Welcoming October... and Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun!...

October... to me the most enchanting, magical, bewitching time of the year... to welcome her arrival, some of the "ghouls" gathered to play a little cards and toast this most delightful month's beginning..

They wanted something really special to toast with, so I brought out my finest vintage crystal cognac glasses (from the estate of two beautiful, mysterious ladies my sister and I knew when we were just little ghouls) and my finest French cognac...  won't you join us?...  okay, so the bottle is empty, play along with me here, 'k...  the cognac was a gift to my daddy from the French government during WWII and he brought it home with him from the War for he and my mama to drink on their twenty~fifth wedding anniversary soo many years ago...  the French label reads " reserved for French and allied troops"...

C'mon...  meet some of the ladies...  they have dressed in their finest right down to their boots... I would actually love a pair like these!...

 they tell me they are all nice witches...

  well... maybe just a "little bit wicked"... and can't wait for this charmed month to begin...

Welcome October!... xoxo...  Linking this post to Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage...

Autumn in the Country...

Autumn in the country...

Autumn... seems like I do more posts in the Fall than any other time of the year...  maybe it's because it's my very favorite Season...  and Autumn in Centerville is so beautiful!... the air is crisp and cool and the gentle Autumn breeze just seems to lure me outside... today was the perfect Autumn day you dream about...  so, I donned my favorite boots and hat and headed to the little farm stand down the lane... arriving back home with the car laden with mums and pumpkins...  and set about arranging them on the porch...  but first, I set them out on a blanket on the lawn to admire them...  I always choose the "perfectly imperfect" pumpkins...  the ones with marks and scratches that always get passed over...  but not by me...   they all looked so sweet, I just had to show you...

Tessy says don't forget to take time to smell the Autumn flowers!... since I have done soo many posts lately, I'm going to take a little break for a few days from posting...but I will still be visiting  all of you...  Happy Autumn!... xoxo 
 

Autumn's Jewels...

I am loving pumpkins...  every size, shape and color...  I just found these gorgeous silver ones at Michaels for half off...  the large one was only $3.50 and the two little ones were just $1.50 each...  the silver acorns were on closeout at Kohls for $1.00 a bag...  not sure where I am going to use them yet...  but they wanted to do a photo op for you!...  pumpkin love!... catch it!... it's contagious!...  xoxo ...

Gratitude...

 Today, I found this pretty little "gratitude" journal at a new little  shop I went to...  just a little book to jot down things I am grateful for each day...  it also has inspiring quotes throughout on being grateful...  I especially love the quote at the beginning of the journal... "the small act of recording what you're grateful for has the power to truly transform you... it will focus your energy on the positive in your life, leaving less energy for the negatives"... I immediately began to jot down the things I am grateful for today... and before I knew it, I had filled an entire page... with positive thoughts... no negatives allowed...  it made me feel really good...  it lifted my spirits to see all of the "positives" in my life... and made me quickly forget some of the "negatives" that have had me a bit down lately... I am going to tuck it inside my purse... so even if I am out somewhere... stuck in traffic perhaps...  I will remember to focus on the "positives"...  jot them down...  and keep that feel~good feeling going... several posts back, I wrote about the serenity I have been seeking more and more lately... now,  seeing all my "positives" there... in my little book...  in black and white...  I see how truly blessed I am...  gratitude...I know it's a step in the right direction to finding serenity in this often too hectic world...   xoxo...  (I so loved these little books, I got my sister and all the girls one too)...

Velvet Pumpkin Fever...

 

 

 Gosh, almost every hit I have had on my blog this past week is from Google searches for "velvet pumpkins"...  so, I decided to re~post one of the pics from  my "creamy velvet pumpkin pie" I posted about last week...  there you go!...  lovin' those velvet pumpkins!... xoxo...

Eeek!... You Caught Me Without My Makeup!...

That old black magic has me... in it's spell... that old black magic...  Oh!...Hello dearies... my, you gave me a scare!...  I didn't hear you come in...  and here I am with no makeup on and my hair is a fright!...  Just cookin' up a little potion here...  we're getting closer to  that bewitching time of year I so love!...  All Hallows Eve...  my night to fly!...  I'm also brewing up some special posts, so I hope you will pop in for a "spell" and see what is bubbling...  I am a kid again (still... always...) this time of year...  conjuring up treats and even some tricks for those who have been driving me "batty"...  

So,  ghoul~friends put on your favorite hat, grab your broom and let's have some fun!...  for the most enchanting month of October will be here before you can say "Poof"!... xoxo... 

Old~fashioned Harvest Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins...(Almost really good enough to eat!)...

 Several posts ago, I showed you how to make creamy velvet pumpkin pie...  today, I will share with you how to make yummy old~fashioned Harvest whole~wheat pumpkin muffins...

 First, take a vintage muffin tin... the older,  more "seasoned" the better...

