Autumn's Cozy Corners

Every year we change up our fall decor a bit. It think this is my favorite little scene ala the lineman. I said honey you should sit and rest and he said this is resting for me. 

My daughter had been gone all day Sunday and when she came in she remarked how her favorite times of the year are when we are decorating the house for holidays. I guess that makes all the work worth it.

I spent all day sanding, taping and painting trim and crown molding. I actually have one room all finished and painted. That only took a few years. It felt so good to see it all fresh and done.

I guess it is good to do these projects because everything came down and was dusted and cleaned and re-hung.

The floor was a shade of grey under the heavy piano. I cleaned it with Murphy's Oil Soap. I love the smell of that stuff. All clean and fresh. I am tired today and will indulge in a nap I think.
Next onto the dining room where four doors and loads of trim all have to be prepped and painted.
Give me a few months. I am a slow worker.

I am linking with Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday.

Linking to:
BNOTP
A Bowl Full of
Cowgirl Up
Farm Girl Friday

Sunny Simple Sunday

It's that time. What are you all up to this weekend? We are in for another scorcher but I am not going to complain, at least out loud. I will enjoy the summer like temps and let my little one play in her pool a few more days. She just came running in all drippy and chilled. Now she has the right idea. Now onto the features:

Rachel's Junk in the Trunk showed the many uses of tule. From ghosts to tutus, even for adults. We have a shared love for tule. Maybe because I had an enormous tule skirt on my prom dress in high school. As with all things 80s, I had a very big and fluffy but gorgeous dress. I should find pictures. 

It's All Connected drew us all in with her gorgeous fall front porch. Hay bales and pumpkins oh my. This is so inviting and just welcomes you in for a cup of hot cocoa and some pumpkin pie.

Okay, and does anyone decorate for the holidays like Debbie? Debbie Dabble shared the most darling little red and white kitchen hutch. She proves you can mix orange and red. I asked that question this week for my own kitchen.

And the most viewed was A Sentimental Life with a sweet story about her family's ties to a house that has been in their family a very long time. It choked me up when I read it as saying goodbye to my parent's house after they passed was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. I now live in my husband's grandparent's home. My husband has been coming to this house since he was born. I totally get this post and love how she is the glue in the family. Every family has one. You know what I am talking about.

Okay link up and have a Simply wonderful Sunday.

Fall Prims Plain and Simple

I really did manage to thin out some of the fall decorations this year and kept just what I loved. I thought these ceramic pumpkins in the same hue as the crocks just belonged together.

My lineman did most of the decorating. He waits till I go outside with the chickens or something and then keeps re-arranging things.

Then if I don't really like the way he did something, I wait until he goes to work and tweak it if I think it needs changes.

But the best decorating for fall this year is this awesome pumpkin that I GREW MYSELF. Yes, on my gardening bucket list for many years and now I have succeeded in growing a few pumpkins in my city yard. Ain't she a beaut??
I believe it is a Cinderella pumpkin. I have to find the seed packet. I have several more that are still getting the orange color in the garden. Hope to  pick them soon.

Sunny Simple Sunday will be up this afternoon so come back and link up what you have been up to.

Linking to:

A Favorite Thing

Sat. Night Special

Pancakes for Dinner

Whenever my husband travels for work, the girls and I have pancakes for dinner one of the nights. Carb heaven! A certain someone was caught sneaking licks out of the batter bowl.

There is just something about the smell of doughy pancakes sizzling in a hot buttered pan.

Look at those fluffy beauties. Here is my secret to the fluffiest pancakes ever.

Linking to:
Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest
The Farm Girl Friday Blog Hop
A Bowl Full of Lemons

Well, I Lied

I thought I wouldn't have any orange in the kitchen this year for fall but forgot this tablecloth had orange in it so I guess you can mix red and orange and have it look good.

I have a pumpkin bowl for the table but it has disappeared. I suspect in a bin that has yet to be brought in.

 So what do you think? Can I mix orange and red?

Linking to:
BNOTP
Potpourri Friday
Home Sweet Home
Fridays Unfolded
Feathered Nest Friday
Simple & Sweet Fridays
Farm Girl Friday
Fresh Eggs Daily

Happy Fall From the Coop

I wanted to put a little fall color out for the chickens. The orange impatiens are here all the time but I added some white zinnias and rust mums by their coop for color.

I look at it all day long and I want to enjoy the flowers but they are for them. If they eat them then so be it. They never bother the impatiens so we will see.

The terra cotta pumpkin is old. Bought at a garden center about a decade ago.

Happy Fall from the Coop!

Linking to:
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Down Home Blog Hop
Tuesday Garden Party

Changes in the Kitchen

Two new stars spurred some changes in the kitchen. I am tweaking the shelves in the kitchen. I love red and green and put my old tins back in the kitchen where they belong.

The dinging room is more my prim side and the vintage greens never really went well in there.

