my heart tree. Isn't the vintage Santa precious , he will fit right in on our main tree. Do you see the heart shaped moonstone candy dish? Oh my gosh, I nearly fainted when I opened the package. It is a beautiful piece I will always treasure. Thank you so much Tamsen.
Treasures from Tamsen.
Later the same day the mailman...or should I say mail person brought a second package. Look at the darling glitter signs I ordered from Rosemary. As soon as I saw them on her blog I knew I wanted to order some. They look great with my Christmas things.....pictures will be coming.
Then on Saturday my last package was delivered. I ordered this darling crochet purse from Lallee. It is gorgerous and I'm looking forward to using it. Lallee does such lovely work, visit her Esty shop to see all her pretty things.

In just the few short months I've been blogging I've met the nicest and most talented ladies...these are just three. To all of my blogging friends I just want you to know you are all special and bring me much joy.

" I am a part of all that I touched and that has touched me" T. Wolfe

Happy days to all.......Linda

Do You Have A Favorite?

Just a quick hello. How is your decorating coming along? I started decorating yesterday and had hoped to share some pictures today, but I'm not finished yet and I don't want to scare anyone. So pictures will have to wait. But I did want to share these darling Victorian Christmas note cards with you.
Lisa went shopping yesterday and surprised me with them. There are 24 different designs, and I've been trying to choose a favorite but they are all too sweet. Do you have a favorite? Linda

Thanksgiving Is Over~Here Comes Christmas

Good morning everyone. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, I hope your day was happy too. We talked with our dear relatives in Texas...we miss them so much but it was great visiting with them. Getting ready for dinner now, oh dear I think I need more room, better take the centerpiece off. Oh, Honey this looks yummy. Let me find a place for it. Dinner was delicious. We all love turkey, but we each have our favorite dishes too.Lisa loves the stuffing, for Carl it's stuffing,mashed potatoes and gravy and mine is the stuffing. Tonight we are going to enjoy wonderful leftovers. I love you both too.
Who's ready for dessert? I am for sure. We usually make our pies, but this year my dear friend Marie made them for us. They look so good.
For dessert I'm using sweet depression glass plates, a birthday gift form my friend Brenda. Everything tastes so good on special dishes.
Hey, hey, what's happening? Why are we all on the table? Don't worry, we are going to be wrapped in tissue and packed away until next November, then we'll be back, but now it's time to think about Christmas. Oh, okay...just as long as we get to come back.

Well, I do need to get busy . Christmas is just around the corner and I'm starting to decorate today.

If your shopping today, hope you found lots of bargains, decorating...enjoy and for dinner tonight you are having yummy leftovers. Linda

Happy Thanksgiving

To all my wonderful blogging friends,Happy Thanksgiving! I'm sending warm wishes to you and yours for a wonderful day, filled with family, friends and happiness. Hugs Linda

E~Z Cake

Good Monday morning to everyone. How was your weekend? Mine just flew by. Saturday ran some errands and stopped at a small diner for breakfast, and had the most delicious pumpkin pancakes...mmmm, they were so yummy. Sunday just puttered around the house, and then last night I decided I wanted some cake. It was kind of late so it had to be something quick and easy, and believe me it doesn't get any easier than this. This recipe was concocted by a WW member, and we love it. Here's the recipe. First thing to do is heat oven to 350 degrees, and you will need to bake this cake in a 9x13 pan----do not grease the pan.
Two ingredients only. Angel food cake mix and one 20-oz can crushed pineapple. I use Dole but any brand is fine.
In a large bowl hand mix together the crushed pineapple, juice and all with the cake mix. At this point the mixture looks like a science project. It's bubbly and frothy. After mixed together ....
Pour into your pan and bake for about 30 minutes. You want to keep an eye on it while baking , the top should be golden with a few cracks in it.
Just out of the oven and it smells delish. Let it cool , and then....
Have a piece! I like mine with whipped cream, honey likes his with ice cream and Lisa likes her cake just plain. I hope you enjoy.

