AUTUMN MANTEL and FALLING for FALL

MANTLE DRESSED FOR FALL AUTUMN

It's another HOTTIE today in the beautiful state of Oklahoma! The high temps in middle America never cease to

WEAR ME OUT

and

OVERWHELM ME...

Today I'm back in my studio working on more offerings...still so excited to return to what a love doing most!

Working with old vintage linens, antique laces, shell buttons and tattered finds!

Hey...what is the difference between the words FALL and AUTUMN anyway?

I had to go look it up! I found the following on GRAMMARIST:

"Fall and autumn are both accepted and widely used terms for the season that comes between summer and winter. Some who consider British English the only true English regard fall as an American barbarism, but this attitude is not well founded. Fall is in fact an old term for the season, originating in English in the 16th century or earlier. It was originally short for fall of the year or fall of the leaf, but it commonly took the one-word form by the 17th century, long before the development of American English. So while the term is now widely used in the U.S., it is not exclusively American, nor is it American in origin."
I've read several online commentaries about both of these words and basically they almost all say that AUTUMN is just a more formal word for FALL!
Who knew??? Soooo...HAPPY ALMOST AUTUMN!

(I did a post at least a couple years ago on How To Paint Pumpkins, but I'm not finding it. When I do I'll link it in the label section!)

Love to you...

Rebecca

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS...Food for the Soul

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS

Along with probably a ga-jillion other people in the world,
I LOVE FALL!
When September comes I start counting the days until I can officially kick-start the arrival of autumn.

What is it they say?

Maybe it's because I can finally say adios to Oklahoma's hot summer days, or perhaps it's seeing the children return to learning, walking to and from school again, book-bags in hand.

PECANS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Yesterday morning, like I have many times since her passing, I pulled out my mother's Woman's Home Companion Cook Book and began flipping through the tattered pages before me.  I love so many of things about this old book~but mostly I love knowing it was once in my mother's hands...

I skimmed the pages as I wanted to bake something to celebrate the changing of the seasons, something more than the apple spice muffins my mom made during my growing-up years...

Sadly, the only thing I really found was a recipe for a pumpkin cake!  NO MUFFINS!

The cake didn't sound too appealing, so I found a recipe online that was more in line with what I was looking for!

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS

3 1/2 cups flour
2 2/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 Tablespoon orange zest
1 cup milk
2 cups  mashed pumpkin
2 slightly beaten eggs
2/3 cups melted shortening
1/4 scant cup molasses
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup golden raisins

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside.
Mix wet ingredients and add to the dry.
Add one cup chopped pecans and one cup
golden raisins.  Stir well.

Fill greased/floured large muffin tins about 2/3 full.
Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until muffins are firm to the touch.

Let cool.  Remove from tin.

Serve with honey butter and ENJOY!

BROWN SUGAR CRUMBLY

My mother loved to bake!  She loved spending holiday time with her family and she would have loved the big Labor Day party planned at our nephew's home tomorrow.  Lots of swimming, great food, and a gentle nod to the last days of summer.

 MY MOM ABOUT 1938

Recently my mom's younger sister sent me the photo above (my momma is the child in the photo above and my auntie is the toddler in my grandmother's arms).  I love it so much.  My mom would be so happy to know we have carried on without her...even though her passing brought us all many tears.  I try and celebrate her life every chance I get...and yesterday was no different.  Sweet memories of her in the kitchen and tender reminders of what she will always mean to me.

Today is Sunday...thoughts of faith...love...hope.

I have a long-time prayer that passes my lips every single day.  Over twenty years now.
In God's time I will see it answered.

Love to you...

Rebecca

(P.S.  My blog is page protected and that was done a LONG TIME AGO!  Mr. AGPMan is TRYING to figure out how to remove it so you can easily copy photos or recipes!  More soon!)
    

~Miss Autumn and her Paper Pattern Skirt~

I love love love the Harvest time of the year and I'm so happy it's around the corner.  It was time to spruce up my booth today and so I spent the evening working on new displays and removing some of the old and bringing in some new...  I always love the changing of the seasons and I start out trying something new if at all possible...

