Best wishes for a safe, happy, healthy 2011

May we all focus more on the "things" in life that really matter, and not on the things we can't fix or change. 
Learn from mistakes, but don't hold onto them. 
Let yourself (or force yourself to) look for the good in people.
Find beauty in the world around you.
Don't wait for something big and wonderful to happen- find the wonderful in little things.
Pray for those who are struggling in any way.  
Find peace and comfort with friends and family.
Don't just count your blessings - share them.

I know I haven't been on much lately.  Busy with life, I guess.  I read on someone's blog one time that they thought their life was full of stress and trouble, and then they realized it was just full of life.  If I could remember whose blog it was I would give them credit for that thought.   I have been struggling with life being rather challenging for one reason or another, and when I got in the car the other day the song below was playing and it really has a good reminder/message for all of us - because I know that EVERYONE has stress/challenges/struggles that they face as they move through life.  Keep moving.  One foot in front of the other.  Fake it 'til you make it.  Do whatever it takes.  You can do it.


Today I am working on cleaning another room - the dreaded sewing room.  It has become another dumping ground I'm afraid, which is only natural because it is also the room where I keep all my decorations and things like that.  I was going to take a before picture, but when I came downstairs for the camera I realized my husband must have taken it with him.  Good thing, I should probably have more self-respect than to publish photos of the mess for all the world to see.  But I think maybe I'm not the only one who deals with keeping up with the "stuff".  
Anyway, I am just taking a short break from the cleaning to do a quick report.  So far, I have found over 20 projects that are in various stages of completion.  While I often struggle with the whole new year's resolution thing (I mean, where do I start on the road to improvement - there are so many areas that could use help... :O)
 this year I believe I will make it my resolution to get the projects I have started finished.  The good news is that I still like most of them a whole lot so the working on them shouldn't actually cause physical pain. :)
I will be back with pictures of all these projects after the cleaning is done and the camera makes it's way back home.  


P.S. Libby, I found my "sister ring" right when I started cleaning.  I put it on for good luck and it really is helping, I think!  :)

Another favorite book...

     Just thought I'd share another favorite book this morning.  We haven't had any snow days at my school yet, but there has been a lot of wishful thinking!  When I walked kids out to the bus line on Monday afternoon they were all thinking that Tuesday might be a snow day.  One of the kids said to me, "Don't forget to wear your pajama bottoms inside out and put a spoon under your pillow!"  I have heard many versions of the inside out pajama trick (including putting them in the freezer first), but never the spoon under the pillow.  When I asked the group what is the spoon for one of them replied, "For eating all that snow, I guess!"
     One of my favorite winter time books is called "Snow Day!" by Lester Laminack.  There are several books by this title, but this one is really fun to read to the kids because it has a bit of a surprise ending.  The book actually is all about the anticipation of a possible snow day.  If you haven't seen this one, you might want to check it out.  It has really fun illustrations by Adam Gustavson.  It also makes a fun teacher gift.  You'll see why when you read it. :)

Click here for a link to find this book on Amazon.

PS.......your blog needs attention....

Libby has ever so gently let me know that it's time to get my blog updated and back on track.  Her message was:
"PS.......your blog needs attention....and a picture change! hahahahaha
LOVE YOU!!!!"


Love you too, Libby - and thanks for pushing me a little. :)
The header picture has been changed - finally.  And I promise to post  pictures of some of my Christmas decorating in the very near future.  But actually I haven't even put up my tree yet (gasp)!  
For now I am focused on doing some significant cleaning around the house.  I really should have taken before pictures of some of the rooms we've worked on, but my pride stopped me.  I am not a full-blown hoarder, but I have to fight the tendency.  I have a terrible habit of not dealing with the mail when it comes into the house.   The piles of papers were ridiculous and kind of stress-inducing.  Let's face it, even if you put disorganized piles of paper in a lovely Longaberger basket, it's still unattractive and messy...  And I am absolutely horrible about following the strategy of "a place for everything and everything in it's place."    My strategy is more like "everything in the nearest pile that isn't toppling over".  My worst piling station has been my pantry.  I  wish I had taken a before picture of that room just to remind myself of why I want to keep the order.  (Disgraceful comes to mind...  I couldn't even walk in there.) Here's a picture of that room tonight:

The door on the left is the pantry.
The door straight ahead is the downstairs bathroom.

