Fall /Halloween Tablescape

I completed the tablescape from my little teaser post yesterday.  I bet many of you knew what I was up to (at least my long-time readers).   I will show it in black and white first, so those of you with sensitive eyes can get your sunglasses.  It looks pretty tame here. :)

Got those sunglasses on?  OK, here is the same picture in color....

Orange, chartreuse, black, purple & yellow are the main colors. The drinking glasses are actually purple, but it is difficult to tell that in these pictures.

  I went out on the deck and cut the foliage for the centerpiece.  I used a similar foliage bouquet a few years ago and really liked it.  I needed some orange in the centerpiece, so I cut down the two crocosmia blooms that I had in the picture frame arrangement I showed you last week.

The coleus came from the same arrangement.  Coleus does not like cold temps, so it probably would not have lasted through the week outside.  I bet it's quite happy that I brought it inside where it is considerably warmer!  That chartreuse variety is a good match to the chair backs, don't you think?

I also think the Vaseline candlesticks that my mom gave me years ago are a nice match



I made the quilted table runner  and chair backs a couple of years ago.

 

I really like this bright runner. The only time I can use it is near Halloween.

 

 

Actually I don't think this table is all that Halloweeny...only the skeleton straws and the spider candles suggest Halloween...unless you glance over at the curio cabinet... 

 

 

The purple glasses are stored there. Since I put them on the table, I could not leave the cabinet bare, so I  replaced them with orange pumpkins and a silver skeleton head..I am working on other Halloween decorations  in the near vicinity.  They are not yet complete, so I will show you those on another day.

Happy fall 'Yall!

I Made Cupcakes Again

I just bought the cute tulip liners yesterday. This time I made my own frosting--nonsweet buttery red velvet cake frosting.-- (much better than the canned stuff that I used last time).   I tinted it peachy pink.


"Why pink?" I will pretend you asked because the question is the perfect segue to the reason I am posting twice today.

Pastel frosting goes nicely with the cupcake table runner I recently finished and wanted to show you.

I am now done  posting for today. I am going to eat a cupcake.

RED VELVET CAKE FROSTING

1 cup milk

2 TBL flour

1 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. butter

Cook flour and milk in double boiler until thick, stirring constantly. Let milk mixture cool completely. Cream sugar, butter and vanilla until light & fluffy (takes about 8 minutes). Add the cooled milk/flour mixture and beat about another 10 minutes.

Makes enough for 2 dozen cupcakes

What I Have Been Up To

Did anybody go to the after-Christmas sales? I did not. I am pretty well stocked for Christmas decorations.

I did go to Joanne Fabrics yesterday because I ran out a particular fabric I need for a new project (see below). While there, I did pick up 10 of these picks.


Who could resist at .17 each?

I started a new project for next Christmas with this fabric:
LOL. I know it's hard to imagine what I one could possibly make with that fabric for Christmas! You can check it out on this page of the quilt blog if you are so inclined.


I also did a table with the cardinal runner I just finished. I used the money plant and the silver-painted branches that I took down from the top of the Christmas tree.


You can read more about it here.

I am busy this afternoon putting something together to wear to a New Year's Eve party I am going to tomorrow. Yes, a bona fide NYE party! I hope I can stay awake until Midnight!

Warning--Work Rant

I am off work for the rest of this year. The only positive about never being able to take a full week of vacation (I ALWAYS have to work on Monday) is that I have 4 stray vacation days hanging out there for me to use up.

I work in a very weird environment--nobody is happy when you take a vacation -- they all act like you are being anti-company or something.

If I was the Big Kahuna and one of my employees gave up EVERY SINGLE MONDAY of the year to work, NO MATTER WHAT, I would be very happy with the dedication of that person and I might even reward that person with an extra day off now and then, just for not having to try to do all the reports, payroll, Accounts Payable, etc. that she is doing on those Mondays that I would have to learn to do. NOT THE CASE where I work. I am sure that legally I don't have to be subjected to working 52 Mondays a year.

The reality is that I don't really mind. I just mind being taken for granted and listening to remarks like, "How do I know how many vacation days you have left? You are the one who tracks them." Like I am cheating or something. (In addition to Sales, I am also the Human Resource person, & the Executive Assistant. Let me add that most hotels pay three people very hefty salaries for those 3 positions.) I can see where he might erroneously think that as the others are off for their full two-week vacations and I am only off for my 4-days. It may seem as though as I am off more often. Oh, well, after 24 years, I am used to it. Nonetheless, I am so very close to telling him to take that job and shove it!

