Quoth the Raven - Tablescape Thursday

Tablescape Thursday...thank you to Susan for hosting. Please visit her at Between Naps on the Porch for some great treats (or tricks)

Quoth the Raven ... Nevermore

Well that isn't quite right. Tablescaping is way too much fun to say nevermore. Welcome to one of my Halloween tables. My inspiration came from my raven candlesticks I got as a gift from a dear friend who knows how much I love the crazy holiday of Halloween. Thanks Peggy.

Toile plates, black chargers and a napkin ring of bling

Beware the potions... they may not be for human consumption.

Close up of the napkin ring
The splash of orange is a paper napkin



This hand was made by my dad several years ago. It is a candleholder but I thought it would come in useful for a few eyeball appetizers.

What should our menu be?

Something spooky I think

The raven

I don't know if you can see it but there is a raven on

the pumpkin next to the flowers too.

Oh there he is.

Overall picture of the table

Happy Halloween, thanks for stopping by.

Now back to Susan's

The Great Pumpkin

Happy Outdoor Wednesday

and Happy Halloween.

Thank you to our wonderful hostess Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.

The Great Pumpkin ......

well Charlie Brown isn't around but we did see some Great pumpkins.

This past weekend was a whirlwind but to get my Outdoor Wednesday fix, I decided to share a few pumpkin patch pictures.

We were invited to meet Kristi, Tim and the girls at our local pumpkin patch. These two girls couldn't be more different...not only in appearance but in temperament.

Riley is very cautious and Madison jumps in with both feet.

We didn't experience that brisk fall weather that we so need, but it was a beautiful day just the same.

So many choices.....





Which is your pumpkin shape of choice? My kids always had a favorite and picked the same type of pumpkin each year. Personally, I like the big round perfect type.




Kevin and Madison having a moment




Riley contemplating whether or not she wanted to take a slide on the Giant Tiger Slide.

Madison said she would go on the slide....but darn it, she wasn't big enough yet.

She decided to just watch

I love this picture. This is Kevin and his mom (Delores)

Riley with a friend

This picture cracks me up. Riley is upset (not sure why) and Madison is almost smirking

Thanks for stopping by

now back to Susan's for more Outdoor fun.

Happy Birthday Delores

Delores,

my lovely mother in law celebrated her birthday yesterday.

Since the additions to our family, we have gone from two October birthdays to four. Delores thinks we need to take the 3 adult types

and have 1 big party.

Madison can still have her very own, and I wholeheartedly agree.

Back to the birthday.

Delores is the most energetic 77 year old I know.

She still gardens, plays bridge, cans, goes to church, shopping and to the movies, plays games, travels

and is basically up for whatever we have going on.

I hope to follow in her footsteps someday,

because she knows how to live.

Her cake of choice this year was coconut.

That's another thing in common..we are always up for anything coconut.

Happy Birthday Delores!!



Checking out the bootie

Cake was delicious (but anything with coconut is delicious)

Blowing out candles with a little help from a friend.

and many more ..............

A girl never has enough shoes

Bella loves shoes...all colors and styles.

Baba decided to get her some dress up shoes and

princess gowns for her birthday.

We went to Sam's Club

(I was also checking to see if they had that great kitchen I got Riley and Madison) and Bella got a package of 5 princess heels and a tiara. She grabbed the shoes and headed for the car. The package was bigger than she was...but she knew what she wanted.

She was very eager to get home and start playing

But on the way to the car she got a little tired and took
a short rest.

and then grabbed her shoes again and off to the car.

But the package was getting heavier and heavier ... so ....

She got a little help from mommy.

Bella

Mom and I arrived in Tulsa at about 6:00 in the evening and since Stacy and James were in class the routine was different.

Usually we are greeted at the airport by Stacy and Bella. We then head out to a few of our favorite stores, dinner at Olive Garden (with a glass of wine for me) and then home, but this time we were on our own. With minimal directions and dark lonely Oklahoma roads we started our trek.

James had texted me the instructions and did a good job (other than they came in 5 separate texts...have you ever tried to read a text on a dark deserted road?) until I got to text 4 telling me I should see the house on the left. I knew I was still about a half hour away... my phone was running out of battery (where my vital directions were living) and my mom was asleep. Luckily I scrolled through the texts again and saw that instruction 4 and 5 had been reversed. This was the step I needed which brought us safely to their house.

You have no idea how proud I was for making it in record time without getting lost. James and Stacy were surprised too as was James' mom who was waiting at their house with Bella.


I brought gifts for Bella since I was sure

she remembered Mickey Mouse from our last visit...but I was certain she didn't remember me. The gift of choice (thanks to a hint from Stacy) was Dora's backpack. Just to be on the safe side I brought the purple backpack with Dora's essentials and another backpack with Dora's picture on it, I wasn't taking any chances.

Does she look a little suspicious?

Baba helping her put the backpack on

She warmed up to us immediately

But the girl never stops thinking... and when she

is deep in thought, she sticks her tongue out to help her concentrate

We had a great time waiting for Stacy and James to get home.

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A

Where the corn is as high as an elephants eye. That's where I am minus the pretty little surrey with the fringe on the top, and the corn for that matter, unless u count the soup.

I am enjoying the Vanderheiden's hospitality. Bella and her mom and dad are making my and Baba's stay very memorable. We are enjoying a crisp 57 degrees, surrounded by the beauty of fall and her slightly changing trees. It is so beautiful here and after chatting w/Kevin this morning and being informed that it is a sweltering 100 degrees in California, I shall enjoy my stay even more. No I'm not laughing at ya'll I'm just...no I am laughing. Lol neiner neiner. Fall is the star of the landscape which is vibrant green as far as the eye can see with the contrasting oranges and reds of the falling leaves and it's as though every property is dotted with a pond.

Baba bought Bella a dress-up trunk filled with more beauty treasures that one could imagine and Bella is having a blast... she has been Cinderella, the Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, the other Belle, and a mix-match combination of all of the above. Some of you could you take some "What-not-to Wear" advice from her. She is a little cutie.

Just thought I would check in... now off to bake some cookies in our heart shape cookie pan and maybe polish our nails. Aren't little girls fun?

Outdoor Wednesday - Surf's Up

Welcome to Outdoor Wednesday... Surf's Up

I haven't played for quite some time but it is nice to be back. Thank you to Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for hosting. Be sure to check out the other Outdoor posts.

While Kevin and I were in Hawaii, we would plan our day around where we would watch the sunset. We would take our beverages and head to the selected beach. On this particular night we happened to be at the resort, so we headed over to the pool bar to watch the sunset.

We called it our 20.00 sunset. A beverage each, a tip for the lovely waitress and a gorgeous show. This evening we got a bonus attraction. Unseasonal waves graced our little bay, and with the waves came the surfers.

The hotel is out on the point so we got an amazing view of the surfers. I felt like I could catch the waves with them. We started watching just before sunset. There is something about a group of surfers waiting to catch a wave with the sun preparing to set.

I would love to go back when the really big
waves show up.




Doesn't it look great out there?


I took way too many pictures of the sunset.

We had several surfers come by to chat on their way home.

Fun

Slow and easy

Here's Kevin... he chose the weinie wave.

That's me on the wave...what do you think?

This doesn't even begin to show the beauty of the evening

They hung on until the very last piece of light crossed the ocean.