Show 'n Tell Friday

My Show and Tell items this week are a couple wax Santas I found.
The Santa on the left is a candle. It's rare to find one this large, about 8 1/2 inches, in such good condition.

The Santa on the right is also made of wax. Because of the bottom and light weight, I believe he was filled with Fanny Farmer candy.

The bottom doesn't come off easily and I don't want to ruin it. I love both of these Santas and they are a great addition to my Christmas decor.

To see other Show 'n Tell posts visit Kelli's House.

Our Thanksgiving

Jerzie and I had a very busy day yesterday . Since I didn't have turkey on Thanksgiving, Jerzie and I had turkey and all the trimmings yesterday. She had her first taste of left over pie crust baked with cinnamon and sugar...
she helped me fold the napkins...
but most of the day she spent just like this!

I'm standing at the counter working and she is leaning on my leg. She's not used to Grandma being so busy when she's here. I made No Bake Pumpkin Pie and Paper Bag Apple Pie plus all the usuals,stuffing, mashed potatos, green bean cassarole, sweet potato cassarole, corn and apple/grape salad.We set the table with the Christmas dishes.

After dinner Jerzie tried..
and tried... and tried...
to get comfortable laying on Daddy's full belly!

Green Thumb Sunday

These pictures of the back corner of my yard were taken on a dark, dreary day. This area is where my shade garden is.
This corner is at it's brightest because of all the yellow leaves on and around a huge maple tree.Now all those leaves are covered with a light snow. I'm hoping it will dry up a little so I can get some of them raked up soon.

Help!!

This is what my living room looked like when I got done at the beauty shop today. Luckily, I got done early.
Looks like I have a lot of work to do!
I'm sorry to say, this is what it looks like after about 4 hours work!
I think it's getting worse instead of better!
I can't have all this mess when Jerzie comes over Monday.
I have to go to work now. I have until tomorrow at 4:30, when I go to work again, to get this mess cleaned up. I woke up at 5 this am thinking about all I have to do so I'm sure I'll be up early tomorrow. Think I can get it done? Any volunteers to help?

"Blogger Burnout"

Sorry, I haven't been very good about posting lately. I guess it's "blogger burnout!" I didn't even do Thanksgiving so I can't blame it on that! We take turns for Thanksgiving and it wasn't my turn this year. The kids went to their Dad's so I just stayed home. I took down the fall decor and did some Christmas decorating.
Putting my village on top of the kitchen cabinets is time consuming so I decided to get that done.
It always feels good to have it done. I can't wait to see if Jerzie notices it.
I also got out the Christmas dishes and put them in the china cabinet . Another big job!
Today I removed pictures, etc. and I plan on bringing all the boxes down. I'm hoping to get most everything done tomorrow and Sunday before work. I've had to go in at 5 most of the week so it's throwing me off a bit. Monday I have Jerzie and I'm making our Thanksgiving dinner. Hopefully I'll get back into the "blogger groove!"

Have you started your Christmas decorating yet?

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your stuffing be tasty

May your turkey plump,

May your potatoes and gravy

Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious

And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner

Stay off your thighs!

Can you believe...

I had Jerzie all day and never picked up my camera! She was tired today so we spent a lot of time cuddling (which I loved!) and she spent a lot of time sleeping. I was working on a couple projects tonight and forgot to blog until 10 o'clock! These are pictures I took a few weeks ago when she came over to show me her new winter coat, hat and boots.
She's been wearing this hat I got her because it covers her ears better.

Actually, I'll bet she was happy not to have her picture taken for once!

Green Thumb Sunday

Lu-Ray Pastels

I found some advertisements from back in the 40,s for my new, old, Lu-Ray dishes and thought you might enjoy them.

These adds are to convince salesmen into selling the line.

This ad says they can make a 40 percent profit by buying a set for $2.64!
I love this add with all the colors on a black background. It will be fun to search for some of these pieces.
I'll need some more pieces if I am going to "Set my Table with Jewels"!

