May Your Day Be Filled With Good Things....

Hello~

What a wonderful time of year to spend a day with family,

 friends or maybe even someone that you don't know very

well but are reaching out to.

No matter who we spend the day with,

there's always that feeling of warmth and closeness. 

And so many things to count as blessings.

Our family always does the "five kernals of corn"

story that's adapted from the first settlers.

We read The First Thanksgiving, Pilgrim Boy

and Pilgrim Girl to the younger kids so they have

a connection from history.

When my kids were little, we made

pilgrim hats and head bands with feathers

from construction paper.

One year the cat even got one!

We would make little dresses and bonnets

(very simple!) from muslin.

and often tried to invite a family that

 needed some fellowship.

We have so many fun memories!

This past Sunday in church, I learned a new word.

{THANKSLIVING}

I really liked that and thought I want to try

to make that more of a habit.

Have a lovely, lovely Thanksgiving!

And a joy-filled time as you begin your holiday season

preparing for Christmas!

Love and hugs,

Tamara

A Pie Pumpkin..All Glittered Up and Some Thoughts About Life

It's a very blustery day here in the Arizona mountains.

And tonight we're supposed to have temps in the teens.

I hope to get outside to day, brave the wind, dodging the 50 mph gusts and gather the rest of my flowers for some creative and fun way to enjoy them for a little while longer.

I cannot believe that I still have roses, 

cosmos, petunias and snapdragons.

What a beautiful fall it's been but I find myself standing 

by the wood stove quite a bit these days.

There's a very simple project that I'd like to share with you today.

I made a bunch of them while I was in Ohio and gave them as gifts.

And I brought several home to make more.

The materials needed are:

 *pie pumpkins

*acrylic paint.. your choice of color

(I used Vintage White)

*glitter (I used gold)

*ribbon, tulle 

*a button or some kind of embellishment

*hot glue gun

I put a coat of paint and let it dry.

Then painted the top half of the pumpkin

again and sprinkled it with LOTS of gold glitter :)

Oh my! 

At the Sugartree cabin in Ohio, I had glitter 

ALLLL over the place. It was so fun.

(Glitter and I mix like milk and cookies!)

After this dries, you make a bow or two out

of your ribbon. Then attach them and your 

embellishment with hot glue.

SO simple and pretty quick too. 

The drying time takes a bit.

I have given several as gifts. 

They would be perfect as a hostess

gift or for just someone special. I took one to the owner

of the nursery where I bought the pumpkins and

she asked if it had been for a fall wedding decoration.

 With Thanksgiving coming, there are endless ways

that one could use them for decorating.

They are very inexpensive to make and so fun and festive.

I took this one to my brother at the nursing home.

Just a small way to share a little love.

And we need lots of that don't we?

That's one thing that always makes a difference

in a person's life. Spread a little cheer and happiness

with a simple gift. Just let someone know that they

were thought of and loved.

Here's a lovely song for you today.

It's a moving version of 

What the World Needs Now.

ent

Yesterday, I made some special memories making

hot-cocoa mix with my granddaughters. 

And we also went about the yard

picking all the flowers that were still blooming!

They had little baskets to fill for their mommy.

They were so excited! 

Oh, the precious love of little girls for their mommy. 

Sweet sweet sweet!

I will share pictures later. 

It's time for some Christmas music! And

we've been working on some songs for 

sing-alongs and special events. 

There are so many special ones. 

Traditional, country, folk and it goes on.

I will share some of my favorites with you.

We had two birthday celebrations this week for my

husband's 60th birthday and there are more to come.

When I think of how much the average person

has to overcome in this life, by golly, it's good celebrate

 them and life at every opportunity!  

As we approach Thanksgiving, there are

a few things that I'm particularly thankful for today.

*A good dermatologist report.

I'm at high risk because of my years of over-exposure.

I have learned some very valuable things about protection.

If you are interested in knowing, I will share.

I will say that skin checks make a difference!

*My husband being here.

The two year anniversary of his roll-over accident

is almost here. His pick-up was totaled. 

He was treated and released.

(I lost my first husband in a roll-over accident 

when I was 24)

 *Protection from a black widow spider.

Yesterday, before the girlies arrived, I was

prompted to straighten a little pile of pillows where

they often play. There I found a very large widow spider.
A spider.. ewww  Happy thought indeed.

To quote Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice  

What are you thankful for?

What have you been doing?

Are you ready for the holidays?

I hope that life is treating you kind and that your days

are rich with love and the beauty of life.

Merci Merci 

And many blessings to you,

Tamara xo

A Mix of Fall Blessings~ in Photos

 A warm hello to you on this crisp, fall day. 

I am so grateful for so many reasons.

I try to keep my blog pretty upbeat as I feel there is

always hope and much to celebrate. 

May I say that I have much more hope for our 

country today than I did yesterday.

I understand that politics are very personal but I must say that

I am thankful for the turn out of our presidential election.

Without sharing details, I feel that there is much to be 

thankful for in our country.

And one of those is freedom. 

And you may have heard about the incident involving the shooting of

an AZ police officer and the taking of a 15 year old hostage.

 My son in law is a highway patrolman and was called to assist in the situation.

My 13 year old granddaughter was in the area as well. 

We are 45 miles from where it took place.

And I am just so very thankful for their safe return.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of

the police officer who lost his life. 

He was due to retire in two weeks.

I appreciate the multitudes of brave men and women

who work so hard and sacrifice so much to protect us.

Thank you for bearing with me. It's good to be positive and uplifting

but sometimes the real world needs and circumstances call for our attention.

