I MADE NEW CURTAINS

The curtains you see above were "make do's" because I couldn't find the ones I wanted at the time for a price I was willing to pay so.....for a year I used these in my den and continued to look for the others. I had ordered my kitchen curtains (black and beige checked prim look) and wanted some like them for my den (because you can see my breakfast area from the den). A few weeks ago I spotted the same fabric at Hobby Lobby and bought it. It was on sale for $2.99 a yard with 30% off......even if I messed them up with my lack of professional sewing ability, I wouldn't be out that much money! So........this is a picture of my new curtains that I made.............

I had to put a bottom curtain because you could see straight out on my sun porch and right behind this window is my computer. Who wants to look at the back of a computer? Also, this little chair will be painted black before long.

I'M A PROUD MAMA!

I have to tell you that I am one proud mama! My daughter, Amy, was voted Teacher of the Year for her school. Amy is a wonderful special education teacher (and mother), and I am so thankful her peers voted for her to receive this honor. She believes that her students can succeed and doesn't allow a "disability" to prevent them from achieving. Amy loves her students and is their strongest advocate. Being a former teacher, and knowing that many of you are teachers, I applaud each of you who have chosen this profession. You have the job priviledge of taking many children who have never been successful and changing them for life by believing in them. Teaching is a profession that doesn't receive much positive recognition. I want to thank each of you who teach. You are important in the life of a child!

EASY FALL CRAFT

One of my favorite places is Home Goods. I LOVE dishes (don't need anymore) but it's a weakness of mine. Home Goods happens to be next door to a fabric shop and since I had a need to buy fabric yesterday, I took a few minutes to go next door and "look". They really have good buys on some items and I think they have great seasonal decor. While looking I spotted this felt pumpkin. Everyone needs a little something new to add to their collection each year so I put him in my buggy. As I've told you before.....I will attempt to make anything that I see (if it doesn't look too difficult). It's just that I can't come up with originals. The more I looked at Mr. Pumpkin, I told myself that this is something I could definitely make. Since I was already going in the fabric store I headed for the felt. They had their felt squares on sale 8 for $1.00. I went ahead and bought several colors because I am going to copy be making Christmas crafts. It was pretty easy and didn't take much time to make my version of the pumpkin. Here is a picture of it below.

I only used one piece of felt to cut the front and back. I used pieces of the other colors of felt (that I already had) to cut his eyes, nose, mouth, and stem. Then I used fabric glue to glue them on. I took two black buttons for his eyes. The stitches are done with six strands of floss. After I stitched him (the front piece only), I sewed the front and back together and left enough of an opening to stuff. The one I bought wasn't stuffed real full so I did the same for mine. It made it easy to stitch together after stuffing. I then took some green floral wire that I had and wrapped it around a pencil and stuck it through Mr. Pumpkin....tied my ribbon...and TA DA!!! I made copied a cute little craft project that cost me less than $1.00 to make.

Here are the two friends together. I really like the color of the one I bought but you go with the color felt that you can get!

CROWS IN MY BATHROOM

After visiting so many of your blogs and seeing all the crows, I knew that I had to have some crows in my house! I visit Robin at the Robin's Nest every day. Her mother paints some beautiful things. They opened shop and I saw this crow plaque and knew it was supposed to hang in my guest bathroom. Linda at Behind My Red Door has these crow hand towels in her bath and she was kind enough to tell me where I could order them. I am so pleased with both my purchases. (It's very difficult to make a picture in this small bathroom).

I want to share a recipe for the BEST pumpkin bread. This makes 2 loaves, but I have a pan that makes mini loaves and I make it in this pan, wrap it in plastic wrap, and tie a ribbon around it for small gifts. Here's the recipe.

1 1/3 cups vegetable oil

5 eggs

1 16 oz. can pumpkin

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

2 3 oz. packages vanilla pudding mix (regular or instant)

1 cup chopped nuts (optional - I usually leave this out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix oil, eggs, and pumpkin in mixing bowl and beat well Sift together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmegs, and baking soda. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix till blended. Stir in pudding mix and nuts. Pour into greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour. (Makes 2 loaves) This recipe makes 16 small loaves. Baking time is shorter for the smaller loaves. I judge the time by the yummy smell coming from the oven :)

Hope you enjoy this!

SPRAY PAINT MAKEOVER

Several years ago my husband and I were at the beach and found this wooden shelf thing (I call it that because I really don't know what else it is). It doesn't have any way to hang, and it's too heavy if it did. I have always used it sitting on another piece of furniture. We had it in our office area for a while and then for the past year or so it's been in the attic. After seeing some of my blogging friends' beautiful homes, I decided I would get the old piece down and go to my black spray paint...(sorry, Joy.....I'm still using black).You can see from this picture where I do all my painting. I painted it and sanded the edges to give it that old look (I'm not very good with pictures that will show details). I now have it in my den sitting on an old radio/record player in a cabinet.

