Hydrangea Christmas Tree

This tree sprang from a 90% off sale at Joanne's in the fall of 2004. I walked into the store one October day and they had these huge blue hydrangeas that were $5.99 each for 59 cents each. I immediately thought of a Christmas tree and grabbed all they had. There were also three Burgundy colored and I grabbed those along with numerous smaller branches for filler.

My cart was overflowing and the checkout person asked me what I was going to make with them. "Oh, really?" she said when I told her. I could tell she would never have dreamed to put them on a tree.

This tree has two kinds of gold sparkle ribbon twisted through, huge gold balls, silver beaded apples, and a few little foil-wrapped gift packages. The white hanging beads came from bead garland that I just cut into little pieces so they could "drip" down (most of them are held on with twisted paper clips! I have to get creative on my low decorating budget.). The ends of about 16 branches boast Burgundy-sparkled twisted icicles.

You can see there a few clusters of berries and quite a few sprigs of sparkley beads and spikey liatris flowers that go on last and stick out all over the tree. These are difficult to see in the pictures.
That, by the way, is one of the secrets of doing a nice tree. You must have something -- beads, twigs, flower spikes, etc.--that stick out in all directions to add another layer of texture. The tree just looks flat without it.

At least in my somewhat humble opinion.

A Perfect Saturday

I did not leave the house today.

Early this morning I reset the table so it’s already done for Thanksgiving. I did a few loads of laundry and fiddled with the blog post below. Sue, it was easy as you said in your comment, but it took a while to get Blogger to take it. I redid it about 4 times. I am going to delete it because I think it slows down the page way too much.

I had planned to get a lot more done, but it just didn’t happen. DH was flipping channels and came across a movie he remembered I liked. He was about to take an afternoon nap and asked me if I wanted him to leave it on that channel. He knows I rarely watch movies. He also knows I think Something’s Gotta Give with Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton is one of the most romantic movies of all time. Since becoming middle aged I have taken to movies portraying romance in the later years.

So I spent two hours this afternoon re-watching this wonderful film while doing some hand quilting on the Starry Log. I loved the movie even more than I did the first time.

Toward the end of the movie, DH woke up. I poured a glass of my favorite Relax wine and we watched the end of the movie together.

I put some pork chops in an onion tomato sauce in the oven and let them cook for a few hours. When they were done I boiled some bow tie pasta and made a quick salad of romaine lettuce, red onion and Muenster cheese. Voila! Dinner was ready.

I just finished watching a pie contest on Food TV and went to their site and printed off 3 of the winning pies that interested me.

I am now watching another Food TV contest where they are preparing a 5-course Turkey day dinner in 5 hours. They are cooking a 12lb bird just like I am going to cook. Maybe I will get some tips for my little Thanksgiving meal.

Ah, it’s been a perfect Saturday.

I hope yours has been equally as wonderful.

Sunflower Christmas Tree

I always have my Christmas trees up the first part of November because I like to do my own trees before my holiday decorating spirit gets burned out at the hotel. But this year I did not do my own first.

At home I am enjoying the earthy autumnal decor of the Thanksgiving season and am in no rush to bring out the Christmas items.

The hotel is another story. It is hunting season in Michigan. All commerce in upper Michigan slows to a crawl for two weeks during the hunting frenzy. It's the perfect time for me to decorate trees at work. We actually had our first Christmas function last weekend. They had to do without a tree because it was just too early and they understood.

Yesterday I did two trees. This sunflower tree is my favorite (as it was last year).




It is a combination of sunflowers, apples, and pears. The garland is crocheted twine (made by one of my co-workers). I am not liking how crooked it is in this picture. I never noticed that at work. I will have to fix it on Monday.
The tree skirt is a big piece of burlap. I cut some of the burlap into strips, frayed the edges and intertwined it through the tree.


This top is made of gold and red glass balls and works perfectly for this tree. It's not even a tree topper, but that never stops me. I like to use items that are not even meant for trees.

Tomorrow I will show you the hydrangea tree.

Please, Please Don't Let Me Get Butterfly Wings

They aren't pretty

And I don't want them!
This is me before leaving for work each morning. I grab these 5 lb weights and do a few arm exercises in my attempt to stall the underarm flabbies.


It takes less than 5 minutes. I do enough to feel the burn (in photo 3, I am feelin' the burn!) and then about 20 beyond that point. At first I felt the burn after about 20. I've been doing them for a week now and today I didn't feel it until 60. I did 20 more and my arms felt like lead when I finished. It's not even enough to work up a sweat (hence, I can do them all dressed for work). It's just enough to keep the muscles in use and hopefully, not get those big hanging butterfly wings!!!!

