Happy Autumn & A Haunting Child

Happy Autumn, it's been cool and raining and it's really starting to feel like it here. It's not a minute to soon for me I'm loving it.


I just hung a primitive portrait that I've actually been babysitting for a friend of mine. I've had it stored for several years and since he hasn't returned for it I thought I'd give this young man a special place over the mantle. I'm not sure if it's watercolor or chalk but I will tell you this is a ghostly like child. The story went that this was a portrait of a young man from Windsor N.C.

There was a lady that was his Nanny and deeply loved him, when she left the family they gave her this portrait. It had remained in the family and had been passed down several generations until it was purchased by my friend. I have no clue to the age, the little guy is so pale with white hair and pale blue eyes that follow you where ever you are in the room. I wish I knew the age of this. The cardboard backing has an old advertisement for something that says Martha Washington, Meyer for Women. I have no idea what it means and can't find any information on it. Still I love him, he just seems to have a sadness about him. His clothing looks to be early 1900's to me but I suppose it could be earlier.

I've got to get a close up of his face, maybe in the next post.

I'm beginning to get some decorating done. It's going slow. My heart just isn't in it this year. The old cupboard has gotten some autumn glow added.

A couple of years ago I found these little children's purses in a box at a garage sale. Three were glittery jack o lanterns and and one was velvet. I just couldn't pass them up. I thought they might be a bit too glitzy for my primitive style but I found that if I mingle them in here and there they add just the right bit of sparkle.

I do love them.

See the one hiding on the door, there's also one hiding on the mantle.

I hope to post more latter today and update my Familiar Spirits blog as well. Work has been a nightmare for weeks now and I'm hoping that will get better so I can shake off some of the stress and get back into the full joy of Autumn and blogging.

Autumn

Can you believe it; it's almost here. I'll be back tomorrow with another post and hopefully some autumn decorating pictures. In the mean time please visit my Halloween blog at

http://familiarspirits.blogspot.com/ I've just posted a favorite story there and I hope you will enjoy it as much as my family has and please leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you.
With a nod of her head

And a flourish of her cloak

She flies away

In a puff of smoke....

A Short Sunday Post

These were a steal at a sale several months ago, I couldn't find a place for them and then Friday I realized that they would fit perfectly on that little odd wall as you come into the living room. I twined a few berries around them and really liked the look.

Just a quick post and a few pictures. I've just not been feeling well the last couple of days, not sick, just tired and sort of overwhelmed at everything that I need to get done. Oh well at least it's feeling like autumn and I've been waiting for autumn.Sugar wasn't even getting in the mood. I gave her this cute little ball that lights up and flashes color but she was napping and not in the least interested.

Now to share a couple of neat things that I've found. This picture was at a thrift store that I visited a couple of weeks ago. It has a neat wood frame but I took it out to scan it and the scan just didn't work so I took a picture of the picture. I just love this. I did just a touch of decorating to the mantle, I have several boxes of autumn decorations waiting for me to unpack but not today.

Can you believe I found this old frame at a garage sale a couple of weeks ago for $3.00, I also got a plate rack, spoon rack and a needlepoint screen that I'll post pictures of later. It was a great sale.

Hope everyone is having a safe, happy weekend.

Friday Off Work and Halloween

Hi Everyone,

Another free Friday; well sort of free I've been cleaning and doing a little autumn decorating. I've also had a little bit of time to visit some of my favorite blogs and discover some new ones as well. If you love Halloween as much as I do you have to stop by and visit http://artisticthalloweenqueens.blogspot.com/. It is an amazing blog with the works of so many talented artists. I know I'm going to be spending some this weekend visiting all of their blogs and they are having a great give away so be sure and pop over and check them out.

Autumn & Cat Whiskers

Yesterday after work I took a walk around my yard looking for autumn. I've heard these flowers called cats whiskers and spider lilies. I remember them from when I was a child, they grew at all of the old houses. I love the way they just appear, one day there's nothing there and the next there's a tall stem with red buds and on the second day the flower is completely open. They seem to pop up at random here; they must have been planted long ago but it's a sure sign that September has arrived.

I found these berries growing in a thicket behind the old shed. I have no idea what they are but they are beautiful. If anyone knows please tell me. I didn't even know they were there.

The trumpet vine struggles to make a last show of brilliant blooms; the hummingbirds love these.

Red berries starting to appear also in the thicket.

And pecans, if a storm doesn't blow these off the tree before they ripen they will make a great pie. I'll keep my eyes on these.

The artemisia is loving the cooler days. Most of my herbs just didn't do well this summer but this looks as if it's just been waiting for autumn.

The cat whiskers is even pretty in the dark.

Have a good night all and Blessed Be.

I Figured it Out

I finally figured out how to add an album from my picture trail!!! Yea !!! Now I can get back to work on my Halloween blog and add some other things I'm working on here. Please take a look at the album on my side bar. This is about three blocks from where I grew up. It is such a place of peace and beauty. It is the Mystic Wood.

Textures

Hi It's Friday again. I know I really need to be working 40 hours a week these days but this having Friday's off is really nice. I could get used to this. The weather here has been so Autumn like this week, so cool and refreshing. I went by the pumpkin farm today just in case but there was no sign that they would be opening anytime soon. I've been seeing and enjoying so many wonderful posts and pictures of textures so I thought I'd add a few from my home.

My camera no longer takes good close up shots but you get the idea.

Once again I uploaded the same picture twice, one day I'll get this whole blogging thing figured out.

This next picture after the bear is a new texture to my home. Last Tuesday when I came home for lunch I noticed a large pile of stuff out in front of my neighbors home. I remember spending the night there with Mrs. M's niece when I was young. The house was full of beautiful antiques and Mrs. M was so sweet. She went into a nursing home over a year ago and all of her wonderful crystal, china and antiques were carried away by relatives. The house sat empty all this time and has just been put up for sale; the realtor had cleaned everything that was left out and placed it by the street to be picked up. A neighbor and had had a really good time with that huge pile of stuff. I'll post about that later but while I was going through one of the many bags of stuff I found a second plastic bag way down in the bottom, I could barely reach it these were huge lawn bags but I kept rummaging until I was able to tear a little hole in the second bag. There was something frilly and white in there. I went to work hard then and there in the second plastic bag was Mrs. M's wedding dress. I about had tears in my eyes by the time I brought it to the sunlight and realized what it was. It is in perfect condition except for a few yellow age marks mostly on the train. A sweet and innocent 1950's dress worn on the happiest day of her life. She and Mr. M were a devoted couple all of their lives. I can't believe the relatives left this behind. It's safe now.

This is a mirror I bought at a garage sale earlier this year, it doesn't show very well but it has beveled glass and this beautiful, glided, tortoise shell frame. I think I paid 3.00 for it.

Have a great holiday weekend everyone.