Wedding Project #3 and a Crazy Busy Weekend!

Playing a little catch-up on the blog...story of my life!

Brian finished project number 3 last weekend...I helped not even an iota!

This is where the ceremony will take place, under the arbor, overlooking the pond.

The curved boards were perfect (the ones you always pass over when you're building a fence!) and creates a beautiful frame. The chairs, umbrella and boat will be gone of course, the grass will have been watered all summer and actually be green! I'm hoping for twinkle lights and candles in the trees and on the beach, and some beautiful flowers all around!
We met the (hopefully) soon to be new neighbors who promised to keep the yard looking spectacular for us (he promised her a gardener)!

On Saturday we had a HUGE yard sale. Oh my word, was it work...getting ready! I ended up cleaning out my entire attic Thursday night....HOT up there, but I was merciless! Brian would disagree as I can not part with the baby clothes, American Girl, Lego, Thomas, Barbie collections! But they are staying!!! My dear, sweet, wonderful friends Tami , and Lynda came over Friday morning and "staged" my sale for hours! Of course, I was so consumed with this sale that I didn't even think to take a picture of them, but what a blessing they were! It looked so good that I wanted to shop!

Tami categorized everything! Just like a department store!

Lynda hung all the vintage aprons to give it a vintage touch!

Sports and games...

All of your cake baking needs...

A lovely vintage booth in the back that Lynda put together so pleasingly...

And tons more that I don't have pictures of. I let all my friends come and pre -sale the day before...nice to see someone else love on your stuff!  We got rid of all the big stuff except for 2 or 3 things and lots of little stuff too. It always amazes me what people buy. We had 2 big 5 gallon paint buckets in the free pile and they went right away! Almost all the free stuff was gone early. We were dealing left and right at the end and at one point Brian was bidding against me...trying to get people to take stuff!!! We're so good at business...NOT!!
It was fun though and  we met some wonderful people, did some garden tours, enjoyed music and ate pumpkin bars and fresh beans!

It was so hot out! We shut down at around 2:00 and after a really quick shower and change I met my daughter and her maid of honor downtown for a little wedding dress shopping!!!!

It was so much fun! Those bridal shop saleswomen really know what they're doing! Even I wanted to try on dresses and veils and jewelry! Brought back many memories of dress-up with  my cousins!!!

Anyway....she found The One!!!! Of course I can't show you any photos, but  she was pretty happy and will be such a Beautiful Bride!!!!

She tried on these for me!!! (I think this is what I'd wear if I were getting married outdoors, plus I just love the vintage, 50's look!)
I think she looks adorable!

Too much bead work on this one, but so elegant and twirly!

 This one has big flowers all over the skirt and was really playful!

This was a possibility, so couldn't show too much of it. Buttons are so sweet!

No purchases were made, but I'm thinking she'll be going back there! The smile on her face when she put on THE dress lit up the building! 

Fun times!!!

Pumpkins~

If I had the space, I would grow acres and acres of pumpkins! There's just something about those giant orbs that make me giddy!

My pumpkin starts did great this year....lots and lots of Cinderella pumpkins! My seeds...not so good. They may be ready by Halloween, but that's being hopeful!

Surrounding my acres and acres of pumpkins would be oodles and oodles of mums...my very most favorite flower!!! I love the colors and the overwhelming numbers of buds. So beautiful!

The foliage on the pumpkins have taken over my garden, but that's okay!

I love all of the volunteer sunflowers that grow in my garden. A bit of whimsy and joy every time I look at it! Notice the "Dutch" sunflower towering above the rest? It's about 15 feet tall! (I live in a Dutch community and Dutch people are very tall, hence the reference!)

The golden raspberries are on their second bloom and are so incredibly sweet!

And very large!

I'm so anxious for fall...the crisp, cool nights have started, with the lingering sunny days. The apples are ripening, and the garden is winding down. I put on my first sweater of the season this morning, but will be in shorts by afternoon. I'm holding off on a pumpkin spice latte for a nice rainy day, or my birthday...which ever comes first! I can't wait to get out my fall decor and cozy up the homestead!
Pumpkin soup for dinner Sunday night and pumpkin bars yesterday...my oven was so happy!

Today I need to get ready for the "mother of all garage sales", and get the rest of my sweaters out of storage. I'm hanging them on the line for a bit of freshness. A little spray painting of some little goodies and then off to work at the library, surrounded by lovely books and fall magazines.

It's going to be a good day!!

A Lovely Gift

A few weeks ago, I received a lovely little package in the mail! I LOVE receiving little packages in the mail, especially when it's from my friend, Deb Kennedy !! If you haven't been to her new website, you must go NOW!!! She is such a talent and is plum full of wonderful, amazing ideas, which she happily shares!  
She used to have a little place on Camano Island where I could visit her lovely shop once in awhile, but now she is in California...too far away, if you want my opinion!!!

Anyway...she had a give away for her cute, cute, cute Sweet Sweater Pumpkins. I was so excited and was really hoping to win...but I didn't. Two other people won. Bummer....but wait! One of the two never contacted her...so, she drew another name...MINE!!!!  Yea!!!!

This is what was waiting for me in my mailbox...


a cute little note...

a cute little tag...

cute little packaging...

and the cutest, little pumpkin ever...

just waiting for me to get the rest of my fall decor out to keep it company!!

You can order her pumpkins directly from Homeward Found. I love mine!!! She has lots of beautiful colors to choose from and I know you'll have a smile on your face when your package arrives!!!!

Thank you Deb!!!

Wedding Project #2...and some corn!

We have been continuing with the yard projects...2 down, but so many to go!!!

When we originally put our split rail in we left it natural...no stain, etc. When we put the front fence in we gave it a light coat of stain, mostly to keep it newer looking, but also to make it stand out amidst the plants and trees. We put up the side fencing in the garden earlier this summer, with an arbor, and decided to replace the old fencing and add another arbor.

Old fence...

 Ashleigh and Brady were lucky enough to be part of the action...we thought so anyway!
Lots of precise chain saw cutting to make the arbor poles...Ashleigh with her chisel!

Brian and Brady doing a little cutting, and installation. Sure saves me a lot of work when he's here!

One side replaced...

Some flowers were lost in the process (people didn't care for them as they deserved...ahem...), but they'll all come back next year!

The finished fence and arbor. I love the way it gives a "window" to the sunflowers!!

We did this project a few weeks ago, and started working on the fence and arbor to the pond this weekend, but it's not done yet. We're calling ourselves, "the crazy arbor people"!

While Brian was working on all that, I was busy in the garden. I (stupidly) planted eight rows of corn this year. I spaced the planting out over a month, but low and behold it's almost all ready! I picked  three rows ( about a hundred ears) and got busy freezing it.

Some father/son bonding time...nothing like shucking a little corn to bring loved ones together!

Lots, and lots, and lots of corn. Pretty though!

I have a huge canning kettle, so I do about 25-30 ears at a time, and then start cutting.

100 ears of corn = 15 bags...seems like it should be more, doesn't it?

After all that I had to make some space in the freezer and ended up cleaning them all out...3 plus the one in the refrigerator. Let's just say, I don't need to freeze any more!! Nice to have the larder full, but the garden is getting majorly down scaled next year. Maybe a quarter of the size...and the rest for Pumpkins and Sunflowers...my favorites!!