Another dreary, gray autumn day…know what would lift my spirits? A good old-fashioned tea-party, anyone care to join me? I’ll grab the dolls and teddy bears…
This collection or confection of Easter colored Playing House dishes couldn’t be sweeter, not even with candy sprinkles. Mix and match your bowls and cake stands for a great setting.
These Chelsea Flowers dishes were inspired by gorgeous old vintage fabrics. Mix and match to your heart’s content, they’re all lovely. Each piece is made of refined porcelain and is microwavable and safe for the dishwasher.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I love things like delicate lace work and beading, embossed velvets and delicate tea rose florals, so the Tea Rose Velvet Victorian Vanity Tabletop Collection caught my eye. The collection features a hand mirror, a cosmetic vase, tissue box, vanity tray and table mirror. Each piece is sold separately.
Victorian Rose Portrait Olive Throw Pillow
The Victorian Rose Portrait Olive Throw Pillow features a beautiful bouquet of pink roses captured inside a dainty floral oval. sides. This cushion is 100% cotton and has a zipper closure for easy removal and cleaning. Pillow is filled with 100% polyester filler.
Next to Christmas, Halloween is my favorite time of the year. I decorate the house, the yard, the dogs, my husband, but I especially LOVE dressing ME up in costume. In fact, I wish I could wear costumes every day of the year! Needless to say, I’m a really picky ghoul when it comes to choosing just the right Halloween ensemble.
I chose this ghost maid costume because it’s perfect for me! I love the Victorian era, you might even say I live the Victorian era. We are presently residing in and restoring a huge old creepy Victorian house, filled with Victorian furniture. And I collect and restore creepy antique dolls. I’m also very pale, so I wouldn’t even need makeup. And, this costume addresses another of my primary activities in my big old Victorian house; dusting.
I found this awesome ghost maid costume on halloweenexpress.com. They have an unbelievable selection of halloween costumes for adults, children, infants, even pets! So if you haven’t yet found your costume check them out!
My husband and I decided to get into the spirit of Halloween and go a haunted Alton ghost tour. We chose Antoinette’s because this year they got permission to go down into the Mcpike Mansion wine cellar, which has never before been available to the public. The Mcpike Mansion was built in 1869 for Henry Guest McPike. It was constructed in the ornate Italianate-Victorian style and has sixteen rooms, plus the aforementioned extremely cool and spooky vaulted stone wine cellar–if I was a ghost the Mcpike mansion is where I would choose to haunt. We also visited the federal cemetery and the old Milton school. The school is supposedly haunted by a little girl who stayed late to finish a school project and never made it home. As the story goes, her body was found later in the girl’s restroom, she had been viciously raped and murdered. Weeks later the school janitor’s body was found hanged, with the message “I did it”.
Mcpike mansion during the day.
Mcpike Mansion Wine cellar
Stairway at Milton school…see the orbs?
Girl’s restroom
Janitor room
You don’t have to believe in ghosts to have a great time on these tours, I love getting to snoop around in the old historic buildings and watching the reactions of the other people. I never saw what I would say was definite evidence of the paranormal, but some of the others did see one really scary thing…
Me! And my rendition of the Phantom of the Opera…” That fate which condemns me to wallow in blood has also denied me the joys of the flesh. This face; the infection which poisons our love. This face which earned a mother’s fear and loathing, a mask: my first unfeeling scrap of clothing. Pity comes too late, turn around and face your fate, an eternity of this before your eyes! ”
Just a reminder, October 31st is the deadline for getting into the “Win Bailey, Mohair Teddy Bear Contest Part Two!”
…write a post in your blog, listing five things for which you are grateful. They don’t have to be huge, earth-shaking things, they could be thankfulness for a friendly neighbor, a kind person who let you go first at the grocery store, a beloved pet who has made your life happier. Then link back to this post. The winner will receive this awesome mohair bear, made by my own little hands! His name is Bailey, and while he is distressed like Albert and made in the tradition of the famous antique bears, with German mohair, wooden joint disks, excelsior stuffing and antique button eyes. He is nineteen inches tall. Bailey is an artist bear, as such he’s not safe for small children…The contest will run until October 31st. The winner of this contest will receive Bailey, plus a review of their blog, to be given on their choice of my three blogs. I am not going to link to every person this time, as my daughter informed me that in doing that I am defeating my purpose of building links… so much to learn! So if you entered but did not win my last bear contest, don’t despair! Bailey still needs a home!
Christmas is coming and Bailey would make a GREAT Christmas present and there aren’t a huge amount of entries so your odds of winning are pretty good!
My husband worries me to death. His mother had diabetes and cancer and his father died of a heart attack. My husband is the youngest of five boys and the only one who hasn’t had at least one heart attack. He takes medication for his high blood pressure and pills for the cholesterol, he doesn’t smoke, seldom drinks, and I try very hard to help him keep his weight down…still, I know he’s at risk from the things he can’t do anything about, like his age and genetic predisposition for heart problems and diabetes.
