Just sharing some of the pictures from our Thanksgiving trip to the mountains. We had a great time with family, hiking the Appalachian, going to Goodwill (of course), and antiquing.
Also today is the last day of NaBloPoMo, finally.
These are only the pictures from one camera, I'll have the others up in the next few days.

I loved this little valley!

At the beginning of this hike, you start on one side of the mountain and sort of work your way around to another side while going up. The first side is extremely windy and cold, and these pictures were taken near the beginning. When we rounded that curve and hit the sun, those jackets and gloves and sweaters started coming off. On the way back we met another group all bundled up - us in our rolled up sleeves and all.
They probably wondered if we were from Alaska.

Where I've been...

I wanna cry.....

OK, I'm back.

I didn't take these pictures, but I've been amongst the some moving "rocky mountain grandeur". Only these aren't the Rocky Mountains.
Pictures from my trip coming soon!

I'm dreaming of a....

And so the Christmas season begins.... :)

Fictional Characters Get-together

1. Han Solo (Star Wars)
2. Elinor Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility)
3. Scout (To Kill a Mockingbird)
4. Charles Wallace (A Wrinkle in Time)
5. Monsieur Paul Emmanuel (Villette)
6. Dr. Jack Marshland (Cranford)
7. Peregrin Took (Lord of the Rings)
8. Uncle Rico (Napoleon Dynamite)
9. Jo March (Little Women)
10. Master Blakeney (Master and Commander)
11. Eowyn (Lord of the Rings)
12. Passeportout (Around the World in Eighty Days)

1. Who would make a better college prof, 6 or 11?
(Dr. Jack Marshland or Eowyn)
I think I have to say Dr. Marshland. Eowyn might feel caged!

2. 12 sends 8 out on a mission. What is it? Does it succeed?
(Passeportout sends Uncle Rico)
Passeportout wants Rico to go put out the pilot light in his room, but Uncle Rico gets sidetracked at a diner eating steak.

3. What is or would be 9's favorite book?
(Jo March)
A good romance!

4. For some reason, 5 is looking for a roommate. Should (s)he share a studio apartment with 9 or 10?
(M. Paul is looking. Choices - Jo March or Master Blakeney)
Jo of course! She is a lot like his love.

5. 2, 7, and 12 have dinner together. Where do they go, and what do they discuss?
Elinor Dashwood, Pippin, Passeportout
They go somewhere that Pippin picks. Lots of food, cheap prices. Maybe they talk about their hopes and dreams. Pippin provides the entertainment.

6. 3 challenges 10 to a duel. What happens?
(Scout challenges Master Blakeney)
This is great because they’re both kids! Blakeney wins of course, he’s had more experience in battle.

7. If 1 stole 8's most precious possession, how would she/he get it back?
(Han Solo steals from Uncle Rico)
Han must have stolen Rico’s football video. Rico either a. hits him with a chunk of steak or b. tricks him into getting shocked by a time travel machine.


8. Suggest a title for a story in which 7 and 12 both attain what they most desire.
(Pippin and Passeportout)
Love and Best Dishes


9. What kind of plot device would you use if you wanted 4 and 1 to work together?
(Han Solo and Charles Wallace)
A dangerous mission to save a beautiful princess. Han flies the time and space traveling machine, and Charles handles the mechanics of trying to wrinkle time!

10. If 7 visited you for the weekend, how would you get along?
(Pippin)
Well, fine! We’d do a lot of cooking. And fireworks.

11. If you could command 3 to perform any one task or service for you, what would it be?
(Scout)
I have no idea!

12. Does anyone on your friends list write or draw 11?
(Eowyn)
I’m not sure, I think not!

13. If 2 had to choose sides between 4 and 5, which would it be?
(Elinor has to choose between Charles Wallace or M. Emmanuel)
I think she would choose Charles Wallace because she loves children.

14. What might 10 shout while charging into battle?
(Master Blakeney)
For my arm!!!!!

15. If you chose a song to represent 8, which song would you choose?
(Uncle Rico)
Deep organ music that reminds you of a thrift store.

16. 1, 6, and 12 are having dim sum at a Chinese restaurant. There is only one scallion pancake left, and they all reach for it at the same time. Who gets to eat it?
(Han, Dr. Marshland, Passeportout)
Han of course. He might whip out his gun if challenged!

17. What might be a good pick-up line for 2 to use on 10?
(Elinor on Master Blakeney)
She could never be mad at him, and if not I don’t know!

18. What would 5 most likely be arrested for?
(M. Emmanuel)
That would be impossible.

19. What is 6's secret?
(Dr. Marshland)
That he was the one who sent letters to the ladies!

20. If 11 and 9 were racing to a destination, who would get there first?
(Jo and Eowyn)
Wow that’s hard, they’re both tomboyish. I have to say Jo would.

21. If you had to walk home through a bad neighborhood late at night, would you feel safer in the company of 7 or 8?
(Pippin or Uncle Rico)
Pippin! Though he might not offer much protection, Uncle Rico is too creepy!

1 (Han) and 9 (Jo) reluctantly team up to save the world from the threat posed by 4's (Charles Wallace‘s) sinister secret organization. 11 (Eowyn) volunteers to help them, but it is later discovered that s/he is actually a spy for 4 (Charles Wallace). Meanwhile, 4 (Charles Wallace) has kidnapped 12 (Passeportout) in an attempt to force their surrender. Following the wise advice of 5 (M. Emmanuel), they seek out 3 (Scout), who gives them what they need to complete their quest. What title would you give this fic?

