A Day in the Life of Ramona

Summer Afternoon

2011-07-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

"Summer afternoon ~ Summer afternoon;

to me those have always been

the two most beautiful words

in the English language."

~ Henry James

It may sound a tad goofy...

but there is something so completely

wonderful and relaxing to be

stitching harvest~y this and that

on a fine summer afternoon.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sun Seeds and Dirt on a Fine Day in May

2011-05-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

If you have these in your pocket...you have the ingredients for a happy day.

Just add water and smile!

I hope your spring is splendidly splendid.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Carrot Seeds

2011-03-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

Just popping in to say hello and share a peek at the spring folly in my sewing nook.

Carrot love...

Carrots just scream spring...right?

Freshly harvested from Cottontail Farm & Meadows...of course...

Lots and lots of carrots seeds...

Typography....HOP!

Sweet beanbags...major Cha~Cha~ness...

Chirp!

Hope your Spring is a merry one!

Smiles ~ Ramona

I heart LOVE

2011-02-05T08:25:00.000-08:00

I always say that in life you either come from a place of fear or you come from a place of love.

Fear is jealousy, hatred, cynicism, general poop~y~ness...

Love is compassion, generosity, gratefulness...

I choose love...

A big ol' Sack of it!

Have a splendid weekend.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Fearless

2011-01-28T14:06:00.000-08:00

Oh my, my....where has the time gone? I blogged on an early December day and when I turned around it was a late January afternoon.

Sometimes creative souls, like myself, let our creative tea cups go empty and we need to regroup, recharge and revive our pot of tea so that our creative cups will run~ith over! Cha~cha~cha!

Done!

I wanted to share a splendid little story about a moment a couple of weeks ago in the produce department of the grocery store. It was one of those moments that gets in your soul and makes you really think.

This woman comes up to me while I was selecting apples and tells me that she loves my cowboy boots...."so do I", I tell her enthusiastically...and as I am about to tell her about how stinkin' comfortable they are...when she cuts me off and leans in and says to me..."they make you look fearless"...yes, she said... fearless. It took my breath away.

Never thought of myself this way...but I like it. The truth is...when I wear my boots I do feel a tad more spunky about everything I am doing.

Little did I know that my ol' worn cowboy boots were a mirror to my soul.

And, they are....I am fearless.

Smiles ~ Ramona

December Peace

2010-12-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

I have decided and will repeat these simple words when the self inflicted crazy coo~coo~ness of this month start to fill my days....December Peace. I will remember the precious gifts that last forever and fill our hearts like none other...

For me, they include ~

the gleeful excitement of our young daughter...the posibility of snow...our Son home from the front lines of a scary war...my precious children...opportunities to be of service...a radio station that plays Christmas music all month...the smell of our recently gleaned pine tree...holiday wishes from a stranger...grocery bags printed with holiday greetings...Starbuck's Chrismas cups...duh!...a warm house...a pantry that has plenty....having plenty to share with others...a grateful heart ~it is the best feeling around!...a family that I love bunches and lots...friends ~ true friends, good friends...

But most of all...I will remember that this month has many opportunities to be

grateful...grace~filled...and choose PEACE.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Pine Cones, Leaves and Cowboy Boots

2010-11-14T09:05:00.000-08:00

Glimpses.

Pre~Thanksgiving Bazaar in a really cool barn...

Lots...

And lots of G O B B L E ...

And piles...

And piles of S Q U A S H ...

And L E A V E S ...

And C O W B O Y B O O T S...

Smiles ~ Ramona

A Gentle Celebration

2010-11-07T15:28:00.000-08:00

It is the calm...sweet calm before the storm...

I hope that everyone is taking every sweetly calm moment of it...

Every gobble~li~cious minute of it...

I can almost smell a wonderful Thanksgiving feast roasting in the oven...

I can almost hear a range full of turkeys gob, gob, gobbling a happy tune...

All together now...

I love that the sight of pumpkins does not disappear when the

Jack~o~lantern's candles have burned out...

A splendid season full of squash!

And cinnamon pine cones...

Delightfully, delightful sweet season...

Breathe deeply...feel the calm before the storm?

It is a gift...be thankful for it.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Monday

2010-10-11T06:31:00.000-07:00

"DELICIOUS AUTUMN!

MY VERY SOUL IS WEDDED TO IT,

AND IF I WERE A BIRD

I WOULD FLY ABOUT THE EARTH

SEEKING THE SUCCESSIVE AUTUMNS."

~george eliot~

Happy Monday!

Smiles ~ Ramona

Pumpkins are the Happiest of Fruits...

2010-10-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone is delighting in the splendid wonderfulness of fall. As for me all of the delicious food, cozy aromas and harvest loving activities make my Autumn loving heart sing a little song.

I have a fall kit...if you will, making each moment of this magical season even more memorable...if that is possible.

My fall kit includes ~ A Yankee Candle " Autumn Leaves" candle, lots and bunches of squash...spaghetti...acorn...you get the idea, jugs and jugs of apple cider on standby to be heated up and made into Caramel Apple Cider...check out my favorite recipe here, bundles of harvest corn to hang over my windows, a special Charlie Brown movie and as many pumpkins as my porch will hold.

Pumpkins are the happiest of fruits...don't you agree?

Zip~Pity~Do~Da....

Yep....the Hap...

Hap...

Happiest of fruits...

I giggle in delight when I see them piled high in front of the grocery store...

Cinderella....

Or Casper...

Or burlap...

Undeniably the happiest fruit around.

What is in your fall kit?

Savor every moment of your week.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Layers or Donkey

2010-09-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

My cutie~pie daughter just asked me why the title of this blog post is 'Layers'...and I said, "You'll see." Then she said to me...."Well, why don't you call it Donkey???" Which begs the question..."Why would I call it Donkey?" To which she replies...."Because donkeys have layers!" Guess I haven't seen Shrek lately...this child cracks me up daily...lucky me!

So about those LAYERS...

Like adding more blankets to your beds...potatoes to your stew, a sweater or two to your ensemble it is time to add layers to our homes...isn't it the fun~est time of year to decorate?

Same old chair...cozier with a couple of pillows...

And then my favorite thing to do to kick off my Autumnal decorating festivities...

is to shop for home decor in the produce department...

Today's tchotchke, is tomorrow's soup!

But wait...I layered that pillow clad chair
with a gigantic urn of pine cones

that I gleaned last year when
Mom Nature layered the ground with these bad boys...

That Mother Nature....what a gal!

Truly the QUEEN of LAYERING...am I wrong?!

And why on Earth would you just put a bowl of clementines
on the kitchen counter?

Alone!

Slip some chubby cookbooks under that vitamin C filled bowl...

Layers!

I am layering my dining room table with an old rustic bench...

And then I am going to layer that bench with a big burlap pumpkin...

But of course!

And not to be ignored....gonna layer my walls with lots and lots of hand stitched quilts...

Yummy, yummy quilts...

And you know that I love it when an old quilt looks like it has a story to tell...

So the more worn and torn...all the more interesting the story...

Don't you agree?

My love of tea pots and interesting tops for them is endless...

A bouquet of pine cones...

A most interesting layer, in deed!

Spoons...

Want to add instant interest and instant layers to any vignette? Add spoons!

I just made that up...

But I might be right...I'm just sayin'.

Have a most splendid week.

