Jack-O-Lantern Fun

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

My daughter came home to spend the night this weekend. I think she knew I’d have her some Halloween treats waiting for her. Ever since she out grew trick or treating, I make her a treat basket. 

Before she came, I wanted to have a pumpkin to carve. The past couple years, we have painted little pie pumpkins for Halloween but I decided to have the fun of carving one. I waited last minute to find one. I did not know stores ran out of pumpkins but I went to two Walmarts and a Food lion looking for one. No luck. 

On the way home I asked Nick to stop by another Food lion on the way home. “If they do not have any pumpkins, we will just not do one”. I said.

He pulled up to the door so I could jump out and run inside. When the sliding doors opened I saw the best looking pumpkin sitting on the floor like it was was waiting on me. I was so excited, I snapped a photo before snatching it up and taking it to the register. 

Before my daughter arrived, I went ahead and cleaned out the insides and prepared the seeds for roasting. I knew it would be late when she comes in and I wanted to have it ready to carve. She was so excited when she came throught the door and saw ole Jack O waiting on her. We could have printed out a cool stencil to use and got realy creative but we decided to go with the traditional Jack O lantern face. 

Well, Sort of. 

I let her do all the carving this time. Nick got nervous when he saw her cutting with a knife. Me and her are both left handed so it freaks right handed people out when they see us use a knife. He left the room. His nerves could not handle it. 

I stood watching as she carefully brought the pumpkin to life. She played around with it then said, “It’s throwing up”.

 

We did not let him stay sick. We added some battery tea lights to make him presentable at night. 

Meanwhile, we snacked on some candy corn and peanuts to add to the fun.

Do you carve a pumpkin or paint one? 

I’d love to hear how you create pumpkin fun during Halloween. 

What is Your Why?

We all make goals for ourselves. For me it was to lose 30 pounds. I went above that goal and lost 50. I did this with *Nutrisystem. I'm not going into my whole speech about how great this diet works or how good it makes me feel. You can simply find that information on one of the page tabs at the top of my blog.

I'm posting today about one of the struggle most dieters go through. I am guilty too. 

I have not fallen off the diet, but those pieces of moms cakes have started getting bigger on my plate.
My hula hoop routines have turned into arm workouts using the recliner handle.
My three mile walks have turned into half miles walks around the grocery store.
You get it? Need I say more? Ok ill say it......I put on an extra eight pounds that I do not want.
My pants have started getting snug, my energy level is low and I am feeling that low self esteem creeping up on me.

It's hard. I work alone in a tiny office eight hours a day. I do not get a lot of motivation to do anything for myself. I simply do not have extra money to join a gym or hire a fitness trainer. It's easy to get depressed, to envy others and just loose all hope of ever bettering myself.

I have to ask myself "what is my why?' I had a reason for dieting in the first place. There was a “why” I made that choice. For me, it was to be able to wear those cute outfits again, to get my energy back and to have a healthier lifestyle. I put a lot of work into getting there so why would I want to just let it go?

So, I refuse to let cake and recliners win. I'm grabbing the bull by the horns and plan to push myself harder to get that extra eight lbs off. I love that I have Nutrisystem foods stocked up and my Nutrisystem friends are always there to motivate me. 

Dieting is a life style change. I compare it to a drinkaholic. You simply can not give into what destroys you. You have to stay away from the temptations (that's why I have not had a Krispy Kreme doughnut since Jan 2015). You have to always fight to stay on track. We have to push ourselves to be better and not fall back into bad habits. Only we can make this decision. 

So if your trying to reach a goal and feel like giving up, put your hat back on on remember why you started in the first place. 

*Expect to lose 1-2 lbs on Nutrisystem

One of Those Days

I woke up a 6:00 am this morning. 

I left the bedroom and gently shut the door not to wake my Mr. Sleeping beauty. 

I was confused as to why my fitbit alarm on my wrist did not go off. 

I actually had a good nights sleep and woke up feeling good. No aches or pains, and my inner ear pressure was not so bad. 

I put on my slipper socks and went to the kitchen for coffee. 

The coffee pot was not on. "This is weird" I thought. 

