I really like seeing the way people decorate their houses. This AM I went to weigh-in at the doc's (a once a week thing). To my complete astonishment (this is my first week), I. LOST. SIX. POUNDS!!!!! Hallelujah. I don't know WHY it happened, but I saw that it did. I was so overjoyed that I burst into tears, right there on the scale. I have been tracking calories for one week. I am supposed to keep it under 1,200, which seems low. In actuality, I'm eating an average of 900 per day. I am eating well, but I've never been a big eater.
Up until now I have resisted buying mums for my front stoop. Maybe the victory weakened me, but better mums than a donut, right? Here are two mums I got this AM plus a piece of burlap for a "tablecloth" (I had to cover the hole in the table with a cutting board, and the burlap covered the board), plus a few things pulled from my house (the 2 fake pumpkins and leaf garland).
Here is the center of my 501 quilt. Now I have to put on a single-fabric blue border, a border of 4-patches that are already pieced, and then a wider blue border.
Here's another Pinterest-inspired project that was more difficult than it should have been. But now that I have some experience under my belt, I'm rolling along and nearly finished.
My fall decorations this year are not so grand. But I like them. The following picture is my mantel. I got the picture in the middle from my mom when she moved. I've always liked it. I can see that it should be hanging higher. I'll fix that later.
Here is a close-up of the right side. On the mantel are a few of my favorite things. The ceramic pumpkin and flower arrangement was a secret sister gift to me in 2006. I yearn to put it out each year. It is sitting on top of my newly-finished wool candle mat. I loved making this. Some time I'll put it on our island in the kitchen or on the table. For now it lives on the mantel.
The plate says..."Thank you for the food before us, Thank you for the friends beside us, Thank you for the love between us". To my horror, it got chipped while it was stored in the attic. I touched it up with a little acrylic paint. No one has noticed so far!!
On this side is a little autumn greenery, some fabric pumpkins, an old-fashioned-looking pumpkin candle, and my scarecrow shelf sitter. My son (thanks, Luke) made it possible for the scarecrow to sit securely on the mantel. I appreciate his help so much!
This is the view as soon as you enter our home. I have fond memories of making the "Fall Frolic" quilt on the wall. It's one of my favorites, and oh, so scrappy.
This mirror is to the right when you enter our home. Just an orange berry and tiny pumpkin bedecked swag.
This is the shelf to the left. Just a few additions to our normal look.
That's about it, with the exception of a fall table runner (my favorite table runner we have) and three fall quilts in the living room. Long gone are the days when I'm envious of those show houses where there are touches of holiday decorations everywhere. We have what we have, and I'm grateful!!
I have just listed this quilted topper on eBay. How could I? After being initially gripped with the burning desire to make one, I did. After I sewed the binding down by hand this AM (while listening to my youngest children read me their stories for the day aloud and stopping to grade the math lessons completed for the day) I realized I didn't really have a suitable place for it. It's a little too wide to put on my kitchen table. Mutiny would ensue if I tried to put in on the kitchen island. That's a place for WORK, not beauty, I'm told.
In my non-interior-decorator's mind, I think this would be lovely on a round table (which we don't have) with a flower arrangement or candle on the center square (which, for potential bidders is a 6" square, LOL).
Back down to the sewing/school room for me, where I have more hand work awaiting as well as some school work to grade.
~Joan
Voila! Behold my finished quilt top. I took over an hour off after supper before starting to work on this little gem. It measures 23-1/2" from flat side to flat side. I had all of the half square triangles already pieced in my spare parts drawer, so I just had to choose them and cut them down. I don't remember which quilt they are from. I think it might be this one. I was tempted to quilt it tonight, but the night is young and I am not. It's after 10:30 PM, and the little grey cells need time to recharge.
The next post is showing the progress of the quilt top tonight. Enjoy the process without words.
~Joan
The above quilt is from my friend, Laura. Now that I think back, I might have bought it from her. We met online when we were both sellers on eBay. Mere months later we met in person, and shortly thereafter they moved 500 miles to live about 40 miles from me. We would get together every year or so and have a quilt show and tell. She had been selling these tops on eBay, and I bought one of them while I was visiting her house. Laura, if you're out there and reading this, please write! I haven't heard from her for about 3 years. This is called Midnight in the Pumpkin Patch. It also lives in the living room in autumn. It's small...about 14" x 16".
Here is a photo one of my husband's work acquaintances sent him. She lives in Maine and took this in her back yard. Another instance of being in the right place at the right time!
Fall is the celebration of root vegetables and mini candy bars...choose wisely!
Be careful out there!
~Joan
You're likely to see mostly quilts from here on out. This is a little one. The HSTs on the leaves are 1" finished, and the flying geese are 1" x 2". The inner border is 1/2" wide finished. This is made from all Thimbleberries fabrics. It's in my bedroom right now.
Another triple Q offer is upon us. Lowes Foods in Gastonia is having triples tomorrow through Friday. Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow. I'm glad we can stock up on foods for a change (as opposed to toiletries and cleaning supplies). Susanna and I spent over an hour and a half last night compiling and perusing our list, filing and pulling Qs, then finalizing our plan. She was wiped out. Here's a picture of her stressed look...
She isn't as stressed as she looks. I took that a few days ago when we were having sandwiches and Bugles for lunch. She was trying to look scary, but with a face like that, it's pretty hard to do so.
~Joan
Here is a view from one end of my table-for-10 to the other, showcasing my pumpkin salt & pepper shakers and fall runner. The shakers are from Diane, who also gave me the pumpkin centerpiece on my foyer table. The runner was a gift from my DH's stepmother. The candle on the other side of the napkin box has a lovely fall candle ring around its wrought iron stand, but you can't see it.
This is my 300th post. Hard to believe.
~Joan
Sam, one of my readers, was very observant about my last post. Under the pilgrims is an old high chair. In the picture, it is serving as my spider plant holder. The funny thing about the high chair is that during the lives of my 8 children, it was NEVER used.
It belonged to my neighbor growing up (hi, Nancy!). Her oldest son, who is about 10 years older than me, was her first to use it. She gave it to my dad to refinish for me. We never had room for it in our other 2 houses. Now I keep it in the kitchen for company with very small children. In the meantime, it does make a pretty plant stand.
We never had room in our kitchens for something so big. We just used one of the clip-on high chairs. Worked like a charm.
~Joan
