Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Monday, October 29, 2012

Tea With The Ghouls



In a few days it will be Halloween.
It is the perfect day for tea with the ghouls.


Tea With The Ghouls
My Favorite Halloween Card


Let's start with the treat first -- a key lime cupcake.



Key Lime Cupcake



Tea in a fancy orange decorated cup found at Anthropologie.



Teacup


If tea isn't enough for the ghouls,
perhaps a specially prepared punch
served from this pitcher will do.


Halloween Pitcher


Happy Halloween!

Here are just a few of the tea parties in Blogland:


Wishing you well, much joy, and a wonderful cup of tea.


Friday, October 26, 2012

This and That




I have rediscovered root beer -- A&W diet root beer.
No caffeine.
Maybe it's a return to my youth!
Yum!

***

Did I tell you that I have a pen pal?
We met each other through Susan Branch
What fun it is getting to know someone the old-fashioned way -- through snail mail!
I really look forward to her letters.
She lives in Wisconsin and sent me this lovely postcard.

Wisconsin Postcard

She and her DH celebrated their 25th anniversary by visiting her favorite place,
the Village of Ephraim in Door County, Wisconsin.
"Splendid views, shopping"
Looks like a wonderful spot.

***

I do love mail call!
My buddy Janet at Random Acts of Art sent me a mail art mixed media postcard.


Mail Art

Isn't it great?!!!
Thanks, Janet!

***

I haven't had much time, but I did sit down 
and played with some iPhoto effects on a few of my photos.

I think this one is my favorite so far.


B&W Saucer

Black and white with some edge burr.
I think I like it because of the doily!


***

A cold front has arrived and I just finished MY Jack-O-Lantern lapghan.
The other lapghans have found happy homes for Halloween.


Toes

Don't worry.  
There's plenty of room for my toes underneath the lapghan.
I thought I could use this photo someday as a self-portrait of sorts! 

A cold front means soup time.
Split pea soup is calling to me, but since I have lentils I'll make lentil soup today.
I did look through the freezer and found a package of chopped turkey.
Turkey vegetable will be later in the week.

It also means good walking weather.
Walk to my village for breakfast or lunch.
A trip to the zoo and the Japanese Garden will definitely be in order.
I wonder if I can get the visits in before the temperature goes back up or
has FALL finally arrived?!!!!
I'll let you know.


***

Last, because Halloween is just around the corner,
here is another reproduction vintage postcard
from the Halloween Postcard Book by Darling and Company, Seattle.




Halloween Postcard

Happy Halloween! 

Wishing you well and a joy filled weekend.

Sending lots of love and light to the lovely Beth 
who hosts Postcard Friendship Friday each week.


Saturday, October 20, 2012

Camera Critters: Mina



You may remember that I adopted Mina from a local no kill shelter.
Every few months Friends for Life sends an email to me asking how she is doing.
I run around with the camera and take pictures of the little Princess
and send them off with a report that states 
"she has pretty much taken over the house".

Here are a few of the latest Mina shots.




Mina


Mina stretching


Mina


Mina sleeping/cat napping ... NOT!
I'm convinced she can hear the camera lens cover coming off even in her sleep!


Mina

Mina sitting on her favorite lapghan -- the Black Cat!

A big thanks to Misty for hosting Camera Critters each week.


Camera Critters


Okay, Mina. Time to go nap!
You did such a good job this morning supervising Mummy while she worked in the back yard.
Have to take advantage of the cool mornings.
Tomorrow summer will be back!


Friday, October 19, 2012

It's Postcard Day!



I wanted to share a couple of postcards with you before my day gets swamped!

I love this postcard from Shanghai of the old mailboxes on Yuyuan Lane.
My good friend is in China studying on a Fulbright and she sends me a postcard every now and then.
The photograph is by Yin Ying.





The stamps are lovely.




One more postcard to celebrate Halloween.
This is a reproduction of a vintage Halloween postcard
from the Halloween Postcard Book published by Darling & Company, Seattle.

Happy Halloween

There is no artist or publisher listed on the back of the postcard, 
but on the bottom of the card it reads
Painting Copyright by -- and then I can't make out the rest --
1908.

