Happy Friday and Wreath Making Today!

We've been making lots of new wreaths for the shop! Above you can see our Bold Fall Bunch Wreath and one of our everyday lemon leaf wreaths. My allergies are so bad when I am working on these florals! I quite working with drieds a few years ago because of my allergies! I had told Mary that I didn't think drieds would be a good idea... but she talked me into it LOL! Now I have a box of kleenex and double up on my allergy meds just to get these wreaths done! Sneeze, Sneeze, Blow, Blow back to wreath wiring... and repeat. It's just awful. Hopefully people will appreciate the wreaths!! :-)

Have a wonderful Friday and weekend. We have an auction to attend on Sunday and our daughter's Tennis match tomorrow! So busy weekend.

Laura

New Member of the Family & Happy Thought of the Day

Yes, well, I made a promise to myself and family last March... No more exchange students for us. We had such a nightmare last year with our student. She was actually haveing sex in our family's rec room~ and proud of it!~! We had to get her out of the house. So after that; and she was our 9th exchange student; we swore them off. Well, today we picked up number 10~ Lara. She is from Germany and seems very sweet. We are her 3rd family since coming to the states... and I know the families she was with and can see that her personality would not be a match with them. So, my fingers are crossed that this will work out!!

Happy thought of the Day: The route to a happier life is through happy thoughts. Not just because they make you feel better immediately... but because happier thoughts give you a stronger and more stable foundation to your life. You are in control rather than being bounced around by life.

Will keep you posted. :-)

Laura

Working on Smelly Jelly and Laundry Sachets

I worked this morning on making smelly jelly jars for the shop. Fragrances include, Grandma's Spice Cake, Laundry on the Line, Pumpkin Bars, Mulled Cider, Lemon Verbena & Lavener, Pepperberry Wreath and Clear Sailing. Yumm! They came out well, I think. Hardest part is deciding on a color! Printed out my labels today and will have them all finished and ready for the shop tomorrow.

Also made a big batch of Lemonverbena & Lavender Laundry Sachets. If you have never tried a laundry sachet in your dryer before, you must! Ask me for the instructions; because they make your laundry smell so delicate and heavenly. Each one can be used at least 5 times, and could be refreshed if you have all the supplies on hand.

That's it for now.

Blessings,
Laura

Firecracker Kids Fall Giveaway

I just signed up to win Firecracker Kids Giveaway! What a great piece. I have the perfect spot for it; if I am lucky enough to win it!! :-) Please stop by her blog to see her offering, I am sure you will love it!

http://firecrackerkid.blogspot.com/2009/09/firecracker-kids-first-blog-giveaway.html

Monday...Monday....and Happy Thought for the Day

What a busy fun day. My friend and I walked our usual 1 hour walk at 8am; then went straight to work at the shop. we basically unloaded all of the goodies we bought yesterday at the cash and carry; ooohed and ahhed... and then made necessary phone calls. internet; merchant credit card, orders, etc.

It is really coming together... we have a theme, with great merchandise and I am so tickled to see it all come together. Now, we have to design an invitation that will make people want to come in~~ any ideas are welcome! :-)

again...one day I am going to surprise you and myself and bring my camera and take pictures... just you wait.

Happy thought for the day... The route to a happier life is through happy thoughts. Not just because they make you feel better immediately... but because happier thoughts give you a stronger and more stable foundation to your life. You are in control rather than being bounced around by life.

Great Weekend and Happy Thought of the Day!

Happy thought of the day: Happy thoughts connect us with the light, confidence and courage to act... to the power to believe. To live our lives according to our hopes and dreams not somebody else´s.



What a productive weekend. My husband and I attended an auction yesterday. I got some fantastic buys. It's funny I really enjoy going to auctions now... I used to get so nervous! Partly because of money and partly because of calling attention to myself. Not anymore, I really don't seem to care about people & attention anymore, and thankfully, we are in a much better place in the money department.



