Happy, Happy

Hello, my lovelies!

 

I've been missing from blogland for far too long.  

Why does this keep happening to me?

Between an October filled with birthdays,

anniversaries & other events/commitments,
(not to mention a bout of sciatica)

I've had little time to enjoy blogging.

 

It's terrible really because when this time of year rolls around,

blogland comes alive!

I can only imagine all that I've been missing!

 

Today I'm going to ease back into blogging

by joining my sweet friend, Ricki Jill,

from Art @ Home, 

for her weekly Happy List party.   

 

This week I'm happy because of:

 

 

Yes. 
Netflix.

I know I'm probably ridiculously late to the
"Netflix-is-the-most-wonderful-thing-ever" party,
but I have discovered a lot of great
TV shows because of it,
such as the Tudors and Once Upon a Time.

*Sigh*

I love my Netflix.  

♥♥♥♥

Since I'm on the TV subject,
this week I'm happy because of:

 All the great new TV shows this fall.

Like this one:

 

Just give James Spader an Emmy already...

and a Golden Globe...and

whatever else you can find to award him with for this role.

 

Then there's:

 

The Goldbergs

The Crazy Ones

Agents of  S.H.I.E.L.D

Brooklyn Nine-nine

The Michael J. Fox Show

 

Honestly, I can't remember the last time I've watched

so much TV!

 

Note to self:  this may be why you haven't been blogging much.

 

♥♥♥♥

 

This week I'm happy because:

 

I live in a place that looks like this in the Fall.

 

Granted the leaves are pretty much gone now, but it is
an absolutely riot of color for a few glorious weeks
and I love it.


♥♥♥♥

What are you happy about this week?

 

Come join us at Ricki Jill's blog and tell us about it.


 I hope you have a spectacular week...one that fills a nice, long happy list! 

 

 

 

Fall Mantel 2013

Hello, hello!

How are you?  

 

It's such a beautiful sunshiny Fall day here,
and it makes me so happy.

♥♥♥ 
 

I have yet to share my Fall mantel with you, so here goes:
 

 

I think I always love my Fall mantel best

out of all the seasonal changes it goes through.

 Or maybe it's just because I love Fall so much. 

 

Here's a little collage of close-ups:

 

 

I only purchased a few new items for this mantel...

the wooden candle holders from TJ Maxx,

and the lantern from Kirklands.  I can tell that

the lantern is going to become a favorite of mine!

 I'm sure you've already seen the subway

art I made a few years ago. 

 

 

I can't take complete credit for the banner.

I did make it, but it was a template I found online at Yellow Mums.

 Here's another little close-up collage:
 



  

It was an easy banner to make and I really like how it turned out.

 

 

So there you have it.

Another Fall, another mantel.

 

See you soon!

 

Fall Apples tablescape

You know, I love apples.

 

Tart, sweet, crisp apples...especially in the Fall. 

I never feel that an apple tastes as good at any other time

as it does in the fall.

 

When Kathleen of Cuisine Kathleen issued her challenge

this month for the Let's Dish party, it was all about apples. 

I was happy to join in.

 

This was a tablescape that came together effortlessly. 

 

 

 

I started with a plaid tablecloth from Home Goods.

 

 

Then I layered my often-used wicker placemats from Pier 1.

Green dinner plates are Better Homes & Gardens from Walmart.

Gold dishes are from the Oneida Outlet.

Red apple plates are from Christmas Tree Shop. 

Green flatware is Cambridge from Home Goods.

Gold napkins from Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Green felt napkin rings from Crate & Barrel.

Green bubble goblets from Target.

 

 

The centerpiece couldn't be easier.  A potted Kalanchoe gave

me the color I wanted.  I had every intention of popping it

in a pot of some sort, but I liked the brown paper

that the pot was wrapped in, and decided to leave it as is.

 

I added a couple of small pillar candles,

 

 

and I had to add that burlap cutie, too!

 

 

I have to say, that I really love these colors together.

Really.  Love.

 

 

Happy Fall, friends!  

Linking to:

Inspire Me Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life

Let's Dish @ Cuisine Kathleen

Pear Crisp

I don't know if I've ever shared this before,

but when we bought our home some 13 years ago,

we were lucky to have inherited a small and very old pear tree. 

