The List

It's a dark, cold, snowy day . . . so I thought

this post might warm things up a bit !!!!!

Everybody has one of these, admit it or not: a list of celebrities that make you swoon just a bit . . . Jack & I simply refer to it as "The List" ! We joke about it pretty frequently (Jack's list is pretty lengthy, so there's a lot to joke about !), and I find that the topic of swoon-worthy celebrities comes up quite a bit . . . at work (one of my bosses digs Jennifer Aniston !), with family, and in blogland (a little different title to this list, though !), of course ! So here's my top 5:

#5: Michael Vartan

#4: Jason Wade



#3: Christian Bale




#2: Alex O'Loughlin




#1: Wentworth Miller



So there it is . . . Melissa's top 5 ! Just for the record, it was a little hard to round out my list here . . . I don't just swoon at every celebrity, you know !! So . . . who's on your list ?!?!?!?!

"Makes Me Smile" Monday

Just enjoying all things comfort-filled and homey on this dark and chilly fall evening. All day long, I look forward to just being at home . . . it's THE place I always want to be, and I can never wait to get there.

Here's the scene at my house: chicken tortilla soup simmering on the stove . . . cheddar biscuits about to go in the oven . . . Over The Rhine providing some cooking background music . . . furry boys sleeping nearby . . . peanut butter cup bites and a new scarf waiting to be finished later !!! Perfection !

Happy Monday !

Wishing you a comfy fall night, too !

The Forgotten Room Rediscovered

I realized recently that I hadn't been in my craft room for quite awhile . . . I barely go near it these days ! When I am home, I'm usually in front of either the computer, stove, or television, and I've gotten in the habit of knitting while watching TV (can't quite leave that multi-tasking thing at the office !). So tonight I revisited my craft room . . .

I took my current knitting project and plopped down on the bed (it's also our guestroom !) for some quiet, uninterrupted crafting !!

The boys joined me, of course . . . they must have missed some craft room activity, too !!!

So peaceful, so relaxing . . . just perfect for the end of a busy day ! Why did I stay away so long ?!?!?! Perhaps a new after-work ritual was created today . . . !

"Makes Me Smile" Monday

Back to my usual Monday post today ! After some technical difficulties early last week, and being out of town the last few days, I feel like I haven't posted in forever !! So, today it's a "laundry list" of things from the past few days that have made me smile:

• A road trip and a 4-day weekend is a definite smile-maker !

• Spending time with my sister-in-law (and her other half !) . . . even a small taste of big city night life makes me feel younger !

• The gorgeous foliage we saw during our drive, and the lovely riot of orange outside my window right now:

• Time to read and knit and catch up and BE !!

• Spending time with my other half . . . he's my favorite partner in road-tripping (and in life, of course !) !!

• Visiting Grove City for homecoming . . . and finally walking away content and satisfied with who I am and with my life !!

• Ditching my good eating habits for a few days . . . when else would you find me eating pumpkin muffins and Oreos for breakfast, Taco Bell for lunch, and pizza and wings for dinner ?!?!!

Happy Monday !!!

What's been making you smile today ?????!

Gone, Baby, Gone !

See that lovely little potting shed attached to

the left side of our barn ????

It's gone !

We looked into the possibility of redoing it a bit, but it was so structurally unsound that it had to be torn down . . . Jack even fell through the floor a few times during the teardown ! We were able to save some of the original wood, and are looking at rebuilding the shed next summer . . . we'll see what all the supplies will cost !!! Maybe we'll do a little landscaping instead . . . !?!?!?!

Oh, and the salvaged window on my mantle . . .

. . . came from the potting shed !!!!

The barn looks a little narrow and naked right now, but . . .

we'll see what happens next !!!

"Makes Me Smile" Monday

It's a 2-for-1 special today . . . .

double the smiles !!

I had so much fun over the weekend and after work today putting my harvest finds to use in the house ! Some of the gourds made their way to the mantle . . . .

. . . . . and others made their way to

my table in our front entry . . . !

"Where did you get that great salvaged

window ?", you ask ?!?!?!

Just wait till you see . . .

more to come on that !!!!

My second round of smiles today comes from a sweet surprise . . . ! As I was browsing the "Places to Wander" section of one of my favorite blogs yesterday, I came across a familiar blog name: MINE !!!

Charlotte's blog was one of the very first I looked at, thanks to an article about this project in Home Companion magazine several years ago . . . and I've loved it ever since ! To be included in her list of places to visit is a huge honor in my book. Thank you !!

As coincidence would have it, I was actually aware of her work before finding her blog . . . but I didn't realize it ! I discovered these in my "inspiration notebook" from a Woman's Day article in 2003 . . .

. . . . and I've been dreaming of decoupaged plates ever since !!! (I did make one a year or two ago, but it didn't turn out very well. It's on my list to try again, though . . . office Christmas gifts this year, perhaps ?!?!?) Very cool !

Here's to a Happy Monday,

full of Fall treasures and a little blog love !!

Pumpkin Afternoon