Thursday, July 30, 2015

What'cha Workin' On Wednesday & Things in my House Thursday...This Summer, It's All About the Wedding ~Preserving the Family Farmhouse


I have been gathering cake plates, vintage canning jars, 
faux flowers and lace table cloths.

In addition to the Wedding Reception, 
we will host family parties in our home.

We are fortunate that Grandma has 
a large stash of Mason Jars!
This week I ran them through the dishwasher so they now sparkle!

There are packages that arrive here on a daily basis.
I like packages.
I can't show show you what's inside now, 
because some of it is a surprise!

And what's been happening out in hubby's shop?

Remember our visit out to our old farmhouse?
We brought home some of those spindles from that impressive front porch.

They ended up in the woodshop,
just waiting for the perfect project!

Here's a sneak peak...
Can't wait for the finished project!

Take care,
~Natalie

Friday, July 24, 2015

Friday Already?...A Teacher's Week Goes So Fast in the Summertime ~Remember, This Summer, It's All About the Wedding

Grandma had another birthday.
We hosted a small family party for her.
Our summer go-to appetizers are these Fruit and Cheese Bites.
They are so easy, and such a surprising burst of flavor combination.
Many of you will remember them from my cooking series last summer.

Since Grandma enjoys a little glass of wine now and then,
that was our gift...with one of hubby's wine bottle necklaces.
I can't believe we hadn't given her one before.
They are our best sellers at our local Arts Festival.

This week, the wedding conversation turned to the cake table...
What should we use for cake stands...
and how many cupcakes fit on a stand?

As you might imagine,
I have all kinds of options here in the house!


Plus, I have many good friends that are offering their help.

Just in case you need to know,
11 cupcakes will fit on a standard size
pedestal cake plate.

So much more to tell,
from Mail Call...

...to the latest DIY Project.

But this post is getting long already.
You must stop back.

My Helper Cat wonders why I don't have time to nap?!

Take care,
~Natalie

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Tuesday's Talk ~Let's Catch Up ~~Summer Fun in the Ol' Hometown ~~~Retail World, Seriously?! ~~~~Monday Mail Call

Our Downtown Association is sponsoring a Summer Concert Series.
Gwen Sebastian performed live, on stage downtown, for free.
This is her photo...her drummer took the shot!
Kari and are there in the crowd!

On Friday, after my doctor's appointment, 
I ran some wedding errands.
This upset me a little...

This upset me a lot!

Friday, we were invited out to a dinner party.
There were some nasty storms that moved through our area.
Since they live on a golf course we had an excellent view of the clouds.

Our friends stayed in touch with spouses, siblings 
and adult children who were in the path of this storm.

Thank you , Peggy. You are a lovely hostess.

Best friends since college...

Great friends to this day.

Then, Saturday, we were together again, as our guys played for
Blues, Brews and BBQs.

With a wedding on the horizon,
we are receiving packages 2-3 times per week.

Stay tuned,..
it will all come together.

Take care,
~Natalie

Thursday, July 16, 2015

What'cha Workin' On Wednesday AND Thursday ~This Summer, It's All About the Wedding

The early morning is just beautiful...
not too hot yet...just a little humid still.
I enjoy this time of day.

Since the bride and groom are taking care of all of the wedding details,
my mission is to prepare the house for company.
Occasionaly, I have an assignment to go out and gather information.

This week I have been to
Target -twice
WalMart - twice
Menards
Herbergers
BurMars
Riddles
Hobby Lobby -twice
Kesslers - twice
Goodwill
Salvation Army
Nearly New
Kesslers - twice
Shopko
Family Dollar

Whoa...sounds like a lot, right? But that was over two days...
Monday and Wednesday.

Plus, you must remember that you can drive anywhere in our small city
in about 8 minutes...
Unless there is a train.

On Tuesday and Thursday, 
I stayed home, cleaning and organizing for the wedding week.

While at the mall I had to "kill" some time, waiting for the bride to call me back.
This is usually not a good thing,
however I found a navy lace dress for $15.
I am sure I can wear it to one of our festivities during wedding week.

I also stopped by our church to scope out 
any possible backdrops for outdoor wedding photos.

And, what has hubby been up to?
He has powerwashed, sanded, and stained his deck.

Here's how it looks with his new grill.
We do love to sit out here in the late evenings.

Can you believe it is already Friday tomorrow?

Take care,
~Natalie

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Where Bloggers Create 2015 ~A Christmas Present from the Heart ~~Our Farmhouse Chandelier

 
Welcome to my Sewing Studio.
This is my fifth year to participate in "Where Bloggers Create".
If you missed my tour last year, click here for the link.
I had just returned to the studio after breaking both of my wrists...
and you can see many, many details in my studio!

Then, remember,  2012 was the first year of my craft table.  Click here.

Still on the main stage...
Mr. Hobbylock, my serger.
Miss Sapphire, my sewing machine.
Mrs. Elna, my back-up.


Introducing this year, my precious Family Farmhouse Chandelier.
When you are lucky enough to have a room of your own,
you want to surround yourself with the items that inspire you.

Remember that trip out to our vacant farmhouse?
It had been surrounded by the lake water, so was impossible to get there until winter and the ground was frozen.
We drove over the ice to get there.

Someone had broken in to our house...

...I had horrid visions of vandals smashing 
all of those precious heirlooms in our family home.

Hubby and I made a quick decision to bring that chandelier home...
the one that was in the parlor.
I just wanted to preserve some of the family's precious heirlooms.

This past Christmas, 
hubby took the farmhouse chandelier to a lighting specialist.
He had it re-wired and ready to install in my studio.

I can't think of anything more perfect!
Thank you, honey.

Take care,
~Natalie

Friday, July 10, 2015

Friday? Where did the Week Go?? ~This Summer, It's all about the Wedding ~~Quote for the Week

Why does the week go so slow during the school year,
and so very, very fast during the summer?

You all know we are getting ready for a wedding.
The bride and groom are planning all of the details.
My role is to get the house ready for company.

This week I have been cleaning like a mad woman...
stopping only for a quick lunch.
I was lucky to have a couple of small pieces of leftover grilled steak.
That, added to salad greens, fresh herbs, sliced almonds, and strawberries
makes a perfect summertime lunch.

Here's what went on in the woodshop.

Went scrounging for more Mason Jars at Grandma's.

One of our favorite restaurants, Mavericks, is attached to the Event Center where our reception will take place.  Occasionally, Hubby and I stop out there to share an appetizer...and then, we are wedding crashers!  Yeah, don't tell anyone!

Actually we aren't there for long...
it's usually late...
and we just want to check out how it's all set up!

Check out these Wedding Cake Truffles...
how sweet are those?!

And last, but not least,
this came through my Twitter Feed this week.
 I had to retweet, so I could revisit it often.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Take care,
~Natalie

Road Trip ~Day Three ~Burger Battle ~Sweet Shopping Highlights

Our last full travel day took us through four states… Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Including some Big Bridges over some Big ...