Monday, September 29, 2014

State Fair, Birthday Parties, and My First Craft Show

This past week was an awesome fall party! We celebrated Rosey Posey and Cousin E's Birthdays, and I had my first craft show!!

Every year we celebrate Rosey Posey's birthday with a trip to the North Georgia State Fair. This year we took some friends from Choi Kwag Do. It was so much fun!!

 We enjoyed seeing the Lego displays. This one was a replica of the fair and won a blue ribbon!

 And we got to see the Sealions again! Such fun!! :D


Of course Bubee got cotton candy again!



For her birthday Rosey Posey got a pet Turtle. She's wanted one for about 4 years, and we decided she's ready to care for one. This is "Soup", yes, that's his name! He's a red-eared slider and will be around for the next 50-70 years... YEP you heard that right. That's why this was not a light decision. Rosey Posey will have to take Soup with her when she moves out in 10 or so years, but until then, we've all enjoyed having him around.

The bottom picture has earned him the nickname: "Yoga Turtle". I did find out this is very common for turtles to sleep stretched out like this.



This past Saturday I had my first craft show. I think it was a great success. I'm hoping to do another this coming weekend. BTW: If you like anything you see here, check out my etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ATimeForSeasons

Saturday, September 27, 2014

My Favorite Things Saturdays #45 - 9/27

 
 
Every Saturday I like to wrap up my week with some of My Favorite Things. Please grab a button and join me!


Posts you may have missed this week:

http://timeforseason.blogspot.com/2014/09/family-reunion-and-911-memorial.html

http://timeforseason.blogspot.com/2014/09/simple-ideas-for-styling-your-mantel.html


Featured from last week's LinkUp:
If you are featured, don't forget to grab a button from the bottom of this post!



This week's LinkUp:
  • Please follow the co-hosts in some way.
  • Add your Craft, giveaway, family adventure, recipe, DIY, etc.
  • NO Esty shops, items for sale, or blog hops.
  • Please ONLY share NEW posts or seasonally appropriate posts (Goes with current season or holiday).
  • Don't forget to sign up for your weekly reminder e-mail Here!
  • Grab a button so others can join in the fun.
  • Check out a few others posts and comment (It's what you'd want others to do to you)
  • Come back next week to see who was featured!
  • Your participation in this link up gives the host and co-hosts permission to share your images and links on blog posts /social media.






Friday, September 26, 2014

Simple Ideas for Styling Your Mantel this Holiday Season

The following is a guest post from Jennifer Lutz at blog.christmastreemarket.com

For many of us, the fireplace is a lot more than just a source of heat and illumination. During the colder months, the fireplace is also the perfect gathering place for families to relax and create memories, making the mantle the perfect place to begin decorating! Here are some simple decorating ideas to help you turn your mantel into an attractive focal point for the holiday season.

1. Start with a clean slate.
Much like a painter starting off with a blank canvas, it's a good idea to begin with a clean surface. Removing everything, even the items you may want to use, allows you to better visualize how you want your mantel to look.

Fewer objects obstructing your view lets you see the space in its entirety and can inspire a bit of creativity.

2. Match the theme with your décor.
While your mantel display should embrace the beauty of the season, be sure that it coordinates well with the rest of your décor. Playing off the existing theme of a room instead of creating a whole new look for the holidays ensures a more cohesive look and saves you a lot of time and effort.

For example, if you favor a modern decorating style, go with something sleek and shiny. This arrangement of lustrous green and silver ornaments creates an eye-catching bit of contrast when placed against a birch wood backdrop.

If you like a vintage look , pick up interesting ornaments with a little bit of history. This wooden bowl holds a collection of colorful bulbs that would add a festive, old school charm to any holiday decor.

Perhaps your tastes run toward the more rustic and cottagey look. Enhance the country feel by attaching pinecones, pine needles, and wooden stars to a length of jute string with old wooden clothespins and displaying the whole thing across the front of your mantle.

3. Mix old with new.
There's no need to spend a lot to dress up your holiday mantel. Try shopping your home for items that you think will work with your vision. You may be pleasantly surprised to find the perfect piece in storage or collecting dust on a forgotten shelf waiting for you to rediscover it!

After you've rediscovered old pieces, complement them with one or two new items. An acorn wreath matched with a vintage-inspired plaid table runner as a backdrop adds a festive touch for the holiday season.

Got extra twinkle lights? Put them to good use by nestling them among the needles of a wintry garland to give additional shine to your mantel.

4. Arrange favorite pieces with holiday essentials.
If you have a ton of beautiful everyday décor like candle holders, figurines, vases, or books, add a touch of evergreen, berries, or plaid ribbon to give it a Christmas-y feel. The opposite also holds true, so make sure to combine your favorite items with seasonal or holiday must-haves.

Imagine how beautiful your fall mantel would look if you placed a vintage clock or pocket watch alongside pumpkins, maple leaves, and tree branches to imply the passage of time. Putting together pieces that relate to each other visually or thematically can help make your display so much more interesting and personalized.

Christmas stockings are a surefire way to add instant charm to the hearth. Hang something simple such as homemade knit stockings or family heirlooms passed on through the generations. Stockings often tell a story, hold many family memories, and are a lovely, personal touch to complete the holiday mantle.
Remember these ideas the next time you decorate your mantel, and you can make this wonderful part of your home a beautiful expression of your family's love for the holidays.


