Halloween

Maybe you were wondering if we managed costumes this year.  Oh, we definitely did!  My daughter and son-in-law's party was festive and fun.  

Alex wore a blow up costume.  So funny!

 Sierra when she visited us Halloween night, borrowing her little brother's 'Woody' hat.

Here's our youngest grand cutie.  When you say 'smile' this is the look CJ's been giving for a couple years now.  Makes me laugh!

Our daughter's love for Halloween continues and she still decorates her house from front door to back.  Even the basement is filled with creepy things.  Her husband enjoys it all too.  This year, they dressed as Sally and Jack from Nightmare Before Christmas.  Totally cool!  They have a life size talking Jack too and that will stay up the rest of the year.  

Basement decorations....

This skeleton swing is in their living room.  

Our son and his g/f.  

Ron's cousin was visiting that weekend so I got her a mask, scarf, and shirt to wear to the party.

My son-in-law's mom dressed as Peggy Bundy from the old show 'Married with Children'.

I booked a space at a fall festival for the day of the party.  Figuring there would be no time for costume prep if working all day, I made the fancy part of my costume ahead of time and found a black dress on clearance, a green scarf, and a few other accessories to go with it.  Sadly, the festival was cancelled for rainy weather.   

Ron's costume was hysterical!  I saw the mask while out shopping one day and ended up going back to get it.  He was such a good sport to wear all that.  I filled a small bag with 'baby' things... rattle, brush/comb set, animal crackers, plate, diaper rash cream, wipes, extra pull-ups.  The baby bottle he was carrying was filled with whiskey... probably the only reason he was okay with the whole outfit... a couple delicious shots of his fav booze.   Ha! 

And now it's November!  Just like that.  I need to get organized... more holidays will be here in a blink.

Be around to visit you all soon.   xo

In the tub with Grandpa

Well, okay, I haven't gotten THAT weird.  Grandpa Chacha is a homestyle wine made with grapes from the Puglia region of Italy.  It's not expensive.  I tend to buy wine that is $10 or less.  I'll go up around the $12ish range but that might be only because the label was interesting.  

So after this fancy dinner of leftover pizza that got dressed up with some fresh veggies, me and my glass of wine went for a bubble bath.   Ron's nursing a swollen knee so he ate while resting in the recliner.  On Sunday nights he usually chats with his Georgia dad as he's waiting for his wife's church service to let out.  Afterwards, we watch Columbo.  The excitement never ends!  LOL

Friday was actually a bit more interesting ....

I heard about a ship called the Draken Harald Harfagre, the largest Viking ship in the modern world, and she's currently on an East Coast tour with one of the ports being Philadelphia.  How cool is that!? We went to a local park and watched her arrive on the Delaware, then drove to Penn's Landing to see her dock.  

I hope you are all having a nice weekend.

Three posts now!

Look at me all hanging out in Blogland for somewhat regular posting again.  Can I get a hooyah?!!

So since you like rocks....

Wow... my daughter posted their annual Halloween party announcement... already!  August isn't even over yet.  It's her favorite holiday though so I get it.  I've been doing some theme stones.  That piece of slate just screamed candy corn.  

The sugar skull on the right isn't finished yet, but getting closer.  The one on the left I think will be part of her anniversary gift.  It's cool that their occasion is in October.  Also got them a sugar skull door mat, and a plaque with what else... a sugar skull on it.  She even dressed as one a few years ago.

Much like me and my love of Geishas.

 Speaking of.... another in the works....

Ron is a real fan of Bigfoot.  He knows he's out there... families of them, I suppose.  He wants to go Squatching some day.  And I could be obliging, just as long as there is a Marriott nearby.  I'll wait for him to come back from investigating the woods while sipping on a venti soy chai and catching up on all the reading I've been missing because of rocks...  

So summer really is almost over, and that means back to school.  For my long time readers... can you even believe how grown up our grand darlings are!?   I remember this picture of Alex from a post many years ago... it still makes me chuckle.

 And look at him now.  Crazy how fast they go from babies to ... middle school!

Last year, I was Sierra's VIP for a class party.  I think there was a sports theme so she got to wear the dangly Phillies earrings I made her last year.  Ooh, seeing this photo again I noticed my black, white, and orange blouse fits in for a Flyers theme.  Don't remember planning that, maybe I did, I forget soooo much.  You don't even know how many notes there are all over my table.     

CJ just turned 4!

Have a great week, everyone!   Thanks for stopping by!  xo

More painting ....

I belong to a couple painting sites and there was a penny challenge so I joined in.  I painted a bunch...and tried to sell them... because people were selling them....  $8, $10, $12.  I don't know what the highest priced one went for.  The ones I posted had no bids.  *tears*  There was private interest on this one, but have been busy and didn't get back to the woman... yet.   

This is part of an order for a set of Scrabble tiles to spell a name.  The initial ones will get inked, and at the beginning and end of the name will be a little scene.  And the tiles will sit on a tray from the game.  It's a gift for someone's desk.

Speaking of desks.... we were given an old kid's desk years ago.  My daughter didn't want it for any of our grands, and no one else we asked was interested.  Recently, I hauled it up out of the basement and started a project with it.

And it's been sitting in our living room for weeks.... still not finished.  When I started to sand the top, because that distressed look was what I was going for, it sanded the red down really dull, to almost a brown color.  So I'm thinking the top will get a decoupage and I'll spray the drawer pulls gold and call it done.  I'm all about researching projects, and starting them, but seem to lack follow through to completion on some things.  

How about you... thinker, procrastinator, finisher??

Hello, again!

Wow.... it has been too long since an update.  I noticed on the calendar that yesterday was my 11th blogaversary.... but having not posted since last November... you need not cheer or bake a cake. What a bad friend I've been.
Oh, but I'm here NOW!   And will be around to visit you all shortly.  I really have missed you all!

I'm currently enjoying the summer.  As much as one can enjoy heat, humidity, bugs, and did I mention heat.  Bleh.  A/C is on all.the.time.  Working for a food company during the school months is nice because it allows me to have this free time.  Actually, I stepped down earlier this year from my daily position and became a substitute, so was on on-call for part of the school year... vacations, sick days, emergencies... and that was fine.  To tell you the truth, it was a medical thing that need attention (nothing too crazy, high blood pressure... just another lovely gift of menopause), but because there was some drama (cannot understand how grown women feeding and looking after children can be so incredibly rude to each other), it was just not a positive atmosphere to be in every day so it was a little mental health protection too.

In other news... kids and grand darlings are all happy and well.  Ron's retirement continues to be very busy.  If that winning lottery ticket would magically appear... we'd travel.  For now, he's still taking small jobs as they come so we can eat and have benefits.

Sadly, earlier this year, my brother-in-law died from complications after a surgery.  He had fallen during a bad ice storm and shattered his hip, and then one thing after another and he was gone in a matter of weeks.  We were there when he passed and it's something I never want to see again.  He was not conscious much of the time, thank goodness.  He was only 49.

My little business is moving along ... craft fairs, online connections, friends/family... all helping to keep me busy.  I remember a post a while back where I was starting to learn dot painting and said it probably wouldn't go very far as it was hard.  Well... came back to it, really practiced, and am now totally rocking it.  If I do say so myself.  ;)  Of course, photos!

 

Have a great week, old friends!