Can you believe tomorrow is December 1st already?

Before I take down my fall decorations I thought I would share a few recycle projects.
Remember last years pumpkins?

I decided to change them up a bit.

I took the pumpkins out of the frame and made a simple swag using ribbon and a few clothespins.

I then painted the frame white and popped in a few new prints for my daughter's room.

Doesn't even look like the same frame, does it?

Quick stitch thank you

I was asked recently to add a little "thank you note" to this gift given to volunteers for

their hard work on a charity fundraiser.

The gift included wine, crackers, wine glasses, plates, cheeses, knives, bottle opener, serving tray etc. 

All I added was a little "thank you" dishtowel.

Each volunteer received the same gift.

What a great way to show your volunteers how much they are appreciated.

Did you happen to notice?

Granny's sugar canister and the candle holder from yesterday's post.

When Mr. Fisherman's granny passed away last year I inherited her canister set.

This one is my favorite.

Apparently the handle broke off and she replaced it with a half of a spool.

How smart was that?

The tea light candle holder Mr. Fisherman made several years ago out of scraps left over from my butcher block kitchen counter he built.

Oh, how I LOVE those scraps!

Happy Monday everyone!

~ My amazing fisherman ~

Yep, Mr. Fisherman still amazes me with his handiwork.

Fortunate for me, Mr. Fisherman is always trying to come up with uses for his scrap lumber from other projects.

His scrap pile started like this...

and ended up like this...

My new coffee table/bench.

Isn't it adorable?

I LOVE IT!

Thanks again, Mr. Fisherman.

(After almost 30 years, you STILL amaze me...)

Linking today to:

http://cherishedtreasures-terry.blogspot.com/

http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/

http://www.iheartnaptime.net/

http://petitehermine.blogspot.com/

http://icantstopcrafting.blogspot.com/

http://www.thegunnysack.com/

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/

http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/

http://abowlfulloflemons.blogspot.com/

$499 Kitchen Aid stand mixer - free !

If you read my post yesterday, I was bragging on my homemade whipped cream.

To be honest, I really could not have done it without my new best friend...

Mabel
(sorry, Deb)

Isn't she beautiful?
She is the Kitchen Aid professional 600

I got her for free.
Well, sort of...

I am a coupon gal. Coupons are like free money to me.  Each time I use coupons for a purchase I put my savings into an envelope. In other words, if I bought $100 worth of groceries and had $25 worth of coupons, I would put that $25 I saved by using coupons into my "saving for my Kitchen Aid" envelope. I actually taped a picture of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer on the envelope to keep me motivated. 

You have to be patient. It took me almost a year of couponing. Sometimes only $5 here or there, but it really starts to add up.

A few years ago when the Kindle first came out I purchased Mr. Fisherman a $300 Kindle with my coupon savings.

I actually have dollars left from my Kitchen Aid purchase.
Since I am a bargain shopper, I called Kitchen Aid to see if they had any promo's going on. They did! This particular color (Caviar) was being discontinued so they were offering it for $299!
Brand new!

YAY!

Hummmm.... wonder how long it's gonna take me to save for that new Jaguar convertible I want?

Maybe next year....

Linking today to:
http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
http://tatertotsandjello.com/
http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/
http://cherishedtreasures-terry.blogspot.com/
http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/
http://www.iheartnaptime.net/
http://petitehermine.blogspot.com/
http://www.thegunnysack.com/
http://www.bystephanielynn.com/
http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/

~ Breakfast ~

The morning after....

Pumpkin pie with my homemade cinnamon whipped cream!

(don't judge me... it was either pie or oatmeal... which would you choose?)

************

I was amazed how easy it really was to make homemade whipped cream.

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 Tablespoons confectioner sugar

1 Teaspoon vanilla

Sprinkle of cinnamon to taste

Using mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream until almost stiff;

gradually add the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until cream holds peak.

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Day!

Fall redwork

 I am attending a little get together at a friends house this afternoon and stitched these napkins as a hostess gift. 





Hope she likes them!

~ My apron for baking ~

For me - it's all about the icing... 

...with a cherry on top!

I just love this little cupcake applique.

You can see it again here on Katey's birthday gift.

Linking today to:

http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com/

http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/

http://www.lilluna.com/

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

~ A little history ~

While sorting through some of my father's military memorabilia, I found this newspaper.

The Middlesboro Daily News

Dated August 14, 1945

Headlines read...

WAR OVER...JAPS SAY

Notice the spelling of Tokyo.

I found out this spelling (Tokio) was commonly used during the time of the Second World War.

Talk about trivia...

******

Inside I found the cartoon comic strip Blondie.

Did you know Blondie was first published September 8, 1930?

Chick Young drew Blondie until his death in 1973, when creative control passed to his son Dean Young. Blondie has remained popular and appears in more than 2000 newspapers, 47 countries and in 35 languages.

And there you have it! 

Your history lesson for the day.

Finally....

a "So you think you can" challenge I can compete in.

Anyone who knows me, knows I have two left feet and would starve to death if I had to sing for my supper, but...

Mommy by day...crafter by night

is hosting a sewing version of "So you think you can dance" called

So you think you can sew!

Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

There will be four weeks of competition starting in January.

Each week there will be a theme and you will have five days to create a project that fits within that theme.

So far, it looks like stiff competition, but "I think I can sew" so I have decided to

 join in the fun and hopefully improve on a few of my sewing skills as I go.

Some may think my entry is a bit simple.

I entered my "going green" snack bag.

Probably not the most exciting project, but it seemed to have the most interest of any project I have shared on my blog.

It has been Pinterested numerous times and in one day I had 3500 hits

on my "going green" tutorial alone.

I know 3500 hits in one day doesn't seem to be much for some of you bloggers out there, but for this little blog... it was HUGE!

Wish me luck!

Transitioning to fall....

We "Florida gals" don't pack away our summer clothes as the seasons change; we just update or add a few things to our existing wardrobe.

~
Instead of Polly's ol' plain boring vest from last year, I went for something new this fall.

I jazzed it up a bit for the fall season with a little embroidery.

I even found a way to personalize it!

How do you update your wardrobe from season to season?



Linking today to:
http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/
http://shabbynest.blogspot.com/
http://romantichome.blogspot.com/
http://www.somewhatsimple.com/
http://craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/