Just a quick post about my little mannequin.  I dressed her in a skirt made of old paper patterns with lots of layers and ruffles.  I used a crocheted doily for a collar and burlap as a modified vest.  Vintage silk ribbon was used for her waistband.  It was tattered and worn and simply fabulous.  The original paper wrapping for the ribbon was used to fashion her Miss Autumn banner.  

She was so much fun to make and I think she'll be a real conversation piece.

This next week I travel to Tennessee to help my sister with her estate sale.  She closed her shop and they are downsizing and selling their home.  Big job ahead...

We are bringing the vintage counter from the late 1800's back with us...  Remember I told you we are modifying it for our kitchen island.  By the way...our wood flooring goes in this weekend.  The last of the projects before the kitchen is completely finished except for the island.  We are beyond excited.  The nightmare is finally almost OVAHHHHH and we are both actually still ALIVE.  

Will share more will you soon.  Can't wait to show you the big reveal!

Love to you...

~PUMPKIN CARVING~

 

  My family and I will be enjoying Thanksgiving out of state this year..  Something completely different for a change and we are all looking forward to it!

 

I'm a wee bit antsy about not being home for this special holiday, but we ARE EXCITED about having some vacation time!

Also, because our kitchen remodel is ongoing it will be almost impossible to prepare a huge family meal when more than half my cooking utensils (including pots, pans, serving dishes, etc.) are packed away.  I'll miss our traditions...but again, a family getaway sounds wonderful to us.

I love Autumn and last weekend my Miss K and I picked out a couple of sweet pumpkins!  I'm not a big fan of Halloween, but she did have a blast helping carve out the largest pumpkin with her Papa!  Love how it came out!

More soon.  Hope your Friday is fab!

Love to you...

 

~~~~THOUGHTS ON A SUNDAY MORNING~~~~ This Is My Father's World

~AS THANKSGIVING DRAWS NEAR~

Thanksgiving Day is only a few days away and this week, more than any in recent memory, I find I'm more thankful than ever for God's goodness and blessings.  His faithfulness to me, His steady allegiance and affection for me, His loyal friendship and never ending love reminds me every single day, no matter what I'm facing in this world, I am never alone.

 ~LIVING WITH THANKFULNESS~

Yesterday my beloved daughter, Adrienne, and her hunk of a hubby, Micah, came over and helped my Mr. AGPMan and I rake up bags and bags and BAGS of fallen leaves.  Because our home sits just over the crest of a tiny hill we seem to get not only our leaves, but EVERYONE ELSE'S LEAVES, too!  For nineteen years we've scooped and shoveled, raked, mulched, blown and sucked up leaves.  It's exhausting work...and there have been lots and lots and lots a few days when I've griped and complained about the trees on our property and the absolute mess they make in Fall.  Leaves, broken twigs, acorns, seeds and tiny pods cover the ground and there are times when cleaning everything up is more than overwhelming.  I've also been known to say a few things about the lack of leaf-raking I see taking place in our neighborhood...

Hmmm.....

~LOTS OF COLOR~

After spending most of the afternoon and evening hours working in just the front yard my girl said something to me that changed the condition of my heart...

"Momma (she still calls me that!)...do you remember when I was eight and we first found this house?  You wanted a home of your own so much and talked about finding just the right one every single day.  It was your constant prayer....4 beds, 3 baths, 2 living, 2 dining, double car garage and a big yard for Brandon and I to play in!  I remember driving down the street the day we first laid eyes on our La Chaumière de Briarwood.  It was late Spring and the earth was full of color.  You gasped when you saw the house and said...

'Stop!  This is the house!!!  This is the house!  It's two story and it's has tons of trees!!!  I love the TREES!
I LOVE THE TREES!' "

Sometimes, when things become common and everyday, we need a gentle reminder of the past goodness of God and his amazing faithfulness to us to answer every prayer...

This afternoon we are raking the backyard...

"This is my Father's world, 
and to my listening ears 
all nature sings, and round me rings 
the music of the spheres.  
This is my Father's world:  
I rest me in the thought 
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; 
his hand the wonders wrought." 

(Chisolm) 

 ~~*~~ 

Blessings for a lovely day spent in His presence~

Love to you...