Fall Projects

This is Josh and Sarah, my niece and nephew, at the Boo!Bash2. Cuties, huh? They also have another brother, Wade, but since he didn't show up...I have no current photos of him. See what happens when you don't come to family events??

I think I'm finally settling down into a routine, what with this working nonsense and all. I am so blessed to be able to set my own schedule (to a degree) and since I don't get paid when I'm not actually seeing kids, it only makes sense to be at work only when I can do things to get paid for. I'm sorry if that only makes sense to me, but I know what I mean!

What that means is I have a little time to get things done at the house before I go to work after everyone else leaves, and then after work before everyone else gets home. See how nicely that works out for me? It may not always be this way, so I've learned to live in the moment and enjoy what I have. OK, maybe it's more correct (correcter?) to say that "I'm learning" rather than "I've learned"...

So today I'm making a list of things I'd like to get done in the house before Thanksgiving. Lynn and I host the Miller family on the Saturday after Thanksgiving for the family gathering. We have around 20 or so usually...and maybe this year we might actually get around to having dessert on the back porch, as I've planned for the past 3 years but have never actually pulled off. Sigh.

I want to:

1. Paint the front porch. Gray porch, black rails, shutters and front door.

2. Paint the back and side porches. Same gray as front porch. Paint the back door black.

3. Paint the boys'/hallway bathroom. Cream colored.

4. New accessories for above mentioned bathroom. I have several items that I'll be repurposing to use in there, so it's not going to be too terribly expensive.

5. Re-purpose said items. This involves some painting and possibly a little glittering..oh, yes!

6. Move some furniture around to make things more functional. This will involve some help from the menfolk, so will likely be done on a weekend.

I already have an idea of what I'm going to do for the Thanksgiving table. That, however, is going to be a surprise! Stay tuned for progress notes...or lack of progress notes!

Did you notice how many items involve painting? Does anyone know a good painter? Thank the Sweet Lord, my painter is busy painting for people who pay him to paint! YAY!! So I may have to do the painting myself. Tee hee! My painter usually says he'd rather paint it himself than fix my mess ups. We'll see how this plays out...usually just the threat that I'm going to paint gets him going! That is a little sneaky, but hey-he is the one that created that little situation!

Now, if I can just get off this computer, I have time to unload/reload the dishwasher and start a load of laundry before I head to work. Oh, joy!

Later!

Cathy

Christmas Countdown Begins!!

All of you who know me personally or read my blog often know that I just LOVE to count down things! If someone else hasn't organized a countdown for an event, I just create my own. Fortunately, the creative CEO from Organized Christmas did the work for me on this one, and she did it 10 years ago! Check out the Christmas Countdown and see if it will work for you. It is a 6 week comprehensive plan to get organized and ready for the holidays, to allow a stress free celebration. I like how she breaks things down into weekly chores and allows plenty of time to deal with real life situations that we all know crop up here and there. I hope you can use it!

As you can tell by the name of this blog and the number of holiday planning blogs I have, I just love the holidays. I am big on celebrating and get teased often about it, but that's ok. I am a big girl and I can handle it! Bring it!

I am excited about the upcoming holidays. By necessity, we are going to have to have a simpler holiday than we've had in the past. But I am not sure that that's a bad thing. I want my kids to understand the true meaning of Christmas (and they do..but it never hurts to keep that the main focus!) and to understand the importance of doing things for others. They really are sweet, loving boys, and I want them to remain that way.

I do love to decorate for the holidays, but this year I've set a goal to keep it simple and festive, and to use what I have rather than purchasing new things. The one thing I am going to have to purchase is a new tree...the one that I've used in the past is long past it's prime and we had to wire it together the last time we used it. Last year we had a fresh tree and may do the same this year. If not, I'll have to purchase a faux one.

Are you thinking about the holidays yet? What do you have planned?

Later!
Cathy

Sad News

I have sad news this morning...Anne Pressly died Saturday night from her injuries.

Channel 7 has a lot on their website about it and I won't go into details, but you can check out the entire story, a video montage and lots of other info on Anne.