Throw a layer or two 'round your home and soak in the loveliness of the season that is upon us.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Booth Love

2010-08-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

My poor neglected blog is not feeling the love of late...because I have an extreme case of booth love.

Yes, booth love...

Sweet, antique mall, booth love...

There is still much to do in my little ol' booth~o~rama...

But with as much as I love this booth...I know it will come together quite nicely...

I am a "JUNKER" in training and I am enjoying every rusty ol' minute of it...

Hanging this clothesline reminded me that I should be at home doing "real" laundry...

Nah!

This is so much fun~ner than doing real laundry...

Don't you agree?

But of course you do...

Just a bit of burlap la~di~da for this old school house chair...

Halloween elegance...

Yum...

Details...

And still more details...

Basically this booth love is making me feel pretty darn merry...

Have the merriest of weeks.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Back To Our Regular Programming Tomorrow

2010-08-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

Ahhh yes....tomorrow...back to our regular programming tomorrow...but for now I offer for your consideration....

E L E G A N T H A L L O W E E N...boo!

I am officially one of those guys...

you know, those guys that start putting out the Halloween stuff

in the stores in August!!!

Yes ~ sir ~ ee ~ bob!

I'm one of 'em!

I am deep in it!

And I thought...if it's gotta be Halloween...

it's gotta be Elegant...

Right?

Actually, the truth be told, it is just my marketing attempt to be different...

And now...I think that I will make a pot of this for dinner...

DINNER...my poor family...

Back to our regular programming tomorrow...

there is still plenty of summer blogging to be had...

it is just gonna have a pumpkin and a broomstick thrown in here and there...

Have a splendid week!

Smiles ~ Ramona

My Grateful Summer

2010-07-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

When you allow yourself to marinate in gratitude your moments in life will be nice and juicy...AMEN!

Well...I am trying...because really...you only have the present moments in life...might as well make them nice and juicy.

Take a gander at recent moments that made my little ol' heart sing a happy tune~o~la!

When the ice cream man drives by the park you are at...

children of all ages smile...

My handsome first born chatting with Dad...

These two make my heart smile everyday...

Cutie~pies!

Every house has a dog in a robe...right?

I am so grateful that we do...

My six foot tall Daughter with her six foot...EIGHT inch Boyfriend...

Such a charming pair!

We spent a wonderful evening on the Willamette River picnic~ing...

And...the locals were very friendly...

Even posed for a snap shot...

This was one of the most grateful moments all year...

All four of our children are in the same place at the SAME TIME!

This moment took my breath away...

And you just have to be grateful for one of the funniest moments this summer...

Two 13 year olds...sleeping in the powder room because they told each

Summertime Putt~er~ing

2010-07-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

So on this lovely and warm summer afternoon...I offer, for your consideration, my To Do List...

1. Think about writing a blog post ~ check

2. Write a blog post ~ check

3. Paint an up~side~down tomato cage topper ~ check

4. Chase dog to retrieve black paint soaked brush used to
paint up~side~down tomato cage topper ~ check

5. Stick some old plates in pots for garden interest...
and cuz it fun~ner than folding laundry ~ check

6. Defrost hot dogs for dinner ~ check

7. Tell 5 different people that those dogs are for DINNER ~ check

8. Run all over my porch screaming like a lunatic because a spider crawled up my skirt ~ check

9. Remind myself how much I LOVE SUMMER...BUGS and ALL ~ check

10.Putt~er the afternoon away ~ CHECK

Wanna see what putt~er~ing looks like in my neck of the woods?

Any self respecting day of puttering must include festooning your pots with burlap...

Don't you agree?

And securing it with clothespins that you paint with polka dots...

I'm just saying...

I am notorious for leaving the hose here and there and everywhere...

I'm a busy, busy puttering fool...I don't have time for such details...

Have you heard...burlap is the new must~have...all the best dressed pots are

wearing burlap this Fall...

Moving right along...

I found time to paint some up~side~down tomato cage toppers...

My daughter and I agreed that it looks a tad Halloween~ish...

But what the who~ha...if trick~or~treaters come to our door today...it will be

some "trick" finding candy in our cupboards....

I guess I could offer some hot dogs...or maybe a paint brush stealing dog...

Once again...I'm just saying.

And no afternoon of puttering would be complete without painting our

street address on a drop~cloth pillow case....

PUTT~ER~ING GONE WILD!

Chicken feet!

Still!

I hope that you are enjoying many puttering filled Summer

afternoons.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Sunscreen on my Uggs

2010-07-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

Yes....I think I dripped sunscreen on my Uggs....and it is no wonder....for it has been the drippiest Spring and early Summer known to man here in the ol' Northwest. I actually don't mind that much but it would be wonderful to have it be a tad warmer and show off the pedicure that I just had to have.

I hope that everyone is having the merriest of holiday weekends. I am.

Why?

Because this time last year our youngest Son was deployed to Afghanistan and today he is on the way back home to us. Slowly but SURELY he is making his way home. Our Son is with the Stryker Brigade out of Ft. Lewis, Washington.

His Brigade was hit harder than any other in Afghanistan. These men have really been through it.

God Bless them and the souls of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Good Men.

Brave Men.

U. S. Service Men.

It has been a year filled with many, many extraordinary moments.

Moments of prayer, and of tears, worry filled days, times of gratitude,

times of despair and always, always immense feelings of pride.

I recently asked my Son....

"How will this country every thank you and your fellow troops for your service?"

He said, "That is not why we serve, Mom."

Now that is sacrifice.

That is honor.

That is my Son...and I am very proud.

Sure does give this 4th a new feeling and new respect....and I am telling you...the 4th has never made me this darn giddy!

This happy, happy pooch joined our family last year around the 4th....

and I am here to tell you...she is the HAPPIEST dog on the block...

maybe even the planet. When I say "happy"...she comes running...like it is her name!

Happiest dog...right?

She is quite fancy too...just check out this la~di~da pose she struck for the camera....

Fancy....right?

I wish everyone the best hot dog roasting, marshmallow toasting, firework popping,

lounge chair rocking 4th of July ever.

Ain't America Grand?

Darn tootin' it is!!!!!

Smiles ~ Ramona

What A Crock...Oh My, My

2010-06-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

I hope that everyone's summer hours are being spend the the most relaxing of relaxing ways...or if you are as busy as I am...that you are busy with the fun~est of fun things to do.

My hydrangeas are blooming like there is no tomorrow! While searching through my dish pantry for a "different and unique" vessel for these gorgeous buds...my eyes fell upon my ol' soup crock. I have seen these used for flowers and I really love it...almost as much as I love summer and that...is...A LOT!

Can you feel the love?

I put a couple of old wooden needles in the bouquet...just for grins and giggles...

Goof ball...right? But, then again there are hydrangeas in a soup crock so why

would big wooden needles seem odd?

I love it...

Hydrangeas are the most "giving" flowers...they last forever and ever...

Must be why I love them so much...

Do you know what else I love?

I love, love...

Sum, sum, summer~time!

I imagine that you do too.

Smiles ~ Ramona

This Little Piggy Went To Market

2010-06-14T17:40:00.000-07:00

That's right my blogging buddies...this little piggy and many, many other vintage knick~knackery are making their way to a new antique and collectable shop opening soon in Portland.

Guess who has a booth in that antique mall?

Yep, me a few dozen of my curiosities that I have gleaned for

years and years will be setting up home at ~

Robin & Wren

on Beaverton ~ Hillsdale Hwy in Portland, Oregon.

