Merry Christmas to All

Merry Christmas to all you in blogland!

I've got a cold, my head is stuffed, but I wanted to wish you all the best this Christmas and the coming New Year!

So jealous of all you enjoying a winter wonder land this time of year.

Halloween Fun Around the House

I hosted Halloween Keno at my house last week so Halloween is pretty much done for me.  We don't get many trick or treaters.  In fact we don't even answer the door.  The puppy goes banana's when the door bell rings and as far as kids walking out on the street, forget about it, it's a bark-a-thon.  (I know, we haven't trained her well, but she's almost 77 in dog years, she is what she is.)  Anyway, we put a bowl of candy on the lite front porch and close the curtains.

So before the season it gone completely I thought I'd share a few pictures from around the house.

 This is an old picture I have, I pretend it is my mom and sisters.

 I've added some which hats for the holiday.

 Got these fun changing pictures at the dollar store, cut off the plastic frames and popped then into some odd frames I had lying around.

 Hand bones in a shadow box and some other creepy pictures.  I can't remember where I stole this idea from, but I did get the graphics from the Graphics Fairy.

Now this is something I brought back from up North this September.  My sister picked it up from me sometime this summer and this is how she road home with me.  This is a re-enactment, so you could see how funny she looked to people on the highway.

 I spent a couple nights at my son's in Oklahoma City so my car was parked in the lot near the door.  So she must have attracted some attention. 

Actually, she kinda creeped me out whenever I walked by, and I knew she was there!

Anyway, she's been hanging around the living room looking for a place to rest so I put her to work for Halloween.

Prefect!

It's Autumn Front Porch

Been so long since I posted, it's a new season!

I was out sweeping the front porch, cutting off all the dead leaves from the plants when I remembered someone was having a porch party this Friday.  That would be Debra at Common Ground with Vintage Inspiration Friday #57 Fall Front Porch.  

So here are a few pictures of my "trashy" front porch.  

Now, can you tell why I'm calling it "trashy"?

The flower containers on the door are TRASH cans, ha!

That's another collection that's out of hand.  Why do I find vintage trash cans so cute?!  I almost bought another one at an estate sale this morning, but I resisted.  

If I go back for half price day and it's still there, I'm not making any promises.

  

Enough of being good

Let's go in now, bye!

 

Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig

I'm finally home after over 4 weeks visiting family in the beautiful mid-west!  Lucky me, I missed the hottest August on record here in central Texas.  I mean I was hot up north, how I wonder could I have survived 25-30 degrees hotter!

So here's the run down on my wanderings...

Saturday, moved Baby Boy to Oklahoma City

Wednesday, drove to Minneapolis to see Little Girl

Friday, to my little sister in Wisconsin

Monday, to my Mom's in the UP of Michigan

Saturday, to my brothers in Wisconsin

Monday, back to Minneapolis to see the Little Girl again

Wednesday night, Rochester to visit old friends and Gold Rush in Oronoco

Sunday, through Iowa with my older sister's in Illinois

Friday, back down to Oklahoma City

and finally Monday, home.

Baby Boy's apartment, camera shy girlfriend

 

Little Girl clowning around in a restaurant cut out

Treasures washed and ready for inspiration 

Pieces for projects

Not the fanciest spool cabinet around but for only $10 and likely the only one I'll ever afford

Bittersweet, how appropriate, since the picture's glass broke on the way home.

A cheap old clock so I can turn it into a shadow box.

 

With my sister at Gold Rush.  This table setting was the scene of a photo shoot the day before.

My friend Kathy with the tray she was lucky enough to buy.  I don't know how many people told her they wished they'd bought it when they had the chance.

Stop and feed the horses before we can get home to unload.

My nephew and his son.

And another nephew's girls.

 

I've got more pictures and stories but they'll wait for another post.

On the Road Quickie

 I've been away from here for so long, I just want to post a few pictures to show you all a little of what I've been up too.  I'm a little more than half way through an almost month long trip to visit family in the beautiful mid-west.

My first stop was only 6 hours away in Oklahoma City where my baby boy moved for law school.  I'm stopping there on my way home as well so hope to share a few shots of a clean (ha!) apartment.  What?!  You're not holding your breath?!

Next stop Minneapolis to see the little girl.

Then Wausau, Wisconsin to see my little sister and her family.  (I'm really bad about taking pictures.)

After about a week at my Mom's I remembered to get the camera out.

 

 My nephew lives with my Mom.

 

Well, him and his 2 dogs and I don't know how many train models!

 Cute little trailer parked in someone's yard in my hometown.

Just a fun dresser with flowers I couldn't pass by without taking a photo.  This was on the way to my brother's house in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Now I'm back in Mnpls, but leaving tomorrow for Rochester.  We used to live in Zumbro Falls, near Rochester so I'll be visiting a few friends as well as meeting my big sister for Gold Rush in Oronoco, this coming weekend.  Yippy!

The a few more days at her house in Illinos next week, which might include a visit to the American Pickers shop Antique Archaeology in Iowa.

Even though Gold Rush is a big junking deal I've collected a few treasures already.

Including this beauty case I've already put to good use holding some craft toys.

A few treasures I had handy.  That jar of buttons is one of 8 jars I had to buy from my Mom's homemakers group because my Mom had donated all her buttons to their garage sale!  What was she thinking?!  

Phew, good thing they had them for the low, low, low price of $1.50 a jar! 

The jewelry box I cleaned up for the little girl.

Darn, the picture with her happy face didn't turn out.

Well this has taken a lot longer than I'd thought, especially when I keep nodding off.

Sorry in advance, it may take a while for me to respond to your comments since I'm 

on the road again!