MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY OF THE YEAR!

I hope you all had a nice and delicious Thanksgiving! We did, and I can hardly get around this morning (actually, I feel like I could ROLL across the floor instead of walking!) Thank goodness for the day after! The picture above is a "pumpkin tree" I made for a centerpiece...I saw somehting like this in a magazine, but threw away the article because I didn't know where I could find the little pumpkins! And while visiting our friends Fran & Terry, we went into an antique store and there they were $2.00 a scoop! I bought about 4 scoops and they only charged me $2.00 for all! So of course I looked all over for that article and couldn't find it, so I made this tree from a branch off of our birch tree. I don't know what kind of pods these are, but they look like tiny little pumpkins!
I know some people really dread this time of year, and they have their reasons. But I love the Christmas Holidays - everything about it! And now that we live where we can have a real "White Christmas" it is even better! This year in particular is good because the Lord is more in my life now. I started going to church regularily and I am really enjoying it so much. Talking to the Lord daily is also so fulfilling and reassuring in these trying times too. I am thankful for that!
Thats me behind some lamps!
Carol with her "Curly Girlies"

I haven't done much posting lately because we have been soooo busy. Did a Christmas Church Bazaar with my sister, went to our friends to visit for a few days, a doctors appointment, and did lots of cleaning up and getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Now that its over, we will be getting ready for Christmas; shopping, sending gifts to the grandkids, parties, dinners, and lots of food! Yikes!

That's my sis, Carol: caught her counting her money!
Also, please check my ETSY store, I am adding some Christmas Curly Girlies for sale that Carol made! REALLY CUTE!
So here we go, I know all of us bloggers just love the Christmas decorating, baking and such! Can't wait to see all of your homes decorated for the Season! So it's by for now and I'll post again next week - when things calm down?!?
xxxxooo
Marilyn

FALLING LEAVES

Picture by Bob Gibbons

Halloween's over, Thanksgiving is next; then on to Christmas! Where did this year go? I'm sure we are all thinking that...every year seems to go faster and faster - what is one to do?

My honey and I (well to be honest, mostly my honey) raked up leaves and pine needles for the last three days. Piles and piles of leaves! Now they are waiting to be made into mulch for our gardens...Getting ready for winter.

When we lived in Southern California, we never had to worry about raking up falling leaves; the wind blew them away. Where they went, I never knew! But in Oregon, not much wind here - the leaves stay where they land!

Picture by Curtis Martin

So now I am thinking about what to cook for Thanksgiving...not much of a problem: Turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie (all the trimmings!) But I would like to try something new, anyone have any ideas please let me know!


Better get going, lots to do! You all have a wonderful week!

xxxooo
Marilyn

HAPPY HALLOWEEN and GIVEAWAY!

Halloween is such a fun holiday! I don't go in for all those gory-slimy things, just the fun costumes and parties....lots of magazines out now with great ideas for halloween decorating and food. Below is a picture of some apples I made for a Bunco Halloween Party this week. I got the idea online, where there are LOTS of great ideas too. The apples have slivered almonds for the teeth, and I put some red food coloring on some of the teeth to make them look "bloody". I made some "monster toes" too, but forgot to take a picture of them! And the song! I love this song from "The nightmare before Christmas" - you will have to turn up the sound a bit! BOOOOoooooo!



Lucy Bloom is having a sweet GIVEAWAY! She makes these lovely little dolls, but the giveaway ends soon (10/26.) She is giving away one of her cute dolls, some vintage cards, a Laura Ashley fat quarter, and some other lovely things! I would put a picture up but haven't asked her permission, and it ends so soon! So just go to: lucy bloom. and check it out!

A short post! We are not dressing up this year, no parties! So it will be a quite holiday! And we don't get any "Trick or Treater's" here in our neck of the woods either...So you all have a wonderful week, and enjoy Halloween...don't eat too much candy!
xxxooo
Marilyn