before it's too late

OK so today is Halloween and if you haven't yet carved a pumpkin to sit on your porch... do it now.  It's not just for kids.  Heck.. we live a half mile off the road with no children and no trick or treaters in sight and I still carve a pumpkin and light a candle inside of it every Halloween night.  Personally I feel it keeps evil spirits away that could be looming around on All Hallows Eve.  And it's just fun.  Well let me just tell you... I amped up the fun this year.  I give you one guess at what I used.  Yep... my all time favorite... glitter!

Monday was our day at the day care to carve our pumpkin which I decided will be the one I will use at the house tonight.  Well Thursday I had an idea.  I got out the spray glue, took it and the carved pumpkin outside and sprayed the inside of our pumpkin.  Then a shook gold glitter all inside the pumpkin and let me tell you about some illuminated fantastic sparkle!  It's gorgeous.  And I cam up with the idea all by myself.  I can't wait to light up the porch with it tonight.  I wanted to tell you today instead of tomorrow or Monday when it's too late.  Add a little sparkle to your life!  Glitter is cheap!

I also have to share our glittered pumpkins from the day care.

This is my magic pumpkin with the gold rings.

costumes

It's been ages and ages since I've dressed up for Halloween it seems.  I've had a one piece denim jumpsuit on back up for years now and a black wig so I could go as Cher but it never seems to pan out.  One of these days the dang thing isn't going to fit anymore.  Here are a few funny last minute costumes that I found here and there... just incase.

 

This is the little girl from Finding Nemo that was in the dentist office.  Too funny!

 

These made me laugh out loud.

 

 

Shaun would get many spices in one of my bras!!

 

I guess this is the crazy cat lady?

 

 

 

These were all found through Yahoo image search.  Sorry I didn't research the actual original source to give credit but I don't have that kind of time.  Please don't sue me.



And a bit of a pumpkin patch funny.

 

 

a halloween find it

Just for you... a find it or two!

 

 

A pair of owls, a black cat, two sisters and a pelvis,  336, a Christmas tree and a cat in a dress, a white pumpkin, a greeting card, croquet clubs and a Happy Halloween.



A feather, an eight ball, a yes and a no, a little witch, a cup of pearls and buckeye, a sun, six books, a lamp and a bat.



Jack Daniels, two candy corns, a witch on a broom, a spool of thread, an orange spider, five orange candles and two cat eyes.




A punch bowl, nine pumpkins, a man in a hat, party cups, black candles and a spider web, a hooter, a ladder and two black masks.



I like this picture but there's not much to find...  A witch, a mad pumpkin, a cardinal and snow goose.

fall leaves

I like when I am feeling crafty.  Earlier in October I had the urge to make glittery fall leaves for the day care.  I like making decorations that I can use from year to year.  I found a simple, multi leaf template on yahoo images, printed them on card stock and later cut them out.  But that's as far as it went for a couple of weeks.  I even put them away in my office.  But yesterday the crafty bone crept up on me and I pulled the cut outs back out.  I got out a cereal box that was almost gone, traced the patterns and cut them out while the kids were playing in the yard.  Then during naptime I painted the leaves different colors and mixed glitter and glue and made them sparkle.  I only made the one batch but already wish I had more.  I also only put one coat of craft paint on each side of the leaves because frankly my paints are starting to run low.  And I didn't make any orange ones because my orange paint is nim-to-none.  But the orange ones are not out of my mind completely because I do have orange glitter.  Maybe I can yellow down some red paint later.  Check them out!

 

 

I think they almost look real, don't you?  

 

Isn't this the cutest thing?  He woke up early from naptime and I bargained that if he would be quiet and let the others finish their naps than I would let him watch the diggers at the dirt pile. 

He didn't make a peep.  Just sipped from his cup and enjoyed the show.

I am really digging these lights strung up in the kitchen.  Especially when I get here and it's still dark.  They illuminate the whole room micely.

