Raise your hand if...you slept with the AIR CONDITIONER on last night because of the outrageous humidity and high temperature, but now, you need the HEAT ON in the house because the temps are dropping so fast!!  

Here in New England, they say that if you don't like the weather, just wait a minute!

A Few Photos

This is a small wall area that I've decided to decorate just the way I want. :)  I painted the sign specifically for here.  I painted an old shelf black, distressed it, added a few of the wonderful smelling "pantry cakes" that I made, some primitive grungy candles, a few wooden spools, and a special family photo.

This is a close-up of the frame beneath the shelf.  It's a loon feather that floated to me while I was standing on the dock in Vermont that I mounted on a cream colored linen-y fabric.

 I just happen to really like this sign!  I'm going to send it off to the craft fair to hopefully sell it, but if not, I'm keepin' it!

 Another smaller sign that I finished last weekend, also headed to the craft fair.

I did these three today; I'm a little iffy on the light colored one, but they're heading to the craft fair, too.  I just have to add wire, and possibly a fabric bow or three.

This is a little peek of one end of my cottage.  It's where I tend to hang all of the projects I've finished.  The rubber boots are all of the "mud boots" that my daughters wore as wee ones. :)

And for the grand finale... I'm "pleased" to introduce  Audrey Hepburn (aka Colleen) and Snooki (aka Cate).  Another proud mother moment, let me tell you.  For the record, they were headed to a Halloween party; they don't usually hang out dressed like this. :)

Hi there.  Just checking out the "new editor" blogging thingamajig.  I've been having issues with font size, etc., so we'll see what happens here.


So...Bob and I made tried to make maple peanut butter today.  Quite messy, let me tell you.  We bought some up in Vermont a few weeks ago and it was wonderful, so I wanted to try and reproduce it.  Ours came out pretty good, but not as good as the other; it'll do though.


Cate (middle daughter) and I spent this afternoon at a two-hour Yoga Nidra session which was quite heavenly!  I realized something very important today which is this...Yoga is the only place in my life where I never say "I can't". 

I hope you're having a good Saturday and that you're enjoying fall...the smells, the sights, the feeling of getting ready to hunker down and rest for the winter, at least mentally. 

I'll leave you with a couple of autumn scenes.  

T.
G.
I.
F.

...tomorrow!!

(ps...that's actually one of our 8th graders in front of the moon, cross my heart!)

This full moon has got the kids going out of their minds and us teachers teetering on the edge! It ain't pretty!

Hi there. I miss you! :)

I've been spending lots of time checking out stencils online and trying to decide if I should bite the bullet and buy an alphabet. I've always done my work freehand, but secretly lusted after the beautiful stencil work I see other people do. So...I did it. I not only ordered a complete alphabet, I also ordered one pre-cut stencil AND I had one custom made for me!! Now I'm excited waiting for them all to arrive in the mail!

The custom-made one was a little bit more expensive, but if I get lucky and sell at least two finished pieces, I'll make it back. Plus I get to have the knowledge that for now, I'll be the only person with that design.

(The top sign I made for my mom's birthday; she's Italian...hence, the Italian "Welcome Friends". The second sign I did for myself as that's what I always feel when I walk into my house.)

I've always struggled with creating things. I always thought I had to have a "reason", a "purpose", to create something, but finally, I've learned to create simply for the sake of creating. What a liberating way of thinking! Now I can simply get lost in what I'm doing with no pre-set idea of what "should" happen with it...I can just become enthralled with the act of creating it.

I'm doing my best to loosen the self-made chains I wear that force me to see something as "right" or "wrong"...I'm learning to see things as "perfect for this moment". Not so easy for an old broad, but worth it. :)

Raise your hand if...you spent all day working in your bedroom, cleaning out/organizing drawers and packing up four bags of clothes for donation. And, raise your hand if you found old journals, photographs and mementos, and shed tears over many of the memories. Yeah, me too.

How's this for a little chuckle?!

Raise your hand if...you're driving around with a big, fat, RED rejection sticker on your van, if you would like a do-over for this past weekend, if you're too tired to even think, and if you haven't been keeping up on any blogging at all. Sigh. Yeah, me too.

Fall in Vermont

Hi there...we're back from our wonderful trip to Vermont. I had to get right back to work, but Bob is on vacation this week, so it'll take me awhile to get back in the groove. Til then, I'll share some photos with you. Enjoy. :)




Bob on the dock one afternoon.



Our view straight off the dock.





Morning mist.






Breathtaking.







Loon feather that found its way to me.




Someone needs a haircut!





Only about three days old.





Bob spending some peaceful time one morning.





They were on a dirt road while we were heading home.

My Brother the Stone Mason

Hi there. Before I high-tail it out of town, I wanted to share with you my brother's website and some of his stone work. I sometimes forget just how amazingly talented he is, especially considering the fact that he's always been "my (sometimes annoying) older brother". I forget to see him through other people's eyes, but when I remember, I am proud, speechless and amazed.

http://www.internationalstonemason.com/gallery.html

He just got back from doing stone work in Ohio where the newspaper came out and did a two-hour interview with him, as well as taking over 50 photos. I can't wait to read it!

He's actually the guy in the blue vest in the photos of the restored woodland wall in Chester, MA. That wall is out in the woods near my sister's house and if I'm not mistaken, he just did that one out in the woods "for relaxation". Talk about leaving something beautiful to behold when you leave!

Enjoy the photos. :)

TGIF!

Don't you just love that Fridays keep coming around?



We're off to Vermont this weekend and I am thrilled. Besides it being my favorite place, the temperature Saturday night is supposed to get DOWN to 29 degrees!!! I can't wait! There are also two harvest fairs and at one of them, the American Society of Dowsers will be doing demonstrations. As I am a dowser, I'll be that "strange woman" hanging around and observing!

I hope everyone has a safe, peaceful weekend.