This is so sad. And, if you check out the KATV website, you'll see that there's been another woman die during a home invasion in Little Rock and a shooting on a college campus in Conway.

I am so mad.

Later,
Cathy

Big Day!

Tomorrow is the big day here at the Hamlet....Boo!Bash2, our now annual Halloween party/fall festival kicks off at 6 p.m.

We are expecting 60 or so guests to roast hot dogs, drink warm yummy drinks and take a hayride...costumes are requested but not required! It's going to be a lot of fun.

And, I will have some pictures up on Haunted Hamlet Sunday afternoon, hopefully!! Right now, I have to go finish getting things ready!

Stay tuned...the Christmas Countdown starts Sunday! It's just one holiday after another around here!!

Later!
Cathy

Please Pray for Anne

Local news achor Anne Pressly was brutally attacked in her own home Monday night. You can read the whole story at her station's website, KATV, Channel 7. We watch her every morning. As silly as it sounds, we feel like we know her.

This kind of senseless violence makes me sick at my stomach. Please pray for Anne and her family, as well as her Channel 7 family.

Hang in there, Anne...God loves you and so do we.

Prayerfully,

Cathy

Look What I Found!

On my front porch when I got home from work yesterday! Three boxes of dishes! White dishes! My favorite!

A while back, my Bunco buddy Terri noticed my white dishes with a fruit border and mentioned that she had some pieces in her flea market booth that would match. She said she needed to move them and wondered if I wanted them. I of course said "yes", then promptly forgot about them. But sweet Terri didn't, and delivered them just in time for the 20th anniversay of my 29th birthday!! Along with the dishes was a sweet note acknowledging the day and wishing me a happy one. Aren't they glorious?


Here's the pitcher, filled with dried hydrangeas from Michael's yard...won't it be great for pouring juice at our family breakfasts?

There's service for six of these beauties! And, there's a set of extra large cups, just like the smaller ones...perfect for hot chocolate on a snowy day or sipping soup for lunch! Actually, I'm drinking my morning coffee from one right now!

And there's salt and pepper shakers, a gorgeous platter, a cream pitcher and sugar bowl and a gravy boat. I'll be setting a lovely Thanksgiving table this year, won't I? And, I'll be ready for Tablescape Tuesday next week! Check back and see what I have in mind....

Thanks so very much, Terri! I love them!

Later!

Cathy

Fallifying the Hamlet

Today is the virtual Fall Tour of Homes over on Haunted Hamlet. I really appreciate everyone who participated in our first one, and look forward to next year...and Christmas!

Here's some pictures I didn't post over there...no particular reason why, I just chose other ones. So, I thought I'd post them here.

The picture below is what I call the "chicken coop". It's a yard sale piece from a couple of years ago...$10!! Oh, yes...that's not a misprint....I intend to paint it white and put chicken wire in the doors someday. I have already bought the paint and chicken wire. Someday....


This is the end of the mantle in the living room. These hydrangeas came from my brother Michael's yard. They are huge, and dried so pretty. I love this look...not a traditional fall look, but one that I really like. I added the pumpkins and gourds to "fallify" it. Oh, and the banner that you see doesn't say anything...just fall colored triangles on gold ribbon with fall chip wood pieces on it. Simple but cute. Kind of like some people I know....

When I discovered the beautiful hydrangeas in Michael's yard, I asked him if I could cut some of the blooms for a project I'm working on. His reply was "What's a hydrangea bush?" so I felt that it would be ok to cut the blooms...if he didn't even know what it was, he wasn't likely to miss a few blossoms, right?

And this is one of my absolute favorite things about fall-candy corn! I love the stuff...and this is about the third bowlful that has resided on the table this year....I really like the mellocreme pumpkins, too...hmmm...we haven't had any of those yet. Maybe I'll look for them tomorrow at the grocery store. Or not...I'm really trying to watch what I eat....baahaahaaa....I almost typed that with a straight face! I'm so looking for the pumpkins tomorrow!

I'll have some more fall stuff soon...our party is next Saturday, so I'll be decorating for that soon!

I hope you have a great day and weekend!

Later!
Cathy

I've Been Tagged!