Some of my favorite buys were: a 15 gal. Red Wing crock for $60; another Red Wind crock that has a crock... but still a fav for $20, Two matching wool oriental rugs that are HUGE room size!! for $50 & $65 (one is in the shop and the other in my dining room); a queen size oak four poster bed for my daughter; a cherry drop front secretary w/ all the little cubbies and sections in it for $10; (okay, it needs a little TLC...but!); a set of square wood canisters with lids that I will paint up and prim and stick a cute label on for the shop... I think they were a whole dollar; cane chairs; needlepoint chairs...etc... I got a truck full and two trailer loads for a whopping $449.00! Not too bad I think. I love it all and that's what makes it even better. There were a couple of things I let go, and I regret, but no regrets with what I was lucky enough to get my fingers on! My husband was so funny... he would take load of what he considered junk to the truck (so thankful he does that for me...so I don't miss a thing) and come back and there I would have a couple more trinkets.

My daughter and her friend came and helped us load and unload the trailer. What a God send they were. We unloaded out at the shop all that was staying out there... and that was the first time they had seen the shop. They seem to like it; and had some cute ideas.

Today, my partner and I went to a cash and carry buying trip in Madison! CRAZY!! but we made off with some great items... at least what I can remember that we bought. People were everywhere just grabbing things up! Anyway, lots of fun and very productive!

I will try to get some pics on here of my finds!!

Happy Day,
Laura

Happy thought for the day...

It is well known that happy people think more happy thoughts than unhappy people. If we think happy thoughts... we create happy outcomes... we create a beautiful aura of light around ourselves... which leads us to happy results. So we create an exciting circle, which in turn makes us even happier.

Thursday,...dinner guests and menu/recipee

Well, tonight my husband called at about noonish... about bringing home two associates. No problem! cacha... right!~So I went to my shoe in dinner menu~ and I would suggest any of you to make this for your family or...unexpected guests!! :-0

Okay, Menu"
Roasted Tenderloin/w/ blue cheese sauce
salad w/italitanvinegrette
baby roasted potatoes
bread w/ balsamic dipping
florentine cookies w/ vanilla ice cream



oven at 350 degrees; nice big tenderloin with all the fat and membrane removed. put a little ring of olive oil in your roasting pan and then place whole or chopped shallots on top... then put down fresh rosemary sprigs on top. place the roast on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with remaining shallots and rosemary. cook till correct temp. Yumm Keep covered with foil to keep from drying out.

sauce:
2 pats of butter
2/3 cup blue cheese crumbled
1-2 tsp chopped shallots
touch of sherry
touch of worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper to taste

heat in sauce pan, but don't let it boil... keep warm until ready to serve.
roast and slice then top with sauce for the table.

Wednesday... Whatcha Working on??

Today I got up with my DH at 3:30 am to get him ready to leave on a business trip. Poor guy, he won't leave the night before because he doesn't sleep well in a hotel, so instead he will drive the 3 hours to Chicago in the early morning. Boy, do I appreciate what he does for our family! I am a lucky lady... I hope he knows that I realize what he does for us. You know how sometimes we just take things for granted... without taking the time out to thank our loved ones?! I need to make a better effort to show my appreciation to him... beginning today I will.

My friend and I are making progress on our shop! We are wiring beautiful fall leaf wreaths, everyday wreaths, potpourri that smells YUMM! We have made the most adorable and fragrant sachets, room fresheners, the sweetest little rosebud wreaths.... and the list goes on. I have even taken my hand at creating fabric witches hats, shoes and manekins. They are grunded to perfection, if I do say so myself. Our handbags are in~ even though I think we need to order a few more; our jewelry and scarves are in.... everyday something new is coming in! FUN!! Our opening is the weekend of October 10~ invitation only for the first weekend, just to get our feet wet. Then we have an outdoor show on October 24&25 and then we gear up for Dickens of a Christmas~ a victorian Christmas weekend in Ripon, WI. Fingers crossed, I think we should do well...

Ugh, some bad news is that my middle DD tweaked her ankle at volleyball. Yep the same one that was jipped on Varsity Volleyball! When I was taking her to the ER for xrays; I wispered to her, maybe now that you are injured you'll make varsity like the other girl who got the last spot and was injured and couldn't even play!! :-) She laughed~ I love that girl. One problem, she needs to let her family do more for her; but she is NOT the type to do that.... she doesn't want to ask for help with anything. She is a sweetheart!! Now if it were my older daughter (and it was her freshman year) snap, snap~ if I gave her a bell she would have used it! Funny how different children who are raised in the same environment turn out so differently! I love them all so much!!!

Well, that's all for this early Wednesday morning. I will post some pics of things I have been creating soon... as soon as I figure out how! :-)

Blessings,
Laura