Ok kinda weird White Wednesday!

This week with having to get so much done getting ready for Christmas I thought I would skip White Wednesday. It wasn't until I was looking for a website on my favorites list that I came across a site I hadn't looked at in months. Waiter Rant! I don't even remember how I originally found it but from the moment I read it I was hooked. It's a pretty famous blog but he started off like the rest of us just writing about his life working in a restaurant in NYC. Grated he didn't hold back...nothing is sacred. I'd worked in the restaurant business for years and my parents had been in the business. You don't need to have worked in a restaurant to enjoy it just being a patron is all it takes to open your eyes to the goings on in this world.
I came upon a post where I couldn't believe my eyes!!!

Hey.... and look it's WHITE

Read the story here!

and then go and visit the folks at Kathleen's at Faded Charm that did what they were suppose to do and show you beautiful white interiors.

Forgive me!!!

XO

Oh Martha!

Since the day I joined Martha Stewart website to get updates by emails you can imagine the amount of "Marthaisms" I've been receiving. Most of them now I just delete. Not enough time to create these days....I feel inadequate enough... Thank You very much!!!

But when I saw a picture of a bittersweet wreath my interest was peaked. I know how Martha has been a big proponent of using what we all have in our yards....well if we all had sprawling acreage like hers infamous for its bounty.

She once lived in famous Westport Ct. (Turkey Hill) only an hour or so away from here. There isn't a person alive in Connecticut that doesn't have an opinion about her....many people I know have rubbed elbows with at one time or another either work related or personally.

I for one love her.....I'm not obsessed with her by any means but I admire her and think she's been given a bad rap.

Ok all that said.....I could go on but what my point was that I was intrigued by this little craft project knowing what I know.

There's my lovely Martha welcoming us to her beautiful home with her

BIG BITTERSWEET WREATH!

I really didn't look at the instructions that were laid out in great detail. Yes Martha I know how to make a wreath! not bragging or anything. Oh,,, have I mentioned how time consuming it can be....UGH! One like this that you have to make the bundles up separately and then wind on a form.

There was a time years ago when we first moved into our house that I would look for bittersweet to make wreaths for our home.

We live in the woods!!!....where was all the bittersweet I thought????

I used to have to get my bittersweet in my father-in-laws corn field growing along the edges of the field into the trees. I would to get G to help me gather it up. What a tangled mess!!! I would take it home and work out in the yard and throw the rest of it the woods. I used to think "Gee wouldn't it be nice if I could have it growing in our yard and I could just pick it from here every year.

Little did I know back then!!!

This what I read on the comment area on Martha bittersweet wreath tutorial

From a botanist

[Users should be aware that oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus ) is considered an invasive species in many areas of the NE and other locations. CT has it on its invasive species list and encourages people to remove it from trees where it is a climber and topples trees. Readers should ask about the species that is being sold to them. There is common bittersweet that is acceptable. I would expect Martha to be more responsible and mention this in her craft of the day outline.]

Well I guess Martha did NOT do a

"GOOD THING"

but Martha I still love you....hopefully you've made adjustments to your site.

I have known that bittersweet is on the invasive plant list and have also learned it the hard way.

If you want to use bittersweet then buy it from your florist or use some of the other berries that should be in good supply or .......

artificial.....did I say that???? I mean Permanent Botanicals!

So please don't use the japanese bittersweet that is probably growing in your woods. You'll be sorry when you hang it on your door and for the next few years be trying to yank it out of your front yard.

Have you been battling an invasive plant??? I'd love to know.

Ok I'm off to cut more plants back to get them ready for their long Winter nap!!! maybe I'll join them!

xxx

Carole

Fall in Black and White!!!!

It's so easy to see nature in all it's glorious colors........but try to see it in another form...

in Black and White!

at night!!!!

during the day.....

In the mellow patina of aging unprotected pine on an old shed. Nature taking it's course.

Unoccupied birdhouse and the last breath of flora before the winter takes it away.

The silhouette of the branches are more prominent when you are not distracted by it's usual fiery hues.

Sun on the trees and warmth on my hair

and on the fallen leaves in an old rusted birdbath.

Try to enjoy the last days of Fall til we get to the next season....

Winter.....

my favorite of all!

Have a great Sunday!

See more participants at Anne Marie's

Halloween.... again???

Are you sick of Halloween pictures yet??? I know!!!