I know I set the brew timer last night. The lights even showed that it was on and ready to brew. 

I manually turned the pot on, put two waffles in the toaster and headed to the scales. 

(I do this every morning). 

Still confused, I checked the brew setting on the coffee pot. 

It was set to come on at 7:00 am. 

I thought "well, I must have accidentally hit it and moved it up an hour. 

My waffles were done and I headed to the table to eat. 

As I was eating my breakfast, I noticed it was still dark outside. 

The sun is usually coming up about this time 

but it was raining so I figured it was just going to be a dark gloomy day. 

Then it donged on me.......I never get up at 6:00 am, I always get up at 7:00 am....Every morning!

I peeped in at my husband in bed to make sure he wasn't noticing I was not there and thinking something might be wrong 

then headed back to my breakfast.

It took me 30 minutes to realize I was up an hour early. 

My alarm went off as usual at 7:00 am . 

"I know! I know!"

Well, My husband never noticed I was up an hour early.

And I managed to still be late for work.

More Vintage Things

I finally got some time to sit down and write a few minutes.

I have been pretty busy this past week. My husband and his brothers have decided to auction off their parents house along with the contents of what’s left inside. The house has been unlived in for several years now. My husband has continued to go over there a couple times a week to keep it clean, make sure there are not damages, make sure everything is kept running and the grass mowed. He is tired.

He has slowly and gradually cleaned out a lot of the things that needed thrown away and we simply do not have the room to keep anything.

He has let me take some of the small things to list in my Etsy shop since its a site for vintage or handmade items. For me, its just for fun. There is way too many little things I could add to my shop but I could also get overwhelmed, so I have to keep the inventory simple.

My first “go to” items are vintage linens. If you follow my blog you know I love vintage and retro linens. I had a stack of vintage aprons and smocks to add to my shop. I would lay them out, stack them up, fold them this way and that way, wash then iron them and fold and fiddle with them more. I just adore them. I Picked out a few of the smaller ones to give my little neices that never met these grandparents they come from.

Everytime I go to the estate, I see more things I want. I simply do not have room or use for most of it. If it’s too big to fit in my store closet, I will not take it. 

Nicks father collected antiques and his mom kept all her things from the 50s up. His father was also a vintage stock car racer and had lots of tidbits. 

He brought home boxes of old photo albums and other memorabilia we do not have a place for. I didn’t argue about it. I scratched my head and told him I’d figure out a way to store his memories. Now I have a couple boxes stuffed in a closet. I plan to clean and organize later after the holidays. I hate to see clutter. When you do not have a place to put things or are not organized, you get clutter. I refuse to let that happen. 

Anywho, I have been busy listing vintage things to my Esty shop. I am finally caught up. It takes a while to search the names and value of items that are antique or vintage. 

Incase you ever wondered the difference, I had to look it up too...

Antique- Items that are usually over 100 years old.

Vintage- Items over 50 years old. Some say over 25 years old is vintage but industry professionals will say 50. (So technically I'm not vintage yet).

Retro- Not always old but refers to a style or fashion from the past. (I love the modern retro styles from the 70’s).

I’d love for you to visit my Etsy shop and take a look around at the few things I have listed so far. Looks like my handmade crochet items have taken the back seat for now.

Enter my Etsy shop from the page tab at the top of my blog or click HERE. 

🎵Momma got a squeezbox. Daddy never sleeps at night. 

Cheese Pumpkins

Today your getting a short repost of and old post. I have had a busy weekend and simply too tired to come up with anything else right now so your getting a cheesy recipe.

 Grab a block of cheese and lets make something Cheese Pumpkins. Lawd have mercy! These little boogers are delicious!

They were really easy to make. Other similar recipes tell you to put the dough in the fridge a few hours to firm so its easier to work with but I didn't. I just whooped up a batch and stuck them in the oven. The dough didn't know it was not cold. [smh]. I mean after all, the ingredients had just been in the fridge for days.

Now I’d love to share this spicy little recipe with you. Here it is...

Cheese Pumpkins

1 Cup plain flour

1 Stick butter (softened)

1 Block (1/2lbs) Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Grated)

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Pecans 

Preheat oven to 350

Mix flour and butter, then add cheese and seasoning. Mix well.(use your hands).

