Happy Halloween..past & present

Hope your day is filled with Treats.....not.....

Tricks

Maygan's Pumpkin Carving

Snowman in honor of the October snow storm

Halloween 2011

Hippie

Halloween's past

My favorite 2005

Pippi Longstocking

2007

Hula Dancer

2008

Scarecrow

 2009

Witch

2010

Pirate

This year I think she should have been an Eskimo, LOL

we have trick-or-treating this evening, it is supposed to be in the 30's...

Brrr!

Well I'm off to get some things done this morning, Halloween Party at school this afternoon.

Ghoulishly Good Day Greetings!

Traci

Almost forgot to mention that this is the last day to sign up for my

Olde Fashioned Christmas Giveaway

Winner will be posted tomorrow...

Thank you to all who have entered....Welcome to all my new Friends and Followers!

New Christmas & Winter Primitives added today

Just one of the newbies listed on my website just a bit ago

York Mountain Mercantile

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas!

everywhere we go~

I woke up early this morning (I like to get up before everyone else, I can work in peace and quiet that way).  Needed to make tarts for an order and wanted to finish some more Christmas Prims.  When I looked outside, I was immediately in the "Christmas" mood.

Beautiful snow laiden trees and the snow still falling.

Ahhh, even I enjoyed the SNOW this morning, but it can go away now, LOL!

We are going to Chinese for dinner later and need to run to Walmart for a couple little last minute Halloween costume goodies for Maygan.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend...

Blessings N Hugs,

Traci

Frosty Foto Friday

I do believe that Mother Nature

asked Jack Frost for help enhancing

her Halloween Decorating!

They make a great team....don't ya think!

And......my Table Makeover is

complete

What do you think I did?

Visit my post at Country Chic JUNK.tique

to find out

I wish you ALL a

Happy Halloween

hope your weekend is filled with Frightfully Good Times!

Blessings,

Traci

So what do you do when it DOES snow?

Well, first you take a long HOT shower...put on your comfy clothes

ie sweatshirt, pants & fuzzy socks

then,

you dig out your favorite

Hot Beverage Recipes and make some!

This first recipe is my favorite, found it last winter on

http://www.allrecipes.com/ it was submitted by "Jo"

Thank You Jo, it's wonderful!

Chai Tea Mix

(love coffeehouse Chai Tea but it's a little hard to come by in my neck of the woods & it's pricey)

1 Cup nonfat dry milk powder (I don't use this, I double up the regular non-dairy creamer)

1 Cup powdered non-diary creamer

1 Cup French Vanilla flavored powdered creamer

2 1/2 Cups White Sugar

1 1/2 Cups unsweetened instant tea mix (no lemon)

2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ground cardamom

(cardamom is an expensive spice, I got my at www.puritan.com,

they often have a B1G1 free sale, plus free shipping)

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together.  I use my handy dandy little food processor for grinding to a fine powder, you can use a coffee grinder or blender too.

Add 2 heaping tablespoons to a cup of hot water...Enjoy!

Store in airtight container. My container of choice is an old Blue Ball Mason Jar ;)

This next recipe is a close second Favorite

Lori from The Black Crow shared this on her blog last year (she said it came from one of the Christmas Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks)

Fireside Coffee

2 Cups powdered hot cocoa mix

2 Cups powdered non diary creamer

1 Cup instant coffee

1 1/2 Cups sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Mix all ingredients in large bowl, store in an airtight container.  (I grind this fine in my lil' food processor too)

Add 2-3 heaping tablespoons to a cup of hot water.

I often substitute Pumpkin Pie Spice for the cinnamon and nutmeg...it's soooo good!

Both of these have a long shelf life (well no, not really, they don't last too long around here)

and the mixes make a quick and easy Christmas Gift for just about anyone.  Put some mix in a nice little jar, add a pretty new coffee mug, directions and the recipe.......viola a great gift!

Hope you enjoy these....

Blessings,

Traci

A new makeover & SNOW! really

I'm hearing and seeing SNOW in the forcast for later today and tonight

No, No, NOOOOOO

I am not ready for the white stuff or the cold!

I am back out in the shop today, tinkering with makeovers

This is my latest....

Hop over to

Country Chic JUNK.tique

and see what I did with these mismatched sconces...