I don’t know but with Charles Wallace in charge its going to be hard for the others to get the best of him.

Happy Thanksgiving!

"In everything give thanks."
~1 Thessalonians 5:18

"I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me."
~Psalms 13:6


I hope everyone has a wonderful time with family and friends this day!

Weep you no more....

"Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments; love is not love
Which alters when alteration it finds,
or bends with the remover to remove.
Oh no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is not shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with its brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me prov'd,
I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.

~William Shakespeare
Sonnet no. 114

Make-up Raid

And no, we do not own black lipstick. It's mascara.

Cinnamon Rolls

Rite Aid Deal

All in all, my mom made $2.22 on the above items!

Strawberry Muscadine Thumbprints.

I think Caroline might be posting about these in the next few days too.

Cranberry Thumbprints
from Martha Stewart Living

1 cup flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 t salt
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients. Combine butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Add the vanilla and egg yolk to butter mixture, combine. Gradually (or not!) add the dry. Roll dough into balls, roll in egg white and then remaining sugar. Place balls on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and press thumb into the middle of each cookie. Bake 15 minutes. When done, fill the hole with jam or jelly of your choice.

Surface

intransitive verb
1 : to work on or at the surface
2 : to come to the surface
3 : to come into public view

J.Jill...

...t-shirt at Goodwill! For 3.25!

high quality, perfect condition....

Score!

I'm sorry today's post is so late! I am not on my computer, so have no access to my pictures and scrambled for yesterday's post and today's!

So anyway, I was on talbots.com the other day and found this really cute dress. Immediately the "I can make that!" thought came into my head, but we all know it will never happen! So I'll just look at pictures and hope to find it at a yard sale next summer!

I hate it when builders absolutely destroy the trees in their area before constructing huge, pretentious homes in the place of the graceful (gentle) giants.

In fact, to quote someone I know well, "It makes you wanna throw up."

Large cities frustrate me.

However, I enjoy the culinary delights that such metropolises offer.

I cannot have my cake and eat it too.

The End

Rainy-day Comfort

Buttercup Bag

Fabric - Amy Butler
Pattern - Buttercup Bags

I Love my Sister!

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward."
Psalm 127:3

Birthday Celebrations

A trip to the big city can only result in one thing.
Chinese.
And college girls celebrating their big day, of course.

Eady just wanted me to tell ya'll that in the above picture, she was trying to look like that. Also, she was trying not to laugh.

decisions, decisions

Ok. Gotta go. Foods here.

Happy Birthday Tabitha!
I miss you.
*sniff*
Love, Lillian

(I can't believe you're 20, but I bet you-know-who can.)

98% Thrift

Skirt - 1.00
Shoes - 1.00
Blouse - 3.50
Jacket - 1.00
tank top - ?, but it wasn't a yard sale or goodwill product!

My favorite places to shop?

Goodwill and yard sales, of course!

Books - $1 each

Bass clogs - $3.50

Earth Shoes - $1

Pumpkin Bread

Perfect for a chilly fall day.....
Perfect with a cup of tea....

To quote Mrs. Glenn...

"Lovely to share - lovely to be alone with."

Rutherford Wynd Pumpkin Bread
The Heritage of Southern Cooking
Camille Glenn

1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1/8 t baking soda
1 1/4 t baking powder
1/2 t cinnamon
3/4 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Cream the butter and sugar, add eggs and continue to beat until thick and smooth. Sift the flour with soda, powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the flour, pumpkin, and water alternately to the creamed butter and eggs. Do not over beat. Fold in the nuts with a spatula. Spoon the batter in to a large 2 lb loaf pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake about one hour.
Let cool before slicing. (but I know you won't be able to wait that long)

(I, naturally, skipped all the sifting and "alternataly adding" parts. I also used currants instead of nuts. It was still good.)

My first tag!

Mylena from Beautiful Girlhood tagged me the other day. The rules are to say seven things about yourself. I'll try to say things ya'll probably don't know.

1. I don't like it at all when it rains while the sun is shining.
2. I love playing the piano.
3. I went to public and private school before I was homeschooled.
4. I used to run a lot.
5. The fastest I ever ran a mile was 8 minutes and 1 second.
6. I have tendinitis in my right wrist.
7. I was born with red hair.

Whew.

I'm glad it was only seven, I had some trouble!

I tag....

Emma - Musings of an Innovative Maiden
Emily - A Day in my Life
and
Christine - The Lily of the Valley

A dress.

(I couldn't think of a better title!)

I made this dress for a friend from church.

You look beautiful Rebecca! I do hope the dress pleases you. Thanks so much!

Baby Shower

The shower for the lady I made the hat for...

Mom-to-be opening her presents

Have you seen me?

The other day, my mom left the coupon book at the grocery store. (Capital crime in coupon world, for those of you who don't know)

I walked in the kitchen. "It's not in the car."
"What? What do you mean it's not in the Car? Did you look in the back seat?"

Of course I did. Well, anyway the nice man at the store kept it for us, a good thing because triple coupons was the next day. Here are the results.

22.04

The Mad Hatter

I used bamboo and silk yarn to make this baby hat for a lady at our church. It's so soft!

A Trip to the Farm

100% Thrift

Jacket - from a friend - she got it at a yard sale!
Skirt - Goodwill - Talbots 100% silk - $3.50
t-shirt - hand-me-down
Shoes - (sorry you cant see them!) Goodwill - Nine West flats - $4.99

Total (for me) - $8.49