A Big Pig for Halloween!

I love pigs ... and this galvanized guy called out to me, when I saw him in a local store! I change his sign to go with the seasons!  I've perched him on the fireplace mantel for Halloween!

The Cricut has been busy helping make decorations for Halloween!

 ...from little ghosts to cute rosettes!

I hung a rag wreath ...

I created an Autumn tree ... decorated for Halloween on one side and Thanksgiving on the other!  All I have to do is turn it around!

I'll be sharing this post with some of the blog parties listed on my sidebar, so make sure you click through to see the other posts! Be sure to check out my home page, though ... to see all my autumn excitement!

PUMPKINS!

I am having a good time using these Temptations pumpkins from QVC. They are a perfect match to the little orange dot in the brown Old World Temptations dinnerware. I always use lots of extra non-traditional colors on my Halloween tables and this one is no exception. I added a splash of bright green!

The centerpiece is composed of lots of things I've had for some time!

The ruffled brown plate in the setting is Old World Temptations and the green glass is vintage ... the purple a find from Tuesday Morning! The orange plate and mug are from the Dollar Tree and in my college town, it is hard to snag dinnerware in that store! The students always get to it, first!

I'll be sharing this post with a few of the parties listed in my sidebar, so make sure you click through to see the other posts! First, you might want to check out my home page to see my other posts!

Southern Comfort Foods!

This is the time of year when I really start craving comfort food and for me ... they are SOUTHERN comfort foods! I'm in Southern Illinois, just a couple hours from Nashville, Tennessee ... so we are Southern in lots of ways! I learned long ago as I traveled the small towns along the Mississippi River when I was on a federal commission ... that folks who live along the river all cook alike. It doesn't matter where you live ... so maybe I should call this post

 "Mississippi River Comfort Food"!

My CSA college students had beautiful green tomatoes at their market stand today. I bought a few and decided to combine them with some of the wonderful salad greens that were in my bag! I added a couple other things I love more in the fall than at other times ... pork sausage ... and goat cheese encrusted with dried cranberries and walnuts. This may look time consuming and complicated, but it is not!

Get organized and follow some logical steps, and you'll have this entree salad done in less than 30 minutes. 

I sliced my green tomatoes while I was browning some little sausage patties. By the time the sausage was done, I had dredged  the tomato slices first in egg wash, then in corn meal. They were ready to fry in the same skillet, as I took the sausage out. 

While the tomatoes fried gently in a little additional oil, I sliced the goat cheese log and got the pieces ready to coat with chopped walnuts & washed the salad greens! Out came the tomatoes, in went the salad greens to wilt. 

I drizzled a tiny bit of balsamic over them and dropped them into the plate. Then I dipped the cheese in the chopped nuts and placed them in the same skillet. I didn't turn them, just toasted them on the nutty side. I plated the salad and topped it finally with a handful of fresh microgreens.

Here's a tip I like to share! Save the lids to the parmesan cheese containers. They fit quart jars perfectly and make it easy to store and sprinkle things like corn meal! I also save refrigerated coffee creamer containers ... take the wrapping off of them. They make perfect shapes to cover with quilt batting for snow men!!! They also make perfect containers to store candy or snacks that will pour through the spout.

Hope you enjoyed a little Southern Comfort Food! I'll be sharing with a couple blog parties listed in my sidebar, so make sure you take a look!

Butterscotch & Blue Tea Party!

One of my favorite color combinations for autumn decorating is butterscotch & blue ... and I'm always prompted to get out my Japanese luster tea sets and my peach luster glassware. I have two trees in my back yard that drop the most beautiful butterscotch yellow leaves!

Miss Phoebe is enjoying learning more about prayer and being thankful in her third grade class, so I decided we should having a tea party that focused on that theme. Any chance I can create to have important conversations with my grand daughter is worth all the effort! She loves tea parties, so why not combine the two!?

I've had the Cricut out again ... making more paper pumpkins!

I decorated the pumpkins with some of my vintage ribbon ... also butterscotch and blue ... gathered some lace and made some little flowers! The stems are made by rolling a little burlap ribbon.

I have quite a collection of Japanese lusterware. It was one of the first things I started collecting. I used one of my cute vases to add silk flowers to the composed centerpiece.

Most of the lusterware that we collect today was made in the 1920s and 30s and then there was another round of manufacture during the time that the United State's occupied Japan.

I never bought it for the value ... I bought it because I like the colors ... especially the blue!

For this table, I've added a small coffeepot to the tea set. Some of us love coffee more than tea! I love them both.

The tablescape is a bright spot in the sunroom!

 The place setting is composed of some of my favorite pieces!

I made the napkin rings, using a paper towel core cut into sections. I wrapped the burlap around it; then a piece of vintage ribbon. The "Give Thanks" tag came in a package of scrapbooking embellishments! The glassware is Fostoria and I have the same glasses in four different colors!  The pine cone flatware was a gift from my husband, the same year he gave me some pine cone dishes! Anything he could order from the sportsman's catalog was a hit!

Here's one last look! Make sure you remember to give thanks everyday! I'll be sharing this post with some of the parties listed on my sidebar, so make sure you click through to see more!

Pumpkins & Pears!

It is pumpkin season for sure ... but in Southern Illinois, it is also apple season and pear season! A few years ago, I found these adorable pear shaped covered soup bowls ...

...and then I found this cute pear dinnerware!

Eventually, I'll set a tablescape for you to see, but for now just take a peek at our pumpkin and pear decor on the buffet counter!

I'm still lovin' my galvanized tiered tray!

I'm crazy about these adorable lighted pumpkins! They are place card holders and are Temptations from QVC. Notice that they match the pumpkin soup bowls! 

The pretty leaf embossed candles are flameless ... always good with kids and dogs!

I was happy to find burlap ribbon at the Dollar Tree this year!

... and just as happy to find this cute plastic tray at the grocery store!

Won't be long before I add a witch or two to this counterscape ...

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be sharing this post with some of the parties listed on my sidebar, so make sure you click through to visit! You might want to stick around my home page, though ... to see my pumpkins!

Paper Pumpkins!

My soul needed a little crafting activity the other day, so I used my Cricut to cut out these great dimensional pumpkins. Of course, they had to be  embellished with ribbon and baubles!  How cute are they?  You'll see them later on an Autumn Tea Tablescape, but for now ... just enjoy!

I'll be sharing this with some of the blog parties listed in my sidebar ... so make sure you click through to enjoy the other posts!  Happy Pumpkins!