Happy Halloween!!

 Here's hoping that you all have a Spooktacular Halloween!!

I hope your day is filled with all treats and no tricks...unless you are the trickster of course!!

Until next time...enjoy the day!!!

Can you see the arrowhead...

 I know I've mentioned to you before that we live near the base of the San Bernardino Mountain Range...it's about a 5-8 minute drive to the actual base...we live along what is called Lytle Creek...but where we live... the creek  is often dry...just lots and lots of sand...great for walking...but not alone...there are rattle snakes down there and I don't want to come across one on my own!! Foxes, coyotes, rabbits, squirrels, quail, owls and hawks too...some are cute and cuddly...others...not so much...

 I used to walk down here almost everyday when the boys were young and our beloved Sydney was alive...she would run and chase jack rabbits and squirrels to her hearts content! Now I stick to the street along the gully as we call it...this morning it was a bit hazy...lots of weird cloud patterns around...but I wanted to show you something that I have been meaning to show you for a while...

 Can you see it?? It's an arrow head...and I'm not sure of the history of it...I guess I should have found out about that first...duh! Don thinks that it is natural...and that they later planted trees around it to outline it more...it's pretty steep right there...I don't know how they got up there with the trees...anyway...I have lived here for almost 30 years and it's always been like that! Lake Arrowhead is just above it somewhere...I live directly south of Rim of the World...we see the lights from the homes at night...lots of things are called Arrowhead around here...I'm guessing that's why...maybe I better do some research...another duh!

 Here's Rim of the World...I just zoomed in a little..it's about 30 minutes up the hill from here...they are not really hills...but that's what people around here call them...anyway...

 This is the view across the gully...just sand and some trees and bushes...but it's home!

 I live on a little bluff above the gully...and these grow wild all along the edge...pretty sunflowers! I'm always tempted to pick some and bring them home to put in a vase...but I figure that if everyone did that...there wouldn't be any to enjoy...so I enjoy them on my walks!

 Here's the weird clouds I was talking about...there are tons just streaked around the sky...it is pretty dry out today...it's the windy season...and it gets really dry...not windy today though...just sunny and nice out...

 I don't know if you can see the pattern here...very light clouds...I'm guessing that's why it looks hazy against the mountains...

 Here's a precious little viola that decided to make a home in my succulent box by the front porch...

Violas will pop up everywhere in my yard...you just never know...I collect the seeds and throw them in the bare spots this time of year...but they come back by themselves all over...and right now they are so tiny and sweet...I just love their little faces!

On a completely different subject...my sister just called and said that Holly Lobby is opening 5 stores in California...and 2 of them aren't too far away from me! I have never been in one...but she called me from inside the store and said it was fabulous...my kind of store I think...a trip this weekend may be in store for me!

Until next time...have a wonderful weekend!!!

A visit to Oak Glen...

 Yesterday we drove up to Oak Glen for some apples and a visit with my aunt, and cousins. Oak Glen is an apple orchard community about 30 minutes north east of my house...it's a charming little community right up against the mountains...the day started out like this...a bit on the cold and gloomy side....

 The sun tried to break through most of the day...but couldn't quite make it through...

 We started the afternoon with a bite to eat and a visit to the petting zoo...

 Cassie made a friend!

 We walked around a bit...lots to see...

 Of course you have to visit the bakery...

 And no trip is complete without a visit to the candy shop...

 Sweets for a sweet...

 Sorry Debbie...I couldn't resist...

 These two cousins got on marvelously...

 Mattie said he wished Stella was his sister...so cute!

 And no trip is complete without apple pie and ice cream!

 Stella and I went to check out the remains of an old apple cart...

 While Chrissy and Cassie...

 Chelsey and Aunt Honey relaxed with their pie...

 Some little friends up in the tree were there too...

And by the time it was time to leave...it looked like this!

Thanks everyone for a nice relaxing day...even though I ate way too much!!

Until next time...enjoy your day!!!

Nursery Thyme diaper bag...