If you are ever in the neighborhood I hope that you will pop in

and say howdy to Janet...shop owner extrodinaire!

Tell her, Ramona sent you!

I am having a blast putting the finishing touches on my little o' booth~a~rama. And...if you don't mind...I will share my adventures in my little corner of the vintage world as I go along my merry way....

Zip~pity~Do~Da!!!

But today...as you can imagine...I am fool~goof~bozo running around sewing, fluffing, loading and unloading my car and then there is laundry to wash, dishes to scrub,
dinners to fix and what about sleep, you ask? I've heard about it once or twice...
maybe I should try it...but not today...
today I am having too much fun to sleep...

And if that isn't enough fun for one ol' gal... guess who's sewing pumpkins in June? Now I know that I love, love, smooch, smooch Autumn...but I was never sure that I would love it enough to enjoy sewing for it in late Spring...guess what...I DO! Who new?

Have a wonderful Spring day...ain't late Spring grand?

Smiles ~ Ramona

Mona Minutes

2010-06-02T14:02:00.000-07:00

Mona Minutes...what the who~ha is she talking about now?

They are actually silly little minutes that I give to myself to slow down, recharge, re~fill my half empty cup...a kind of respite from my daily doings...just a handful of minutes to do with however I see fit.

I just give myself some silly minutes often...but not as often as I should.

To better explain my silly minutes...or, as I like to refer to them...Mona minutes...I will show you how I spent some of them recently as I explain...

Please follow along....all the while you might like to hum a favorite tune...

Silly minutes are required daily...take ten of 'em...up to sixty at a time...

This day, I took all sixty and enjoyed every stinkin' one of them.

I went to G.W. and shopped for cute cups to use as scoops for my canisters...

My silly minutes rules are that I cannot spend more than ten dollars...

Preferably you wouldn't spend a nickel.

This day I spent two dollars and fifty cents.

Yep, two dollars and fifty cents and it took sixty silly minutes...

During those sixty minutes...

I was not thinking about anything else but

finding cups to use as scoops...silly? YES...relaxing....YOU BET!

You could do anything during your silly minutes...

You may call them anything you like...

Mine are called Mona minutes...I am sure you understand why...

You could meditate, read, garden, go for a walk...all of which don't cost a dime!

Just be ever present in the moment...

Be grateful...

Relax...

These three cups and what I did with them are as silly as it gets...

But when I was walking out of the G.W. I was relaxed and smiling...

Fill your cup today with some of your own special silly minutes...

Remember ~ you cannot fill anyone else's cup if your cup is empty.

Smiles ~ Ramona

These Things Are Fun~ner Than Laundry

2010-05-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

Yes sir~ree bob....f u n ~ n e r!

After weeks of staring in my own episode of volunteering gone wild...the laundry situation was out of control. So today...as the dust is beginning to settle 'round these parts...and the "MOM" is in the house...it was time for some serious housekeeping and playing catch up with the laundry.

But guess what...I managed to find things

to do that are fun~ner than laundry.

As surprising as that may be...take a gander and see if you agree.

I festooned a wicker tray for the dinning room table

with accouterments for dinning...F U N ~ N E R!

Chirp...

Played with a new stash of fabric for my shop...

Starred at these ink soaked stamps for ten minutes...

trying to think of fun words to stamp on that stash of fabric...

When you think about it...it kind of looks like a pile of folded laundry...

Only...fun~ner!

Thought I would get a jump~start on the red, white ~n~ blue decorating season...

Fun...

Fun~ner...

I can almost feel Summer...

Sweet, sweet Summer...

The truth is...even with all of the fun distractions today...

I did manage to do several loads of laundry...

More fun lies ahead this week...I am joining a new antique/vintage mall...

I have a booth to fill...this means going on the "hunt" to glen items for the booth...

oh the fun that will be had...this too is fun~ner than laundry.

Have a great week.

Smiles ~ Ramona

I Bake Bread

2010-05-05T13:46:00.001-07:00

Everyday.

Yes.

I bake homemade bread.

Everyday.

Do I love it?

Yes.

Would you love it too?

I do believe so.

I love this recipe so much that I thought I would print

it out on a canvas and share it with whomever might want to join in the baking folly...

I wanted it to have a time~worn patina...kind of Provencal~y and wonderful...

I Mod Podged some old dictionary pages to some of the sides of the canvas...

And burlap~ed the other sides...of course...

I think I am going to fuss with it some more...

But first...I think I will bake a loaf or two...

So for now I will hang this above the stove...

Isn't she purty?

Does my house smell amazing?

Yes!

How do I have the time?

That's an easy one.

I toss the simple ingredients in my

"older~than~the~hills"

bread machine and set the cycle to dough.

The machine {or the little kitchen fairies that live in the

older~than~the~hills bread machine} mix, knead and rise the dough.

Is magic involved?

I am certain of it!

When the machine beeps after about an hour and a half....I take the

magical fairy made dough out and put it in bread pans or make cinnamon rolls

or cheese stuffed bread and bake!

Does the bread machine {or kitchen fairies}

do all the work?

Yes.

Do I take ALL the credit?

What do you think?

Happy Wednesday my Friends...I hope it is a magical one!

Smiles ~ Ramona

Creative Adventures on a Rainy Day in Spring

2010-04-27T19:06:00.000-07:00

Want to see where my creative adventures took me today?

Nothing like a soaker of a Spring day to put me in a sewing mood.

That, by the way, happens to be my favorite type of mood...a sewing mood...

Did some stitching with "burlap" thread on Etsy goodies made from

a painter's drop cloth...of course...

Bee...

Sunflower...

A child's sampler...love it...

Feed sack love...

This was a great day...

Did I do laundry?

Yes...

Did I fold laundry?

Nope...

Did I sew till the cows came home?

Yep!

It's always an adventure friends!

Happy Tuesday.

Smiles ~ Ramona

My Mo Had Lost It's Jo...Oh My!

2010-04-25T17:42:00.000-07:00

I was beginning to worry...my Mo was without it's Jo...and we all know that a Jo~less Mo is not a Mo~Jo at all...I'm just sayin'.

But today at a quarter to five Pacific Time...I am happy to report...Mo found Jo and all is well in my little neck of the woods.

It happens to all of us creative souls, right? You do too many things, spread yourself a tad too thin...don't spend enough time in your "happy place" and before you know it...you got MO but you ain't got JO! Or as my sweet daughter remarked..."you got a Jo~less Mo...". Insert tear here.

My cure...15 minutes on a sunny porch with 3 dollars worth of flowers and some clothespins. Yep, this was the cure for creative lack~luster...who knew?!

Homemade garden stakes...

Cool spindles, clothespin and a bee stamp...

An old child's tea pot and a tiny crop of alyssum...

It smells cute too...

And to show my gratitude to this Mo~Jo making bee stamp...

I decided to make some clips for my Etsy shop...

Gonna include some yards of twine...at no extra cost~ola!

I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday evening and a delightfully, delightful week ahead.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Just Call Me Alice...

2010-04-12T12:23:00.000-07:00

"The time has come", the Walrus said,

"To talk of many things ~

Of shoes ~ and ships ~

And sealing wax ~ of cabbages ~ and kings ~

And why the sea is boiling hot ~

And whether pigs have wings."

~ Lewis Carroll ~

'Through The Looking Glass'

Just one of those kind of Mondays that got me seeing spots...cow spots that is.

