LAVENDER AND HYDRANGEA LOVE

Today I went outside with great expectations of throwing away the weathered, raggedy looking mums and inpatiens in front of my house and then I paused. They're not dead yet. They are bent and drooping from the wind, rain and cold, but still have lovely blooms. I stood there with the trash can and my gardening gloves and promised them all another week.

This is the lavender plant that I decided not to put in the ground this fall for fear it wouldn't root well enough before the ground froze. It's doing okay in my garden window. I water it every two weeks, as I read that they like dry soil. I have gotten advice that it will live okay in my house until spring and then I got another piece of advice to let it go dormant in a dark cool place. I suppose I would have to water it, too. Any thoughts on this? I get really emotional over this sort of thing.
I was thrilled to find that I could order a bouquet of lavender on eBay, which is pretty cool since my little plant isn't giving much yet. To my surprise, it arrived 2 weeks later via Athens, Greece. The stamps were very interesting and there were two little charms inside as well which I think was very thoughtful. It was totally wrapped in heavy plastic but the scent was unbelievable. Yum!
Daughter Emily brought home 4 of these pictures from the furnishings store she works at as a designer. They are framed French postcards. I'm going to do an arrangement on the wall in my family room, which is next on my To Do list. The room has been on hold since the kitchen took precedence. It's a big project, from furniture to curtains to everything in between. I am really excited to get moving but I think I will wait until the holidays are over.
The thing about dried lavender is that the buds fall off the stems. Never fear, into a porcelain soap dish and into the bathroom they went.

While I was on eBay, I also ordered some dried hydrangeas, which I have done before. The box came today...I shouldn't say box, it was a carton about the size of what my microwave came in. Big heads of purplish green hydrangeas. I was in awe at first and then I thought, "What am I doing with this when my house is in full transition from fall to Christmas and an unfinished kitchen thrown in as well?" I closed the box and managed to find a corner in the den to store it until January. Maybe they will look good next to some red and green poinsettia plants.

I am packing up most of my fall decorations this weekend {besides load after load of laundry}, and just leaving out a few pieces. This will make it easier to start Christmas decorating after Thanksgiving. This year I am going to be early, I will get my tree early and just water the heck out of it, and do what I say I am going to do every year...get it all finished and sit back and enjoy December. Last December with the passing of my father, we didn't get our tree until the 20th of December and I didn't decorate much at all. This year will be different. I have a big box of ornaments from him, the old, scratched mercury glass orbs, and after growing up with these, they now have a home here with my family to enjoy.

So, I'll go back to my laundry and pop on back next week. I hope all of you are having a great weekend. It's 60 degrees here and lovely!! :-)

I'm joining in Marty's party, Table Top Tuesday. Visit A Stroll Thru Life and join in the fun!

GOODBYE FALL AND A RECIPE

The Husband and I took the scenic route to the lakehouse on Saturday morning, driving around Lake Michigan and stopping at one of our favorite restaurants, The Stray Dog for lunch. After having a wonderful taco salad, I took some pictures of the harbor. 99% of the boat slips are empty. Everyone is preparing for a long cold winter.
The Halloween decorations were still up. These were so cute, I had to take some pictures.
Isn't the baby darling?
It really was a gorgeous weekend, sunny and in the 60's. The weekend before our friends, Craig and Snow stayed here for their 18th wedding anniversary. As a gift they left me this little bird sign. I love it. Discover.

Needless to say, we didn't do much. Everything has been cleaned up and put away...we are actually ahead of the game. The Husband spent a lot of time watching college football and I spent my time lying on the couch reading and napping. Since the patio furniture is put away, I sat on the porch steps for awhile breathing in the crisp lake air. Somewhere, someone was burning leaves..it smelled like fall.
My daisies just won't quit. They are like me, a little stubborn when it comes to the seasons changing.

We ate at a steakhouse Saturday night. They really know how to load up the food. A bread basket and a basket of crackers with cheeses, Soup and salad. I had prime rib and The Husband had barbecued ribs. Turtle cheesecake for dessert. All in a rustic, farmhouse atmosphere. What a feast.
Sunday was even more quiet as it turned gloomy and rainy. The patio looks so empty and lonely. It's hard to believe that we had 26 guests crowded here having a ball on the 4th of July!
I made the simplest, most satisfying dinner for us on Sunday night. All you need is sausage, onions, potatoes and carrots. I adapted it from a recipe by Jacques Pepin. Cook the onions until soft in a little oil, throw in any kind of sausage {brats, Italian, breakfast sausage}, what ever you have. Stir in chopped potatoes and carrots and cook all until done. Add a little water if the food starts to stick to the pot. It should evaporate. I season it with salt and pepper and sometimes a mix of Italian seasonings. You can't stop at one bowl!

Our temps are supposed to go down this week and we may even have a few snowflakes. I am still working on putting together the kitchen, Jeff hasn't moved out yet so my living room is a catch all for all of his new things. I'm slowly packing up my fall decorations, everything is looking so crowded. I just need some space! I'd like to start Christmas shopping, but where will I put it?

