Tagged and an Award

I got an award! I got one other one when I first started blogging, but I didn't understand how to pass it on. I think I "get" it better now, so I'll give it a try. I got this award from Connie at Magnolia Street Style. She has a blog that I go to for inspiration and ideas. Thank you so much!

The rules are:
1. Please put the logo on your blog.
2. Link back to the person that awarded you.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Make a link to those blogs.
5. Leave them a comment to let them know.


I enjoy reading many different type of blogs - pug people, crafty girls, people that make me laugh and sometimes cry, decorators, thrifty shoppers and moms!
I picked seven - but there are many more that I LOVE to read!

1. AM
2. Wanda
3. Ragus Pug
4. Christina
5. Joannah
6. Girlville
7. Nevis

Now the next piece of Bloggy Business is a tag. Wanda, my sister-in-law :), tagged me. This is funny because we have gotten to know each other more through the blog world. So here are 7 things you might not know about me:

1. I was born in England while my Dad was in the Air Force.

2. I have lived in England, New York, Michigan, Colorado, Alabama, and North Carolina.

3. I got my BS in Early Childhood Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and my MA in Elementary Education at Auburn.

4. I am a 1st degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do.

5. I met my husband on a blind date.

6. I got interested in geneology a few years ago. One of my most famous ancestors was William Brewster who was the spiritual leader of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower. He started out in Cambridge, England (where I was born)!

7. I had my youngest son exactly 9 months after Hurricane Opal blew through town. We had 3 days without electricity and we sent off all of the kids to homes with electricity. So....we were alone....with defrosting steak....and candlelight...no TV...nothing to do....you get the picture.....

This tag also has rules about passing it on but since I am passing on awards today I'll just leave it open for anyone to do it if they are so inclined!!!

Fall Decorations III

This is still in my front hallway. First 2 more paper mache people-

Both of them were formed with a bunch of aluminum foil and covered with paper towels dipped in wallpaper paste. The pumpkin shapes were those little plastic pumpkin candy baskets covered with paper towels/paste. The cat is draped in cheesecloth and wallpaper paste and she has a curled coat hanger neck. To weigh them down I pour a little plaster of paris in the base. Then paint, antique glaze and add ribbon.

Black Cat collection ...just got the Anna Lee this year...Lulu hates it!

Tassells made from the wooden ends of curtain rods (can be found unfinished at Lowe's) and fabric scraps wound around empty thread spools. The spools are hot glued to the wooden thingy!

On the table under the stairs I have a paper mache pumpkin guy that I didn't make -he came from Goodwill! The ceramic pumpkins came from Dollar Tree and the box is decoupaged with scrapbook paper.

Just a gathering of things ....toys...for little fingers...or paws!

I have been up in the attic today and I can't seem to find a box of porch decorations! Looks like I need to get my attic under control - What a mess! I guess that will be a weekend goal !

Wordless Wednesday

Fall Decorations - Part II

The hallway is where I really decorate for seasons! Most of the stuff this year will be paper mache because it is almost indestructible and each year I have added to the collection-so I have a lot! The first year I tried to make anything -I made these pumpkin people. This was before I took the class. A friend bought one from my artist friend and we shamelessly tried to copy it. I got hooked on paper mache and still love them!

The feather tree that I use for every holiday now has more paper mache. I've shown the pug before. Here are some close ups of the Black Pug and the "Wizard of Oz" collection. There are also some other favorites - a pirate, wizard, bulldog, tiger, skull, cat and pumpkin.

Lulu has discovered the tree. She has been taking the pipe cleaner pumpkin people off. I moved it away from the chair so it won't be so easy for her!

THE WINNER IS......

The names were all put into a top hat (part of a Porch Tour costume). Eli did a final inspection.....

Youngest Son reached in and pulled out a name......

And the winner is....

Congratulations AM! Funny ... hers was one of the first blogs I read. I liked Alfred, but got hooked on her sense of humor and sweet daughter...then a couple years later her son! She also was the first blogger I actually made contact with- she posted about doing online surveys and I decided to try it! (I still do it and am almost up to my third T@rget gift card!) And I am looking forward to meeting her in real life!

Fall Decorations - Part 1

This year my Fall decorating will be limited by a certain "little bitty evil kitty" !!! I have forgotten how much mischief a kitten can get into. There have been many crashes around the house - so no glass ornaments this Halloween! I can live with it for a year, but I will be a lot more upset about it at Christmas. Maybe she will calm down by then!

In the parlor I decided to be minimal (for Me) and limit the decoration to a "crow tree" and a few pumpkins on the mantle. Lulu is not interested in the mantle, but she is wild about the crow tree. It will not last long. I saw this on another blog (wish I could remember where) - I had the crows, painted the branches and a thrift store urn black and used some floral foam to anchor them.

The mirror came out of a neighbor's trash pile.

Here she is after taking down the tree. There are pieces of branches on the floor. She is hiding - waiting to plan the next attack.

These are close-ups of the pumpkin people in the kitchen. They are paper mache so they can stand up to kitten attacks. She has not discovered the feathers on their hats yet! I made them several years ago. They used to sit on the Parlor mantle.....change is good. They are made from candle sticks gathered from thrift stores, Styrofoam balls, cheesecloth and scraps of trims! I made similar snowmen for Christmas.

