Getting Ready for Fall-Wreath Tutorial

 

 

     The seashells have been put away around my house and it is beginning to look more like fall. Of course, with temperatures pushing 100 degrees this week...I feel a little silly switching my things, but I was ready for a change. I won't put out Halloween things until October, but I did want to make a new indoor wreath for the season. I saw something in a catalog that I loved, but it was $359! I was inspired to make something that was equally as unique and I love the result...I always like things to be slightly "odd"!



 

     My goal, as always, was to use things I had at home and spend as little money as possible. I put a sheet on the living room floor and got busy stripping old flowers and ribbon off of a grapevine wreath. This wreath is approx. 25" in size. I also had 3 different fall ribbons and 3 different black and white ribbons for this project.

 

     To begin, make 6 or 7 bows (I made 2 loop bows, much smaller than a bow for a traditional wreath or package) of each of the fall colors. I also made 2 bows from each of the black and white spools of ribbon. You can see my bow tutorial in my sidebar. Just make 2 loops per side instead of the normal 3 or more.

 

     My first ribbon was a bronze/brown with a rust floral on it. Using the wire I made the bows with, I attached the bows randomly to the wreath.

 

     The second ribbon was a deep orange mesh, again added randomly on the wreath. You may notice that I haven't cut the tails on the bows at this time. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them at this point. After all the bows were attached, I cut the tails (which were left about the same size as the bow loops).

 

 

     Someone in my house loves ribbon more than I do. After chasing her around and grabbing the bows from her, I moved her bed to my work area and she finally calmed down.

 

     The last of my fall ribbon was a deep chocolate brown with an animal print in rust. Once again, filling in the gaps left by the other bows, these were added. At this point, I hung the wreath on the wall and snipped the tails, fluffed the loops and made sure that most of the wreath was covered with bows.

 

 

     I added the various black and white bows into the mix (this is the odd part) and wired in a sparkly witches hat.

 

I also had a witch tassel that was just screaming

at me, "pick me, I want to be on the wreath too"!

 

 

A few random faux pumpkins were

tucked in for added texture and it is done!

 

 

     I love the fact that it isn't screaming orange and that while it has hints of Halloween, it can be up through all of the fall months. I also love that it isn't covered with faux fall flowers. I can't wait to try a similar technique at Christmas! I was thrilled with the result and only had to buy the black and white ribbons to create it, the rest I already had at home. What do you think? Too strange?

 

I will be joining Kim @ Savvy Southern Style

for Wow Us Wednesdays

Please make sure to visit the party!

Where do the years go?

 

     Today is my daughter's birthday! I posted this picture of her early this morning on Facebook with a birthday greeting. I should have known she would have an interesting response. I was almost immediately sent a text of the picture below...

 

 

I have no idea where the 29 years

have gone, but we are certainly blessed!

 

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

 

 

Creating An Unexpected Tablescape

     For those of you that read my blog often, you know that I tend to use the phrase "think outside of the box" quite a bit. I love to add the unexpected to my decorating and certainly my tablescapes. When my dad and his friend Mary were here last week, I decided it was a good excuse to fix a simple summer dinner and play with my dishes a little bit. I decided to use my pink floral china (labeled simply Fine China) because it echoed all of the blooms in my yard right now. I was tempted to pull out the green in the pattern with my placemats and use lots of white and pink, but that would have been the usual approach to setting a table with these plates. I thought I would walk you through the process of creating a different look.

 

     The oak table I have in my dining room right now is fairly small without added leaves. A tablecloth tends to overwhelm it. I decided to mix the pink floral with black for a richer, more interesting look. The center mat has silver metallic threads running through it. The others are plain black. Starting with the mats and the dinner plates, I added 2 pieces of vintage silver for added height and interest. 

Salad plates in plain black tie it all together. 

     The flatware is the same shade of pink as the flowers on the plates and pale pink wine glasses (I would actually have preferred black wine glasses with this look, but didn't have 4) complete the setting. 

Black napkins (from Halloween) and simple

silver napkin rings complete the look.

 

     The next step was creating the centerpiece for the table. I knew that I wanted to keep it low so that we could visit.  I also wanted things to "sparkle" in the candlelight. 

     I looked around my "dish room" and saw these beaded strands that are actually from Christmas. I knew that they would glow in the candlelight and yet not take up much space in the center of our small table. Don't forget to think about scarves, necklaces or beautiful pins to use in your centerpiece arrangements...unexpected!

      My pink roses were past their prime, but I had some blooms on the yellow bush that were just the right size for miniature colored vases from Crate and Barrel. For filler with the roses, snips of fresh mint, dill, lavender and lemon basil...all from my yard. Using fresh herbs in floral arrangements adds not only beauty, but wonderful scents to the room. 

     I just let the beading spill out of the silver pieces. I didn't worry about making it look perfect, I just wrapped it around some clear votive candle holders (with pineapple scented candles) and let it drift onto the table. 

