Cozy October! ♥

 Hello Lovely Friends! ♥

As I type this post I am cozy warm in my home office.  It's raining today so it's a bit gloomy and I have little pumpkin lights strung over the window.  It's giving the room a warm orange glow that I am really enjoying. In case you hadn't figured it out already, I am a lighting person.  I love twinkle lights and little lamps and mood lighting.  Anything resembling candle light (or actual candle light) I'm here for.  I detest bright lighting and I recently saw on YouTube that you can actually paint your lightbulbs to create a softer glow.  Whose doing this?  Have you ever heard of such a thing? I hadn't but you better believe I'm going to try it : )  

This weekend I took an hour to myself and pulled out all of my warm sweaters and pajamas and socks.  I fluffed them all up and brought them to the front of my drawers.  I folded and put away anything resembling summer until next year.  It's cozy time now.  Sweater weather has arrived.  I put an extra blanket on the bed and made a mental note that it's time for me to get new slippers.  Holiday ones perhaps.  I like to get mine at the Hallmark Store.  They have so many cute ones.  And I live in slippers.  Cardigans and slippers. 

Two of my favorite things ♥

These colors make me so happy : )

♥

I just made myself a steaming cup of Earl Gray Tea.  You all know how much of a coffee girl I am, but in the afternoons and evenings I do love a hot cup of tea.  Especially this time of year.  Lately I've been obsessed with it.  I love all kinds of tea but my favorite is Earl Gray.  I like it with milk and sugar or a little bit of honey.  So good.  There is one pumpkin muffin left and I'm saving it for Rob so I just grabbed two biscottis from the panty to dunk in my tea.  I'm also a dunker.  I live on the edge :)  

Thank you so much to everyone that reached out to me about my mom.  She's doing ok.  She has a nurse, physical therapist, and occupational therapist.  It was slow getting started, but now they come here to the house a few times a week (each!).  She's being well looked after, that's for sure.  It's definitely a slow process but she's improving.  I'm just glad she's home and is able to recover and be comfortable in her own house with all of us around her.  Yesterday I brought out the storage bin with all her Halloween decorations. She pointed to where she wanted the stuff to go and I put it there.  It was fun and really make all of us feel good and festive.  Things like that are really important. 

 I think so anyway.  She does too. 

♥

Isn't this cute? She painted it a long time ago : ) 

♥

And that's where I am today friends.  I just finished working for the day and it's almost time to start dinner.  I'm roasting chicken thighs and potatoes tonight which will make the kitchen smell like heaven.  Last time I made this it was a big hit so hopefully this time it comes out just as good! : ) 

  **update - this was last night and it came out YUMMY!**

I'm going to finish my tea first and see what's on QVC.  I love QVC btw!  I've been watching it for years.  For some reason it's a comfort to me.  My favorites are the cooking shows (I love David : ).  I get the best gift ideas from watching the hosts and I find it just plain entertaining.  I can remember my mother and I watching Joan Rivers Jewelry I was a teenager. In fact I still have some of the jewelry, which is quite pretty.  I just came across it when I cleaned out my jewelry box last month.  I'm keeping it all for sentimental reasons ♥

Have a wonderful Tuesday, friends!  Wednesday I'm going with Rob to a doctors appointment and I'm hoping to get a breakfast (or at least a coffee : ) out of it.  Haha! And then on Friday John is going with his friends to a Haunted House.  That should be interesting!  Me personally, I hate haunted houses! I get freaked out in the parking lot! Lol : ) 

Happy Tuesday, Friends! Stay cozy! xoxo

25 ♥

Then... ♥

Now... ♥

I was 19 when we met.

24 when we married.

I'll be 50 next year and we're still here.

25 years.  A lot of ups. Some downs.  One awesome son. Everything I ever wanted. 

I wouldn't change a thing.

Happy Anniversary! ♥

10.11.98

Good Monday Morning: What I've been up to ♥

Good Morning lovely Friends! I've missed you.  

Somehow September slipped away and here we are on October 9th.  Wow.  I wish I could say I've been busy doing exciting things but alas, that's not the case.  It's just life, at its craziest.  Here at my house we've been busy adjusting to my mom being home from the hospital and navigating the best way to care for her. It's a process, but each day we are getting better learning the best ways to do things.  I'm so grateful for my family, that we all can pitch in and help each other.  That, with lots of coffee and pastries are what's getting us through this challenging season of life.  Watching your parents age and change is not an easy thing.  I look at my parents and see myself.  They were once young with small kids, working full time jobs, had hobbies, and went on vacations just like everyone else.  That's why its so important to do things when you can and are able.  Don't put off what makes you happy for "the right time."  That day may never come.  Enjoy life and cherish every moment.  In other words, have dessert first ♥

Ok, that's my spiel for the day.  Now, on to other things....

