Wow- I Didn't Realize

I had not blogged in over a month! I have been so busy with the hustle and bustle of the holidays (obviously including Thanksgiving!) and birthdays that I let my hobby slip away! I even forgot my password to sign on! Well, I plan on getting back to updating and participating in blog parties after we kick off the New Year!
So I wish all of my fellow bloggers and fabulous blog readers a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
xoxoxo-
Rachel

Autumn Luncheon

Welcome to our cozy little luncheon! Grab a seat and pour your self a cup of hot coffee to warm...

Meet my happy little Pilgrim couple. They were a very popular salt and pepper shaker set sold at my local grocery store, Publix, as a collectible. They have since retired the collection. I do believe I have three sets!

Fresh roasted pumpkin seeds. I used the seeds from a white pumpkin, they are meatier!

A quick arrangement I made with a rustic looking tool box I bought for $.50 at a crafters yard sale a few months ago. I added fall picks, dried mini corn, faux leaves, raffia and a mini scarecrow!

My favorite dishes that I had actually sold at my yard sale this week. I have way too many dish sets. I did decide to keep a place setting for four just for my own table setting enjoyment! My favorite coffee mugs sent to me as a "just because gift" from my special friend, Audrey!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Who's ready for dessert?

My favorite view of my tablescapes, the sun streaming in!

Placemates from Walmart, I love that they are round. Unique and different.

Linking up with :

http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/

Thanks for joining us for lunch, come back and visit soon!

Rachel

Sweet and cinnamon-y roasted pumpkin recipe

Oh, how I love thee, dear Pumpkin! You just keep getting better and better!
Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts to sweet and cinnamon-y roasted pumpkin!

Please allow me to share this easy and delicious recipe ...

Clean the outside of a pie pumpkin, very well.

Cut in half and seed.

Rub each half with a tbsp of room temperature butter.

Mix 1/2 c brown sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle on each pumpkin half.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Serve with vanilla ice cream while it is still warm!!!!
Linking up with for Something I Whipped Up Mondays!

Enjoy!
Rachel

Fall Centerpiece

Look at all of the morning sun streaming in through the window and glowing around this Autumn arrangement!I added sunflowers to an arrangement that I already had. I was also able to include my turkey candle holders. They were given to me as a gift from my Mom on one of my first Thanksgivings I had ever cooked for. About 15 years ago. They were almost lost this year, as I had forgotten about a few totes of Thanksgiving decorations! But now their found, so all is good!

Thanks for stopping by and visiting!!!
Rachel

I found a few boxes of Thanksgiving decorations

that I had forgotten about. It was like a bonus I found when I cleaned out my holiday storage closet this morning! I know, how can one lose 2 Rubbermaid totes full of decorations? Easy. They were labeled Christmas! I redecorated my decorations and snapped a few new photos ... for now I will show you a little sneak peek of the vignettes I spruced up today.I also noticed that the boys forgot to carve one of the white pumpkins, so why not add it to my vignette???Linking up with Style Sisters for Centerpiece Wednesday at http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/2010/11/centerpiece-wednesdays-fallthanksgiving.html
and Vignette Fridays over at Color Outside the Lines http://niagaranovice.blogspot.com/
And a new one... Seasonal Sundays http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/
Thanks for revisiting my foyer!
Rachel

Pumpkin Carving Party ~ Halloween 2010

Since Halloween is my families favorite holiday, we always celebrate with a party!

I bought these rising hand picks from my grocers bakery and made my own dirt topped cupcake - you know the dirt is actual Oreo crumbs, right!?!?!I re-purposed my blue beverage tin to a more useful black colored one. I also sprayed on a little black chalkboard paint for a little more fun!Time to eat! Spanakopita, pigs in a blanket, honey BBQ chicken bites, shrimp cocktail, buffalo chicken dip, pizza rolls and sweet -n- sour meatballs!And Mama's homemade candy apples too!When the kids first entered, they made Halloween candy necklaces :) My eldest is such a ham!Then my guests and kids enjoyed pumpkin carving. We had plenty of patterns, pokers, knives and helpers to go around!Most of the helpers were "taker-overers" ... the Dad's really got into it!My boys didn't get any help, I was too busy checking on our guests and Daddy was still recovering from our neighbor's Halloween party from the night before ;)My son's fabulous pumpkin! I love it! And the white pumpkin smells devine as you carve it, kind like cucumber melon! We love white pumpkins around here!Apple bobbing... I am so glad the other parents didn't have the birds eye view I had, they WOULD NOT have let their kids stick their heads in that bucket. Kids can be icky sometimes !!!

And then we went trick or treating with a few friends and happened upon this house in my neighborhood. They only set this display up on Halloween morning just for the trick or treaters! They put so much heart and soul into it and it shows! No pun intended!

Thanks for stopping by!
Rachel

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

I just wish the weather was a little more Autumnal instead of the 88 degrees it has been here in Tampa! I love Thanksgiving (second only to Halloween!) and I actually thought about skipping the decorations and waiting for Christmas. As you can see, I decided that was a bad idea!!!!Daylight view.Nighttime view. My favorite way to enjoy the house! Our front foyer entrance. My second favorite place to decorate in my house!The humongous and gorgeous potted Mums my son's former teacher brought as a hostess gift on Sunday for our Halloween party! Pray for it, as I always KILL my plants!The tablescape....My favorite part of the table, a pleasant cluster of floral sprigs, leaves, lanterns and pumpkins!The boys pumpkins that were too cute to toss after Halloween!My first favorite place to decorate, the dining room!Ready for some comfy potato soup, a hunk of crusty bread and glass of sparkling apple cider. Mini Fall terrarium with moss, acorns and wild walnuts!My dollar bargain from a friends garage sale! What a fab deal for the Party Light candle and bowl with the beaded wreath! The glass and wrought iron tray was NOT a dollar... I bought it about 4 years ago at my Southern Living Home party!More dollar bargains from my friend, the flower arrangement and wooden clock. I left the vintage books covered in the white paper from Halloween, since it looked nice and crisp!More garage sale bargains!Linking ups with .......