HAPPY FALL!

While at the flea market this weekend......they had awesome gourds and pumpkins 3 for $1.00! I just love the softer colors that I chose. I have orange pumpkins outside but wanted something more subtle inside...here they are in a tarnished silver bowl and accented with some of my autumn joy sedum. I have been resisting the words..........happy fall, but today it felt like fall. I think its hard for me because that means my garden goes to sleep. That's why I took a TON of pics.......that way I can remember the colors, smells and feel of my garden this winter.

The fearsome foursome was at it again today! My friends came up today and we went to the flea market at the Fairgrounds. We of course...had a blast! Here we are in keeping with tradition...not sure where it came from but its fun....so here we are with another COW. The lady whose booth it was got such a kick out of us getting our picture taken with this silver cow....Here we are from left to right....Diane G, Me, Kathy and Diane V.

Here is the first load......we had to make a trip to the car before going into the huge building....Diane V got this ADORABLE Pink wicker desk or dressing table. She is going to paint the top to match the pink and then put vintage postcards under a piece of cut glass...I can't wait to see it finished.



Diane decided to dress all up in fashion from a gorgeous booth with a vintage hat,necklace and purse.

We had a fun day laughing and finding great treasures.

I can feel the burn already! I am starting a Pilates class tomorrow. We exercise before going to work...stretches and the eliptical machine and I walk on my breaks at work but I need to shape up better......so I signed up for Pilates. You can't just use a regular gym bag you know LOL! I decided to use this great barkcloth bag I had and my trusty mat in the background.....I may not post tomorrow as I may not be able to walk in the door and sit down! LOL!!! No really I am excited to get started. They said to bring a towel.....we better not be sweating THAT much! WOW.....I am doing a New Years resolution a little more than 3 months in advance.......or is it that I'm 9 months late? LOL!!!!

A Long Road Ahead..........

I am so sad..........my great friend Lila at work who I eat lunch with every day, has really had a rough road. She went in to have the vein in her leg unblocked due to the complications of diabetes. She wasn't getting enough circulation to her feet and has had a sore on her foot for 6 months that won't heal. In the pre-op physical they found something abnormal with her heart. They went in and did an angiogram.......after the first postponement because she was allergic to the dye. After the procedure they couldn't get her blood pressure down. Since then, she has had several strokes which have affected both sides of her body, she is blind and can't speak. It is very somber at work because as one person put it.........To know Lila is to love her. We always had so much fun....I call her Lila Lou in a southern accent and she calls me Nicie.......since my name is Denise. At Christmas time we would take turns having a Christmas song ready every morning....I miss her a lot and if you can, include Lila in your prayers........shes a sweetheart and I miss her terribly.

We took a little weekend getaway trip to Wisconsin Dells, WI. On the way......we saw these beautiful leaves starting to turn.....they are early this year.......so pretty. Sorry for the white spots......not sure what happened when taking a pic out of the car window. The pretty view as we entered the resort......the carpet of pine needle leaves was so pretty and all the trees lined up......I thought it was a great pic with the cabins in the distance.

We went on a horseback trail ride though the beautiful woods and rolling terrain of WI. The ranch also had some other fun attractions....like this gorgeous peacock. I wish he would have fluffed his feathers but he didn't so here he is...aren't those feathers just gorgeous. We had a nice fun relaxing weekend and the weather was just perfect!

Romantic Homes~ October issue had a wonderful story on Signature Pieces/Autograph Books/Friendship Albums. While on our Boston/New York trip...I found this great old album with dates as early as 1883. What a find! Here are a few of its pages...can't you just image the girl who kept this and treasured it and all the friends and relatives who wrote in it..how wonderful. May kind Angels their soft wings display

And guard you safe on every dangerous way

May you in every place most happy be

When you look on this remember me.

Mother

August 14, 1884

Beautiful photo pages.

Look at the hand drawn cute little bird in the corner.

Beautiful handwriting.

I am totally loving tarnished silver pieces lately!I got this great tray at Junk Bonanza yesterday. While in line, I got chatting with this gal whose store had a booth there. We were talking about shops and how many are closing and how they love to get new things and change things out. I told her I used to own a flower shop....Vintage Rose..... with a great gal named Susie. I told her how we always changed things out and people would love to come and see what new things we got and how we loved to create new fresh and dried arrangements and always had special things of course for the holidays. We did the non traditional and we loved to be creative. As I was explaining about our store and the fun great original things we did like customer orders, special requests from brides like incorporating her grandmothers hanky into her bridal bouquet, using vintage items in our creations, making our own unique Christmas ornaments....she looked at me and said............was this your favorite job? She must have read on my face the love for creating and being our own boss, and being different from all the other shops. I said.....YES, that was by far my favorite job. I remember driving to Alden and I couldn't wait to get there to open up the order of fresh flowers and start creating, or doing a custom order and the customer being so happy or the brides joyful face as we walked in with her bridal bouquet. And the best part, Susie and I being so much alike...........we always love the same things. As we have said to each other many times......its hard to find someone so much alike and it was so great.We closed Vintage Rose as Susie moved to Chicago and I had some health problems at the time. I miss her and Vintage Rose and it was fun to tell someone yesterday about our great shop. As I have been thinking lately.......I have always loved to be creative. I remember our neighbor lady Marie teaching me how to crochet when I was a little girl, or my first needlepoint kit from my Grandma Wellberg. I have always love to do crafty things. Just at Easter last year, I was showing the gals my roses I created from coffee filters. My sister Dawn said.........if someone paid me $1000.00 to make roses out of coffee filters....I couldn't do it. I would pay Denise $500.00 and keep $500.00! LOL!!! Here they are.