Just a few more pictures to tie you over til next year. This was me getting ready for a little get together. Same costume as last year but this time without the mask I had painted last year. Boy was that hard to eat or drink with!!!!

but I think there was no risk of me starving:)

I went as a puppet and hubby was supposed to be the puppet master. He never dressed up this year....what a party pooper! Just as well I'm the one who has to fix his make-up every year. The man can not put eyeshadow on!!! :) Well ...maybe that's a good thing! This was the mask I wore last year so I tried copying it. I bought some liquid eyeliner to do the thinner lines. I assumed it would be easy to find liquid eye liner......but I learned the hard way it isn't. Took 3 stores to find some.

The night was perfect for trick or treaters. Warm and the rain held off til midnight. By the time we got there they had run out of candy and had to turn out the lights. Too bad.... my favorite part is seeing the kids in costume.

Last year we sat on the stoop passing out the treats and I think we even went to a few houses trick or treating.....

I never want to grow up!!!!!

Just a few views of Ginny's new kitchen that was completed last year. It looks so much bigger now with no extra sq. footage added except the ceilings been raised and a new huge palladium window installed. It was great before too with it's charming unfitted cabinets. Every time you'd go to visit it would look different. Joe, her husband would sell it at his auction and then come back with a new piece. Wouldn't you just love that???
They got tired of the old drawers that were hard to open....you know how that goes!

Their house is dated 1785 or around there built by a sea captain. It's dimly lit but they like it that way....more like the way they would have lived in the 18th c.


There house is furnished in primitive and classic Early American and lends itself well to decorations for Halloween and the Fall season.

A few scary monsters around the house that night!

Some of her collection of Christine Crocker dolls
She keeps these out most of the year except at Christmas time.

In December 08 issue of Somerset Magazine Christine was featured with some of her dolls. A wonderful story about her growing up on a farm and learning to sew and make things for herself with what ever they had around the house.

You may remember seeing this cloche in the article about Christine in Romantic Home in the same month. A old paper candy container. The soldered pendant is made by her friend Cathy Penton. Another one of my favorite blogs to visit and I know many of yours. Wouldn't it be the perfect gift presented that way?

Well I guess that's about all the scary things you'll see til next year ( threw in the last couple just for balance).

I still haven't put all my Halloween decorations away.
Maybe orange,black and white will be my new Christmas colors this year...
haha!!!

Las Vegas no More!

It's White Wednesday again and WOW did the week fly! Maybe it was having Halloween on Saturday that made it go so fast. I did have some pictures from it but it'll have to wait. I did want to show you my face made up. Very scary....and I know how much you all love scary things...ha-ha! Never did get a picture of me in my whole costume. It's always hard for people to figure out my camera. Slr's I guess intimidate people :)

The last few days I've finally gotten into the rhythm of getting the shop decorated for Christmas. Normally we open on the day after Thanksgiving and every year I say I am going to be open earlier but it never happens. Not sure why I think it will be different this year.

Anyways the other day I decided I was sick of looking at this glitzy iridescent tree that I've had for years. Love that it is very narrow and can hold tons of ornaments for a little tree and is pre-lit but it looked so "Las Vegas" I bought it the year when I was desperate for a silver tree and I think I got it on clearance. Pretty but didn't have the vintage tinsel look that my other trees had. Would be perfect in a modern decor.

See....very iridescent almost blinding it's so shiny.......turn away if you must!

But then come back and scroll down!!!!!

The easy way to have painted this was to spray paint but I didn't have any white, but I did have cans of paint....boy do I have cans of paint. Being impatient like I am I was dying to see how it would look so I set out to brush the paint on. I know.... what am I crazy?

some would say I am! Of course every light had to be taped off. ....but I was determined to change this tree.

Once I got it completed with the white I pictured it with a more cafe au lait color which I thought I could accomplish with a little rust-oleum spray primer. My friend Paula swears by the stuff and has done miracles with it.... Never works for me and it didn't this time either. The globs of rust color were covered back up with white leaving tinges of brown softly throughout.

It still has some of the silver coming through slightly just giving it "some" sparkle and I think this showgirl has put her diamond studded blinking headpiece away for good.

What stays in Vegas should always stay in Vegas!!!

You know what I mean!

