The (real) Leaves Are Now Beginning to Fall! Origins For a Giveaway!

The leaves are falling~~yes the real ones! Right off my horse chestnut tree in my backyard! This is always the first tree on our property to lose its leaves and when they do fall, it is a sign that the others will be following shortly. When we first moved here in 1994, this tree wasn't doing very well due to the previous owner's neglect (it wasn't her fault; she was 94!) but once we moved to the property, and at the time there was a ranch house on it, we put a lot of time and effort into the garden and put in a sprinkler system, etc. This tree came back in her full glory with LARGE leaves that provide almost an umbrella type shield over our yard! And in Fall, she drops her chestnuts.They come enclosed in a cocoon covered with spikes--trust me these spikes are lethal! But if you crack it open, which the kids like to do, you will see a beautiful golden chestnut! I often wonder how the squirrels split them without bleeding!   SO my kids collect them, crack them open and make piles for our squirrels. I keep some for Fall arrangements in the house and the landscaper is happy that due to us performing this task they don't get stuck in his mowers! When these chestnuts Fall, Autumn is almost here!

Our Horse Chestnut tree

I cut the last of the hydrangeas. After reading that the best way to dry hydrangea is  to let them die ON the plant itself, I can attest that this is correct! So I have another beautiful bouquet of hydrangea that I will work with putting some in vases and using others for crafts. How nice it has been to extend the beauty of my garden into the house! :)  My son has been hard at work planting all the new cypress we have. We planted a total of 28! Once they grow, we will have a natural wall for privacy. Our property is 1/4 acre and on Long Island we have suburban neighborhoods though in Suffolk County where I live it is a more rural area than some others. And as you travel further out east to the tip of our island, it gets more rural. I am proud to say that our community does have several working farms both plant and horse, we have several poultry farms and farm stands and farmers markets as well as a big orchard so suburban living can be country too! 

horse chestnuts

As I walked through the garden I couldn't help but photograph my woodburning stove--she was so happy to be a part of the landscape holding pots of flowers! Now she will hold pumpkins and gourds! She found her place--I just love her there. Her pots of impatients have just about finished.  The black eyed susans, my Dad's favorite flower, is also retiring for the season. See you next year! My little squirrel friend is reclining eating a sugar cookie under the horsechestnut! He's a cutie :)

Also in my garden are my star birdhouse and my black capped chickadee feeder--both purchases from my last trip to Lancaster County from a great store in a barn called "Almost Paradise". It's on Rte 30 and I always find good stuff there. It's called Almost Paradise because it is right before the border of Paradise, PA!

That's Dutchess, our calico cat and Red Cat enjoying the front porch. I have started decorating it with my wagon and other goodies. I just love scarecrows. Next Sunday when we go apple picking, we will also go to our favorite pumpkin farm and then I will add pumpkins to the porch. That lighted pumpkin lantern was the one I bought in Bird in Hand. I love it so much. We saw countless homes in Lancaster that had them on their porches or in their gardens. Now I do too :)

That photo of the big pine tree? Well, that pine was planted the first Summer we moved here. I carried the pot home from Home Depot! She's grown quite a bit, wouldn't you say? When we knocked the ranch down in 2008 we had to move her. We did with heavy equipment! We were worried she wouldn't make it! But she thrives to this very day!

School started September 5th! Unfortunately, Caitlin missed the first two days due to a toothache :(  She will have to have both rear baby molars extracted very soon. Our dentist was able to relieve her discomfort finally on Thursday, and Caitlin started her new school year on Friday. My little mouse was very happy when she came home from school on Friday afternoon declaring "I love my teacher and I can't wait till Monday!"  Praise the Lord! Billy started 8th grade and Billy being Billy, the laid back, go with the flow of life kid that he is, went right into the pace of school like he never left. No complaints--he likes his schedule of classes, his teachers, and he has lots of friends in his classes too. Could I ask for any better than that? And he's happy because when he feels like it, he can still work with my husband on Saturdays, which is his favorite thing to do.

