I Am So Thankful

Even though there are days I think ....."why me?" I know I have so very much to be

 Thankful for.

I am exhausted from another wild day of work, yesterday was a 15 hour day.

But I am so grateful to have a profession I chose and it has always provided

me with what I needed and more.

And I am grateful for my health that I have since I see everyday others that are not as fortunate.

I have a husband who works too much, but takes pride in his 3rd generation

business. He has accomplished so much, and keeps holding on.

For Vintage Thingie Thursday
this my Mothers piece of amber glass. In the fall I always decorate with the pieces we bought her over the years.....some at the dime store and nicer pieces like this one

this are some of the pieces, there is even a turkey and a hen and chick. The candle sticks were my Grandmothers.

I need a new 2nd furnace, new carpet, new side door....

the list never ends with a house 110 years old.

But we love our home and I am so grateful to have a roof over my

head and food in the pantry and the lights and water on.

So many sad stories these days, and I know how very fortunate I am.

Tomorrow will be spent with my husbands family coming to our home for dinner.

I am so grateful I married into such a wonderful family and still have someone

to call "Mom", my dear mother in law.

Who will be at your table, and what are you grateful for?

Happy Thanksgiving to all my wonderful friends!

Encaustic Dreams

My Sister in law retired last year, now mind you we are the same age.

I am no where near ready for retirement!

I wondered what on earth she would do with her time.

Well here is the answer......she has a talent that she had

not shared with me before!

She is a wonderful photographer and has taken up

making encaustic painting.

This is my favorite Christmas one she has done.

Apparently this is what she is doing.....

Following her artistic dream!

She has opened a Etsy shop

sarawinkler1

Encaustic Dreams

I think she needs to put some of he photos on their too!

So please stop by and visit my talented sister!

Pink Christmas Saturday

This is one my favorite pictures that I put in the Pink bedroom at Christmas.

A beautiful winter scene with a loyal dog, delivering flowers.

Just love her pink sash

Fall Kitchen

Last week I showed you the dining room, today the kitchen.

Just some simple fall additions

Kitchen table with vintage dough bowl with gourds for a centerpiece



Kitchen window

Love the candle with the timer, comes on every night to put a light in the kitchen window.

The little green metal flower pots I picked up this summer.

Vintage Fall metal tray on top of the fridge

I always like decorating my Hoosier cabinet. The teapot and crock were my Grandmother's.

The little heart wreaths, one was my Mom's and one mine....so I like to the 2 hearts together.

Grandmother's tea pot with my tea jar I bought at a kitchen store in the Maris district in Paris.

Joining Marty for TTT



Let the Shopping Begin!

Wednesday was a fun, jam packed day!

The twin cousins came to St Louis and we went on our annual shopping trip at Home Goods with my girlfriend.

First we started in Maplewood at one of my favorite places, Penzey's spices.

Great place for presents for Mr.

The street has several wonderful shops

Hardware store with a beautiful facade

OH....a shop where everything is French!

Patty

This shop sells Oil, Vinegar and Liqueurs

you can taste test all these wonderful oils and vinegars!

ahhh....yes the twins were enjoying the liqueur's taste testing!!

The bottles were beautiful

I bought more presents for Mr.

Patty and I thought the Champagne vinegar was yummy!

We will be going back soon!!

 Then on to lunch at the recently reopened Cheshire Inn

Beauty English furnishings

Although...some we did not like!

Loved this display...lots of silver all around

Even the baths were beautiful

Then later that evening, out to a wonderful restaurant to hear Erin Bode sing. My sister in law and brother in law from San Antonio were in town.

How lucky I was to be out with family!

We had a great meal and great music.

It was such a fantastic day, how lucky I am!

Today the twins and my cousins from Indiana are headed to Amish country for a continuation of the shopping. Dinner tonight in honor of Marty's birthday...I am making swiss steak.

A Day of Remebrance and More

11-11-11

Today can be a mix of ups and downs for me

First of all it is my cousin Marty's birthday...so a day of celebration!

Happy Birthday Marty, I will be seeing her later today at 1515.

We all know it is Veterans Day

I honor my Dad who fought in WWII

My Grandfather in WWI

and even think of my ancestors who fought in the American Revolution

I am also thinking of my Mom today.

9 years ago today my car would not start, so while I waited for my husband to come back home to take me to work, I called her. I called her almost everyday. She told me what a great weekend she had, shopping with her friend, eating out and on Sunday reading fixing herself an omelet for breakfast and her Mothers cheese salad for lunch. Everything was fine....

But 2 hours later it was not and she was gone. Was it divine intervention the car did not start....I had no regrets.

I miss her every day, I still sometimes forget and think I will call her. She was my best friend and the worlds best mother. She worked hard to bring my brother and I into this world because of miscarriages and she stayed strong when at 52 she became a widow with 2 teenagers to care for.

But life moves on and I will spend the day with my cousins, starting our Christmas shopping. I will be making the swiss steak for supper that my Grandmother use to make and we are going to start decorating 1515.

Happy Memories...........



Table Top Tuesday For Fall

I finally got some inside fall decorating done. I think only because we have some company tomorrow and then we are hosting Thanksgiving for my husbands family.

So take a look around the dining room.

Using my silver compote as the centerpiece, surrounded by Dollar Tree pumpkins

The buffet

One of my Grandmothers plates

and her teapot, I can still remember her getting out of the cabinet and making a pot of tea for us as we sat at the kitchen table and talked.

My silver pieces

My Grandmothers hutch with vintage Gurley candles

and always postcards scattered around

Spode turkey plates around Grandma's mirror

Tea cup shelf with my fall demitasse cups, a wedding present many years ago.

Glad I got some done, not as well done as I like ...but it will do.

Tomorrow my twin cousins and girlfriend are headed out for a day at Home Goods for our annual shopping day. We spend hours at  Home Goods picking up Christmas items and gifts! A little lunch, trip to Penzeys spices, and Trader Joe's.

Then to top it off dinner out with my husband and brother and sister in law to hear Erin Bode sing at a local restaurant. If you have never heard her you should check her out!