I love a good cow spot and cow spots on flying pigs...even better I say!

If this day is going to make me see spots and feel like "Alice" in a classic Lewis Carroll tale...well then, I might as well paint my favorite sort of spots...those of cows...while I ponder whether pigs have wings...

Silly girl...of course they have wings...

And as for spots...the same as cows...OF COURSE...

Check out these cow spotted burlap cushions~of~love~and~joy...

I have never met nutty day that couldn't be improved with a bit of cow spot painting...

I'm just saying...

And now back to our regularly scheduled Monday cha~cha~ness and I'll be careful not to fall down any rabbit holes.

Happy Beginning of the Week my Friends.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Let Me Offer You A Chair

2010-04-08T13:54:00.001-07:00

Take one afternoon in April...

Add one part decorating loving woman...

Take away any extra time to do decorating...

Add back in a minute or two because decorating calms crazy decorating loving woman...

Gather some child chairs...

And you have a calmer decorating loving woman...AMEN.

Silver milk can with chartreuse painted hydrangeas...

Can you feel the calm?

Put chair on top of old, dusty, rusty suitcase...this is not rocket science...

But it should be...

Ahhhhh...

Done.

I am having a real love affair with cotton mattress ticking...

And ruffles...and ruffles made of burlap...shut~up!

Roosters, cookbooks and red dictionaries...the perfect booster seat...

I randomly opened this cookbook...and what was on the page?

Chicken recipes...

A lovely perch...

Chicken feet...

Have a wonderful Thursday...I hope that you may find little calming moments in your day.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Merry Easter

2010-04-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

Signs of Easter Eve...

Cottontails~a~Plenty...

A Bunny Buggy of Bunnies...

Eggs and Carrots together at last...

Have the Merriest of Easters!

Smiles ~ Ramona

Poppies ~ Pansies & Patina

2010-03-31T12:20:00.000-07:00

The shy sun just popped out from behind rain~filled clouds to shine warm and welcome rays and I thought I would pop out as well to say Happy Wednesday and Merry Spring to you.

I took a well deserved break when the sun came out and snapped a few shots of what is keeping me busy and happy on this fine and stormy Spring afternoon.

Planted some yellow pansies...

With broken plates...and...

And old and tarnished flatware...of course...

This hydrangea is awakening from a long Winter's nap...

It has slumbered in this rusty and wonderful cart since last Fall...

You too would be a happy hydrangea if this delightfully patina~ed cart was your home...

I love a good wheel...and if it is rusted...well then I want to marry it...

And new in my Etsy shop....POPPIES...

Yep, it's true love...

Poppies...

Pansies...

Burlap...

White Broadcloth Ruffles...

Sunshine...

Rusty, Rusty Patina.

You gotta be kidding me...I need nothing else in this moment to make me happy.

Have a wonderful afternoon...and enjoy a moment to stop and smell the flowers.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Serendipitous Nest Building

2010-03-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

Sweet glorious Saturday...so close to Easter that I can almost smell the charming vinegar scented egg dye.

Spring is such a wonderful time to nest. Rebirth, renew, rejoice...so in that spirit I gave some old nests new life and rejoiced in a fun blog party to share them at.

I am cha~cha~cha~ing with the Funky Junk Interior's Saturday Nite Special..there is lots of fun to be had...and you will be glad you checked it out!

For your consideration,

I share with you,

some serendipitous nests,

I built on a wonderful Spring afternoon.

I glued this dusty old egg~filled nest to the silver base of a lamp...

Renewed!

Tarnished and wonderful...and old tea pot is the a sweet perch for this baby nest...

This matching sugar bowl holds old silver serving pieces dressed up for the party with tokens of Easter...

Moss...

Details...

A ceramic chick in a cappuccino cup on a leaf plate...

Filled with moss and polished river rock...

On a stack of books...on the kitchen counter...on a Saturday afternoon...

I was a nest building fool...I tell ya...

and what a serendipitous time I had.

Check out more weekend fun at Funky Junk Interiors...

Happy Saturday!

Smiles ~ Ramona

Quite a serendipitous time was had!

Bunny Potpourri

2010-03-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

I was in the mood for some potpourri today...what kind you ask...why bunny...of course!

I dusted off and old silver chaffing dish and filled it with moss...

Tucked in some fake~o~rama grass and eggs and flowers that I have gleaned

since before the cows~came~home...

Burlap carrots are a must in a bunny potpourri...

And what mixture of Easter folly would be complete without some old silk cabbage...

I love this old rabbit shortbread mold nestled in for Spring~time happiness...

See him peeking over all of the goodies...he looks cozy in there.

Happy Friday Friends!

Smiles ~ Ramona

Empty Drawers

2010-03-19T09:59:00.001-07:00

An empty drawer.

Some inspiration.

Some of The Inspired Room dot net.

Some roosters.

Some grass.

Some burlap.

Some eggs.

Some festoon~ment.

No more empty drawer.

Was.

Inspired.

Yes, inspired.

Truly inspired.

No drawer shall be left un~festooned.

So this is how I was inspired today...for more fun...head back on over to Melissa's for more blog inspiration.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Houses

2010-03-16T19:32:00.000-07:00

"Mid pleasures and palaces though we my roam,

Be it ever so humble there's no place like home"

~John Howard Payne

Stayed home all the live~long~day today...

And this is what I made while sewing till the cows~came~home...

Houses!

A whole neighborhood full.

Dorothy and that little dog had it right...there IS no place like it!

Smiles ~ Ramona

The Time Has Come To Spring Forth

2010-03-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

Oh my...the time has truly come to move gently into the wonderful season of Spring.

And Spring forth we shall.

Perhaps slowly at first...but then...full speed ahead...with eyes wide open.

Don't you dare close your eyes...there is so much to see...so much to appreciate...so much to sing like a bird from the tree tops about. And even though we have lost an hour of sleep...we have gained an hour of the glory of this sweet, sweet season.

Nothing says Spring like Peter's cottontail!

Nest = Spring...

A wee birdie's home that has been Spring cleaned...

Plates in the garden...it MUST be Spring~time!

I know that the official start of Spring next Saturday...but I can't wait...and since we are moving forward in time today instead of whining about the sleepy fog I am in...

I am instead delighting in the fact that Spring is that much closer.

Smiles ~ Ramona

There Is A Bunny Trail ~ And There Is A Bunny Hippity Hoppin' Down It

2010-03-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

Look down that trail...and I am sure you will agree that ol' Peter Cottontail is indeed hopping down that ol' bunny trail...I love spring and I love the sweet celebration of Easter.

What is not to love? Dyed eggs...sweet grass...everything chocolaty...lots of baskets...lots of carrots...sun~loving bonnets...white gloves or my favorite...gloves covered with garden dirt...rebirth...renew...rejuvenate and nests....yes...NESTS! You just gotta love any kind of folly that involves nests! Nests and carrots....especially velveteen and burlap carrots...I'm just sayin'.

Hippity~hoppin' I tell ya.

Happy Sunday.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Making Beds

2010-02-25T09:49:00.001-08:00

Good Thursday morning to you...

Did you ever think that such a ho~hum chore as making beds could be so much fun~ola?

It is when you color outside the lines...

Todays Chore List ~

Bread Baking

Rose Bush Trimming

Laundry Folding

Making Beds ~ DONE~ola!!!

And now, back to the more important tasks at hand...like making carrots out of burlap...

