Waiting for Autumn

We are still waiting for autumn here in NH. Despite the spotting of red leaves last week with Baby C., it was 92 degrees here today! So I am going to continue the tour of red (and maybe a little green) inside my home that I started last week.

Here is a collection of mostly red picnic baskets. The bottom one is my daughter's but so far she hasn't showed up to claim it for her own cute home. My favorite on is the little one on top. I love the child sized baskets.
These are my kitchen canisters made by the Ransburg company in the 50's. They belonged to my sister at one time but she tired of them and I took them and have loved them ever since. I love the color and the handpainted flowers. My daughter has two sets of her own, black and yellow, that are just as pretty. She's a collector like her mother!And here is my other favorite color, apple green. The jar on the right is made by the same company that made the canisters. I picked both of these up for very little because they are missing their covers. They are perfect next to the stove.Now would someone please find Autumn and send it back to NH. It's my favorite season and I am missing it.

Baby C. Here!

Hi Everyone, Baby C. here!
I'm at my Gram's house! At the college she works at she has a new job this year and her very nice boss lets her work four days a week instead of five. That means I get to come stay at her house every Friday! Today it was really nice outside so we got to do one of my most favorite things in the world-go for a walk! So I thought I could show you my Gram and Gramp's neighborhood. My Gram and Gramp's house is the last house on the street so it's in a nice place to play.
We walked all the way to the dentist's office up the street so my Gram could pay the bill. She told me that she has spent thousands of dollars here, whatever those are, on my Daddy's and Auntie's teeth.
We went all the way to the top of the street. My Gram lives way down there.
While were walking a pretty leave fell on my stroller. Gram thinks it came from her neighbor's tree that is really pretty red and orange right now. They have a swing set in their yard. I hope my Gram and Gramps get one for me.
Then we were back at Gram's house.

They built a big room over their new garage just for me! I already have toys and my own table in there. I played with Gram in there almost all day today because I didn't want to take any naps. My Gramps is putting siding on it now but my Gram doesn't think he will ever be done. She is sick of seeing the siding with the word "tyvek" on it. Then my Mommy, Daddy, Gramps, Auntie and Uncle came over for dinner that my Daddy cooked but they wouldn't let me try it. It looked good. Bye for now. I hope you liked seeing my Gram and Gramp's neighborhood. See you next Friday.

I'm Seeing Red

I'm seeing red-not because I'm mad at anyone or anything like that! I have been seeing a lot of red leaves appearing all of a sudden as they do in fall in NH. So it was time to change this. Time for a new color theme. I had some of these red kitchen items and I bought some of them when I was in Maine this summer.
The hens came from my Aunt's farm.
And then there's my Fire King collection along with this odd bottle of crushed red pepper flakes.
The red pepper flakes have a story. This bottle came from my Mom's house. I don't know how old they are but if they had a price on them it would probably be $.05. Somehow my sister ended up with them. When she was downsizing and moving this past winter she didn't have the heart to throw them out but didn't want them cluttering up her kitchen anymore so I ended up with them. So here they are as part of the red theme. I think they look kind of cute. Whatever you do, don't put them on any food!

Fall Decorating Continued

Besides Christmas, I think fall is my favorite season to decorate for and after the last post I got some more fallish things out to put here and there. Remember when I got the hen below? I think it looks great on my table in my new family room.
I have a couple of these gourds made into pumkins so one is one my sideboard.And one is on my living room mantle with my scarecrow quilt which I made many years ago.
But after I looked at these pictures I decided the scale of the pumpkins was wrong where they were so I switched them! Just a typical day here-always switching things around.

I Wish I Could Paint, But Since I Can't...

I have always wanted to know how to paint and one of these years I'll get around to taking some lessons. Until then I find myself drawn to amateur paintings when I see them at thrift shops or yard sales and I have found a few this past year I love.

This first little painting I found at a consignment store near my daughter's house and since it was a scene of Cape Ann in Massachusetts, right near where I grew up, I fell in love with it. I have had it on my big giant mantle in my new family. Please ignore the glimpses of plywood you may get as we have not tiled the front yet.

I have had it resting with my daisy painting I got a while ago, along with a basket and a tray my MIL gave me.

And even though it was 96 degress yesterday, it is in the 60's today so it got me thinking about autumn and I decided to change the mantle today. I picked up these two paintings over the summer and stashed them away until now. I just love the colors in them. Soon enough we will have the same colors all around us outside here in NH.

I think it makes a pretty mantle for fall. I love having that big flat surface to decorate!

And Speaking of Birthdays....

Since we're on the subject of birthdays lately we'll continue the birthday extravaganza with last weekend's birthday parties. One was held at my house on Saturday for my mother in law who turned 86 that day. We had a wonderful time with many family members. It was so nice to have a big family room from our recent construction project to put people in. We've had two parties in there already and the room is great. Here is the birthday cake that a friend of my sister in law made. He is an artist with frosting.

Then on Sunday my husband, my daughter, my son in law and I flew to Phildelphia, (thankyou Southwest Airline for the free tickets), to visit my husband's great aunt who had turned 104 a few days before. Yes, I said 104! She is an amazing woman. She worked all her adult life for the YWCA and has such a good memory. Just hearing about what life was like when she was a girl is incredible. She remembers going to Fenway Park with her brothers and sitting on the wooden benches they had in those days. Her mind is as sharp as a 20 year old's so it's so interesting spending the day with her and hearing her stories. She is very healthy so I imagine she'll be around for more of her birthdays which is amazing.

And by the way, speaking of flying, this is the first time I have flown since I got an artificial knee fifteen months ago. Well, of course it sets off the metal detector. My surgeon gave me a card explaining why I set off the detector but TSA is not interested in my card or seeing my 8 inch scar on my knee. Instead I have to be just about strip searched every time I go on a plane! My daughter thought this was hysterical and threatened to take pictures of me with the legs spread and arms out being patted down. What fun traveling will be from now on!