NEXT UP THANKSGIVING...YEA!!

My blazing maple in the front garden, there are three trees twisted into one, cool huh??

Put up my fall flag, sorry you can't see it very well, it was sunny out and kinda faded it out..This is the Thanksgiving arrangement for my entry table, my BFF just sent me the beautiful glittered Give Thanks banner, it was perfect for the fall wreath on my mirror...Love these vintage images...Found these wonderful Thanksgiving plates at TJ Max, I have always wanted to have special plates for the holiday that is so dear to my heart.

My BFF and I were talking the other day about holidays, we were sharing what we loved about Christmas, Valentines Day, Fourth of July, the fall and Thanksgiving. She adores Christmas, I adore Thanksgiving the best, then we launched into why each of these were our favs. Christmas for her holds dear memories of her parents and the family get togethers! On top of that, her daddy made the holidays amazing for her whole family, he was joyful and childlike in his love of this holiday and it spilled over on to everyone around him. I on the other hand think Thanksgiving is by far a much better holiday than Christmas, no pressure to spend and buy gifts that are forgotten by February. Thanksgiving is warm and wonderful, with the whole family sitting down together to share a lovingly made meal, thanking God for the freedoms we enjoy in this country, the simple act of sharing what each of us is thankful for in our individual lives too! It is free of expectations and disappointments, and the self centered attitude that usually surrounds gift giving at Christmas time in this nation. Found this great baking dish at the same store, it was around 9 bucks, perfect for chicken pot pies, and the left over turkey that can be made into casseroles...These were so sweet, I couldn't pass um up! We have our oatmeal in them every morning, happy little chickens which make us both smile... What is your favorite holiday? How are you preparing for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday? Do you decorate, change out your displays and are you having a big family get together this year? What traditions do you hold dear and why? I would love to know your thoughts on all of the above!!! :)

Take care and have a wonderful weekend to come,

GOT PEACE????

IS THIS HOW YOU FEEL???

THIS IS HOW YOU SHOULD FEEL!

GET SOME FINANCIAL PEACE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, Article by Dave Ramsey

If you pay for your holiday festivities with credit, you're bringing a stalker home for Christmas!

The holidays will follow you around all year long...
The process usually goes something like this:
You buy a feast for Thanksgiving, and Christmas gifts for your family, more than likely waiting until the last minute for each occasion and missing the good deals. If you're not on Dave's plan (and, if not, what's stopping you?), you throw everything on the credit card.
In January, the bills start coming in the mail. One by one, the bills remind you of the temporary holiday thrill-rides. Unable to pay everything off at once, you pay the minimums.
By June, you've hardly made a dent in the holiday debt—which has simply been added to all your other miscellaneous debt like student loans, mortgages and the always-dreaded car payment.

By fall, you should be planning ahead for next Christmas. But, instead, you're still dealing with last year's debt—plus all the accumulated debt from the ghosts of Christmases past.
And the cycle continues. That is, until you finally say, "Enough!" No more debt. No more credit. It's time to make a plan early in the year, and then stick to it!
Thanksgiving is always on the fourth Thursday of November. Christmas is always on December 25. These dates never change. There's no excuse for getting caught off-guard and desperately piling up mounds of debt on credit cards.

So let's say you haven't started making a plan for the upcoming holidays yet, but now you are ready to get moving. You've still got time!
Consider some of these holiday shopping ideas:
Research. Before you head to the mall, look for deals online. Visit the websites of the stores you plan to visit, and check out their prices. Don't waste your time shopping at one store if you know the store down the street has a better deal.
Make a budget. This is common-sense stuff, but it's amazing how many people have no financial plan for their spending. They are like an energetic kid in a toy store, grabbing the first toy that looks pretty and tossing it into the shopping cart. In order to work your way out of debt, you must become disciplined during the holiday season. If you must buy for everyone, keep it simple and stay within your means—however meager they may be. Don't get caught up in "bigger is better," or else the bigger debt in January will remind you of how stupid that mindset is.
Use Cash. As Dave always says, you spend less when you use cash. Before you hit the stores, swing by the ATM and pick up a pre-planned amount of money. Then, stop shopping when it's gone! If you've planned ahead and followed the two steps listed above, then using cash should be easy. You'll know what you need to buy and how much it will cost—before you start.
Start now—no, really, right now!—planning for your Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. Or, wait until the last minute and celebrate them for months to come by wading through all those bills.
The choice is up to you!

