There's Something in the Air!

,,,and it's doing a number on my head.  I'm not sure if I have a cold or if it's allergies, but today I decided to have a pajama day, and just chilled in front of my sewing machine making Thanksgiving napkins.  I haven't had much of an appetite, but I found a box of Gingerbread mix in my pantry and for some reason it sounded awfully good.  A slice along with a cup of tea with lemon just hit the spot! I only had to add 1 egg and some water.  How easy is that?

Fresh out of the oven...

Yum!

Going to bed right after the Ranger game, assuming I stay awake.

Have a great week.

~Diana

My Favorite Fall Supper

How many of you do NOT have this cook book???

I got this one as a wedding present 39 years ago, so I guess you couldn't call it 'Better Homes and Gardens 'New' Cook book anymore. Even though I'm not a 'great' cook, I have made this one particular recipe over and over through the years. Every time the weather even threatens to turn cool, I run to the store and buy stew meat to make this awesome stew. It makes a bunch!

Serve it up with that quick 'Jiffy' cornbread and a bottle of red wine and you have an awesome cool weather meal.

Check out my dishes.  The pattern is 'Homecoming' by Noritake.  One of my favorite teachers in High School was Mrs. Reed.  She was like a 'wedding' consultant for me back in the day.  She advised me to 'register for a place setting for 12, because I could always break down to a place setting for 8'.  Well guess what Mrs. Reed.....I STILL HAVE A PLACE SETTING FOR 12!  :)

Here's the recipe from the cook book if you're so inclined.  This is the basic, but I end up throwing all kinds of stuff in there depending on the mood. Look at this page.  It is so splattered and stained.  You can tell I've made it a lot. It is delicious!

Ranger game #1 against San Francisco Giants is about to start so grabbing my bowl of stew and headed to the TV.

GO RANGERS!!!

~Diana

 

 

 

Fall Inspirations

My absolute favorite time of the year is Autumn.  I love the weather, I love the colors, and I love the celebrations.  I'm always inspired to decorate and create during this time of year.  I found an old November 2007 issue of 'Better Homes and Gardens' magazine stashed away in my closet and scanned some of the wonderful ideas to share.  I might actually try some of these.  I especially like the tree as a centerpiece.  Just go stick it in the ground after Thanksgiving for a perpetual reminder of the season.

This is a great idea for a bird feeder in the Fall.  I'm not sure how long it would last in the elements, but perhaps the birds would end up eating the whole thing.  I'm going to try this.

I certainly have enough leaves on my lawn to make a wreath. I have grandiose ideas, but I might just try this too. 

 
This looks pretty simple as well.  What a cute idea for place settings and parting gifts. 

 

I guess I'd better get started on all these projects before Thanksgiving arrives.

It's 3pm on a Sunday afternoon and I decided to make today a 'pajama' day.  I love lazy days like this.

Have a wonderful week.  I'm off to think about more projects.

~Diana

Bar Table

A few months ago I did a make-over on our outside patio table by breaking up pieces of tile and china to create a mosaic table top.  Well, I was re-inspired when my husband and brother-in-law started a collection of beer bottle caps for me.  I had a smaller patio table at the lake house and decided to make a little 'pub' table out of it.  Most of the beer caps are Bud Lite, but there are a few Rolling Rock and a sprinkling of other caps that I was not familiar with.  I just used what was in the 'collection' bowl.

Here is the sequence of photos I took of the project.  I think it turned out pretty cute.  This is 'recycling' at it's best.

 

I turned the table upside down on top of the scrap piece of plywood and drew a circle to make a template.  I then used my skil-saw to cut out the circle.

i had more Bud Lite caps than any others so I had to make a practice run on the lay out.  Rolling Rock ran a close second.

Next, I spread the adhesive and just started placing the beer caps in to place. I had some leftover tiles from my last project so I put them to good use.  Table is rather 'lumpy' without a solid tile to place a drink.  I ended up with a few gaps because I ran out of caps, but Douglas guzzled a few more beers to fill them in for me.  He actually placed them on the table while the adhesive was still wet.  What a guy!!!  :)  This does NOT mean he can take credit for this project though!!!  On second thought,,,he DID drink all that beer.

I applied the grout and let it sit for 24 hours.  Looks sort of tacky at this point.

Here's the final version.  I just discovered a great new photo editing program through Picasa.  Give it a try.  Here's a sample.  I love editing photos.

This was a really quick project. 

Remember my last posting showing the ribbon winner at the state fair?  Well,,this is the project I was talking about.  I don't think this is a blue ribbon winner, but we will certainly get a lot of use out of this little table.

Enjoy the cooler weather.  Tomorrow I plan to spend some time cleaning up my lawn. 

State Fair of Texas

On my way to East Texas last Thursday I got caught in the State Fair traffic so I just decided to take ME to the fair.  I had not been in years and I really wanted to see the arts and crafts on display.

