When I was young we were forever going somewhere, anywhere, to just get out and explore. Even if my mom was just going to the corner store, we all darted out to the car as if we'd been cooped up for months and this was our only escape. Even now I tell my kids, 'Please, act like you've been in public before" because they are loud and crazy and act like they're limited in outings of any kind. When they hear the sound of me taking the keys off the hook, they come running to see where I am going, every one of them. I guess it's in their nature.

I still like to go and see what's around and this time of year I can always find something that will make us happy. For us it's festivals, craft fairs, walking trails, farms, football games, pumpkin patches, hay rides; anything Autumn.

We went to a little place in the country (which is pretty much any direction you go here) and stocked up on gourds, pumpkins and mums. Union Mill Acres was adorable and the people were friendly and helpful. There was a great assortment of everything you need for fall displays and the prices were the best around unless you go to the auction directly.

What a great place. Just see for yourself...



A barn with more things for sale. This would be my dream, having a barn on property to have a little shop!

Blair picking out a pumpkin

A topiary of gourds and pumpkins, good price too.

Cinderella pumpkins - my favorite

Gourd crazy

Trae pulling the mums for me until he discovered the sand box (upper right corner)



Handsome hubby carrying Blair's pick

So clever. I have never seen this before.






I hope you are enjoying this season as much as I am - hopefully even more!

xo

Laura




Friday finds - Guarding the pencils

Sometimes I'll spy something thrifty and have a very specifc purpose in mind, assuming whomever I use it for will like it too. But that can be a miss at times.

So when I saw this 50-cent-pot-bellied-thrift-store owl, I thought it was perfect to hold Reese's precious colored pencil set. He loves to draw with real art pencils.

But I also thought this owl looked a little scary so the plan was to spray paint it. I put it up in his closet to safe keep until then. I spent the entire afternoon on Labor Day cleaning out his room. Entire afternoon. Boys can quickly destroy a room with all their antics and what Reese calls his "Karate chop incidents."

After I cleared his dresser, I rotated some of his decorative things. Even boys like to display their precious items. His glass/rock frog collection took its turn in the drawer and all of the Beyblades went back in the minnow bucket. I pulled out the owl, plopped in the pencils and put it on his dresser. I was surprised that when I told Reese I wanted to paint it he said "Noo. I like his blue tie!"

So now he proudly sits guard over the pencils and its colors and strangeness all seem to work, don't you think?

Here's to those simple things that can make you happy.

Anthro and my two cents

I think my cooking skills would improve if I made a trip to Anthropologie. The same way my backhand in tennis would if I had a diamond bracelet. I've been telling my husband that for years but he hasn't fallen for it.

I have been wanting those Matryoshka measuring cups for ever. When I went to order them one day, they were no longer available. So I hit ebay and found some, but of course, a hundred other people had the same idea and the price went too high. I didn't want them that much.

My husband was a Russian linguist in the Army. When he went to Russia, my only request was that he bring back some nesting dolls and that he stay safe of course. He wasn't able to get any but did bring home some Lomonosov, which little Belen promptly broke. I remember hearing the crash and looking over to see Belen standing next to the buffet and saying "uh oh" in her little voice.

I still have it in its pieced-back-together state. And when the subject comes up of how it broke or something else around the house that mysteriously met its demise, we talk about how sweet she was about it and the memory warms my heart.

So in a long answer to a question about this photo of my glass vase and if I'm ever worried about things breaking with toddlers around, my answer is no. Well yes, but no.

Of course there will be mishaps. They happen everyday around here. Have you seen Tornado Trae?? But, I'd rather be using my things and enjoying them. Some items are a little safer and out of the way, like my great-grandmother's candy dish. But if I wait to get something nice when the kids are out of the house, they might not learn how to treat something with respect and care. It's a risk, but my advice? If you love it, use it. If it breaks, stains, rips or tears, at least it was serving it's purpose. If it is highly valuable, either monetarily or sentimentally, just display it out of arms reach but allow it to be visible enough for all to enjoy.

And that's my two cents.