 Not much happening right now in my neck of the woods...it was a busy weekend...spent Saturday with my two sisters at the Claremont Venture...but it was so hot that I didn't feel like taking pictures...Sunday afternoon Don and I went to a neighbor's family baby shower...it was nice to be included...the food was wonderful...they cooked carne asada...and even delivered a plateful to us later in the evening! I have the nicest neighbors!! It's been raining on and off most of today...which was good... because we need it...and it's a lot cooler today too! It's back down in the high 60's...boy have we been having some roller coaster weather here...a few days ago it was in the 90's...who knows what tomorrow will bring...anyway...I digress...I have been sewing...I had an order for a diaper bag to complete...and here it is...

 I put pockets on the sides...it works well to keep a bottle or two handy...

 I used three different fabrics...

 I thought this Nursery Thyme fabric was so cute...perfect with a check and polka dot...

Here's the inside...of course there has to be lots of pockets inside to store all the little things we carry for little ones...there you have it...another day...another bag...sewing bags for people makes me feel happy... especially when I see the smile on the face of a satisfied client...I received some e-mails from a couple people who bought bags at the last craft show letting me know how much they loved their new bags...what a great feeling that is...I put a lot of work into each bag I make...I take the time to make each one different...it's so wonderful to receive notes from gals that have either bought or received one as a gift...it makes my day!!!Anyway...I think I have rambled on enough for one day...until next time...

Enjoy the day!!!

We have a winner...

 It's time!! Don is helping me with the drawing...

He is giving it a good mix...

 A really good mix...

 Now to pick the winner...

 And the winner is...Sherry from The Charm of Home...Sherry has a great blog...go over and check her out...

Congratulations to Sherry...I have sent you an e-mail and I await your reply so I can mail you out this bag...I hope you enjoy it...and stay tuned for my next give away...this was so much fun...I will have to make something for next month...

Until next time...

Enjoy the day!!

More of our hike and a bit of sewing too...

 I wanted to show you a few more pictures from our hike/walk last Sunday...this is part of the larger grove of Aspens...it's about 4 miles from the trail head and lower in elevation than the small grove...it is also sunnier there...most of the trees there had lost their leaves already...maybe because of the sun...I have no idea...they were just ready I guess...it is also a little further from the stream...

 There are many more trees there in the large grove...hence the large grove name I suppose...boy...I figured that one out pretty fast...

 Here's an interesting pine...a few years back our local forests had a beetle problem...beetles were eating and killing many of the pine trees in the local mountains here..people were really getting concerned...nothing could really be done...there was a drought and warm winters...only a freeze could kill the beetles and save the forest...thousands of trees died and there are still so many dead ones up there...they will fall eventually and make homes and food for the animals...

 I am looking up into the canopy of beautiful Aspens...

 It was very thick back in the large grove...I lost the path a few times...no worry...Don was close by...we made our own...

 After our walk Don drove the car back down the road...I walked a bit down...still so much to see...I wanted to take it all in before going home...this  valley is so pretty...I am at about 8300 feet here looking down...

 Here we stopped at a turnout almost at the bottom of the hill...the Oaks are so pretty in their Fall color against the beautiful evergreen Pines....we stopped at a little cafe on the way down for a early dinner...the sandwiches were so good...and we were hungry after our long walk...

 I've been busy sewing this week trying to improve my Etsy shop and increase my bag inventory for the craft show in December...this bag is made from Sweetwater Hometown fabric...I like the way it turned out...except that Moda spelled my hometown's name wrong! And it's right in the front...oh well...who will notice unless you're from this area!

This fabric is so pretty...I bought several different fabrics from this line...it's a 3 Sisters design...it was pretty...so it called for a ruffle on the the closure...there's a ruffle on the back pocket too...

This is a hipster bag...I liked both of these fabrics so much...and thought it needed a little black work design too...this one has a zipper closure at the top...it was fun to make...

Autumn seems to settling in the last few days...the days are cooler and shorter...I love this time of year here...it's still warm enough to enjoy the out doors but not hot...my garden looks really nice now... all the cool weather flowers are starting to poke out of the ground...it's not thick and lush like Spring...but pretty none the less...I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful week...until next time...

Enjoy the day, my friends!!!