Have a Happy White Wednesday and I hope you all go visit the other gals and [guys] at Kathleens of Faded Charm

Mosiac Monday #1

This is the time of year that we might think our gardens are not at it's best. The Summer flowers have long gone by and we can barely remember what our first blooms of Spring looked like. Some flowers refuse to give up and put on a better show then ever before. We have had the best "dirt" allysum that I've ever seen. I've been calling them that because they are just growing in the gravel where they reseeded from the flats on the benches above. No watering, no fertilizer, no real soil...just process stone and hard packed subsoil. If I had babied them I'm sure they would not have looked as nice.

The image in the middle is my beloved snowberry!

A collection of turban gourds and pumpkin on a granite bench.

A lantern hanging amongst the Virginia Creeper that wants to take over the world. It grows at the front of the greenhouse but it makes it's way every year about 50 ft along the edge and winds it's way thru the benches. I love just letting it go....and by then the houses are mostly empty so it doesn't really matter where it grows.

Setcreasea (the purple foliage) mixed with simple impatiens and begonias.

And of course my beloved Snowberry!

Can ya tell I like this plant?

One of my favorite plants is the big yellow plant in the middle. Long time ago I knew what this was called..... Heliopsis or Helianthus I'm sure, but not the variety. My husband likes letting it get out of control by not staking it. He just likes the way it looks spilling out around the base of the spruce tree. I'm usually begging him to stake it up but now as I'm seeing it I think I'm beginning to come around to his way.


Wild Abandoned Spirit!

Speaking of Wild Spirits....

my friend Kathleen on the right......always enthusiastic and ready to try anything.

Always fun to be around and you have got to love her Philie accent!!!

Seems appropriate that she should be included in this menagerie of bright color!!!

*****

Don't forget to visit Mary at

The Little Red House

for more Mosiac Monday.

My new favorite thing to do....Mosiacs!!!

xo

Carole

It's almost here!

Today I looked all over the internet for some pictures of carved pumpkins since we hadn't yet carved any of our own. Needed some ideas. I thought I'd cheat a little and me able to show you something from all the wonderful decorating sites out there....Martha Stewart, Country Home etc. but for some crazy reason I couldn't seem to be able to save the pictures. They all wanted me to sign up with their site....so I happily obliged (anything to get them) but nothing worked. I did find along the way some great recipes for Halloween parties that I probably won't have time to make.

I just like collecting them.

You thought it was just junk???

So my point being that the only thing I could come up with are some of my own pictures!!!! I know nothing like those crazy gorgeous designer photos.

Tomorrow will be the day we carve our pumpkins and if they come out good I'll show them to you. Don't hold your breath.....it's not anything I excel in.

Ok more mantel shots. Sad to think I have to take it down soon. If I don't I'll be seeing Halloween decorations almost the whole Christmas season. A week before Thanksgiving I spend no time at home.

I've been known to be decorating my tree days after Christmas.

That's my time.

That's life in retail I guess.

More outdoor stuff!!!

I hope you're all ready for Halloween....candy bought, costumes ready, house and yard decorated. We used to stay home and wait for the kids to come but we live on a dark windy road and we don't get many kids anymore. I swear I would move to just to see the kids coming to the door on Halloween. So CUTE!

We're going to a small party at a friends house.

What are you doing for Halloween????

***

Trick or Treat!

White Wednesday~ Remembering Summer

Lately I've been feeling a bit nostalgic. I guess that's what this time of year makes me feel like. Maybe it's only because we're approaching the holidays.

Maybe it's because I now have more time to myself,

to think,

to reflect on what has happened in the last months.

During our growing season and then proceeding with our " selling" season there isn't often time to think of anything but work! Staying focused on the task at hand and multi tasking all the same time. Maybe why I like blogging so much. [Not good for my work schedule but a nice diversion!] This Summer we had record breaking rain but there was still plenty of sunshine to let the flowers bloom!

I often find myself saying....

"It rains a lot in England

so it must be ok for us here too!"

Flowers love the rain.

I realized that I had never shown you all of my friend Paula's house.

Perfect for a "White" post!

Some of these I had posted last Spring but remember this is my "Nostalgic" post. So indulge me just a little more.

Paula pointing out the lace around the coffee table to hide the cat scratches.

Clever idea.....Table socks!!!!

too bad Nigella only likes to claw up our upholstery!

There's the little culprit right there...Midnight! Little cutie! To be fair we can't just blame him.... Paula has 2 other cats..... they're very shy. I never see them except as they're scooting by to get away from company.