 

Fall has finally arrived! Horary! 

♥

I thought it would never get here.  The temperatures have finally gotten cooler and the air has that "smell." You know the one I'm talking about.  It's woodsy and smoky.  I love it.  We've been doing little walks after dinner just to appreciate it.  The foliage hasn't fully reached us yet but I know it's coming.  I see the changes starting.  It's a beautiful thing to watch.  

This tree is smack dab in the middle of our front yard.  We call it "John's tree" because my Dad planted it the weekend John was born, 16 years ago.  By now it's usually much more colorful.  I was beginning the think I was never going to change but yesterday I saw the beginnings of something magical happening.  Yay ♥

That window there is my office window so I have a PERFECT view.  I'll be doing daily checks.  In a blink it will be covered with snow and ice.  I don't want to miss the foliage : ) 

My neighborhood at night ♥

I snapped this picture one night on a walk.  I love the look of houses at night with glowing lights on the inside.  It was very peaceful and quiet.  I do not know who lives in this house.  I wish I did.  Something tells me we would be friends : ) 

I tried a new soup recipe last week.  White bean & kale! 

I got the recipe for a YouTuber I've been loving recently.  Nicolas Fairford.  He's a British gentlemen who resides in Edenborough.  He talks about lifestyle, home décor, tea, recipes, England, and beautiful Scotland.  He's wonderful and so is this soup.  It was super easy to make, healthy, and warmed me to my core.  Loved it.  I'm making another batch this week.  You must try it :) 

(recipe linked here♥) 

Can you believe Halloween is only a few weeks away?!  Last night John and I watched Scream.  I had never seen it before.  It was good.  Tonight we are watching the sequel (apparently there are 6??!!). Horror movies have never been my favorite genre, but I do like the scary vibes without the gore.  And speaking of vibes I've been watching Gilmore Girls!  More up my alley!  I've been wanting to watch this show for ages and it's finally happening. I make myself a cup of tea or coffee every afternoon, curl up with a blanket,  and watch one episode before dinner.  I just finished season one. It's so good and something I look forward to every day.  I love Lorelai. We have the same coffee habits : ) 

Dark mornings and amber lit afternoons have me feeling like fall too.  

I pulled out one of my old cross stitch kits one day to see if I remember how to do it.  It's been a long time.  I'm rusty but not as bad as I thought I'd be.  I think I may be picking that hobby up again! Something about this time of year makes me want to sew or do a craft of some kind.  I stopped in Hobby Lobby one afternoon as was totally overwhelmed - in the best way possible!  I only had a few minutes to browse.  I need more time and a large coffee to go through the whole store. It's my Disney Land!  The only reason I went was to look at chunky yarn because I want to make one of those big loop blankets (do you know what I'm talking about?!).  Anyway, by the time I got to the yarn I had mentally spent $300.  I had to leave but will be back so I can properly process all the craft projects I want to do this winter! ♥

I moved this plant the other day to here, in front of the window.  I think it will get more light here and I like looking at it.  No one in my house has said a word about it and probably don't even care.  Just me.  And the plant.  Looking at it now I realized this is where the Christmas tree goes so I'll have to move it again next month.  Oh well. For now I'll enjoy it. (side note: thought of my Christmas tree really made me smile : ) 

  #itsthelittlethings ♥

And that's everything  I've been up to the last few weeks.  Except I don't think I told you about the day John and I went to Salem, MA.  We went with my friend Julie and her son Sean.  We had a really good time walking around and exploring before it got too crowded.  Here we are in front of the Bewitched statue! 

I hadn't been in years and it was really fun.  We went to a museum of horror movies and horror movie props.  Since John loves all movies he really enjoyed that.  I enjoyed the iced pumpkin spice latte we got afterwards.  We also went to the Hocus Pocus house, the House of Seven Gables, and a TON of gift shops. It's definitely a unique place : ) 

I hope you are all enjoying FALL and having a great day! 

I'll be around vising your blogs this week to caught up with everyone.  I love this little space so much.  Thanks for being here ♥

Byeeeee!!! xoxo