"Tablescape" made the 2006 Dictionary Edition

Erin McKean, an editor for the Oxford American Dictionary, defined tablescape as "everything you put on a table". She indicated that the first reference to the word was in 1991, but that it only recently came into common usage.

I went surfing to see what other fun words made the cut. I thought these were interesting:

sandwich generation

Main Entry: sandwich generation
Function: noun
: a generation of people who are caring for their aging parents while supporting their own children

polyamory

Main Entry: poly•am•ory
Pronunciation: "pä-lE-'a-m&-rE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -ories
Etymology: polyamorous (from poly- + amorous) + 2-y
: the state or practice of having more than one open romantic relationship at a time
- poly•am•or•ist /-rist/ noun
- poly•am•o•rous /-'a-m&-r&s, -'am-r&s/ adjective

drama queen

Main Entry: drama queen
Function: noun
: a person given to often excessively emotional performances or reactions



And my personal favorite.


mouse potato

Main Entry: mouse potato
Function: noun
Etymology: after couch potato
slang : a person who spends a great deal of time using a computer

Some of the other new words can be found here.

Turn a Pumpkin into a Turkey

Judging by all the places on the internet that tell you how or sell you kits, I guess it's a big thing, though I have never turned a pumpkin into a turkey.


turkey in a box decorating kit Build and decorate your perfect turkey. 9 piece set includes: pilgrim hat, turkey head, pilgrim collar, 4 trail feathers, 2 wings. Everything you need except the pumpkin!

S 15.00

How about this one made from fringe? (Personally I think this one is butt ugly!)

Pumpkin Fringe Turkey


Even Bob Timberlake gets in on the turn-your-pumpkin-into-a-turkey action with this
Turn an ordinary pumpkin into a holiday gobbler. Place any pumpkin on the sturdy iron pedestal feet, then push-mount the head and tail into position. Use to create flocks on the porch or as a whimsical centerpiece for the table. Imported.

$29.95

This item is available for rush delivery here.










This one is my favorite. It's also the most expensive kit at $34.99. I found it here.


I loved this Pineapple Turkey. It's super simple to make and won't take much storage space after the event since you can eat the body!

I think I am going to use this one for my Thanksgiving table.

Where's George?

Have you all heard of Where's George. com ?

Do you ever wonder where that paper money in your pocket has been, or where it will go next? This is the place to find out.

All you need to do is enter the denomination, series, and serial number of any US dollar bill, and your current USA ZIP or Canadian Post Code.

I found a bill last month that had the George url stamped on it. So I went there and entered that I had found the bill. I was the first person to enter this bill since the person in California had entered it over two years ago. I bet that person was quite excited to know that the $1 bill had traveled all the way to Michigan - over 2,000 miles!

Today I got a notice in my email that someone else had found and reported the same bill. I was so excited to go find out where the $1 bill I had in my hand last month was found. It was in a city 160 miles away.

Whenever I find bills with the Where's George on it, I try to get to a computer and enter the serial number because I know someone is waiting out there to find out.

A lot of people get hooked on this. Like the person who started this bill said he/she had over 47,000 bills out there! It must be a full-time job tracking them!

If you've never heard of it, check it out. You might enjoy participating.

Who knows, maybe one of your bills will find its way into my hands. I see a lot of money since I do the hotel deposits every morning.

46 Yards of Fabric

I have bought 46 yards of fabric in less than 7 days.
And this book.



I went to JoAnne's Saturday and just could not resist the low prices. It was another of those 50% off the already marked down stuff PLUS an extra 10% off your entire purchase. I was paying .90 to $1.35 per yard. The $1.35 stuff was originally priced at $9/yard.

Who could resist such prices? It was almost like they were giving it away.

I am so excited with this book of 101 paper-pieced log cabin blocks. There are some wonky-looking examples. I've made enough traditional logs. I can't wait to try a few of these. I better get another quilt started so I can use up some of this fabric stash!

On these cold days it's so nice to work on quilting my Stary Log Cabin with the paper pieced border. I sit in front of television all wrapped in the cozy warmth of the big old blanket.




I am also deeply into this book, The Three Miss Margarets, by Louise Schaffer.
I started reading it yesterday and was not disappointed. Remember I read the sequel to this book two weeks ago? It would have been best to read this one first, but either way they are both an enjoyable read.

Butternut Squash Soup -- Subtitled: I Blistered my Finger Cooking for that Man and He Refused to Eat

I thought this soup was delicious, but DH would not eat it.
I guess you have to be a true lover of squash to appreciate the sweet velvety goodness of this gourd. I will be quite happy to eat his share. I've already eaten two bowls, frozen two containers and saved some for next week.