When I get in the mood to sort aggressively I really have to stick with it because I don't know when I'll get that urge again.  :)  And yes, I realize that December is not a typical month to do this sort of thing.  I am aware that it's called Spring Cleaning for a reason related to the calendar...  Maybe this is an empty nest kind of thing.  No kiddo here to push the holiday decorating into gear.  I also just couldn't get motivated to hide the clutter so I could decorate.  But now that I've cleared a great deal of that clutter, I am feeling more in the spirit of the season... so I will try to get crackin'!

Back to school and another fun book...

Well it's back to school today.  I can't wait to hear all about Thanksgiving break for 17 fourth graders.  They are always so lively the day after a vacation.  :)


Here is another book that I recently purchased and 17 4th graders approve.  (We've already read it twice and they would listen to it again.)  

GUYKU: A Year of Haiku for Boys

Click here to see some sample pages.

This book moves through the seasons of the year with haiku poems that describe things that boys (and girls) like to do outside.  My class LOVES this book.  Each haiku puts a great picture in your head, and for a 45 year old, brings back memories.  You can see sample pages of the book on Amazon.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My Giveaway Winner Is....

     First, I have to say that I didn't realize how hard it was going to be to have only one winner.  I wanted everyone who entered to win!  Guess I'll need to have more giveaways so more people get a turn.   It's been fun to read your comments and visit blogs I hadn't seen before.  I sincerely thank everyone who entered!  
     I had my husband pick the name out of a basket with the 32 entries each written on a slip of paper.  The winner of my first ever blog giveaway is Country Log Cabin Quilter!!!  If you'll send an email to me with your address I will pop the goods in the mail to you as soon as I get your information.  Congratulations!

Books Can Make a Wonderful Gift

     I love all kinds of picture books.  I have an {almost} embarrassingly large collection, but can justify it because of teaching elementary school.  But the truth is I don't always buy the books to use at school. Sometimes I just love the story and know that I will read it again and again.  Over the next couple of weeks I am going to try to share some of the books that I think would make a great book to give as a gift or to share with your family.
I'm going to start with one of my all-time favorite Christmas books:
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.   

Click here for a link to this hardcover 

version that comes with a CD.

     My Aunt Carolyn told me about this book a few years ago and I am so glad she did!  In the story, a boy and his mother have discovered that the family nativity scene has been lost in their move to a new town.  The mother makes contact with a local wood carver, Jonathan Toomey, and makes arrangements for a new set to be carved.  But Jonathan Toomey thinks that Christmas is "pish posh".  And so begins the story of how a little boy's simple faith can help to heal a man whose hurting has consumed him.  

     This book was also made into a movie which I own and have watched over and over.  I don't usually like books made into movies, but this one is pretty close, and I think well done.  If you are looking for something new to add to your Christmas movie collection, you might want to consider adding this one.  

Click here for a link to this movie on Amazon.

If you want to be entered in my giveaway you can click here to get to the post where you need to add a comment after you become a follower.  I plan to (randomly) pick the winner on Tuesday morning (November 23rd) before I leave for work, so be sure to enter before then!

Another Blog Hop to enjoy this week:

 

Click here to see the line-up for this fun blog hop!

I just took a few minutes and cruised the projects that have been posted and there are some really good ones.  
There are some great table toppers, a long-john money holder, a fabric cookie tray and lots more.  
And the cookie recipes all look so good, I just have to give some of them a try.  I think the first one will be Snicker Surprise Cookies shared by Sherri Falls of This & That - they are calling my name. :)

My Double Digit Dance Giveaway - finally!

Way back at the beginning of the school year I noticed that my followers had reached double digit status.  I got a kick out of that because when I started my blog I did it kind of as a joke/gift to my sister.  I didn't really expect anyone to notice.  Well, as I have found in blog-land lots of people surf around looking at each other's blogs,  A few people started following right away.  I remember sending a link for my blog to my sister, and when she viewed it she couldn't believe I already had a follower - Dan from Yesterday Once More - who by the way is hopefully going to soon unveil the painting and redecorating he's been doing at his house:)

Anyway a few people have stopped by on occasion and taken a look at Libbieshome.  It has been fun to read their comments and encouragement.  So I'd like to offer up a little giveaway like I promised way back in September.  I had to change some of the items I had thought of/made because the Fall season is almost over.  

Here are some close-ups of the items in this giveaway.  Nothing spectacular, just some things that I saw or made that made me smile.  

A little pillow I stitched...

The back of the pillow.
The tea towel is also part of the giveaway.

