MOTHER'S DAY CHICK-LETS

This Mother's day, I received the best gift ever. A box full of chix arrived by Special Delivery from the Murray McMurray Hatchery.

They're not all for me. I ordered them with a couple of friends.

My new little ones are two Red Caps (red-heads), two Silver Spangled Hamburgs (blonde and black) and two Light Brahmas (large gray chicks with feathers on their legs).
I can hear their peeps as I type. Happy Mother's Day one and all!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Last night at Summer House Antiques was amazing. Michelle did a great job on getting out the word on short notice AND books were flying out of the shop.

The Petaluma gals (and guys) are fun and made me feel like a rock star. Thanks everyone! I'll share photos in my next post.But today, please push the pause button on my West Coast trip... and enjoy this Halloween tour of my East Coast home, Clifton, Virginia.

Clifton is a sleepy little Civil War era town not far from Washington DC ...
Except for two days each year. Both exceptions occur in Fall. The first is Clifton Day. When thousands of folks come to our annual fair.They come to check out the booth's filled with antiques.
And the re-inactments...

And the music ...
To hear the the City Dwelling Nature Seekers just click.

The second is Halloween.
Clifton does Halloween in a big way.

Thousands of kids --and parents-- come from miles around to see the "show".
It's pretty impressive.

Got to fly now....

I'm off to a Wizard of Oz theme dinner party at a Tapas restaurant in Berkeley.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

HAPPY 6th of JULY

Have you ever wondered what are the telltale signs that a blogger has been out celebrating with a little too much enthusiasm?

Perhaps one of the signs is when their Fourth of July post doesn’t get posted until the 6th!

I originally planned to share a few of my favorite summer paintings by bloggers who paint. (By Erin Houghton of The Painted Garden)

And a book by Diane C. Arkins
Diane was one of my writers when I edited Country Collectibles magazine. Her latest book perfectly captures the essence of this patriotic holiday in prose, poetry, decorating, party ideas, games and menus. The Glorious Fourth of July may be ordered by calling 800-843-1724.

But then I got sidetracked.
(By Erin Houghton of The Painted Garden)

Fast forward to July 3rd when my July 4th celebrations kicked off a day early with a bbq with all the trimmings (including a Good Humor truck) and fireworks at a friend's Country Club.
On the 4th, I was lucky enough to view the “official” Washington DC fireworks from the ballroom of the Sheraton National where I celebrated the wedding of Kristen and Rob.
The reception ballroom had a spectacular view of the Pentagon and The national Mall.

Kristen and I first met when she started coming to Jazzercise class with her mom. She was in high school at the time.

Although her mom and I are closer in age, the three of us have had a blast together choosing a wedding cake, giggling during the wedding rehearsal, and sorting out dozens of details to guarantee their special would be truly special.

The ceremony was at historic Fort Myer, which traces its origin as a military post to the Civil War. It overlooks Arlington National Cemetery.
The Old Post Chapel where the ceremony took place is located on land confiscated from Robert E. Lee's estate.

Nearly every American President and many other persons of influence from around the world have attended services at Fort Myer's Old Post Chapel.
Fast forward to July 6th: By noon today, I had completely recovered from the festivities and was out of bed and dressed when a UPS truck rolled down my driveway.

I was so relieved when he said there were stacks of boxes for me from Gibbs Smith on the truck that I could have kissed the driver.
After I autographed each copy, the entire household helped by lovingly wrapping the books, placing them in padded envelopes and driving them to the post office.

Yes you can get writers cramp from signing too many copies in an afternoon! So, I still have more to send out tomorrow.

CONGRATULATIONS to Gale of She Shoots Sheep Shots.
You are the lucky winner of a free copy of Waterside Cottages.

*** BLOG DU JOUR ***

Belgium chose today's blog. It's The Katillac Shack. His photo wasn't posted yet the last time he checked, but Kelee promised him it would be there real soon.

Boo!

Not to be outdone by Sydney's cats...
Belgie put on his favorite handknit scarf to wish all of his friends in Bloglandia a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Please help yourself to some Trick or Treat candy.

AUTUMN OBSERVATIONS

When the temperature drops into the 50s in New York City (where I grew up), autumn is welcomed with really chic sweaters.

When the temperature dips into the 60s in Virginia (where I now live), fall’s arrival is heralded by displays of pumpkins and gourds.

When the temperature slides into the 70s in Los Angeles (where I was last week), the change of season is greeted with fire!
Residents in every part of town were hauling home cords of wood for their fireplaces. My son and his friends celebrated with a bonfire on the beach. And, in every backyard and restaurant patio, firepits were burning brightly.

And, once autumn has arrived, Halloween can’t be far behind. Window displays along Abbot Kinney Blvd. were ablaze with SoCal (southern California) flair--and lanterns.

One of my favorite windows was lit with Dutch designer, Tord Boontje’s chandeliers.

Famous for his amazing paper cuttings, Tord also has a line of lighting with Swarovski crystals. You can take a peek at these dazzling designs at Studio Tord Boontje (Slick on projects.)
www.tordboontje.com

Many store displays have Day of The Dead Mexican themes.

Others exhibit sassy style.

And a few aim for tradition with fuzzy spiders!

*** BLOG DU JOUR***
Please welcome new blogger Cheryl of Cheryl’s Fascinating Finds. She’s only posted twice so far, but what an eye for romantic finds!

THE HAUNTED HOUSE

Welcome to Sydney's Haunted House.

Vince will be your guide.
"Hi, I'm Vince. My friend Sydney will go to any length for Halloween. She even asks her husband Gary to "fix" the shutters every October!

Please follow me inside.

Need to sit down and rest for awhile?
As you may have noticed, I'm not a black cat, but there are plenty of those in our home!
This one spooks me and my brother Mo out every time we walk by it.

Mo, however, is planning to fight back with the help of his friend Polly.
Of course, there are lots of other frightening things around the house this time of year...
Hey, Sydney, what happened to those nice candles that are usually on the dining room table?
There's something strange to look at from the ceiling to the floor.

I'll be the first to admit that we have a real bug problem in the house.

But on the plus side, there's lots of stuff a cat can play with.
Think Sydney will notice if a few pieces are missing?
The kitchen is where Sydney really goes wild.
Shrunken houses lights up.
And when you least expect it, stuff turns, twists and makes noise.
Unfortunately, over the years, Sydney's gotten smarter. See these plates of rocks? They used to hold a buffet of Halloween cookies. Come on, can't we go back to edible treats, Sydney?
The birds aren't very tasty either.

But, sometimes, if I'm lucky, Sydney will read me a bedtime story.
No, not that ONE. I want to hear the Cat In The Hat!

Sometimes, I can swipe a bedtime treat.
But, I must admit, it's hard to sleep with all of those twinkling lights.
And, it's easy to think you're having a nightmare!

Even when you're not.

I hope you've enjoyed the tour.
Thanks for coming.
Don't forget to grab a Trick or Treat bag on your way out--if you dare."
BOO!
P.S. I'm rethinking all of my post tabs and will be coming up with a new list over the next few days. Please bear with me.