Take a moment and click on over to Stone Gable. She's celebrating her one year bloggiversary. I absolutely adore this blog. She creates the most beautiful tablescapes, posts the most yummy recipes (I've tried several) and has great tutorials. She is giving away some great things to celebrate and has also included a tutorial that will teach you how to make an ADORABLE fall wreath.
Anyway...this presentation was full of little tidbits about composting that I didn't know. It definitely made me rethink my composting behavior. Composting behavior...is that normal!?! 
Most extension offices host seminars. If you like to garden, vegetable or flower, I strongly recommend that you take this class. And they even give you a nice bin.
...black gold. The good stuff. My plants are going to love me. 
It's wide known around this area that I will can anything I can get my hands on. If someone is giving away their excess...I am more than willing to accept their generosity.
While I was in Massachusetts my sister texted me asking if I wanted grapes from a lady at her church. I accepted without hesitation. My mind started spinning with what I might do with my free bounty. I decided to do what any girl would do with an excess of grapes. Make grape jelly. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, so it's only natural that when life gives you grapes, you make grape jelly...right!?! That's what I thought.
What I did not think of, was all the stuff I had to get done after returning home from a week away. The catching up that goes along with being gone from home. Oh well...what's one more thing on an already too long list?
Oh, and an added bonus...purple hands. I attended a Pampered Chef party at my sister in law's house the night I made the jelly and my sweet little niece, Taylor, said...and I quote..."your hands are dirty"...I said no, they are stained from making grape jelly...and she said "they look dirty to me"and walked away...I don't think she believed me. I'm pretty sure she thinks I came to the party with dirty hands.
...there's nothing quite like it. I'm baking Olive Bread. Trying to perfect the recipe, actually. They say practice makes perfect, so I think I'll be smelling that heavenly aroma pretty regularly.
My friend over at Colletta's Kitchen Sink recently wrote a post titled "Fall Goals" that inspired me to share my own list of goals, or as I like to call them, Fall To Do's. Some are for fun and some are more like chores but I'm hoping that putting my list out there will help keep me accountable. We'll see.19. Clean car and have all maintenance completed before winter.
20. Buy a snowblower
I'm leaving this afternoon for Massachusetts. This time I'm taking one of my girlfriends so we can run around while George and the boys work. Not sure what we'll get into. I know Boston and Martha's Vineyard are definite musts. I'll be posting on twitter all week if anyone wants to come along.
I was inspired by this blog post . She has the most beautiful home and the most beautiful blog. It's one of the first blogs I ever started reading. Still a favorite. Then I happened to pick up the June 2009 issue of Romantic Homes and found an article on yard conservatory's by the same lady that had made the one I fell in love with. The article had very clear and simple directions for making your own conservatory. I think I got the windows a week later. That was over a year ago. We just recently got it assembled and I just finished painting everything. All that is left to do is to bling it up a little. I'm now gathering some decorative elements. Wreath, chandelier or shabby wind chime, some gingerbread, etc. I think I'll plant ferns inside. I want to get it finished up so I can check it off my to do list.
I am also working on an old (and in very poor condition) hutch. I hope to use it as a potting bench. Bought it last summer. Just finished the top. Now I need to try and reconstruct the bottom. I am totally rethinking my $20 investment. Don't they say "time is money"?
Six more plants to plant on the top level of our rock gardens by the driveway and the only thing left to do will be to put some stone steps in on the side. And to plant thyme all around them so they smell pretty when stepped on. I'd love to call this "project" finished. It has dragged on forever.
I want to get this glider painted white before the snow flies. 
And if we don't get this mess cleaned up soon I think I'll go crazy. 
This little cutie is just waiting for me to pay some attention to it. I'm thinking I'll plant something trailing. For now I'm just going to find the perfect spot for him. 
Last (for today, not last of my project overload) is this beauty. Love at first site...that's how I describe how I felt the other week as I walked into a barn sale. $25 bucks. It needs a lot of TLC. I have big plans. Big! I'd love to get the dirty work (repair work) done before the weather turns cold. If I can get her ready, I will have lots of fun decorating and bringing her back to life on those long winter days. People want to know why I bought a dollhouse. I want to know why anyone wouldn't want to buy a dollhouse. I never had one when I was a kid. I didn't have girls. I need to satisfy my inner child and I can always practice on this house for when I have granddaughters...right!?! :) 