A Place to Sit

I love occasional chairs. They just have that certain something.

A touch of color.

A bit of shape.

And a place to perch.

They're the total package.

While I'd really love to furnish my home with chairs like these:

or these:

Reality finds us sitting upon something more like this ($1 each on the side of the road):

But I've seen cute things done with a promising chair. Like this one:

So when I found these nuggets on Craigslist for $75 for the pair, I pounced.

Now I have to decide whether to A: paint the upholstery (gasp) like they did here, B: tear them all apart and hope they go back together better than the Humpty Dumpties that they are. Or C: just throw a couple of pillows on them and pretend people don't notice how old the upholstry is or how someone in their past used a brown marker to color in the faded arms.

Right now "C" is winning.  Maybe I'll be inspired soon or inherit some upholstering tools. For now, they hold sitting people - (the bar is obviously set very high) and fill up a corner of the Great Room nicely. Any guesses on how old my kiddos will be when these finally get a facelift? Hopefully they'll still live at home.

Pumpkin Muffins

 I made this recipe on Halloween to give to our neighbors. It's an oldie, but goodie that I grew up eating. Actually a cake recipe, we use it for muffins so they're extra moist. I sprinkle a touch of sugar on top before baking to crisp up the muffin top. They're great plain or warm with a dab of cream cheese.

Sift together:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt

Beat:
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. oil

Then stir in:
1 c. pumpkin
1 c. raisins (optional)

Pour batter into muffin cups 2/3 full.

Sprinkle a bit of sugar on top of each muffin before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

A Bit O' Color

We had an impromptu chili party the other night with both sets of grandparents. While fixing all the trimmings, I happened to glance at the uninteresting dinner table.

I like a beautiful tablescape as much as the next person, but time was of the essence.

I hunted down my Whole Cloves and grabbed the bag of clementines I'd just purchased at Meijer and . . .

. . . voila!

Teeny tiny pumpkins. They're not much, but a touch of color was all that was missing to welcome our dinner guests with flair.

And everyone ate their very own little splash of color.

October 31st

Our little trick or treaters took the street by storm this year.

They had a ball and claimed they took in millions of pieces of candy.

I just think they're cute.

And will commence skimming candy from their stashes once they're at school tomorrow.

 Happy Halloween!

My New Love

Saturday marked our 1-year anniversary of life at Creekside. We are so thankful for our home and love that it's useful for guests. Until last week the two most important features of the house were:
1. a master bath (hallelujah!)
2. a playroom.

Until last week, that is. I now have a new favorite feature.

Drumroll, please.

My pantry.

She's beautiful and my love for her has overtaken the affection I have for all other inanimate objects combined.

Check her out.

She's tall. I actually need a stepladder to reach her heights.

And thin. One entire wall is 7" deep shelves that are perfect for food pantry items. The kiddos can even reach their own cereal in the morning. Love that! I even stocked up on sale cereal just because I had the space to store it all.

And organized. All the shelves are adjustable. (you may notice the Nutella perched next to the Jiff - 1st time buyer and already crave the chocolate nuttiness)

And bejeweled. These little sliding drawer beauties have resided with us in all 3 houses and will now hold potatoes and onions.

And accessorized. Bright Marble and Granite gave us a great deal on a remnant slab of granite for the counter.

I love her. She's my new BFF. And if you ever need to borrow a cup of sugar I know exactly where it is.

The Sounds of Music

We always thought musicals were a thing of fiction.

Then we had Schnickle.

Her life is a musical that's sung with abandon,

 filling her world with life-inspired narrating lyrics

that soar to the heavens

and dip to the sea

in her ever-changing

aria of life.

It makes us smile!

Applesauce Cinnamon Salad

This salad is actually a Jell-O salad, but the name is long enough already. My mother has been making it for years and we all love it. It's an often-requested recipe and super easy. And since I made it for a church potluck yesterday I decided to snap a few photos and share.

Without further ado . . . Applesauce Cinnamon Salad!

5 c. Applesauce (1 large jar)
1/4 c. Red Hot Candies
2 (6 oz.) pkg. Red Jell-O (I usually use 1 strawberry and 1 raspberry)
1/4 tsp. Knox Gelatin
2 c. Boiling Water

Boil the water. (I usually boil extra water and dissolve the Red Hots in a stainless steel bowl over the extra water.) Add the Red Hots to the water and stir to dissolve. Then add Jell-O and Knox gelatin and stir to dissolve.

At this point I usually pour the dissolved liquid through a sieve to ensure no Red Hot remnants make it into the final product.

Pour in the applesauce and stir to incorporate.

Place in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to set. Enjoy!

And because I know one of my 4 readers over at Becka's blog loves birds I thought I'd share what was on the patio this morning. Congrats, Mrs. L. on the news of your own "Grandmother Nest" expanding by a little chickie.