Thank you to the lovely Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday each week.

Wishing you well and a fun filled weekend!




Thursday, October 18, 2012

Good Morning!





Halloween Pumpkin



"There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch."
                                            ~Robert Brault




Tuesday, October 16, 2012

NoteCard Party: Halloween



It's time for Vee's Note Card Party.
Since it is October and Halloween is just around the corner,
I've selected recently posted Halloween items starting with
Henry Higgins and Eliza Boolittle! 




Henry Higgins and Eliza Boolittle


Seen in the neighborhood: A Smiling Ghost and


Happy Halloween Ghost


a smiling Pumpkin Man!


Happy Halloween Pumpkin Man


Last, my pumpkin crochet lapghan.


Jack-O-Lantern Lapghan



A Haven for Vee
Wishing you well and much joy!

Saturday, October 13, 2012

My World: Trader Joe's





Finally.
Trader Joe's opened stores in Houston.

So, what's so important about this Trader Joe's?
It may be the only Trader Joe's  located in an old movie theater!

The old Alabama Theater building was originally
constructed in the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne styles as a suburban theater.
The 739 seat theater opened on November 2, 1939 screening Man About Town starring Jack Benny.

The theater was closed in 1983 and was renovated as a retail bookstore.

After the bookstore closed, the building remained empty for several years.

Trader Joe's maintained some of the art deco features.
Take offs of movie posters are painted on the walls.





Trader Joes


Singing in the Grain

The Wizard of O's



Trader Joes

All Roads Lead to Trader Joe's 
Houston, Problem Resolved
Trader Joe's Opening Celebration
The Best Little Storehouse in Texas

I spent more time looking at the posters on the walls than I did the food in the store.
I did come home with a small orchid.

When the crowds have thinned out, I'll go back and take more shots of the posters I missed
and do some shopping! 

I think Trader Joe's did a fun job of maintaining some of the movie history of the building. 


Wishing you well and much joy!



Monday, October 8, 2012

OWLing Time!




Halloween is just around the corner and it's time to invite the
OWLS for tea! 




hOWLing


One of the local tea houses has owl tea cups.
Every time I visit with them I pick the owl cup for my tea.
Mr. Dragon searched and searched and found the teapot and teacup set.
He knew how much I enjoyed tea with the owls! 
It is one of my most precious possessions.
I can't help but think about Mr. Dragon and all the love we shared when I use this set.
It brings a very big smile to my face.
He would like to know I'm smiling and laughing.



Owls for Tea



How about a cup of chai and a pumpkin muffin?
Sounds good to me!


Thanking our tea party hosts:

Wishing you well, much joy, and a wonderful cup of tea.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

This and That



I love this time of year.
There is a promise that the days will cool and wonderful walks are in the future.
Last year, because of the drought, the acorns were few and far between.
This year the squirrels can't collect them fast enough before the acorns cover the ground.
I love Halloween and love to share Halloween fun!


This is a reproduction of a vintage Halloween postcard.
Isn't he quite clever!
Yes, we *auto* have a Happy Halloween.

Halloween Postcard


***

It's that time again.
Classes have started at Rice University.
The Boys are Back!
Time for Fall Ball.
I walked over to watch the action.
So many new freshmen.


Fall Ball


There's just nothing like the sound of the bat hitting the ball!

**


Walking home from Rice I spotted some Halloween decorations.
This Halloween man made me smile.
His head turns from side to side.

Happy Halloween Pumpkin Man


I don't think this Ghost is going to scare anyone!
What a great welcome he'll be to Trick or Treaters.


Happy Halloween Ghost


***

Finally, I finished the last black cat square.
I went to Michaels and found a gray yarn that was very close to the original.
This is what the afghan would have looked like.
It is huge.
I'm glad I decided to make four lapghans instead.


Mina and Cassie

I did do some tweaking of the pattern when I decided lapghans were the way to go.

I can't put anything on the floor without having a cat or two check things out.
Now I have the kitty seal of approval for the lapghans.


Wishing YOU well and much joy! 



Good Morning!







My other car is a broom