My Favorite Time of Year!

It is my FAVORITE time of year! And I try to enjoy as much of it as I can. I wish October and November were longer months like maybe 6 weekends per month! This way I could fit in everything I want to do. There are so many festivals and fairs and things to do and people I want to invite but then I run out of weekends! But before I start going on about my love for Autumn, I have to show you  my son's graduation picture:

This is one of the many poses. And before you say "Why isn't he smiling?" Well, the photographer told the kids it has to be a serious photo and that "smiles can make you look goofy. keep it serious."...anyway, I can't believe he'll be graduating in June. I'm very proud of him.

So now back to the Halloween/Fall discussion...  :)    Caitlin, her friend Jackie, and I went to the annual Pickle Festival held nearby. It's become a tradition! A couple hundred years ago, Long Island was the first area here in the northeast to promote pickles from all the cucumbers grown so we kinda celebrate every year and every flavor pickle you could imagine is celebrated at the Pickle Festival. It's so fun. Caitlin even wore a green bow and shirt to honor the almighty pickle!

We did our visit to Hicks Nursery and while I enjoy everything we do while we are there, I love to look at the decorations and try to get crafting ideas.

I'm just about done decorating but really...who is ever DONE? As I see things or find more things, I add them!

This weekend we are headed upstate for an event, and I can't wait! It's the Great Pumpkin Blaze! It's held in Sleepy Hollow about an hour from my home and it's awesome. Over 7,000 pumpkins carved and displayed in different scene. There's a pumpkin bridge, a pumpkin cave. It's super cool! plus you get to walk around sipping cider and eating chilli and popcorn! I'll be sure to post a bunch of pictures.

My chickens are laying eggs every day! It's so cool to have fresh eggs every morning. I think if I had the room I would have 100 chickens!

I still have a few projects I'd like to do this month. Have you seen the ideas with clay pots? Look how cute!

 Well, off I go. Busy day this Friday is! Have a great weekend!

Halloween is Coming!

Good Morning! It feels so good to wake up on a chilly morning. I just love the crisp feeling! Schedules are back in place for the new school year and life is carrying on! I've been slowly decorating and we've also gotten a few more house projects done including my front walkway which I was so excited about!

Now we just have to finish the garden beds around it. It seems like there are always projects to do! We are thinking boxwood bushes or something low growing and of course annuals which we plant in the Spring but for the Fall we will fill with colorful mums.

I was so surprised to receive a gift in the mail from a lovely lady who also loves the Amish as I do.

 She made me this lovely doll! Isn't she awesome? I adore her. She originally came with a little flower basket but little Jinx our cat had other ideas for that flower basket so I replaced it with a pie. So much fun to get surprises in the mail.

She fits right in! Nestled in front of one of my Amish made pieces of furniture and more Amish kids behind her and to the side.

 Besides getting all ready for school, Caitlin and I have been crafting like crazy. I'm so happy we started early and we are really getting creative. She's thinking she would like to be Rapunzel for Halloween. Here is her photo from the first day of 6th grade so you can see her hair is plenty long enough to be Rapunzel!

Some things we made:

My nieces came over and we did some Halloween crafting with them and started making supplies for the two Halloween parties we are having this year. And don't ya know that when crafting is involved so is food!!! We took a break and had a great meal with a big chocolate milkshake. An incredible burger I had when I was out with them and I ate every bit of it too!

Food is always involved....I craft better on a full stomach! So we are making some of these:

and some of these....

I'll let you know how they come out! I also saw this adorable idea on Pinterest. Just get black straws and googly eyes. So cute!

I'm thinking what else is happening around here since I last blogged....Oh how can I forget? My husband and I were gifted with tickets from my Godmother to see the show Mama Mia! It was playing in a theatre nearby in Northport and what a show! We had such a great night preceded by, again, great a dinner ...We loved the show and it was so much fun to have a date night with my husband. We will actually be celebrating 28 years of marriage this Saturday! Woo Hoo!

I think I'm pretty caught up now...School, crafting, Halloween, Mama Mia....yup, I think that's it!

I know there are periods of time when its hard to get a blog post up but I can check in! I will always keep up though! My life is so much busier than it was years ago when I started back in 2009! I care for my Mom who needs so much help and attention now at age 86 and my son is home tutored due to his illness so it's a busy week. Plus I'm pretty active with my daughter's activities and my church but again, I WILL ALWAYS BE AROUND and will still be blogging!