Ginger over at Ginger's Journey has tagged me to share 7 random and/or weird facts about myself. I'll do my best to limit it to 7...

1. I love tomato soup, ketchup and spaghetti sauce, but I don't care for fresh tomatoes. Execpt those little bitty grape tomatoes that I grow sometimes in my garden...those taste like candy and I can eat them straight off the vine.

2. I start lots of projects, but I finish very few. I am big on planning, not so good with the follow through. I'm working on it...

3. I love a clean house but I absolutely hate to clean house. Hmmmm.....maybe I need a maid?

4. I love the holidays...all holidays, but Christmas and Halloween and Thanksgiving are my favorites.

5. I am an October baby and was an October bride...and that was planned-well, the bride part was. I don't know about the baby part!

6. I love to entertain. I love to have family gatherings, friends over for dinner, kids' parties..whatever. However, I have never, ever thrown a party that I didn't comment at some point "I wish I'd never even started this...I don't want to have this stupid party..." It's not true, I do, but I get so caught up in the details that I stress myself out. Also working on this one....

7. I love going to flea markets and finding wonderful treasures, but I always feel kind of dirty when I leave there and have to immediately wash my hands. I even keep antibacterial gel in the car, just for this purpose.

Ok, that's it. Not too bad, huh?

If you have a blog and you want to participate, consider yourself tagged!!

Later!
Cathy

October update

Since I've gotten so bad about posting (and have been taken to task about it more than once lately), I thought I'd take a minute this morning and do a catch up post! Then, I HAVE to do some housework...well, I SHOULD do some!

Everything is ok, just kind of crazy around here. I am working, Lynn is picking up stuff here and there to do and the boys are going to school. I know it doesn't sound like much, but after the laid-back summer we had, it seems like everything has exploded around here.

I am working on plans for the Boo!Bash2. Since our budget has tightened considerably lately (and I understand that everyones' has, too) we are making some minor changes to the party plans. Check out Haunted Hamlet for those details. I think it's going to be loads of fun, and I do think it's important to keep things as normal as possible for the kids in these crazy times. They have looked forward to this all summer, so we're doing it!

I'm already excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well. I think we may really get back to the true meaning of the holidays this year...there certainly won't be any big extravagant gifts or parties around here, but we will have a few gatherings with family and close friends. Again, I think it's important to remain bonded to our loved ones during times of uncertainty, don't you?

I am trying to decorate with what I have and not buy anything if I can avoid it. I'd rather put my limited funds toward the food. Hurricane Gustav washed away all the hay and pumpkins that I'd planned to use, so we'll just have to make due without them!

I'll be visiting flea markets and such for Christmas gift ideas in the next few weeks, and I'll TRY to post pictures of my finds...

Have a great Saturday. The weather here is sunny and warm, with cooler evenings. Just the way it should be in October in Arkansas!!

Later!
Cathy

Glorious October!

On one of the message boards I visit every now and then, there is an autumn discussion. One of the the posters asked if anyone thought the reason they were such a fall fan is because they are autumn babies. Several people who responded are not autumn babies but still confess a love of autumn. Well, I'm going to tell you right now-I believe that there is a connection between the season you are born and the season you love the best. I am an autumn baby and was an autumn bride. No coincidence there-I planned my wedding around the fall leaves! Oddly enough, I didn't use fall colors in my wedding, but I wish now, 1o years later, that I had. Wouldn't this centerpiece be glorious on individual tables at a wedding reception?



And, I'm a sucker for vintage Halloween stuff. I just love it! I found this on the web at a site that offers free clipart...isn't it wonderful?

I am hoping for a vintage feel to the Halloween party this year...but real vintage stuff is so expensive, IF you can find it around here, so I'm having to vintagize (is that a real word or another Cathy-made-up word) some things...don't forget to check out the Haunted Hamlet on October 16 for the Magical Holiday Home's virtual Fall Tour of Homes for a tour of MHH members' holiday homes. You'll be able to (hopefully) see what vintage goodies I've come up with!! We're going to do it again in December for Christmas decorations!

Ok, I've got to go do some housework stuff...yucky but necessary!!

Later!

Cathy