Perfect friends and a Fabulous dinner!

My sweet friends from Charlotte, Marvin (left) and Scott came into town for Thanksgiving tonight so the four of us Met for dinner at Bonefish. It'll be all about the Turkey tomorrow... but tonight, it was all about blackened Chilean sea bass with an Oscar topping - Yummy!

Retail therapy Saturday, a Good thing!

I woke up this morning in a big Mood to shop! Wonderhubby was all about the yards today but I just had too much Energy to burn to stay home. Plus, after the week I had I decided I deserved some Retail therapy. My analyst gets $80 an hour to see me each week so I figure since I was out Shopping for seven hours and spent just Under $600.00, I actually came out ahead! Plus, retail therapy is almost Better because I have something tangible to Show for it in the end! First stop... Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Macy*s

I found these Suede pillows at Pottery Barn, and they were 1/2 off!

I like them for the Pew in the entry - Yes, I'm probably the only Catholic

girl you know that has an antique Baptist church pew in her home

At Macy*s I went Wild for Martha Stewart's woodland creature Christmas

ornaments. I decided they were a Must-have for my Solarium tree trio!

Look at the Rabbit's teeth - Too cute!

Also from Martha Stewart, these precious little mushrooms. My Oma 

always had glass Mushrooms on her Christmas trees and I do too. I can't

wait to add these to my already healthy glass Mushroom collection!

And, how about these Big ones! I bought eight - They are Fantastic!

I have an idea for these... I need to find the right Ribbon

though, and then I'll hang them in a cluster somewhere

Maybe with these Oak leaves...

It's a Martha's Woodland creatures Christmas in my Solarium!

I love the Hedgehog!

And, these Bird houses are Adorable

More Martha... door Wreaths for the Living room doors

And, one for the Den door too

Love, love, love this Giant acorn!

I have no Idea where it'll Go, but I just had to take it with me

I popped into Williams-Sonoma to pick up the Stuffing for Thanksgiving...

If you've never tried it, Do! I add chopped celery, apples, dried cranberries

and a premium sausage to it and it's Amazing! It was also on sale, which is nice

I could not pass up these necklaces either. After spending $242 at the

Silpada show I was invited to at a co-worker's house last week, and another $107

for the stamped Rolling ring I picked up on-line yesterday I really shouldn't have...

But I Love them! I think they'll look great on a white t-Shirt with jeans! 

Thunder in November brings...

Last Thursday evening there was a storm complete with Thunder and lightening and lots of rain... On Saturday, we met a shopkeeper at an Antique shop in Virginia that told us Thunder in November always brings snow 7-10 days later. She looked like she kept the latest edition of the Almanac very close, so I really shouldn't have been Surprised this morning to find... Snow! Not snow-snow; just enough to make my 7-minute morning Commute interesting and the Trees around the property pretty. See?

I just Hope this isn't it for the Season... More, please!

Sunday spent Outside... again!

I have to Show you this find from our trip to Virginia yesterday! It is so cute and something I haven't seen before in Corningware. It's a sauce maker and I love it! I found it at this odd little Antique shop in Perfect, unused condition for only $15 so it was a Must-have. But not only that - it solves the problem of boil-overs in the Microwave when I make my sauces and gravies because it's the perfect size. How cool is this? 

Measurements printed inside, and it has Three pour spouts!

So cute! Cannot wait to use it...

I decided to Bake more cheater-cookies today. Of course, there would

have been Many more cookies for me to bake if someone, whom shall remain

nameless (but his Name begins with a W and ends with an illiam) didn't eat a whole

tray of raw Cookie dough last week. But what I had left to Bake turned out great! 

I pressed a little Chocolate chip into the Sugar cookies as they baked. I took a

small plate of them Outside to him in the yard and he said they were Yummy!

As the second Batch baked I went out to Explore the yard a little...

He finished building our New bridge last week so I had to try it out

Here I am looking down the Creek, standing in the middle

of his New bridge and it's holding Up just fine!

A couple of years Ago we found these Signs at an Antique shop in Raleigh.