Love you all!

August Heat

 Have you been to any craft stores lately? Silly question, I know. I have a routine of visiting a craft store and then having lunch at Panera....quite a habit! I so enjoy picking two. If you haven't had their Butternut Squash soup, well let me tell you that it comes out every Fall for a limited time, and I am WAITING for it. Delicious. You must try it. With crunchy pumpkin seeds floating on top..... Anyway, I saw these aisles of Halloween greatness  about two weeks ago and started purchasing some supplies for some Fall and Halloween crafts I 'm working on. I was in heaven. I retuned again the other day and bought a few more with some great coupons I had....So exciting to see it all but I'm not wishing for the Summer to be over only because that means Summer vacation for the kids is over. They return after Labor Day. By the end of August though I do decorate for Fall and mid September I start my Halloween decorating.

I saw some cool ideas using Christmas ornaments also. Filling clear ornaments with Halloween goodies. Aren't these adorable?

And I visited one lone garage sale this Summer, actually it was on my block, and I got this cool blow mold. Turns out it's "Bela Lugosi" and isn't a common one. Score! $15. I thought that was fair.

The rest of the Summer has been pretty nice. I've been to the beach and enjoyed it at night as well. We had a great big family reunion upstate with our cousins from Binghampton and that was awesome, we've been addicted to Japanese hibachi so now we try to go as often as we can. It's very popular here.....so much fun! Now my husband has some work to start on our house outside--a brick pathway. He's starting shortly. But today....well even though I've been battling a horrible eye infection, Caitlin and I decided to do some Halloween crafts and here is some of what I made:

And I basically did this using one eye so I'm quite proud. Now, hours later, it's actually clearing up and I can see! Woo Hoo!

Have a great evening! The thunder is rumbling and the rain is starting to fall! I hope it cools off a little!

Enjoying Summer!

What a beautiful day it is again today. I have the whole day free and I think I'm going to clean out my craft room and start to make space for Fall crafting. I know fall & Halloween are in the craft stores already and I'm certainly not rushing my Summer but I do want to think of the projects I want to make for Autumn.

We had an awesome weekend visiting President Roosevelt's house up in Hyde Park. We started off a few miles away in the town of Rhinebeck eating brunch at an historic inn called the Beekman Arms. I love it there so much and it reminds me of two of my FAVORITE places--The Wayside Inn and Colonial Inn of Concord, Massachusetts.

Visiting the President's home is always so special; I've been there many, many times but I think what I like best is that FDR & Eleanor made their home very casual and comfortable. Lots of florals fabric, tables set for tea, knick knacks and of course all the dog related things they collected for their dog Fala. It feels like a home! Anyway, we had an awesome day.

Caitlin and I had a beautiful beach day yesterday and when I came home I found a package from a friend in Illinois. She sent me these awesome prints!

They are beautiful! I was so surprised. I can't wait to frame them. Aren't they amazing? The top one is one of my favorite John Sloane paintings. The bottom snow scene is a Bonnie Mohr who is known for painting the Amish. Such an incredible surprise. I woke up this morning still thinking of it.

I'd say it's been a pretty nice Summer so far. Caitlin has been busy with lots of nice things. We've collaborated in the craft room on a few projects for her dollhouse and just some little stuff We love to work together. Enjoying the company of my neighbors, friends and cousins. Planning two short trips for Summer and Fall and some projects on our house but mostly just loving my porch, garden, and chickens! Hope you're enjoying your Summer too!

Thunderstorms Are Coming!

July 7th! It's a hot one! Waiting on the predicted thunderstorms and they're getting closer!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July; we did! With some of our favorite people. It certainly seemed like their were lots more fireworks this year too. Our neighborhood was putting on quite a show until very late. Fireworks are illegal in New York but it always seems to work out and none of the police bother anyone. We saw quite a show from our front porch.

We've been busy still planting and rearranging. August is going to be a busy month so we have to get a lot done.

My vegetable garden went in a little later than usual but it's doing great. My vegetables are organic.

Strawberries have finished so bring on the raspberries!

I had ordered and received these darling little angels. Aren't they perfect?

I've been putting them all around! On two trees, and my foyer mirror.

I don't know if I previously mentioned I rescued this umbrella holder from trash! It's getting a cleanup and a nice flower arrangement.

Stay cool everybody!