I worry about our children too. My paternal grandfather died of Congestive Heart Failure, and my father has had a heart attack, so I keep a close eye out for any new scraps of information on prevention, symptoms and treatments. Needless to say, after I saw the Inside Cardiac Arrest website which provides vital information about cardiac arrest, I bookmarked it!
Today in the midwest the sky is gray, the grass on my lawn is dead and the whole world seems dreary and depressed. I think I’m actually a plant because every fall as the sun wanes duller and the daylight hours shorten, I grow more and more droopy and lifeless. For me, this is the time of year I require some brightening up! I need some green to give my photosynthesis a jump-start!
This Urban Alternate bedding appeals to the minimalist in me, (I live in a Victorian house so that part doesn’t get to come out much) I love the bold geometrics and fresh colors, the simplicity of it. Bedding is made of 100% Cotton Sateen (sateen just feels sooooo good!) 320 thread count.
This earthy, deep woodsy feel throw pillow, would look great on the bedding above! The Daphne Branches Silk Throw Pillow is made of 100% hand-screened silk satin. Cover is removable, dry clean or hand wash. Comes in four colors. Designed by Plush Living.
The Foliage In Grass Throw Pillow is designed by Inhabit Living. The graphics are hand printed on a luxurious Retrosuede, in shades of soft grass green, wheat and an earthy brown. Hand wash.
One of my favorite things about our Victorian home is the huge gorgeous front door, so I’m constantly on the lookout for great wreaths to set it off. This Pumpkin Wreath is perfect for autumn! Each wreath is made to order for freshness and fragrance, with faux pumpkins, Sweet Annie, Yarrow, Quince, leaves and berries. The wreath is 24″ in diameter.
I love the subdued shades of off-white, grays and green in these items from Smith & Hawken. This fall-inspired Gourd Wreath features faux wheat and gourds, leaves and berries, hand wired on a natural vine base. Wreath has a 26 inch diameter. Use as a wreath or on the table to surround a grouping of candlesticks.
The Aidan Gray Candlesticks are each turned and finished and patinated by hand so that no two are exactly alike. Come in small, medium and large sizes, ranging from 17″ to 24″.
Cluster these hand-painted paper mache Pumpkins and foam core gourds together for a great fall table arrangement, or use in a sheltered area near the front door to welcome guests.
Last night my husband and I did something unusual, well unusual for us anyway, we drove to Springfield to see Jethro Tull in concert…we didn’t get home till after midnight. I can’t even remember the last time we stayed out that late. My dogs were all up in my face… “And where have you been, missy??”
It’s been a long, long time since we’ve been to concert–the last time was 1980 at the Kiel auditorium in St Louis. Ian Anderson was still wearing tights and a codpiece and my 27 year old daughter was as yet unborn and kicking the daylights out of me…
Jethro Tull has always been, hands down, my husband’s absolute favorite musical artist. In fact, I’m surprised he even married me after I accidentally scratched his Aqualung album. He has all of Tull’s music on Cd’s now, (and I’m still not allowed to touch them). But when it came to concerts, paying big bucks for tickets then dealing with city traffic, he always ended up passing on them. This time was different, the concert was in Springfield in an auditorium that only held 4000. practically cozy! And the tickets were free–my poor brother-in-law got a nasty chest cold so he and my sister couldn’t attend. Clearly it was fate.
The concert was GREAT. Ian Anderson, who turned 60 August 10th, has hung up his codpiece, but he can still get an audience fired up. I was amazed looking out over the sea of gray heads and shiny pates, how some things change, but not all…these folks were screaming and whistling and practically swooning as Tull performed its best from Aqualung and Thick as A Brick, Songs from the Wood and some new music as well. But the best part was peeking over at my husband, and seeing that same dreamy expression he had in 1980, seeing Tull at the Kiel in St. Louis, back when we were twenty-somethings…
Yeah, I know my camera shots are terrible, so here’s a recent photo of Ian Anderson, I kind of miss the tights…
I recently ordered the neatest gift for my cousin’s wedding! It’s a gorgeous two-toned, hardwood picture frame, custom engraved with both inset and raised images. The frame I chose features the happy couple’s names, wedding date, along with a few words and symbols that express the occasion, like faith, Trust, Marriage, Cherished. Their new home will be located on a gorgeous spot in the country with lots of big trees and hills, so I chose a spreading Oak and acorns as the main motif. I know they’re going to love it!
The custom wood frames are available in 4 x 6, 5 x 7 or 8 x 10 in either horizontal or vertical. When my frame arrived I was pleased to find that it was even nicer than the pictures and the price was very reasonable! My 8×10 frame with taxes and shipping came to only $30, the smaller frames are even less. Where else are you going to find a beautiful, unique gift for that kind of price?
So if you’re looking for the perfect gift for a bridal shower, anniversary, graduation, school events, baby shower, new job– the possibilities are endless–check out their site!
Here is a photo of the frame I ordered, I took the glass out to eliminate some of the glare. The shot didn’t come out that good but it will give you an idea of the type of designs they can make. The Oak image is raised and incredibly detailed!
