It's beginning to look a lot like fall....everywhere I go.... 🎶

Good morning lovely friends.  I'm back! ♥   

I didn't expect to be away from here for so long.  To be honest, I found myself in a bit of a summer slump I guess you could say, just waiting to turn the page to September and now here we are! We have arrived! It's still warm during the days but the early mornings and evenings are chilly and that air is bringing me back to life.  

Our windows are cracked open and the AC has been off for days.  It's the best feeling to have lived through the dog days of summer and then to feel that cool air on your face first thing in the morning.  

Yes please. I've been waiting for months ♥

Pumpkin spice coffee is on repeat over here (for me anyway!) and this past weekend I started decorating for fall.  

I had ordered a new garden flag because my old one was all faded.  She made her debut on Sunday.  

Now all I need are some pumpkins to go underneath ♥

Coming soon! : )

Little touches here and there remind me that summer is over.  

I've actually started thinking about Thanksgiving.  Is that crazy?! 

Yes, probably ♥

And YES I'm aware it's not officially fall yet, but once Labor Day comes and goes it's fall in my book.  We celebrated Labor Day at a cookout at my brother in laws. 

 I had my last official summer hot dog with pasta salad and now it's time to bring out the crock pot! 

I think I need a mum for this corner - right where that basket is.  I saw some the other day at the grocery store.  Another sign summer is over.  

The mums are out!  ♥

YAY! These always remind me of my mom.  She loved them.  She also loved fall as much as I do and I'm sure that's where my love for it comes from.  

Thank you mom ♥

I miss her so much.  

Away went the sea glass and summer candles - all packed up cozy until next year. Out came all things orange, yellow, and brown, apple candles, and of course Charlie Brown because everybody knows he owns the fall (and a little of Christmas too : ). 

On to downstairs where I scattered a few things about, pumpkins and such. 

I still need to do more puttering down here, but I'm off to a good start ♥

You know I live here....lol 

What I love most about our kitchen and back-room downstairs is the backdrop.  

There are several windows and once the leaves start turning, we are all aglow with color radiating from the outside in.  

My mother always had lace curtains on these windows but after our painting project this past spring I opted to not put them back on.  I like the light that comes in. And I like that I can see out to all the trees and the river. 

Also - sidenote, this lamp is one of my favorite things in life ♥

Naturally, it's way too soon to start seeing any foliage back here yet but my autumn loving heart knows it's coming.  

I'll be watching! ♥

 

I can tell by the sun shadows that there's a shift. 

 I like having my coffee out here in the wee hours of the morning.  I'll do it until it gets too cold, and even then I go out for a few sips or as long as I can stand it.  Just me and whatever wildlife decided to visit that day.  

It's the most peaceful part of my day ♥

And there you have it friends.  I've declared it.  It's happening.  Is it going to be 80 degrees today? 

Yes it is.  Do I care? No I do not.  And that's that.  

Happy Fall! ♥

So how are you all feeling? Are you ready to say goodbye to summer?  One thing I haven't done is bring Halloween candy into the house yet, even though it's readily available in EVERY store I enter.  I've resisted because let's not get toooo crazy (who? me? never!).  We'll see how long I last :) 

Well, I'm off to make another pot of coffee and get to work for the day.  We are all well over here and things are happening.  John is back to school - I'll talk about that in my next post. I hope to be here a lot more often now that I've got my "mo-jo" back!  

Have a wonderful day friends! ♥

Talk soon! xx 

A good day ♥

 

Hello Friends! ♥

I'm just winding down work for the day, and I thought I'd pop on and say hello.  My day started early this morning.  Once a month I take my Dad to the hospital to have bloodwork done.  Today was the day.  Thankfully he got a very good report and didn't need any shots or infusions!  His numbers are all very good! We celebrated with a coffee & donut (which is NOT on his diet but since this was a happy occasion, I let it slide...:) 

I came home, switched on my Easter village, and got to work.  I am so grateful I can work from home!!  I don't have to leave my Dad home by himself all day, and believe it or not - I'm much more productive in my home office than my real office.   

