Pie Party 2011

Although it is still technically fall, there is a winter feeling in the air. My home is (mostly) decorated for Christmas and I feel the need to hunker down, watch movies and sip a variety of hot drinks!!

But before I settle into the Christmas season,  I get to enjoy one of my favorite things...Lynda's annual Pie Party! A last chance to gather with friends before the hustle and bustle of the season begins.

There are four of us who gather, although there have been others who have dropped in now and then, and we so cherish this special time of togetherness. To reconnect as friends and sisters, share our hearts and laugh together...a lot!!!

We all bring a pie, and I have to admit that mine was store-bought! Just not enough time to make one, but it was still really good!!

Hot cider greeted us as we walked in and Lynda had prepared a wonderful lunch of homemade pizza and a salad that we just couldn't get enough of!!

The table was darling!!

Lynda read verses that she had picked out for each one of us and said a beautiful prayer over us and the meal.

We played a little game and each got a little gift...a can of T.J.'s organic pumpkin!!!!

We all worked on a little stitchery she designed for us and we all took home a sampling of pie. While it only lasted a few hours, it was balm for the soul. A special time to gather and reflect, stitch and break bread together. Just like the quilting bees of old. We women depend on each other and have so much more to offer others when we take a little time for ourselves.

The simple beauty of God's creation, wonderful friends and family...does it get any better than that?

Another Adventure...Part 2

Now that I'm back from a relaxing weekend, I'm ready to continue with last weeks adventure and add on a bit of a new one!!!

These are my favorite goodies from the trip to Centralia. I do love chalkboards! I'm thinking of doing a wall of them down my hallway, but still not quite sure.

Early the next morning, Brian and I headed back to Seattle for the City of Hope Ball, a fundraiser for the City of Hope Cancer and Research Hospital. We went down early enough to walk around Capital Hill and look at some really cool shops. We went to Melrose Market, a neat little warehouse like building with lots of shop inside. Kind of like a European market. There was a butcher, a restaurant, a flower shop, a deli, and some individual shops too.

I thought it was pretty fun that you could sit near the counter while your food was being prepared, and the butcher shop had slabs of meat in the see-through cooler.

My favorite shop was called Butter Home. It was a shop filled with product by local artists. Loved the bunting along the railing...

And the window displaying jewelry...

 a really cool metal tree with vintage lighting...

fun goodies...

a cute guy...

 and the sweetest owner!!!!

Got a few goodies there too!!!

We stayed at the Westin in downtown Seattle and had a great view!

We had a nice time at the ball...over half a million dollars was raised in a few hours. Pictures? That would be no. Forgot my cute purse and nothing to carry it in. Hubby was in black tie and I must say we were quite cute!!!!

The next morning we got up really early, mainly because we forgot to set our clocks back, and headed down to Montlake to watch my nephew row crew for Bainbridge Island. There was a huge regatta going on and while it was pretty, it was soooooo cold!!!! Had a wonderful visit with my sister in law and my other nephew and Brian enjoyed hanging out with his brother.

We waited 2 hours for a glimpse of Nate doing warm-up, but as luck would have it, a sailboat needed to go through the cut and this happened...

Yes, he went through while the bridge was up!!!! Bummer!

An hour later we got to see him compete, but he was through so fast that I only got one picture!

That's him in the back! Sorry I missed you Nate!!

This past weekend we joined our friends Tami, Fred and Max up at Whistler. So much fun and it snowed almost the whole time we were there!!! Didn't accumulate, but it was fun to watch and be in it!! Not many pictures, but lots of great memories!

 Gorgeous drive!

The guys reading their  latest books, Inheritance, which they bought at midnight the day it came out! Tyler finished his and Max was saving the last bit for the ride home!

A great weekend with wonderful friends!

How was your weekend?

Another Adventure!

A few weeks ago, Brian and I went to Petite Retreat's Island Retreat in Anacortes. Brian's been looking for some vintage items for a grocery store that Haggen is re-doing and it's been really fun going junkin' with him!!! Deb Kennedy is a wonderful, sweet friend who puts this all together with her husband Bob.

Her husband makes some unique furniture. We tried to buy both, but the table was already sold. Unfortunately, Haggen gets the other one! Aren't they fun?

It was a really fun show, right on the pier in downtown Anacortes. Beautiful day!

