Happy Halloween ~ Some Spooky Houses

Happy Halloween Everyone! After today it will officially be the holiday season.Well tonight our little trick or treaters will be out.Sunday seems a weird day for it and it's supposed to be in the 40's with wind so I don't know how many we'll get. I might just leave the bucket of candy on the porch so I can relax this evening.But I do like to see all the costumes and my sister Melissa usually brings the twins and Jayson over so I'll probly not be relaxing anyway.We normally go all out for Halloween but this year I decided to simplify so here are some pics of 2 spooky houses in our area.

This house is always spooky witches! It must cost a fortune as everything is lifesize and so detailed.Click on the pics to enlarge if you want more details...

Even a graveyard and ghost.

They have the old gothic victorian iron fence which only adds to the display..

This witch is flying on a broomstick

This next house is down the street.I took pics from my car and it was hard to get a good one as there was a truck parked out front.But they even built a rickety wood fence to surround the large headstones.

Hope you enjoyed! Have a spooktaculiar Halloween!~Amy

Gobble Gobble

Ever feel like this? This is the time of year my mind gets confused.I'm not quite over the summer and the hunt for prim treasures.I'm getting in the nesting mood but one day is 70 degrees and the next 50 degrees and windy.I should be thinking spooky and candy and cute little goblins knocking at the door but I'm thinking christmas and snowmen.. Oh and add a little Turkeys and new recipes to add to the traditional Thanksgiving dinner.The image below reminds me of what is swirling around in my head.(smile)I'll get it right soon I hope.It's just as a crafter and seller and homemaker and decorater we always have to think two seasons ahead.And no matter how hard I try each year to enjoy each season and holiday I either get way ahead of myself or way behind.Maybe this year will be better.(doubtful) But I'm really gonna try to enjoy and savor every minute..Still can't wait for this.....

Thanksgiving is my one day of rest,peace and family gathering! Hubby makes the turkey and most sides,I make the desserts and bread the eve before so I can just savor this day.We have dinner at our house so no running.I think it is one of the best days of the year....I've been getting swap handdids done,christmas gifts ready and a few handdids to sell done.I can't show much yet as they are surprises,but here are what I've been making the past few days.Turkeys!!!!

Spiced rubbed primitive beeswax turkeys in spicy gingerbread scent.Yum they smell so warm
and cozy for fall.They are perfect to tuck in cupboards or bowls..These are brown but I'll be doing black as well.They are done with a vintage mold so they have a great early look.They self stand so they are just perfect.This is the first year I did these.I've done candles and wax pourings for about 15 years though and the creativity never ends for me.If you are interested in one for yourself check out my etsy shop (click button on side bar)....

The indian corn is available too..I'm making several of these for me to tuck in bowls and on shelfs.It's hard to find prim turkeys.

I finally found a menu chalkboard at a yardsale a few weeks ago.I wanted one for awhile and can't wait to write the Thanksgiving menu on it......

So monday I'll go up to the loft and pull out all my Thanksgiving decorating stuff and start dreaming of being like this......

Hope you all have a wonderful fall day.Harvest Blessings!~Amy

Tuesday Display Chain #5

For some reason my display chain entry went under Saturdays blog entry so go there to find my Tuesday Display Chain for Souvenirs.Harvest Blessings!~Amy

Apple Dumplings and Black Americana

A few days ago in the nesting post I listed a Easy Apple Dumpling Recipe..Well sunday I made a batch to take to Grandmas house for sunday dinner.Above is how they looked out of the oven.These were soooo yummy good!I changed the recipe slightly I thought the sugar was to much in the recipe so I changed it from 1 1/2 Cups white sugar to 1/2 C brown sugar and 1/2 C sugar, also instead of putting the cinnamon in the butter I sprinkled on top before baking.I also added about 7 minutes to the baking time.You really can't mess it up.It's so easy.When I make it for home I'l half the recipe as it made 16 dumplings and a serving for us would be 2 dumplings...

Today I thought I'd share some of my Black Americana collection.This post is old stuff I do collect new primitive hand did dolls as well.I love the nostalgia feel of the old images and find the black americana charming.I can remember as a child we would go to two of my great grandparents house for sundays.I remember Great Grandma Sis's Kitchen and the old black americana chalkware pot holders and some cookbooks.My grandmother has old pieces in her farmhouse cupboard as well and over the years the images have always been dear to me.Ok so remember last weeks weekend finds I was excited to find the Gold Dust Twins box above? Well here is why I've been searching for it...I have the original old mercantile shipping/display wood crate these were filled with them so it was such a treat to find the contents that were originally in the box!

Another image of the side of the crate is at the top of the blog entry....It's a big box and all four sides are printed and the writing and images are still bright...

The little doll below is going in my display chain tomorrow so I'll tell her story then.

The little game below is a french game.It has all the original pieces.I saw a image years ago in a prim magazine and never forgot it.I found this on Etsy and had it shipped the whole way from france.

The doll below is new but I included her because the artist used a old advertising image for her face.

Rare little sambo bisque salt and pepper shakers.

What collection is complete without a cookie jar? Also are F & F plastic syrup picture and larger salt and pepper shakers.The F & F were old advertising premiums were you got certain ones for buying(way before I was born).There is also a cookie jar and spice set in this set as well which I'm still on the hunt for....

This is the small set above and large set below.These two sets my girlfriend got from her grandma when she passed away they were in the attic and she didn't want them at all so we agreed if my hubby made her a prim shaker house birdhouse she would trade.Thanks hubby for helping me with the swap. I feel I really made out on this one.These are the same ones my grandma got from her mom when she passed away.