Pinch off about 2 inch balls and place on ungreased cooking sheet. 

Use a spoon or your thumb and slightly mash each one and place a pecan piece in the center. 

Bake for about 20 minutes or until set.

[Makes about 60].

Here are a few options.

1. You don't have to make pumpkins. You can just make wafers by pressing each ball with a fork and laying a pecan on top.
2. You can also mix chopped pecans in the dough. (I'm going to do this next time because I love the taste of the toasted pecan).
3. You can also make in the shape of sticks then you have the famous cheese straws.

To me, they taste sort of like sausage balls without the sausage but the cayenne pepper makes up for that. wowza! These will be great for fall festivals, Halloween parties and more. 

Enjoy!


 

Beach Birthday and LuLu's

We finally got in our last beach trip for the year. We fought two hurricanes to get there. One knocked us out completely in September and then this last one (Michael), held us back a day. I hate winterizing the camper. It means no more trips til Spring. Nick says we can still go if we want too. We would just have to winterize it again in case of a cold snap, but we never do. We will probably not take another trip down until March.

First something funny/cute I saw:.
I kid you not. As we were walking down the beach we approached an oxygen bag sitting on the sand, there was a very long oxygen tube that was running down to the surf to a lady with her feet in the water. I thought "now that's some beach loving dedication". I wish I'd had my camera at the time.

While we were there we celebrated Nicks birthday. He turned 59! Isn't that wonderful? Our plan was to grow old together and here we are living the dream. haha.

For his birthday dinner we visited a new place at Barefoot Landing called Lulu's. This place is owned by Lucy Buffett. Jimmy Buffett's Sister (I heard).
This was a neat place that included a gift store, indoor and outdoor eating, a sand playground outback for kids, a live band and a bar.

We requested seating on the patio. We loved the atmosphere of sitting out by the water way. The sun setting in the back ground made it a beautiful night to dine.

Nick ordered the blackened fish tacos and I order crab toast. It was a mixture of melted cheese and crab meat baked open face on a french bread with a side of fries.

I also ordered a mudslide drink to try. We laughed because of the cost, we figured it would come in a fancy glass topped with whip cream dripping down the sides. But no. It was more like a frosty in a LuLu Cup. It was good though.

My review of this place? Well, I thought it was rather pricey to be served on plastic and paper plates, with plastic cups. They had a roll of paper towels on the tables and tub of silverware you help yourself. The food was just OK. Nothing special. The over all dining experience was nice. We enjoyed watching the boats and listening to the live band. We liked it enough to try again but it will not be one of our first choices.

SnickerDoodle Bread

Whens a better time to enjoy the sweetness of cinnamon bread other than in the Fall? Well, anytime actually. I love cinnamon bread. One of my favorite breakfasts growing up was heavily buttered toast with a cinnamon/sugar mix layered on top. I have always loved cinnamon.

When I came across this recipe for Snicker Doodle Bread, I could not resist the temptation. I figured I could just make some mini loafs and give them away leaving us with only a mini loaf to enjoy. Unfortunately, it did not turn out that way. I could not find any mini loaf pans so I used two regular loaf pans.

My daddy loves all things sweet and I haven't made him anything in a while so I decided I would give him one of the loafs. Me and Nick ended up eating half of the other one. I did well with my portion control and only had a small piece with my egg two mornings and a small slice for a snack one night.

Since I have been dieting, I still love sweet things but can not take a lot of it. Sweet to me now is "very sweet".  That's a good thing, right?

This bread was so easy to make and very delicious and my house had the aroma of warm cinnamon for two days.

I tweaked the recipe some by accident because I did not have enough white sugar and forgot to add an egg and it turned out perfect anyway. But you can find a link to the original recipe at the bottom of this post if you do not like how mine looks.

Here goes....