Last weekend was the Funky Junk Sisters show in Puyallup. Lynda, Terry, Karen and I left bright and early on Friday and headed to Centralia and Chehalis to do a little antiquing and exploring before going to the show later that night. We found some cute things and as always, had so much fun just being together! Someone offered to take our picture to document our great adventure, but we got busy and forgot about it! Lynda's always willing to sit in a rocker though, and I took advantage of that photo op!!

We went to lots of stores, but this was our favorite! Wish I could remember the name!

Loved this wall! The bunting is cut out of newspaper. I need to make one of these! And I love the FaLL letters on the wall!

Oh, there's the name! Abundance Vintage! Love the quote!

Loved this vintage nightie! Not very soft, but really cute!

We also went to a cute quilt shop and had lunch at Berry Fields in Chehalis. Great food, cute decor and very busy!!! The place to go for lunch!!


Off to Puyallup to the Funky Junk Show!! Linda and Dixie always make this such a great show and raise a lot of money for breast cancer awareness.

I like the hanging bed springs and the metal booth!

Cute displays!

 Heartbreak Hotel! Isn't the heart sweet?

So many great ideas!
 

We ended our evening with a trip to University Village in Seattle. I loved this display at Pottery Barn...a hanging ladder filled with beauty!! If only I was willing to put some eye bolts into my ceiling!!!

Another adventure with my hubby the next day, but that will have to wait!!! On our way to Whistler for a weekend with friends...praying for some snow!!!

A special thanks to all of the wonderful men and women who so faithfully serve our great country.
May we always remember the sacrifices they make for the rest of us, every, single day.

Who needs New England?

Hubby and I took a road trip this past weekend through Washington, Idaho and a bit of Montana. I wish my pictures could do justice to the AMAZING fall color we saw! We were hoping to take a fall trip to New England this fall, but the timing just didn't work out. So instead, we drove the back roads as far as we could go, stopping here, there and everywhere! We had no schedule, but wanted to see the fall color, visit family and stop whenever we wanted!
This was such a great trip, we've already decided to do it again next year!!!

The above picture is in Newhalem as you start across the North Cascades highway. It was a little rainy, but once we got over the pass, nothing but sun!!

 One of my favorite barns, outside of Winthrop.

Beauty along the Methow River!

Just a cool, old barn!

This was such a cute cottage, nestled amongst the gorgeous colors!

Stopped and saw my sweet Grammy! Isn't she cute with her fall shirt?? That's my Uncle Bill next to me. Got to see Aunt Trissie too, but she left before the photo shoot!

We went into Spokane and went to Hurd Merchantile...one of my favorite stores! My dad met us at Chaps for dinner, but I forgot to take pictures! We stayed in Spokane the first night and met my dad again the next morning for breakfast at the Longhorn. Love the down home atmosphere and the cute tablecloths!

We hit a few amazing antique stores the next morning and some really great people! Wish I had taken their pictures, but, well, you know...

 After that we headed up north to Green Bluff hoping to hit a few farms! We stopped at Knapps where we were just in time to see the pumpkin launcher, which I did take a picture of, but for some reason isn't on here and I don't know how to squeeze it in!! Whew!! Long sentence!

 This is a picture of a new barn at the home I want to live in some day! This silo is stunning!!! You can't see the house, because they have a gate in front of it now. I found this place about 5 years ago, when it was for sale! You can sort of see the view behind the barn. It sits way up high on a hill (mountain?) and looks out over the Spokane River valley. Stunning doesn't begin to describe it!

Amazing fall color!!! The colors were so vibrant... I wish my pictures did it justice. God was painting some mighty pictures!!

Unfortunately, this clown garbage can was in the way here, and a man was getting arrested from the other angle!! But look at that white birch!!

 We meandered up through Newport and over to Sandpoint, Idaho and Lake Pend Oreille.  We had a great dinner at a little pub, with the sweetest waitress!  I could live here! So beautiful, wonderful people and just a great way of life!

 The next morning we went to a warehouse sale...who knew?!!!! and met some more great people!! Had coffee at Evans Brothers and visited with the owner for a long time!!! He moved there from Bellingham, so we had lots to talk about!!

From Sandpoint we drove to Bonner's Ferry, Idaho where Brian found the "coolest" store! Larson' department store...major carrier of Carhart and other farmy/huntery stuff!!!! He got a shirt...the only purchase he made! I more than made of for his lack of retail therapy!

We made it all the way to Libby, Montana before we headed back. We took another route back to Spokane, where we stayed again. Then we drove home via, Coulee Dame, and back up North, glad to be home and sleeping in our own bed!


If you're ever in the Northwest in the fall I highly recommend this trip!!!