 

And before you think "it's too late to make fall leaves" think again!  You can have these out plum through November!



on the menu

Remember winter of 2014 when my doctor changed my entire diet trying to find possibly what was causing my horrible skin problems?  He cut out dairy, pork (yikes!), sugar, blah blah... all kinds of stuff.  One of the things he had me cut out was processed sandwich meats.  They are full of crap and preservatives and although I have veered back into eating a lot of things that he cut out I haven't touched sandwich meat since then.  Until now.  I did stick with the vegetarian diet for months.. though most of the time I am a quitter... sometimes.  So, with our recent trip to the mountains with our four wheelin buddies I decided to bite the bullion.  You see, when we are on the trails, some of them miles long, there ain't no restaurants and there ain't much going back to the cabin just to eat lunch.  So we all pack coolers and satchels with chips, snacks, drinks and sandwich stuff.  I decided that if I was going to eat sandwiches on the road then it was going to be something I really liked.  When I was grocery shopping before our trip I headed to the deli and got a few of my favorite things sliced and bagged up for packing.  And now.... well... now I'm addicted!  We had sandwich meat left from the trip and I've been doggin down on it all week for lunch.  I even made Shaun a sandwich two days this week for lunch when he was in and out of the dirt pile hauling dirt. 

When I say "addicted" it sounds so harsh.  I think "in mouth watering love" sounds better.  Or "lip smackin buttered lust".  That just took a different turn didn't it... I think I have a problem.  Here is what my sandwich today at the day care consisted of.

 

 

 

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That says Pastrami Brisket y'all.

 

 

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Oscar Mayer Bacon  a.k.a.  my husband on the side.

 

 

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Doesn't that just make your mouth water?  I just ate it and the picture alone is making me want another one.  I made this one like a loaded grilled cheese... speaking of that... I forgot the pic of the cheese.  Added.  So,  First I spread one side of each slice of bread with butter because I am a butter on the bread grilled cheese maker, not butter in the pan.  As the skillet heated up I dropped just a little butter in and when it melted I added the pastrami and cooked it for a couple of seconds on each side like making fried bologna.  I took that out and cooked the bacon, removed it and drained the grease.  Then while the skillet was still hot I threw in the buttered side down of a slice of bread and started piling on the accessories, topped with the other slice of bread.  When I was done piling it on I carefully flipped the sandwich over to brown the other side.  Oh my... talk about good!

 

Earlier in the week, my sandwiches consisted of this kind of Genoa salami... YUM!

And, the deli cheese which I didn't have any left of by the time we got home because the kind you get from the deli at Kroger is extremely dangerous for me to be around.  I caught myself dipping in that cooler several times just for a slice to eat by itself.  I gained a love for it when I worked in the Kroger deli a few summers ago.   Not that I ate it straight out of the case... NEVER!  I'm a little more sanitary than that.... maybe.  I was one of those deli clerks that when I handed you a sample of it you only got half and I tried it too like I'd never had it before.  Sneaky little Laurie.  That wasn't enough of a taste test for me... let's have another!!

 

 

It is so good.  Well... that's what is on my menu until I get sick of it I'm sure.  No mayo, mustard or nothing.  And by the way.. those are home grown tomatoes from the garden at the day care that are on my sandwich.  The frost got the vines so we picked pretty much what was left and not rotten.  They are finally to where they aren't rotting too bad and they have a good acidic taste like they are supposed to and it's time for them to be done.  Oh well.. maybe next year.  And don't be afraid of that bread up there.  I like a grilled cheese on white bread too but this... this is goooood.

 



image inspiration

 Ok let's just get to the good stuff right up front.  I shared a blog with you last week called SouleMama and she has stunned me again.  Yes... since then.  I want to visit this family!  Just look what they did with fall leaves.  We are absolutely going to do this at the day care.  Our leaves aren't at their peak yet here in Tennessee so I've got time.  What I also have is bees wax and fishing line.  Pretty soon colorful fall leaves will adorn our day care and my home!  I can't wait!
Click the pictures for a direct link to her post.
 

 


 

 

I cannot imagine a room in my home actually looking like the this picture.  I enjoy looking but wow the difference in taste!  What I do love about the details, besides everything, is the simple horse planter sitting in the center of the table... nothing else.  How vivid.

Found on abeautifulmess via THIS post.

 

 

 

And THIS is an example of me, on a blog, just blogging along, and then seeing a book, with a book review, then jumping over to my library's website and getting on a wait list because it's brand new and still on order.  But hey... I'm number 17.  It's my process.  There's just something about books.

Image found on thejungalow.com by Justina Blakeny

These next two inspiring images were actually from the same blog post found on freepeople entitled 20 Minute Bedroom Refresh.  I really enjoyed the post with quick ways to fluff up your sleep space.  The second image had me jumping to my library's website again for the Gypsy book.  The top image has me thinking of a large and warm new cover for our bed... and getting Shaun an electric blanket for his birthday.  I feel we would need one for only his side.  I like warmth but I get hot at night.