This is my cabinet/shelf that I am using.....it's no longer in the attic! Notice the leaves that I won from My Brown Bag Studio. I started painting an old chair that we had in the basement today that I plan to put in the corner by this. Spray paint is a new love of mine!

TEACHING AN OLD DOG.......

I've always heard the saying, "IT'S HARD TO TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS!" Well....I'm not saying I'm a dog......but I'm getting older, and I'm about ready to scream with trying to change my background. I look at all of your beautiful blogs with pictures of your homes, decorations, etc. and I'm having a difficult time even changing my background. One day I am going to learn how it's done and post a picture on my heading. I have found that people in blogland are so ready to help. Robin and Picket both have helped me when I first started blogging. There are still many things I want to add to my blog, and I will when I master ask enough people for help (THANKS Darlene). It worked!! I have been seeing the strike-over and couldn't figure out how it was done. I left her a comment and she emailed me instructions for doing this. I'll have to keep these instructions handy or I'll forget how it is done.

I made my muscadine jelly tonight and it is YUMMY! Also, I only peeled half of the pears last night because I was wanting to get to bed on time to check my blog. I had 5 jars of preserves out of those last night. I will finish them tomorrow since I am off.

Thanks to everyone who has helped me when I had a question about my blog. My husband says I'm addicted to blogging and he's right!

MY MONDAY SURPRISE!

Hanging on my mailbox when I got home today was a package addressed to me from Kimberly at My Brown Bag Studio. I won her give-away a week or so ago. I had already had a pretty good Monday--but seeing this made it a GREAT Monday!
When I opened the package it was even better than the picture had shown. The frame that she painted is absolutely beautiful. My camera doesn't even show all the details. I've tried to think of a picture to put in but having six beautiful grandchildren doesn't make it easy when it comes to one frame. They don't all live here so I can't get a picture of them together (right now) so.............I'm thinking I may have to get creative and put some word in the frame relating to fall. We'll see what I come up with. I just couldn't wait to show you what it looks like now.
I go out to the garden to cut some okra for dinner and pass my muscadine vine......it was loaded. I tried making a picture to show and had to actually crawl underneath and make the picture shooting up through the vine. I'm sure glad I live in the middle of cotton fields because if anyone would have seen me under a muscadine vine with a camera they might think I had lost my mind!!!! I went inside and got the biggest bowl I could find and it took only a few minutes to fill it.
I ate quite a few while I picked. These are delicious. I'm going to make muscadine jelly from these. My grandsons (especially Zack) loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches so he'll really like this jelly. I'll have to tell him that it's grape. He is so much like his mother (you'd think she birthed this one) in the fact that he won't eat anything that "looks" different or has a different name. I used to tell Amy that a sweet potato pie was a pumpkin pie to get her to taste it.
I've never been too good at gradually doing things. I may have several projects started at the same time and trying to finish them all. Example at hand----I had this muscadine jelly project going and a friend said something about pears. PEARS!! Oh, my goodness---we love pear preserves! So, I say that I'd love to make some pear preserves this year. Look at this box of pears.
I am so glad to get them because a hot, buttered biscuit with pear preserves just can't be beat..........even better than muscadine jelly. So, right now I'm about to go peel pears.

MY FIRST STITCHERY & A THRIFT STORE FIND

I have admired so many of your beautiful stitcheries and I finally decided I would try one. I believe I got this pattern from Primitive Betty. I had intended to frame it but never got a frame the correct size. Instead, I made a small pillow. I will be doing more because it is something I can do while I am sitting and watching TV with my husband. There are so many free patterns out there and they are pretty simple to do. I know I'll get better with my stitches.

I made my weekly trip to the Thrift Store and I found this beautiful quilt rack. It was $12.98 but I had a 50% off coupon that expired the end of September (that I bought from the school) so I went ahead and used it on this. That means I got this for $6.49. It is in great condition and I know that my old quilts will be beautiful on it.

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!

I was tagged by Angie at The Happy Homebody to list 6 random things about myself and tag 6 others to do the same. Here are my 6 things:

1. I am a former elementary school teacher/assistant principal. I retired seven years ago and am now the secretary at our church. I teach adults in Sunday school who were once in my first grade class.
2. I hate buttermilk, (even the smell), but I will eat Ranch dressing.
3. I will buy any brand of catsup or mustard, but I must buy a certain brand of mayonnaise (Bama).
4. Three of my six grandchildren are adopted.
5. My daughter and daughter-in-law both are named Amy.
6. I LOVE Christmas....it's always sad when it's time to take the decorations down. I am excited when I hear the first of the Christmas songs playing on the radio, the parties, food, gifts to buy, etc...........

