~I'LL BE BACK..WAIT FOR ME..~

Thank you Debbi at ALL IN MY COTTAGE for lovely rose you so sweetly gave all for us.. and for all the other beautiful clip art you have shared!

I love roses and it took me a long, long time to think I actually had a favorite flower. Like my children, I love them all..but roses win, however you probably could have guessed that...right? :)

I am writing this short note to let you know I will be gone for awhile. Not long, but for at least a week. I will be back. I just have to have surgery done and if you read many of these blogs..you know how many people out there face health challenges. Mine is nothing compared to theirs.

I have to have some of my colon removed. The last infection nearly killed me and I cannot chance another like that. I am just getting too old to put it off any longer.

I will be fine and dandy and back posting my silly stuff in no time.

Many hugs and lots of love.
Mona

~A PROMISE OF COOKIES...~

Thank you to DESIGNS BY GOLLUM. No food..but soon...I promise! At least it's a start!

This morning was Farmers Market day..and off we went at 9 this morning, a bit late..and it was already SO hot I wanted cry...but AFTER I got my fresh veggies and flowers! These are not sunflowers..but I bought some of those also.




Yes..I KNOW these are just cookie cutters below..but there is a bit of a story behind these.
You see, I went to this little store that is a favorite of mine, and no, it's not a Thrift shop. It is one of those places that..you KNOW when you walk in that you can have just ONE thing and it better be something you want badly! I mean like BADLY!

So in I went...(did I tell you they call me by my first name?! Does that tell you anything at all?

A little teapot..short and stout! YES!

After scouring the entire store, I was relieved to find that there was not one single thing I could not live without...and was about to leave when..."ARE those COOKIE CUTTERS?!" Yes, they were. Copper ones..and so beautiful. I LOVED them. so I took three of my favorites and headed for the counter.
It is always...always .... a good idea to look at the price tag...even if they are only cookie cutters!

A big fat apple! I loved the detail..


And, my favorite, this beautiful Autumn leaf! I loved it!
All done. And I had only bought THREE things! NOT!
At the counter I smiled and stacked my goodies there...and she rang them up...and I nearly fainted...it was $30.00 plus tax! I mean for three cookie cutters!??
OH yes, you bet I will make cookies this year..I have to make use of these little treasures!

These lovely smelling, grundgy primitive candles I bought on ebay. These are wonderful and the price is good. I bought these last year and they are just as wonderful and fresh smelling as last year. I bought six bundles..but am just showing you two of them.


This is some wonderful orange sugar I bought a couple of years ago..and has never been opened. Do you suppose it is still good? It has been stored in a cool place.. so...shall I use it?


I bought these pumpkin cookie cutters a few years ago...and they have never been out of the box..so..
My promise..I am going to bake Halloween cookies this year...and I am going to decorate them..and...I am going to SHOW AND TELL!

Ok..'nuff of this.. :)

Love and hugs,
Mona

P.S. Better late than never...:)

~BLESSED AUTUMN~

Thank you to Rhondi's ROSE COLORED GLASSES for hosting this wonderful welcome to Fall..


~I love sunflowers..so I put some in the kitchen...

~And a few Fall flowers on the front porch...


~ ...add a Fall WELCOME mat...



~..decorate the mailbox..


...and of course Fall flowers on the front door...


~.... more Fall flowers on the patio....


~a few silk Fall leaves to hide the clothesline...

~A pretty tray with Fall leaves on it for $1.99 and a $2.99 pot of Fall leaves to go with my favorite Fall tea set...add to the Autumn feeling....


~ ..some Witchy boots filled with more Autumn leaves...and and a little black crow for atmosphere...


~and I couldn't resist these Velvet Witchie booties with spidey buttons to add the whimsy I love... :) (Pier 1 Imports of course)


~ and more Autumn leaves on the chandelier to add more color...(like I NEED more color?!) :)

~Tiny lit Autumn lights for the mantel. This mantel...I probably have told you before..is an old corral post. A long ago trip to the ranch, and the barbed wire was cut off it..we hauled it home and sanded and stained and...anyway...I LOVE it. Long story...a different time..a broken heart...and memories. Autumn is full of memories for me...


~ A close up of the lights. It's like Christmas every Fall when I unpack my "Autumn Leaves and my memories of lost loves.

New found happiness and new found treasures...and life goes on.

Love and hugs to you, and smiles greet this new season...
Mona

~BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR...~

...because you could lose what you already have...and then where would you be?


This is on my refrigerator...words to live by?


My gosh...I think I am being punished! :) Have you ever felt like you've brought something on yourself...by wishing for something you simply cannot have..and then..what you do have is suddenly taken away?? Ok...well..I won't go into that too deeply...but let's just start with my camera...

Yes...my camera. I have been not so appreciative of the one I have..and longing for a new one like Di's at SNAPPY FINGER...and now it won't work. Sweetie Pie is in Maine and won't be home until next week..so...NO CAMERA. I should have appreciated what I had!!

In the meantime..I'll start sanding those stools. Lots of wonderful advice from Lucy @ ENGLISH COTTAGE IN GEORGIA and others who were kind enough to help me. It's getting on with the task that is the problem! I am a procrastinator!