     This certainly wasn't my most elaborate tablescape, not even close. It was simple and easy to talk over. It had enough color to look like summer and enough black to be elegant and the bits of silver and beads had a pretty glow in the light. Most of all, my guests found it pretty and that is the main goal. 

     I lit the candles before it was dark outside, so you can't really see the way things sparkled in the light after dark. This really was one of those table that was much prettier by candlelight. 

The menu was simple:

 

Rosemary Chicken

 

Roasted potatoes

 

Roasted Asparagus with Meyer Lemon Olive Oil 

and Lemon White Balsamic Vinegar

 

Watermelon, Feta and Arugula Salad

with a Balsamic Reduction

 

Dinner Rolls

 

Mom's Apple Cake with Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

 

For the recipe for my Mom's cake

(an easy, one bowl, family favorite) 

Click here. 

I am joining Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch 

for Tablescape Thursday.

The "R" Word

     There is a word that seems to be coming up more frequently around my house...Retirement! Since moving here 10 years ago, I have struggled when I'm asked to check the box for 1) employed 2) unemployed 3) retired. I left my job when we moved here and after a few interviews, we decided that if I started over at a new job here, it would really mess things up for our family. My husband has more vacation time than we use, I wanted to be able to see my daughter first at college and then in Florida and I wanted to be available for my parents if they needed me...which at one point, they did for several months. I couldn't check the "retired" box, because I still feel as if I haven't had my last job and I don't feel old enough to be retired. Unemployed sounded as if I was looking but couldn't find a job. I have had no definition of myself for 10 years!

     My husband on the other hand has worked for the same company since he graduated from college. We change towns, he changes positions, but the company has remained the same (sort of, except it was bought out and the name changed). For him, that means 37 years of doing basically different aspects of the same job. When we were young he said he was going to retire at 55. Well, that didn't happen. We didn't even discuss it. At 25, we thought at 55 we would be debt free, own our home free and clear, have our retirement/vacation home purchased and paid for and so on. HaHa. Life happens and none of those things did!

     Now, he will be turning 60 in February. Many of the peers that he has worked with for decades have retired, are retiring  or are certainly thinking about it. We also have a child we never get to see. Most of you know that my daughter and I have the best relationship and plain and simple, we don't like seeing each other only a couple times of year. The fact that she is starting to talk about children makes me want to be closer to her even more. So, it comes up almost daily around here. My husband seems to be starting conversations with "when I retire..." and I seem to be starting conversations with "how are we going to..."? There is no official date set, but we know that it is coming and I am really struggling with the concept for various reasons, even though the result is exactly what I have wanted for years!

     Because I am a woman, I tend to associate events with the wardrobe that goes with them (did I lose you on the subject change...stay with me). When my grandparents retired (at 65), I had never seen my grandmother in a pair of pants. She wore skirts and blouses, hose and pumps...around the house, every day. Sadly, my grandmother died unexpectedly a few months after my grandfather retired and they never really lived their dream retirement, although my grandfather enjoyed 24 years of golf trips and travel.

My grandmother, a few days before she died.

She looks like my image of retirement.

     My parents retired at 61 and 63. Picturing my mother at the time of their retirement, it was culotte skirts to the knee with various blouses and t-shirts unless she was in a bathing suit. A successful career, some lucky real estate choices and smart planning let them live their dream on the water in Florida. My dad even got the yacht he had dreamed of. They had 20 great years filled with travel, friends and a life in paradise. Dad is still going strong 24 years after he retired. In fact, he was here last week...and drove about 3000 miles round trip. They loved retirement.

My dad, last week. At 87, he looks many years

younger than my grandmother did at 66.

     My in-laws retired a more "traditional" way. They downsized into a small house. They didn't do much traveling, but they stayed busy with church activities and my father-in-law's love of buying and selling antiques. They spent much more time at home in "their chairs" watching television and reading. I picture my mother-in-law in knit pants or jeans with a blouse and sweater. She got her hair done weekly and was active in her church circle. They were generous, but on a fixed income, their retirement was centered around their home. Again, a different kind of retirement, but they seemed content.

     So here we are. Talking about retirement. It looks like I will still be in my 50's and still paying on some college expenses of my kid's. I listen to Top 40 music and my wardrobe of choice is jeans and flip-flops. Unlike my father, who retired from the same company my husband works for, we don't get our insurance free after retirement. We will be paying around $700 a month for several years. Unlike the generations before us, our savings will not be making that 10% interest we were led to believe it would. I remember my mom saying once that their interest and dividends was their "fun money". Well at today's interest rates, fun might have to be redefined. There is no vacation home purchased and we will have to sell a house to buy one. The calculators we have started to play around with ask the question, "how long do you plan to live"? Seriously, are we supposed to have the answer to that?

     My husband seems to become more relaxed as he considers the fact that this event is on our horizon. I get more tense. I think of my grandmother dying so soon after retirement and that scares me. I think of the rest of our parents living so long (and how blessed we are that they did) that if we live that long we will be homeless and starving in our 80's. As we start to research and see the topics of long-term care insurance, when to take social security, tax rates on retirement income and the prices of financial planners...I am overwhelmed and confused. It all is very complicated and makes me feel so much older than I think I am. I swear what ages people after retirement is worrying about all the aspects of being retired!