Any way.....now........both Susie and I get our creative juices out with scrapbooking and decorating... and I can't wait til the end of October when we are going on a scrapbooking retreat and can create together again. I am also loving enhancing my photos with my new borders. Speaking of creating.......I recieved my free givaway from Sweet Six Studio......I can't wait to create with it!

Heres the rest of my goodies from the Junk Bonanza..............I got three of these pots total...they were so reasonable....I decided to get 3 to make a statement.

Also this gorgeous little boy angel....isn't he adorable.....WHEW! This is my longest post yet.........but had alot of pics to share. Now back to my garden photos and creating great borders and swirls so they are ready for the scrapbooking retreat.

I haven't added my Shades of Inspiration pictures yet this week. The color this week is FALL COLORS. Here's some pics from my garden. I love how the spider webs formed on this overnight. Beautiful Berries

Its that time of the year again! This has got to be one of my favorite snacks in the fall. Just mix candy corn and peanuts and it tastes like a salted nut roll......yummy!

It's hard to stop at just one bowlful, I mean handful! LOL!!

I had a fun day yesterday being creative for the Sweet Six Studio Online Art Retreat. The first project that I made was this flower out of all lace and then I added a beaded necklace underneath for a little different texture. I love how it turned out..........and I'm trying out some of my new borders also...

Here's a bath salt bottle that I did in pink. It was fun just to get all my supplies out and CREATE!

What a FUN day I had today! Some of my girlfriends came up from Albert Lea and we went antiqueing, eating and laughing all day! It was so much fun. We have been friends for 28 years! WOW.......thats a long time! From Left to Right.....Diane V. Me, Kathy K. and Diane G. It's so fun.....you see something you love and say...DIANE.......and they both come running. So here we are waving to head out on our trip. This sign was outside the Buffalo Nickel in Buffalo........what a great saying.

Diane rearranging after a one stop.........Heck..........we still have tons of room! On to the next shop!


We all screamed when we saw this pink and green hamper! Diane HAD to take it home!

This is one of my B*E*S*T finds today...........isn't it wonderful! It goes just perfect in our bedroom! I just love how it is worn on the arms......someone once love it as much as I love it now.


Aren't these gorgeous porcelain roses! I got the whole bouquet for $20.00! They go perfect with the tablecloth I have on our dining room table now....I HAD to have them!






And we just couldn't resist having fun and getting our picture taken by this cow at the Buffalo Nickel.......The owner of the shop took our picture and she had to admit........she has never had this request before! LOL!!!!! It was such a fun day.

WOW!!!!!! I got my first blog award from Patrice at

A Sentimental Journey Through Life! Thanks sooo much Patrice, that was so nice of you!

The rules are: I'm supposed to pass this award on to 7 bloggers that I visit on a regular basis. . . they are all great! They are in no paticular order.

Tongue In Cheek: Corey has such a way with words and such great pics. I love that she posts everyday.

Sweet Six Studio: These six girls are having an Online Art Retreat that I am going to be a part of that starts tomorrow. AND this is my LUCKY BLOG DAY!!!! I WON their giveaway! I better go buy a lottery ticket! LOL!!!!

Sadie Olive: She designed my blog and is such a talented photographer. She has a wonderful website also. She is the one who started the Shades of Inspiration.

The Pink Rose Cottage: Holly is a dear friend from the Vintage Tablecloth Club that I am a member of. She is new to blogging and has a great blog and website...go check her out.

The Joy Of: Joy has such a great blog with wonderful pics. She always has great thing to sell on her website too!

Four Sisters In A Cottage: Amy always has such fun posts. She battled breast cancer last year and was such an inspiration to all of us with her faith and strength. She has a great website also.

Rebecca Sower: She is such a talented artist. I wish I was going to France to take classes from her!

GOOD MORNING! Hope you are enjoying this Labor Day weekend! I have been playing with some new backgrounds and borders and fonts. I have been meaning to post pics of my Grandpa Otts Morning Glories and thought what perfect timing.....this weeks Shades of Inspiration color is PLUM. Here they are climing on the fence...I just love these morning glories and brought seeds from our old house along...I HAD to have them at our new place.

THis is a fun annual I bought this year........not sure the name of it but I love the shape.......and of course.......the PLUM center....hope you have a restful day today.