Take A Stroll

Hello friends. 

Hope your Weekend is going good for you.

Last Monday morning Bob and I headed out for

Kansas City, Missouri.

I won an award at my job for exceeding my goals

mid year for our region and the ceremony

was held at the Kansas City Westin hotel.

Bob and I decided to take the opportunity and turn

it into a mini vacation.

Our hotel was on the 6th floor,

but when you opened the sliding glass door,

there was grass and trees.

It felt like you were on the ground level.

We were also greeted by a German Shepard puppy

outside our door.

We stopped for lunch Monday at a quaint diner

in Diamond, IL.

It took us about 13 hours to get to Kansas City.

Our route was through Michigan, Indiana,

Illinois and then Missouri.

Illinois was mostly farmland and windmills.

We could see the old Sears Tower (Willis Tower)

in the far distance at one point as it was a nice day

and the Chicago skyline was in view.

Going over the Illinois River was nice.

We drove through some hills and the river was below

in the valley.

Missouri has lots of creeks on the route we drove. 

This was also my first time crossing the 

Mississippi River...and I was so excited

to see the Big Muddy!!!

Monday night we ate at 54th Street.

Wish they had these restaurants here in Michigan.

Bob and I dined on appetizers.

Hot wings, Spinach dip and

 Chicken/ Black Bean Mexican Rolls.

I had a couple margaritas and Bob tried some new beers.

Lunch on Tuesday was at Jacks Freight BBQ...

and it did not disappoint. Their KC brisket was awesome!

After lunch we went to the Kansas City zoo.

The zoo is on a 200 acre park.

I really wanted to see the Koalas, however they were sleeping.

It was 82 degrees that day..

and by 3:00 pm we were dragging.

Stayed until 4:00 pm and walked the entire park.

If you would like to see all the animals Bob and I saw,

please look under the list of animals with the link below.

https://www.kansascityzoo.org/ouranimals/

For now lets take a stroll of some of the animals

I was able to catch on camera before it died on me.

Siberian Tigers

Macaws

Red Capped Mangabey (side view)

Red Kangaroos

Emu

Side View

Singing Dog

Wallaby

Tree Kangaroo

Saddleback Stork

We left Kansas City on Wednesday morning.

More on our trip later.

Glad to be back now and just trying to get myself

into creating some Christmas goodies for an upcoming show

in November.

Take A Stroll Blessings To All!

Janice

Witchy Store Displays

Happy Sunday morning all!
Today I would like to show you our
recent Halloween Witchy store display.

Its all about the witch.

Bob purchased this 1950's costume

in the Summer and it set the tone

 for the display this year.

I tried to show the day time look for each pic...

followed by the night time one.

But not all.

Do you think she looks like a hag who could

put a spell on you?

I made the witch feet by sewing up some

black & orange fabric tubes; stuffing them.

then putting the tubes inside my black

Victorian boots.

Bob worked his magic by attaching to the fireplace.

Don't you think he did an awesome job!

Our funky candelabra.

With tiny black bats at each tip of the candle.

(we used children's plastic bat rings for this)

The dollar store had spider ones too....

Bob hung the witch hats from the ceiling,

and since he used fishing line...

they look like they are floating in air.

He then hung three brooms the same way

up against our window, and I put the sign up.

At the corner of our window,

he put more brooms inside a nail keg.

Then I added more signs for towns.

The miles are actual miles from our store.

Thank you Mapquest.

Witch Lake, MI 513 miles

Salem, MA 702 miles

Hell, MI 97 miles

and yes we do have both a Witch Lake

and Hell Michigan town in our state.

Night time view of our witch cauldron.

A mouse peeking out of a table drawer.

EEK

The two skulls that look like they are floating,

are actually on a glass scale.

A third is on the black dresser.

The window display from the street view.

Bob decided to add a spider web to the middle.

Hope you enjoyed peeking into our bit of Halloween.

Witchy Store Displays Blessings To All!

Janice 

Throwback THursday

Happy Thursday everyone.

Please pray for those affected by

Hurricane Matthew.

Friends of ours have left their home

in Daytona Sh0res, Florida and Bob's

sister is in the Tropical Storm Warning.

Hopefully everyone will take heed and leave,

so no one will lose their lives.

You can replace things...but not lives.

Today I am doing a Throwback Thursday

of past prim crafts that I have sold over the years.

Hope you enjoy.

Throwback Thursday Blessings To All!

Janice

Saying Goodbye To An Old Friend

Saying hello to a new one.

Good evening friends.

It was a foggy drive into work this morning.

Looks to be getting foggy again.

Saturday on our way home from visiting with my mom,

we stopped at an antique store.

Then it happened.

 I said goodbye to an old friend.

My old friend being this 

Whitney Reed rocking horse.

For those who do not know the story of this horse...

I had to pass it up one year at a sale.

The following year I went back to the same sale,

and it was still there.

I purchased it and took it home.

However Saturday I had to let it go.

Goodbye dear old friend.

But hello new friend!

My new Whitney Reed rocking horse.

A fine dapple one.

With the mane and tail intact.

Saddle and stirrups intact.

A stunning example of one.

It looks amazing don't you think?

Although I would have loved to have kept

both of them....

my house is not big enough for both.

So my old friend went to the store,

for someone else to enjoy.

Do you like my new friend?

This one will be my forever one

since I paid full price.

Goodbye Old Friend Blessings To All!

Janice

Giveaway Winner

Good afternoon friends.

It has been a stormy rainy week last week.

More on the way I hear too...

so for now I am enjoying the partly cloudy 

65 degree weather today.

The kitties are outside sunning themselves

in their enclosed Catio.

After I announce my giveaway,

I am off to take a nap.

Bob and I changed up our store for Halloween last night.

Stayed until 11:pm last night.

It's a witchy window this year,

but unfortunately I dropped a heavy glass insulator

on the same toe I broke last year.

OUCH

I could not sleep last night and now am dragging

my butt as we spent another 5 hours 

this morning finishing up.

So without further ado,

Cathy from 

Acorn Hollow 

is the winner.

Please send me your address,

so I can mail out your goodies this week.

Thank you to everyone for your wonderful comments.

I enjoyed each and every one of them!

Hope everyone enjoys their Sunday afternoon...

I am off to cat nap now. :-)

Giveaway Winner Blessings To All!

Janice

Fall Snippets

Happy Tuesday to one and all!

Hope your week is going good for you thus far.

I spent my Saturday afternoon adding 
a bit of Fall to our house.

Hope you enjoy.

My favorite teddies with their homegrown pumpkin.

A hooked acorn.

Perfect for my candle.

Iron bunnies with their pumpkin buddy.

Added a bit of Fall decor to the floor.

Used a birch park vase for the arrangement.

Leaves in between our apothecary and wood box. 

The other side of our kitchen with more drieds

on another tobacco rack.

Left to right ~ dried weeds, sweet annie, wrapped twine,

broom corn and a wooden spoon.

A sweet waxed crow in with mixed drieds.

I so enjoy this time of the year.

Colors changing on the trees.
The acorns hitting the ground as they fall 
from the mighy oak in my neighbors yard and 
 the squirrels scurrying away to hide them all for
 their Winter bounty.
Warm glow of the candlelight at night.
The smell of the campfires in the park
on my drive home now.

What makes you happy about this time of year?

Public Service Announcement.
Don't forget to comment on my last post
if you would like to get into my giveaway.
Drawing to be held Sunday.

Thanks to those who have already commented.
I loved reading each and everyone!
It is so nice to have sweet blogging friends
such as yourselves.

Fall Snippet Blessings To All!

Janice