If you love squash and want to make it yourself, here are the directions:

Ingredients

2 large butternut squash (about 5 cups of seeded wedges)
2 14.5 ounce cans of chicken broth
2 Tablespoons of honey
1 tsp. fresh ginger
about 1/2 cup of half & half (real cream if you want it really decadent)
pinch of nutmeg


This is butternut squash

I always wash the outside off before cutting it just so my knife does not get full of whatever bacteria may be on the outside. Sometimes there is dirt on the outside (if, like me, you got them from a real farmer, not a grocery store)

I cut it in smaller pieces and then remove the skin.
I like to remove the skin prior to roasting so I have more edges exposed to pick up the carmelization from the high heat.I did not think this was all that difficult, BUT last night I noticed a big old blister had developed inside my index finger. OUCH! I think next time I will roast with the skin left on.
Cut into small chunks and dump onto two large oiled (or sprayed) baking sheets.
Pour some olive oil over all and toss with salt and pepper.

Roast in a very hot oven - 450 degrees - for about 30 minutes. The time depends on how small you cut the chunks, so just keep watching until you can easily insert a fork all the way through.
Mmmmmm, look at these golden nuggets of sugary flavor.
Use a mixer, blender, whatever you have to puree the squash. I left mine rather coarsly pureed as I like the texture of a few chunks of squash in my soup. Put about 5 or 6 cups of the pureed squash in a large sauce pan. Add the chicken broth, honey and minced ginger and nutmeg. Heat just until hot. Stir in the 1/2 cup of half and half.
I sprinkled just a hint of nutmeg in the bowl. I would have also cut up a few of my frozen chives for an added garnish, but they were in the basement freezer and I didn't bother to go down and get them.

That's the second time I've wanted those chives and they have been in the basement. I wonder whose silly idea it was to move them to the basement? I must remember to bring them back up to the kitchen.
By the way this ugly gnarled thing is ginger root. You just pull off a little "finger", peel it and grate it right over the soup pot. I used a microplane, but any grater will do just fine.



So there you have it.
It's very easy to make.

Wet Snowy Morning

Remember this spirea I just showed you two days ago?
Look at the poor thing this morning after a heavy load of rain/snow was dumped upon it last night.


Some good-sized branches met their unexpected demise.


These shrubs need to be pruned, but you would know it from this picture.


Here they are two days ago

I am waiting to prune them until after Thanksgiving so I can use the branches for Christmas decorating.

It's a good day to make Butternut Squash Soup. I just roasted 2 butternut squash and am planning to turn some of it into soup this afternoon. I don't believe I have ever made squash soup.

When I told DH what I was making, he said, "Don't make a lot of it."

I think he has already decided that he won't like it. We shall see.

A hunk of squash, red pepper and cloves

a pair of scissors, a metal skewer and one toothpick (nearly hidden under the red pepper)

So what do you think I am going to do with this odd assortment of items?

Skewer up the squash and pepper, flavored with the cloves,and grill it for a little snack and then pick my teeth clean with the toothpick?

No, that would be way to predictable.

Got any other ideas?

Give up?

OK, I will show you...............







I bet you never would have guessed this, would you?
LOL.
Isn't he just adorable?
He would be perfect for a Thanksgiving table if you had planned to serve that squash. If not it would be a waste to buy so many squash just for the turkey heads.

I saw this idea someplace a while ago. I can't remember where, but I kept it tucked away in my brain. Yesterday at work the cook was cutting up squash & red pepper and I asked her if I could have these little pieces.

I disclosed my little baggie of company property to The Boss before I left, who raised an eyebrow in question.

"Times are tough at Zoey's house," I said. "You know what you pay me. This is all we can afford for dinner."

He just gives an incredulous shake of his head and walks back into his office. LOL. I love to work in such a fun place.

Poor Man's Lobster

If you enjoy lobster, but your budget does not, you might like what I had for dinner tonight.

It's just boiled cod, my version of poor man's lobster.

Cut the cod in chunks and toss it in some salted boiling water with a shake or two of Old Bay Seasoning. Boil for about 3 minutes or until it's cooked through (it will depend on how big you cut the chunks). That's it. Simple and delicious. You dip it in melted butter. Add some broccoli and a tossed salad to round out the meal. YUM YUM! If dinner isn't a meal without some starch, throw in a Baked Potato and warm roll. I prefer to save those calories in case I'm in the mood to snack later.


Every year I intend to get a pumpkin and carve it out for a vase because I love that look on the autumn table. Most years I never get around to doing it. The one year I did the pumpkin rotted quite quickly. It was hardly worth the effort.

