FINISH IT UP FRIDAY- Five Fall Things I Love

I have so many 

CUTE THINGS saved

to my files---

but this is one of the cutest!

I thought these were the sweetest little 
scarecrows ( I said witches earlier) 

I ever saw!

Too cute for words, aren't they?

designertrappedinlaywersbody

AND

Barbara-21 Rosemary Lane 

captured this.

That may be the coolest GHOST display I have ever seen.

This came from Jemma's blog

At Home With Jemma

Why do MY window boxes never look like that?

Oh! And-

I have to share this!

I think it is 

HAPPY LOOKING!

Southern Living, y'all

And OF COURSE
No post of MINE 

would be complete without a little

Halloween Humor-Right????

Well, what's your 

BEST GUESS?

Is this a Halloween get-up

OR

does this guy shop in Walmart 

dressed like this

ALL THE TIME?

I am betting he doesn't even KNOW

it's Halloween.

(plus I don' think purple is his color)

You all have a GREAT FRIDAY

and keep a sharp eye out in Walmart.

You never KNOW what you'll see there !

ps.  Last day to sign up for the giveaway:
Little CJK will pick a winner on
Halloween!
Click here

The Day After A Colonoscopy AND- What Do You Think?

I made it through the 

TEST yesterday!

Now, for all of you that are

DREADING A COLONOSCOPY

you will hear everyone say 

HOW AWFUL IT IS.

Well, Honestly,

I didn't think it was so bad.

I am waiting for some 

test results and I will share

more about the procedure

when I get the results back.

Not to worry----

So...

This will be short and sweet today.

AND I want to know......

What do YOU think?

Two or three people have told me that

they think our SweetCheeks looks like

the little girl (from earlier seasons) in

GAME OF THRONES.

Arya Stark.

I have never watched the program

so I had to look it up.

Look for yourself.

What do YOU think?

I do think there is a pretty strong resemblance.

My husband used to think he resembled

ROBERT REDFORD

What do YOU think?

I know it is hard to tell the difference 

BUT

The one on the LEFT really IS 

ROBERT REDFORD.

So, tomorrow I will be around

with my usual nonsense.

Today I will just play

"catch up".

Still time to sign up 
for the sign giveaway
on my blog.
Click Here!

I WAS UP ALL NIGHT 'STUDYING' FOR A TEST

I AM TIRED

I AM

WIPED

OUT!

Literally!

I was up all night

STUDYING

for my

TEST!

What kind of test did I 

STUDY 

for?

A 

COLONOSCOPY!

Aren't you glad that

I am so open and honest

with you?

I will let you know

HOW my TEST went

tomorrow.........

if I can......

Like I said---

This morning

I am just

I am WIPED OUT!

ps.  Still time to sign up for
the sign giveaway from 
my son & his friend's shop.
Click Here!

FIRESTARTER(S) -or- Don't Waste Wax!

Okay- this may go down as 

THE LAMEST POST

I have ever done.

BUT-

That being said, I was telling 

a friend about my

FIRESTARTERS 

and she said I should blog about them.

I dunno-

Maybe she secretly hates me 

and wants me to get laughed out of blogland...

Hmmmm...maybe she was talking about

Stephen King's FIRESTARTER...

Nahhhh

source

When my scented candles

burn down so low that I can't light them 

anymore there is usually about a half inch

of wax left in the jar-sometimes-

all the way around the jar.

I set the jar in a double boiler

so I don't start a fire AGAIN

Yes- I really did that once

but we don't talk about that anymore.

I put water in the bottom of the

double boiler AND in the top of it.

I let the wax completely melt down

and then I pour it into a small plastic container

that acts as a mold.

These are actually 

BABY FOOD CONTAINERS.

I have also used those little

plastic cups that applesauce comes in

and KFC's little serving containers.

On this one I stuck part of an old candle

in it so I had a wick-

but you really don't need to do that

I cut old candles I don't use any more

 in two or three sections

and just shove them down 

into the partially melted wax.

I then wipe the jar out completely with 

a paper towel and wash it in hot soapy water.

The bonus is I have a great little jar

for storage or gift giving of goodies.

When it is SET make sure you 

POP IT OUT of the plastic container.

You can use them again and again and again.

When you go to light a 

BONFIRE or a fireplace fire

you arrange your wood and put a few 

pieces of paper in there.

