BABY, It's COLD OUTSIDE

Merry, Merry!
I hope you all enjoyed your turkey day! I was so pleased with how everything turned out! Our first thanksgiving at our house and everything was homemade. No burnt crusts. (well, only a little pumpkin spilling out of the tin pie plate...oops!) But it was all good!! Thanks to my mom who helped me pull off the gravy at the last minute!! WHEW! Close call, I'll tell ya!

I thought I would leave you with a couple jingles I've been hearing on my radio lately. I'm going to write some of them on my chalkboards around here!
" BABY, It's COLD OUTSIDE" or how about, "The weather outside is frightful..."
Happy Shopping!
Tammy

Playing with Money

Hey Everyone --
We had a fun home school day recently with money. I gave the girls a bunch of coins and as we sifted through them identifying the coin and value they came up with these cute "pictures."

Gracie made a tree. And Rachel made a caterpillar.

I don't remember my school days learning about money or having this much fun with it.
Happy Weekend!
Tammy

Living Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving Sweet Friends --
Last night I spend a quiet evening decorating our farm table for Thanksgiving. I am so excited. It is really starting to look cute. It looks so much better in person (I wish you could come see it!). Honey took the girls to the Bass Pro Shop (one of their favorite date night places!) and I got the house to myself. After a busy homeschool day and watching my 9 month old neice, it was a mess. But somehow I ignored all that, and concentrated on setting the table.

 The girls had fun on their date. They got to sit on "Santa's" lap and had their picture taken, all for free. There was even a merry-go-round and race track for remote control cars. An elderly lady commented to Honey how cute the girls were, and that made him feel great. So all around, everyone had a great, fun evening!

My "tablecloth" this year is a burlap runner down the middle. It's hard to tell with all the stuff on the table. The girls and I decided to go crafty this year and make our Thanksgiving as much like the First Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts as we could. My youngest will be a Native American girl while my oldest will sport a long dress complete with apron and bonnet. My husband will be William Bradford with the laced down shirt compliments of my dear friend Julie. And me...well I have to be flexible. I haven't found a pilgrim's dress, so I think I will have my own headdress and come as a squaw. We'll see! In any event, it is all fun. We made these adorable Mayflower boats and wrote each person's name on the sail. I also made a pilgrim hat (it's a little rough closeup, but you get the idea) to put our cut, raw vegetables in.

More pics and thoughts on all this later. For now I will leave you with a little picture from my girls on "Santa's" lap. (The REAL santa is coming to my daughter's December birthday party!!)
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!

Christmas Party

I am starting to think about my husband's work Christmas party this year and what I will wear! I found some fabulous dresses over at Shabby Apple and can't make up my mind. I was wondering what you thought!  

I love the gloves with it too!

Are you dressing up for a party this year? Do tell!!
Tammy

Chippy White & Bistro Chairs

Happy Autumn Weekend Everyone --
I am excited to share with you some wonderful, LONG - IN - COMING - PURCHASES I made recently! See these babies? They are now sitting at my farm table along with two more just like them! I AM THRILLED!!

 They are so creamy and white and chippy. LOVE!

There's More!

At the same sweet little antique spot I found this chippy file cabinet in all it's white glory! Just had to have it!

I'm just loving the way all these chippy whites look in my sun room with my pallet - made daybed and husband - made farm table. It's fun to look out my kitchen window everyday and see it all. Isn't it wonderful to gaze upon pretty things? Just think what Heaven must be like!!!!! I can't imagine!

I am looking forward to sharing with you the wonderful Thanksgiving crafts I made Thursday while my sister watched my girls for the afternoon. We are having the Thanksgiving feast at our house this year, so I am getting ready. Photos coming!
Tootles --
Tammy

Chippy White

Hello Friends --
Just a few days ago we were enjoying a beautiful Autumn season with green and red leaves brightly coloring our back yards. See these .... I just brought some branches in to decorate my table.

The Flood

Greetings and Salutations!
My man and I have been having a week! Let me tell you about it. Our township mandated a change in the way our wash water disposes to the outside. So my husband did research and carefully made the necessary changes. As a result of $$$ and time spent making these changes, our washing machine dumped three loads of dirty water into our carpeted basement.

Source:Augusta Rosa photostream

It still STINKS really bad.The professional carpet cleaners we called advised us not to use their services until the smell is gone. The smell means the carpet is still wet underneath and the shampooing will not solve that issue. So...we wait.
The blessing in all this was that I got a new sink downstairs. I have always wanted a bathroom downstairs, and so now I am halfway there! It's exciting for us to be in our craft/laundry room and get all messy and then just take a few steps and wash up at the sink.