My first stop was to visit Big Tex.  He hasn't changed a bit in all the years I've visited him.  I heard on the radio that a dry cleaner in Dallas devotes an entire day to cleaning his outfit.  They take it out to the parking lot to fold it and then it's loaded up on a truck to take back to dress him.

 
Just behind me was the Fletcher Corny Dog stand.  No visit to the fair is complete without tasting one of these!  YUM!  I ended up getting mustard all over my camera strap, and the next couple of photos were taken one-handed.

 
 

I've never liked taffy, but I love to watch it being made.  I stood here for about 10 minutes watching it come off the assembly line.

 

The cotton candy stand...

 

I loved seeing all the crafts on display.  There were so many interesting items and lots of ribbons awarded.  Here's a sampling of some of the entries.  I especially loved the wall of photos.  If I figure out how to use all the bells and whistles on my camera, I just might submit my own sometime.

 
 

I have another patio table in the works right now, but it doesn't quite look like this  blue ribbon winner.  I'll post mine when it's finished.  It's a hoot. 

 

I'm inspired to try to make something like this....Not sure where I'd wear it, but maybe to a dinner,,, with VERY close friends,,,,at their home,,,,,for a special occasion.

 
 

I made a quick dash through the auto building.  I remember the days when there were beautiful girls in sparkly formals and tiaras showing off the cars.  I was a bit disappointed that they don't do this anymore.  I snapped a couple of shots of these cars, simply because I loved the colors.

 
 

Next I walked through the Arboretum.  Lots of beautiful native Texas plants. 

 

Look at the detail of the pumpkin carvings.  I can't imagine how much time it took to create these.

 
 

Look how creative someone got with these flower pots.  I might have to try this sometime.

 

This one-man-band was performing while I was testing out a very expensive massage chair in one of the buildings.  He was quite entertaining, but the chair was my favorite.  Unfortunately, the awesome massage chair had a price tag of over $5000. 

 

I love the carousel and the Ferris Wheel.  Have you read 'Devil In a White City' yet?  Lots of interesting history, including the Ferris Wheel and how it came about.  Read it.

 
 

A beautiful day at the fair turned a little downward when I got to the parking lot and discovered I had a flat tire. 

Thankfully, several young men worked on getting the tire aired up enough for me to get my car to a service center a couple of blocks away. 

 
 

None-the-less, I had a great time and the weather was absolutely perfect.  I hope you get a chance to go.  If you go on a weekday, it's not crowded at all.

 

Eye Candy and Music to the Ears.....I LOVE these guys!!!

 

Tell me what you think after you listen to (ogle) these guys. Bon Jovi does a great job with Hallelujah and he's pretty easy on the eyes as well.

Which version is your favorite?

First Monday in October

 
Fall at First Monday in Canton is just the best time to go.  The weather was awesome and on Friday when I went, it was not that crowded at all.  I spent most of my time on the grounds instead of the indoor arbors.  I wanted to enjoy the cool weather and sunshine.  I love all the unique items I see when I walk up and down the aisles.  I've always said, if you can't find it at First Monday, you won't find it ANYWHERE!. Here are some of the fun things I had to photograph while I was there.

I love the chimineas lined up like the tombstones in the background. 

 

This Chiminea is a little seasonal, but for Halloween or Thanksgiving, how fun!

 

I'm just SURE someone collects rolling pins!

 

Or gas pumps.  Where would you put a gas pump if you purchased this one?  In a game room?  Your back yard? 

 
Or Tin-Men??   I love yard art, so maybe I would consider these guys.

 

Busted!  This shoe fell off the table while I was visiting this booth.  I guess it was fate because it fit perfectly. It ended up in my cart since I feel it was 'meant to be'. I had such fun with the sweet couple that owned this booth.  I wish I had written their names down, but hopefully I'll see them again next month.  I gave them my website info so hopefully they'll log on and add a comment.

 

Cute huh?

 
'Corkey' shoes are a big hit these days.  The rain boots are now coming out in the shape of cowboy boots and in the most fabulous colors.  I slipped on this pair as a sample of what they have.  These are the animal print ankle boots. I did end up with a pair, but not this particular one.  I'll share in another post.

 

Scrimping on sunglasses is not an option.  I believe you should always wear polarized and UV protected lenses, and for sure, you can find them at First Monday.  I have paid a lot of money for sunglasses, but since I always lose them, break them, or scratch them, I've decided this is the place to purchase them.  $10 per pair is a great deal and they meet all my specifications.

The vendor that owns this booth actually painted his van himself.  Awesome artwork.  Imagine passing this on the highway.
 
 

Looking for a bongo drum?  Here ya go!

 

There were lots of mums and Fall flowers for sale.

 

I headed out to my lake house in Hide-A-Way after this to enjoy a boatride and glass of wine with hubby.  Awesome way to end the day.  I'll post some photos soon.

Have a GREAT week.

                                        Diana~