FRESH GREENERY TO DECORATE

This year I decided to keep things simple and really inexpensive.....by using local fresh greenery, pine cones and found items!  I have an old sled I pulled out from the garage, old ice skates and did some simple floral work....

Out in the greenbelt behind my house I had noticed some different evergreens and trimmed some branches off the bottoms being careful to not do any "ugly" trimming.

Metal frames for greenery wreaths only cost a couple dollars (mine was 99 cents) or less....

Store bought greenery wreaths are expensive - but inexpensive to make.  You need wire and I recommend using baling wire as it is very pliable but very strong.  I even used it for the pine cones. You can buy a large coil of it  at Home Depot.

The greenery I found on my early walk was added to Colorado Spruce from my backyard, California Pinecones from my shop and some dried hydrangeas my sister in law had given me from her home in Des Moines, Iowa almost 2 years ago.

I had also inserted pepperberries in the florals....

ANGELS ON THE BUFFET

Doesn't it thrill your heart to have fresh

flowers in your home.  I really love them.

This mirror was a gift from

 my Mother In Law.

I love the softer colors of

these angels too.

DRIED ROSES IN THE KITCHEN

One of my favorite things is to

come out into the kitchen

and see my drying rack.

You may or may not like this idea but 

here in Colorado we get amazing

color because our air is so dry.

THE FALLING LEAVES IN THE "OLD NORTH END" DOWNTOWN COLORADO SPRINGS

It's a beautiful fall day perfect for a drive and a few photos of some of the older homes located near downtown Colorado Springs - known as the Old North End.

THIS HOUSE BELOW is actually in Old Colorado City and was used for the filming of "The Incident" with Harry Morgan and Walter Mathau......as was my store building which was then Rogers Bar and Grill back in 1989.

I am always drawn to the little 

English Tudor Style houses: 

I love them all.

COLLECTING CUPS AND SAUCERS

What's not to love about collecting

 cups and saucers?  That's what

 I want to share today.

  I have been collecting cups and saucers since I was a child....just a few years....ha.  Most all of my childhood pieces were from Japan and mostly demitasse sized. 

I have been playing with my new camera and have so much to learn.  People come in my store every day with cameras so I have been asking them lots of questions and I find that people are very helpful.  

I have another tip - stay away from ceramic dishes as they chip very easily. Porcelain and bone china are so much stronger.  Lastly, always run your finger around the rim of the cup and the saucer.  Last year I bought some German pieces  for resale at my store from an  antique dealer in Kansas. He had stuck a price sticker over a chip on the saucer.  That wasn't so nice!  Be careful!