Source: GlobalAtelierblogspot.com

The funny thing was, we BOTH forgot our 8th wedding anniversary Tuesday when this all happened. We remembered the next day and had a good laugh.
Hope your week has been a little less "adventurous!"

Stay dry ......
Tammy

White & Lovely Things

I love White! Can never get enough of white. It hasn't been until the last year or so that I realized how much I love the wonderful shades of white. With just the right textures and wood finishes and lovely vintage materials, white comes alive.

Just look at this white vintage bowl against the fresh woodsy farm table. Nice.

October Beauty

Instead of preparing for my homeschooling day tomorrow, I am swooning over these beautiful pictures I found on Pinterest. See what I mean .....

Hmmmm... maybe I will teach house decorating tomorrow!!

Courageous

October Greetings Everyone! 

I am just so thankful for the glorious 70 degree weather we have been having these last few days. I could live the rest of my days like this!
I told you the last time we chatted the my husband and I were going on a little date to see the new movie Courageous. My husband warned that I would need a few tissues. He even brought some for us. I do not consider myself to be very emotional, but this movie really proved me wrong. If you are anything like me, you will need more than a couple tissues! BRING THE WHOLE BOX! This is the fourth movie that this church has produced and it really shows the experience they have gained. It is an excellent movie for both men and women, but is definitely highly recommended for men. You will laugh. You will cry. You will be angry. You will cry. You will be happy. You will cry.
I plan to buy it when it comes out. It's that good.

Hope you are enjoying Autumn where you are!

Tammy

October Weekend -- THANKS MOM

Gonna stay indoors this weekend! It's to be cool and rainy. My husband and I have a sweet date lined up thanks to my precious mom. Hooray for MiMi! We are headed to see the new Courageous film. Have you heard about it? It's from the same film makers as Fireproof. Loved that movie for it's Gospel content! Even though this is sure to be a "man's movie" I am looking forward to the alone time with him.
Afterwards I'm picking out a cozy, out-of-the-way place for us to have a light lunch. The cozier the better! Know what I mean?
I also made some YUMMY chicken noodle soup today!! Another thanks to my precious mom who came just at the right time. I was balancing my niece and trying to answer endless questions from my two inquisitive daughters, while trying to pick a hot chicken and cut celery. (sorry I don't have a picture of that chaos HAHA)
My mom comes in and sweeps up my niece for her meal time, and I got my youngest busy chopping celery.
  I know I have a wonderful mom!!

As I think about how wonderful my date will be with my man tomorrow, I am remembering the yummy grey sweater my mom bought for me over the summer. I really didn't know this was going to be a tribute to my mom -- post, but again, a gift from her. I will wear it tomorrow and be all cozy in my jeans. Isn't that what Autumn is all about, anyway? Being cozy?

Have a cozy weekend yourself!
Tammy

The Calendar says FALL

I haven't been very willing to relinquish Summer. 
It's my favorite time of year. But because my husband told me that the calendar says today is the official start of Fall, I will embrace it. 
Have you had anything recently that you haven't wanted to let go of? Embracing is not always easy. Not always welcome. It's about the "letting go and letting God" work in our lives through the thing we struggle with. It's a sacrifice.Sometimes easier said than done.
I will look at Fall with new eyes. Eyes to see the leaves twirling through the air. Ears to hear the laughter of my girls as they throw themselves whole-heartedly into the pile of leaves daddy has made for them. Lips to taste the yummy flavors of baked apples and cinnamon and pumpkin. A nose to smell those wonderful baking aromas that call us in from the outdoors to celebrate Autumn indoors. The crisp, cool air. The crunch of dried leaves. A pretty orange or gold wreath hung as a welcome on the door.
Fall is a poetry of colors, cool and bright.

source: weddings by jessica dicaro

What Fall thing have you been enjoying so far this season?

Until next time --

Tammy

Back from vacation

Ohhh.... the mixed feelings of being home again after a relaxing time away! It's really lovely to be home. To see the familiar things; to fall in love again with things you loved when you left. All sweet surprises, even if it was only a short while.

Then reality enters in and the mood shifts. You wonder if you are really ready for getting "back to normal." The laundry waits patiently to be done and the suitcases lay open ready to be unpacked. SIGH.  Then even as you begin to pour the detergent and put away clean clothes, you find the thankfulness in your heart.

God is so good to give all this. It was a great time to be away, but it's also so good to get home.

Gone with the Wind

Ohhhh, what a beautiful day this is! We have been so blessed here in Pennsylvania that the Hurricane did very little damage. At least in our little area. I captured my bedroom curtains blowing in the wonderful 40 mph wind. I really felt like I was at the beach.

