Thanks for Giving....

....me such joy....such Joie de vivre.

**A poem for you.**

Nature XXVII, Autumn

The morns are meeker than they were,

The nuts are getting brown;

The berry's cheek is plumper,

The rose is out of town.

The maple wears a gayer scarf,

The field a scarlet gown.

Lest I should be old-fashioned,

I'll put a trinket on.

~Emily Dickinson

Yes...I got a trinket to wear tomorrow to dinner at my brother's.  (Emily said I must.)  I debated all day whether to shop for a Fall-colored outfit of some sort.  However, I have a new lightweight sweater in that very popular color that I call "blush"....you know, not really pink, not really beige.  I really like it.  I scored a lovely trinket at Anthropologie today to wear with that sweater.  In the grand scheme of things, it was not a major bargain.  It was an Anthro bargain, however. 

Isn't she lovely?  The blush beads coupled with
two sizes of clear beads.  Ooh la la!!

Do you love the fabric pouch she was put in?
Simple drawstring with snappy cotton fabric.
Love it!

All their jewelry hung from these simple tags with ribbon loops.

The best part....ON SALE!!
(Not the Made in China part.)

Are these exclusive to Publix?
Mr. and Mrs. Pilgrim salt and pepper shakers.
I have a "thing" for salt and pepper shakers.
I didn't realize it until I counted them one day.

Another set...



One of several little Autumn vignettes with another s/p
set.  All will get put away Friday when I start on the
Christmas decor.

Tomorrow we will enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving dinner at my brother's new home.  We will make our rounds to other family homes as well.  I pray you all will enjoy a most special day with whomever you choose to spend it.  Families come in all shapes and sizes, and consist of friends as well.  Enjoy a blessed day.

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare.  They are consumed in twelve minutes.  Half-times take twelve minutes.  This is not coinsidence.  ~Erma Bombeck

(Wasn't she wonderful??)

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.  But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep.  ~Robert Frost  (One of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite writers.)

And finally, as I write this, I am wearing my new trinket, paired with an old brown plaid flannel shirt.  One can never be over accessorized....right?

May Thanksgiving blessings abound to all! 

~~ Coming Up for Air! ~~

That is what I feel like I am doing today.  It feels like FOREVER since I have posted.  The shower I worked on for my colleague turned out beautifully.  I have since been asked to help with two other parties.  I find when I have some creative downtime/slow times, I serve a snack, a meal, a little party to get the juices flowing.  Parties are not really what I want to do on a regular basis, but I enjoy them every once in awhile. 

That is how I came to cater a wedding.  Yes, a wedding.  I had hosted a party (along with my mother) for a family member and one their friends recommended me for a wedding.  So me....the one who has a hard time saying no....said okay.  What....was.....I.....thinking?  It was a great many years ago now, and I believe it turned out very well for what it was.  BUT....the couple had met doing karaoke.  It was a pasttime they participated in often.  They sang throughout their entire reception!  No band needed here, folks!  The first song....dedicated to a relative who had passed and could not attend, was touching.  We (I had recruited my mother and husband to help me that day) thought that was sweet.  Then came another song, then another, then another.  They had a captured audience who could not escape!  It was hilarious to us back in the kitchen.  I wish I could have taken a picture of the guests' faces after about the tenth song.  I didn't do any more weddings after that one.  Not because of the singing....it just wasn't my forte, I guess. 

But....I digress once again....  I enjoyed preparing for this shower and exercising my creative muscle.  Here are some pictures.

The beverage center.  I had used these strung pages in my
booth years ago and had just found them. 
I decided to cover some not-so-pretty pictures
hanging on the wall.  Coffee, tea, French lemonade,
Italian soda. I swear I really didn't notice the
wrinkles in the burlap until these pictures!!

The overall look.  It is a conference room, after all,
but I think it came together nicely.  The paper chains
were a big hit and worth the many hours to put together.
The menu:  3 different quiches, mixed fruit with dip,
meringe cookies, and petit fours.

I glittered some "B's" of different shapes/sizes to use throughout.

Cone favors with sugared pecans.

I think we surprised her!

Another view of our conference room turned garden party.

So sorry it has taken me so long to get these pictures posted.  I have been working with two new bosses at my "real" job and have just been pooped by the end of the day.  I enjoyed this past weekend at home getting all caught up with my favorite blogs that I follow.  I've missed being around my friends so much.  Isn't that funny how that happens?  Friends we've never met, but miss so much when we're away. 

I especially enjoyed reading Privet and Holly this morning.  Suzanne polled her family this past weekend to see what they would do with a completely free day....if they "played hooky."  I took a nice quick trip to my "hooky-land" deciding what I would do with a free day.  It was a great start to this day!