What would I do without my can of red spray paint! It's the little things..isn't it? :)



I collect red Mosser glass... The deep red and the cherries always catch my eye. I should save this for Ruby Tuesday...shouldn't I..ah well..

I buy usually from our blogging artists and seamstresses...and this little pillow with the wheel barrow was made by Becky at Sweet Cottage Dreams. The other items were from other artists on ebay.

This canaster set is very old. I bought it at Sears probably 30 years ago..packed it away, thought I had sold it at a garage sale...and found it later in a box. I was DELIGHTED! When you think you have lost something ..and find you still have it...ANOTHER good feeling! :)

I keep seeing new canister sets...cute ones with Roosters! You KNOW how I love Roosters...but...I have decided to be grateful for this set. It is, after all, RED!
I need to learn to be grateful for all my blessings and not always reaching for the better this or better that.

I will go paint now and stop wishing for more STUFF! I am already a lucky woman. I MEAN I DO HAVE ALL OF YOU AFTER ALL! ~smile~ And my camera WILL get fixed!

Hugs and love,
Mona

~TABLESCAPE AND ....BREAKFAST~

Thanks, Susan @ BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH for hosting our Tablescape Thursday! It's always fun...especially when you get to eat dinner..um..breakfast for dinner! :)

I'm using part of my Rooster dishes by Horchow. My girlfriend and I decided to do breakfast for dinner. Do you ever do that?
The large Fall leaves place mats and table runner are from CVS Pharmacy and were very inexpensive. The little pumpkin men are from Pier1 Imports.

YUMMA!! Wha'd I do with the napkins???


This is International Delight's Pumpkin Pie Spice! It says limited edition on the container. What do you suppose that mean? Good only until ..Thanksgiving??

OPEN the door Mom!!

Love and hugs,
Mona

~I HEAR IT'S RUBY RED TUESDAY...~

WORK OF THE POET is hosting this fun day! Take time to go visit all the gorgeous RED that is being flaunted today! I am!


Yes, I'm late, but I thought I would rush around and jump in! Is that alright?
Too late... :)

My retro coffee maker? I had another one but Kitchen Aid wrote and told me it had been recalled...and then generously sent me this one. :) Well... needless to say, I was delighted!


Potholders...ok..not such a big deal...but..they do have red in them...so..in they went!

My little white junk store shelf. I painted it white (I loved the beadboard backing) and hung it over my kitchen sink. Great place for my old red and white enamelware.


I used to collect red and white crocheted pot holders. Who am I kidding?? I still do!!
(I really AM trying to kick the habit though. Honest!)

Love and hugs...and here's to lots of "red" in your life!
Mona

~HAVE A CHOCOLATE..PLEASE..

What to post...what to post???

Ah...chocolate is always good...in my Fall candy dish! Yes?


... and my new Welcome pumpkin I bought yesterday in a fit of ...Fall fury!

New Williams Sonoma tablecloth..deep red and luscious! See the Roosters?


And a (sort of) close up! LOVE it! My bud pj is getting it in GOLD...wait til you see it!!


See these stools?? Well..the next time you see them..they will be black. Tomorrow morning...the paint comes out...


And yesterday after lunch with my sweet daughter, Mary, we went shopping and I bought these cabbage leaves for some texture. I saw them on one of our tablescapes..but for the life of me I cannot recall which one. But to whoever it was...THANK YOU for the inspiration!


OMG!! In broad daylight one cannot hide! I nearly fainted when I saw the mass of wrinkles! But..hey..no walker or cane yet...so I'm ahead of the game! 73 is closing in for this old October babe! YIKES!

Love and hugs,
Mona

~IT'S HOME..TO ME~

~Thanks to Susan of A SOUTHERN DAYDREAMER for hosting our day in the outdoors.



I didn't wander far today...just out onto the patio...but next year I hope to have a garden and more flowers to show off through the Spring and Summer and into the Fall!

This patio is becoming dear to me as I watch it evolve into a place we can enjoy and relax...
A large braided outdoor rug helps warm up this large space.... though it certainly didn't need warming up today...soon though...I hope.



And this is my favorite bird house. Yep...I think I could live there if I were a Mama bird...with seven eggs? :)



And this is the rug I found this Saturday at a garage sale for $8.00! Brand new! Did you hear me? BRAND NEW! The woman said her son bought it and then moved away and left it.
Makes me smile just to think of it!!
It's got the black...and the deep reds... see me smile? :):):)
And did I tell you it was BRAND NEW?

I love old windows.
My first attempt to paint roses..so..please do NOT enlarge! Wait! Do NOT ENLARGE!



My pumpkin bird house..its been rained on for years and has survived.


My favorite old wood bench. (OH NO! My box of kleenex is down there! Oh well. :)
I used to keep the bench inside..but since the patio is covered I thought I would leave it out.
I'm still working on this area. Who am I kidding..I am always working on everything!
~The End~

I hope your Wednesday is wonderful. Howard is off to Maine in the early A.M. and I will miss him!

Love and hugs,
Mona