SNICKERDOODLE BREAD

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Grease 2 loaf pans (I used cooking spray)

With electric beaters, cream together:

1 Cup- Butter (softened)

1 Cup- Sugar

1/2 Cup- Brown Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon- Salt

2 Teaspoons- Ground Cinnamon

Mix in:

2- Eggs

1 Teaspoon- Vanilla Extract

3/4 Cup- Sour Cream

Then slowly add:

2 1/2 Cups- All Purpose Flour

2 Teaspoons- Baking Powder

(batter will be thick)

Fold in:

1 Cup- Mini Chocolate Chips (optional)

Pour batter in loaf pans about 3/4 full and top with Cinnamon/ Sugar Mixture:

3 Tablespoons- Sugar

3 Teaspoons- Ground Cinnamon

Bake for 60 minutes or until done (Test with tooth pick or cake tester).

Allow to cool some before removing from pans and serving.

ENJOY!

I thought this bread was better after it cooled. I also think it will be just as tasty without the chocolate chips. (You can just have them on the side.)

😋

Original and printable recipe can be found at

  TheCookinChicks.

Ruffles

I’m trying to add some new clothes to my Fall/Winter wear.

While doing a little bargain shopping on the clearance racks at Belks department store, I came across this over sized triple ruffle bell sleeve sweat shirt. Boy that's a mouth full, huh? I tried it on over my tshirt just to see how the sleeves felt. I wasn't real sure about it so I snapped a picture and sent it to my fashion expert (AKAdaughter). She wrote back to tell me that it looked a little bulky but it was ok. So I took her word and put it back on the rack. 

(Sorry for the poor quality photos. I think my iPhone lens was dirty or something. Doooough)

I continued to shop but I could not get that crazy sleeve shirt off my mind and it was less than 10.00 so I figured what the heck. I’m getting it. 

I thought it looked fun and would be great for the cold days in Winter. It’s now hanging in my closet ready to wear if we ever get any cold weather. It’s the middle of October and temperatures are still in the 70's and 80's.

Similar shirt style:  True Bliss Boutique

I walked over to another rack and found another ruffled sleeve shirt on sale. I knew I wanted this one before I even tried it on. I love white shirts and the ruffles and lace added an extra flare to make this shirt fun. I can dress it up with a skirt or wear it with my jeans. 

I had no idea it suppose to tie in the front until I googled the link for it and saw the model wearing it in a knot. 

The next time I wore it, I tried tying it on the front but something about the buttons made it stick out like I was hiding a puppy under there, so I need to work with it and get it figured out. Two ways to wear a shirt is always fun. I also adore the the quarter length sleeves. This makes it comfortable at work while typing and hassle free at the dinner table.

Shop for this shirt: Belks.com

National Gumbo Day

Did you know today is National Gumbo Day? Well according to my National Day Calendar, It says it right there in bold print. So without further adieu, I’m going to share (again) my favorite Gumbo recipe. We plan to make some as soon as the the weather decides to cool down.

This is a recipe giving by my late Mother-in-Law. Its simple and delicious. Best of all, it does not call for any fancy stuff, just basic foods you probably already have nearby.

St. Charles Street Gumbo

1 Tbsp.- Olive Oil

2- small onions (or one large)

1 lbs.- sliced okra (frozen works fine)

1 cup- chopped celery

1 Tbsp.- minced garlic

1 1/2 lbs.- chopped Skinless Sausage

48 oz.- Chicken broth (3 cans)

Dash- of Tabasco sauce ( I like more)

3 pinches- Cajun seasoning 

2 pinches- Parsley flakes

1- large can petite diced tomatoes

1-10 oz. can chuck white chicken (drained)

In a large sauce pan or skillet, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add onions, okra, celery and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in garlic, Cajun seasoning, parsley, and sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add chicken broth, Tabasco and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and add chicken. 

Cook 4-5 minutes or longer until chicken is heated through. 

Serve over rice and add more Tabasco if you desire.

Refrigerate left overs. 

1 cup gumbo with 1 cup rice = approx. 200 calories. (per "myfitnesspal" app)

Salt Pillow

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not a big believer on all this holistic therapies like the essential oils and herbs for example. Don’t get me wrong, I do not doubt they play positive rolls for natural alternatives for some as they did back in the Bible days, but I just don’t always buy it. I have tried some of the oils but never find they help with any kind of healing. Not that they don't, I just haven't experienced it. However, I do believe in aroma therapy as I think smells can react on how you feel. I think some smells will make you feel energize while others can relax you. That’s about as far as I will go with the holistics.