Some of the cypress we planted

Lastly, I must post about Maggie's Lil' Fixins origins. Check my sidebar and look for My Colonial Home, one of my very most favorite (and I mean FAVORITES) blog. A wonderful and talented lady named Karen writes it, and to be entered in her giveaway we must post about how we started blogging and the origins of our blog name. You must check her out!  Well, I started blogging in 2010 at the urging of my dear cousin who writes Bittersweet Cottage. She had started blogging and began encouraging me since many of our emails back and forth were kind of blog worthy! At first I didn't know how to begin. The hardest part is to get noticed and gain followers! But I enjoy it so much and the friends I have met is so rewarding! Oh I have learned so much! Between recipes and crafts and sewing and gardening, these blogs are lessons in wonderful things! Plus reading about other families and their adventures is so much fun.   The name Maggie's Lil' Fixins was a name I created way before blogging. When my husband built the shed in our yard, he made it so special and cottagey. I said if I was ever going to have a store of my own to sell the crafts I make I would want it to be in there! and I would name it Maggie's Lil' Fixins. I had been in many gift stores where they sell candles and potpourri and bowl fillers and they referred to it all as "fixins" and I just loved that term and since my name is Margaret----well, Maggie's Lil' Fixins was born. Though no one in my life except blogger friends actually call me Maggie! That's the story :)

Our special pine

Eating a sugar cookie under the tree!
 

I hope you have a great day! The weather here is cooler! YEAH!!!! I feel so invigorated. We had tornado watches yesterday and heavy rain but today is lovely! Now go do some Fall decorating!

The (artificial) Leaves Are Falling!

What a beautiful sight! Orange, red, brown, and yellow leaves falling~~~I see them outside every window and door! So glorious. Yet these leaves do not gather in piles in my yard nor do they crunch under my feet when I walk. These are my silk leaves so I can have Fall anytime I like! I always put them up now; Labor Day traditionally has been my beginning of Autumn though I have started earlier this year :)   
When you stand in my foyer, you can see the pretty leaves in the sidelights of the front door. I can't explain to you how pretty the glow of the colors are inside! The foyer is warmed with color! The big window that looks into my yard is in my kitchen/dining area. Again, a pretty glow and during the day as the sunlight streams through them. And at night, through the little window on one of my two rear porches it seems to beckons you to come in for the night--the leaves are falling and air is crisp.  Come in, come in! Let the leaves fall outside! Well almost anyway! I love the look and the feeling artificial or not.

 I have noticed some real leaves start to fall; just a couple. AND our first chestnut fell off our horsechestnut tree in the backyard!

Decorating continues--simple little jars filled with good stuff can make such a statement. I love how they look. I most times put things where I have had them in years past. How 'bout you? If I find a good place, I keep it!

Besides all my decorating, which will really kick in this coming weekend, we got a delivery of 18 Leland Cypress trees/bushes for our yard. I am so happy as ever since Hurricane Irene hit us last Summer, one side of our yard had been so severely affected. We lost the five trees that I have told you about  and the bushes that were killed by the trees when they fell. We have replaced some and repaired our patio, but we were still lacking with privacy bushes. Our home is on 1/4 acre and although I dearly love my neighbors I also prefer to see them when I want to see them! My husband came home with a truck full of cypress ( and I believe it is actually the anniversary of Hurricane Irene) and today  he will have about ten more! My son planted the 18 yesterday! He loves doing his projects! It feels good to check off another "want" on our list and this Summer we covered 99.9% of our list. It has been a good Summer.

 Caitlin is ending the Summer with two missing teeth! Her front ones! They both came out in one week!Kept the tooth fairy quite busy.  My husband calls her "choppers" or "fang" . Don't worry; Caitlin has a good sense of humor. She's been thinking about what she wants to be for Halloween. Most of her 7 years she has opted to be a witch. That was my favorite growing up! We had a big brown bag of "costumes" that included a clown or a witch. The clown costume consisted of a pair of striped flannel pajamas that had big colored pom poms affixed down the front! We would make up our face in clown makeup. I never was a clown; my sister was I remember once or twice. She was also a gypsy a couple of times. My brother was a "bum". I was the witch. Our witch costume was a long black skirt that had been my mother's. She attached straps to the waistline to go over our shoulders like suspenders! We wore a long sleeved black shirt or turtleneck and a witch's hat and of course some make up. The skirt would be floor length for us, and we loved it! I couldn't wait. I loved when we took the decorations out. Our decorations included the Beistle jack o' lantern guy with the moveable arms and legs (wish we still had him!) and a few other cardboard decorations--all Beistle of course. What great memories.  I'm kinda hoping Caitlin wants to be a witch again this year! but I'll let her choose, of course!  I wonder if kids still do go dressed as bums or gypsys? Is it not politically correct, maybe? I don't see many of those costumes in my large groups of trick or treaters...I wonder.
I've been doing some good cooking through all this decorating and planting! Today I am making turkey chilli just to have in the house. It's like a staple. My kids like to open the fridge and see chilli, some kind of soup, hard boiled or deviled eggs, and cheese. Maybe some tuna salad too! So I try to have those things in there. They love having chilli to eat as a snack with some tostito scoop chips and shredded cheese or eating a small bowl before dinner like an appetizer! And they love the turkey more than beef in chilli; I have made both.

