Life Lately & Free Autumn Subway Art Print

Life lately has been quiet. The weather in Cali is still warm. The trees are slow to do their thing...Though there are small signs of Autumn...It does not feel like it has arrived as of yet. The nice thing about where we live is that we get a nice cool breeze in the evening...Not enough to get you in the mood for sweaters and jackets. Surely it will come at some point. It get's so warm here that we are still actually running our air conditioner. Crazy, I know. It is Autumn though...Even if it's hot I still like to do things and make memories with my family during whatever season it is. Baking is a big part of Autumn and Winter. A lot of time is spent in the kitchen canning, baking cookies or breads, making breakfasts and soups. My daughter informed me at age 15....She had never had a caramel apple!!!! WHAT!!!! What kind of Momma am I to keep this delightful treat from my kids? I was like. really!!!??? I don't know how this has happened...what kid has never had a caramel apple before? Well we took care of that right away and made caramel apples together last night...And it was good. Later we will be making candy apples as well. This girl is no longer going to go on without experiencing these Fall goodies.

Oh have y'all seen the new Pioneer Woman line at Walmart? So stinkin' cute...and yes I jumped on the band wagon and picked up some bowls and a buttah dish...It was a need anyway. The bowls will be perfect for soup nights...They are not only pretty, they are large and deep....The buttah dish...I needed a new one since my old one broke over two years ago...So there you have it...Go check it out if you haven't already!

Speaking of dishes...My awesome, thoughtful, beautiful Mother in Law AKA Momma Chickki sent me some Pyrex... Oh how she knows I love using Pyrex. It was like getting a Christmas or birthday package when it's not and just because. I just love sweet surprises!

I made this Autumn Subway Art several years ago...However I added in S'mores since selling them on Etsy. This is now a FREE Print for you! You can copy and paste onto your computer. If you are interested in a better copy to use for printing or a PDF...

Please leave me a comment and I can send it to you!

It looks adorable framed!!!

Happy Weekend!!!

There's No Place Like Home

I must confess...I love home....I am not a wanderlust or a huge adventurer or traveler. I like to stay close to home and not too long away from it. Home is where my favorite people are, where we gather and show hospitality with friends and church family, enjoying meals and fellowship. A place where we can be ourselves in rest and quiet solitude, feeling safe or even enjoy one another's joys, triumphs, dreams, and laughter. And the sad times filled with disappointments, tears or times of unrest and hurts. It's a place where we work, play games, watch a movie and just plain ole' relax....Where we can be raw and real. It is a place where I am able to express myself through decorating or re arranging, switching things out, making it a homey and comfortable sanctuary for my little clan. And though this is a temporal home, I am blessed that we can share our seasons and memories under one roof together with the people I love the most, until our heavenly home is given to us,

 we are grateful for the time we have here on earth. 

Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young – a place near your altar, LORD Almighty, 

my King and my God. 

What do you love about HOME?

(vintage 1950's cottage/home salt and pepper shakers with sugar bowl? 

(found while scavenging through an antique shop)

Have A Happy Day!!

The Bookworm

If she's not writing or shopping, she's reading.

 My Freckles is a Bookworm. 

She loves books. Most of her collection has been purchased with her own money. So proud of her. She got a job babysitting a few kids across the street and makes $10 an hour. Which is pretty good pay. So, most every time she gets paid she goes shopping for books. Though sometimes she will buy some clothing or makeup...Most of the time it's a book or even a stack of books.

You will find her browsing the bookstores and thrift stores for pages of gold. Once in a while she will order a book from Amazon. She is an avid reader, reading 5 books at a time...Not all at once! She will read for hours. I knew she would have a love of books at a very early age. Of course I read to her every night when she was younger and she learned to read way before kindergarten. Her collection has grown into 100's...Not too shabby for a young girl. 

I am a reader.

 Not because I don't have a life

 but because

 I choose to have many.

***

Adding Color

We are almost at 4 months in this house. I can't believe time has passed before our eyes. We are very much enjoying our own space. It brings me joy to awaken with God's promises to me every day, my family and to a bright cheerful home in decor. When we moved here I hung some of my cake/bundt pans in the corner of the dining room for a nice splash of color and whimsy. Why hide them in the cupboards when they make nice colorful pieces of art?