So no work talk for the rest of the year!

Oh, my, these truffles are good!
They were part of my wine-on-top-of-the-package Christmas gift. I just opened them yesterday. MMMMMMMMMMMMM. I am only allowing myself two per day to savor their melt-in-the-mouth chocolate goodness. I have not had my two for today yet. Perhaps later tonight. Thanks, Chris!

While putting away the Christmas decorations, I decided to get rid of some games that have been sitting on the shelf for the past 15 years.
Just look at all of these games!

I also found a portable BBQ grill that has never been taken out of the box.
I think I bought it for DH before we were married (we've been married almost 21 years). I guess that gift was a DUD! LOL

It looks like we need to make a trip to donate to the thrift store.

I finished a new table runner yesterday.

Tomorrow I think I will begin hand quilting one of the quilts I finished piecing last fall.

Minimalist Decorating is so Liberating!

Today I took a vacation day from work. It was hardly a "vacation". I worked nonstop from 7:00 a.m. until 3:45 p.m.--laundry, scour bathroom, scrub floors, clean all the mirror and glass over artwork -- all the stuff that working women never have the time to do. I like to get away on the weekends and I have no energy to clean after I get home from work, so that does not leave much time for heavy duty cleaning.

It feels good to have it all done.

I also rearranged the dining room so it would work for my Christmas Eve party. This year I have no trees in the dining room -- I usually have 4. I do not have one piece of Christmas decorations in the room. But since you get a good view of the one tree I did put up, I moved items into this room to match the tree - blue and lime green. The tree is more aqua, but this room is cobalt blue and lime green. I brought in all my cobalt wine glasses and put them in both cabinets. I shopped the house to find lime green accents -- a pear candle, some liqueur glasses, and a grape candle.

I extended the table to seat 10 and added another set of silver trees that I bought for $1 each at the Dollar Tree. I brought out a runner in the same color scheme. It's not Christmasy at all, yet for me, it works.

I put this shelf above the china cabinet. My son made it in high school about 15 years ago. My cobalt blue decanters stand where a 2 ft. white-lit tree usually sits. I put two cobalt dishes in the dish rack above the mirror.

Around the corner, I put all the little gifts I bought for the games we play. Of course I wrapped them in paper to match.

I have rarely done as little Christmas decorating as I've done this year.
Yet I think this looks fairy festive. The best part is that I will have NOTHING to take down in the dining room after Christmas. How wonderful that will be!

I am thoroughly enjoying my minimalist decorating this year.

I Got the Phlox Planted Between the Raindrops

In fact, I spent a good two hours outside moving plants before the rain started to fall. When the first drops hit me, I quickly parked the wheelbarrow against the deck lattice and came inside to take a refreshing shower.

While in the shower I remembered my Felco pruners.....what did I do with them?
Dang! I left them on the ground.
There is no way I will leave them out there in the rain. As much as I hated to go out and get wet again, I had to grab my fluffy blue robe and head out to fetch the best pruners I have ever owned.

I wonder what the neighbors think seeing me in my robe at 2:00 p.m. Actually after living here for 21 years, they are probably used to it!

I knew it was going to rain, so I moved this heuchra to the entrance to this path. I just love it when I move plants just before it rains so I don't have to haul out the hose.
The heuchra used to be a couple of feet back and this year they grew too large for that space. Here is this area a few days ago when I decided the heuchra needed to be moved. Can you see them back by the third paver?
I removed a big chunk of the creeping phlox from each side and planted the heuchra. I like it so much better now. I also dug out the black-eyed Susans you see on the right side. I don't like them in that spot.

I woke up shortly after 4:00 a.m. today and decided to get up and work on my autumn leaf table runner.
The top was done at 5:39 a.m. I know it sounds insane to many of you, but I love mornings. I especially love them on the weekend when I don't have to get ready for work.
By 7:00 a.m. I had the runner completely done and on the table.

I think it turned out nice.

I also made two batches of sugar cookies which are sitting in the refrigerator waiting until I feel like rolling out the dough and cutting circles.

I recently ripped this pic out of a magazine
and I want to decorate sugar cookies to look like these. I am not that good at decorating cookies, but these look easy. We shall see. If they turn out, you will see a picture. :)

I am Loving the Rainy Weekend

With all the rain, I won't be working in the garden at all this weekend. The fact is I don't plan to do much work inside either. This will be a relaxing weekend to indulge in some reading and other ME activities.

