Shadows

"Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,

Voices whisper in the trees,

"Tonight is Halloween."

                                                                         Dexter Kozen

Wishing you all a spooky night.  Happy Halloween!

Huh?!

Looked out the window yesterday morning to see this.  WTF?!  I am so not ready for winter...

I Heart Milk Glass

I'm just crazy for milk glass.  But you already knew that, right?  Just for fun, I thought I would count my pieces yesterday.  I think I have around 30.  

Yes, I may have a slight problem.

This little one, with the lid, is one of my favorites, and one of the most expensive.  I paid $10. for it in an antiques store.

On the other hand, this tiny hobnail vase cost 50 cents at rummage sale.  The cup and saucer next to it was $1.50.

I especially love the urn and goblet shaped pieces.  I'm thinking I may use them on my mantel at Christmas this year, filled with moss.  

So yes, I heart milk glass.  Tell me, what makes your heart go pitter patter?

Thrifty Miss

Last week, I took a ride out to a cute little thrift store called Top of the Barn.  It's about 30-40 minutes from my house.  The weather was glorious, and the drive takes me through some beautiful old villages and farmland.

When I arrived, I was happy to find that they were having a 50% off sale.  So I got this beautiful old lamp for $2.  Yes, that's right, two dollars!!!  And it works, too.  Just needs a shade.  

Please reserve your applause till the end of the post.  ;)

This is the church which runs the thrift shop.  Isn't it charming?  I love that steeple, with it's gingerbread trim.  And those twin porches -- so pretty.

As I got out of my car, I could hear the honking sound of lots of geese.  There is a river directly across the street from the church, and these Canadian geese were enjoying the fine day.  There were actually lots more, but the rest were camera shy.

Downriver a little ways was this lovely little blue bridge.  So pretty shining in the sun!

So that was my little trip to the thrift store.  

Now you can applaud.

All the Leaves are Brown...

"All the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray..."

Remember that song, California Dreamin' ?  That first line just came to me as I put together this mosaic of photos.  I guess I'm just in that kind of mood lately.  Quiet.  Soft.  Muted.

What's your mood today?

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If you want to see more photos like these, come see my photoblog: In a Soft Light.

Bedroom Makeover

Remember when I told you that we were going to make over our bedroom?  We had these wonderful cabinets and window seat added, and I'm supposed to be stripping the wallpaper.  Yeah, I'll get to that soon...

Anyway, I've been looking at fabrics for bedding and window treatments.  Here are a few that I'm considering.

There are four white doors in the room, in addition to the white cabinets.  We will probably paint the walls in a very light taupe or beige or cream, so that the doors don't stand out too much.  There is also a white chair rail.

I really like this toile (above) with the birds on a white background.  I'm used to having a very bright bedroom, and I think this would be wonderful, with some black painted furniture, and maybe a headboard upholstered in beige linen.

This toile (above) is totally wonderful, too.  In fact, I like this so much I may use it in the kitchen.  Don't you think it would look great with my kitchen cabinets?

This large print is wonderful, and I love the combination of browns and blues.  But it is rather pricey, and I'm not sure I like it as much as the toiles.

Here is a lamp that belonged to my aunt.  I think it will look great with either toile.  Cute, no?

Well, that's all so far...  Care to vote for your favorite?

As Easy as Pie

Yes, it's true!  I did it.  I made an apple pie!  And it was much easier than I expected.

The apples smelled wonderful as I peeled them.  The smell actually reminded me of my mother, who always ate an apple at night, peeling it as we watched TV.  Nice memory.

No, I did not make the crust from scratch.  But that's just between you and me, right?  And when it came time to vent the top, I figured I might as well be creative.  My first Little Red House pie.

And yes, it tasted pretty damn good, if I do say so myself.  :)

Thanks for all your encouragement.  One slight problem, though.  Neither my husband nor my daughter likes apple pie.  So I will have to eat the whole thing myself.  What a shame!

Nature's Boldest Triumph

"Once more the liberal year laughs out

O'er richer stores than gems or gold:

Once more with harvest song and shout

Is nature's boldest triumph told."

                                                              John Greenleaf Whittier

Can you believe I have never made an apple pie?!  How pathetic is that?  Anyway, I've got nothing else to report from the Little Red House today, so I'll just wish you all a happy weekend.  :)

A Little Fun

Don't you love these little white pumpkins?  I'm just having some pumpkin fun today.  Happy Thursday!

A Walk in the Park

It's really starting to look like autumn here, so I thought you might enjoy taking a walk in the park with me.  This park, called Natirar, is about ten minutes from our Little Red House, and we like to stop by occasionally to walk the trails, which wind through a beautifully landscaped former  estate.  

There is a subtlety to the color of these trees.  I love their soft color.  No flames here  yet, just gentle blushes.

Part of the walking path takes us through the woods, where the trees drape their graceful arms over a gurgling stream.  Wearing their leaves of gold, they seem to glow with an inner light.

