Welcome To...

I am so excited to be a part of the Autumn Gathering tour! I have a few corners of my home spruced up for the season that I would love to show you.

This hutch is in my kitchen and I love to decorate it for the holidays.

I thought you might like a close up of some of the smaller goodies. This figurine is one of my favorites.

The jack o lantern light string around the costume shop really lights up!

I actually saved this little candy corn box from when I was a kid. Told you I was a pack rat.

The table in my breakfast nook is rocking a Christopher Lowell inspired table scape. So yes, there is probably a paint can hiding under the gingham, giving the floral arrangement a much needed lift.

I had to remove the glass cloche so you could see this pumpkin pull toy. So much better without the glare.

Ooh, and this is one of my favorite pictures! It greets you in the entryway.

Last stop is the formal living room. For some reason, I always struggle with decorating the mantle, regardless of the season. I really like the way this turned out though.

Here are the details...

Thank you so much for stopping by today. For a complete list of participants, please visit our fabulous hostess, Kari. Hope you pop in again. Happy Autumn!

My Big Break

The November issue of Country Living Magazine features a wonderful article about Silver Bella, a paper arts extravaganza that I attended last year. It was great to flip through the pages and see some of the fun gals that I had the honor of meeting. I was also delighted to catch a glimpse of myself in one photo as well. And I do mean a glimpse...



Those are my hands in the left side of the frame, cutting away at some paper. The adorable Jeanie of Southern Nest is to my left and Natalea, with the lovely locks, is to my right. You can even catch a gratuitous shot of my bangs in the photo as well. I knew keeping my 80's style do would pay off eventually.

Truth be told, my phone has not stopped ringing since the magazine hit the stands. My services are in demand. I can now join the ranks of other great hand models like George Costanza. Ooh, and speaking of which, I will borrow a page from his book and keep my investments safe...



It's now moisturizer and gloves 24/7... or at least when I'm not at a shoot.

We're Off To See The Wizard...

If you were to look up "procrastinator" in the dictionary, you would find a thumbnail sketch of me. That's about to change though. I am officially starting on my daughter's Halloween costume this week. That's right, this year I will not wait until the week of, or the night before to turn on my sewing machine. I am changing my ways. I am planning ahead. The notions are ready. The shoes have been purchased. All systems are go.
While I have proceeded to set up shop on the kitchen table, my husband has likewise been busy with preparations of his own. He has decided to place a "swear jar" in close proximity to where I will be working. Having been around me during past sewing adventures, he feels that this could be a very lucrative proposition. He even started pricing new golf clubs, when he realized that the pattern I would be using required intermediate sewing skills. The costume does have a zipper, so he is probably guaranteed at least a new putter when all is... said and done. We'll see.

Confessions of a Pack Rat

This is a picture of me and my brother from the early 1970's. We were celebrating one of his birthdays, which to me always seemed like the best birthdays ever. The fact that his B-Day fell on October 30th made it even better in my eyes, because sometimes my mom used Halloween as the theme for the celebration. I guess on this particular year, things were a little bit low key and not overtly orange and black. Nothing gives a hint as to the season at all, except for those FAB metal party horns atop the hifi in the background. Those were the party favors.

Fast forward thirty-plus years... two of those same party horns are at home in my own little Halloween vignettes. That's right, I've held on to them since I was four.

No, I did not save the paper plates and cups from that party. Had it been my own party, it would have been a different story though.