Thursday, September 7, 2017

Home: Falling into Fall

Bits of Fall are creeping into the home-naturally.
We haven't had that much time for decorating, yet. 



Tomatoes are turning red in the kitchen window, 
while squash that has fallen off their vines ripen on the OLD scale.


A few sunflowers nest in the Ivy urn, my favorite GREEN thing in the house.


A simple kitchen theme on the island, with OLD enameled fish poacher, vintage s&p delft cows, 
chicks s&p, baby dish, and NEW 
sunflower arrangement  and resin chickens. 


OLD thrift store pumpkin landed on the pedestal, biscuit jar adds a touch of earth tones to the table, the NEW owl just hangs out.

An OLD vintage trough (cracker server) of last years acorns.
OLD Antique Ironstone pitcher holds thrift store faux flowers 
with real dried roses from our anniversary bouquet.


I love the fall tones that are earth and jeweled at the same time.



A wooden trough (1940s cracker server) holds last year's acorns. 


Russet sunflowers juxtapose with the sweet coral roses.


I still haven't polished this OLD teapot, I simply love the golden patina it has rather than black.


Vintage Quaker Lace runner, adds the perfect homey touch under the antiques.


Antique spinning wheel hosts a chenille pumpkin from a thrift store. 
A little later I will bring out more. 
Our fresh garden pumpkins will be limited,
 but I have a huge stash of gourds and faux pumpkins.
Last year we had enough fresh pumpkins for EVERYWHERE!


My Grandmother's OLD antique iron dog and the original doorstop house.



A bird protects his egg deep in moss and dried hydrangeas on the buffet.


I love we are starting to luxuriate in the rich colors of Fall.

Stay safe!


Thanks always for visiting. 
I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.
 Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 
Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!





Sandi







Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Midwest Garden falling into Fall?

Normally, my blog is full of gorgeous summer photos of a garden to be proud of, but with the cold/late spring and the drowning two months of record rains, 
Chicagoland weather has been inhospitable to gardening.

My flowers are sad---everywhere, too much greenery to sustain through the season. I leave the blossoms on these to dry for the birds to feed.


Foliage was abundant, while roots were shallow and nonexistent on some of the tallest plants. A few days without water and tomatoes plants simply wilted instantly and refused to revive. Our tomatoes have been small, falling off the vines and way below normal production.



My Zinnias are 5 feet tall, but the flowers are very small and tight. 
No bouquets in the house this year each week. Never enough flowers to snitch from the yard.
I spent most of the summer dumping out saucers under plants and drilling holes in others for more drainage.


The Marigold on the right is growing through a crack in the sidewalk, just to show you what the dirt underneath is holding for water. I have watered it three times all summer.


But Fall is creeping up on us, and the sedum is small---but just opening.




These bees were absolutely burying themselves in the blossoms.


They never even blinked at me sticking a camera near them.


My back stairs---peeling from all the rain and we redid them last year, the green tinge is mold which covers everything. We bleached the stairs because they were scary slippery.


The birdhouse pole rotted, this year. Crazy!



Hollyhocks seed pods are still tightly wrapped. When they open, I will spread them out along the fence.


Strangely we have a few huge pumpkins. This one is at least 15" long.


Pie pumpkins are nowhere near ripening though.

Another large pumpkin on our antique cultivator. The leaves are starting to dry up, or mildew up--not sure which.

We have a few spaghetti squash, still hanging. Soon to be picked. They are very hard, not really ripe yet.


And Butternut squash, my personal favorite.


Another spaghetti squash, this one hides in the bean trellis, beans, we have finally had two pickings---so late.


Here's my dill---but there are no cucumbers to use it with. We had fresh cukes a couple at a time, not enough for making pickles.


Squash leaves looked like ancient tattered petticoats, and yet they try to blossom? 
Plants are confused, so am I.



And it's dropping into the low 50's tonight. Trees are thinking about turning, our Maple in front---with its edges starting to lemon out before either drying up or maybe turning salmon orange. 
Crossing my fingers. 

How is your Fall yard doing?

Thanks always for visiting. 
I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.
 Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 
Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!



Sandi






Moving my Barbie Posts

MOVING MY BARBIE POSTS

Hi dear Bloggers, Friends, and Family.

My Barbie DIY house and doll posts are moving to my new blog, Barbie:OldNewGreenRedo.
Barbie and the crew with give you a heads up here, when there is a new post. I will be continuing the Old,New,Green,Redo as 90% of everything including the dolls are vintage or used items.

Last week's post, Back to School had a...


 vintage 1990's chalkboard getting a REDO, for Anna(high school) and Chelsea(middle school).


An OLD Changing table/chest was REDOne for school supplies.


NEW supplies were made, pencils, pens, books, erasers, files, and some great finds for mini-collectors.



Also,  Monnie, Ryan, Kevin, Ken and Andrew have moved into two walk-out basement apartments to help the overcrowding in the HFIM. Hope you will join them on the REDO journey and life in the HFIM house (Home for Impoverished Millenials) as they continue the project of OldNewGreenRedo-ing a downtown Chicago mansion/townhouse. Last weeks post, HFIM house:Basement apartments
begins that journey.


Monnie has been busy designing the interiors of the HFIM house on her New/Redo drafting board and tools in the new apartment.
Add caption
Ryan has been juggling work, and the HFIM house as the general contractor. It's been a big job.

Thanks for all your support. Occasionally I will do vintage doll posts if I find something with broad based appeal, thanks to all who have encouraged my new sickness. Please come visit the new blog, we would love to have you.


The girl's are going back to school, but say, Hi, come join us at Barbie:OldNewGreenRedo

Thanks always for visiting. 
I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question

I'm sharing at these fine parties:




All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions, posts or any products shown or anywhere I shop.
 Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. 
Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

Sandi