Kinda like California's spotted Owl keeps Developers away, we thought maybe

these signs will keep North Carolina developers far, far away from Our land...

Otherwise, they're just fun Signs we hung on a Couple of our trees - Ha!

That tree Facing the arbor sure does Look different

from the other Side of my creek, huh?!

I love this Big, old Oak tree

and look at its Mossy sock!

From bottom to top, this Oak is truly a Gorgeous tree!

And, because while I wandered through our

forest he Hopped onto his mower to turn This view...

into This one, I think he deserve a little Snack!

You know, if I ignore the Naked trees, it almost Looks like spring!

Well, maybe not Spring. But you know what I mean... I LOVE my Lawn!

I almost Hate to go Back into the house... But he's hungry so I must!

I think a few Cold, cooked shrimp tossed with Cilantro, shallots, Lime and garlic

with a bit of warm, French baguette and a couple of slow cooked barbecue Ribs 

should do it. After all, my master-Gardener cannot live by Cheater cookies alone!

Winter. It's Official!

It is Official... Winter is just around the corner. How do I know? Because the Leaves are almost All gone now so I can see the house on the hill Behind us. That always means Winter to me. 

Our property line runs Right up to the back Door of that house you see there but I'm always Happiest when I can't see it at all!

There was a Storm on Friday night - Complete with big winds, intense Lightening, thunder that Shook the walls and heavy rain. A shopkeeper chatting me up yesterday in Virginia told me that when there is Thunder in November there will be Snow no more than 10 days later. I hope that's true because I love snow! It's the only thing that Makes winter okay... I just wish there was a way to have Winter and keep all the Leaves on my trees!  

The Winnie-the-Pooh storm we had Dropped all my leaves...

Cheater Cookies!

When I went to Bed last night the plan was to Sleep in this morning... But things have a way of Happening and before I knew it I was out of Bed before 9AM. I couldn't wait to get downstairs and to Clean the house! Odd, I know but cleaning often Leads to rearranging things, which leads to Decorating...

So I brought out the Pilgrims for Thanksgiving

See the Feather? It's from one of the many

 Wild turkeys that roam our yard in the evenings!

And this little Turkey is my Favorite!

Brandon made it for us in the First grade - 1994

Perfect!

In the middle of my Cleaning I decided to go Grocery shopping, which

brought on an Hour of Cleaning out the refrigerator. There's nothing 

better in the Kitchen than a spotless refrigerator. Too bad it won't

Look like this Five minutes after the boys come downstairs...

All the Cleaning I did this morning Gobbled up the time I set aside to

Bake cookies so while I was at the Market I picked up Cheater cookies...

This so beats dragging out the Kitchenaid and measuring Flour!

And, you would have Cheated too if this was the View that

greeted you after your Market shopping (and stop at the car wash)

My love, also Known as my personal Gardener (because I have no use

for a Personal chef) has been busy Planting all the stuff I picked out 

at the Nursery last weekend. How cute are these Pines!?

This new Japanese Maple I selected is to Die-for! 

Hello my babies...

I love how the Water parts the fallen leaves in the Creek

Mellow yellow

Red

this Yellow reminds me of Sunshine

Just another Spectacular Autumn in North Carolina

A little bit of Every color

The ferns are Still hanging on

More creek Leaves... Gosh! I just remembered I have Cookies in the oven!

I made it back into the Kitchen just in time... Crisis averted - They are perfect!

I took a Few warm ones Out to him in the yard with a cup of Hot apple cider

Now for a Quick batch of smaller cookies - Pepperidge Farms

has me covered on the Oatmeal Raisin so after this, I'm done!

Another great thing about Baking cheater Cookies... 

Aside from the ease and Lack of mess baking them creates....

Is that they Get me back outside in record time. I told him earlier that

I wished the Leaves would stop covering up my Beautiful lawn

 so while I was inside taking the Cookies out, he Mowered them up!

I Love, love, love my Yard

No place I'd rather be than right here...

Eating a warm Cheater cookie, of course!