 I made a really hearty chicken soup the other day and it was smelling the kitchen up so yummy! I gave some to our neighbor who loves to eat but doesn't like to cook and yet again she asks me the recipe, which I give her, and she thinks it has to be more complicated than I am explaining! Simple soup. Simple chicken soup I say. Nothing complicated; nothing exotic. Simple goodness of vegetables and chicken!

I also made a fast pasta dish with fresh greens that I enjoyed. I boiled ditalini pasta, added a can of diced tomatoes with basil & oregano, fresh mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and assorted greens like spinach and red leaf lettuce. The heat from the pasta melted the cheese and wilted the leaves. It warmed up the tomato and was so satisfying! I would surely make that as a buffet dish or a luncheon item with some nice crusty bread!

Before I go and get that chilli cooking, I wanted to share a picture of little Dixie. She is such a cutie. I may have mentioned we rescued her seven years ago from a big state park near our house.  She's deaf , and she has very few teeth, and she is very tiny! I don't think she even weighs five pounds. But Dixie is the happiest cat you could meet! She looked so cute perched on my little bench that I wanted to take her picture but every one I snapped, her eyes were alien eyes! We call  her our cat from outer space.
I hope you have a great day!

The Calendar says August but it's Fall in my House!

August was great; as a matter of fact June and July was good too! We had a quiet but fun Summer--we went to Stormville to the antique flea market, we went to Amish Country with family and had fun, the Philadelphia Zoo to see furry friends, did Vacation Bible School, the library club, we were swimming and enjoying nights outside on the porch as well as our firepit roasting marshmallows and making smores. We helped Grandma move into her new pad :)   We did woodworking, we junk hunted, refurbished, painted, crafted and created. We had theme nights for food, had movie nights, game nights, had sleepovers.....We have had a great Summer. School starts September 5th. Even though I am out of school since 1983 I can't help but still look at the school calendar to see when the LAST day of school is! It's the first page I flip to! Silly, right? I enjoy the kids home. I love snow days. I love holidays. I love when they close the school for parent/teacher conferences. School may be coming...the long term assignments, the spelling tests, the algebra, all of it....but we still manage to have OUR fun. As I said to Caitlin (who is entering into 2nd grade already), we have so much to look forward to! Apple picking, baking with our apples, making applesauce, pumpkin picking, Halloween, our Halloween party, and so much more. Bye Bye August. We want the Fall to come!

To put a smile on your face, please see the pictures of my little squirrel friend who decided to help himself to our peanut supply. You see, I have always fed the squirrels, the raccoons, and stray cats (if any). I'm Italian--we feed everyone! We can't help it. Food=Love   (do the math)   Sooooo, I always keep this little bucket filled with peanuts by my rear door as my squirrels know to go there and wait patiently till I see them, then I feed them and they go on their merry way. Well, this little guy, who incidentally also likes to eat his peanuts sitting on my front porch or upon my mailbox, happened to notice that someone hadn't quite closed the rear door. Not mentioning any names who the culprit was...Caitlin...It wasn't "clicked" shut. And I guess he didn't want to bother me so he helped himself! BUT what he didn't know was that I had actually heard him reaching into the little bucket, and I got it on video and took some photos. Now I know everyone might say that I took a chance that he could run all over my house but I knew that was not his intention. He saw, he grabbed,  he ate. END OF STORY. The little cutie. Then he shared them with our baby blue jay friends. (maybe the blue jays were in on the plan all along)  ;)

As I am taking my Fall decorations out, I also take out my 1970's orange decorations. The orange cat and the orange bucket that I made an arrangement in last year were my Mom's. I grew up in the 1970's when it was fashionable to have an orange kitchen...and we did! So while it may not appeal to many to have an orange cat candle holder or an orange bucket, I always loved them and I thought they blended in well with my Fall decorations! I still remember exactly where my Mom had them in the kitchen too! My old friends are out for the season once again! My Mom always smiles when she sees them in my kitchen!