Some candles and candle holders.  

I made the tealights from the ones you can buy at the dollar store.

I just got such a kick out of these snowman candles 

when I saw them that I had to add them in.  

Sorry, but the holder isn't part of the giveaway.

Here are the rules for the giveaway:

1.  You must be a follower of my blog. 

2.  You must leave a comment on this post saying that you would like to be entered in the giveaway.

I will pick a winner the morning of Tuesday November 23rd.  I will put the items in the mail as soon as I get an address - hopefully the day before Thanksgiving.

You really might want to check out this blog post...

Grammee Linda from Behind My Red Door has been doing a weekly post of thankful thoughts.  Today's post was especially meaningful for me.  I think everyone could benefit from reading the story of the blind boy and the meaning of that story that you will find toward the end of her post.  I hope you all have a beautiful day.

My ornie from the swap!

I received my ornie from Kendra a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't let myself enjoy it until I put my ornie in the mail to my swap partner.  I finally got a chance to put the finishing touches on mine and get it in the mail yesterday.  (Just before the deadline of November 15th - Yikes!  So if you are Lynda in Illinois don't give up, it's on it's way!) 
Kendra sent me a really prim looking snowman and an extra jingle tag.  Aren't they so cute?!  Thank you, Kendra!

I don't have my tree up yet so I hung it on my jelly cupboard.

I can't show you a picture of the ornie I sent to my swap partner because she hasn't seen it yet, but here are some candy cane ornies that I just made.  I grunged them with a coffee and spice mixture, and then baked them in the oven for a bit.  I love the smell of these ornies while baking and afterwards!  I'm not really sure where I am going to put them, but when I start my holiday decorating I'll figure it out and take another picture.  
I got the red ticking candy cane idea as well as an idea for some ticking hearts from Gooseberry Patch Christmas Book 3.

I am having trouble with my scanner, so I took pictures of the pages from the Gooseberry book.  I found several things in this 3rd Christmas Book that I'd like to make or adapt to my liking.  I actually love looking through these Gooseberry Christmas books again and again.  And I noticed that you can get most of them on Amazon for dirt cheap.  This volume 3 is selling for as little as 30 cents!!  Click here for a link to that page.  I started collecting when they first came out, so I didn't get a deal, but I've made several gifts based on the projects in the books so I guess I got my money's worth from them anyway.

I know Halloween is over, but I wanted to show where I put some of my treats.  (JoBeth will be relieved to see that I didn't throw the cookie cutter away!  It was on my counter when I took the pictures and I didn't see it until later.)

WARNING:  If you are person who has difficulty with keeping up with things like window washing, then you might enjoy seeing that you aren't alone.  However, if you are a person who is faithful about making window washing part of your routine, then you might be slightly horrified when you see my less than clean windows exposed by the flash.  :)

That's it for now, but I will definitely be back later today with the details for my giveaway which I mentioned in this post from way back when.  


P.S. Happy Birthday wishes to Carolyn over at Lee Prairie Designs!  I love the pictures she shared of herself from a few years back.  Her blog is one of my favorites because of her neat way of weaving a bit of nostalgia into many of her posts.

Another blog hop people might be interested in. It started today with a post by Brenda from "With Thy Needle & Thread".  She shared a really cute Santa punch needle design and a great cookie swap recipe.  Enjoy!

Happy November!

After a long month away from blogging I am going to make a serious effort to get back to it.  October was a challenging month for us for a variety of reasons, but it's time to shift my focus back to something positive.
I have really enjoyed Karen's (My Yellow Farmhouse) blogging during the month of October.  She has such a nice way of sharing pictures of scenery around her, and the quilts in her life.  It was really uplifting! 
Also uplifting is Grammee Linda's (Behind My Red Door) commitment to blogging during the month of November about things she is thankful for.  She also shares beautiful thoughts and pictures.  (And I must admit I love the sneak peeks of upcoming houses for A Primitive Place magazine!  :)


So here's my start at the month of giving thanks.  I am thankful that October is over.  It wasn't a great month for me, and I am ready for the clean slate of a new month.  I am thankful that I have a husband who is tuned in to life and us.  I am thankful for family and friends who understand.


And on a lighter note, I am thankful for teenagers who walk around my block in costume, singing.  That one's for you, Libby.  ;)

Quilt Designer Blog Hop

Thought some of my followers might like to know about this blog hop. Click the link to get to a list of the participating designers.

http://whimsicals.typepad.com/whimsicals-threads/2010/09/-its-almost-here-.html#comments

I got a Primfills' package!!