I think they turned out pretty cool!

Blessings to All,

Traci

Daybreak...the start of a New Day

"Mountain Sunrise"

~as you can see, most of the trees stand bare~

this is a view out my kitchen window this morning

the Oaks are holding onto their leaves for now...

we had our first major frost on the mountaintop a couple nights ago

I am planning on spending my day in the woodshop, taking a break from sewing for a day!

I have been in hyper-mode, finally got my big wholesale order done..shipped it yesterday

Hallelujah!

You know it's time for a break from the needle & thread when your fingers are sore, you have callouses on your fingertips, the thread keeps knotting up and frustration mounts.

Going to make-over a few pieces of JUNK today

You'll be able to see'em over on my JUNK.tique blog when they're done.

I've made my list and checked it twice~

Primitive Christmas 2011 is underway!

Made the first of my Prim Snow Folks, above is a sampling of three

they're not listed yet .. 

Doe a Deer, a female deer

the newest of my Waxed Cookie Bowl Fillers

~TaTa for now~

May the Sun Warm your Soul today,

Traci

I keep getting Distracted......recent makings

It's one of my biggest flaws....

my mind works a hundred miles an hour,

overflowing with ideas and things I want to create.

so even with a long list of MUST DO's

I get distracted from the tasks at hand,

veering off into other directions

I stenciled this feedsack look Turkey Table Runner yesterday..

I think it'll look great on a Thanksgiving dinner table or buffet.

and Maygan went to her BFF Reagan's Birthday Party last Saturday

(they have the same birthday, same year too)

so we included a personalized journal with her gift

fabric covered composition notebook..Maygan embellished it with

sequins, pom-poms and buttons

then I made a Thankful sign to giveaway on my other blog

Country Chic JUNK.tique

I welcome you to jump over and sign up

also made a fun Tom Turkey Sitter

great to doll up your Turkey Day tablescape, Tom is on my selling blog

lastly..........

if you haven't and would like to sign-up for my

Olde Fashioned Christmas Giveaway

the time is ticking

be sure to check out my Giveaway Page below my header...there are so many prim perfect

giveaway's going on...check'em out...

There is early dismissal from school today, May and I are doing lunch and then home to tackle more tasks.

Wishing you a day filled with

Hugs & Happiness,

T

A Birthday Bedroom Make-Over..on a budget

This is a make-over of a different color!  I'm not much of a PINK person but Maygan is and

part of my birthday gift to her was a bedroom make-over.

I had thought about this for weeks but woke up yesterday morning and decided to tackle the task

before she got home from school as a "birthday surprise"

I didn't have any of the supplies but the local Dollar General did...two trips later

and less than $30.00, she has a 9 yr. old....girly, girly room

This is what I accomplished in 2 hours..I put lavender daisys in little vases she had, one for each window

Rearranged and cleaned/dusted all her furniture

New Hot Pink Sheers ($5.00 panel), I used three panels (2 for the large window and 1 to make curtains for the small windows)

I topped each window with Feather Boas....$1.00 each..used 2

Pretty white butterflys hang in front of each window with pins and fishing line.

Leftover sheer for atop her desk with a white vase $.90, a $.20 giant gerber daisy, a different desk chair & birthday balloons

(I will eventually re-do her desk and chair, didn't have time)

She was so excited with her room make-over..she said, "It's every girl's dream"..LOL

She got a new desk lamp and photoboard for her room as gifts, so there is more to be done and added.

In addition to her room I made meatballs for spaghetti dinner, birthday cake, did 5 (yes, 5) loads of laundry, wrapped gifts, took cupcakes for school treat, cleaned house...and had birthday dinner guests at 6:30pm last night.  Needless to say, I was ready for bed when the time finally came!

Thank You all so kindly for the birthday greetings and wishes yesterday for Maygan.  I read them all to her and she was thrilled....  she thought is was so cool and wanted to know where each one came from...birthday wishes from other states and countries is so Awesome!

I wish I could take the "day off" but, I have a large wholesale order in the works....my yard it a mess (millions of leaves) but it will have to wait.  And....I can't wait to start on some more projects & re-dos..oh and Christmas prims too....I have my list made but that's about it.

