~THE NIGHT BEFORE...

We had a pre Halloween gathering tonight...and had a great time.

As usual I didn't get many pictures because I was all wrapped up in what was going on and forgot to take pictures..but did manage to get a few.
It went sort of like this....

"So...Patient Husband...wanna carve a pumpkin?  Am I joking?  Well, no..not really.."

Little Emily said " I will if you pay me!" 

Grandson, Joey said "Grandma, don't make me laugh!"

And..the carv..!!!  What the heck?  NEVER, EVER, GIVE EIAN a knife!!  The POOR pumpkin...

We all watched in HORROR as Eian took after this poor shocked pumpkin? 

Can pumpkins be "shocked?"  *shrug*

...the end result!  YIKES!!

The entries are finished...

Daughter, Mary, began the voting...this one?

"Let's hear it for the vomiting pumpkin, urged Mary at the top of her lungs!!"

"OH now, come on!  Everyone vomits sometimes!"  Then Mary fell completely apart with laughter!

The prize?  Oh..well..we forgot about that..but a carmel apple for everybody..and brownies and ice cream...and a great mess time was had by everyone!

"Say G'night to Grandma Mona,  Emily!"

********

Happy Halloween, everyone!! 

Mona

P.S.  The party was actually given for Grandson Alex to celebrate a promotion.   Congratulations Alex!!! 

~JUST SOME THOUGHTS..~

I am not sure where I found this picture but since we don't have all those wonderful Autumn colors here in Southern California...I borrowed one..from somewhere.  I can't remember.

I don't seem to retain things for long anymore, but now that I think of it...I never did.

My Grandma didn't call me "scatterbrained" for no reason.  I hated it...but now looking back, maybe she was right.

Makes me smile just to remember her.

Another thought was..I hope I am not the oldest blogger out there.  There HAS to be many older than I am...BUT..where are they.  It's sort of disconcerting to think such a thing.  Maybe it's silly but it just occurred to me that so far everyone I have met is younger!  Can that be true? 

Does age matter?

Well, it never has until lately.

I know exactly how this is going to end.  I am going to go to bed (it's one of those sleepless in Riverside nights) then suddenly get this sick feeling and rush in here and delete this post.  I've done it before.

Insecurity sets in. 

I had nothing for today.  Not a thing.  So I spent the evening visiting your blogs..trying to remember who I had missed visiting last night..and the night before that. *sigh*

I WILL clean tomorrow.  I've been slacking something terrible.  The vacumm has been sitting here in my little office for two days now...waiting, and waiting...and waiting.

I had some of my children over for dinner tonight.  We had fun.  My daughter looked at my vacumm..and I honestly don't think she even noticed.  I meant to put it away and just plain forgot.  But we watched the World Series and had fun.  And isn't that what it is all about?

Yep.

I don't really care if I am the old lady.  It's *smile* not such a bad place to be. 

Not at all.

Love and hugs,

Mona

P.S.  Today I am going to ride my bike, get on that new treadmill, pull some weeds..and..vacumm and smile the entire time.

~A BREADBOX, A BABY AND A BEAR~

I have been looking for just the right breadbox..and I finally found one.  It was made in New Hampshire and I had to wait for it to be made.  I am delighted with it. 
I always wanted one made with a punched tin design.

 I really like it a lot.  It took a bit to get it..but worth the wait.
And...

It's RED!  YEAH!

Ok..  Now ...just this one thing I want to share. 

Some months ago...I met a very sweet woman on ebay. 

She was delightful.  Time went by and we became fast friends.

She works with children with special needs..which probably helps her to understand me.

Recently I turned 75 and this dear lady surprised me with a gift.

A note from the postman was left on my door...I had a package at the post office.

I thought it was the little doll house I had bought..however when I picked up the package it was way too small for that. 

Puzzled I took it home and opened it...and this is what I found..

Is she not ADORABLE

I think she is just gorgeous!  Thank you so much Erma!

 So between this darling little doll and...

My precious Abigail given to me by my dear friend, Joyce @ The Bears Blog, my little family is growing! 

My life has had it's ups and downs but blogging has brought me the sweetest people I could have ever imagined.  

My followers...my dear followers who give me encouragment..and sometimes read my mind and seem to know me better than I know myself. 

It never fails to amaze me. 

Yes, you who are reading this.  You.  YOU amaze and delight me.

Thank you so much ..for everything..for being there. 

I love you for it.

Mona

~TABLETOP CHRISTMAS SHOPPING..~

I have to show this full of daughter's cookies..which..I am sure was a bribe!  She doesn't fool me..
I added this photo as an ofter thought...because it is listed below WITHOUT the giant pumpkin cookies.  I just thought they looked so pretty.    Should..I keep this..No?  :)
Price $12.50.  Half price from the day before.  To me it was worth it. 
So....

WHAT a weekend!  We went to garage sales on Saturday...had a great time..and then doubled back on Sunday to check out an Estate Sale.  WELL...the first was bad enough..but then we ran into another one on the way home...and...I came away broke...minus some of  my birthday money from Sweet Husband..and loaded down with such lovely things...however...I am not in possession of some of them since daughter visited this evening and "Mom lifted" a few things.  No matter..we have fun. :)

AND...I made a dent in my Christmas shopping. 

 A beautiful pile of crocheted doilies...in PERFECT condition and starched stiff and ready to be wrapped.  Freshly laundered...I was delighted.

 Also, handmade tableclothes...GORGEOUS!

 ....and another...