A while back I sent a message to Jobeth over at Primfills.  Her blog is one I have enjoyed and been lifted up by over and over.  You can just feel her kind spirit through her posts.  Well, I hadn't seen a post from her in a while and I sent a little note to check on her just to let her know I was thinking positive thoughts for her.  We exchanged several emails and I learned that Jobeth is working on a Memorial Blog for her nephew.  She is also trying to start a foundation in honor of his memory.  You can read about it in her post here.  
Well, I ordered from Jobeth as a donation to the foundation because I felt that it was a cause I would like to support.  And I just thought I'd share some pictures of the goodies I received.  Jobeth is truly a generous spirit!  I love all the things she sent and I can't wait for this weekend when I will truly have time to find little homes for everything.

This is what I ordered:

I absolutely love the stitchery!

And I must tell you that room spray is DELICIOUS!!

This is what was in my package:

Some close-ups:

Thank you Jobeth!!  I should have shown it all wrapped up, but true confessions: I picked up the package at the post office on my way to school.  I just couldn't stand it so I opened it when I got to the school parking lot.  Yes, I used my car keys.  Yes, I looked like a little kid at Christmas.  And yes, I was a bit giddy during the opening process.  There is still some packaging on my car seat. :)  (It's times like these that I am most certain I am on candid camera - or the Melissa version of the "Truman Show"...)  
I smiled all day and couldn't wait to get home to truly enjoy my new treasures. 
Happy day everyone,
Melissa

Ornie Swap and other thoughts...

Wendy over at Ravenwood Whimzies Primitives is hosting an ornament swap!  Click on the picture above for a link to sign up for the swap. The swap is for one ornament that is handmade by you.  I hope you head over there to join the fun!


Well, the first couple weeks of school have been sooo busy!  You'd think that after 23 years of experience it would just be a breeze.  But, nope! Every year is a new adventure :)
I am trying some things that are new to me this year and boy are they proving to be challenging for me - but in a good way.  But man am I tired...  To add to the challenge we seem to have started the flu season a bit early this year.  Several of my little friends have already had to stay home for multiple days.  I was fortunate enough to get the worst of it over the weekend.  (And I am sincere when I say fortunate.  I really do not like writing out plans for a substitute.)  I am choosing to believe we are just getting the sickness thing over with early this year.  (I'd rather not entertain the thought that this is going to extend the flu season...)


I just got home a few minutes ago and I turned the computer on to do a bit more work for tomorrow and of course had to check in with blog-land.  Thank you to everyone who is finding time to post.  I love seeing what people are working on!  Hopefully I will have some pictures soon.  I mentioned a while back that I had some thrift store finds  to share and maybe get some suggestions about.  And I haven't forgotten that I want to host a giveaway for my double digit followers.  I am working on that, but progress seems a bit slow.  I better get it in gear before the fall season slips away or I'll have to start over!!


As I am sitting here, a young girl from the neighborhood is walking around my block singing out loud - real loud.  She does that pretty often, and I have to say that every time she walks by it makes me smile.  We should all let loose like that once in a while.  Well, maybe not me - I am pretty much tone deaf.  But more people should go around singing out loud.  It makes a person feel a little less tired somehow.  I hope anyone who reads this gets a little smile thinking about walking around the block singing at the top of your lungs.  Especially you, Libby.  :)
Happy second day of Fall!
Melissa

First Day of School!!

Today is my first day of school with my students.  I was so excited that I hardly slept a wink - the usual for me on the eve of day one of a new school year.  I have the same class in fourth grade this year that I had in third grade last year.  They are the nicest bunch of students, and I can't wait to hear all about their summer adventures.  It's going to be a great year!!


The other day I noticed that I had 10 followers of my blog. And soon after that there were 12 followers!  First I laughed because I didn't really expect anyone to follow me except my sister.  But I have to say I've "met" some really terrific people through blog-land.  The next thought that popped into my head when I saw that there were 10 is "doin' the double-digit-dance!"  The double digit dance is something I look forward to with my fourth graders.  Most of them start the year at age 9, but somewhere in the year they turn 10 - so we do the double-digit-dance to celebrate.  Goofy, I know, but 9 and 10 year olds (and one 45 year old) really enjoy that kind of thing.
Since I didn't expect more than one follower, I believe I will celebrate this fun surprise.  So I think that I will need to host a giveaway to celebrate the double-digit-dance.   I will be back soon with more info. and pictures of the giveaway items.  


