The Pumpkin Patch and Fall Decor

My friend Janet and I went to a farm and found pretty pumpkins today, so I came home and redecorated the whole house.  Here are a few of the major areas... done.

The table on the back porch.  The tablecloth is just a piece of fabric I had lying around.  That weird

owl is something my kids picked out a few years ago.  He seems very at home sitting on the table.

The thing with the pumpkin on it is square paper plates.  They were $1 at the dollar store for about 50 of them.  Good deal!

My fall table inside the front door.

Check out this funky gourd.  It is striped underneath and pumpkin-like on top.  Love it.

This is the kitchen table where the kids eat breakfast and lunch.  They will love these

gourds!

I have more to do, but I think this is enough for now.   Halloween is right around the corner, so I will be

adding that stuff in the next few weeks.  Have you started your fall decorating yet?

So... Fall Is Here

I thought I'd share some pretty pictures of our backyard all prepared for Fall.  These were taken with my Nikon CoolPix S9.  The best news of the day???   My FIL had an old camera sitting around that he hasn't used in about 20 years, so he gave it to me!  It is a Minolta XG-A 35MM.  I have to get a battery and film for it and I will be playing with it next.  Can't wait.  It has a macro and zoom lens. 

The bad news?  The pool closing is scheduled.   Although we had a 90 degree day on Friday, we couldn't swim because the water is 60 degrees.  Brrr!  Luckily, the temps dropped overnight and it was crisp and 65 today.

Today we threw the boys in the car and headed to Johnny Appleseeds for some fall fun... apple picking!  After getting lots of pictures with several different cameras (yes, I may have gone crazy!), we headed back to the store {which sells high-end furniture} and looked around.  In the back of the store, they have a wonderful coffee/tea room which overlooks the pond. So pretty and the coffee is amazing... oh.. and free!  I wish I had taken my camera in with me.  I would have shown you how cute it is.

Look at all of these apples!

Love this shot!

We brought home a whole bushel.... wonder what I will do with them all???

The best part of picking?  Sampling!

 Mmmmm... here's what I did with some of them... turned them into chunky, warm apple sauce and served it with homemade chili, flax corn chips and Vermont Extra-Sharp Cheddar.  Such a nice, warm meal on a nice fall day!

Ithaca and Toughonnock Falls

We are certainly having beautiful weather here in NY. Last weekend we took a trip to Ithaca to do some hiking back to Toughonnock Falls. It is so pretty back there and it is pretty much a hike anyone can do. It is all flat and fairly dry. I have seen people in wheelchairs and people with strollers headed back to the falls, so it is a hike for all people. I even saw a girl with a cast on her foot walking back there?!? {Who does that?} 

I believe it is only about 3/4 a mile.

This time of year the river is fairly dry. I had never seen it like this. You could literally walk in the riverbed which, by the way, is a huge slab of dry rock. It is really pretty cool. I, naturally, had to take the opportunity to take my Cannon SLR and take some pics. Too bad the blog columns cut off my pictures.  So annoying.  Oh well, you can see the whole picture if you get email from my blog or you click on the picture to open it completely.

.

.

.

.

This is the riverbed.  Why isn't it muddy or dirty? 

.

.

.

.

Again, the riverbed.  Looks like camoflauge....G. barely shows up.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Note my older son's went pants and change of shirt. Yes, he jumped on a slippery rock and fell right in the water... naturally... no change of clothing with us. He is wearing his dad's sweater.

.

.

.

.

.

Love the fake smiles in this one.  LOL!  They're like, "Ok, Mom... if we smile, will you stop?"

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

After the hike, we crossed the road and played on the playground by the lake.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Love this picture by the water.... so peaceful...

.

.

.

.

.

And this is a fav too... too bad he was pooped on by a seagull just moments later. He was a good sport about it though.

If you ever get a chance to go to Ithaca, I suggest you go. They don't say "Ithaca is Gorge-ous" for no reason.  It is a pretty town, lake and surrounded by gorges and Cornell is there, so it has all the fun stuff of a college town too.  We had Thai food and Starbucks before we went home, but not before going to Old Navy and buying both boys new clothing because they were wet and bird-poopy.  Thank goodness for clearance racks!

Where do kids come up with these things???

Do you ever wonder where your kids come up with things?  I was listening to my boys play.  They are 7 and 10.  The 10-year-old just said, "This laser is so powerful it separates you into molecules which then split into atoms which further split into quarks.  Next the quarks split into anti-quarks and quarks.  The quarks then collide and annihilate one another". 

What is up with that???

Tami

Owl Pin Cushion And A Giveaway!

I got a little inspiration to make a pin cushion today after watching the DIY Dish here. It was really easy to make and the girls, Kim and Kris, walk you through it step-by-step! I, unfortunately, don't have any ink in my printer today, so I just did my own "pattern" for the owl.

I had some fabric that I bought in a pack, you know the kind... where you love 4 of the 6 fabrics, so you buy it.  Well, there were a few I didn't love,  so I thought I'd use it to try making this little guy.  I love whimsical, cartoony things, so I used black thread and made it in my own messy style! I also cut 2 silk flowers in half and used them as silly eye-lashes.  The middle of the eyes are pins stuck through some purple snaps.

Now she can sit nicely beside my sewing machine or on my cutting table and make me laugh each time I see her. 

If you get a chance, check out the DIY Dish because they have a huge giveaway... an embroidery machine and a Serger and a $100 gift certificate.    Good luck!

Also, if you get a second, stop by my Food Art Party blog and check out my son's ninja birthday party. He loved it and he and his friends had such a great time!

I linked up to



Check it out... Today's Creative has a great giveaway going on too!!!











Tami

I. Am. SO. Excited!

I got my pictures back from the camera I found for $5 at an estate sale! It is the Canon AE-1 from the 1980's. I wasn't sure if I was just throwing away money both on the camera and the film (4 rolls=$15) and a battery (about $7) and having the photos developed ($9).... and a digital CD made ($3).

I'm so happy I bought it. The pictures are awesome and I'm having a great time playing with it.

Here are a few pictures I took on my first roll (well, not my first roll.... the first one was wound in the camera wrong. Oops... good to follow directions). But this is the first roll that I had developed.   My blog columns cut the pictures.  Grrr.... please click on it to make it open larger.  I love this picture!  I've never had an SLR camera, so I'm totally new at it.  I'm used to pointing and clicking and uploading and fixing.  These below were untouched.

As summer comes to a close...

Playing with Depth of Field....

Big shadows...

Swimming on September 2nd?  Unheard of in our parts!

Neighbor's Kitty pawing the cat food jar....

Majestic...

Playing with some stop action...

So I think my $5 was worth it.  Do you?  Also, the photos in the previous post were taken with my
digital point-and-shoot Nikon CoolPix S9.  Someone had asked.  I love the color in the pictures with the Nikon, but it does best outside.  In low lighting, like school auditoriums, there is no way to get a good picture, IMHO. 

Hmmm... now which lenses to start collecting?

A macro lense could be cool!
Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 Di LD Macro Zoom Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM Lens for Canon SLR Cameras
Canon Life Size Converter EF Macro Lens

I'll have to do some research and see exactly what I need!


Tami