Holiday scene with greens on the mantle and Christmas tree.

Thanksgiving is only days away and soon the work of Christmas begins.  You might have plans for major shopping this weekend with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.  But for me, I am going to spend the weekend setting the stage for the season to come.  And you can too as I share my 5 tips for getting ready for the holidays. Although there is no such thingRead More →

Bowl of feather ornaments with acorn garland

Do you enjoy making your own holiday and seasonal decor?  I find so much pleasure in using natural materials to make things for my home.  My latest craft is natural feather ornaments.  What I like about these feather ornaments is that they can be used as part of your autumn decor.  You can also hang them on your Christmas tree when the time is right. My husband is a hunterRead More →

A autumn hued bouquet of flowers setting on a table.

We’re less than 2 weeks away from Thanksgiving.  I’ve been planning and organizing for the holiday.  And thinking about my table centerpiece.  Doesn’t everyone spend days wondering how to decorate their Thanksgiving table?  With no flowers left in the garden, it’s time to turn to my local grocery store.  I want to show you how to set your holiday table with grocery store flowers. You can actually make some lovelyRead More →

A wheelbarrow full of autumn leaves.

We finally had a killing frost last night.  We’ve been squeaking out a few tomatoes, peppers and raspberries most days, but after last night we are officially done.  Once you have a very cold night, it’s difficult to salvage your plants. Even if you cover and try to protect them.  So now it’s time to wrap up the garden for the season. There are certain chores that need to beRead More →

A pot of turkey barley soup with bowls and spoons.

It’s time for the November Soup of the Month.  I thought with the holidays fast approaching that it would be nice to have a soup to help use up some of your leftover turkey.  This recipe for Turkey Barley Soup is one that I’ve used for years.  I have a love of barley and it pairs well with turkey.  This is a hearty soup that will warm you up asRead More →

Autumn apples setting in a basket after harvest.

Do you have a special recipe that you make every year?  One that your friends and family can’t wait for?  I have several seasonal recipes I make that my family looks forward to.  One of those recipes is the Pumpkin Cranberry Bread.  Another of my seasonal recipes is Crockpot Apple Butter. Related:  Pumpkin Cranberry Bread I have been making apple butter for a number of years.  I gather the wildRead More →

Shasta Daisies growing in the garden.

My cutting garden has slowly faded away as the days and nights have grown colder.  Yesterday, my husband made me a sweet bouquet from the last of the zinnias.  The sunflowers stopped blooming weeks ago, although I have been saving the seed heads for winter food for the birds.  The cosmos and black-eyed susans have just a few scattered flowers.  The coneflowers, daisies and all the rest are completely gone. Read More →

Vintage suitcase filled with squash and pinecones.

I’m a big fan of vintage style. And I love decorating with vintage containers. I use them in my garden and in my home. Let me show you a few ways you can use vintage containers in your decor as well. With the weather turning cooler, the gardening season is winding down. But I’m still using vintage containers in my garden. They’re a great way to show off your autumn displays.Read More →

A cup of coffee, flowers and books with watering can.

The news these days is always negative and it seems that everywhere we turn people are down and discouraged.  So I decided that I needed to spread a more positive attitude to counteract the negative.  I’ve learned a few things and wanted to share some tips on how to be more encouraging. Do you frequently catch yourself getting sucked into people’s negative attitudes.  This can snowball and pretty soon youRead More →

Colandar of elderberries on a table.

I’ve talked about my love of gathering natural materials to use in my home decor.  Another thing that I like to do is forage for edibles.  I am not talking about eating plant stalks and roots.  I am talking about real foods like blackberries, apples and elderberries.  I use them to make delicious food such as Blackberry Syrup and Apple Crisp.  I gather the Elderberries each year to make aRead More →