Smiles ~ Ramona

Carrot Love

2010-02-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

Yep, carrots on the brain! I am totally into carrots lately...now all I need to do is find a "Doc" and ask him "What's up"...

The truth is....I am just chomping at the bit for spring and I cannot think of a veggie that screams spring louder than carrots. Besides, could there be a happier color than orange?

I think not!

Happy Tuesday evening friends.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Carrots And Burlap Together At Last

2010-02-22T13:37:00.001-08:00

No swatch of burlap is safe from my spring festoon~ment...

None...there will be many carrots, many eggs, and many, many pieces of wonderfully decorated scraps of burlap this, of course, will lead to many happy moments of contentment with my brush and a bottle of orange paint in hand.

Many.

Smiles ~ Ramona

2010-02-16T18:59:00.001-08:00

Peek...

A...

Boo...

Yep...Easter is playing peek~a~boo...

Smiles ~ Ramona

Merry Valentine's Day~o~La

2010-02-14T14:30:00.000-08:00

Merry, Merry Valentine's Day to All!

I am sharing glimpses of a most relaxing and loving Valentine's Day in a lazy house in the middle of winter.

With love...

Mmmmmmm...

We baked...

And we sneaked a heart shaped cookie or two...

We rocked a spell on a pillow with a hand painted heart...

We rocked a long spell...

We marinated in the love of the day.

Valentine cheers to you my friends.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Valentine Folly

2010-02-10T20:00:00.000-08:00

fol~ly n.

foolishness; ~or~

down right silly~ness...yeah, that sounds about right...

I just thought I would share some Valentine folly that went on 'round my neck~of~the~woods today.

I gathered goodies from around my home~ola to decorate for Valentine's Day...

When I looked around...I found that I have gleaned many a sweet tidbit for this season of love...

Even a antique baby dress...seemed like a gown for Cupid...don't you agree?

You just know that this is Cupid's middle name...

Red burlap heart...just cuz...

And you may be surprised...this is not really Cupid's quilt...it is a pillow sham....

Cozy...and Valentine~y...

I love burlap...but you know that...

Chubby little tea pot...

Love...

So true...

This little darling is actually a Christmas decoration....

But I never pack this sweet little face away with the jingle~bells...would you?

I think not...

Folly, I tell you...pure folly...

And now...I have a heart shaped cookie cutter calling my name...good golly, I love the folly this season inspires...it is so much fun~ner than folding laundry...don't you agree?

Lessons Learned From An American Soldier

2010-01-31T09:21:00.000-08:00

Oh my good golly...how I have missed my little ol' blog. BUT, I wouldn't have missed a moment of the past weeks spent with our Son who was home on leave from Afghanistan. No sir~ree bob...not one precious, emotional, big huggin', jet~lagged, war story filled, sad goodbye at the airport moment of it...AMEN.

So before I get back to my regular AND {...get ready friends...} more~creative~than~every~before~fun~loving~blog~posts...let me share with you...my fellow great people...what I learned from my American Soldier Son.

Simple Lessons Learned From An American Soldier

1. Life is EXTREMELY precious.

2. Honor those around you...because by the afternoon they could be gone.

3. Pay attention to your life....PAY ATTENTION....do your best, because YOU are responsible for YOU....no one else...no one owes you anything!

4. If you want anything in life....EARN it! Learn, Train, Practice, Take Responsibility.

5. If you get knocked down....GET UP and get on with it.

6. If someone near you gets knocked down....give them a hand. Say ~ "I HAVE YOUR BACK." And mean it!

7. Be grateful for EVERY day....even the ones that break your spirit and your heart...because those kind of days are the ones that truly make you the best kind of human being.

8. Sleep is PRECIOUS.

9. Life is PRECIOUS.

10. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!!!!!

God Speed to all of you. Have a wonderful Sunday....I know that I will. Even though he is back over there and we miss him so stinkin' much we can hardly breath...I am totally grateful for the honor and privilege of being his mom...and how blessed I feel to be missing him...yes, blessed...because we have this great young person in our lives that is so miss~able.

OKAY...now back our regularly scheduled blogging....how lucky we are to have this amazing creative outlet and connection....pretty darn lucky I'd say.

Big Ol' Tear ~ Filled Smiles ~ Ramona

Creating A Small Vignette ~ The Pause That Refreshes

2010-01-11T16:35:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not...we just took down our Christmas tree yesterday!

Gasp!

I feel a bit sad, a bit refreshed and totally feeling the need to decorate something.

When I feel this way...creating a small vignette is just the ticket.

I took the drawer out of coffee table...put the drawer on the coffee table...and filled the drawer with what~nots and what~evers...

Just fun things from around the house...

All they have in common is color...

The more juxtaposition~y the better...

Old spools wrapped with old yarn...

Game pieces...they are purty and if they are out...they will get played with...

Fun!

I paused, I created, I'm refreshed.

Have A Heart

2010-01-06T10:39:00.000-08:00

I found a cure for the post ~ holiday blues...

Wanna know what it is?

I bet you do!

Hearts.

Yep, hearts...the sweet and simple logo for a wonderfully charming celebration of love.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner...I have been painting hearts on anything that will sit still...and like I always say ~ "I'm gonna paint hearts till the cows come home and when they do...I'm gonna paint hearts on them too!

Take a peek~a~roo~ny and my heart painting folly.

Simple ~ dimple...

Hearts and burlap...a perfect match...

Ahhhhh...

Burlap~y sentimentalisms...

This heart is for you...

One can never have too many of 'em...

Have a splendid heart ~filled day.

I'm Doing A New Year's Cha~Cha~Cha

2010-01-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

Yep, doing a happy, happy cha~cha...because this guy...is coming home on leave!

He has been in Afghanistan since mid 2009. His brigade has been hit harder than any other since the start of the Afghan war.

I know that he is not a baby, and I know that he is 6'3", AND I know that he is a MAN...but he is my BABY!

His deployment is one of the hardest experiences our family has ever gone through. We are so proud of this brave man. I am here to tell you that he has done the country proud...and you can sleep easier tonight because of men like him....AMEN!

I miss him so stinkin' much that some days I can't breathe....but not today! He is coming home soon and I am gonna hug him till the cows come home and then I'm gonna hug him some more.

Thank you my brave soldier boy for the sacrifice given by you and your men!!!

Smiling and Cha~Cha~ing...

Ramona

Mother Nature's Delightful Surprise

2009-12-30T07:21:00.000-08:00

If you had told me at noon yesterday that by 8pm there would be a six~foot tall snowman standing proud under the streetlight in front of our house....well...let's just say our little snow storm was a delightful surprise.

Thank you Mother Nature!

I hope that your early winder days are filled with with wonderful surprises.

Merry Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T06:26:00.000-08:00

Wishing all of you and yours the Merriest of Merry Christmases.

And Now A Break From Our Regular Programing

2009-12-18T07:43:00.000-08:00

I am just taking a moment to pause and breathe...live in the moment and all...

Have you seen the Valentine goodies in the stores? Usually it makes me think how fast time is going by but recently when I saw a red, pink and doily clad display all tidy, uncluttered and SIMPLE...it calmed me...a kind of "calm in the middle of the storm"..now what the who~ha is that all about? A wonderfully received pause to breathe and live in the moment.

I love me a simple holiday....Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentine's Day, The 4th...you get the picture....One day, simple gatherings, simple prep, simply wonderful!