 I also made a few candle decorations. This weekend Billy will be taking down my cartons from the shed so I can really get started. I took down the scarecrows...they'll be out by Labor Day. Wow, this whole process of  decorating has completely tuckered Red Cat out. A nap was needed so that he would be frisky for FAll again!

We took a ride out on our North Fork again yesterday. Just for a couple of hours. We saw pumpkins already; I was quite shocked to see them this soon.  Signs for roasted corn and hay rides too! The season is starting early for everyone! Greenport is a lovely town--you can take a ferry to Connecticut and Shelter Island out there!

Time for me to go! I am making chicken soup today! The house will be smelling yummy in no time!

Happy Fall!

The coast is clear for a theft!

quietly, very quietly......

Oh no! The jig is up, as they say!

All mine!

You know Mr. Blue Jay--this makes you an accessory to the crime

Orange cat and bucket!

He has worked so hard!

Downtown Greenport, Long Island

The edge of Long Island, next stop is the ocean and Connecticut

Have a great day and before I go, I want to thank the new visitors I had to my blog. I really appreciate the comments and fellowship! Really, really, really!

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

Thunderstorms are coming but this is going to be a beautiful day~~in more ways than one I hope :)    We have been experiencing a very hot Summer and the most humid that I can remember. Not used to it and not liking it! Bring on the Fall! PLEASE! The heat certainly has not slowed us down though. We have been busy and it has been a good Summer despite the temps. Today on this dark day I have a list a mile long of things I would like to do and things I SHOULD do. Hopefully I will accomplish some of each :)

Like Father, Like Son---My husband Billy and son Billy--that's my son in the workshop in the garage cutting out wood figures of all kinds. He has learned so much from my husband, and he has the gift of carpentry. He had been itching to do this for quite a while so my husband set him up and made it possible. Using some templates and also just designing items based on things around our house, he so far has cut out a pumpkin trio, a couple of Halloween scaredy cats, barn stars, hearts and lots of ghosts! They are ready to be painted and decorated! We had fun looking for "ghosts" in the leftover scraps of wood and you would be surprised how many you can see--some facing towards us, some turned to the side, others pointing at something beyond etc. And when they are painted they will be defined! He has had so much fun and I have too watching him. It was a joy to see him at home in the sawdust and shavings. Serene in his task as if it is what he is meant to do. How lucky if he realizes that the honorable profession of carpentry is what his calling is. He is his father's son.
We plan to paint or varnish the barn stars and hearts and either decal some or do some rub on transfer images., We might paint sayings on them. We purchased the paint for the pumpkins and ghosts. We are doing the ghosts eyes in black sparkle paint so they glow in the night and glisten in the day. We bought our rustic colors for the stars and hearts and Billy made a list of sayings he likes for them--Live Simply, Welcome, Home Sweet Home, Be Grateful-----and that also sums up his personality and feelings. If you knew him you would agree.
I have started working on my Fall decorating. A little at a time :)  Little changes here and there. The kids go back to school September 5th so I don't want them to feel I am wishing their Summer away!

By Labor Day I traditionally have my Fall decorations out and Halloween decorations displayed by the end of September. I have already checked the schedule for apple picking. We are trying a new spot this year just to change it up a bit! We have been to this place before but it has been many years. We are going to Applewood Orchards in Warwick instead of Maskers Apples in Warwick this year. We are also going earlier as well! So far they are saying macintosh and grannys will be at the end of September so away we shall go.

 My love for Autums encompasses so many things--first and foremost is the general feeling I get. The warmth of the colors-the oranges, reds, browns and tans. The homey feeling I feel about the season; that nesting urge, the abundance of activities that are outdoors for this time of year. The snuggleness (I made that word up) of sweaters and quilts, the comfort foods, the joy of trick or treating, raking leaves, and sitting down with my family at Thanksgiving dinner. It fills my heart like no other season.