Jennifer Lutz writes about home décor at blog.christmastreemarket.com. If you're looking to prep your home for the coming winter season, try sprucing up your space first with tips from Jennifer here: http://blog.christmastreemarket.com/2014/09/5-tips-to-tidy-up-your-rooms-this-fall/.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Family Reunion and 9/11 Memorial

The second half of September is always filled full! We have my grandfather, my father, Rosey Posey, and Chris's brother's birthdays all in one week. This year, we also had the Casteel family reunion to add to the fun! So this past weekend was a crazy, but fun, blast.

The trip up to Englewood, TN was fun. Bubee enjoyed seeing the GIANT tires being shipped along I-75.

 It was wonderful to see family again. (Above: "Poppy and Kat" my grandfather and his wife)

All of the siblings and in-laws. There are only 4 of the original 11 left, but I am so glad to get to see them.
I must admit that one of my favorite parts of a family reunion is the food. I'm from a southern family and we have SOUTHERN FOOD! There was green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, sweet corn, biscuits, cornbread, rolls, potato salad, fried chicken, honey ham, and probably 10+ trays of deviled eggs. The memories that come back... MMMMMMMM!

After eating the young ones played. Bubee and Cousin R had so much fun with the cars.

And the more seasoned members of the family reminisced. There was a table FULL of old photos and it was so much fun to hear the stories from all my great aunts. I won't boar you with all the pictures I took of pictures, but I will share my 2 favorites:

This is my Aunt Curly (I think). She has always been an amazingly beautiful lady. When she passed away at about 95 years old, she didn't look a day over 60 to me.

Now this picture, I'm not to sure what to say. One of my aunts leaned over to me and said, "See, we invented Twerking back when." LOL, I guess I know now where I get some of my craziness. ;)


On the way out of town, we stopped to get a few pictures. This one is one of my favorites. I just love the small town feel of Englewood, TN.

You know it's a small town when this is your police department. (BTW: There were TWO squad cars parked next to the building)

But I think my most heart stopping moment was seeing this mural painted on the side of one of the buildings.

This most beautiful mural/memorial shows the storm that was brought to our nation on 9/11/01 starting with one plane on a peaceful morning.







Friday, September 19, 2014

My Favorite Things Saturdays # 44 - 9/20

 
 
Every Saturday I like to wrap up my week with some of My Favorite Things. Please grab a button and join me!


Posts you may have missed this week:

http://timeforseason.blogspot.com/2014/09/three-ingredient-apple-cider-recipe.html

http://timeforseason.blogspot.com/2014/09/dessert-and-movie-new-pillsbury-melts.html

My favorites from around the web:

http://www.yummyhealthyeasy.com/2014/02/dinner-ideas-5-ingredients-less.html
http://aboutfamilycrafts.com/diy-frozen-birthday-party-ideas/
http://cincyshopper.com/copycat-ihop-pumpkin-pancakes-recipe/
35+ Dinner Recipes with 5 Ingredients or Less!
75+ DIY Frozen Birthday Party Ideas
Copycat IHOP Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe




Featured from last week's LinkUp:
If you are featured, don't forget to grab a button from the bottom of this post!



This week's LinkUp:
  • Please follow the co-hosts in some way.
  • Add your Craft, giveaway, family adventure, recipe, DIY, etc.
  • NO Esty shops, items for sale, or blog hops.
  • Please ONLY share NEW posts or seasonally appropriate posts (Goes with current season or holiday).
  • Don't forget to sign up for your weekly reminder e-mail Here!
  • Grab a button so others can join in the fun.
  • Check out a few others posts and comment (It's what you'd want others to do to you)
  • Come back next week to see who was featured!
  • Your participation in this link up gives the host and co-hosts permission to share your images and links on blog posts /social media.






Dessert and a Movie: New Pillsbury Melts Filled Cookies






Last night we had a family movie night. Family movie night always need something a little extra yummy to go with it. Sometimes that's popcorn, sometimes that's a sweet treat. Last night was a new sweet treat from Pillsbury: Molten Fudge Cake Filled Cookies!! Oh my word!!! What I wouldn't have given for some ice cream (and next time there will be ice cream!)


Since our AC has been out and I didn't want to turn on the oven, we cooked ours in Meme's toaster oven. I thought with filled cookies there would be some extra steps, but it was just as easy as Pillsbury's other pull apart cookies!

After we pulled them out we added a little chocolate drizzle (I think I can handle that little extra step ;)

I'm not sure if they should be called cookies as they was as amazing and gooey as cake! Meme said they were sinful, and Bubee gave them two thumbs up (His mouth was too full to say anything else).

As you can see: Little Lady approved...

And even cleaned her plate! ;)

If you want your own Ooey-gooey filling now in a Cookie, find these yummies in the refrigerated aisle. Available in Molten Fudge and S'more Sensation filled cookies.


Disclosure: The information and prize pack have been provided by General Mills through Platefull Co-Op.
The above post(s) may contain affiliated links, product placements, etc. This is how I can afford to buy the supplies to bring you new activites. Thanks for your support!
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