Paula's a big doll collector.....some are made by Evi's, Cathy and Nicol.

She decorates with white but brings in warm tones that envelopes you like your favorite blanket.

a page from Jeanne d'Arc Living. We were commenting at how much of Paula's house resembled what is in this book.

An old Irish pine sideboard...

The prints are antique botanicals from a booth in an antique mall that she and Laura once sold at years ago.

And we end with a delicate airy flower display in her dining room.

Hope you've enjoyed revisiting Paula's house.

I know I did!

For more White go on over to Kathleen's

@ Faded Charm and visit the wonderful participants.

Happy Wednesday!

Carole

More Halloween

Ok Laura this ones for you. I thought if you saw it in it's natural light you'd learn to love my scull and bones in this chandelier!!!

I think it adds that elegant look I was looking for. I bought it in Salem, Mass. one year when we stayed up there during their Halloween festivities. A big time of year for them. The town really gets huge crowds and the costumes you see are incredible.

I'd had this garland for a while but didn't like that the only way you could use them was vertically. Imagine how thrilled I was when I used them here finally after keeping them in the box year after year!

In my last post I showed you the mantel in Black and White but I thought you might want to see it in it's natural state. Not too orange!

My favorite pieces are from Bethany Lowes - Dee Foust Design and Nicol Sayre when she was licensing with Midwest. It's too bad she didn't renew her contract with them. I love her work but I'm sure they came out nothing like the prototypes she send them.

This is one of her witches. The green face I could do without but it's the hoop wire petticoat that I really like on her. Sorry I didn't take a picture of the whole doll.

This really isn't much of a Halloween picture except for the faux pumpkin. That was taken the night we got all new halogen bulbs and I was testing out how the light looked in pictures. Pretty bright! Blinding actually but I prefer the whiteness of it. Helps to have dimmers!

A little fabric bat bought at Ginny's a few years ago.

See.... not scary!

A better view of Cathy's doll from the previous post. Bothered me that you couldn't see what a sweet face she had. She's not scary either...though the dust on her is. I like decorating better then cleaning.

Don't be frightened by the green walls either ! Yes... the girl who always shows you all her white things does have a room all full of color. And I don't mean wimpy color!!!!!

I'm breaking you in slowly. I feel like you'll all leave me if I give it to you all at once.

Baby steps!

I'm thinking of painting it this Winter to....... you guessed it

WHITE! I may need your help with that decision when the time comes!

*****

Thanks for stopping by.....hope

you all have a wonderful week!

Carole

B&W for Halloween!!!!

A little spookiness never hurt anyone.. right???Laura!!

Not everyone would agree so I'm limiting the scary stuff.

In reality I don't like the gory Halloween decorations in the house. My husband on the other hand this year has been buying so much of the tackiest halloween things. Thank goodness he leaves them outside where they belong!!!

It usually doesn't scare me except for this morning when I was looking for the cat outside and the motion detected skeleton went off with a blood curdling scream!!!! Darn him... I jumped a mile. He would have been laughing his head off. I did too.....after
Of course I later realized I'd already let the cat in :)


Indoors I enjoy more classic scary items....if there is such a thing!


A few white lights to help give a little more sparkle. I love clown decorations! I have friends that find them creepy. Can you explain why???? I even thought I'd love to decorate a room with old carnival and circus things. Not always easy to find though. I love that old carny stuff. Their was a show we used to watch on HBO called Carnival a few years back. It was set during the Depression. My husband described it as a struggle between good and evil because it did have a religious tone to it. Probably why it disturbed people. We always like shows no one else likes. I always tell my husband that if we love it then it doesn't stand a chance. We're the kiss of death! Ha-ha!!! The only friend that watched it was my friend Ginny...... she loves all that spooky stuff. I'd love to hear if you liked that show or........ if you at least heard of it.

Now you probably really think I'm weird. Oh right I hear you...you already did!!!
This is a witch made by my friend Cathy of Cheswick Co. she makes some of the best folk art pieces and also sells patterns if your clever like that. Sorry if these pictures are not the best. I was going to do a little photo editing but my program was giving me trouble so I uninstalled it. Computers are great when they're working right but not so when they're not!
No News flash there!

I hope you all have a great Sunday!!!!
***



Please go visit Anne Marie at NaDa Farmlife for more Black and White lovelies!!!!