Autumn Greetings

This is my favorite fall wreath.  No reason.  It just makes me happy…

I can’t wait to put it up every autumn :)

The pieces are all thin wood.  I cut them out with my scroll saw and hand painted them before gluing to a grapevine wreath.

Acorns, pumpkins and corn:

 More pumpkins, leaves and a sunflower:

And an autumn angel
who is…

GiViNg YoU a HaRVeSt WeLCoMe:

CAST your cares
on the LORD and he will SUSTAIN
YOU; he will NEVER let the RIGHTEOUS fall. Psalm 55:22

(Couldn’t resist sharing this favorite “fall” verse :)

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Toffee Mocha…

Another seasonal favorite at Starbucks is toffee mocha. 

It pretty much tastes like this…
 Photo via Wiseman House Chocolates

Chocolaty, yummy toffee.

In a cup.   

(Toffee mocha, oh how I Love thee)

Make yourself this yummy treat at home (When you’re not indulging at the Starbucks).

Only 2 ingredients

Toffee Creamer

1 cup non dairy coffee creamer (powder)
1 cup packed brown sugar

Process in a food processor until well blended or whisk together in a bowl.  Store in an airtight container.  Add 1-2 tablespoons to 1 cup of hot coffee. 

And if you’re feeling a little sassy…

slap some whipped cream and cinnamon on top:    

You’re welcome. 
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Stillness

  

Each one

 

swingers and climbers

Have you noticed there are two definite preferences, when it comes to playground play? 

You see.

There are swingers 

and there are climbers. 

                                Skyleigh Claire likes to swing.

Please.

DO NOT attempt to remove her from the swing.

Such efforts will be met with MUCH weeping,

wailing and

gnashing of teeth.

(She’s serious about her swinging).

                  Nolan Ryan is a climber

        and so is Matthew

                                     Lacey Brooke, too!

  Nolan tries pushing…

          But it’s WAY too hard

Which one is your favorite?

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Anatomy of a pitch

Some photos of Lacey pitching this summer.

Except. 

You’ll have to imagine it at 60 miles an hour.

In other words.  This is super slow-mo.  

Preparation

            The windup

Scary face required.

               The release

Batter’s view:Strike 3. Batter’s OUT O

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Pumpkin Spice

Do you
       big puffy heart

this:

As much as me??

How about making some at home 

to get you by…

until your next Starbucks trip?

Last year I posted my Just Like Starbucks recipe here.

(PS. It’s delicious)

But this is even easier:

PUMPKIN SPICE COFFEE CREAMER

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup powdered coffee creamer
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Measure all of the ingredients (even the vanilla) into a food processor and process for about a minute, or until it is all powdery smooth and the texture is even. Store in a container with a lid.

You can add more or less spices, according to your tastes.  Splenda can be used  instead of sugar. 

Double or triple the ingredients so you don’t have to make it as often.  Cuz you’ll be making it often.  :)  

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Hope

  

The summer of perpetual motion

Spring and summer flew by this year.  Busyness from dawn to dusk - there was little time for blogging and visiting all of you!  

Reason for perpetual motion #1:  Matthew played on a traveling baseball team this year b  

And by travel, I mean their league is actually in ANOTHER STATE!   

From March through July, we were privileged to drive back and forth to Colorado and/or Nebraska.  At least 2 and sometimes 4 days a week. 

He loved every minute and gained lots of experience. 

But it SERIOUSLY stretched my time management skills! 

Such as they are. 

It.was.a.struggle. 

Plus.  Until early June, game day temps were in the low 40’s.  Minus a few thousand degrees of wind chill. 

SIMPLY DELIGHTFUL, I tell you. 

By July, my fingers had finally thawed and I took a few pictures:

Swinging in Castle Rock       

The much feared lefty slurve pitch

Pitching at Highlands Ranch. Strike 3. Again.
 
Swimming between tournaments

Playing first base in front of the beautiful Rockies!  
Looking forward to next season!

(Remind me of that in March, K)?

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FaLL BLeSSinGs FRieNds!

Fall’s call

Summer is short here. 

So short, people here say we only have 2 seasons: 

1) Winter and 2) It Feels Like Winter

Or, more appropriately,

1) Winter and 2) Road Construction

As such, we really don’t have much “fall” to speak of.

It just gets a little colder than it already has been.  All the pretty green flowers, gardens and trees succumb to frost.

And every morsel of weather that is non winter related is cherished and DELIGHTFUL. 

The extreme cold cooler temperatures and the mountains many feet of snow will be here soon enough.  Perhaps even tomorrow.  REALLY. I’MNOTKIDDING. 

Oh, and don’t forget the incessant gale force entity known simply as THEWIND. 

To sum up- the weather here is LOVELY.   Please come visit any time. 

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A primitive light box is fun and cheerful in any season.  Here’s how I make mine: 

Start with an old sewing drawer. 

If you don’t happen to have a sewing drawer, use whatever you have on hand…. an old tin, sifter, colander or you can even paint a paper mache box to match your theme.  It’ll look great no matter what you use!

Cut a piece of Styrofoam or florist foam to fit inside.  To fill the sewing drawer, I used fabric pumpkins, fall berries, pine greenery and a fall star. 

This tutorial explains how to make the pumpkins…

I used a twig from a lilac bush for the stem and used my primitive grunging recipe to coffee stain and scent them.  They smell SO good!

The star is made from muslin with a pretty scrap of fall fabric whip stitched on top.  It’s also stained and scented. 

I insert small sticks or dowel pieces into the stuffed pumpkins and stars… then stick them into the florist foam.  The berries and greenery have their own stems. 

Tuck in a strand of twinkle lights.  
 
And finish with a strip of fabric tied in a bow. 

I use mine with a timer – to come on at dusk and turn off at bedtime.  I love to change the theme and have a twinkly primitive box all year.f

FaLL BLeSSiNgS!
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