Happy Halloween!!

The pumpkin is carved...the candy bowl filled and in about an hour, our street will be filled with wee ones in costumes!!
Here's hoping you have a Spooktacular Halloween!!

Today I scored...

Today started out rather frustrating...I was looking for a pair of hooks and a strap adjuster for a camera bag I am making for a client...I looked everywhere...no luck...just when I thought I was going to have to buy a huge amount of them on-line...I really only wanted one...I drove past the Salvation Army Store...The sign in the window said 10 pieces of clothing for $10...

So I stopped in and found 10 pieces of 100% wool clothing for $10.00...Score..yes, things like this really excite me!! Why, you ask...well, I love to work with wool...and it's very expensive to buy...and I live in Southern California...who wears wool here? No one...I can tell you that, so when you find wool....it's usually really old...which is good. It probably came here with someone years ago. It wasn't just the wool I found that excited me ...I found a practically new bag with...would you believe this...a 2 inch handle, complete with hooks and adjuster....perfect ...and it was only $1.25!! Yeah me!! Little things make me happy...
What made you happy today??

A walk down my street...

It's a pretty day today, especially after the horrible winds yesterday. I don't know if I mentioned that I live in a wind tunnel...well, I do. The winds get sucked through the Cajon pass and right through my neighborhood...it gets bad some days. Sometimes the winds last for days, but we've been lucky...only a day at a time this Fall. It is going to be warm today too...supposed to get to 85. The sky is very blue and pretty with a sort of striped cloud pattern in it. It don't know that this picture shows it very well, but the stripes are pretty...no moisture in there though...it's very dry out right now.
Anyway...I decided to walk down to the end of my street to get some wild sunflowers that are growing along the whole length of the street that connects to my block. When I got there...all the flowers were covered with bees, and I decided to let them have the flowers...it wouldn't have been nice for me to take their flowers...I can enjoy them out here.

As I stood here watching the bees at work, I thought I'd take a few pictures of the view from my street. I live just a couple houses in from the end of the block. When we first moved here, we had this view from our front yard, but then houses got built across the street, so now I can see this by just walking a few yards...or on my daily walk around my neighborhood. This is the view facing north.

This is looking east...

This is looking southeast...I didn't take any pictures west because those are the houses on my block....and directly south are just big Eucalyptus trees. Well, this is what it looks like in my neck of the woods...what does your neighborhood look like?

Enjoy your day!!

Outdoor Wednesday...my garden style...

Did I mention how much I love Fall? I'm sure I have...gardening this time of year is my favorite, although it is more physical than the rest of the year...maybe that's why I like it...this is the step up to my front porch...the yellow mums are starting to bloom pretty well now. I had them in the back in the shade all summer long...now they get to come back and show their pretty blooms.
Here's a close up...they are very tiny mums..cute and delicate.

How do you like my new addition to the garden? I think she is just great! My son, Stephen's girlfriend, Anna made it for me!!Yes...I said made it. She is so artistic and a while back I mentioned how much I wanted a topiary shaped like a dog because I love topiaries and I miss my sweet Sydney...so Anna made me one that's shaped just like Sydney...I planted a heather in there...I wonder how long it will take to fill in...it will be fun to watch!
Autumn also means the beginning of the cold weather plants start to shine...snap dragons love the cooler weather in these parts and they are starting to bloom a bit...

Gerber daisies too...they like the cooler days as well.

Oh my...violas are one of my favorites...I gather seeds from the spent flowers and start sprinkling them about in September...they are starting to bloom now! I love all the pretty colors...

This is one of my favorites...I have these everywhere!

I can't remember the name of this flower...I have two plants in my front...I thought it was a Spring bloomer, but this one has quite a few blooms on it now. The other one not so much...maybe it's because this one gets more sun.

Blue Salvia is a cool weather bloom too...can you see the bee busy at work?

All of a sudden I have a ton of flowers on the Rudabeckia...I guess it enjoys cool weather too...this is my first one. I planted it in full sun too.

There are still plenty of zinnias but they are fading....they don't like the cold weather...they like the sun!

The zinnias that are still doing well are the ones that get the most sunshine...some of the ones in partial sun are bidding farewell...

These small zinnias are hanging in there...

The Impatiens are doing pretty well too. I went and cut more of the longer stems down...usually about 1/2 of the plants make it through the winter. I have a couple of the pink ones that are several years old...they are supposed to be an annual, but in my neck of the woods an annual doesn't always mean that. I have a couple snap dragons on the east side of my house that are more than 3 years old! You never know what will fade and what will stick around...that's the fun of it!