Original late 1800's illustrated Uncle Toms Cabin book...

I've had this forever... Flour ad in a old window frame...

Old cast iron dime bank and bisque baby..

So now a ton more things came to mind that I should have got a pic of.I'll be doing other collections and home tours throughout my blog.For all the new followers I haven't been blogging long so take some time to browse through and catch up if you get time.Harvest Blessings!~Amy

Tuesday Display Chain # 5 SOUVENIR

Souvenir's are momento's of memories.Wether a trip, from our history,love or loss they are the things that bring that window of thought or remembrance to our mind.They are the personal tangible tokens that are yours alone and embended in our hearts some happy,some sad and some just provoke thoughts of history...Your history...Your story...Here are some of my souvenir's and why they touch me....
Gathering of personal souvenirs and momentos. Dried sunflower heads from a garden past to remind me that there will always be new beginings..Each seed a promise of new life and beauty when planted.....The antique victorian lady head (I think she looks like lady liberty) is from a beautiful old house my husband did work on these and lions head were on the finals and brick work.They were mondernizing so I collected/saved this when visiting as a momento of the beauty being lost to modern times.I love details and notice all the old details on buildings....

A picture of my Great Great Grandparents.Souvenir of my personal history.I like to look at it from time to time and think of what their life was like.It's remarkable that my father looks exactly like my great great grandfather in expression and especially the eyes....

This little doll is a souvenir of a day with a friend and to know my dad loves me..My friend rosey whom lived across the street but now moved to Iowa and I had a love of prims and antiques.We were both at a local estate auction and wanted this sweet doll.My husband told my dad who works for the auction how much I wanted it.Rosey and I didn't know the other wanted it till they put it up for bids.She said I'm buying that and I said well I'm bidding too.(we never bid against each other and she had more money lol) So we both really wanted it.I gave up as it was going to high,Rosey soon gave up too as other people were bidding it up.It was the last thing I was waiting for so after it continued to go way over my budget , I gathered my stuff and left.A few days later when visiting dad he said is this what you wanted so bad? It was the little doll.He had put a silent bid in and paid way to much for it(my dad is not wealthy) but knew how much I adored it so made sure I got it.Everytime I see her it's a reminder of a day with a old friend and my dad's love....I know long story..Still with me? (smile) Finally last but not least.....

Souvenirs of our american heritage.Who better than our founding father George Washington to inspire Patriotism for American History.....

I love looking in the nooks and crannies at all the little details.Don't you? Please ignore any dust bunnies that may be hiding.LoL

Hope you enjoyed my display chain.Stop over and check out the other entries at
http://1890gablehousemusings.blogspot.com Can't wait to see what everyone came up with.

Trip to the Black Rose and other Finds

Oh my! Were will we put it? Didn't I just do a post on Simplify? Oh well here we go again..(smile)
I didn't get to do my usual yardsale trip today as hubby needed my jeep.It was killing me as one local sale said "Cleaning out gradmas attic" Well at 10 he called and said he needed help with doing laminate floors and he was going to get a extra hand,I offered so he came and got me.On the way back to the job I begged him to take me by that one sale(I said I'd close my eyes the rest of the way so I didn't see anymore sales) He grumbled a little but took me.What a dissapointment it was all kids clothes and toys.Ahhh were are the treasures I was imagining all morning? I asked the lady Is this gradma's attic sale? She says yeah I have 12 grandkids.I said oh I get it now....Hubby laughed and refused to take me to anymore sales but promised to take me to the antique mall after we were done since I'll miss sales tomorrow helping him finish the floors.Here are our finds from the black rose and a few others we came across this week... Old Bucket with Hand Did Pumpkin...

It was on the 50 % off both at my favorite stand were I bought my miniature antique stepback cupboard a few weeks ago.Ended up paying just $18 and the best part...

It still has the original label!

Antique 2 Quart dry measure.

Wood combed painted candlestick holder (not old) it's red over black paint.Antique Ginger tin mustard and black lettering I think this will be going to etsy...

My husbby bought this he's wanted one for awhile...

Antique straw cutter you can still read the original lettering.I think I'll try to use this as a crock bench as the top is flat...

Antique Cast Iron Butter Churn.It's marked Daisy The paddles are wood and the handle knob is wood.It's big probly 2 ft. The guy was at his stand filling his stand and my husband got a deal on this and a few other things by paying him cash directly instead of going through checkout.

Love the big cranck wheel!

This is a funny find.We have two boys that do barn work and "pick" items for us when they do tear downs and such.They bought this by the other night and took $5 for it.It still works really well.I pick on hubby it works better than that $300 mower he bought last year that never wants to stay running. Oh the simplier days.Probly will eventually wrap in grapevine and prim up and sell or maybe just stick it in the garden.

Two antique cow bells.I've never found them with the original collar.Both have the original clanger inside.

Tom found the black cat at a sale(without me) for .50 it gave my witch some company.Look at Mung Mung posing at the door soo darn hadsome!

Finally I've thought of this head stand and bonnet for a month.It was Hand Did from my favorite booth.It was expensive so I've been trying to forget it.Hubby said he'd buy it for me since I'm helping him on the floor.Can't wait to find the perfect spot for it.It is so much nicer in person.

Well I'm hoping to fit fleamarket in early Sunday morning so may have more finds.Depends if I can get done early as I was thinking I'd visit my grandmas nephews church with her and then we have sunday dinner at grandmas and I want to make Apple Dumplings for everyone.Busy Busy.But hopefully the week will be a lazy one this week.Harvest Blessings!~Amy