Sidenote: I'm loving my Easter decorations this year.  They are so cheery after the long winter.  I suppose its like that every year, I just am really appreciating it this year.  It has been so so cold.  I'm o-v-e-r it!  We are definitely over the worst of it now and warmer days are coming.  I can feel it! 

I wanted to show you something else that made me smile today...♥

I found this tiny little cup with some of my mother's things.  

It's the prettiest floral pattern (love) and has four legs, which is very different.  

I have no idea what it would ever be used for besides decoration.  For now, I've put it on a teacup shelf I have in my upstairs kitchen.  

This shows you how small it is compared to a regular teacup.... ♥

Regardless I love it and it will probably stay there forever.  My mom and I clearly had the same taste and love for the same things.  She saved it for a reason and I will too ♥

Overall, it's been a good day and one that has gone by very quickly.  A typical ordinary March day that I have truly appreciated - there was sun, good health, and pretty things. 

Yup, a good day indeed ♥

I'm off to start dinner now.  I'm trying a new pork chop recipe tonight.  If it's good, I'll share it!

Have a great night, dear friends! ♥

Byeeee! xo 

A trip to Michaels, a plate wall, and a lemon bundt cake recipe - Happy Monday! ♥

 Good Monday morning friends! ♥

Hello from rainy Massachusetts.  The rain started yesterday afternoon and hasn't stopped.  It's gray and gloomy but at least it's not snow, so I'm not complaining.  John is home sick today.  He's curled up on the couch with the beginnings of a flu and I feel it's the perfect day to make soup and stay in this outfit all day.  In fact, that's the plan : ) 

Rob left for work about 6 this morning. I don't know how he does it, honestly.  I was up with him, but as soon as he left I poured myself a coffee and swiftly returned to my warm bed to drink it and scroll my phone - where I stayed for a good hour and it was lovely.  I love starting my days with coffee in bed.  Especially rainy days.  Especially rainy Mondays.  

Anyway, it's now a few hours and a few more coffees later.  I came downstairs, flipped on the furnace (because it's freezing again) and a fresh pot of coffee for my Dad when he wakes up...and such is the start of a new week.  

So, how was your weekend?  Mine was actually quite nice! ♥

Despite the rain Sunday and today, Saturday was a beautiful day.  It was warm and sunny and I left the house with only a sweatshirt and no coat!  Fabulous!  If you recall, I had high intentions of going to the thrift store, but I ended up getting sidetracked and decided to put that off until next weekend.  I had some other errands to run first.  One being Staples to get ink for our printer (very boring), however right next to Staples was Michaels craft store.  My mom and I LOVED Michaels and would go there often. As soon as I entered the store I got hit with that "craft store" smell (you know the one) and brought me right back.  It made me so sad yet I didn't want to leave.  My mom was a big crafter and I spent many years doing craft fairs and Christmas bazaars with her.  Trips to Michaels, JoAnn's Fabrics, and Hobby Lobby for supplies were a part of everyday life for many years.  We had a lot of fun in those stores and being there brought back all those memories.  

My heart was breaking but I was smiling at the same time ♥

While I was wondering around, I remembered something I needed! A few months ago Rob's mother was cleaning out her basement and gave me these floral plates. I'm obsessed with anything floral and everyone knows it ♥

 They were just too pretty to leave in the cabinet.  I've been wanting to do plate wall somewhere in my house and I finally decided where.  I just needed the hangers.  I bought 4 packs and headed home to complete my project.  

Just the sweetest corner now!  I'm crazy about how it turned out.  

I think my mom and my mother-in-law would approve ♥

On Sunday we had some family stop by for a visit - my two cousins who we haven't seen in while.  Isn't funny how when you are young you see your cousins all the time (at least I did) and then one day everyone grows up, gets married, and you now hardly ever see them?!  I hate that part of life, but the good side of it is when you finally do make the time to see each other, it's wonderful. 

 I made this yummy lemon bundt cake and we all sat around the table and talked for 3 hours.  

It was such a nice afternoon catching up ♥

The cake was really good too.  I got the recipe (here) from A Latte Food.  It was light and fluffy and sooooo good!  I didn't make the glaze and just dusted with powdered sugar instead.  It was still warm when the arrived and completely heavenly.  