I have always heard that Himalayan salt rock is good for the air around you. I have never had a salt rock but have always wanted one and would also love to visit a salt cave and sit awhile just to see. 

While out and about the other day, My husband pointed out these salt pillows. 

They were a good price so I said, “ok why not”. Let just see what it does. I mean, I could use a heat activated pillow for my earaches, headaches and tummy cramps”. So purchased it and brought it home. It sat next to my chair for a couple days while I just sort of looked at it. I was waiting on a day I felt I needed some soothing comfort. 

If you know me, you know I suffer from symptoms of Meniere’s and Tinnitus. My left ear will practically go deaf and the feeling of fluid pressure and dizziness will take over my head. This can go on for days at a time with a couple good days in between. I will wake up with head aches and those days can be rotten. 

I decided to take this little pillow to bed with me. I lay my left ear against it and I'm out like a light. Since I have been sleeping with this pillow against my head, I have not woken up with a head ache like I used to do every morning. I also have not had any symptoms of Meniere’s and vertigo in over three weeks now. I am aware that as soon as I finish this post I could have a flare up as they will hit without warning, but I can’t help but wonder if this little pillow is really working or if it's all in my head? 

It weights 2.2 lbs and can be heated in the microwave for one minute and used as a heating pad. With the weight and heat combined, I'm sure it will work great for cramps. It can also be placed in the freezer and used as an ice pack. 

Salt holds temperature extremely well, whether hot or cold. Himalayan Salt Healing Pillow is filled with 100% natural Himalayan salt crystals. The pillows weight provides gentle pressure while conforming comfortably to the face and body's natural curves. Crystal salts last indefinitely and can be used over and over again. 

You can purchase a pillow like this at most department stores such as Target or Walmart or any health stores or pharmacy. I actually picked mine up at Hamricks Department Sore. 

Or just go straight to the company.

The Original Salt Company

Fall Cardigan

I just can’t seem to get into the whole Fall season around here in North Carolina. Our temperatures are still in the 80s. I’m still wearing shorts and flip flops for heaven sake. 

I went shopping this weekend for some new Fall booties, and again, I’m waking up today without any new ones. I just can’t seem to find a color and style that catches my eye. I’m also on a mission for a new pocket book but I can’t find the right one. The only one I saw that I really liked, was the same price as my car payment, so nope.

We headed out to the mall and I picked up some lotion from bath and body works then skipped across the mall to Charlotte Russe. (Yes I practically skipped because I was feeling giddy after getting my lotion at a great sale price). 

We are planning on taking another trip to the beach next week so I wanted some new threads to wear. I had to ask myself, “Do I hit the sales rack for reduced summer items? I mean, it is still hot outside. Or do I go ahead and get something Fallish?” 

The weather man is calling for some cooler weather finally starting next week. So, it could be cool at the beach.

I was in a limbo.

First I headed straight back to the shoe wall and ohhed and ahhed over the sweet looking shoes they had. Then turned to the sweater rack. Thats when I saw some rust colored cardigans on door buster sale. They were practically half price and I love this color. 

I grabbed a small and headed to the register. 

I plan to pack this in my suitcase for my Fall beach trip. No matter how warm it is, It can get a little chilly at the beach during the evenings. I plan to wear this cardigain with my jeans but I also think it looks fun with my denim shorts and T-shirt. 

It’s a fun cardigan that can be dressed up or down. It’s perfect for Fall and fun to wear. 

Open Front Cable Cardigan- Charlotte Russe

Split Side Denim Cut off shorts- Old Navy

White Luxe T-shirt- Gap

Soda Pop and Candy Shop

Something you do not see much around here anymore are candy shops or soda shops. I think they have been replaced with vape shops but that just my thought.

While in Charlotte my daughter took us to a place she said she had run across one day while on her lunch break and wanted us to see it. 