Dave Ramsey http://www.daveramsey.com/

My husband and I have gotten completely out of debt, it is a huge relief let me tell you! We have an emergency fund, because face it gals, there is always some emergency that your going to have, I know, cause we just had two back to back!! We have over $3000 dollars in Doctor bills from my sons recent broken leg and resulting surgeries, even after the insurance paid their part! Number 2 emergency: Our Dodge Ram pickup trucks engine just blew up, we needed $2,000 bucks to get a new engine, (thank the Lord my husband could put it in himself, otherwise it would of been around $4,000 bucks all said and done). HOLY COW, WHAT WOULD I HAVE PAID IN INTEREST ON A CREDIT CARD FOR JUST THOSE TWO ALONE??? Shuttering to even think of it...

We have peace knowing we had COLD HARD CASH to buy that engine, and pay those Dr. bills, nothing goes on credit cards EVER! It is a rule we have followed since going through Dave Ramsey's, Financial Peace University.

I encourage you, to find a local church offering his classes, and then sign up and take them!..you will never be the same! While the rest of the world tries to keep the debt collectors from their doors you will be smiling and peaceful...it is a great place to be!

A great book too: 48 Days To The Work You Love, if you, or a loved one is out of work, hates their job or is looking to re-train, this is the book for all of those situations, check it out, they have them for pretty cheap on Amazon!

Bless you, and hope this will be of help to someone out there, I know times are really tough. You must do everything YOU can do to help lift yourself out of debt, then pray all the scriptures about finances in the Bible, my fav is:

The Lord shall supply ALL of my needs according to HIS riches in Glory by Christ Jesus! Philippians 4:19.

If your suffering, get into the word, listen to uplifting sermons, I download all of Joel Osteen, and Joyce Meyers sermons to my Zune, you can simply NOT have a bad day after listening to either one of these wonderful people preach! Keep a positive attitude, cause a bad attitude won't get you anywhere except deeper in darkness.

OH, another scripture I love, knowing I am a princess daughter of the Lord:

"And I, having received the gift of righteousness do reign as a King/Queen in this life by Jesus Christ! Romans 5:17 Yup, no wonder I love crowns and tiaras!!!!

PACKIN' IT IN FOR WINTER

Well, it is a fact now here in Western Washington, winter will be upon us soon. This was made very evident by the last of my Summer roses, at least I have a final bouquet to enjoy for a few more days, then it is Costco roses till Spring... Putting away my fountain is another signal that the warm weather, sitting on the porch and having the windows open to the sounds of birds splashing in the water is over! It was kinda sad to see the barren spot where it usually sits...I store it on the side porch, so that it doesn't get ruined by freezing or heavy snow, I learned this lesson the hard way a few years ago, when after a hard freeze my fountain cracked down the back and never worked again...$250 bucks down the tubes! OUCH! Sad face :( !!! See the empty spot...SIGH... I don't know if you can tell, maybe you can click to enlarge this one, but the rosebushes are still struggling to shoot out new buds! Amazing!

NOW THIS GUY IS DONE FOR...This poor rose really gave it the "Old College Try", not looking so good... I'M TRYING, REALLY HARD, COME ON, OPEN UP, I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT..One sorry little bloom, way up high, trying so hard to get some last chance sunshine...... AND ANOTHER THING, look what my grand pup, Bentley did to my pumpkin! NAUGHTY DOG! What have you been doing to "pack it in" for winter?? I still have mass leaves to rake up and today is the day with sunshine and 61' out, better get off the computer and get out there!

Have a great weekend everyone! Make sure to leave me comments, I LOVE UM!!!! Ginger, thanks for encouraging me to keep at it, your a dear blogging friend whom I hope to meet really soon! http://www.gingerbreadshed.blogspot.com, make sure to visit with her, she is a faithful blog friend...

BEAUTIFUL FALL!

Fall on my front porch...Glitter pumpkins in an urn... Front Porch, fall welcome... A lovely place to sit and enjoy the beautiful day...Teddy is a fall dog, pumpkin colored, he fits so well into the decor...Pumpkin cupcakes perched on my black Gooseberry Patch cake stand, a glitter pumpkin from Ross...Front porch in the fall sun...Chandelier all decked out for fall, glitter leaves and crows from Bayberry Cove...A display on the top of my TV cabinet, the orange flicker lights are so gorgeous at night... Happy fall decorating everyone, my fall has been so busy and so blessed! Hope yours is too, what are you doing to get ready for the coming cold months ahead? Here are the links to the cake stands and the glitter leaves and crows:
http://www.gooseberrypatch.com/, http://www.bayberrycove.com/.
Fall Blessings!