Have a great day, wherever you might be spending it.  I'll be in room 227 having a blast!
Melissa

Swap Goodies!

I gave in today and looked through my Fall Swap package from Anne.  I am very close to having my stuff ready to go out to my swap partner and I know I will have it to her before the deadline, so I gave in.  What a fun, fun, fun package of treasures!  There was a beautiful little cross-stitched pillow with little jingle bells around the edge and a key pinned on.  There were some delicious smelling pumpkin pie tarts in the cleverest little buckets, a cool postcard sticker and 2 Debbie Mumm magnets.  WOW!  I love it all!  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Anne!!


Here's the whole caboodle and then some close-ups.  

These smell so good - pumpkin pie scent!
They are the reason I couldn't wait any longer to get into the package : )

I wish you could see the detail on this little squirrel - he is SO cute with his little jingle bell necklace.
And the pillow is gorgeous!  I can't decide where I am going to put it...
...but it's going to be fun trying it out around the house.

These little buckets are to clever!
I love the little witch on the one and the halloween song on the other one.

Could someone please slow down the clock?

I really want to do better about posting, but things are really hopping here.  I'm off to meet a new student at school, and I really must put up some bulletin boards, oh and I have to get the kid's organizing notebooks ready, and then I have to get ready for my parent night, and somewhere in there I better be writing down some lesson plans... my brain is starting to feel like a blender is in control!

I have pictures to take and share - SOON!  My fall swap partner sent me a box of goodies, but I haven't let myself get into it yet because I haven't mailed off the box to my swap partner. I don't want her to think I've forgotten her!  Just some finishing touches to put on.  I'm a little nervous about that because I really am new to prim crafting.  I don't want to be a dud swap partner!
From the peek I took at my goodies, my partner was the opposite of a dud swap partner!  I am dying to get into that box!!!

Also, I have some finds to share that will be used for my first attempts at wood re-do's.
Man, I better get moving.  Will be back later with pictures, I promise!

I know it's early but...

... I was at Joann's today and noticed that the leaf garlands are on sale 40% off.  I wanted to share a Halloween costume idea that I created when my son was 4 years old.  It was quick, easy and CUTE!  We have shared the costume with family and friends several times over the years.  I think it has won prizes at the little Rotary Parade a few times.  (We still have the two dollar bill Clint won the year he wore this in the parade.)
Here are the ingredients:

suspenders

Bushel basket with the bottom cut out

Leaf garland (I used two or three of the kind with the leaves that lay a little flatter, but that one is at school)

Clip the suspenders to the basket.  You have to fuss a little to make sure they will stay put.

Put the child inside the basket with suspenders on their shoulders so that you can tell they won't fall off.  Then just wrap the garland around the outside of the suspenders until the child and suspenders are mostly covered up.  Because Halloween is often pretty cold in western NY we always tried to plan costumes that allowed for layers underneath.  For this year we even needed a hat, so we just stuck individual leaves into a knit cap.  Here he is almost 15 years ago (tear).  He just walked past the basket on the floor and muttered, "I can't believe I fit inside that!" (add another tear here).

I think I borrowed the leaf garland from the stair railing for this costume..

We found that we could carefully lift the whole thing over his head to get him in and out of the car.  When it was time to get back in it he would just put his hands over his head like he was putting a shirt on.  

Like I said, I know it's early for Halloween costumes, but I wanted to share in case someone saw this post during the sale week for fall garlands at Joanns.  I have a couple of other costumes that were quick and cute that I will share later on.

:) Melissa  

A fun find...

It's 2:30 a.m. and I can't sleep.  So I will share what we found a few days ago.
When we were out in the woods looking for some sticks for a project I have in mind we came across a new friend:

We just got a kick out of how the branches of the tree we were cutting up formed what looked like a guy running.  I am thinking about giving him a trick-or-treat basket and a pumpkin head.  Mark thinks we could carve a face on him and give him a beard at Christmas time.   
We also teased our son that this is his replacement when he goes back to college.   Gee, I wonder why he started packing so soon after that?
And now you know that we are more than a little quirky!  :O

Quick Kitchen "Makeover"

Happy Monday to all.  It's a rainy one here, but it's kind of nice.  I think my posies needed a drink. :)

