Fall is definitely here.....

The leaves are gorgeous in Missouri and falling like crazy.  Perfect time for an antique show at Dry Creek Cabins just outside of Dixon, Mo.  It was a beautiful day but cool.  They always have a fire going and a big black pot of chili cooking.  Just a wonderful place to spend a fall afternoon.

 

It's so much fun and such an escape to visit this wonderful place.

I've been trying to work on all the things I've gathered for Leola's Holiday Open House....

Seems like we just did this!

Check out my sweet annie tree.....

Love these chairs!  After a good cleaning and an oil finish rubbed in, they turned out so good I kind of hate to part with them.

This is what it looks like out my front door this morning.  The leaves are changing so fast and dropping even quicker.....

Well, it's back to work for me.  Hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Great photo shoot.....

Such a fun and busy weekend.  We spent Saturday afternoon stageing Kelli's front porch for a photo shoot with Vintage Style magazine.  Then Judy and I got up at the crack of dawn (& 28 degree temps.), went to Krispy Kreme (the hot light was on....how could we resist) and picked up a dozen and we were off to the farm.  It was a beautiful morning and the perfect time for a photo session.

We loved the way it turned out but we were lucky to have Kelli's front porch to work with.

We'll be reminding you next year when it comes out.  This week we start on Leola's....redecorating for Christmas Open House.  It's going to be amazing.

Have a great week and don't forget to say a prayer for all our friends in the way of this hurricane.

Little this....a little that.....

We love our new open house card.  I got to take the picture at sister Linda's little garden shed.  It's perfect for what we want to do in the shop.  Can't wait to get started!

Judy and I were out and about in Springfield late yesterday afternoon and it was perfect for getting the camera out.  The city of Springfield is loaded with old trees and lots of maples.  It's a very pretty town under normal conditions but to see it in the fall is a real pleasure.

All of this beauty should never be taken for granted.....it's definitely a gift from God for which we should be so thankful.  Fall always makes me think of my Mom because she loved fall and always wanted to go for a drive.  Then there's my sister Jean who's slowly losing her sight.  She's lost the sight in one eye and the other is slowly fading.  She's sad because she doesn't see the beauty that she remembers....it's not the same. 

This was all on my mind yesterday while taking in my surroundings.  I noticed all the political signs up in yards and wondered why they had to be there to blemish the beauty.  It will be such a relief when this is over and we don't have to be inundated with it continually.

Here are a few more of the pictures from our Saturday trip.  It's such a simple pleasure to drive down an unpaved country road and especially when the leaves are in full color.

This is the dining room in the owner's house.  Across from this is a huge fireplace.  Perfect place to enjoy a big bowl of soup on a cold night.

Jean and I were enjoying the front porch.....

Jean and Judy......

How would you like to have to sweep the porch with this?

Hope you enjoyed the tour today.....sort of jumped around (story of my life).  Judy and I are headed to Leola's to work on the porch so guess I'd better get my overalls on (just kidding). 

Have a great day!

Fall weekends......

I think I could have named my blog "fall weekends" because I love them almost as much as I love summer Sundays.  This was (and is) a beautiful one.  We did have some bad storms in our area last night but thankfully, we were spared the high winds.....just lots of rain.  Today, it is nice and cool and partly sunny.  The leaves are quickly turning and falling.

Sisters, Judy and Jean, and I went for a long drive yesterday back to a beautiful part of Missouri that so often gets overlooked.  It's in the area around Waynesville and Crocker.  Dry Creek Cabin is located in the country near Dixon.  This area has deep ravines and valleys with beautiful green rolling hills and limestone bluffs that hang over the rivers and creeks.  Land that has never been touched my man.  Almost every house has huge woodpiles ready for winter. 

Dry Creek Cabin had a fire going with a huge iron pot full of soup hanging over it.  There are lots of outbuildings and they're preparing to build a couple more.  Hopefully, by their Christmas open house that they have in December.

 

This is the cabin they live in and it's open for touring.  It's amazing!



This is the cabin for the shop.  Love the chicken nests on the side of the cabin.

This is a corn crib that they built.....they actually build and deliver them.  They also do a small outhouse.

Took so many pictures that I'll have to post the rest another day. 

Hope you're having a wonderful Sunday and the week ahead will be happy and peaceful.

Harvest moon......

What a beautiful moon I can see from my backporch.  Such a gorgeous night......cool and quiet and feels like fall.

The trees are beginning to show color.......

........and the squirrels are gathering nuts.

Love this time of the year.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Busy week......

This has been a crazy, busy week.  I've been working so hard to get things done for open house at Leola's.  My garage is bursting at the seams.  It will be nice to be able to park the car inside again.

Allison's cousin, Jenni, (my niece) & her 2 daughters have been here for a visit.  They live in Colorado so they don't get to see each other very often.  Thanks to their Moms, the kids have stayed really close & they were so excited to see each other.  Allison & Jenni have always been close & thanks to the Internet, it's much easier now.

We're finally having some cool, fall weather & it's a delight. Leaves are falling like crazy. It's been dry so not sure how pretty they'll be this year. We're lucky that we still haven't had a killing frost so flowers are still blooming and the garden is still producing. Had to take a drive through the countryside this morning so took a few pictures.

I've been making heating pads to sell at Leola's.  They are wonderful!  They're heated in the microwave & on cold winter nights they are the best.  When my g'kids stay with me & it's so cold, I love to heat them up & put them in their beds.  I've always thought that when they're old, they'll remember their G'ma Jan doing this.

There's so much work to be done & so little time.  I'll say it again, I need an assistant (or two).