So today before I jump back into the game~ola...take a peek at my "calm in the middle of the storm" going on in my sewing nook today.

Valentine folly...

Scrabble antics...

Ain't it the truth!

This puppy was feathered in a sweet ETSY Treasury today...

Everyone needs a key to a heart...

Ahhhhh...

I hope that you find a peaceful moment of "pause"...at least the "storm" is a cinnamon~y, cheer~filled, wonderfully Christmas~y one!

Holiday Tour de Waxwing Way

2009-12-16T07:05:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays to one and all....with a thousand blog~a~licious homes participating in The Nester's Holiday Tour of Homes...I have decided that this blog party is the center of the Universe! How lucky are we to all be invited...pretty stinkin' lucky I'd say.

So as I tip my fake~fur Santa cap to The Nester in thanks....I am opening my jingle bell donned door on Waxwing Way in good ol' Beaverton, Oregon to one and all....come on in friends and take a holiday peek~a~lou at my favorite pass time...holiday cha~cha~cha~izing our home.

Merry Christmas!

That's right....Merry Christmas...

Simple mantel...

Jingle ~ ing all the way folks...

Red tulle...

Poinsettia...

Gonna try....

Burlap pillow....they are EVERYWHERE!

Cluck, cluck, clucking in a holiday nest...

Enough said...

I think these Santas are having a pillow fight...silly Santas!

A layering of chairs...

Chirp!

Get me outta here!!!

Kitchen cupboard festoon~a~fa~cation...

Sweet pine~crowned Santos...

Frosty potpourri...

Time for a nap!

A long~winter's kind is long overdue...

Thank you for stopping by this jolly Wednesday in December....and cheers to you Miss Nester ~ I am sending you a virtual hot cocoa with an EXTRA cinnamon stick!!!

Ho ~ Ho ~ Ho~ing

2009-12-14T13:50:00.000-08:00

Wanna see what ho ~ ho ~ ho~ing looks like on a Monday afternoon?

This....

And that...

A bowl of these...

And a mantel full of those...

With a bed ~ full of Santas thrown in for good measure...

How is your Monday afternoon coming along?

Whatever it is filled with...my hope is that it is merry!

Oh The Bazaars I Have Known

2009-12-09T05:39:00.000-08:00

So I think that I have recovered from the madness that I create for myself when I craft my brains out for holiday craft bazaars...but let me be clear....I love every stink'n minute of it. Yep, every glue gun burnt finger, glittered covered, car packing, early morning coffee drinking, like~minded people meeting, creative idea flowing minute of it.

Since I tend to be a "visual" kind of girl....let me share a peek at this year's antics...

Dicken's carolers set the mood...

You can see my daughter and I in the mirror...click, click, clinking away...

I love to decorate our space to within an inch of it's life...

The pillows were hung on a ladder with care...

In hopes that the customers soon would be there...

Pinecones...and some needles...

Antique doll bed layered with burlap and drop cloth pillows of LOVE...

I could climb right in and take a long winter's nap...

Ain't it the truth...

This "tree" is my favorite holiday doodle...

I constantly doodle this pine tree and any piece of paper at hand...

Behind the scenes...I can't stop sewing...

That pincushion is a tad scary!

This just about says it all...

Thanks for spending some time in my neck~of~the~woods

and allowing me to share a bit of my "happy place"...

Have a happy, happy Wednesday.

Friday Of Festoonment

2009-12-04T12:34:00.000-08:00

Things are pretty BAZAAR around my neck of the woods.

No piece of cloth, strip of wood, acorn top, or clothespin is safe from my crafty festoon~a~fa~cation as I scramble around just hours before tomorrow's bazaar.

Wanna peek?

I am a clothespin mod podging fool these days...

If you know me...then you know I have a THING for drop cloth and buckwheat hulls....

If it is a disease....then I don't want the cure...

This is a shot from last year's booth...

As you can see...I don't stay in the blue lines of my space...

that's me, always coloring outside the lines...

This picture was shot at 7 am on a brisk December morn in 2008...love that sun!

I think that I will make some more of these bad~boys...

I better get back to it...my bazaar mo~jo is on overload~o~rama...no more coffee for me!

If you happen to be in the neighborhood of the Garden Home Rec Center tomorrow and want to visit a charming bazaar...please stop by my booth and say howdy...I would love to meet 'cha!

Happy Friday my dear friends...

Multi Tasking On A Chilly December Day

2009-12-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

So on this chilly, chilly December 2nd ~

While making this ~

And that ~

And a bit more of this and that...

I noticed this....and I thought....no place is safe from the a touch of holiday fa~la~la~la~ness...

Found this little Santa mug at Michael's for a buck~a~cha~cha...

Fa~la~la~la~ness!!!!

And now back to my bazaar~prep gone wild!

I think I have breathed in too much burlap lint...

I was thinking how cool the television would look decoupaged in burlap strips....

I need a burlap~sweet cloth of hemp intervention in the most delightful way!

Happy December my friends!

December Sneeking In My Back Door

2009-11-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

How did it happen?

Where did this past year go?

This afternoon quietly and wonderfully I heard December knocking on my back door.

I have just one wish for this holiday season...that wish is to be fully present in every tinsel covered minute of it...to appreciate the authentic and loving reason for this time of year...to marinate in it like a child.

I guess that is three wishes...but what I really want is to get back to the true spirit of Christmas and fill my family and friends with the feeling that filled my holiday spirit cup to overflowing when I was a child.

Cha, cha, cha and jingle, jingle all the way.

I am as busy as Santa's elves preparing for a holiday bazaar that happens this weekend...my craft nook is filled with burlap and drop cloths and paint and glue and acorns and glitter and thread and bits of paper and lots and lots of creative mojo....I am in my happy place.

I also finally did some work on my second Etsy shop..."Extra Buttons"...it will be filled {any day now} with long collected goodies...vintage and otherwise that's time has come to move along to a new home...you really only need so many do~dads in your home and the rest are "Extra". It is time to share. And let me tell you...I have some fun items that I will do just that with.

And now back to creative~ville...I will share my folly this week....but for today...my happy place is calling.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T05:43:00.000-08:00

Of all the blessings that I am blessed enough to count...my little 'ol blog~o~rama is at the top of that long list. Not just because the blog world is so much fun...but because each and every day the encouragement, generous support, gentle lessons, the creative bar that is constantly raised and love are abundant and have enriched my life in the fun~est way possible.

So thank you for popping by neck~of~the~woods.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday On My Mind

2009-11-19T14:01:00.000-08:00

"I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home...I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby."

~ Nancie J. Carmody

Thoughts on this Thursday before Thanksgiving ~ It is very cold and very windy and I love it very much. Every time I look over at our dog today she is staring at me with total love in her eyes...right back at ya sweet pup. Who, what, where and when were all of these clothes in the laundry pile worn? I love acorn caps, jingle bells and piles and piles of fabric. My glue gun is quite Hot. I really, really love these quite days before the holidays begin. I have gleaned enough crafting goodies to last me and ten of my friends until the end~of~time. I love Uggs. I want to marry 'em. The old fashioned pressed apple cider that I am drinking is really stinkin' delicious! Maybe I will marry it too! I think I will make French onion soup for dinner. I wish I lived closer to my Mom. I wish this war would end. Just some random thoughts swimming round my ol' noggin today.

This face of fur and I walked a couple of miles today for the third day in a row...take that high blood pressure!