Then tuck your 

FIRESTARTER 

in there and light the paper

OR the wax itself if you have a wick.

I often put it on top of the wood

so that the wax drips down over it and 

the fire licks up and the melted wax

acts as an accelerator.  

I love a BONFIRE on a cool night!

Don't you?

MyHero tells me that I am

NOT GOING TO NEED FIRESTARTERS

where I'm going.

Not sure WHAT he means by that!

What do YOU think?

I'll be at the VA this morning

with all my sweet old vets.

I always come home with a 

story or two.

ps.  You can still sign up for 
the sign giveaway.
Click Here

TURQUOISE VELVET PUMPKIN! THE WITCH IS IN & SEWING

Wondering what I did yesterday?

I took the whole day to myself

to do something fun!

Well, AFTER I cleaned the kitchen

TOP to BOTTOM

that is!

Then I cleaned and put 

THE SHINE

on the wood floors.

I had not intended to do any of that-

BUT YOU ALL KNOW

how that is!

Anyway,

Mid afternoon I started a'cutting and a'sewing.

These are so much fun!

There are probably 1000 Tutorials

out there on how to make these babies

but, let me tell you,

these are so easy it's like child's play.

The hardest part is finding the 

velveteen around here.

You simply cut a big circle-

Stitch all the way around the edge 

then pull it till it is open about 2".

Do not cut your thread-

leave it dangling until after you fill it.

I then used a kitchen funnel

okay I used MyHero's garage funnel--shhh

and put about 1 cup of rice in the bottom 

of the pumpkin..

I then added pillow fiberfill until

it was PLUMP

and I am NOT making any FAT JOKES

about 

PLUMP PUMPKINS

but I will make another little 

PLUMP JOKE (at my own expense)

in a minute.

When it is as full as you want it to be,

stitch the top closed by just pulling

the edges together.

After I did a couple

I got smart and used 

DENTAL FLOSS for thread.

Then, I simply glued on 

DRIED PUMPKIN STEMS

that I collected last year.

 Just so you know-

that first picture is the 

HOLE where the fabric WAS...lol

As you can see, it doesn't need to be perfect!

And the rice in the funnel is pretty blurry-

Hey! YOU try to take a picture of

YOURSELF pouring rice through

a funnel while holding your camera.

Let me know how that goes for ya.

I didn't even get a chance to stage them

because I gave 

ONE TURQUOISE PUMPKIN

to my daughter-in-love

and one to my daughter.

EDITED TO ADD:
When the pumpkin is all stuffed
before I glue the "handle" on-
I take a long, thin dollmaker's needle
and run a piece of thread from the 
middle of  the bottom up to the
center of the top and pull it tight.
That is what gives it the "shape".
You can pull it as tight as you want
so you can round the bottom as much
as you like.

HA! I have more in the works

and I will show them to you soon.

Dast I show you 

THIS ONE

before I have the stem attached?

Now is that a sexy pumpkin, or what?

The "plump" joke I promised you

from the mouth of

THIS ONE!

Our powder room on the first floor

has a pocket door that slides into the wall.

I am on the potty.

The door slides slowly open.

CJK looks at me.

"Nana," he says in all seriousness,

"You are way too big for that little toilet."

"Thank you," I tell him.

"You're welcome," he replies.

okay-

Let me just say this-

I am a 

NORMAL SIZED PERSON.

We have a 

NORMAL SIZED TOILET.

He is never allowed to visit again.

And, if you believe I'll stick to that statement

I have some swampland in Florida

you might like to buy.

Have a great Monday-

It is my favorite day of the week----

yes, I know I am weird.

Thank you for reminding me.

ps.  Don't forget -you can still
sign up for the giveaway until 
Halloween!
Here's the link to that post.

HAPPY SUNDAY!

Because I spent

ALL DAY LONG

on the computer yesterday

I am taking the day off!

Have a wonderful Sunday

and I will be back tomorrow.

I do have one little thing to 

share with you today.

Guess who is entered in a

Beautiful Toddler Pageant?

Three guesses!

Raise Your Hand If It's YOU!

Whether she wins or not she will

always be 

A WINNER

to me!

