Thursday, October 31, 2013

Beggar's Night



Happy All Hallow's Eve... or Beggar's Night as it's referred to here in Massachusetts! 
It is said that All Hallow's Eve was originally a Celtic tradition that celebrated the end of Harvest Season and arrival of Old Man Winter with a festival!  A time to prepare for the darker, longer days ahead. 
We homemakers know that feeling all to well...October isn't just for trick or treating! It's the month we spend clearing the cobwebs INSIDE! We freshen linens and bedding, stock the pantry, clean out the frig, empty closets and make sure everyone has appropriate winter wear. Boots, coats, hats and gloves come out for inspection and we bring out the throws for cuddling under on family movie night! I LOVE this time of year don't you? 
Our teens no longer trick or treat. Now a  day's they gather at friends houses to " party " with candy and Chinese take out. As for me, I dusted off my favorite witches hat and I'm ready for the neighborhood ghosts and goblins.  I'm expecting a lot of zombies at our door this year inspired by the Walking Dead Series and video games.
Be safe and enjoy this very special time of year when home becomes  your winter haven once gain. 
What  special things do you do to cozy things up for the winter at your house?

 For a more in depth HALLOWEEN history account visit this fun link!


Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Waiting In The Wings...


I don't often write about our children. They are teenagers and you know teenagers... They can be funny about what we parents share about them even to our friends and family, much less a large public community like blogging or Facebook. I'm not Pioneer Woman  ( love her !) and even though I LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing her children's smiling faces on her lovely blog my two would probably shoot me dead and bury me in one of my dahlia beds if I posted actual frontal facial images of them on a regular basis! Believe me, it's not easy for me to hold out on you ! They are the reasons behind everything I do as a mom!  It's hard to believe we are only a few short years from an empty nest. 
In the meantime I'm learning a lot from our boy about following your dreams. Here's where I get to brag a little... Humor me?

If you're a mom, no doubt you've been inspired by your child/children for one thing or another, at one time or another. Our oldest will be 18 in a couple of months but he's been making his own trail for a few years now. He knows exactly where he wants to be in life. Making music, producing music and sharing the universal language of love with the masses. Will he get there? I think he will and here's why. He started writing rap lyrics when he was 14. As a home-school mom I thought it was great that he was writing on his own and his early lyrics weren't bad either.

Fast forward three years. He has a home recording system which helped him produce his first mixed tape over the summer...That's young speak for C.D.. Ten original Raps! At first we weren't thrilled with the fact that he wanted to rap. If you've heard some of it, you know why. Here's what we told him. Be true to your self as an artist, don't copy others and create music you'll be proud of many years from now. So far, so good. 
  Here's what I've learned from our son after watching him hone in on his personal dream star.

If you don't follow your dreams, you may never catch up to them!

He works HARD at following his dreams!!!
 He puts his heart and soul into his writing every single day. When he's not working, he's listening to music, writing lyrics, recording music and networking with other artists.
He's starting to get some shows! The image above of him waiting in the wings for his most recent performance makes me so proud. Not because I want a famous son one day, but because I know he has something inside to share with the world and how hard he's worked just to get there, to that very spot.

 The places he performs aren't the cream of the crop but that doesn't matter to him. He has something to say to the world, something to share. Any opportunity he has to do that makes him happy and keeps him moving in the direction of his dreams. With each performance he broadens his horizons and gains momentum to continue on.

It's not always the most talented people who make their dreams come true. Most of the time it's the most persistent and disciplined that rise to the top and inspire others to work with the same passion and dedication to get there too! That's a our boy! I'm not only proud of him and his work ethic, but I'm so very pleased for him that he knows his own heart and mind at such a young age. What a gift!

Is there someone in your life who inspires you to follow your dreams?
 I'd love to hear about it! 



Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Grandma's Room ~ Thrifty Makeover Sneak Peak!


Don't you just love it when you fall into a sweet bargain when you're not even looking for one? 
That's what happened to me when I was out thrifting last weekend.

I didn't even know I wanted to make over the room my mother in law stays in when she visits until I saw this charming quilt with 2 matching shams and pillow to match at one of my local haunts! It didn't help matters that the print is soft roses. I'm a sucker for cottage roses. They're too girly to use in our master bedroom ( says hubs) and our daughter leans towards more vintage modern designs so no roses for her either.  But, there are no rules for Grandmas room so I'll  ( we'll ) have my roses after all!  Each item is in perfect condition!
I snapped up 4 items for a total of $20.96

Full sized quilt 12.99 
2 standard sized pillow shams 2.99 each
Decorative pillow 1.99 

I'm so excited about my bargain basement treasures I just had to share a smidgen of it with you. But, I have to go now... I've got some painting to do! 



This antique oak dresser is crying out for some ASCP in Duck Egg Blue don't cha think? 

I'm off! 
 I'll be back with the final reveal in a few days! Stay tuned! 
Happy hunting to you if you're out there looking for treasure to feather your nest this fall!
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