I hope you are enjoying wonderful Fall weather where you are...and go on over to Susan to see more Outdoor Wednesday posts...

Enjoy the day!!

This was fun...

I designed this bag this weekend...I wanted to do something a little different with fabric and wool. This very bright pink used to be a skirt that my son and I found while thrifting and the black and white check was a pair of ladies pants...
Here's a close up ...

The inside...

I love working with wool and I like putting my special touch on a bag.

Today turned out to be a pretty nice day...it started out with rain and eventually the sun came out and it is very pleasant...I have my front door and the windows open and there's a nice breeze. I hope your Monday has gone as well as mine! Enjoy the evening!!

Off to the Village venture...

Every year in October since I can't remember when....I've been going to the Village Venture in Claremont...today was no different. It was a nice day...but the kind of day you have to dress in layers and put your sweater on and off...
Off we go...oh I can hardly wait! So much awaited us...

There is music of course...this is the Claremont Youth Orchestra...they are so good!

And crafts of every kind...aren't these guys cute!

This was one of my favorite booths...her pillows are wonderful! And the cool thing is...she has an Etsy shop, so we can get them any time...so go visit Judy and see all her marvelous things yourself...

These handmade bird houses are great too...I got a feeder with a rusted VW hub cap as a base...it will be perfect for peanuts for the jays...

Oodles of hats too...

And yummy cupcakes...

And my personal favorite....dogs in costumes!

Aren't they sweet...of course I asked all the owners for permission to take a photo of their pets...

And how can you resist this....of course I had to go over and pet this lovely...

I spent a long time at The Audubon Society booth...I always do...

I am fascinated with these birds of prey...

And they were nice enough to help me identify a mysterious bird in my yard...Brownie is a California Towhee...so glad to know...

We stopped on the way home...well, actually it is the opposite way from home, but we went anyway...La Toltecha...a wonderful eatery that we have been going to for years...their chips and salsa are famous in these parts...

It looks like Stephen and Anna might have had too much fun! They look as tired as I feel...thanks for driving all the way up from San Diego for the day with us!

Joseph and Selin ...thanks for driving up from San Diego as well to spend some time with your parents...we love having you!

I had a great day today...but I am always happy spending time with my kids and Don...throw in a street fair...priceless!!

Hanging out with Stella...

I got the pleasure of watching my great niece, Stella, yesterday while her Mom was working...as you can see she is changing so much...not only is she growing like a weed, she can move around so much more every day! While she was here I took 47 pictures of her...well...I couldn't help myself...but I will just show a few , so you can see how big she's getting...
Stella turned 6 months this past Saturday...she doesn't do quite what I call crawling...but she gets up on her knees and rocks and lunges forward...

She like watching Nick Jr. in her jumper...she especially likes chewing on that purple bee...she is teething, but no teeth yet!

Yum, yum...this feels so good on my gums!

Here is a funny thing she does too...it's like she's doing push ups...Like forget the crawling...can't I just get up and walk like you!

Stella and I had a fun day together...

Here's hoping your day is a great one too!!

A little of this and a little of that...

Dark clouds this morning...the news said 80% chance of rain...but today is mow day...yes, I have a schedule...I'm weird like that...can I mow and trim the front yard before the rain comes?? Better hurry!!
I made it...Just as I picked up the last bit of the leaves from the gutter....the sprinkles started...I love the rain, so I'm happy about that...we are usually so dry this time of year...it's the time of year you hear about fires in the mountains...a few years back 32 miles of fire in the mountains behind my house....so you know we want this rain!


And look...the mums that I potted last year are starting to bloom...yippee! In a few days there will be lots of little yellow blooms on that pot.

Since it was cold...well, I don't really need a reason to sew...but I thought I'd add a little more Halloween to the house...it is October after all...talk about waiting til the last minute. I made this candle mat today...it's a log cabin block with a little extension to put some wool cats and a pumpkin...I think it turned out pretty cute...I'm so new at quilting...I stick to small projects...I didn't even have to pull out my directions for the binding today...it worked the first time!!

Now I don't know how much I've mentioned my husband, Don, but he's the best...he cooks for me!! He made Chicken Picatta and his is wonderful!!I don't mind cooking...I grew up in a house with a chef...my Dad, so I know my way around the kitchen, but I LOVE the fact that Don likes to cook and makes me wonderful meals like this. There was delicious acorn squash too, but I didn't take a picture of that. Not too much else going on around here...back to the sewing machine...

Enjoy your day!!