So...tell me what you have planned this week. Any big projects? Just relaxing with some good books and magazines? Tons of laundry {that would be me}. Thanks for popping over! :-)

BOOT HAPPY

To prepare for long, cold winters, some people have the chimney cleaned or the furnace checked, snow blower oiled and gassed up...the normal precautions. Me? I go boot shopping. That's one of the benefits of living in a cold climate, you get to wear boots. And I LOVE boots!

The great thing about having grown {still at home} daughters, is that we wear the same size shoe. Well, count Emily out, she has wee little dogs. But Abby and I share shoes and together we have quite a selection.

I bought these boots last week and Abby didn't like them. She said they made her feel short, like an elf.
WHAT? Elflike or not, these boots are walkin' and rollin'! These are great for pulling on quickly to rush out the door for something; a quick trip to the store or mall and hey, at the airport where you have to untuck your jeans, pull off your boots and your 3 pairs of socks. I love these. My Go To boot.
I love all the detail on these. Emily has them in gray, but she is a wee size 6. She is also only 5'0, but has never considered herself an elf. These have a short chunky heel on them so I don't fall. And by the way, a tip I learned to keep your boots in shape when they are in your closet; put a wine bottle in them. I did that here to get the one to stand upright. Rinse the bottles out first, or hey, put full ones in and you can have your own stash when you need it.
Now these will be great when I go out riding my imaginary horse. I love them. Again, chunky heel so I won't fall.
And I guess these illustrate that I don't take Midwestern winters lightly. Waterproof, fleece lined and cute. I am ready!! They go with my new black parka, but that's a whole other post.

I usually buy boots a half size larger since I am probably going to be wearing thick socks. Make sure you wear skinny jeans...and that just means that they are tapered at the ankles to tuck in your boots...they are not just for skinny people. Believe me!! Boot leg pants look terrible scrunched into tight boots. And don't forget leggings, skirts and dresses with tights.

I am not a mall person and I love to shop online because I'm comfortable and I see the stores whole inventory. But one place that I just found I want to pass on to you. It's called 6PM.com. I found amazing prices there. I believe they are related to Zappos. Your order is delivered in 2 business days. And best of all, you get that chill that runs up your spine when you see the UPS truck.

So, are you boot happy this fall? What are your winter wardrobe plans? Let's chat! :-)

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE

I have exciting news...Daughter Emily is engaged! Mike popped the question Sunday night. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, he invited The Husband out for a drink last week and got permission to propose {whew}, he got the O.K. and then later in the week told me. I was jumping up and down...I think Mike is just the greatest and they are so in love

The plan was that they were staying at the Hilton overnight for a "daycation", {a new word for getting away briefly}. He was going to propose after they got to their room. Which he did. The floor had rose petals scattered all around and he had made a heart with their initials on the bed. Not only did Emily cry, but she hyperventilated and Mike never had a chance to get down on one knee. The ring is gorgeous.
After the proposal, he led her downstairs for what she thought was drinks and dinner, but surprise...the bar was filled with about 40 family and friends! Here are my four. This would make for a great Christmas card if it weren't for someone wearing a baseball cap and holding a beer.
Emily and Abigail. Abby is going to be the Maid of Honor
Mike, Son Jeff, Emily, Abby, DIL Mary Clare and Son Kevin. The Thanksgiving table is going to be full!

Mike and Emily have been going out for over three years. Mike grew up next door to Papa, so they have known each other all their lives. Our families and friends are connected in so many ways. Before popping the question, Mike patiently waited for Emily to graduate from school and get settled in a job, which she has as a designer/salesperson in a large furniture chain here. The date scheduled for the wedding is September 29th of next year.

So...I am going to be Mother Of The Bride. Seems like yesterday that I was Mother Of The Groom. I've had a little practice but I think I am going to be much more involved this time. We are already looking at the bride magazines and looking forward to the spring fashion shows. I am truly happy and excited. Nothing is ever slow paced around here! I should get out and start looking for that dress now. :-)

BLONDIE PLAYS WITH HER PUMPKINS

Do you mind me showing off my new sink?! I am in love with it. In fact, I have been washing dishes in it rather than the dishwasher because I love it so much. That's true love. On the other hand...my oven has died. There is a problem with the computer panel and I believe I have to get that replaced {the computer panel}. So now that the kitchen is done...I have a glitch. Only me. I can use the stove top, so we won't have to go back to fast food. I was hoping for a moment that the whole thing was shot but I guess I am not going to get out of cooking.
Yesterday was gorgeous, brisk and sunny. I ran errands and The Husband ran his errands and then we met at a little pub called Joe Daniels. We shared a big bowl of chili and a steak sandwich and watched college football. Well, I don't watch football, so I people watched. I can do that for a long time.