Well today I found a fake pumpkin already cut out to be a vase.

It was the first time I had ever seen one AND it was 80% off!
So here is my $2.59 bargain. I put the flowers in it that are still left from last weekend. I also picked up those sparkley gourds for 80% off.

I do love a good bargain!

More Fall Scenery

The big old maple tree that looked so pretty all dressed in her autumn finery is now naked and showing her poor health. On the left is a huge branch that broke off a few years ago and it's wedged between other branches and won't fall. Kids have climbed up and stuck those smaller branches in the front. This tree is not even on my property, so I can do nothing but admire it.

It is the tree I wanted to see so badly I paid to have 4 large pines removed to open the view.
We call it our "Eleven hundred dollar" view and still think it was worth every penny.

My poor burning bush was ravaged by deer the winter before last. It took a full year before it died. I had to remove 3/4 of the bush this spring. I probably should have removed the entire bush because it looks a bit strange, but I just couldn't bring myself to do so. I think it will grow back as there are a few small shoots on the back side. I was surprised, given the invasive operation it underwent this spring, that it produced berries this year.

Dried Allium Revisited

Sissy asked me what I had done with my black dried allium.

Well, I jumped right on that comment for a new post. You all know how I LOVE to post. :)

So I grabbed the digital and went to the family room and took a picture of this little arrangement of dried allium and branches in my animal-print purse container. It is just a quickie arrangement I made, but I like it well enough to leave it there for now.

See how the black balls match the black lampshade?

Look how these books match the vase! These are two of the books I got from the library on Tuesday, so it was pure coincidence. Really. You don't think I would pick out books to match my vase do you? That would be just SICK.

What I am really planning to do with the allium is make an arrangement for that big bold black polka dot fabric I bought last week. Can't you just see those big balls in black, white and red with that fabric? Ooooooooo, I get chills just imagining it. :) I may even repaint some of the allium to match the polka dots. Did I actually admit that? Maybe I am a little sick. :)

When I do that table, you can be sure I will post a picture.

Now I've Seen Everything

HOSE CLOTHES™

Designer Chic for Your Garden Hose

Hose Clothes™ is a unique way to give ugly garden hoses a brand new life. They can even become a vital part of your outdoor décor!

You can get one in these three animal prints


Now I ask you, who, in their proper frame of mind, would pull 50 feet of hose through a little fabric snuggie?

If you are so inclined, you can buy it here: http://www.moplants.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?sreen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=HC

Beautiful Mild Day Today

As soon as I got home from work I went outside with my camera. It's amazing how much I never noticed before I got my digital camera.

Take this spirea bush. I knew it had lovely white spring flowers, but I never realized how nice the fall display was. Until just today I never even noticed that creeping phlox had such a high percentage of fall die-off and turned this orangey color.

Sandy over at Gardenpath posted a picture a few days ago that made me think of the three milk pod plants I'd seen growing on the old railroad tracks behind my house. I took a little stroll down the tracks to see if they were worth photographing.
As you can see they certainly were!

I picked a good armload of nearly dead or dead, but interesting, foliage.
And used it in this heart-shaped garage wall arrangement .
The milk pod right in the front is the one in the photo above. I pulled out all of the seeds and scattered them near where I cut them down. Hopefully, there will be many more next year.

I Almost Did Not Vote Yesterday

It seemed like it would be an intrusion in my heavily scheduled day.

Then I thought of this woman

Susan Brownell Anthony

Who campaigned for nearly 45 years for the female right to vote. For 45 long years this woman fought relentlessly, only to die in 1906, over a decade before the nineteenth amendment was passed.

And I thought driving the extra ½ mile to the voting booth and spending about five minutes coloring in the ovals would be an imposition.

SHAME ON ME!

Paula's Christmas Issue

I picked this magazine up last week.
Does anyone else have it?
I have not really found anything too interesting in it. I haven't looked closely at the recipes. Hopefully I find something to justify the $7.99 price.

There are a few pictures of Paula's new home all decked out for the holiday. I do like the decorating in her new place.

I am not too energetic tonight. I just got home. I had my nail appointment after work. That means I have to take it easy for the next couple of hours. I can't quilt because it will ruin the nails, I can't do any sort of cleaning (oh, darn!), etc. So I'm just sitting at the 'puter and gently typing.

I wanted to go outside and find some dead stuff to make a big autumn arrangement, but by the time I got home (5ish) it was already getting dark and I had to worry about the nails, so that was out.

I guess I will go find something for dinner, read a few blogs and then watch the election results. I also got 5 new books at the library so I can probably get lost in one of them for a few hours.