Perfectly springy! 🍋

We will be picking on the rest of this for the next few days and I'm not mad about it. 

♥

Well friends, thanks for listening to me ramble on. I'm off to start my day now. Lots of "real life" work to do today. Boooo! 

Have a wonderful Monday!  I hope you're week is off to a good start.  Hey, we're already one day closer to Friday : )   

I'll be back tomorrow - I'm going to try to start daily blogging again.  We'll see how it goes! 

XO 

Monday catch up: my tree is up ♥

Good Morning Friends! Happy Monday! ♥

As usual the weekend flew by and all of a sudden here we are again! I've got the Monday blues, and it usually takes me to Wednesday before they shake off, just in time to get ready for the weekend. Thats how it goes with me.  I'm always headed for the weekend : ) 

 The weather here in New England has gotten very cold!  I lit my first fire on Saturday and now there's no stopping me.  The first thing I did this morning was light another one.  While the kitchen warmed, I put on a pot of coffee and got dressed.  By the time I was done and having my first sip it was nice and toasty in here.  We have a lot of wood left over from last year that I'm going to burn and I love it because I don't have to run the heat during the day.  Some people say they don't light fires because they don't like the smell, but I rather enjoy it.  It smells like winter and the holidays and that's what I love.  

Very very cozy ♥

Last night after dinner I made this easy bread recipe I saw on TikTok.  I thought I'd give it a shot.  If there was a chance of having fresh bread in the morning, I was willing to risk it.  

#fingerscrossed! 

It came out amazing! My cinnamon toast tasted soooo good!! 

  

Here's a screenshot of the recipe.  I'm telling you, it was a sinch! And so worth it.  Something about homemade bread makes me feel like I'm doing something right in this world. 

 Is that too dramatic? I don't care.  It's good, so try it : ) 

Something else I want to share before I forget is I finished this book last night...OH MY! 

 Full disclosure I listened to the audiobook and I could not stop listening! I highly recommend if you like thriller mysteries!  I listened while cleaning, doing laundry, and making dinner.  I was a machine because I didn't want to stop listening.  It had 3 narrators, so it was like listening to a movie play out in my head. I really loved it.  

Anyway....on to what's really important....♥

 

My tree is up! Yay! ♥

I'm so enjoying it in the early mornings and evenings.  It's very peaceful and calm.  

My goal was to have it up by Thanksgiving and I'm happy that it's done so we can enjoy it for the full festive season. I have little bits and bobs of other decorations scattered around but I'm not fully decorated yet.  I'm enjoying the little things and decided not to go overboard. 

I had an epifamily the other day while doomscrolling making a mental list of all the home decor things I want run out and buy to make my home look like all the pretty Christmas homes on Instagram.  What am I doing?...I thought.  I already have so much and don't need anything else.  I'll use what I have and in fact, every year I tell myself I have too much (I'm talking Christmas and holiday decorations in general).  Bins and bins full!  Do I need anymore? No I don't. I put my phone down.  

I'll use what I have and it will be just fine.  I'm so easily swayed sometimes but I'm fighting the urge.  

Have you ever felt that way? Sometimes you have to stop yourself.  At least I do. 

I decided to focus more on food, family, and friends, rather than making my house look like a magazine and buying things I really don't need. 

I went on to more important things, like food! I started a little notebook that I've been writing my holiday menus and recipes in - mostly so I don't forget next year! I have purchased our Thanksgiving turkey and he's all cozy in the freezer.  Check that off the list.  In addition to the usual stuffing, mashed potatoes, and roasted carrots - I'm adding a few new things this year.  Corn casserole and sweet potatoe casserole! I've never done either but am feeling ambitious. My mom would be so proud. And remember the cranberry brie bites I was talking about a few weeks ago?  They look so easy and will make a lovely appetizer.  

Best Cranberry Brie Bites Recipe

I saw a tip that says you can mix the cranberry sauce with a little orange marmalade or apricot jam and that sounded good too.  I'm going for it! ♥

Meanwhile, outside Fall is in full bloom.  

Yesterday I was treated to visit from my duck friends who were having a very lively conversation! 

They will enjoy the river before the winter comes and they fly south.  Like all smart ducks do.  For now, I love watching and listening to them. 