All too soon, there will be more leaves underfoot than above our heads.  Carpe diem.

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I wanted to tell you all how much I enjoyed reading all about your autumn favorites on Monday.  Thank you so much for painting such lovely pictures with your words!  There was even a beautiful poem among the comments -- thanks, Cheryl!

Vintage Daisies

A little vintage love for you today.  Happy Tuesday!

My Favorite Things

Ever since I was a little girl, one of my favorite things about autumn was the sound of Canadian geese.  Whenever we heard their loud honking, we would drop whatever we were doing and run outside to see them fly overhead.

I'm going to be lazy today, and ask you to help me.  Will you tell me what your autumn favorites are?  I'd love to hear all about them.  :)

Thank You, and a Giveaway

I just wanted to say thank you to all who joined in the civil discourse yesterday.  Although there were differing opinions, everyone was polite and respectful.  You encourage me to have faith in the future.

I want to send you over to my friend Kate's blog -- Chronicles of a Country Girl.  She is a wonderful photographer, and she is having a terrific giveaway.  So if you get a chance, stop by and tell her I sent you.  You'll be glad you did!  :)

Civil Discourse

Warning: political commentary to follow.  I know some of you may not agree with me, so feel free to stop reading now.  

 I will probably regret this, but I just feel as though I need to speak out about something.  And after all, this is my blog, right?  So here goes:

It is with increasing dismay that I am following the presidential election this year.  I am frankly appalled at the bitterness and rancor that this contest has spawned.  We are being asked to join in a culture and class war that will divide us for years to come, just when we need to be united to face our common enemies and solve our pressing problems. 

 It is the politics of fear and resentment, and it is appalling.

 I will be honest with you here -- I did not vote for George Bush, and I do not intend to vote for John McCain.  I think Senator McCain is an amazing war hero, and I honor his long record of public service.  I just don't agree with his stands on certain issues, and he is not my choice to lead the country in the direction I think it ought to go. 

 As far as Sarah Palin is concerned, I'm sure she has been a very effective advocate for her state of Alaska, but I'm afraid I do not agree with some of her cultural views, and I think she is weak in foreign policy matters.  And in a world that is getting smaller and more interconnected every day, foreign policy will play an extremely important role in the years to come.

Each of us has a very important choice to make this November, and I am hoping against all hope that this choice will be made not out of fear or resentment of the other candidate, but out of our hopes and aspirations and dreams for our country.  We must not give way to those who would seek to divide us for political gain.  Rather, we must remember the ties that bind us all.

  And a little of the civility that our mothers taught us wouldn't hurt, either.

A Sweet Shopping Experience

I recently started my Christmas shopping.  This might not sound out of the ordinary to you but, trust me, it is very unusual for me.  Don't get me wrong -- I'm not one of those people who are running to the mall on Christmas Eve.  But I don't think I have ever done any holiday shopping before Halloween, either.  

Anyway, I just wanted to write a little bit about what a nice experience it was.  I ordered something from the Etsy shop called Hens In Daisies, run by the very sweet and talented Kathleen Grace.    Many of you have probably read her blog, Kathy's Corner, and maybe even ordered something from her shop.  It is a wonderful experience.

I ordered one of Kathy's beautiful fabric hearts for a good friend.  It came packaged in this lovely, beribboned box.

Kathy sent along a nice, handwritten note thanking me for my business, and included two beautiful handmade gift tags.  When was the last time you got such friendly service and lovely extras at the mall?

And just look at the heart itself -- it is so beautiful!  Handmade with wonderful vintage jewelry and millinery fruits, and lovely bits of lace.  How gorgeous is that?!

Kathy's blog may be found here, and her etsy shop here.  Now go forth and shop.  :)

Can't Help Myself

OK, I'll admit it:  I can't help myself when it comes to pressed flower pictures.  To some, I'm sure they look like nothing more than old brown weeds.  But they always speak to me of gardens and summers past.  And I love it when they are framed in interesting shapes.

And I love it even more when they come in pairs.  So much easier to hang in a symmetrical grouping that way.  I forget how much these two pairs were.  Probably like $1.50 each.

Finally, here are some custom curtains, all lined, in a wonderful pattern.  I got two jabots, and four valances for $20.  I'll probably use the valances in the upstairs hall, and cut the jabots up to make some pillows.

I also got a few books at the rummage sale, but I didn't take any pics of them.  Anyway, you are probably sick to death of rummage sale posts.

Sorry, I can't help myself.  ;)

More Rummage Love

Here is some more rummage love for you today:  a needelpoint pillow for $2. (can you believe that price?),

a Waverly red toile pillow for $6. (how could I pass up red toile?),

and two milk glass urns for $1.50 each.   (Actually, I can't really pass up milk glass, either.)

 One more rummage post tomorrow, and then I swear, no more.  In the meantime, I'd love to hear what you look for when you go to a sale.