The ring

Welcome to Show N Tell Friday. Go to Kelli's House for a list of rules and everyone involved today.

I found this ring in my Mom's jewelry box several years ago. Mom was not a jewelry person and I didn't remember her ever wearing it.

When I asked about it, Mom said she had found it when she was a teen. It was in the bottom of a box in her Mom and Dad's attic. She couldn't understand why it was there so asked about it. Seems my Grandpa had bought it for another girl before he met my Grandma!
I have no idea why someone didn't just get rid of it but I'm glad they didn't. I love this ring.

Bring it on!

Okay, I finally did it! I got the snow shovel out of the shed and it's waiting by the shop door. We're supposed to get "sticking" snow tonight and tomorrow. Lake effect, up to 12 inches in higher elevations. I'm not in a high elevation but as I told you a couple days ago, I have large trees full of leaves in front of my house. Snow and leaf filled branches, not a good combination! I'm ready for winter (except for the leaves).
A customer gave me these huge daffodil and tulip bulbs.
They are planted and waiting for spring.
Monday I put heat tape on my roof where there is always ice build up that finds it's way into my bedroom walls. I'm as ready as I'll ever be, so bring it on!

Angel redo!

I love the face and hair on this angel I bought several years ago.She used to be dressed in this...

(click here to see before and after shot)
but I don't have blue in my house anymore so I gave her to the sewing and embellishing genius, Dawn.
Embellish she did! With ribbons, beads and colorful stitches.
She is perfect!!
Thanks Dawn! I LOVE her!

My street.

I had to go have a mammogram today and since I only live 2 blocks from the hospital, I walked. It was a beautiful fall day with a bright blue sky.They collected leaves on my street yesterday. I haven't even tried to rake yet with all these leaves still on the trees. This is on the way to the hospital.
Some of the maples are bright yellow and others are still green.
This burning bush is huge!
Can you believe this holly bush? Actually, I think it is 3 bushes. They say you need a male and a female to produce berries. It seems the one in the middle doesn't have any berries.
Look at the berries on this one!
This is on my way back home. See the bright blue Cruiser way up ahead? I love all the trees on my street. They have had to take down several but I'm lucky enough to have 2 in front of my house.
When I was first divorced I used to walk down this street and dream about living here, never imagining that it would really happen! When I decided to try to buy a house on my own this house is the only one I looked at. I just knew it was meant for us. I have never regretted buying it.
I would have liked to live outside the city but as a single parent living close to the school, park and Boys Club was a priority.I can hardly believe that next summer it will be paid off!
I also love that I live on a brick street! There are several in our city and the driving is a little rough but I still love them.

Veterans Day 2007

THANK YOU! A Grateful Community Remembers.






This Dave Poulin bronze is in front of our city hall.
(To see others put Dave Poulin in my search engine)

Green Thumb Sunday

I walked the gardens to see what color I could find.
Prim roses like the cool weather so they decided to bloom again.
This blue one was the first to bloom in the spring and looks like it will be the last in the fall.
Even after several heavy frosts this knock out rose keeps blooming.
Of course, the holly loves the cool weather.
My azalea bush may not be blooming but it sure has some nice color.
As always in the fall, the burning bush is beautiful!
What colors are in your garden?
Happy GTS!
Click the button on the sidebar for more GTS posts.

Special haircut!

I had a very special customer at my beauty shop today. Jerzie came in with Mommy and Daddy for her first haircut!She wasn't real sure about getting in my chair but we talked her into it. She liked the fish cape.
She didn't need much cut but her bangs were getting long
and the back needed to be evened out a little.
She was tired but she did real good for a little while.
Then she decided she didn't like it at all.
The best part was being able to give her a hug after putting her thru the trauma!
One of these days I won't be able to keep her out of my chair!

Show and Tell Friday!

