October Eve

My favorite month of the year is October. Not just because I love Halloween, but to me it just introduces a whole season of months that make "home" the centerpiece. The "Ber" months as they are now called, are all my favorites. I never quite accomplish all that I wish to but  each year I'm getting better at it. 

Started to get my mums and ornamental cabbages. Next weekend we will get the bulk of them and in the weekends that follow and we do some of our Fall activities, we will add to it. I'm partial to the dark rusts. Just about finished my decorating for Halloween and Fall. I have added quite a bit to my Thanksgiving collection since last year too.

If you have followed me in the past you know that every year for over 25 years I have a Halloween party~~this year we will host another but it is more Fall/Harvest/Halloween than just Halloween. My daughter and her friends are into the rustic farmhouse harvest look so that's what we have decided to go with. My daughter is very crafty and creates some beautiful things so I know she will be making some nice things.

Fall Decorating

Good Afternoon! How awesome is it to have some cooler temps? I am so happy! Got a bunch of my boxes down for some decorating although I'll be scaling it back this year due to my duties with Mom. Then again, my idea of scaling it back is still way more than most people do in general so no one will probably even notice! I think you know this is my favorite time of year! Moo already has taken over her favorite blanket in the livingroom! I never saw a cat that loved comfort the way she does! Its hard to get her to give up any blanket and pillow or even move over on the couch!

One by one, I'm taking my favorite things out of their boxes. Don't forget that the Freeform Channel will be showing Hocus Pocus like a hundred times during their 31 nights of Halloween! 

Have you started your decorating? 

I'm planning to make some fabric indian corn and some stuffed pumpkins. It just isn't Fall if I don't create something!

Random Thoughts

I could probably post every day if I had either the time or the feeling that I'm interesting enough to post every day~~I'm not really! I have an over active mind! So many things I want to do and complete and yet the days go by so fast! How pretty is that pumpkin up above? I think that's a beautiful idea! This time of year my head is filled with ideas and my enthusiasm is boundless yet I don't get to accomplish nearly half of what I want to! I can't get up any earlier!!! And I can't drink any more coffee to keep me at it! Oh well! I'll do my best and see what happens!

I am pre ordering this new Amish book! The cover looks so exciting to me! Of course, I would find pie exciting! But the cover just drew me in!! Plus it is several stories, what they call a novella, and I love those!

I'll be happy when the cooler weather is here to stay. Its been in the 60's and I love that. It goes up tot he mid 70's and that is till fine but today and tomorrow it'll be a little higher. Then for the end of the week I believe the temps drop again. I'm hoping for a cool week end. I didn't get to make the Pumpkin Crunch Cake yet but I plan to before the week come to a close so we have it for Saturday and Sunday! Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. 

I have to show you a photo of my recent purchase from the marketplace on Facebook! A great Amish made cabinet! If you follow my page, you may have already seen it but I don't believe I have blogged about it yet. I'm still tweaking it but I think I have it almost right and I found the perfect spot. You sure can find some good stuff on there! That's my second purchase in just a couple of months!

Have a great afternoon!

Welcome Fall!

Well, almost Fall anyway...We had a nice Summer albeit some sad events and I think I'm ready to move on. It was a strange Summer actually..my Mom continues to decline, our cat passed away ...but I'm not going to complain because we are truly blessed and that's what you must focus on. But back to Fall...started some decorating and as usual I never actually finish. I'm always adding and tweaking. That's what's so fun about. I love my home with all my heart and making it special for my family and visitors is still so important to me. I think one of the reasons I love Fall so much is that the nights are longer! So many would disagree with me on that but I have always loved it! It's still that signal to me that its time to wind down the day. Dinner, homework, jammies. Close out the world till the next morning. Our own world behind the closed door. Well, its a little different now~~my son works full time and my daughter is in high school so I'm not exactly getting the kids into baths and an early dinner LOL but in my mind its still that way!

So with all the changes many of you know about relating to my Mom, its been an adjustment for all. At 89 years old, she is pleasant and mellow and so grateful. It's hard to watch the people you love suffer but she does have some good days too. I made one of her signature dishes the other day~truly a favorite of any one that has eaten it! Italian potato salad!

White potatoes boiled and halved, mixed with sliced tomatoes, onions, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, and olive oil. So yummy! And from potato salad last week to what I'm making today! A banana cream pie and a new recipe I saw online that looks so good! Its Pumpkin Crunch Cake! Look it up! It looks heavenly.

Showing you my new Annie I received from the lovely Ivonne of Bonchy's Favorite Things! I love her so much. I'm gonna have to show you a close up! And I bought a mini quilt from a lady on line which comes tomorrow so I am so excited.

I know everyone is looking forward to football season today! So many posts about their day of games. We wait for hockey! October 4th is the first NY Islanders game. Can't wait. (Another reason to love Fall!

I'm going to start work on my Salem tree. I think I had mentioned it last Halloween. I saw an example of one too late and tried to remember it for this year. I have decided to make it a combination of Salem and black crows. Getting everything I need to make some ornaments and also sort out what I have already made. This is the inspiration tree but my tree will look different. My tree is green, I plan to use old fashioned orange lights and the colors will be black & orange!

Speaking of orange lights I affixed some new ones to the top of my hutch. I like these better than the white ones I had. I think I will  leave the orange up all year because the glow is so nice. It reflects off the pip berries and looks so nice in person.

Here it is last night:

That's about it for now. My other plan is to get together a list of some of the Amish Christmas books I want to order. So many good ones being released and the Amish fiction for Christmas is so nice. 

Hope you have a nice day!