 I always have ♥

And a weekend wouldn't be complete without a little baking.  I revisited an old recipe for Oatmeal bars which were very yummy. Rob has requested I make another batch for this lunch this week so that's on the agenda today! 

They were originally oatmeal raisin bars but I substituted the raisons for white chocolate chips.  

If I had dried cranberries I would have added them but unfortunately, I'm out.  

However, they are just as yummy, chewy, white-chocolatey, and delicious and you'd think they'd be.

Here's a link to the recipe.  I left out the nuts too! ♥

Oatmeal Raisin Bars - Shutterbean

They remind me of old school lunch box treats so it's funny Rob asked me for another batch for his lunch! Actually, when I first blogged about them they were for John's lunch (in 2015!!).  

I love revisiting old blog posts to see where I was at that time.  It was winter and I was in full nesting mode - ironing things, making chicken pot pies, and planning a spring garden.  John was taking swimming lessons and I was deep into 1980's sitcoms and Downton Abbey!  Aside from the swimming lessons, not much has changed! LOL 

I also love seeing our old house.  I used to put white twinkle lights around our kitchen window in the wintertime.  I miss that window! (go back in time HERE : )   

Well, that's all the catch up I have for you today, friends!  I have lots of computer work to do today and I must get at it or I never will.  Thankfully, it's lunch time so this Monday is half over! 

 I hope you find your peace this week ♥ 

 Thank you for visiting me today.  I'll be catching up with you all too! 

Stay cozy! ♥

Byeeeee! xoxo

My weekend and a little holiday decorating ♥

 Hello Friends!  ♥

Happy Monday from wet and stormy Massachusetts! 

 I hope you all had a lovely weekend and your Monday is off to a good start.

We are having quite a rainstorm today.  It's windy, dark, and gloomy, but as long as we're cozy inside I'm not minding it at all.  In fact, I rather like it. I have a pot roast in the oven that's been simmering away all afternoon.  I usually cook pot roast in the crock pot but this way the kitchen stays nice and toasty and it smells good in here too  ♥

I'm nothing if not practical :) 

 Anyway, how was your weekend?  They go by too quickly, don't they?  

On Saturday Rob and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary! (I know!).  We went to lunch and a walk on the cape cod canal.  

Most of the seafood places in the cape are closed now but we found one right across from the bridge that's still open. They were closing the next day! Lucky for me because I had the best lobster roll of my life. 

We took a nice walk and watched the boats go by ♥ 

Cape Cod off season is so much nicer than peak season.  Same scenery and food. Less heat and crowds.  

I'm in  ♥

Looking like Fall and I'm loving it!  ♥

On Sunday I decided to go after that shelf I was telling you about. Is it a bit too early to bring out the Christmas village? Yes, of course it is.  Did I do it anyway?  Yes, of course I did! 

October 12th...and so it begins!  ♥  

fa la la la.....

You have idea the amount of DUST that was up here!  I took all teapots and knick-knacks down, cleaned them, and wrapped them up for storage.  

Then I unwrapped all THIS.  That's when the fun started  ♥ 

 Now I realize it's not even Halloween yet and I by no means am trying to rush the FALL or wish it away, but I cannot even begin to tell you how happy seeing this little village makes me.  

Plus my Mom loved this village.  It was the highlight of our Christmas decorating.  Next to the tree, this was her favorite thing.  I felt sad doing it by myself, but happy at the same time because I know she would have loved it.  My Dad said so too. 

My goal was to have it done by Thanksgiving.  

Ok, so I'm a little early, but now it's off the list.  One less thing to do when the holiday rush starts.  

I thought I was going to get a lot more teasing from my family than I actually did.  I think everyone around here is ready for holiday season.  Last years wasn't the best so we're hoping for a much happier (and healthier) one this year.  Why not start a bit early? I'm ready ♥

Well, I'm off to check on my pot roast.  What are you having for dinner tonight?  

Have a cozy evening friends!  Make a cup of tea, curl up under a blanket, and watch something comforting tonight.  If it's still stormy I might just read my book and go to bed early  ♥ 

Cause adults can do that.  Byeeeee! xo