My Blessings:
#15~~~being able to provide for my loved ones.
#16~~~having a sense of humor and optimistic out look.
#17~~~meeting a deadline....projects coming together on time.

Have the best day......take a moment and do something nice for yourself. Linda

Getting Ready For Thanksgiving

Good morning and a happy Friday to you. Can you believe Thanksgiving is just five short days away? I'm so looking for to it and I'm pretty well prepared, at least I think I am. I like to plan for any celebration with all my little lists and I always write out our menu. I love to put little checks beside whatever is finished, oh, what a good feeling to see all those little checks.
The menu is planned, shopping list made, turkey ordered, linens ready and I just finished washing my gramma's china. I love her china and I only use it on special occasions.
Using her dishes bring back such wonderful memories. When I was little,Thanksgiving was always at her home with all her sisters and their families, my mom and me. After dinner, which was more like a feast it was time to do the dishes.....I loved this part. Just my gramma and I would wash and dry her china. She would place a tea towel in the bottom of the sink so as not to chip any dishes as she washed them and I would dry them ever so carefully. To this day this is how I wash her china, tea towel and all.
Here are a few more pieces of her dishes, and that is a picture of us taken in 1949. Years and years ago there were photographers downtown and they would snap shoppers pictures as they walked along the street. I still remember taking the bus to town for lunch and shopping. We would always eat at Hart's Cafeteria, shop, and then head home......what fun.

My blessings:
#13 ~ My gramma's china, and the wonderful memories it calls to mind.
#14 ~ The wealth of food that is available to us, never to have the worry of going hungry. Never am I more aware of this than at this time of thanksgiving.
Blessings to you and yours, have a wonderful weekend. Linda

Oh, one more thing. Thank you for all the suggestions from my last post, and I think your right about the dish being carnival glass. I knew I could count on you. L.

Empty or Full

Every Wednesday my honey goes to a little flea market in Galt. Look what he found today. This is just the sweetest little dish, I think I might use it for candies. Does anyone know what kind of glass this is?
Which way do you think I should display it. Empty.......or........
filled with these yummy chocolates by Lindt. Mmmm, they are so delish, very creamy and they just melt in your mouth.
This candy is a truffle and comes in milk, dark and white chocolate. I think the dark chocolate is my favorite. Well, what do you think empty or full?

Blessing ~ #11 The gift of today.....for this is all we really have, enjoy it.
Blessing ~ #12 The beauty and fragrance of the very last roses in your garden.
Happy days to you and remember to smell the roses. Linda

WX Faire and a Pay It Forward

Good morning to you all. Hope you had a happy weekend, didn't it just fly by? Saturday was kind of rainy here but I did run a few errands and had a nice lunch at Chevy's. In the evening we watched a little TV, and I worked on a Christmas project. I wanted to get to bed early because Sunday is our fun day at the WX Peddlers Faire, and we always get up sooo early for this. It was still raining when I went to bed ....I woke up at 3am and it was pouring. Oh, no maybe no faire this month, but by 6am there was just a light mist and we decided to take a chance and go. We were prepared. Hot coffee, warm clothes, gloves, scarfs, umbrella and my boots.

Aren't they the cutest? My honey bought these for me, very fashionable don't you think? I wanted to walk in all the puddles, but just waded in a few.
Even with the rain there were still lots of vendor. Here are my goodies. I love the little green tick tock, and the silhouette with the red foil...I think the lady is dressed for a holiday party.

Blessings ~ # 9 Warmth and comfort from our furnace, a convenience we take for granted. ~~~~ #10 Starting the day with a nice cup of chocolate.

The other day I visited Michelle, at I'm A little Teapot, and she is having a Pay It Forward......what fun. I enjoy crafting and signed up right away. Here's how it works.

I will send a handmade gift to the first three people who leave a comment on my blog, requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don't know what the gift will be yet, and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise. The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog. If anyone is interested in joining me, I will send a handmade gift to the first three to leave a comment with their promise to pay it forward.