Last Friday, during our "wander around like we don't have work to do week", we visited Lowe's.  I have been wishing for new knobs for my kitchen cabinets.  The ones on the cabinets have been there since we put the kitchen in about 15 years ago.  At the time, we were working on a pretty tight budget and we were like pirates finding treasure when we found the knobs at one of big box stores for about 79 cents apiece!  Here is what those knobs look like:

They were very nice and I really did like them at first.  But bright brass isn't really one of my favorite looks and has become less and less so in recent years.  So I have been looking around for different knobs.  I should probably confess at this point that I am kind of a cheap-skate about things like this.  I always feel very guilty about replacing things that aren't broken beyond repair.  But after I painted my chairs and table, I REALLY wanted new knobs.  So apparently my guilt is a bit shallow in this area.

Then we found knobs that I LOVED at Lowe's.  They weren't cheap either - definitely not 79 cents each.  But because I am also a master at rationalization, I told my husband that this was a very inexpensive way to get a "new" kitchen.  I still love my cabinets, I still enjoy my counter top even though it is definitely not a neutral color.  When you looked at the picture above and you thought, "Gee, her counter looks like it's purple," you were correct. I know that might be a strange color for a kitchen counter, but honestly I have really enjoyed it. 

Well here are some pictures of the new knobs.  I just LOVE the way they look with the table and chairs!  

Here's a close-up of the drawer pull:

Our next dilemma is what color to paint the kitchen.  It's time for the grape stencils to go, and it's time for a warmer color on the walls.   We have been holding up pieces of fabric from my quilting stash to try to get an idea of what color to paint, but we just can't decide.  I  will just have to keep studying blog pictures, A Primitive Place magazine, and Country Sampler for ideas!

P.S.  Please forgive my bare bones decorating in the kitchen.  It's almost time for fall stuff (yea!), so I have been putting summer things away.  Once I get my classroom in order, I will be able to "play" at home.  

Busy, busy, busy

I know I have not been a faithful blogger this week.  But rest assured I have a couple of fun things to tell about (with pictures) soon. 
We have been "busy" vacationing.  Some close to home, some a little further away.  First we went to Ohio and visited Longaberger on Sunday afternoon.  We almost had the homestead to ourselves!  Not much happening in the weaving building.  I was a little disappointed because I thought my husband would really enjoy seeing the weavers in action.  I got to see it once and was fascinated.  I love watching people create!  Anyway, we enjoyed looking around and melting in the heat.  (Ok, the looking around was good, the heat not so much.)  I love the heritage of Longaberger.  In the weaving building you can read about the history of the company.  I love the simple beginnings and I wonder if they would ever wish to return to that simpler time.  http://www.longaberger.com/visitUs.aspx



On Monday we drove to Dayton, OH and visited the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.  My husband is a private pilot and loves aircraft of any type.  He was in airplane HEAVEN at this museum.  It really is an incredible collection of U.S. history.  I enjoyed the visit immensely, but more because of my love of history than any affinity for aircraft.  If you ever have a chance to go to this museum, don't miss out.  Admission is FREE!  And there is a nice gift shop where I picked up several nice books for my classroom. :)

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/


On Thursday we were home, but decided we weren't done vacationing yet, so we hopped on the motorcycle for a little jaunt to Hammondsport, NY.  What a beautiful day and a wonderful place to visit!  We had an incredible lunch at the Park Inn, then went for a tour of the Pleasant Valley winery.  What a great place to visit! And what an amazing history!  And the wine tasting was pretty wonderful, too! :)

http://pleasantvalleywine.com/index.html


After that, we went a mile or so down the road to the Glenn Curtis Aviation Museum.  Yes, more airplanes!  Another really nice museum to visit.  We are already looking forward to going back in September for the Seaplane Homecoming.  We went last year and had a great time.  And it just so happens that in September there is a quilt show in the lobby of the museum!  Haven't mentioned that to airplane man -thought I'd save it for a surprise ;)

http://www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org/

We have had a nice week or so of goofing off, but now it's time to get down to business. Soon.  Really.  The dust is gathering at an alarming rate in my living room.  I have Fall Swap things to finish up.  Oh yeah, and school is starting in TWO WEEKS!  
I will be back soon with some pictures of my quick kitchen "makeover" and another fun find we had.


P.S. Am I the only person who is chomping at the bit to decorate for fall?  On our travels we saw some people were putting out their outdoor Halloween stuff already!  A little early for that part of it for me, but I really want my other fall stuff in view!