But we are in August now and I shall tell you about what a nice August it has been. We finally managed to go away for a weekend that had been postponed from July. My husband is busy so the two nights/three days was such a treat for us. We headed to Pennsylvania to Amish Country and Philadelphia. In our Lancaster County we "ate ourselves full" as the Amish say. We enjoyed the scenery, the food, the shops, everything. I came home with some goodies too! No surprise there , right ;)  Plus, I brought some New York bagels to a shopkeeper friend of mine! I made some mental notes of a  table and a cabinet I want to buy next time. My husband had brought the measuring tape but we still decided to wait till the next trip. We did purchase a cool house for the foyer that lights up--picture posted  (My husband spotted it and said it was a must have; I agreed) and my son purchased the mounted birdhouse for our porch.  He surprised me with it when we were at a great store called Almost Paradise. As I was exiting the store and packing the car up with my multiple purchases :)   he said "Mom, what do you think of this birdhouse? Wouldn't it look good on the porch?" He was right--it would! He then told me he bought it was a family gift. My son sure loves his home and the things we decorate with. What a great husband he'll make someday.
The kids loved where we stayed--Caitlin REALLY loved the pools!Her swimming has really taken off this Summer so she was swimming underwater, jumping off diving boards--my little fishy. Whereas my son always loved to swim, she has taken it to a new level of excitement! Caitlin swims and jumps in with so much gusto! Oh my! She jumps in and keeps on going like the energizer bunny.

As we traveled around I photographed some lovely ideas to take home and copy! I always do that--I can't remember everything so my camera is my life. She (the camera) has  been giving me a bit of trouble lately but she gets the job done. I think I might need a new one under the Christmas tree!

On the last day of our trip, we went to Philadelphia and that was great too! We went to Besty Ross's house first. Caitlin had done her very first book report on her  not long before school ended. She was thrilled to go to her house! What a great little tour! We went to Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and Ben Franklin Square. We are history lovers so of course we were in heaven. It also made us want to go back to Massachusetts! At Betsy Ross's house, "Betsy" spoke directly to you about her life and her shop that George Washington visited and showed her a plan for a flag he had in mind to represent our country. Upon looking at his ideas on scrap paper, Betsy told the respected General that she had a better idea of what the flag should like! Although they had similar ideas, he liked her design better and so the flag was born.  A great stop in Philly if you ever visit! I get goosebumps walking in Independence Hall and to the Liberty Bell knowing who also walked through those doors. The history just overwhelms me.

The Philadelphia Zoo is the oldest zoo in America and it was amazing. Although it was a hot day, most of the animals were active....except our favorites--the BIG CATS. Those lazy guys were sleeping and just a little twitch of the tail or an occasional short walk to another sleeping spot is all we saw. KIND OF LIKE MY CATS AT HOME :)     Oh yes, they did treat us to a few big yawns so we saw their teeth.  The giraffe were active as were the polar bears. All in all we had a great time viewing them all and it was a pleasant day.

Back home, as I said I am stealing some pretty ideas from Amish Country that I liked. I'm sure you have seen the idea of using a votive candle inserted into a larger clear glass container and the outer container is filled with unpopped popcorn. Pop in a Fall colored votive and it is finished. SO FAll-ish!  I loved that one. Saw that in the Old Candle Barn. I think I will make a cluster...
I also saw, but I forgot where, a very cute idea to recycle your tarts or old candles by melting them into mini rustic frying pans or metal receptacles and then before the wax hardens, you add wax stars or hearts or a few bowl fillers and then you let the wax harden around it. It is adorable! So I am saving my wax tarts to do just that! ...and I will be making more bowl fillers out of cinnamon this Fall.

That's my boy!

Scaredy Cats!

My Water Girl

Walking through the covered bridge

Betsy Ross House

Goosebumps I  tell you!

Love it and stealing the idea!Thanks!

Wax tarts

Billy's purchase for our porch

My husband has good eyes for spotting goodies

in the foyer she goes

the Halloween pussycat plate is out

leaves to be wrapped around the base of the hook and an electric candle in his mouth!

Other items I purchased on my trip--the star shaped orange pip wreath and every shop ther ewas had this pumpkin lantern on this hook! I loved it and had to have it for two reasons--it was adorable and everyone in Lancaster had it so I had to too :)   I also bought new pip berry wreath for my  kitchen table chandelier! Only $9.99 what a steal.

Before I end, I wanted to show you my  hydrangeas that have dried. These are just some of them. I have them in a vase in my parlor. I followed a method of drying that I learned from the internet---let them dry on the bush itself! Don't cut the flowers off and just keep an eye on them and when you see they have completely dried, cut them off! I did, it worked and I am happy!

Have a splendid day and if you have a chance please see my new friend Joyce's incredible blog that I have  added to my sidebar--October Farm! I have already made one of her recipes and it was OUT OF THIS WORLD!  Farfalle Pasta& Sausage-----heaven on earth!