Then, line the muffin cups with pretty colored Autumn leaves... next  add one baby pumpkin to each muffin cup... toss in one sparkly coppery~colored acorn... (may substitute regular acorn if you are out of sparkle... but why on earth would anyone be out of sparkle?...  isn't it a staple in every pantry?)...

Carefully top with freshly harvested and dried whole wheat...  garnish wheat with a pretty little freshly~gathered from the trail baby pinecone... (may substitute baby pinecone with baby chestnut, seedpod, dried flowers, or any one of Nature's treasures... best if they have been gently gathered from the trail, of course)...

Next, have a sip of coffee and admire your creation...

Place gently on table...  relax... and enjoy!...  Fall baking is sooo much fun!... I had such a good time making this up and love how it turned out... you ladies are all so crafty, and I mean that in the nicest way...  you are always coming up with fun things to create out of vintage treasures... and today, I did!... this is a Julie Marie original!... xoxo... Linking up with What's It Wednesdays with Paula and Patti at Ivy and Elephants, and Vintage Inspiration Fridays, Fabulous Fall Fun with Debra at Common Ground...

 

Glorious Autumn!...

It's Autumn in Centerville!...  and my little helper Tessy is excited to help me with our decorating on our front porch...

A pretty plaid Autumn colored  throw, some Indian corn, gourds and pumpkins in an old wooden fruit basket... an old wooden sign I have had for over twenty five years...  she thinks it looks pretty!...  she is loving these cool, crisp days as much as I am... she's my little  constant companion and wants to be outside with me the whole day... 

Still doing some more decorating inside too...  I am one who still loves the traditional Fall colors...  burnt oranges, brilliant scarlets...  bright golds and deep warm browns... I also love the more  muted colors of Autumn this year as well, and made this Fall arrangement in one of my vintage enamel coffee pots...  I set it on my windowseat with some pumpkin pillows I have had forever and an Autumn leaf fleece throw I made several years ago...

Mother Nature has been decorating our hillsides too, just to the east of us...  this is the canyon that is a ten minute walk from our home...  the sky is blue... the sun is shining...  and Tessy and I are ready for an afternoon Nature walk to bask in all of the beauty... wishing you all a blissful Autumn day too!...  xoxo...

Creamy Velvet Pumpkin Pie...

The first day of Autumn, the perfect time to make a creamy velvet pumpkin pie...  first, place three creamy vanilla pumpkins in a vintage pie tin...add some freeze dried roses...and a handful of acorns to taste...garnish with some pretty Autumn leaves...  and enjoy!...(sorry for my spacing on this, I cannot figure out this  new blogger interface!)Wishing you all a blissful first day of Autumn...  xoxo...

Tessy's New Autumn Blankie...

Tessy wants to wish you all a happy First Day of Autumn tomorrow and show you her new Fall blankie...the First Day of Autumn has always been September 21st for as long as I can remember...  calendars now show it as the 22nd...  not sure why the change, but I will welcome it as always on the 21st... I am in the midst of more Autumn decorating and loving it... going for cornstalks and pumpkins tomorrow at the little stand down the lane and decorating our front porch to welcome my favorite season...  how do you welcome the First Day of Autumn?... oh yes, I think some spice cake is needed too!...  xoxo... 

Ghouls Day Out Lunch...

We love keeping traditions in our family... and one of our favorite ones is our annual "Ghouls Day Out" lunch I give for my sister Jill for her birthday... her birthday is actually October 1st, but due to everyone's hectic schedules, we had it today so all the "ghouls" could attend... me and my beautiful little sister Jill... beautiful inside and out... not just sisters, but best friends... confidantes... shared so many fun things together throughout our lives and continue to do so...

For the past several weeks, I have been making little favors for her party... we all love Autumn and Halloween, so I always make it that theme... I made little Harvest bags for favors, filled with pretty Autumn note pads, Autumn pens and Autumn leaf candles...

We have lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant in Centerville... the owners are so nice and don't mind at all if I set up a table for our party~lunch... the food is the yummiest too!... sorry, no pics of the food... we ate it right up!... I took cute pumpkin cookies from our favorite cookie shop, Cutlers,  made up special for me by darling Soonyoung, the owner... and I also  made Autumn mix nut cups but forgot to take pics of those...

I bought a cute Harvest basket and put all Jill's gifts in that, along with some cute little scarecrows and pumpkins she can use later to decorate her porch or somewhere with...

And because all us "ghouls" still love Halloween as much as we did when we were little "ghouls" I made up some sparkly "potion" bottles... I used fun Halloween crafts, labels etc from JoAnn's Crafts and the dollar store... Martha Stewart has such cute Halloween spiders, labels, etc...

Filly, Ellie, me and Liz...

Filly and Ellie brought fun little "spell" signs...

Liz and Jill having a good time...

Liz, Jill, Filly and Ellie...

Thanks for such a fun day today... I love you "ghouls" soooo much!... xoxo...