I wish all my bloggy friends and family a most thankful Thanksgiving this week.  What are your plans?  The day after Thanksgiving I will start my Christmas decorating.  I just can't stand the thought of putting anything up until then.  Pictures??  Oh yeah!

Working, working, working....

Whew!!!  My blogging has come to a stand-still of late for two reasons.  First....my computer here at work has firewalled my adding photos. (The nerve!!)  That means I can write text here, but have to wait until I get home to add the pics and send it out.  However....at home, I am shower intensive the last week or so.  My best friend/boss (so nice when that happens) and I are hosting a "Bridal Brunch" for a co-worker in our office this Friday morning.  She is handling the food while I am doing all the decorations.  Load one from my home accompanied me to work this morning.  My pink depression glass is always a big hit (plus pink is the bride's favorite color).  I really enjoy putting together the room.  In fact, at times I can be a bit reclusive so what I really love to do is decorate a fabulous room and table, attending to every last detail; then become a fly on the wall to watch how others enjoy it.  I love to see their reaction without looking like I am waiting for their praises.  Their delight is my reward and I can enjoy that silently. 

So I've been staying up late making miles of paper chain from an old French book that I will cascade from the ceiling of our little conference room, soon to be transformed into a garden party of sorts.  This morning I also thought about making different sized flowers from tissue paper to use about the room, the fact that I still need to make another hundred miles of paper chain, finish the cone favors that will contain sugared pecans (still to be made), and how I would love to turn an old ruffled shower curtain into a skirt to wear that day also.  If I could bring my hot glue gun and sewing machine to work, that would help tremendously!!

The menu will be simple:  assorted mini quiches, meringue cookies, and petit fours made by a woman in another department who makes the most beautiful cakes.  I always want to be the person who makes and does it all.  I am learning how to delegate and ask for others' talents to be included as well, but it is sometimes a difficult task for me.  I also asked all the guests to donate lace tablecloths as I want to do a random layering of many diffent cloths on the main table.  (Normally, I would be out there buying every cloth I could get my hands on!)  I'm finding that people are thrilled to help, actually, so I'm getting there!

I did make time this past weekend to wrap a special gift for my sister-in-law and make a stamped tag.  I also am putting together a few little things for my out-going school board members as a little something from me and still have a few little things to add there too.

So back to my day job now with my note pad handy to jot down things still needing to be handled and more ideas as they pop into my brain.  Lunchtime will be a quick trip to Michael's for tissue paper and little bags for the pecans.....and whatever else I can think of.  I do have to work on focus when I am there though.  So many things call out to me and I just don't have time for them now.

I think the thoughts running through my head are as scattered as my words above read to me.  I guess there is a part of me that thrives on this kind of stuff since I keep putting myself back in these situations time and time again.  I will have it all under control come Friday morning and will take pictures to share (on the weekend....from my home computer).

Enjoy your week.  We are having such beautiful weather here in South FL.  I actually squeezed in some gardening this past weekend too.  What would normally be spring flowers elsewhere are our winter flowers, so all the nurseries are jam-packed.  I'll take pics of my garden to share as well.

For now, I send you.......

Sorry for this picture-less post!!

It's Not Over, 'til It's Over

I am enjoying a quiet evening tonight.  For one, all those political ads are coming to an end as all the networks cover the results.  I'll check in every once in awhile, but I won't watch it all night.  Even though, with tonight's results, I will have two new bosses in the morning.  I work for my county's school board and will have two new school board members to assist soon.  That is my "real" job....the one that pays {most} of the bills, the insurance, the retirement.  The work I love is another story...

I think I am among many throughout our country who think the races this year were beyond nasty.  I'm over it!  I did my part...I was there to vote at 7:30 this morning.  While I'm glad it's over, I'm glad I had to opportunity.  We {as in "we" women} didn't always have that opportunity.  Hard to believe.  I look at the pictures and read the history books, but it is hard to relate to this....

"During the beginning of the twentieth century, as women's suffrage gained in

popularity, suffragists were subject to arrests and many were jailed. Finally, despite President Woodrow Wilson's opposition, Congress passed what became, when it was ratified in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment which prohibited state and federal agencies from gender-based restrictions on voting."  ~Wikipedia.

So for the women who fought, who were jailed, who screamed and yelled...I humbly thank you.  Because of you all, I have the opportunity to vote my heart:

I bet I'm not the only one who would vote this ticket!!

All pictures via zazzle.com.

Last Set from the Country Living Fair

I guess it is now quite apparent that I had a wonderful time last Saturday at the Country Living Fair at Stone Mountain Park, Georgia.  Here is the last set of pictures.....just random shots. 