Not sure what she will wear

but it looks like this kid in 

WALMART

is trying to find the perfect outfit

for the pageant

and came ready to try them on.

what WAS the mother thinking

Yes- I am a terrible person

thanks for reminding me!

See you tomorrow!

INTRODUCING 79NORTH SIGN COMPANY -A GREAT GIVE AWAY From A GREAT NEW COMPANY

I am a shameless hussy!
Yes.I.Am.

You know me-

I never promote anything.

That is not what my blog is about-
Get a cup of coffee or a glass of wine
and sit a spell.
This is the longest post I have ever written,
I think.

HOWEVER,
I wanted to do this for

my son, Ryan, and his friend, Christian.

They are two of the most talented
kids boys men I know.

They both work full time jobs,

are hands-on dads,

and are putting their artistic talents into

SIGN MAKING.

SO,  with that being said,

could  you, would you should you

PLEASE LIKE their 
Facebook page HERE
AND go to their shop
79north Etsy Shop HERE.

All you have to do to sign up for
THE GIVEAWAY
is to
LIKE their Facebook Page
and visit their 79north Etsy Shop,
look at the signs and tell
me which one is your favorite.

I will tell you in a day or so
which one they are giving away.

Gotta love those signs!!!

I am so proud of them both.

They are both "givers" and expect nothing in return

for their kindnesses.

If you have a moment to read this you will see

that my son has my quirky sense of humor.

This is on their website: here

ABOUT 79north.

The way our wives roll their eyes will tell you nearly everything you need to know about our company.  Weekend after weekend collecting wood, metal, and anything else we deem as "art-worthy material" that ends up in someones driveway, garage, or rented warehouse until our real jobs afford us the ability to design and create our pieces.  Now keep in mind, our wives may complain, but being the hands-on dad's we are, we often take our 3 and 5 year old sons with us to old, broken farmsteads in search of the perfect pieces to inspire us.  Yes, tetanus is a real thing, but kids heal very quickly.

Born and raised in Green Bay, WI we have been inspired by the great outdoors, the industrial blue collar community, a sense of family, and the need to put what is in our heads in the hands of those who may be inspired by it.   We have both been immersed in some form or fashion of the arts from a young age and are now dedicating the time necessary to bring our pieces to market.

Simply put, we are a couple of guys with a pockets full of nails, some hammers, some paint, and the vision to change signage into art.  That is our story, and we can't wait to share it with you.

- Ryan and Christian

My son, Ryan, is the daddy to 

Little Motormouth, CJK.

I don't know if you can see those

EYELASHES or not

but you could ride to the left side of the moon

on them!

Wouldn't you know a boy would get them?

Notice the bump on his lip and the bruise on his cheek?

I will say that I did not cause them...lol...

He is like a little tank--

or bulldozer might be more apt.

If you have a few minutes
you might want to read a few of the 
"descriptions" of the signs.
Someone you know REAL WELL -me-
is writing their descriptions for them.
Here's a sneak peek:

Here is a partial "description"
Do you like to EAT...or do you know someone that DOES like to eat? I like to eat. My favorite is Bacon Bits but The Wife says I have to eat vegetables, too, so that I have a rounded diet. I know that tomatoes are a vegetable AND you can make them into juice AND you can mix tomato juice with vodka and throw a stick of celery in there. Presto- meat AND a vegetable. The Wife says that is NOT funny.
The rest of the description actually
tells about the sign itself.
My son is a joker so they thought
'why not give people a smile when they visit'...
and that is just what they are doing.

Thanks for looking.
Pop back in here and let me know
that you have visited both sites 
and I will throw your name into
the drawing.
We will have little CJK do the 
drawing on Halloween.
That gives you plenty of time to sign up.
Have a GREAT weekend.

Bear with me- it has been a 
crazy week.  
I hope to get around to visit
and/or reply to everyone today.

FUN ON FRIDAY WHAT? WHAT DID YOU SAY, CJK?

Leaving my regularly scheduled

Finish It Up Friday

I bring you

FUN ON FRIDAY!

This is short and sweet

and I hope that I don't offend anyone!

The words were said in pure innocence.

This is TOO FUNNY to keep to myself.

My son and sweet daughter-in-law

had to go out of town for a day or two.

So, I picked CJK up from daycare

and he spent last night with me.

He is a funny little man.

Droll, I would say.