I was told to tag six people. These are my six: 1. Tammy at Country Girl at Home 2. Joy at Joys of Home 3. Robin at The Robins Nest 4. Marie at Watch the Wind Blow By 5. Linda at Behind My Red Door 6. Rondell at Tomatoe Creek Prims.

NEW FALL DECORATIONS

I told you that I was putting the topiary on my foyer table just for a short time. I'm off on Wednesday and I have made my other topiary (for another post) and finished this decoration for my table in the foyer (haven't done any housework, though). I copied so many ideas until I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to give everyone credit but I do know the BOO Picture idea is another one of Joy's. I finally finished making a cloche and it cost me all of $1.89 to make it. I bought the glass candle holder at the Dollar Tree, got the tea candle holder for $0.50, and the black tray it sits on at the Trift store for $0.39. I couldn't find any cheap finials so I found an old lamp in my attic and took one off so it was free! The berries on my candle sticks holding the white pumpkins were on a card at the Dollar Tree ($1.00 of course) and I spray painted them black for the spooky holiday. I'm pretty pleased with the way this turned out....especially the cost!
I love my blogging friends.....they have saved me $$$$ because I don't buy decorating magazines anymore....I have my personal decorators!

MOSS TOPIARY

Several weeks ago, Robin, at The Robin's Nest showed how she makes beautiful topiaries and changes ribbons for various seasons. She referred us to her mom's blog for more ideas, and after visiting both of these talented ladies, I knew they had created something else that I wanted. Robin's topiary was the one piece tree and her mom had one like above. I had a difficult time deciding which one I wanted, but Hobby Lobby had these forms and not the one piece so my decision was made!! Robin used the sheet moss which looked extremely easy but her mom had used reindeer moss. Again, I went with the reindeer moss. This afternoon when I got home from work I started working on this one. (I have the supplies to make two). It was SO EASY. I have never used reindeer moss and I'm a huge fan of it now....it is so soft and looks like the real thing!! I just used my hot glue gun and started gluing the moss.
After I finished --- and it really didn't take very much time at all -- I put some spanish moss in the bottom and tied a bow out of burlap. I really love it!
Since I only made one topiary today, I put this one on the table in my foyer but will use the pair somewhere else when I get it made. I have another idea (from another wonderful blog) for this table.....that will be another post.
I have gotten many ideas from Robin. She and her mother are so talented...be sure and drop by to visit her.

THRIFT STORE TREASURES

My husband was away last night on a church men's retreat, so I had me a night out at the thrift store. When I got home from work yesterday I decided that I was going to take my weekly trip to the thrift store a day early. I had so much fun because I didn't feel that I had to rush back home. There wasn't alot of "finds" but I was really pleased with what I got. I always look at the wooden things and when I saw these items I knew that I could make them look old with some BLACK spray paint and a little sand paper. I paid $1.48 for each of the wooden items (both candlesticks together). I like old kitchen gadgets and saw the strainer. This one is a little rusty but I loved it. I paid $0.59 for it. My mother used to have one that she used to strain her tea in. She didn't use tea bags....used tea leaves. I can't wait to paint and put them up!

By the way--I stopped by the Dollar Tree and they had white pumpkins....YEA!!!!

MY RAGAMUFFIN GARLAND

My latest copycat project was from Darlene's Days. She gave great instructions on making this ragamuffin garland several days back. I knew that I wanted to try it and found fabric on the "sale" table at Wal-Mart. I bought 1/2 yard of each of the five colors and it turned out to be exactly enough for the project I wanted.
She told us to cut each strip in 1 1/2 inch wide pieces. However, I tore mine instead of cutting it to give it more of the unfinished look. After I tore the pieces I cut each strip into 4 pieces (each piece was about 11 inches long).
I cut a piece of jute twine the length I wanted my garland to be and made a loop with a knot at each end. Then I started to tie each strip on using alternating colors. I did this sitting on my sofa watching tv. It didn't take a real long time. If you want your strips shorter, you can adjust to your liking!!
I hung my garland on the top of my hutch in the kitchen.
This is a view from the side. There's all sorts of ideas that you could do with this garland type. I read where someone cut their strips shorter and used Christmas colors and used it as a garland on a Christmas tree. This would take alot longer and use more fabric but I think it would be worth the time.
Be sure and visit Darlene's site because she has wonderful ideas.