This whole week has found me thinking and dreaming of the ocean and sand and sun. So to bring myself a little closer to the shore, I decorated my new farm table with a beach vibe. See what you think!

If you can't be on the beach, bring it home, right? This has made me feel a little closer!

Until later,
Tammy

Movie Date on the Cheap

Hello from the wind-swept NorthEast --
All is well in our little neighborhood after Hurricane Irene winds and rains have come through. It's actually lovely hearing the wind in the trees!

Over the weekend, I told you my sister and mom and I went to the movies. Well, I wanted to share with you our deal that we "worked" to make it a cheap little date. First we went to Tokyo diner and took out some sushi with  a 15% coupon making it only  $5 for 8 pieces of a spicy tuna roll. We each bought a soda and candy bar at Rite Aid for $3 and smuggled them into the theatre to save $3 a candy bar and $4 a drink!
Then my sis (clever girl!) had a free medium size popcorn coupon that she got from visiting the theatre and had her frequent movie watcher card stamped.
Thus bringing the total to a whopping $14 including a $6 movie ticket.  (Without all the savings the bill would have been $23) We also went during the matinee show, otherwise we would have added another $6 to our movie ticket. Outrageous!!
So we really had a good time and it was a decent deal in the end!

Hope your Sunday is fabulous!!

The Help

Happy Summer, Friends --
Yes it's still summer here in the Northeast, and I am going to celebrate to the very end, hurricane Irene or not.
Today, in the midst of rain showers, my mom, sis and I went to the movies to see The Help.
I hadn't heard anything about it prior to seeing it, but it proved to be phenomenal.
Although the Civil Rights Movement had come and gone a century before this 1960's fictional account, racism was still apparent in many homes in the South. Kathryn Stockett, author of the book by the same name, was very clever in writing three main characters into the plot that was both gripping and eye-opening. Emma Stone stars as a journalist capturing the black maid's controversial stories which later gets published. This brings about much turmoil for Aibileen ( Viola Davis) and Minnie (Octavia Spencer) two black maids in Mississippi,  There's also a couple light - hearted scenes staring Skeeter (Emma Stone) and her new found boyfriend; as well as one with Sissy Spacek's character, Minny and Bryce Dallas Howard (Hilly). Let me just say the latter involves chocolate pie. When you go see the movie, you will definitely know what I mean. HILARIOUS! The action brings about a triumphant, cathartic moment for the viewer that is on Minny's side.

I give the movie 5 thumbs up out of five and definitely want to go see it again!!

Tammy

Random Pictures

There's a summer yard sale that I don't ever want to miss. It's held in my area twice a year at an old church just five minutes from our development. There's above 25 vendors and I make a beeline to only one.

The vendor is a foreign war veteran of about 80 years old. He is the sweetest man and always has something cheerful to say. He also has the best vintage goods I've ever seen at a yard sale in our little town.

This year I bought these wonderful galvanized buckets from him. I've been wanting one for so long, and was so happy to see that he had some. Isn't the littlest one cute? I can't wait to fill them with all kinds of flowers and treasures!

I also bought this wonderful box from him. I've been moving it all around my dining room to find just the perfect spot. Oh the treasures it will hold!

Enjoy your day!

Summer's End

Hello Summer Friends --
I have been seeing so many pictures and store merchandise about Fall, and I don't know about you, but I am so not ready!!
I am going to cling to every last minute of sunshine that God gives. I am going to strain my ears to hear the birds chirp and the wonderful catching of lightening bugs.

I am going to enjoy the hot summer sun on my back and the gentle sway of the breeze tugging at my hammock.

 I am going to chase after my girls at the park, ride bikes into the sunset and beat it to the custard stand for some homemade summer goodness! (really, I could eat this stuff all year long. And do!)

 You know, the best part of summer is just feeling the sun in every waking moment. Through every pore of your body!! Through the open windows. Through the sun roof. And on your bare skin.  
Oh summer....won't you stay?

Finally .....

Without any further adieu .... my farm table!!!!!

I hope you like it as much as I do!! Many more pictures to come!

New Chair to go with New Table

I got me ONE chair to go with my almost painted farm table. It is a beauty. I'm so glad you girls know me because others can't believe I would keep such a chair. But ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I sure love the color! And the chippyness (word?) is so lovely!

So now I am on a hunt for nine more chairs! I would really love to find two oval back cane chairs! That would be just perfect!

Juls ... I sure feel a Lucketts trip coming into my near future!! How about you?

Tammy