I have two shows coming up...the weekend after Thanksgiving and the 1st weekend in December..back to back shows...  I have nothing ready for them, so if anyone has any extra hours in their day, I'll take'em!

Off to another day at the "races"

Blessings & Hugs,

Traci

Happy Birthday....Maygan!

Where does the time go?

Seems like yesterday we were bringing home our baby girl, today she turns 9 years old.

1st Birthday

Happy 9th Birthday, Sweetie.....

We love You!

Getting to Know Me from A~ Traci ~Z

I'm taking in part "Getting to Know Me from A~Z", it's been floating around the blog-o-sphere.........you're next!

A~ Age: 36....37 in December

B~ Bed:  Full Size

C~ Chore you hate: mopping (it can be cold as all get out and I still work up a sweat mopping, don't know why)

D~ Cat or Dog:  all of the above and more..Dog, Lord Spencer McKee aka Spenny & a Cat, Gary & a Hamster, Baxter & a goldfish, Mr. Goldberg (great combo, huh?)

E~ Essential start to my day: Coffee and lots of it!


F~ Favorite color: Dark Red


G~ Gold or silver: Gold

H~ Height: 5'2"....yes, I'm a shorty

I~ Instruments I play: Saxophone & Clarinet, although not in a looonngg time

J~ Job Title: Jack of all Trades....ei. Mom, Wife, Artist, Groundskeeper, Carpenter, Chef, (and the list goes on)


K~ Kids: yes, biological and not

L~ Live in:  NW Pennsylvania

M~ Make of car: Chevy Trailblazer (I seriously need a truck though, for hauling all my loot)

N~ Nicknames:  I'll answer to just about anything

O~ Overnight hospital stay:  just one..childbirth

P~ Pet Peeve: oh boy...don't get me started..really, I'm pretty easy going

Q~ Quote from a movie: "I'll get you my pretty and your little dog too"  The Wizard of Oz

R~ Right or left handed: Right

S~ Siblings: Two Brothers, One Sister

T ~ T.V. Shows: usually not in charge of the remote, LOL

U~ Underwear: Yes, everyone....I wear underwear, LOL...  always clean, Mom always said, "make sure you have clean underwear on, you never know what could happen"...I'm sure you've heard this too :)

V~ Vegetable you hate: Brussel Sprouts

W~ What makes you late:  not much...but if I am, it's someone else's fault, LOL

X~ X-Rays: yep, dental

Y- Yummy food that I make:  Family fav. is Vegetable Beef Soup

Z~  Zoo Animals:  love them all but I can do without reptiles and snakes

There you have it, everything you need to know (and probably more, LOL)

Have a Great Monday,

Traci

P.S.  Welcome to my new Friends and Followers...!!

Olde~Fashioned Christmas Giveaway

 

You are invited to sign-up for my

Olde~Fashioned Christmas Giveaway

 

Included is:

• 3 ~ Primitive Skinny Candy Canes (they're over a foot long)
• Handpainted Olde Santa Slat
• Christmas 1815 Stitchery Tuck
• Dried Cranberry Garland

Simply follow my blog & leave a comment on this post, new followers are welcome!

 

Sign-ups end on October 31st...winner will be announced November 1st

 

You can post to your sidebar if you'd like but it's not necessary to enter.

If you do, I thank you!

 

Drawing open to US and Canada residents only please.

If you do not have a blog, please leave an email address so I can contact you.

 

Blessings,

Traci

 

and.........they all FALL down

 but just a couple short days ago

the sun was shining bright

the skies turned gray

and brought in rain

now on the ground

the leaves..they lay

bring your rake.....I've got mine

and then in the leaves we all can play

Apple Berry Crisp Recipe

Topping

1/4 cup melted marg.

1 1/2 cup quick oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Fruit

6 med. apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 pkg. frozen mixed berries

(I used blackberries and blueberries I had frozen)

1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar (depending on tartness)

2 Tbsp. Flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Add topping ingredients to melted margarine, stir to moisten, set aside.  Mix fruit with lemon juice.  Combine sugar, flour and cinnamon in large bowl.  Add prepared fruit, toss to coat.  Pour fruit mixture into a med - large baking dish, sprinkle with crumb topping.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes until apples are tender.

I made this last night and it turned out yummy.  Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Wishing you the Best Day Ever,

Traci