10 FALL FAVORITES

One of my daily favorite places to visit is Carolyn at Cranberry Crossings. She shared her 10 Fall Favorites the other day and wanted us to do the same. I really enjoy reading about your favorite things so I wanted to share mine.

1. I love the cooler weather that fall brings. We haven't seen that yet here, but it is exciting to wake up one morning and as my mother used to say, "you can feel fall". When I taught school I would see children go from wearing shorts one day to having on coats the next. I suppose the sudden ten degree change in temperature caused a bypass of the lightweight jacket.

2. I love the colors of fall. Trees that I have looked at for months are now so beautiful I have to comment daily about them. God is awesome! As I drive into town I drive over a mountain and can see these beautiful leaves as they change colors (I can't wait....they haven't started yet).

3. I love pumpkins and mums. I think the pumpkins just piled up waiting to be purchased are neat! The yard displays with pumpkins, hay, cornstalks, and mums are so pretty.

4. I love Homestead Hollow & Old Baker Farm Cotton Pickin Festival. These are two arts and crafts shows that are held in the fall that I love. Homestead Hollow is in Springville and the one they have in the fall is my favorite. The crafts are wonderful, but the food is great......butterbeans, pinto beans, turnip greens, cornbread, all kinds of fried pies..............oh my!!! The Old Baker Farm Cotton Pickin Festival is within walking distance of my home and it is getting bigger every year. It has the same type of atmosphere and brings such excitement to our little area.

5. I love cotton! That's a given....look at my blog title. I'm surrounded. I have been wanting to post a picture but I am waiting. The cotton is open but I want to wait a bit longer so you can see how WHITE the entire field is right before it is picked. There's something about the smell of cotton to a country girl. Yes, you can smell cotton just like you can smell rain!

6. I love Alabama football. Sorry, Auburn fans. If you are not from Alabama you don't understand this. In Alabama people are committed to one thing...FOOTBALL. They are either for Alabama or Auburn (if they are native). I love Saturdays in the fall because it means Alabama football and friends and family getting together eating and watching the game.

7. I love homemade soup, chili, and brunswick stew (for you, Amy). I know that there's no law about not having this year round but we really have it when it's cool. I can't wait.

8. I love that it's my husband's birthday. Yes, I love birthday parties. I don't care if you are two, or fifty-six .... I think you should have a special "party" even if it's just family. October is my husband's birthday month and I get to plan something special for him.

9. I love fall because our family gets together at our house for Thanksgiving. It's the one time a year when almost the entire family is together and we have such a good time. Family is special to us and I cherish each time we are together.

10. I love fall because that means it is almost time for Christmas. It is certainly time to begin shopping (if you haven't already).

Thank you, Carolyn, for sharing your favorites and for causing me to sit and write my favorites. Also, I want to thank Danella for giving me an award. I will pass it on later.

FALL DECORATIONS

I see all your beautiful fall decorations and it makes me want my whole house decorated overnight....but it doesn't happen that way. I haven't brought my decorations from last year out of the attic, but I wanted to get something on my mantel now and this is what I did. This is the left side of my mantle. The picture above shows another idea that I got from Marie at Watch the Wind Blow By several weeks ago. She had taken an idea from a catalog where the blocks spelled SPOOKY and made her own. I had my husband cut the blocks and wanted to stamp something that I could use longer than just Halloween so I stamped the letters AUTUMN. These are just with the foam stamps I got at Hobby Lobby. You'll also see the grapevine pumpkin that someone bought for me for $0.50 at the last yardsale I went to. I am going to get some fall colored candles but it may be the weekend before that happens.
This is the right side of the mantle and it is so simple (like me). Just an old dough bowl with pumpkins and gourds, some berries in a crock, and a scarecrow. I wish I had some of Linda's real berries....just don't have them in Alabama.
This is the whole view of my mantle. It's beginning to look like fall at my house....especially with the smell of the new candle I bought at Wal-Mart. It is Paula Deen's Skillet Fried Apples. It may be one of my new favorites!!

