My Halloween Favorites!!

I mentioned before that I finally got my Halloween decorations out and I thought I'd share some of my vignettes! I have several vintage paper mache lanterns and I always look forward to getting them out!! They set the stage for all my other decor.

Since I don't really go the "spooky" route ~ I like it to be more fun and playful!!

My black cat bucket is my all-time favorite vintage piece!! I bought it on Ebay several years ago and I love him!

This crepe paper cat "doll" was purchased a few years ago at the same antique/craft show that I just did last weekend! There are some talented crafters there!

This jack-o-lantern is a great reproduction!

Funny little pumpkin head man!

Another vignette in the corner behind my "grandma chair"!!


Some new and some old...

another great reproduction jack-o-lantern!

Love this fun primitive scarecrow man...also bought a couple years ago at that same sale! I often ended up leaving some of my profits there!!!!


The majority of my Halloween decorating is being kept to the living room this year, since I don't want to have to move it out of the kitchen when we start the remodeling project.

Next up ~ how I decorated the old cupboard in my living room!!

Stay tuned!

Catching Up!

The antique and craft show I did on Saturday was a big success!! And I must admit, I'm glad it's over! Now to try and catch up around the house!! Sold almost all my vintage Halloween, the shutters and the lamp.
Also sold the pretty rosary, the pictures and the white ironstone vitamin jar.

It was fun setting up for this show! I love working with the darker fall tones and Halloween stuff!

My altered suitcase was the perfect backdrop for this display. I sold several of my button bracelets...

and my clock case that I sprayed black and added a little baby boo pumpkin!
The biggest sellers were...

my necklaces--YAAAAAYY!!!
I sold at least 10 of them!

and some of my bracelets.

and tons of my photo holder doorknobs!!!

It is so gratifying to sell things that you've made...it justifies all the long nights and makes being so wore out worthwhile!!


I got my living room cleaned today and all my Halloween stuff out! That was fun! Now to take my kitchen clean-out project head on!! We will be embarking on a total remodel project real soon. My cabinets are ordered and will be here within a week. As soon as my contractor can get started, we'll be living in a mess for awhile. I have lots to do first. Cupboards to clean out and wallpaper border to take off!! Makes me kinda nuts thinking about it, but it will all be worth it in the end!

Just wanted to mention that if there is anything in any of the pictures from my show that you would be interested in, don't be afraid to ask...it might still be available!

Hope everyone has a good week!

What I've Been Up To!

I have been busy creating in preparation for an antique and craft show that I'm participating in this Sat.~Oct. 16th. This is the 12th year I've done this show and it has always been a pretty good one. It's well known for it's outstanding craft vendors and primitive antiques. I will be bringing a little of both.

I've been having fun with these Halloween collages using vintage elements. The one above has an old photo of little kids in their Halloween costumes heading out to go trick or treating!

Painted this little wheelbarrow black and then hand-painted a fun fall greeting!

Will also be bringing all the vintage Halloween I recently purchased and stashed away!


This little toy typewriter has all the perfect colors for a fall/Halloween display!

I have these grungy, black trees for sale at my space at the Red Rooster and am using one of them to display my hand-made junk jewelry!

I have been really enjoying creating these pieces with vintage elements like keys, buttons, clock parts and broken pieces of old costume jewelry!

The possibilities are endless!!!


If anyone is in the Menominee Falls, WI area this coming Sat. the 16th come and check out this great show! A Community Affair is run by a volunteer organization that raises money for various community projects and charities! It is their biggest fund raiser of the year!
Go here for further information.

Hope to see you there!!!

P.S. The food at this show (especially the desserts) is divine!!

Fall at My House

I don't have a front porch, unfortunately, and I envy anyone who does! But I decided to join in the Vintage Inspiration party at Debra's blog, Common Ground anyway!!! I do have a front step, that's actually about a 4 foot square slab and I can decorate it even though our house is a aways from the road. So I do it just for me!! I found this lightweight plastic urn at a sale this spring and after the flowers were past their prime, I pulled them out and added a nice fat pumpkin and a fall garland.
I have 2 of these urns - one on each side of my garage door. I added the picket fence pieces for a little backdrop! I put evergreen boughs in these at Christmas time--a perfect seasonal welcome!!

I have this rusty garden chair on my deck and I plopped this chubby pumpkin on it for a fall touch!

Moving inside, I would like to share some of my fall vignettes that I've put together!

This one is on a little cupboard in my dining room...

~on the hearth of my fireplace in the living room.

...simple fall arrangement...


and a big leafy garland on my living room cupboard.

I will be getting my mantle "halloweenified" in the next few days and will be sharing pics of all my vintage goodies!!

For now hop on over to Debra's blog and see all the wonderful porches and other inspiring goodies others are sharing!

Autumn Whites

I love white pumpkins and I often use them to add some fall flavor to my everyday decorating! I tucked this little "baby boo" inside a cute little bird cage that my daughter found for me at a thrift store for a quarter!! Thanks Kim!!
I think this will be fun to play with at Christmas time too!!

More baby boos on my green majolica plate.

Little autumn touches with some of my favorite ironstone pieces!
I love this stack of little butter pats!

I put this crackled paint paper pumpkin in a wood bowl and surrounded it with rose hips and other fragrant spices.

I'm joining in this week with Faded Charm's linky party celebrating White Wednesday!!

Make sure you head on over to check out all the other beautiful whites!

Thanks for stopping by!

Generosity!

On my way to Plymouth to go and fluff my space at the Red Rooster, I pass this charming little hobby farm. And next to their driveway, they have the most amazingly, gorgeous hydrangea bush with dark russet blooms that make me covet them every time I drive by!!! So I summoned the courage to write them a note asking them if they would mind if I cut some of their blooms to dry for arrangements ~ and told them that I would be more than happy to pay for them! I stuck the note in their door with my phone number, went home and waited and prayed that they wouldn't call me back and scold me for stalking them!!!
Well, just a few hours later, the sweetest woman called me back and told me that I could indeed come and cut as much as I wanted and I didn't need to pay at all!!!

Are these not the most beautiful hydrangeas you have ever seen?????

So I headed on over the next day. Her just as nice husband was out walking their just as friendly dog and told me to cut away- that they were more than happy to share!!

So I brought them home and bundled them up, hung some in the garage on my old grungy ladder and tucked some in white ironstone vessels here and there!

I have been enjoying them immensely!!!

I thought as a gesture of my gratitude, I would bake them a sweet, fall treat and made them our family favorite "Harvest Loaf" bread!!

The man was very pleased, told me it wasn't necessary and I said that "one good turn deserves another"!!

And as another gesture to all my new friends out there I thought I'd share the recipe with you!!
ENJOY!!!
HARVEST LOAF

1 3/4 c. flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp ginger 1/4 tsp cloves 1/2 c. butter, softened 1 c. sugar 2 eggs 1 small can pumpkin 3/4 c. chocolate chips 3/4 c. nuts. Mix all dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and beat well. Add dry ingredients alternately with the pumpkin until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour into one large greased bread pan or 2 smaller greased pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 65 - 70 minutes or until center is done.