October 26, 2009

• A Fall Day Around Here

  This was a productive weekend for me and VERY relaxing.  I love interior decorating.  Since we are financially limited, this year, I have had to rely on making something new with my *old* silk flowers and things.  As many of you know, I love to bring the outdoors inside and try to incorporate things indigenous to the season on my tables, etc.

  Actually, I've had this on my To Do List for several weeks.  It was "work," in a way,  but still so relaxing, to me!  I guess it was relaxing because I enjoy fiddling with stuff and I enjoy the final product!

                          
  I started with the kitchen table area.  We did some more cleaning of the homeschool bins, to make the area tidy.  Then, I took a leaf out of the looooooong kitchen table, which made the table short enough to hold this fall tablecloth!  The table area looks so cozy and inviting!  The girls ooo'ed and aaah'ed when they saw it! 

  We've been burning Hazelnut and Mulled Cider candles in the kitchen, to add to the fall ambience. 

                        
  We have to move this bouquet from the table to do our schooling, but it's worth the itty bitty effort!  The rich colors look like the neighborhood trees that are starting to change color.

  Next, I addressed my grandpa's pictures from the meat packing plant he worked for in the 1930's.  While going through old pictures, looking for some of my dad, I found many old pictures (some dating back to the 1800's).  Since my kitchen has been gradually undergoing a transformation from cobalt blues and red apples/roosters, I have done away with the blue and replaced it with black.  Black and red is the kitchen theme. 

  I bought black document (or award) frames from Wal-Mart for cheap, cheap, cheap!  Simple black frames with a white mat. The pictures fit perfectly and are pictures of sides of beef being hung to cure, my grandfather standing by a meat grinder (I think), and a cattle auction or competition from 1935, which my grandpa's company had entered and won. 

  I had the perfect skinny, little strip of wall to hang the 3 pictures.

                               
  The wall next to the pictures has a shelf (that I need to paint black) that holds some knick knacks & my aprons.

                                
  The glare from the glass makes this picture "not so clear" but it looks fine in person!   That's my grandfather and what I believe to be a meat grinder.

                      
  My grandfather is on the right, standing next to his boss (I think) and you can see the 1935 date on the banner above both of them.  I had to fold the picture under (on the left), as it was too wide to fit this frame.  The name of the packing company, etc. are out of view in this picture.  I wonder if the photo has any monetary value?   I have a duplicate, which is why I didn't mind folding the side of this one to fit into the frame.

  After fiddling with the kitchen (and being satisfied, as well as motivated!), I moved to the dining room.  The tabletop needing dusting.  In fact, this isn't even the tabletop, it's a custom made pad that covers and protects the wood of the tabletop!  Since the girls occasionally split up to do their school work, I have opted to leave the pad on.  I wouldn't want a crayon mark or scratch put on the top of this table, as we purchased it with the intent of keeping it for the rest of our lives!

                            
                                    Rather than a horn of plenty, I've created a bowl of plenty!!!!

  It's hard to see  exactly what makes up this arrangement, different squashes & gourds are under the bowl, on each side.  *IN* the bowl is a large pumpkin, small orange squash and oranges, autumn leaves, nuts and orange/fire red flowers.

  I dug out some reading books and their accompanying workbooks for the girls to do as homework.  They LOVE the new assignments.  It's hard to keep children motivated at times, and giving new books and then withdrawing them for a while seems to break their learning monotony.  Speaking of books.  I finished my book last night (The Distant Beacon) and you can only imagine how thrilled I was to find the next book on my shelf was yet ANOTHER sequel in this series.  Jesse laughs at me - he doesn't understand my excitement!

  I ordered a CD of patriotic songs and it arrived this weekend.  We put it in the TV's DVD player and "Your Grand Old Flag" and other such songs filled our house while everyone did their chores.  Since the girls aren't involved with a choir group, this was a way to familiarize them with different songs.

  I drug out my breadmaker yesterday.  I haven't used it in years.  I made a recipe called "Sally Lunn" bread, one Nikki used to like.  I remember it being more yellow, but it was sweet and good, nonetheless.

          

  Must get moving.  I'm having the leftover bread as toast while I type, but I need to get myself together to teach!

  Be Blessed  ~

  • 10:49 am
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