Friday, October 31, 2014

a list

i am off work today and yet i got up at 530am to make breakfast for shaun.  not that i "have" to do so but because i "want" to do so and no matter my indiscretions from the evening i wanted coffee so much i decided to stay up.  it is all hallows eve and i have a list of things to do today... even though the sun isn't even up yet and it is raining.  the rain, of which, is bringing in cold temperatures that leads to lengthen my list.

since we mowed down and put the garden to rest, two of my herbs that i grew over the summer have come back.  the dill, which bloomed and went to seed, is clustered and scattered and came up after the clippers.  the parsley, grown from seed and is a precious sight as a young seedling, sprung back from it's hair cut to let us know you can't keep a good man down... apparently.  we have a temp prediction of thirty two degrees in nashville which means, up here on the hill, it should dip to around twenty seven.  so... on this... all hallows eve... there will be a cutting and hanging at the hulsey's.  beautiful herbs cut from their spots in the garden to being strung up on the pole above my kitchen window.  i love the smell of dill drying in my kitchen.  sometimes you can smell it when you walk into the room.

although our home is well insulated, that we made sure of when building, vintage, summer, dang-near-see-through bed linens won't cut it when.. (pardon me) baby it's cold outside.  i own two sets of the softest most comforting flannel sheet sets on the planet.  i petitioned kate this morning to choose between stripes or florals and although they were washed, and very well folded might i add, they are in the washer about to get a dousing of downy to freshen them up.  they were neatly packed away for the summer in the attic but actually never made it out of the floor in my crap room... which i have desperately tried not to clutter up but i have found that old habits like you are hard to break.

it is the perfect weekend to walk in the woods.  bow season is at a halt as juvenile hunt was last weekend and muzzle loader doesn't begin until next weekend.  dang it... and just as i was cleanin my muzzler and sharpenin my skinnin knife.... just kiddin... i don't have a muzzle loader.  i'm afraid that by the time rifle is open all the good deer will be dead already.  i'm not really picky.  i don't want a wall hanger, although it would be nice for my first, i just want meat in the freezer.  mmmmm deer chili, deer burgers, steaks... that's the stuff stockings hung by the chimney with care is made of.  still, if the rain doesn't cease i will be forced to leave my camera under covers on my walk which is not good because right now, outside, it looks like someone went crazy with an orange highlighter.  beautiful colors this year out.

i have much to do.  i do love to write early in the morning before my innocent mind is corrupted by worldly news and responsibilities.  back to the list.

good morning aunt dea.









happy halloween

I promise I will soon be off the Bellbuckle Tennessee subject!  These are pictures of Halloween ~ Phillips' General Store style.... which has a lot of style!  I actually held myself back from applauding Billy at this year's window displays although I did tell him.  He is seriously awesome!  I am also including previous years just for that added creepiness!






I think this is my favorite picture of all of them.  I love the skull in the top hat!














We love you Phillips' General Store!!!
Find them on facebook HERE!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Thursday, October 30, 2014

dc halloween

Man have we been partying around here?!?!  Halloween at the day care is in full force today complete with pumpkins, goodies and costumes!  We truly started out on Monday when we all made super hero masks from cut outs I made a couple of weeks ago and mardi gras masks that I ordered from Amazon.  We all liked that project!  

Then yesterday, the boys and I carved a big pumpkin that will be lit on Halloween night at my house.  Can't blame me for getting help!  I brought out Mr Refrigerator Pumpkin Head and we decided on what face our lantern needed by taking turns making faces on him.  We chose the most used parts, traced them on our pumpkin and took turns digging out the guts, poking tiny holes along the lines and using safe utensils to cut out the face.  It turned out pretty good.

During nap time I roasted the pumpkin seeds (for myself :) ) and after the kids got up we got to work.  We counted out enough seeds for everyone and placed them in a bowl.  Then we added orange glitter, gold glitter and tiny peach sequins.  We passed the bowl around and each child gave it a stir and muttered their wish that the pumpkin seeds would magically come up over night.  We marched out to the garden and each chose a spot to plant our magic seeds.  I tell you I felt like Santa this  morning placing pumpkins in the garden before they all got here and their faces were soooo worth getting my winter moccasins wet in the frosty grass.  I did hide my shoes so no one would be suspicious!  They were giddy with excitement saying "Miss Laurie... our spell worked!!!!

When all of the children were here we traipsed out to the garden, got our pumpkins and brought them back up to the porch.  There were small, carving pumpkins and tiny pumpkins.. enough for each child and a tiny one for me too.  We quickly got to work with glitter (any excuse for me to use glitter!) and glue on the tiny ones for them to take home.  It's up the parents on the bigger ones once they get home.  The bigger ones were given to me by my father-in-law who grew them in his garden this year.  How nice!

We've played Halloween bingo and we still have cupcakes and more games to go once nap time is over.  A full day planned is nice!  Happy Halloween kids!!!








They just couldn't believe it!  How magical!












 I definitely feel as if I have accomplished something today!

This is my third year to use him!  I have replaced the facial parts but only because I lost them.

By the way... I used a small Pillsbury Funfetti cupcake mix that is orange and only makes twelve cupcakes which is plenty for us!

I got the Halloween Bingo game as a free printable HERE.

I got the free template for the super hero mask accessories HERE.

And the masks at amazon HERE.  Which were a lot cheaper when I ordered them than now.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

collections on display

I have so many pictures from our day at the craft fair in Bellbuckle.  While looking through them I noticed how many of the displayed items were set up as collections.  Drawing the eye in but also at times making it harder to choose just one. 

Bottle tops and pool balls.

Vintage clocks.

Hippie buttons.

Super cool shoppers.

Canning jars.

Old patches.

Thermoses or picnic plaid... however you fancy it.

Various tins and tool boxes.

Earthly treasures.

Carved wooden bears.