This tennis ball should be a food group!

She looks like she's singing...la, la, la...

Made some of these for ETSY...

Blowing in the wind...

I love copper spray paint for the holidays...

Cut up an old vest...re~purposing gone wild...

It's coming...I can smell the sweet smell of freshly cut pine...

And now, back to painting burlap and gluing acorn tops to anything that will sit still!

I hope that your Thursday before Thanksgiving is full of wonderful thoughts and activities.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Thoughts Of Thanksgiving

2009-11-17T18:05:00.000-08:00

I always say that preparing for Thanksgiving is like my own little holiday before the holiday. I absolutely LOVE this holiday. For me, it begins right after the last trick~or~treater has knocked on our door. As I wait for the price of turkey to drop...I write out the menu....it is usually the same over the years...but I always, always try to add something new and unexpected to the buffet. Keep 'em guessing....you know. One year I added crab cakes and another time it was refreshing Waldorf salad...but the year I discovered Rachael Ray's Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran~Apple Relish...well, I thought I better get some cutie~pie individual soup crocks for my Thanksgiving table....cuz this one is a keeper!

Doing the prep well in advance makes the whole day...fun~ner! I love to plan the menu, read recipes, make place cards, iron cloth napkins, set the table in a new and surprising way, this work is filled with such peace and delight for this wonderful holiday.

And all the while....the family has know idea that I am deep in holiday mode! Thanksgiving just might possibly be the best holiday around.

Pumpkin soup crocks....

If you have heard the news that there is a shortage of pumpkin puree this year...don't fret...it is easy~peasy to make your own...and it makes your home smell wonderful...

I am doing squash colored napkins this year...found this pack at Home Goods...

Another crock...maybe I will put the cranberries in there...

What the who~ha....this squirrel nutcracker has found my burlap acorns...

Pretend squirrel and pretend acorn together again!

Platter....empty now...but not for long...

Cocktail napkins for pre~turkey tid~bits...

Even with my Thanksgiving preparations well in hand...I have an upcoming bazaar on the brain...

I have been painting red burlap...

And remembering how much I love jingle bells....

Yep, love 'em...

These are bound for my ETSY shop...

And you can bet that they will be jingling~all~the~way!

I am thankful for this opportunity to serve my family...

little do they know what a blast I have planning for this special day.

Do you love the Thanksgiving preparations too?

Smiles ~ Ramona

The Art Of Giving Thanks

2009-11-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

If the only prayer you said

in your life was "thank you"

that would suffice.

Meister Eckhart

Happy Tuesday morn to everyone...sweet Tuesday morn...precious, un~crazy~busy Tuesday morn...a true calm~before~the~storm kind of morn...and it just happens to be a Tuesday. A perfect day to practice the art of giving thanks.

It is a wonderful art...giving thanks...and it will feed your soul like nothing else in the universe. How blessed are we that by celebrating the simplest of gifts in our lives....we are rewarded with the blessings of gratitude....pretty stinkin' lucky, Id say!

As I marinate in the somewhat calm days before Thanksgiving, I have, on purpose and with a full heart, slowed down and said ~ thank you.

It looks like Mother Nature is getting a jump start on decorating for the holidays!

This face is the ONLY thing that stands between her black lab life and the alternative...well let me put it this way...there is a reason God gave hyper and happy seven and a half month old black lab puppies cutie~pie faces....I'm just saying...

After a Northwest storm...

And the calm before another one...

Chores...but raking is fun~ner than folding laundry...

Peace...

I cannot help but give thanks...

No words...just gratitude...

Still...

My summertime burlap painted pillows...festooned for winter...

Garland...

Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday for decorating with found and gathered objects...you know, wonderful bits of this, that and the other which you have gleaned for that special "someday" project...

I took a cup~hook~a~rama and attached it to the inside of a kitchen cupboard door....

Then I swipped a gigantic spool of twine from the garage and hot glued it to the base of one of those cinnamon~y pine cones from the craft store and slipped some little wooden beads on the twine, tied a knot on the end and hung it from the cup hook~a~rama...

I plan on doing this on several of the cabinets...

I was making this in the middle of a Northwest thunder and lightening fall storm thus the light in these pictures isn't so great...

A Thanksgiving craft and a fun project on a stormy afternoon...

Both of which I am thankful for...

Enjoy these wonderful fall days before Thanksgiving....as for me, I am going to practice the art of giving thanks...living in the moment, finding joy and happiness in the simple and true things all around me...if I skip a beat and forget how to do that...all I have to do is look into this sweet face...she is grateful and happy and playful and joyful and lovable and I am sure...thankful every minute of the day.

Have a great day!

Smiles ~ Ramona

Halloween Eve ~ The Last Hours Before The Storm~ola

2009-10-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

I have been running around preparing for Halloween. Making special treats for the really young ghosts and goblins that come to the door...whipping up my special chili dip recipe...{if I didn't make for tomorrow...well the world as we know it would end}...carving some pumpkins and decorating the porch till the porch can't be decorated anymore.

And not to be ignored, Thanksgiving and Christmas had to join in on the holiday who ~ ha as well...I should probably get serious and make some dinner and sweep the buckwheat hulls and burlap scraps away...but what fun is there in that? Playing with acorn caps and velvet, making ghosts out of tootsie pops, and watching the Charlie Brown Halloween movie is just plain fun~ner!

I wanted to share the acorn cap do ~ dads that I have been distracting me in the most wonderful way.

I have been having a blast developing the pattern for these...velveteen and bells and acorn caps....Jingle Bell Acorns! Now that's what I'm talking about.

Don't you just want to marry jingle bells?

Then I stitched up some with burlap...and added baby buttons in fall colors for a bit of autumn cha~cha~ness.

I thought these would be fun on a Thanksgiving table...or with a place card attached...or hanging from some branches standing at attention in an urn....the possibilities are endless!

Acorns are all over ETSY these days....and my shop is no exception...if the squirrels of the world only knew...

Before I go...don't you just love it when there are leaves in your grocery cart in the fall? I do...it never fails to make me smile.

Even a grocery cart becomes more charming with nature's touch...

Looks right at home in my cart...

It has been a silly day...a welcome change from the seriousness of the past week.

Have a wonderful weekend...as for me, I am deep in the super~duper creative season that my soul delights in...it 'tis a messy season and it 'tis a crazy, crazy busy season and it 'tis the season where I am the happiest camper of them all.

Smiles ~ Ramona

The Story Of My Monday As Told On A Wednesday

2009-10-28T10:43:00.000-07:00

...rainy days and Mondays always get me down...

~ The Carpenters

Well, not usually....I generally love rainy days {I was raised in San Diego where when it rained we all ran to the window and gazed in amazement} and as for Mondays...I love 'em...yes I do...they are like a mini fresh start...you know, new week, new to~do list {or...the same to~do list, but re~written on a fresh sheet of paper}.

I know it is Wednesday...and I know that I should let a Monday that had a rocky start go...but I wanted to share the magic of blog composition and creativity found in the most unexpected of places.

Who would of thought that an idea for a blog post {a goof~ball~o~rama blog post} but a blog post non~the~less...would be gleaned from a rainy Monday that was starting to get me down.