For some unknown reason he took a

BUNGEE CORD 

to school.  

You remember what they are, right?

Stretchy cord- hooks on the ends---

He got in the car, picked up his

Woody character doll and said:

Look, Nana!!!

I have 

MY WOODY AND A HOOKER!

You just can't make these things up, folks!

Good thing I had gone to the bathroom

before I left home..

that's all I can say.

Here he is showing off his treasures.

He was VERY INTERESTED in 

THE BIG STEM on the pumpkin.

Hey, CJK...

Look this way and smile, will you?

Well, you got the half smile down--

now can you look up at me?

Hmmm...that's as good as it gets---

Lost the smile between looking down and up somehow.

So- there you have it-

there's your laugh for the day.

Oh---Wait~there is

ONE MORE LAUGH...

MyHero is having a colonoscopy today.

Just thought I would share that with 

all of you.

I won't be laughing next week

because I have one scheduled, too.

Getting old is 

SO MUCH FUN!

I am running kids,

MyHero, drugs, and errands today.

I'll check in when I can.

Tomorrow I have something

pretty special to share with you!

DANCING WITH THE STARS

Here's MY two STARS!

And they

BOTH DANCE!

Just got home late yesterday

and headed to the 

VA center this morning

to open up at 6:00am.

Have lots of news & photos to share

with you-

BUT- I need a day to catch up!

Meanwhile-

Watch for these girls on 

BROADWAY (someday)!

I'll see you later today!

IT'S FRIDAY and Guess Where I Am!!!

Did you guess where I am?

Well, I might not be there 

by the time you read this

but I will be there 

by nightfall today.

I am headed south to 

Indiana.

South to see my daughter, Mimi,

her hubby, Big J,

and these three little dumplings.

Look at that baby hugging that pumpkin.

I want to see some action up close and personal.

Things like THIS!

That kinda looks like my hair 

 in the morning when I get up!

Have a 

GREAT WEEKEND!

Now if you are good-

I will be back here bright and early 

TUESDAY

to show you some inside Fall decorations-

Just wanted to mention.

Hubby and I are still on the 

WHOLE 30 FOOD PLAN.

So far, so good.

We are halfway through it.

HOWEVER-

If I do happen to feel hungry I just 

pull this image up and I lose 

my appetite.

Please feel free to copy and use this, too.

It works better than any diet pills.

Pinky promise!

You DO remember

Richard Simmons, don't you?

That might be the ultimate

"vegging out"...

Have a great weekend-

See you Tuesday!

THE WELCOME WAGON

Last year about this time

my son gave me this

GREAT OLD WAGON.

I think he said he bid it in at an auction...

and-because he loves his mama--

and because mama loved the wagon

he gave it to me.

So, last year, I had a 

BAD FALL...

and I ain't talking I fell on the ground...

Nope-

I was sick...some minor surgery 

and then I got pneumonia.

I was NOT CUTE--

No pictures-thanks for asking.

I didn't DO FALL last year.

Nope.

Anyway.-

THIS YEAR

I rolled that little sucker 

right out of the garage and up on the front porch.

I filled it with whatever I could lay my hands on..

real and faux.

There's an old copper serving tray 

keeping company with the pumpkins and leaves.

Here you can see my 

LITTLE POUTER.

Doesn't the coat make you smile?

I have had it at least 15 or 16 years

and I still get a kick out of it.

It used to scare the BeJebeebers out of Lulu

when she was little.

It freaked her out.

Two years ago I had it up against the 

side light window of the door-

but every time I glanced that way 

I thought someone

was peeking in at me.

Scared the Bejeebers out of ME

AND

freaked ME out!

So the pumpkins in the wagon are real

and the rats are real.

Okay- I might have lied about the rats.

Hanging next to this little gathering

on my front door 

is my bittersweet wreath that I

have carried around for about 20 years.

I still love the old thing.

So- bit by bit I am getting done.

I have had sick kids here for 

days on end.

However, two of them were feeling better

and went to school today.

When they came here they wanted to help decorate.

I told them

"HAVE AT IT".

Oh- Look!

How cute is that?!?!

If I've told him ONCE

I've told him a
THOUSAND TIME.

Do not fall asleep when you are supposed to be 

watching the kids!

He never listens!

Oh-he is gonna LOVE this one!

Have a great Thursday!