This is an older one...(I did have two but the other one got up and walked out the door with daughter! :)

 Lots of silver...which is not all here either... :)  A revolving very large silver serving tray with removable divided  glass tray..  It WAS lovely.  Wish you could have seen it..  Ah well.  Precious daughter will use it much more than I would have. 
Also a little fifties tea service followed her out the door.  LOVE that child!
(would you believe that lovely silver water pitcher came with those FRESH roses in it?? :)
It did!   Inside was a nice glass jar filled with water.  Nice? 
I thought so too! :)
Hard to see the pretty rolling pen...but it is really, really nice.  It's staying with me.

Delicate little cups and bread plates...so sweet... and the little relish tray...

 ??  I just liked it.  Nice size.

 Sweet little divided dish...for ??

 A lovely cake keeper... and a spooner?  LOVE SPOONERS!
Not a single flea bite of the china...it is Bavarian by the way... :)

And this precious lop earred bunny was found on Saturday out in the yard of a Estate sale house.
He was caked with years of grim...full of spiders and cobwebs...terrible shape.  He is staying with me...and will be on my coffee table in Springtime...  He is NOT AN OUTSIDE BUNNY!
For SHAME!

So...Christmas shopping is...about finished and I am a happy camper!
No prices for obvious reasons...  Oops...I should have removed some of the tags on the Crochet.

The Estate sale was family run and I have never been in a more immaculate home..it was WOW clean!

I tell you, stores hold no  charm for me anymore.  :)

Love and hugs,
Mona

I am joining Marty's TABLETOP TUESDAY @ A STROLL THRU LIFE.....Thanks, Marty!!

~HOUSE HUNTING and FAIRY SHOES ...~

I found an artist that lives in Canada and makes these darling little shoes.

I wanted to add them to my  Fall decor...I love them...so sweet...

They belong to little Goblin Grim..who wants me to change his name...

Think I should?  :)

I ..live in a Fairy Tale world.   Always have...

I think I always  will.   Pat used to say that he felt like he was living in a story book.. :)

Also...

I have always wanted to furnish a little cottage from scratch...you know..just every single thing.

Floors, carpeting, walls, curtains..
So..I decided to start small and bought this little cottage all ready to go.

 When shopping..price is always a consideration.. :)
I wanted something already built and ready to be finished.

Another is  under my bed.  It's an English Tudor..still in the box ..but...I have NO NERVE!  :)

This  little cottage is going to have tiny window boxes...roses growing over the windows..even a cellar door in the back.  Grass surrounding it...just wait and see.. (might have a very long wait.)

Come on around back..I'll show you ...the tremendous amount of work I have ahead of me..

See?  Very small and cozy.  I want the little bedroom to look something like the one in my home..

I love our little guest room..

That wall right there is where the little fireplace is going....as soon as I get the wall painted and the flooring laid.  .....oh dear...sounds like a lot!!

See where the little stairs come up?  And that's the bathroom on the right..

There is a little window seat under the octagon shaped window.  Perhaps some tiny rose covered wall paper?  Who knows. :)

LOVE these little stairs..leading up to the  bedroom...

So...how about ...this little stove?

Or maybe a little bed something like this?

This little WORKING sewing maching?

A little kitchen something like this? 

A fireplace??

This tiny Halloween wreath on the front door??  Hmmmm??

Ok...I'm done.  Wore myself out just thinking of it...

Later then? 

Hugs and love,

Mona  :)

~A BIT OF A TREASURE HUNT~

Usually,  I say USUALLY, we are up and out enjoying our Saturday's looking for treasures.

This Saturday was no different. 

We picked up Precious Daughter and off we went.

The very first stop was at an Estate Sale...(I need to start taking my camera on these jaunts..because this home was worth...forgetting quickly!)  However..I won't soon forget it.

Horrible! 

But...I found this lovely little basket covered with dirt out in the garage.  I brought it home, washed it and sprayed with clear lacquer.  It turned out beautiful. 

Price?  $2.00 

Estate Sales are always much higher than garage sales...

AND NO bargaining ..except...and remember this...:) on the following day.

This lovely, I think burl, for $1.00.  Wouldn't it make a lovely place for a Fairy to live??

:)
Did you notice that a stone is wedged in the wood.  The wood apparently grew right around stone..

The next garage sale...I found this hand painted signed tray for $4.00. 
More than I wanted to pay..but it started off at $10.00.
I was accused of being a hard core bargainer! 
I MOST CERTAINLY AM NOT!!!   :)

The day ended with just those few things...but..

Sunday morning...

I  had seen an Estate Sale but there was  not enough time to stop...so I begged..(didn't have to beg very hard) Patient Husband to go back.   He quickly gulped down his coffee...grabbed his shoes and in two minutes flat we were on our way.

The first thing I found were two floral arrangements...this one had been $25..but was not 1$12.50, but they gave it to me for $10!!

I thought this was a sweet little bouquet (LOVE roses!) and can be tucked in anywhere..

$2.00.

Gold brocade round table cloth..perfect for my little round drum table...makes a nice change..

A Flow Blue tea pot without it's lid..LOVE it..

and a marvelous cheese slicer..much better than the one I own.

$1.00 for the tea pot and 25 cents for the chesse slicer...

NOW...here comes the good one.  We needed a nice large second refrigerator for the garage.

And there it sat..in all it's glory..with a price tag of $175!  Today?  $87.50, but they gave it to us for $80 even.  It had all the papers with it.  It is an Amana bought in 1984 at a local appliance store near us.

And..the manual was with it...everything we needed. 

Home we went for my truck..

SOOO clean.  Sparkling.  Everything in the home was lovely and clean.

I will take care of it..and I am giving all the things a loving  home. 

So..happy Treausre Hunting to you this Saturday?  Convienced yet?  But of course you are.

Love and hugs,

Mona