Hope you join in the fun too. Linda

Turkeys

I can't even remember when I started collecting turkeys. Originally, I was only going to collect vintage little gobble, gobblers but over the years my collections has evolved into a wide variety of the feathered bird. Here is part of my favorites,...oops, I shouldn't say favorites I really don't want any ruffled feathers. This turkey is a reproduction . I love his color and the lid comes off so you can use it as a candy dish or serving piece.
All the turkeys on the sidecar are rather old. This sweet pine cone turkey Lisa made for me when she was a bluebird.....I can't believe it, but that was over 35 years ago. Time does fly.
I love the little candle turkeys. On the bottom of each one is the original sticker with the manufacturers name and priced 29cents. I'm so glad they were never burned.
Look at this guy, he is just too cute. This handsome fellow is crafted from tulle, and just makes me smile. My husband found him at the WX peddlers faire last month. This Sunday is the faire, I wonder if we can find him a partner?
This is a perfect serving piece, but for me I just enjoy displaying it. This piece I found last year at the WX, hope I find a treasure or two on Sunday.


My Blessings
Blessing ~ 6 ~ My friends old and new. Always there, through good times and not so good times.
Blessing ~ 7 ~ Meeting such wonderful blogging friends. Even though we haven't met in person, I feel as if I do know you. You all are a inspiration and it's a pleasure sharing and celebrating with you.
Blessing ~ 8 ~ Sweet Lilly we found each other just at the right time.

I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new. ..........Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy weekend everyone ~ Linda

Thanksgiving

Hello everyone. I can't believe it's already Tuesday, missed you all yesterday. Did you have a good weekend? Mine was nice, Lisa and I had fun Saturday, and Sunday was race day. I love NASCAR. I kinda watched the race while I finished decorating for Thanksgiving. Here are a few pictures and I'll post more during the week.
I think they are going to the first Thanksgiving celebration. Do you agree?
This turkey is on my dinning room table. In just about two weeks we'll be enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving dinner here. I'm already thinking leftovers.....yum. My honey makes the most wonderful turkey sandwich, I love sandwiches and they always taste better when someone else makes it.
I adore vintage postcards. Some of these are post marked 1903. Can you imagine they are over 100 years old.
The living room hutch. I usually pack all the moonstone dishes away now, but this year is different. I just added some seasonal pieces.
I love the colors in these turkey plates. I think they work well with the moonstone. What do you think?

This is my first time sharing my blessing so I'm posting more then one. This way I'll have 21 blessings by Thanksgiving.

1 ~ I'm truly blessed and thankful to be in good health after breast cancer.

2 ~ My husband and our life together is a wonderful blessing, I can't think of spending my life any other way.

3~ My daughter brings great joy to my life, and is a blessing I'll always cherish.

4~ I was blessed with a loving gramma and mom, and have the happiest childhood memories.

5~ My sister in law, who is truly like a sister is a blessing.

Linda

For today and its blessings, I owe the world an attitude of gratitude........Clarence E. Hodges

Company Is Coming

Little birdies up in the sky
Please don't just fly by
Little houses sure to please
Come and see the vacancies

I've invited company, granted they are little birdies but company is company. I don't know what I was thinking when I sent out this little invitation, I love company, but I forgot I would be putting out November decorations today, plus going out. My house is all topsy turby but unless they peek in the windows all will be well.

Little pink cottage, garden setting.
In amongst the ferns. Oh no, I see a little cobweb, must go brush that away. I wouldn't want the birdies to think I had poor housekeeping skills.
Tucked among the trees, room for three.

I hope the little visitors enjoy there stay..... now I must get back to work. I want to do a little more in the living room, then get ready to go out. Lisa and I are getting manicures and then out to lunch. Wishing you all a nice weekend. Linda

November

I can't believe it's November already. It just seems like yesterday I was decorating for Halloween, and now I'm tucking everything away until next year. I do a little decorating for November, do you, or are you already thinking Christmas? Well I better get busy......wishing you a great day, and Happy November 1st . Linda