Halloween Frenzy!

Wow! I always forget how much stuff I have! Still a mess but I am slowly sorting and decorating and having FUN! I told myself that I could NOT buy any more Halloween unless it was very special...so today I went out looking and brought home too many 'special' things. I do get carried away!
Earlier in the week, I found the new Hallmark Peanuts gang ornaments. Had to have them! At Marshal's I found a glass embedded with bats~just right for candy corn!
Today, I decided to go to Meijer Gardens to see if they had any 'living stones' (a succulent plant) and was passing Koeze's so decided to stop there. The buyer for Koeze's used to own 'Flowers of the Field' so he is great at findng special Halloween decorations. I wasn't disappointed! They have great (battery powered) candles in orange with black silhouettes which I might have to go back for. I brought home a large crow who is of a different scale than I am used to. He is huge! His brother was wimpering when we left the store...poor guy. He needs to come home with us~maybe later on!
I spent time at Hobby Lobby and bought things on sale...next was Michael's where I only spent two dollars. I found my 'living stone' at Fruitbasket along with a tiny violet plant I had to have and a jade plant for a special pot. As I was leaving the store, I thoughts of heading home but then remembered that Pier One is just up the hill. I entered the store wondering if they hadn't put Halloween out yet but they hid it in the middle of the store~and I loved what I found there. I bought some adorable ornaments and a glass bat candle holder. I have so many Halloween ornaments I might need a second tree this year!
So I am a happy shopper and my husband didn't even glare at me with all my packages!
Halloween is in full force at our house!

Bob the Cat...

...Now has his own Facebook account! He has fourteen friends already~waiting for more. He seems to enjoy reading what his peeps write on his wall. This morning, I found him editing pictures to post. Sheesh! He is quite a character.
Yesterday, I was in the bathroom and suddenly felt someone poke me~startled me to say the least. Bob decided his new nap place was in the towel cupboard. Hope he doesn't startle any guests!

ME Miniatures!

Another challenge by Cherry Chick~post pictures of Mary Engelbreit items. Well~I find most of my ME is in miniature. What can I say~I love miniatures! The chair is in a larger scale than one inch to the foot but I couldn't resist it. It was meant to be a pin cushion but some of my miniature teddys like to sit there. The tiny ME houses are actually 144th scale (very small!). I got them from theme luncheons I attended at miniature conventions. They were both made by Cindy Ross and I landscaped them. Check out Cherry Chick's blog http://cherrychickjewelry.blogspot.com/2010/08/m-e-monday.html

I know I have many ME items in the Christmas holiday theme. Hope there is a challenge in December!

It's those little places...

Just how do you decorate a corner where there is only a few inches of drywall next to sliders? I have been trying to come up with ideas for as long as we have owned the cottage. The log walls already present several obstacles. Yesterday I found a set of three shelves at a new antique store for a modest price so I decided to try something with them in that corner. Once I put three of my enameled birds on the shelves, I was sure I have something I could live with.

Back from a jet ski ride with the husband. What I do for love!

Yearning to decorate...

...for HALLOWEEN!

I think I may haul out my boxes of goodies soon. And I have a mouse devil scene which needs a light. The stores are starting to show orange and black. My new lights are already on the wreath. Can't wait~

New Garden....

We have challenged our good friends (who own a GR floral store) to get daylily plants for our new garden at the lake. Of course, we were given many more plants that necessary so we used them in other places. God bless good friends! We shall enjoy these for years to come!

Red Enchantments...

After reading the blog, http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com/2010/08/rednesday.html, I accepted the challenge to find red (for Rednesday). In my kitchen and dining room, I have several treasured items which are red. The first is a fun piece of art in which the artist uses several pieces of wood and other mediums to create texture and depth for flowers and buildings. I love the red barn building and the white farmhouse in the background~it reminds me of my grandparents farm. The second treasured red item is my Little Red Riding Hood bear. She even has a music box inside her~love her red velvet cape. Next is the flying Cardinal by Lori Hough. She sculpts in paper mache and has even made life sized animals. I have many mice, a raccoon, possum, rabbit, baby bunny, bluebird and bat, all made by Lori and treasured by me! My red antique gumball machine that I bought over thirty years ago is one of my most prized possessions. I love the many colors inside as well as the red paint. My husband loves the gumballs!

Surprisingly, red is here and there throughout my home. I even bought the red t-shirt for my son who will visit next week. Couldn't resisit!

Have a red letter day!

VeRy MaRy!

One of my favorite magazines of all time was Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion. I have all the issues and still go through them for inspiration. Here is a picture of a miniature setting I have that is ME style. Gotta love it!

Thinking ahead to Christmas...

I had a group of old high school friends (ten!) up to the cottage this week. On our way to Charlevoix, we stopped at my favorite gallery, housed in an old red school house. Ray and Tammy Bier own the gallery, where they sell their work along with many other artists. They used to do the art fair circuit, including the Ann Arbor Street Fair. Now they sell year round at a beautiful place with a view of the bay. http://www.biergallery.com/

Anyway, this was my third visit to their gallery this summer. I decided after my last visit that I really 'needed' a Christmas card holder. So I now own another piece from the carver from Tennesee. Love his work!

Now for a nap...

New Workshop!

Finally moved my miniatures down to the walkout basement at the cottage. I have been working upstairs on the kitchen island. So the cottage has been a mess with all my 'stuff' all over. I asked my dear husband to please help me clean the window in the basement so I could put a work table where I could see the lake. Of course the window was painted shut, both inside and outside but after a few hours (dealing with paint and dry rot and stripped screws), we now have a clean window and I have a new workplace! Yippee!

Now I want to work on my workspace back at home....

Garden Glass

I find myself dreaming of a garden of glass...beautiful colors and shapes and textures.

We took an old friend to Suttons Bay this week for lunch at our favorite place (North Country Grill and Pub). Of course, we had to walk off our delicious lunch so we wandered into a few stores. One place is surrounded by beautiful glass and other yard ornaments. I tried hinting about an anniversary gift to my darling John but he wasn't paying attention. Oh, well! I'll see it in my dreams!

New&Old Enchantments

I went into Traverse City today and took an old teaching friend to one of my favorite stores~The Red Dresser. I left with a new vintage shelf, a small pottery cornucopia and some new/old gift cards with tiny birds nests as embellishments. Then we walked over to The Candle Factory but alas! The owl tick tock clock has disappeared from the wall! I'm sure my husband would be happy about that as I decided that if it was still there, it was meant to come back to the cottage with me. I love the old brick facade of Thc Candle Factory. The red geraniums are so beautiful! As I was taking pictures of my finds from today, I also took a picture of Rocky the raccoon~made by a miniature artist from Japan. I bought him a few years ago and cherish him. The artist couldn't speak English but somehow we were able to exchange money for her work. I love my treasures~

I also finished a few furniture kits for my Wee Forest Folk. The groundhog loves the new stuff!

Cluttered or empty?

Albert Einstein: "If a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?" I must agree with Albert! I have clutter surrounding me in my workspace...and now I don't have to feel bad about it!

For an interesting article, go to: http://www.seattlepi.com/business/smth08.shtml