 

Now I don't know exactly how old this tree might be,

(our home was built in 1933)

but with every thunderstorm or snowstorm,

I watch from my window, holding my breath,

hoping that the storm doesn't finish this

small tree off once and for all. 

Half of the tree did break off once in a storm,

but it still continues to grow despite that. 

 

Here is our tree, just a few weeks ago, after we harvested the pears.

   

This little cutie gave us a full harvest of pears this year.  You can still

see a few left up top.   These pears were so juicy, I'm telling you,

I could barely cut them up for the recipe below.  They were slipping and

sliding through my fingers. 

 

Ready for the recipe?

 

This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman.  

 

 

Pear Crisp

 

4-5 whole large pears (Bosc work well, although mine weren't Bosc)

2/3 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

 

Topping Ingredients:

 

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup pecans, very finely chopped

1 stick butter, melted

 

Preheat oven to 350°.  Peel, core and dice pears.  Place in a bowl and stir together with 2/3 cups sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt.  Set aside.

 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans.  Stir together.  Drizzle  melted butter gradually, stirring with a fork as you go along until all is combined.

 

Pour pears into a buttered baking dish, top with crumb topping.

 

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.  Place pan on top rack of oven for an additional 10 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

 

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.  

 

 

Oh it is soooo good!

I hope you'll give it a try. 

 

What are you planning to bake for Fall? 

 

 

Falling

Just like so many of you, I am falling for Fall...

and loving every minute of it.

 

Never you mind that it's supposed to be
88 degrees & humid

on Tuesday & Wednesday this week,

I'm not listening to a word of it.

I've got my hands over my ears.

La la la la

Did you say something?

♥♥♥
 

Today I am sharing Fall on my dining room hutch.

 

 

 

It's great when I get to use stuff I already have on hand.

 

Now for a little close-up collage.

I enjoy that PicMonkey.

 

I bought those gold candleholders at Michael's about 10 years ago.

So many times I'd thought of getting rid of them.

So many times they've come in handy!  lol 

Just goes to show you, some things you just need

to hold on to.    Good thing I kept these. 

 

 

I love this quote that I found by George Eliot,

it's perfect for how I feel about fall,

and perfect for my chalkboard.

 

 

Have you begun decorating for Fall? 

 

 

 Wishing you a wonderful week,  my friends.

 

Linking to:

 

Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

 

 

 

Loaded Up Pretzel Cookies

When the weather cooled down last week, I got the urge to bake.

Not wanting to get into my favorite fall flavors of apple, pumpkin or cinnamon just yet, I went for something fun that I knew my kids would love.

Enter this creation:

 

 

This recipe came from Taste of Home magazine.   The cookies are larger than your average cookie, but so delicious!  Soft & chewy, yet crunchy all at the same time.

 

They are an easy cookie to make too.  Nothing complicated here. 

 

Loaded Up Pretzel Cookies

 

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups miniature pretzels, broken

1 ½ cups flaked coconut

1 ½ cups milk chocolate M&Ms

 

Preheat oven to 350°.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture.  Stir in remaining ingredients.

 

Shape ¼ cupfuls of dough into balls; place 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

 

Makes 2 dozen

 

 

 

 

I hope you give them a try soon! 

 



I'm Back and Looking Ahead

Hello, hello everyone!

 

I have finally returned from my blog break and am glad to be here with you!

 

Vacation was wonderful, my refinished floors look beautiful and
 I am working on lots of new projects around the house. 
(I have a lot to share, if I could only finish an actual project. Ahem.)

   

Somewhere along the way of working on all these projects, I was detoured.

 

It all started last week. 

 

First, the temperatures cooled into the 70s. 
Overnight, the temps were in the 40s.

 

Second, I got my Sept/Oct issue of Taste of Home magazine.

 I opened the cover and was stopped in my tracks by this picture:

 

 

The big "Back to School" did not even phase me,

 even though my kids are back to school in less than 3 weeks.

 

No, it was the apples.  Oh there is nothing like a crisp Fall apple! 

And then it started.....the conditions were right for...

 

FALL DREAMING

 

 

Pinterest

 

Pinterest

 

Pinterest

 

 

Why does this always happen?

 

I don't want to rush Summer, but somehow Fall has a

way of awakening me from my Summer stupor.

 

So, have you been doing any Fall dreaming lately?