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!