They also had a little area where you could make your own basket.

I am always scouting new booth ideas. 
LOVE THIS!  Screens doors are so lightweight,
easy to tote about, and a great look!

I took this pic for my bloggy friend, Lili, of
Fearless Nesting.  Check out her driftwood trees and
beautiful pottery here.

Uh, yeah....these are roof vents turned light fixtures.
How clever is THAT???

Sweet display....had to capture it.

Another great booth idea.  This vendor used the screen doors
to make an arched entry way.  Also love the dropcloth drapes.
If you look closely or click on the pic, you'll see she strung them
with little drapery rings/clips.  Great idea!

Large yard flowers made from boat props!!

One of my favorite spots.  Can you imagine having a booth that gets
three days of this kind of traffic?  It never let up.  My picture did not
do this booth justice.  It's larger than it appears. 
I love the simplicity of the paperchain.  I'm going to "borrow" this
idea for a bridal shower I am working on for a girl at work. 
This booth is for "Findings."  I will provide her link in a later post
as I don't have it with me today.
She makes AWESOME jewelry also.
(Popping back in with Joanna Madden's link.)

Little fairy gardens.  I just wanted to buy the entire set up!

My camera battery died so this little picture was taken from
my husband's iPhone.  I can't enlarge it without it
getting blurry. Yes, that is Amy Barickman!!
I was excited to see someone I have seen on the
pages of Where Women Create.

Another iPhone picture.  This is Shari Replogle
of Plays with Paper.  She was so nice.
Her work is gorgeous.  We chatted for a bit.
I was so sorry I did not have my camera to take
more picturesof her and her booth.  One of my favorites...
for sure!! Her jewelry pieces are works of art! 
(And thankfully available online!!!)

Okay.....whew!!!  That is it for my CLFair pics.  On to other topics very soon.  Thanks for hanging in there with me.  Can you tell it was my first fair of this type?  Hopefully that helps to explain my overflowing excitement.  It was more than I had even hoped it would be.  I am very interested in all the jewelry I have seen and am aching to try my hand at something soon.  I have done a booth twice before, as I have mentioned.  It has been several years ago now.  I'm getting the itch.  I have to check my old stock, add to my stock, plan the booth's look, find the perfect venue.  Sounds like great fun to me!!

Here are a few quotes to keep me on that track....

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.  ~Les Brown

It is never too late to be what you might have been. ~George Eliot
(Thank goodness!!)

CL Living Fair - Earth Angels Toys

Round two from the Country Living Fair at Stone Mountain Park, Georgia, this past weekend.  As we entered The Meadow, a large tent loomed to the left.  We could tell it was chocked full of goodies and people were swarming.  It was the Earth Angels tent.  Yippee!  I wish I had gotten a picture of every artist/vendor's booth and had gotten their cards.  The pictures below are captioned as I could identify them.  So sorry to the one's I can't identify, but you may know their work from Earth Angels.

This is Jennifer Lanne of Jennifer Lanne Originals.
She was the first artist/vendor I met.
I knew I was in the right place.  Isn't she adorable?!
I just love her style and her artwork.
My mother picked up two of her little paintings.
The next few pictures are more of her work.

There's my little sugar dumplin' again....bow still in,
but not for long...

Look at the piece on the left.  I saw on her website how she
and her husband forge the iron for some of her pieces.
I loved it!

This is a piece from Melody Elizabeth Purses & Bling.
I did not take enough pictures of her beautiful work.
One of my regrets is not getting a pair of her earrings.
My second regret is not going back the second day JUST to get
a pair of her earrings.  Luckily, I can get a pair online.

Debbie Thibault's American Collectibles
Really, these pictures just don't do them justice.

Someone's beautiful work!

Dara DiMagno's Wearable Art
Truly one of my favorite booths inside the tent.
How gorgeous....how creative....
I'm very thankful I can shop online for her beauties as well.
I also learned the history of the Frozen Charlotte's from
the woman working her booth.  I may have to do a "Who Knew?"
post on them.  Dara uses them very creatively in her pieces.
Please visit her website to see them.

More of Dara's beauties arranged by color.
There was a red tray and a black tray also.

Cheryl Kuhn's Small Stories Studios

This artist/vendor has no idea I took a picture of her bottom.
Actually, it is of her skirt.  Isn't it great?
Just as I was taking it, some other ladies came up to talk to
her about it.  She said she bought it at the CL Fair in Ohio.
Yes....that is chenille bedspread right there in the middle!
Too cute!!

I can see at least one more CL Living Fair post in my very near future.  I felt Earth Angels needed one dedicated just to them.  I hope you enjoyed the browse.....