I have many photos to share with you today.

I hope you enjoy your visit. 

Below is a golden hour walk through the Sugartree woods.

Such beauties in nature. 

The warmth and brilliant color I find in this woodland world

sometimes takes my breath away,

The path that I share with the deer and other wild animals.

Have you ever read Walden by Henry David Thoreau?

It's very fascinating and thought provoking. When I am surrounded by such

beauty in nature, it makes me think of his long walks and obsession with

the outdoors and the simple life.

 Are you familiar with Sweet Stock?

They are some of my favorites. A few years ago, I planted some here but they didn't

do well. The plants were growing in the planter from mid summer but I didn't know what they were. The foliage looked somewhat like Petunias. I let them grow as I

can never pull anything that could be a flower! 

My patience paid off and when I returned from Ohio, 

these beauties were there to greet me! Oh they smell so heavenly and have 

the prettiest, old-fashioned looking blooms! I do hope that they continue

 to come back and grace my yard with their loveliness.

 Here are a few shots from The Narrows in New Mexico.

 Such majestic and gorgeous formations. 

 I made many new kitty friends while in Ohio. This sweet fellow came to 

visit me during my quiet times in the Sugartree gypsy camp.

The others were all met while shopping. 

They were sort of store greeters! There were three in all. 

It was so charming to have them follow 

me around while I shopped.

Do you enjoy backroads?

I do. 

Honestly, this is one of my favorite things about being

in Ohio. Such rustic charm and it's so peaceful.

I have so many girlhood memories of dirt roads.

Picking wildflowers and visiting neighbors.

I road my horse, walked and bicycled for miles all over the countryside.

My wanderings began when I was about 10 years old and

I love to wander still~

Here we are back in AZ.

 This is the last of the tomatoes and I had some fun with

gathering herbs and flowers around the yard to make this arrangement.

Aren't nature and gardening glorious?

And so beautiful how they blend together in perfect harmony.

I have been working every spare minute that I can on Christmas

offerings to sell and give away. I have also

been working on some pie pumpkins to give as gifts.

The past two weekends were so fun as we had the kids over for a 

big breakfast with all the fixins and fried apples too!

It was a lovely time.  We also had a fall party one evening.

It was complete with a bonfire, with the gypsy camp trails all aglow

with white and orange twinkle lights and caramel apples for dessert.

We adults played some music and sang around the fire while the kids

ran the lighted trails like wild Indians!

It was VERY chilly but so fun!

I hope you've been enjoying your autumn. 

I'd love to hear about  what you've been doing.

Thanksgiving is just a round the corner!

I have a simple project to share next time.

Have a wonderful week and thank you for your visit.

You are all so special and I appreciate you so much!

Hugs,

Tamara

Decor Easily Crafted from Your Garden

Hello and happy November!

It has been a wonderful start to my day.

It's raining.

 That's always a treat!

Burly, our black cat, is laying all cozy on the rug next to

the woodstove and he looks up at me

with sleepy eyes and meows as if to say 

"thank you for the warm fire."

Don't you love it when your animals are all

happy and cozy? It warms my heart.

I've been outside a couple of times this morning

to grab wood for the fire. 

I do love the smell of the rain-soaked earth and leaves.

I have candles lit all over the house to add some light and warmth

 to this wonderfully chilly and cloudy day.

The window is slightly opened so I can hear the raindrops

hitting the metal roof. The tea pot is whistling to let me know that

I can pour it's boiling, steamy goodness in a cup now.

The laundry is in and I have my tea and can now sit down

 and write to you on this fine day!

I do hope you've had a good week. 

On to my post content...

Do you like using natural findings in your decor?

Sticks.. rocks.. bark.. dried flowers or even pretty, native grasses.

These are garlic seed heads. I thought that they would look pretty 

painted gold and put in a pitcher or a jar. 

I love how you can see the tiny black seeds inside.

I had this spray paint on hand and I appreciate the quality. It came from a florist.

I hope you don't mind my sweet, pet photo bombs! 

They are so curious and often nearby when I'm working.

Here are the seed heads drying.

Do you think they're pretty?

And here they are. There are so many different ways that one could display them.

I'm thinking that they would also adorn a gift very nicely. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Have yoou been thinking about and planning for the holidays?

Are you working on any special projects?

I have finished my angel that I mentioned awhile ago and will

share that with you soon. I'm just finishing up some glittery, 

sheet music ornaments.

It's sort of a mixed time of year for many.

If you like making gifts or crafts to sell, one really has to begin 

several months ahead. There are already 

Christmas Bizarres and craft shows happening! 

And if you want to plan special outings, they really have to

be planned in advance or you may not get a ticket!

I have been making some plans for a special outing before

Christmas. I am so excited about this surprise!

My youngest daughter, Mikailah celebrated her

20th birthday last month. This trip will be an extension of her celebration

since we were traveling and also since we have decided to

dedicate the WHOLE birthday month to celebrating each one.

It am thrilled!

We will go on special outings that relate to their interests,

 have dinners, give gifts and just show them special appreciation 

with notes and cards. Don't you love celebrating the

 special people in your life?

That would be near the top of my list of favorite things! 

It's so fun~

This evening, I'm taking my husband to see

Deep Water Horizon.

(Nov. is his birthday month)

It's a very serious movie and not easy to watch.

There is much loss.

But for many, the ending is miraculous and it's very well done.

Whatever you're doing, I wish you joy and wonder for your day.

Thank you for your visit.

Blessings,

Tamara