Welcome to Show and Tell Friday! To find out more and get a list of everyone involved today go to Kelli's House.

Today I'm showing you the most fun part of my shop. Believe it or not it is the tiny bathroom.

This is the wallpaper border I have around the middle. I already had my theme picked out and couldn't believe it when I found this paper. Someone had ordered it and never picked it up so I got a good deal, too.

This is what you see when you open the door. The fox stole and hat on the mannequin were given to me by customers.The crochet like purse was my mothers.

This is one side wall.



This shelf holds two clutch purses and two pair of gloves donated by customers. The perfume bottles, compact and gold hanging purse were my Mom's.

The other side wall.

I love this turquoise feather hat!
This set also came from a customer. She was in her 90's when she gave it too me. She had made them for her wedding. They are also turquoise but made of velvet.
I hope you've enjoyed my beauty shop tour.

While you're here why don't you check out my daughter's "blog-shop",

Bits and Pieces by Laurie.

Thanksgiving preparation

With Thanksgiving only 2 weeks away and everyone talking about getting ready I thought this might help you with your plans!

Dining Without Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I'm telling you in advance, so don't act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming, I've made a few small changes:

1. Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

2. Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and fall foliage I had planned to make. Instead, I've gotten the kids involved in the decorating by having them track in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard. The mud was their idea.

3. The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas.

4. Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey.

5. We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hot line. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 am upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds. As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

6. We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We've also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table ... in a separate room ... next door.

7. Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private" meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat.

8. I would like to take this opportunity to remind my young diners that "passing the rolls" is not a football play. Nor is it a request to bean your sister in the head with warm tasty bread.

9. Oh, and one reminder for the adults: For the duration of the meal, and especially while in the presence of young diners, we will refer to the giblet gravy by its lesser-known name: Cheese Sauce. If a young diner questions you regarding the origins or type of Cheese Sauce, plead ignorance. Cheese Sauce stains.

10. Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice among 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice; take it or leave it.

From Z to A

I had the kids over for dinner the other night so I could try this new Zucchini Soup recipe I found.(The pictures are of a double batch). It started with 2 medium zucchini, grated. Salt lightly and put in colander and let drain for 1/2 hour. Add 2 medium carrots, grated and a medium onion, chopped. Saute in 1/2 cup butter until vegetables are slightly limp. Stir in 4 tablespoons flour and cook for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly.

Add 2-13.5 oz cans of chicken broth. When smooth and hot, add 4 ounces grated Monterrey Jack cheese stirring until melted. Add 1 cup milk, salt and pepper. I thought this was very tasty but would add at least half cheddar cheese next time.
I also made apple crisp for desert. I finally found a recipe that didn't have oatmeal in it.
4 cups sliced apples
sprinkle with 1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup waterMix 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
3/4 c. flour
2-3 Tbsp maple syrup
Pour over apples

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.
Best served warm with a scoop on vanilla ice cream.

Craft show and more!

Laurie and I went to a huge craft show on Sunday that we go to every year. We don't buy a lot but get ideas and have fun spending the day together. Of course, we have our favorite booth and this year she didn't disappoint! Go check out Laurie's post to see what she got from our favorite booth.I got this adorable snowman. It is actually a box with a light inside that shows thru the wire mesh on the star. Isn't he cute?
I couldn't believe this when I saw it. It was in a basket with a paper explaining what it is. Can you guess?Back in March I wrote a post about Jerzie's "Tag Addiction"! Apparently she isn't the only kid around that likes tags. This is a small fleece square with tags all around it. I'm sure Jerzie will love it but it's a Christmas present so, please, don't tell her.
I got a few Christmas presents that I can't show and of course, a couple more things for me! Laurie spotted this tree topper at Marshal's. It will be perfect in the dining room, where I have my tree. I've used a beaded angel my Mom made for years but it's time for a change. Hopefully I won't get harassed too much about the change.
I also got this cute snowman. I do not need any more snowmen but I just couldn't resist!