My recent thrift find was this red, worn bundt pan. I liked that it was different in form compared to the other bundts I have. I realized I actually have a collection of pans that were not necessarily meant to be a collection. it sort of happened. Then I realized I would need at least a blue one to complete the primary colors. It's funny how collections sort of happen.

One of my personal favorites is the yellow pineapple upside down cake pan. I have used it before....It just makes baking pineapple upside down cakes all the more fun to make and eat.

I also put up a new quote on the chalkboard.

It was just the inspiration I need right now...

To work on making some of my dreams real.

Here's to a great weekend ahead.

Hope all is well with you.

My Pyrex

I've been collecting Pyrex now for several years. It's not a big collection by any means... It's been a slow process since I will only buy if I happen upon them in thrift shops or garage sales, antique shops or gifted. I have not bought any pieces online as of yet, since they are so pricey. I have seen some at great prices, but then the shipping is outrageous and I just can't see myself buying one bowl for over $20 bucks. So I'll stick to buying them as I have...Most of the bowls have been pretty darn cheap too. I'm so happy I have a place to showcase them too. The sweet hutch I bought about 8 years ago through Craig's list...It sat in my garage for many moons, until now, I painted it and have a great place in my dining room for it. I get to enjoy it all, everyday...filled with happy colors...Makes me smile.

 

 

If you want to start a collection yourself.....Start raiding your thrift store shelves. You may just find a piece here and there. Oh and never wash your Pyrex in a dishwasher. They will last a long long time if you wash them by hand. I learned the hard way on one colored bowl...It lost its shine and the color started to fade away. So sad.

 

 

I have bought some pieces that are well worn and washed the wrong way....One reason...They are really just great bowls for mixing and storing. I don't mind too much. But, I do love me the printed colorful bowls. They are so fun. I love mixing all the colors and patterns in one space. It's art.

 

 

 

I love them enough to use them, they don't just sit there for looks. They were made to use.
Pretty enough for art yet basic enough to use in everyday cooking, baking & serving...

I will on the other hand need more places to display
 them as my collection may grow.
Oh what's a girl to do?
*****

I Changed My Mind...

It was only a couple days after we bought the red Ektorp couch from Ikea, when I started questioning the purchase. Number one was the flimsy frame you have to put together, then the way the cushions were packed in between the bars of the couch, leaving a huge indention in each one. After putting the red cover on the cushions, they appeared sloppy, all from that crease in the cushion...Which never worked itself out....Not very nice when you just spent hundreds of dollars. Then I started second guessing myself about the red covers...Don't get me wrong, I love red...But, I started thinking, this is not just something you can get a spot out of without washing it and what if the red runs and then it will really look worn and sloppy. I was determined to give the couch a try. I gave it two months as I started haunting Craig's List. I told myself if I found a couch that I loved and it would fit into our kind of style I would get it...If I didn't find one by the time my 90 days were up with the Ikea couch, that I would deal with it and keep it. So, several weeks of looking, I ran into a listing for a couch, right up my alley...Vintage with a tufted back.

I had to finagle my friends to help me out with getting the Ikea couch back to the store one day and on another day, a friend took me down to look at the couch I saw online. We were pleasantly surprised with the great vintage condition of it. It had belonged to an elderly couple who undoubtedly took wonderful care of it. No rips, no stains... Just a little dusty. Which a good vacuum could take care of. It was perfect, I could easily shampoo it when needed and no worries with creasing cushions and sloppy covers. Well, this beauty is a bit longer than the Ikea couch, which is awesome and well built, the thing weighs a ton as the cushions are really heavy too. Geesh, they don't make em like they used to, unless you pay a fortune for a well made piece. I was able to talk the lady down a bit as well, which I preformed a happy dance in my mind. I got this couch for the fraction of the

 cost I spent at Ikea which I am so thrilled about. 

Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. I am happy I got my money back and I got something I really loved. I am glad I changed my mind in time...I would have been pretty down if I was stuck with something I didn't truly love. Don't you think it looks way better than the Ikea couch did? 

It is so much more me.... I just have to thank my wonderful Mr. Darling for putting up with my indecisiveness. He is so great about it all. He said as long as I don't change my mind again. He doesn't want a new couch every two months. I agreed to the terms. ;)

Now to add some cute pillows to it. I am just loving our new place.

 I feel so at home and so happy with all the bright colors. It's all coming together.

Now onto school preparations.