4 am {Yep, 4!} Up and at 'em

7 am ~ Wake the fam...make coffee, lunches, read email, feed the dog, feed the cat, wash dishes, laundry, mop floor, re~write last week's to~do list on a new piece of paper, chase dog down and retrieve my cowboy boot from her mouth {dog's have died for less}, check calendar, shower, put on cowboy boots {it is pouring outside and folks drive crazy when it rains so a horse might be a better choice}

8 am ~ Leave house to drive daughter to school and the 7 month old lab that tried to have a cowboy boot with her morning coffee knocks me down!!! I announce to the world {or at least the neighbors within a three block radius} just how happy I am about this, I get into the car and my daughter is not sympathetic and I tell her that we are not listening to Hanna on the way in...we are listening to the 40's station...{she, of course is thrilled}, and off we go on our less than merry way.

8:15 am ~ Kiss 12 year old good bye and she tells me to have a better day...and good golly with the sweet smile she gave me and the gentle touch on my hand...well why wouldn't I? {I love this kid!}

8:20 am ~ Run into same school for a quick meeting...

9 am ~ Park in Office Depot parking lot and pop in to buy a box...but first...take a big, fat fall on the wet floor...you know the kind....the kind where first you try to recover...swinging your arms around like a gymnast but then just giving in to gravity and down you go...but Monday's fall had the added bonus of my feet with the chewed on cowboy boots going up in the air...it was the kind of fall that you would normally do if you were laughing with friends and you KICK your COWBOOT BOOT covered FEET UP IN THE AIR WITH ATTITUDE.

Good grief...it was only 9 am!

Still pouring outside and believe it or not...I am still optimistic about the down pour...I head on over to Michael's...gonna turn this day around...only good things happen at Michael's..right?

Right...

9:20 am ~ Walk {carefully and SLOWLY} I quickly find exactly what I am looking for and dash {carefully and slowly} to checkout and I am served by the sweetest gal that asks me how my day is going and I tell her that I have been on the ground TWICE today and it isn't even 10 am! We had a laugh and told her that I am slowing down and being more careful for the rest of the day...and she added that when you slow down you see things along the way that you otherwise would have missed...she was right.

Here is the post I wrote in my head while walking carefully and slowly to the car in the rain still with my trusty cowboy boots...yee ~ haw sisters.

Mother Nature ~ The Queen Of Decoupage

Even Mother Nature loves decoupage to enhance her Autumn decor. She is so good at delightfully applying it in otherwise unnoticed places like on wet cars, damp windows and drenched parking lots...she deserves the title of "Queen of Decoupage"...Cha, cha, cha.

Taking the sweet gal from Michael's advice...I slowed down and look what I noticed...

They were everywhere...

The fall leaves....not washed away too quickly...sometimes I love a long good~bye...

Delight found..even in a wet parking lot...

Can you imagine what folks were thinking while I was taking pictures of the ground?

...after kicking my heels up at Office Depot earlier this morn...

Red leaf...

At the end of this day...a rainy day and a Monday didn't get me down.

Lesson ~ If you are going to turn around a bad start to your day...cowboy boots really help.

Smiles ~ Ramona

Note to readers ~ No seven month old cutie~pie black labs were harmed while writing this post...I'm just saying.

Hooked on House Tours...Yep, I'm Hooked!

2009-10-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

Oh how lovely the autumn~ness of it all! In celebration, I decided to join in with Julia's Hooked on Houses Fall House Tour Party...I thought I would share our front porch.

As you can see...it is a stormy, stormy morn...my favorite type of morning. And if I weren't laying on the sidewalk to take the picture below...I would be inside making bread for dinner...but I wouldn't miss one of Julia's soirees, even if the bread was toasted with melted peanut butter on top!

The trees in front of our home are bright yellow....from inside, it looks like they are lit up...

This is the part of fall we all cherish so much...but it is also sad to see the rain wash it away...

Drippy little drop of rain on the camera...

Still cannot dampen the elegance of the season...

There are clay pots under the ivy~gone~wild...

Corn...

Pumpkin angel...

Remember the witch under our coffee table? Well she had a sister...

Apples and skulls...

I love Halloween...

Say Cheese...

A harvest~y tea...

Stems replaced with finials...

Squash with style...

White pumpkin squash with finial ta~da~ness...

White pumpkin with attitude...

Pumpkin in a nest in a privet...

Orange fake~ola leaf in a privet on a porch in the rain...

Happy, happy...

Future pie...

Drop cloth painted pillow...

Thank you for stopping by neck~of~the~woods....I am now going to head on back over to Julia's for more Fall House Tours...wanna join me?

Have a great weekend!

Smiles ~ Ramona

Halloween ~ A Celebration!

2009-10-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

Welcome dear friends coming by from A Fanciful Twist Blog to enjoy Vanessa 's Halloween Celebration. I am so happy to share some of my decor antics. This day has been dark and stormy....with wonderful moments of thunder and lightening....perfect for a day of festooning the house with Halloween decor....and I am delighted to share a bit of my folly...

The three favorite words of any child...

Squash...

Corn decorating the window pane...

Old drawer of spooky goodies...

Spooky...

Mantel...

High~chair full of pumpkin~head babys...

Cage of crows...

A silver~y thrift store find...

It is just an upside~down metal shelf...

Cotton print stem on baby~boo pumpkin...

Detail...

Burlap stem on a baby pumpkin in a baby silver bowl...

Acorn squash...in a cage~ola...

Green squash...

Leaf...

Autumnal entry...

Big pumpkin...

My trusty drop~cloth pumpkin pillow...

Butternut, danish, gold nugget, sweet dumpling, golden acorn squash~o~ramas...

Doing a cha ~ cha!

No wall was safe from Halloween festoon~ment~ism...

Layers...

Poor witch...nice shoes...

Nice of her to leave her bonnet...

Delightful millinery detail...

Pairs...

Even chairs can have a BFF...

Have a wonderful time lollygag~ing around blog~land...

Vanessa...thank you for a magical celebration...you are the hostess with the most~ess!

Smiles ~ Ramona

Hooked On Foggy October Morns ~ Still

2009-10-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

Oh what a fun year of Hooked on Friday parties I have enjoyed...so today as Julia ends her soirees and I thought I would re~post my first Hooked on Friday post...because one year later I am still hooked on this and today is exactly like it was a year ago....I just love things that you can count on...don't you?

I'm Hooked!
Yep, hook~ed, line and sinker! Don't you just loved being {hooked} on something or the other? I do~bunches and bunches and then some. So many of us love it so much that our fearless {hooked} leader, Julia, the blogger extraordinaire of Hooked on Houses fame is having a Hooked on Fridays blog party ~ now that's what I'm talking about!So here is Julia's question: "What are you hooked on?" Well, lots of things...especially this time of year...but this morning only one thing came to mind...Fog...yes sir~ree bob...fog.

I love, love a good Northwest foggy fall morn...a lot.

We just started having them over the last couple of weeks and I heart them a whole heap of a lot...especially when the fog burns off and we are left with a glorious sunny Autumn day...Bliss!

When I snapped this shot...I kid you not...geese were flying over head...
{HONK!} Love it!

That ol' sun did finally shine through...but don't you just love how misty and cozy it looks?

Cozy, cozy, cozy!

Yep, cozy!

Fog...gotta love it...I do....I'm {Hooked}

For more Hooked On Fridays fun~ola check out Julia's site~o~fun and share what you are hooked on.

Smiles ~ Ramona

P.S. Thank you Julia for a total fun year of Hooked On Friday Parties ~ I've said it before and I'll say it again...YOU ROCK SISTER!