It was a little Soda and Candy shop called Rocket Fizz.  This place is a little gem located right in the center of uptown. They have over 1000 candies, soda pops, gag gifts and toys. Every kids dreams right? Well, this was pretty cool as an adult too. 

I did not buy anything simply because I was overwhelmed with the selection and was like “wow” the whole time. Now that I’m over the shock, I would love to revisit and purchase a few unique candies or sodas. 

They had every flavor soda you could think of. I mean seriously, here is a “mustard” flavor. 

They had every taste from pickle to wedding cake. Look closely at the picture above and you will see a cookie dough flavor. 

I do not think I would like either one of these flavors but I would try any of them just for the fun of it. I sit here and try to think of a flavor I’d think would be good as a soda. I was actually tempted to buy the cucumber flavored one. They also had sodas labeled with famous names.

 Click here to see a collection soda flavors they have to offer. 

Almost everything in the store was edible I believe. Sugar was everywhere. I haven’t seen anything like this since Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. 

On the way out this cotton candy caught my eye and I almost purchased a bag but figured my teeth couldn't take it.

I still wonder to this day if it had a “fizz” when it melted on your tongue. 

FUNK

• My Fitbit alarm gently vibrated on my wrist to effortlessly wake me up. 
• It was 7:00 am. 
• I sat up in bed, grumpily punched my pillow and walked out of the room then gently shut the door not to wake up my husband and started my daily routine. 
• As I walked into the bathroom my shoulder hit the side of the door and I kicked a towel in the floor from last nights shower. 
• Looking in the mirror I did not like the face looking back at me. 
• "gross!" I said as I turned off the light and walked into the kitchen to eat breakfast. 
• I forgot to add coffee grounds to the coffee maker so I remade a pot. 
• I ripped the bag of bread because I found the simple bread tie annoying to get off. 
• "Stupid bread bags" I mumbled. 
• I made an egg while my toast was browning in the toaster then sat down to eat. 
• I looked through my emails, checked my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram then headed over to my blog to read everyone's post.
• The husband is now up and sits down to eat a bowl of oatmeal and throws me a kiss across the table.
• I was not in the mood so I did a fast pucker back with a sideways smile. 
• He knew to leave me alone. 
• After about 10 minutes, time seemed to sneak up on me so slammed my iPad shut. 
• Because I guess somehow it was the iPads fault that I didn't have time to finish.
• I had to get ready for work but I could not find anything to wear. 
• "Ugly is all I see" I shouted. "I do not look good in any of this stuff' anymore".
• I headed to the vanity. 
• "Uuuughhh, I'm so ugly!" I said to myself. 
• Then my eyes filled with tears.
• The husband walked in and tried to make me feel better. 
• But I knew this was just something husbands do. It didn't help matters.
• "I can't get my hair to look right, my face is saggy and wrinkles are everywhere!"
• "I look old and worn".
• "I have bad teeth"
• "I'm useless and will never amount to anything" 
• "I hate my job"
• "and I'm always broke".
• Nick just listened until I was finished. Then he again tried to make me feel better.
• It was 8:30am
• I grabbed my work bag and headed to work hoping I do not get into any road rage.
• I was on the brink.

Why all this?
I was in a FUNK!
This will happen to me a couple times a year and it feels awful.

Do you ever just wake up thinking the whole world is against you?
You feel like whatever you do, someone else has just done it better?
You feel like everyone in the world is having fun and enjoying life except you?
You feel ugly and useless.
Everything seems irritate you.
It's like a depression cloud that will float over you and you wait for it to pass.
And usually by the end of the day, it will.

How do you fix this? 

I'm not sure about you but I have to find an outlet.

Pray first.

I have to stay off social media a while. The news will keep me depressed.
I have to keep thinking positive.
I have to keep telling myself  "this not who I am and it will pass".
Exercise works too.

Having a friend you can talk too and vent too is a big plus. I do not have a friend like this but I have my husband and he is my best friend. We talk, we walk, and we grumble about life together and by the end of the day I'm in a better mood.

Do you ever get in Funk?

Vintage Finds- Pins

I was over at my late father in laws estate this past weekend as we are getting things cleaned up for a future auction.