Please remember to leave a comment to be included in my 100th post Giveaway! We will pick the winner tomorrow night!

My 100th Post

I have read blogs for years and enjoyed them, but I did not think I would be faithful in writing one of my own! Since I made it to 100 posts in less than a year - I am celebrating! I have enjoyed being a part of the Blog World and to thank you for being a part of my fun I am having a Giveaway this week! Youngest Son will pick a name out of a hat on Saturday night to be the winner! Everyone who leaves a comment for the rest of the week will be in the running! After I have a winner I will email you or leave a comment on your blog - if you have one- to get your mailing address. I picked out a couple special things that are tied into some of my favorite hobbies - thrift store shopping and sewing!

First is a pillow that I made from a thrift store treasure. I found this sampler, finished but not framed. When I find something like this it makes me wonder who spent all of the hours working on this, and how did it end up in a thrift store? I just couldn't leave it there so it came home and got turned into a pillow!

Next is a tea towel that I will monogram with your choice of letters and colors- if you are the winner!

Finally - a surprise- I'll stick in something else that will be a surprise- my only hint is that examples of this have been shown in some of my posts- and no, not the kitten or one of the pugs!

Saving, Sewing, and Santas

Three words that sum up my week- saving,sewing and Santas (throw in some swimming, too)! Starting with some good savings at my favorite stores - CVS and Walgreens. Total spent =$24.66 and money back in receipt rewards to spend next week = $19.99. So for $4.67 I got $ 87.81 worth of stuff. Not everything is pictured - I got a few clearance items that I forgot to put in the picture -flags and patriotic banners for next year- 90% off! The magazine and tissue were freebies that came in the mail !

Sewing- I spent most of my sewing time on this Alice in Wonderland costume and a few more outfits for football season like I made last week! No Etsy shop in my future right now- maybe after Christmas. It is something I have considered but when I sewed for a local store that made custom kids clothes I was overwhelmed! I like people to come up with the idea and then I make it for them- one or two of a kind - not mass production! So Maggie and Christina- if you have a design in mind let me know!

And Santa - we started on the Porch Tour this week. Our displays have been in exile. They now have a home. The Rec Center and city cleaned up and painted this storage space and work space for us. They also installed new secure garage doors. We had help from some local civic clubs and in an hour and a half this empty hall and the two rooms were filled with our refugees!

The large white ghostly figure on the left -behind the little angels is my beloved Santa - he is wrapped in a sheet. Many of them have names and stories -the girl in the red cape used to be called Red Riding Hood. About 5 years ago she was kidnapped on the day we were taking them down and packing them up. A few days later she was spotted about 25 miles away in a trailer park. A rescue mission was launched (the police and a couple neighbors) and she came home. She is now called "Amazing Grace" she once was lost, but now is found!! I cleaned her up and combed her hair and she was good to go the next Christmas- but we keep a chain on her!

This is the repair area- in the back you can see Peggy Sue and the Woodsman. Both of them lost arms in the move. The Woodman stands in our backyard and Peggy Sue is across the street. We had several casualties last year. Many have clay faces that crack (especially when they fall off moving trucks!) and the mannequins tend to lose body parts that are not secured well. Then we also have to touch up faded clothes and fluff up bows and flowers.

Poor Santa - he looks like a hostage! Never fear - he'll look great the 2nd weekend in December!

The next post will be 100! I'll announce my Celebration Giveaway!!

Cute Things

I've had a lot of sewing to fill up my "spare" time this week. I really love working on kid's clothes- the fabrics are bright and fun! So here are some cute things I've finished this week.

Our High School colors are Black and Red-the Bulldog is our mascot. These are all clothes for kids of teachers and principals.

I love this pink and brown A-line jumper. I wouldn't mind having one for me! I still need to find some brown buttons for the shoulders.

Burp cloths for a sweet little boy. I think these are more for his Grandpop and Daddy! I found these bright colored cloth diapers at T*rget. I've been out of the baby business for a while so they are new to me!

Labor Day and New Projects

Our Labor Day Party went fine, we were afraid we would get some rain from Gustav, but we haven't. The day was cloudy on and off which kept things cooler-but it was sunny enough for swimming. We ate a lot and the kids swam and played. We had hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta salad, Asian slaw, Rotel cheese dip, LA Caviar, chips, Pimento cheese dip, Key Lime Pie, and chocolate chip cookies. I didn't take many pictures -the ladies like to stay off camera when in swim suits and the kids moved to fast to catch on film!

The new projects will mostly be landscaping around the pool. I don't look forward to more sod- that's hard work. I have many sewing jobs lined up- a lot of monogramming, a new baby nursery for one of my former students and his wife, Halloween costumes and alterations (my least favorite job....)

Just a little preview of the project that will take up much of my time for the next 3 months-

The preparations for the Victorian Porch Tour begin in September each year. We like to be ready by Thanksgiving for the early December event. I got a phone call today letting me know we will begin soon. It is a BIG job! But, I enjoy it! The first workday will involve moving 100+ figures into their new work/staging place. It will be in the same building, just downstairs in a more secure and larger area, where we can repair and "fluff" them up.

Finally- I'm getting near to my 100th post and I am planning a Giveaway! I'll give you more details soon!