A DAY FILLED WITH FALL DECORATING INSPIRATION

I have been absent from blogland for about a month, my youngest boy broke his leg in two places, a 9" spiral fracture, and broke his ankle skateboarding! Went in for surgery and is now recovering, needless to say, I am as well! I have been a prisoner in my own home for weeks, and was going a bit stir crazy, soooo, I took him food and water, got him settled and snuck away for a few hours of fall inspirational shopping to my favorite place, Sumner Washington!

BUT FIRST THINGS FIRST:

I have been STARTING to decorate, not done yet, but here are a few pictures of what I have done so far...

See the vintage style pumpkin heads? Got these today, the big one at Folkart Gartherings and the small guy at, A Picket Fence. I love um, they have the battery operated flicker lights inside.

This is an urn that I have had for 4 or 5 yrs., it was dusty rose, I spray painted it with Krylon Semi Flat Black paint, and WAH LAH!!! It is perfect with my pumpkins! The heavy felt black cut out mat, I found at TJ Max for $2.99! I got enough to go on my table too, beautiful!Love these flicker lights! They look amazing in my tabletop chandelier, wish I could get a moving picture of them, you would love it! Much better in person for sure.Crows, leaves and my Autumn banner I made last year.Been keeping an eye out for these black vintage dishes, they look great with candy corn.Man do I love my black cake stands to bits! I got these last year from, http://www.gooseberrypatch.com/, they are heavy and beautiful, not the cheap thin pottery type! The boxes they come in are beautiful too, hate to hide them away...Stopped into my favorite fruit stand, Pattersons, got some amazing heritage tomatoes, a flat of raspberries, and some juicy nectarines. Lip smacking good!WONDERFUL SUMNER WASHINGTON!!!!!!!!!!!

This is the sweet ad for the special shopping night, I hope to return with my friend Terri, she couldn't make it today, missed you sister!
I got those amazing flicker lights here at the New England Saltbox, would of loved to have had more pictures, but the owner was out and I couldn't take pictures without her permission, maybe next time! It is a gorgeous store...This sweet gal works at, A Picket Fence! See all the great stuff, stuffed into that store??? You would go crazy, it is just FUN FUN FUN! (This is where I found my mini vintage pumpkin head)Hey there Miss Louann Spencer! Your store is just one of my most favorites ever! I have been shopping here since she opened, and I always find something wonderful and surprising tucked inside one of the cabinets! The store smells like FALL, spicy and warm and delicious, it makes you want to buy everything you see just from the smell and sweet feelings you get when you walk in her door! If you ever get to Western Washington, put Sumner and Folkart Gatherings on your TO DO LIST!!!
There is sooooo much to look at, it would take me numerous trips to see it all I am afraid!Louann has a blog too, http://www.folkartgatherings.blogspot.com/, and a website by the same name, she has great prices on things I have seen online for a LOT more money!This is Miss Louann...thanks for being so wonderful to me today, you were great to talk to, and so lovely about letting me take pictures of your store!So girls, how are you getting ready for fall? Leave me a comment and tell me what you do to get into the harvest time mood.

Hope your all well and being greatly blessed,

Painting project, doggies and roses!

MOM! WHERE IS THE COFFEE TABLE???? HOW LONG IS IT GONNA TAKE TO PAINT IT ANYWAY? IT HAS OUR TREATS IN THE DRAWER, WE NEED OUR COFFEE TABLE BACK NOW MOM! Well finally! See Honey, she got it done, now you need to load up the drawer with some of our treats and toys...

I painted the coffee table that used to be white, then was tan and now is Red Pines, in the amazing Home Depot paint! It is lovely!

Here is some of what is blooming in my garden...

My computer is up and running and has been for quite some time, I was having a TON of problems with blogger, I couldn't even view my blog for weeks...tried again tonight and low and behold it works again! Did any of you have similar problems???

I have been painting my house, and getting ready for the Boom Lift that is coming on Friday to finish the shop up too, we are busy here! We lived through a terrible heat wave too, 106' which was so outrageous for our area! It is cooler now and I am such a happy girl.

Hope you are all well,

SICK COMPUTER AND NO BLOGGING FOR ME!

I have a very sick computer and it is in to the hospital right now recovering. Please say some prayers for our whole family, we are sooooo lost without it, life is bleak and boring, bills aren't getting paid on time and I have taken to a life of crime, stealing my sons laptop while he is sleeping just to check my email... We all miss you Mr. Compter, come back to us real soon, but if you think I am paying a huge Dr. bill your crazy, so better wise up and start working right! AND SOON!!!!! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND I HAVE TO BLOG????