These poor white lilies were beaten down by the rain.

So I took my nose out of my book long enough to go outside and cut them down.

I removed the stamens so the pollen would not get on my table. I learned to do this many years ago after staining more than one tablecloth with lily pollen. Then I put together a big bouquet of stamen-less trumpet lilies and callas.

Since it's the weekend I will be able to enjoy these flowers much more inside.



This is for Debbie who wanted to see how the new table runner turned out. The top is all pieced, but I still need to add the backing.

I Have Never Seen This on my Deck Before

And I hope I never see it again!
My deck is over 4 feet off the ground. It never occured to me that these guys would slither right on up the steps or lattice walls. Now whenever I go out there to lounge around, I will have one eye opened to watch for snakes.

We had planned to stain the deck Saturday, but it was cold and rainy again. This is the third weekend in a row that we have had to postpone the staining.

I started this runner on Friday and finished it early Saturday morning. I decided to entertain myself with a photo op among the tulips in the rockwall garden.

Here is the Bumex tulip today. It's turning red.

Doesn't it look like a big claw?

I think it should open fully tomorrow.

Ever Had a Cheeseburger on a Corn Chip?

If not, you should try it!
Mmmmmmmm
I added a baby spinach leaf on each side. I think that makes it a nutritous snack, don't you?

So what have you all been doing this week?

I have been going to work, coming home, making dinner, spending a little time on the computer, going to bed, getting up and starting over again.

Yeah, it's been a cold, rainy dull week.

I have been a bit lax in answering my comments lately so I just wanted to say a big thanks to all of you who commented on the last couple of posts...Deb, Susie, TC, Dianne, Jean, Pea, and Betty. Some of you don't have an email address so I can't answer, but I wanted you all to know that I do read and appreciate every comment. So thanks for taking the time from your busy days to brighten mine.

Tonight I started to redo the dining room table with my newest table runner. I wasn't in the mood so I left it at this point and will continue on this weekend.

I am thinking all black, white and silver. We shall see.

I hope you are all having a good week. I've been visiting the blogs, but not necessarily commenting. I guess I am just not in a chatty mood this week. I probably need more sunshine.

Asters in Autumn

I love the pink/purple combo peeking through the arbor. This is how asters look their best. Planted someplace where their ratty bottoms are hidden.
All the bees that left the Sedum have gone to the asters.
Old weathered bird house, asters and a scattering of fallen apple leaves.
These mini asters in the rockwall garden look almost like their taller cousins except they only grow about 15 inches high. They are very neat compact fall bloomers.
Behind the rockwall it is full of wild asters. I put the dark purple ones back there, but the light ones all moved in on their own.


I have been working a little on the blocks for that tree skirt. I have finished 20 6-inch blocks. To make a tree skirt I would need 80 more of them. I am not willing to do that much more work for a tree skirt, so I will turn them into something else--most likely a table runner.

Here are the two possible layouts for the table runner.

Which one do you like better?

I am in the campaign spirit!

With the continuous coverage of Obama and Biden this weekend, I must have had some unconscious inspiration to finish my campaign table runner. I had no plans to do so, but I ended up spending quite a few hours working on it today.

It's done, but I am not terribly proud of my work. I am still finding it tough to machine quilt even these small items. Perhaps if the local sewing center would ever get my quilting attachments in, it would be easier. It's been over two weeks and, as I expected, I have not heard from the man. Nonetheless, I did it all by machine, even the binding.

Here is the finished product.

It looks a lot better since I added my campaign buttons. We started collecting these as a family about 20 years ago. We would go to flea markets during the summer to look for buttons. The hobby only lasted a short time, and we have not added any new ones in years. I must remember to get some for this election. We missed the last one. Drats! I wish I would have gotten a Hillary button. Maybe I will luck out and find one.

Here's a few of my older buttons:

Woodrow Wilson

William Jennings Bryan & Kern (whoever that was). They made an unsuccessful run in 1908, I believe.
I did find about an hour to get outside and tackle some of the garden work--mostly cutting down spent daisies and trimming the evergreen hedge. The weather was much nicer today.

I am watching an old Andy Griffith show as I write this.....does anyone remember the episode where Aunt Bee makes pickles? It's a classic. I 've seen it numerous times and I still laugh every time these poor guys have to eat one of the awful pickles.


Now I must go and clean up the kitchen. I didn't do much cleaning this weekend. I don't really know where all the time went. I always goes quickly.