The two stars $2.50 each in the Target dollar spot. You never know what you will find in there. I always cruise through it.

Simple and uncluttered. I am very happy with it.

I needed a clock in the kitchen. This red one was perfect. It is only plastic but looks great. $3.97 at Walmart. Love it. My hubby redid the shelf and put the clock where a wooden pig was before.

$8.97 was all I spent and love the changes to my shelves.

 I decided I will not bring any orange in here for fall. I think I will look for some little white pumpkins and that  will keep it simple and be less work to change over for Christmas. I am sharing this at Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday and A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday.
Linking to:

A Bowl Full of Lemons

Coastal Charm

A Return To Loveliness

Go Play in the Closet

My husband and I have never much been ones to give over our whole house to toys. Our house is full of people and things and adding more toys and having them just stored out in view makes me crazy. We have had to be very creative to make room for our littlest one's toys. We had a corner in our den that housed her play kitchen but recently we really wanted to clean that corner up. We had a light bulb moment. What about this funny little closet in our dining room. Would the toy kitchen fit in there?

Sure enough it did. We tucked the stove in one corner. Take a look at the elephant hanging there. That cracked me up. My husband can't stand that big thing and hung it up to get it out of the way. Q loves it and calls it Bobby.

We hung her doll high chair on the door. She just wheels her shopping cart out and cooks up a storm.

This old dresser that used to be in my room was crammed into another section and now the drawers hold all her smaller toys like puzzles.

I am a firm believer in rotating toys and not having them visible all the time. When she gets something out she has not seen in a while it is like it is new to her again. We used to have a playroom with our first two girls and  toys would just be scattered everywhere and it would be overwhelming to me to clean up. They of course would be overwhelmed as well. It is much easier for them to clean up when they have one or two things out at a time.

The other day I told Q to go play in her closet and my husband and I laughed. It sounds terrible but she loves it. She has a chain pull to turn the light on and she goes in there and closes the door and has a blast. Of course this is not her only play area. She has toys in her room and some still in the den but this helped to really organize all the small things and tuck them out of sight.

You can see my other post on how we keep toys organized in the den here.

This kid has so many toys. She does not need any more. We had all the dolls and Barbies and trains from her sisters. Storing all this has been a challenge and I have to sneak when I thin things out. Do you have any great ideas for toy storage. I would love to hear them.

Linking to:
Pin It Made It Monday
BNOTP
Bowl full of Lemons

Sunny Simple Sunday

Saturday morning wishes!! This has become my grocery shopping day. Q and I head out early and do our shopping for the week. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Mine will not be exciting but I will be at home and that I love. Time to share what you have been up to this week. As always thank you for taking the time to join the party.

Knitted Chickens! I want one. Patty's Pretty Things Highlighted her trip to Pioneer Days. I wish we had things like this here in SoCal. Wonderful old time crafts and demonstrations. I just fell in love with these golden chickens.

This Blessed Life showed some highlights of her homestead. I just loved this. A real country girl and her family. Do you know what that is in the photo? Brand new baby bunnies. I have never seen them so tiny. Fascinating.

A corn stalk wreath. Be still my heart. I love this!! Must Love Junk highlighted a recent shopping excursion. Oh the vintage goodies she shared. My wallet would have been in trouble.

And the most viewed was Country Girl at Home shared her simple fall decor. Simple maybe but spectacular for sure. I just love this old stove of hers.

Link up time:

My Favorite Breakfast

After I drop the last kid at school and I walk in the house, I am usually starving. My new favorite breakfast is  something I really look forward to. Many days I will treat myself to a little breakfast and a fresh cup of coffee.

I put a new cup in the Keurig, my new fave is Starbucks Pike Place Roast. Boy is it good. Add some creamer and splenda and turn the little frying pan on.

I love egg in a hole or egg in a basket. Not sure of the official name. Generously butter your hot pan and cut a whole in the center of your bread. Drop an egg right in the center. Often it is a fresh warm egg I just collected from one of the hens. Throw that extra piece of bread in there too to crisp up in the butter. Add a little salt and pepper. Flip after about a minute.

Cook another minute or two on the other side. I sit at the table often with the lap top and have a nice breakfast just for me and a few minutes of peace before I start my daily chores.

Sharing with Claudia at Favorite Thing Saturday and Beautiful Sunday at Diane Writes.
Linking to:
BNOTP
Tweak It Tuesday

For Teacher

A little "happy first day of fall" gift my little one's teacher. We won't see her on that day of course so tomorrow will have to do.

I have my first PTA meeting at her school tomorrow. I am looking forward to it and to helping to make things special for the teachers at her school. I want to be on the baking committee. Do you think they have that?

Basket-Dollar section at Target
Candle-Bath and Body Works (on sale now 2 for $20)

Linking to:
Fantabulous Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Potpourri Friday
Home Sweet Home
Simple and Sweet Fridays
Farm Girl Friday
Weekend Whatever
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Fridays Unfolded
Thrifty Things