THANK YOU, PICKET

I woke up this morning and immediately knew that I was coming down with some sort of stomach virus but prayed that I would be able to go teach my Sunday school class. I made it through church, but when I got home I went straight to bed and slept for most of the afternoon. Thankfully, I feel much better. My husband came in to check on me late this afternoon and said our neighbor brought a package that had come for me while we were in Louisiana. He asked if I wanted him to open it......OF COURSE I DID! There was a note in it.
Several weeks ago, Picket asked me where I had gotten some napkins that I had made some pillows out of. She said she had been looking for some. I emailed her and asked for her address. I was so glad that I could send her some. This is one sweet lady!!! I know from the number of comments that she gets that you all feel the same way about her. I sure didn't expect anything in return. Anyway.....when my husband opened the box and read the note he said "Picket"...who is that? I told him that was my friend (who I have never met). I was completely blown away by the gift. Look at what she sent me....
They don't show up as well in this picture but they are these wonderful "black" plaques with glass doorknobs and two hooks on each plaque. I can't wait to hang them and I'll have to make a picture later to show that.
Thank you, Dot (Picket)!! I know that the world is a better place because you have made a difference in so many people's lives. I'm glad blogging brought us together as friends!!!

I WON!!!

I won Kimberly's giveaway at My Brown Bag Studio. I am so excited. This is my first win and you can't imagine how thrilled I was when I saw her comment that my name had been chosen. You must check out her blog....she has some very beautiful things and is so talented. THANK YOU AGAIN, Kimberly.
We took a very short trip to Louisiana on Friday morning to see the kids. They didn't make it all the way to Alabama during the evacuation. The traffic was so bad that the time it would normally take for them to go 3 hrs. turned into 10 hrs. so they stayed outside Meridian until Wednesday. We only stayed one night with them, but it had been too long since we had seen the grandchildren and it was worth the long drive for just a night. They had no damage at their home (Thank you, God), but I noticed that homes in their neighborhood were still boarded because Ike could be headed in the gulf also. I hope not!!

WOMEN'S PARTY AT CHURCH

The women at church have a "Birthday Club" where we celebrate birthdays each quarter. The party for that quarter is planned by those honorees and it is always around a theme. No one knows anything about the party before they arrive other than what to wear. We were given invitations several weeks ago and knew that we were to wear pajamas. Other than that, the party was a complete surprise. When I arrived at the fellowship hall of the church the corner had this bed set up and the theme was a Slumber Party.
This was a picture of one of the tables and you can see that they were decorated with nail files, cotton balls, curlers, fingernail polish, etc. Anything girls might want to do at a slumber party. By the way....who (my age) didn't remember 45 records and a record player? They had this and the best "oldies" played during the meal.
Even the younger ladies enjoyed the "oldies but goodies" that were playing. The food for the party was a taco salad bar with everything you could possibly want to put on your salad. Dessert was banana splits. We always have games and door prizes. It was such a fun night and each lady had a great time laughing and looks forward to the next party and wonders what "theme" it will be!
I have to share something they used tonight in serving the banana split fixins' . They put bowls inside these black shell-like containers filled with cheeries, pineapple, strawberries, nuts, etc. I realized that these shell-like containers were old record albums. One of the gals had made them. This is how they were made.
Take a large record (get it at thrift store)
Put it on a cookie sheet & put a smaller pyrex type bowl on top of the record
Have oven heated to 375 degrees & put this in oven for about 5 - 7 minutes.
Take it out and the record should be really soft. Take a dish cloth (because the record is hot) and begin to form around the bowl making sure the bottom of the record is flat. Be sure you can get the bowl out easily.

This is what it looks like from the side.

This is from above. This was really cute with all the bowls filled with different food items.

CHAIR TIES

I wanted some chair covers for my kitchen chairs but the backs were odd shaped and I am not real good with details, so I decided I'd just make some ties for the backs of the chairs. I took some burlap and cut it for the size I wanted the back to be. I then monogrammed the G, for our last name, on it and tied it in the back. My kitchen is really country so this fits me. If I wanted to really get festive with the season I could tie a leaf, berries, or whatever from the back. Didn't have to get out my sewing machine....just the monogramming machine.
The back of the chair (just tied in a knot)

This is a closer view of the chair tie.

TWO FINISHED PROJECTS

I have had two projects in the making for a while now and I finally completed them today. I bought the little wooden plaque several weeks ago at the thrift store for $0.59. It's hard for me to pass up anything wooden because sooner or later I'll find a use for it. I put it away until I could decide what to do with it and for now I just sprayed it a cranberry color and used my chalkboard pens (that you can use on any surface) and wrote the saying below. I can always change it later.
This next project was an idea I got from Marie at Watch The Wind Blow By. She saw these dog and cat food containers in a Ballard Design Catalog for $49 each. She told us how she got a large popcorn tin (like you see at Christmas) and spray painted it and made her own. On my next trip to the thrift store they had two of those popcorn tins for $0.79 each. I bought both of them. I don't have a dog but had to make one to hold my cat food. This one didn't come from Ballard's but it cost less than $1.00!!!