All and all we had a great day!

Jerzie this 'n that

Jerzie is a little cuddly today and Grandma sure doesn't mind that! She got one of her top teeth in finally.
See how red and sore the other one looks. No wonder she's a little whiny.
I found a new hat at the craft show yesterday.
It will go with most anything!
I'm working on eating with a spoon and sometimes she uses her fingers, sometimes her right hand,
most times her left hand,
and sometimes even both hands!
Then, of course, there are times she just plays with the spoon and doesn't eat at all!

Green Thumb Sunday

Welcome to GTS!

Today I'm showing an ornamental grass. I'm sorry to say I have no idea the name, but I assume it is a type of feather grass. (I'm sure someone out there can help me out!).

In late summer I noticed it was starting to make its blooms.
This grass is about 5 to 6 feet tall. I only have one clump but it is huge. I separated some 2 years ago and you had to use a hatchet to separate the roots.
Soon the blooms are taller than the grass.
The color changes from more tan to more burgundy.
This is what it looks like now. As it gets colder it will get almost fluffy. When the wind blows in the winter the snow will be covered in the stalks. It's about the only thing left in the garden but it is a great focal point!

Click the button on the sidebar for all GTS participants.

Wreath

Do you remember this wreath stand I got for half price at the gift shop that was going out of business? I wanted a dried hydrangea wreath to hang on it. I found a grapevine wreath I didn't need and hot glued green Spanish moss to it, covering most of the grapevines.Then I took some hydrangea I had dried last year. I broke the large hydrangea into smaller pieces and glued them to the moss. I liked the green blooms and the cream and burgundy ones both so I alternated them in groups of 2 or 3 depending on the size.
In a very short time I had a finished wreath.
I love the color variations and it's perfect on the stand.
It fits nicely in my mantle piece with the little rocker. Best of all it only cost the price of the Spanish moss, which was a couple dollars.

Show and Tell

Go on over to Kelli's House to find out about Show and Tell Friday and to get a list of participants.

Today I'm going to show you the last of my old hair "stuff" in my beauty shop. There is a bench on this wall where people sit to wait for me. I found this travel beauty kit at an antique store.The graphics are hair net packages. The first three items are early crimping irons.
These packages are hair color. All these irons,except the one with the yellow handle need to be heated on a stove or fire. The one with the yellow handle was my Moms. It has a cord that goes into the handle like an old coffee pot cord.
These are clippers. I can't even imagine trying to cut with these but customers have told me they were used on them!
I made up this shadow box for some of my smaller items. The red box is hairpins.The green bead thing on the left is a bun cover. The funny looking item on the bottom right is to make pincurls. My favorite 2 things are on the top left and middle with the orange band. The first one is a package of "bendies". They are like wire covered with cloth and the package says they will give you a perfect bob. The middle package is basically the same thing from an earlier time. They are made of leather . There are 2 of them next to the package. Our "bendies" are wire covered with foam.
As you can see from all my "stuff", concepts really don't change much They are just made more up to date and comfortable with new materials. I hope you have enjoyed this look into the past. Next time you go to the hairdresser be thankful that things have continued to improve!

No dogs allowed!

I can't believe it's November 1st already. I still have lots to do before winter. I did get 4 windows washed and put storms on yesterday. It has been beautiful. Cool but sunny. I had to work at the store last night. It was real slow so we didn't do much.

We don't usually allow dogs in the store but this one was sooo cute we couldn't turn it away!
Have you ever seen such an adorable puppy? ( I may be a little prejudice)
This was her last stop of the night so her whiskers were a little faded.
She had to give the ghost Grandma gave her a kiss!
There was actually a skunk going in the store when I left! I forgot I had my camera so I didn't get a picture. She was going to see her Grandma too, but she wasn't seeing much of anything. She was a very sleepy skunk.