     All I know is that what I still picture as retired people, isn't us. I still picture gray hair and skirts, rocking chairs and constant talk about medical problems and living on a fixed income. Then I look around at my friends who have done it. I see healthy couples on long bike trips, hiking, traveling, volunteering, starting new businesses, going back to school and having fun together. I don't see anyone sitting in a rocking chair or standing on a street corner asking for food. So, maybe it can be done. Flip-flops, blue jeans, rock & roll and all.

     I am accepting any and all advice from those of you who have done it!

Bits and Pieces & Luke Update

A fall wreath is in the planning stages.

 

 

     It seems as if I have been busier than usual lately. Since my kids left home, I tend to have one or two things a week to do and pretty much stay on schedule...the past couple of weeks have been hectic and this week will be the same I think. I thought I would do one of those posts that answers a few questions I've been asked recently and I also have a "public service announcement"!

 

     Yesterday, we went to a "Thank You" party that was put on by our little friend Luke's parents. He has continued to have cancer-free, excellent check-ups since the bone marrow transplant and is once again a thriving little boy. Their family is building a beautiful new home and other than frequent check-ups, things are getting back to normal for this wonderful young family.

 

Luke leading the pack at his party yesterday.

 

     I have been asked how my dad is doing. He is great. In fact, he is on a road trip to my part of the world right now. He was here on his way to Wisconsin weekend before last and will be here for a few days this week. He turned 87 this month, so part of me really worries about him taking a 2000 mile plus trip, but a) he wouldn't listen to me if I told him not to; b) they seem to enjoy themselves and c) if something is going to happen to him, I'd rather have it happen when he is having fun rather than sitting in a rocking chair! I truly think he has more energy than I do. I only hope that I inherited a bit of what he has.

 

     I was told that I needed to update the progress my daughter and I have made with our "new lifestyle" of eating and exercising. We are both doing very well. I reached a place that felt comfortable for me and so I have spent the past few weeks trying to adjust to maintaining the progress I made. I still work out 5 days a week most of the time, I still hate it. I have continued to log in what I eat, even if I have a day where I eat things that aren't good for me. I also still weigh daily. That is what works for me. I am usually up a pound or so after a weekend, but I go right back to it on Monday and so far so good. My daughter continues to lose weight. It is a slow process right now for her because she doesn't have much to lose and she is so busy at work. She is almost at 50 pounds off and is certainly working on her last 10 pound goal. It really has become a way of life for both of us (my husband too). We all 3 feel better, look better and notice now just how awful we feel if we have a high fat or greasy meal. That doesn't mean we don't do it now and then, but we pay for it!

 

     Last week was doctor week for me. I know I'm getting old when I make several appointments at once. I had an eye appointment (new frames-fun), a dentist appointment (no cavities-yay) and an appointment with the dermatologist (this one has the public service announcement). Sometime around Christmas, I noticed I had a spot on my chest that itched. It was a tiny little red spot and I didn't worry about it. When it was still itching in February, I called my dermatologist. I couldn't get in to see her for months, so I saw a nurse practitioner. I spent much of my youth in the sun, so I have a yearly screening and because my dad has had melanoma as well as both other skin cancers, I watch very carefully for anything unusual.

 

     The nurse practitioner said she thought it might be a pre-cancer and she froze the spot. I waited several weeks and it was still itching, although it didn't look like much of anything...just a tiny red spot. I went back in July, again I couldn't see my doctor and the nurse practitioner said it was fine. I knew it wasn't. I thought it was a rash or something. So, I called again and told them I would wait until I could see my doctor to come in and guess what, they got me in. Now, months after the first pre-cancer suggestion, it has had time to become skin cancer. It is a basal cell carcinoma, which isn't all that serious and I'm not freaking out about it at all. However, it looks like nothing. I have always watched for brown spots, changing moles etc. This doesn't look like anything even now except maybe a flat red mosquito bite, I can barely feel it and no one would even notice it, except it itches! I am on a 6 week treatment with a cream and then wait 6 more weeks for a re-check to see if it is gone or if I have to have it cut out.

 

    I am only discussing this because many of my readers probably also have a bit of sun damage, often on our chests. Many of us were in the sun long before SPF 30 existed! If I had listened to the "this is nothing" appointment and not pushed to see my doctor, this would only have gotten worse. As it is, I wasted several months by not getting to see my doctor. So, please, be aware that something very tiny, red and itchy can be skin cancer. I didn't know, now you do!

 

     We were shopping on Saturday and fall has hit the stores. I am going to try to decorate with things I already have this year, with a few small exceptions. Fall is my favorite season, I love the weather and I love the clothes. I only wish the longer daylight hours would last as well. It won't be long before it is time for jeans, sweaters and boots! It is time to savor the long, hot days of summer before they are gone!