On the way home we stopped at my favorite nursery so that I could get new pumpkins {now that the squirrels have feasted on the buffet I put out last week}. I bought one for me and one for Abby to carve, but she was immersed in a scary movie. So I got to work with my nifty little orange knife. One guy is mean and one is happy. I was really looking forward to toasting those seeds, but that is when I found out my computer panel had died. I'm really not having much pumpkin luck this year.

I'm still working on putting the kitchen back together. It seems that all of my dishes, pot and pans and serving platters and bowls have multiplied since I stored them in the family room. I have the essentials in place and they look nice and neat but I still have so much more to squeeze in. If only the carpenter could make a few extra cabinets. So, I'm still plugging away at that.

I hope all of you have a wonderful week. I have a few paint projects I am going to start working on and I will share them with you soon. See ya! :-D

I am joining Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday! Thanks for hosting each week, Marty!

PROGRESS IN THE KITCHEN

Today I thought I would show you a bit of the kitchen...it's almost completed. The counter tops are Italian granite and called Summer Wheat. I think that is the best description of them. My cabinets are pine. They have been refinished and I am loving the shine. The knobs and pulls are on, they are brushed nickel. You can see in the picture that 2 drawer fronts are missing, they are being made as well as another cabinet door. Otherwise we just need a few more knobs and pulls {I miscounted}.
This is a closer view. I like that the granite has more marbling than spots. I kept my wall tile which is white with a few squares of French wine labels that I had hand painted years ago.

So that is where we are at. The carpenter is here now putting a few more doors on. Then I have to run to Home Depot for the rest of the hardware. I counted these knobs at least 5 times and still came up short! Only me! Tomorrow I am going to start putting my dishes and everything else back in. I am trying to show some restraint with what I put on the counters. I purged a lot so I have room for bigger appliances, like the KitchenAid Mixer to fit in the cabinets. I want fun, pretty things on the counters!! The Husband thinks I am going to keep them bare, ha ha!
I have been laying a little low the last couple of days, I have an ear infection. I never get those and didn't even know I had one until I went to my doctor for a check up Tuesday. So I am putting in ear drops and then I have to lay on my side for awhile for them to get down in there. Okay by me...it's my favorite position. Tomorrow is my hair appointment, grocery shopping and a lot of laundry for my son that is moving out. This weekend we will clean up the yard and patio and put the summer stuff away at this house. It's not easy having 2 homes and don't get me started on the double gas, electric, water and lawn care bills. Reality stinks.

I brought this English lavender plant home from where I bought it in Michigan. I know that it is too late to plant it in the ground and have it establish roots before the ground freezes, so I am babying it at home in my garden window. It's actually looking better than it did when I first brought it home. Has anyone ever tried this? With any plant?

Well, I hope you enjoyed seeing the counter tops...I will take complete pictures when the island comes, which by the way, The Husband thinks will not fit in the kitchen. That is if we want to get into the cabinets. I say tough! ;-D

BRINGING THE OUTDOORS IN

Just a quick post before I run out the door to do some errands. It's so beautiful out, I couldn't pick a better day to get out of the house. 60 degrees, sunny...the light filtering through the ever changing colors of the trees. Such a nice change from all the rain we had last week.

We had a great weekend at the lake. The ride up to Michigan is wonderful at this time of year. I was a little disappointed when I got there and saw that the marina had taken our boat to store for the winter. No last joy ride.
I took some pictures of all the plants that we had to bring in now that the temps are dropping so low at night. They really do well with all the sun we get through the windows. I lost one fern last year...they just need more water than the rest. The Husband's palms always seem to make it no worse for the wear.

We brought provisions with us...Italian meats and cheeses and fresh bread and just rented a movie Saturday night. Of course, it put me to sleep. Somehow, The Husband manages to stay up late and get up early.
Sunday I took my time cleaning, the kind of cleaning I like. A little dusting and sweeping, watering plants and just fluffing a bit. Then I moved outside and cleaned out and scrubbed the refrigerator that we have outside. It was so nice, I couldn't bear to go back inside so I just sat on the patio and enjoyed the fresh air.

I wish I had more to report on the kitchen. The cabinets should be ready soon, but we keep hearing that. I anticipated that this wasn't going to be a totally smooth ride, so I'm not that inpatient {yet}. The new dishwasher is in and we have ordered new counter stools. The island is going to be ready to ship November 13. It will be so nice to have everything in it's place. I hope you don't mind me going on and on about all of this. It seems to monopolize my life.

On a totally unrelated side note, the pumpkins are gone. The squirrels scooped out all the seeds to bury, and scattered the remains all over the lawn. Of course I knew this would happen but I just love seeing those sweet pumpkins on my porch for the little time I have them.

It is going to be a busy week. Son Jeff is moving out, it makes me a little sad. He's been living here at home since January and I am kind of used to having him around. He has an apartment on the north side of Chicago. Emily is decorating it for him and she is having a ball. Last night she went to Target and bought all of his sheets, towels, rugs and lamps. She and a friend had 3 carts. Can you imagine? I'll miss him though.

Well, I've rambled on enough...I'll be back later in the week. I hope you are having a good one! :-)