As I was looking around, I found a couple little vintage trinkets and decided to add them in my Etsy shop for fun.

I saw these hatpins and fell in love with them. I have not actually seen a hatpin in use so I looked up a little history on these jewels.

Here are a few fun facts I found about hatpins.

~Hatpins were origianally made to hold wimples and vials in place.

~Hatpins became popular in the 1880’s to use on hats.

~Women used hat pins as self defense against attacks by men.

~In 1908 A law was passed in America that limited the length of hatpins because they were afraid they would be used for weapon by suffragettes. 

~I just learned a new word.

~In the 1910s, an ordinance was passed that required hatpins to have covered tips so they would not accidently hurt someone.

~In 1918 passengers were advised to leave the trams if hatpins were uncovered but a law was never passed for that. 

~Now days, they are used as brooches on coats or as a conversation piece by collectors.

How about that? I never knew. But I can see these things being weapons as they made pin cushions out of me on the way home. I did not realize they were so sharp. Two of them have protector caps, but one does not.

Next, I came across these adorable little vintage diaper pins. These were also before my time, dating back to the 50’s. They are made of sterling silver and can be monogammed. I’m thinking this was a nice gift for the new baby back in the day. This set is a little tarnish. 

Diaper pins were still being used in the 60’s. I remember my mom using cloth diapers on my sister and brother. She was good about pinning them on without sticking the baby. She would place her hand behind the pin and sacrifice her own fingers. 

I’m wondering if some people still use cloth diapers now days. I’m surprised they have not made a come back in the organic and recyclable world. 

Both of these items and more can be found in my shop until sold. 

My Etsy Shop 

TBB Asks- Fall 2.0

Wow! It’s already October! Where did September go? I haven’t even finished taking my beach vacations yet and I already have my house decorated for fall. This lead me to join in on this months TBB ask. 

The first Monday of each month, the ladies of "The Blended Blog" host a linkup with fun themed questions and answers to write about and share. 

This months theme is Fall 2.0 Enjoy.

Q.- Favorite Fall Color

A.- My favorite Fall colors in clothes are tans, creams and grays. As for as decorating, I am in love with all the blues, greens and cream colored decorations in the stores now. They have that french country appeal while keeping up with the season. However, my home is currently decorated with the same old drabby orange and browns from years before. I need to update. 

Q.- Apple Cider Hot or Cold?

A.- Hot of course. I’m not a big fan of cider but I do keep single packs of instant cider at my coffee bar. Sometimes it’s nice and relaxing to sip on a cup. I have never tried the homemade good stuff. Do people actually drink apple cider cold?

 

Q.- Caramel Apple: yes or no

A.- Yes. I love anything caramel! I prefer my apples cut and dipped in caramel unless I make them myself. I’m picky about what my apples look like. 

If you have ever bitten into a bad apple hidden behind fresh caramel you’d understand. 

Q.- Pumpkin Doughnuts or Apple Cider Doughnuts? 

A.- Lets don’t talk about doughnuts. I’m currently in doughnut rehab.

Q.- Long or Short Cardigan?

A.- I prefer wearing long cardigans. They just seem to go best with jeans and booties. I feel like short cardigans make me look frumpy.

Q.- Favorite Football or Fall Party Food?

A.- You know those little smokies? Those.

Q.- Orange or White Pumpkins?

A.- Orange for carving and white for decorating. I love the Heirloom pumpkins and gourds. 

(Heirloom Pumpkins)

Q.- Hayride or Bonfire?

A.- I have never had good luck with hayrides. I’d rather sit around a bonfire or campfire with friends on a cool Fall night.

Q.- Favorite Fall Baked Good?

A.- I’m thinking back to grandmaws sweet potato pies. I also love rice pudding and sweet homemade breads.

Q.- Most Anticipated Fall Activity.

A.- I always want to visit the Renaissance festival. Then there is the County Fair. 

****ONE MORE THING...Do you like coffee??? There is a Starbucks Card give away going on at annstersdommain.blogspot.com to celebrate her 1000th post! So head on over there and enter. Contest ends October 4th. 

I mean really, who couldn't use a starbucks card? Right?