Thanks to Some Fabulous Women

From Gwen at A Charming Home


From Kristen at Scrapping My Bliss

From Tina at Beansie Babbles

Upon acceptance of this award, I must tell six things about myself that you don't know. Having done this, I am to pass this award on to six other gorgeous bloggers! So.. Here goes.

1. I/We ate all of our Halloween candy and we had to buy more for the trick-or -treaters

2. I'm named after a soap opera character on "The Doctors" (1960's)

3. I chew my nails - bad habit

4. I can play the clarinet - somewhat

5. I live 2 doors up from my MIL and 5 doors down from my parents

6. I have 13 nieces - so fun to shop for them!!



Thanks so much to all of you and to my new followers! Please feel free to take any/all of these awards as you are all so deserving!!

Don't forget to stop by next week to enter my 100th Follower Giveaway. I'm busy gathering everything for a photo. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

A cozy nook at The Old Parsonage

This little corner is my favorite place to curl up with a good book and a cup of sweet coffee.


Can you see the beautiful doily on top of my "basket table?" It's a much cherished birthday gift from a very dear friend.



Her Mimmy (grandmother) made it years ago and since she was cleaning out her dining room she thought I might like it. I cried at the thoughtfulness of her gesture. She knew just how much it would mean to me!

And doesn't the whole vignette look wonderful with my green depression glass vase full of pink posies?

Don't forget to visit Cindy at My Romantic Home for more Show and Tell fun.

And Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for Pink Saturday.

Thanks for stopping by! Don't forget to check back next week because I'll be posting details on my giveaway in honor of my 100th Follower. Can you guess what the theme is going to be?

Halloween Costumes

If you're looking for some great inspiration when it comes to making a costume this year, be sure to visit Mike Hale & Company. You'll be blown away!!

Edited: New more "happy-go-lucky" photo than the clown:)

Challenges at The Old Parsonage

Last month's Stampin' Up! club challenge was to take these bottle caps and create something.


I modge podged a vintage image in the center then added silver glitter to the edges. I attached the cap to an old bottle by winding metallic red wire around the neck of the bottle and hot gluing the wire to the cap.


I chose vintage styled papers and ribbon to wrap the jar and a great Christmas sentiment to finish it off!


Sorry for the dark photos, it's been raining for days. I'll shoot better ones when the rain stops.



We were given these two piece to create something for next month.


I was having a hard time visualizing something, then last night around 11pm, I had a EUREKA!
Stay tuned...

Pumpkin Palooza/ Rudolph Day

The weather was absolutely gorgeous to hold Pumpkin Palooza outside. We moved the table into the sun and then everyone went to town...


Unfortunately Adam was called in to work and couldn't come, so Grammy carved a pumpkin for him. She made Michael Strahan.




Everyone had such a great time, the laughs just kept coming. I made so much food that everyone went home with ziti and meatballs and sausage.

And don't think that I forgot about Rudolph Day, after everyone had gone home, I pulled out my copy of Susan Branch's Christmas from the Heart of The Home and read it cover to cover. Look at that countdown... Christmas is less than 2 months away people.

Handmade Paper Crafts from the Old Parsonage

I had my Stampin' Up Club this past Friday night. We had a blast as always. This week we learned a watercolor technique.


After you ink or marker your stamp, mist it with water then stamp. It will give you a watercolor effect.

This little treat bag was made with a big shot machine and die. We made the pumpkin embellishment from an oval punch that we dabbed with orange ink to give it a three dimensional look. Don't you just love the orange stripped ribbon?


Then we tucked in some green raffia for the vines. Too cute!


These are the gift card holders that I made for Pumpkin Palooza. How 'bout those googly eyes? Everyone loved them! I'll share photos from PP tomorrow.


This card was made using an embossing wallet and the big shot machine too. You ink the negative side with a brayer, then top it with your paper and run it through. I love the effect!


This card was so quick and easy to make for a little Halloween fun.


We used a clear bubble to showcase the gold fish. My niece Sydney is gonna love this!


And last but not least is the Build a Bear card. All the pieces were die cut using the big shot. Isn't he adorable? A Big Thank You to Kelli a great friend and Stampin' Up Consultant.

I see that I've reached the big 100 (followers), so to celebrate I will be having a giveaway. Thanks so much to all of you who are followers or just popping by. I so appreciate all of your kind comments and words of encouragement. You all mean so much to me! Stop back later this week for details.

A great Giveaway

Annie at Birdcages and Butterflies is having a great giveaway! Be sure to pop on over and enter to win. Speaking of giveaways, I see that my number of followers is fast approaching 100. So, when the number tops 100, I'll be hosting my own giveaway. Stay tuned...

Final finale of Summer flowers at The Old Parsonage

Thanks so much to Cindy at My Romantic Home for hosting Show and Tell. You simply have to visit her wonderful blog to see what she and others are sharing.

You all know how much I love fall and all that it brings. But there is some sadness when the last of my roses are blooming and just a few straggling petunia's remain.

Beverly is hosting Pink Saturday tomorrow, so be sure to stop by to see some wonderful pink goodness.
We're doing Pumpkin Palooza on Sunday, so if I'm not around much these next few days, forgive me. I have to go to the market, prepare food, cleaning to do, as well as prizes to buy. And to top it all off, I won't get home until late - 9ish the next few days.

A Dodger at The Old Parsonage

Early Sunday morning and I'm talking 5:30am. Bob woke up to hearing what he thought was our cat, Alley crying. Upon further investigation, he decided the crying was coming from outside. So we gathered our flashlights and headed out back in the middle of the 2nd round of the Nor'easter that we were getting.

We found this little fellow hiding under a bunch of vinca - shivering to beat the band. And amazingly enough, he was dry. He was dodging the rain drops! Thus the name Dodger.

Isn't he just the sweetest little thing? Not sure if he's really a he - too tiny to tell. I did some fast research on kittens and $30 later at the pet store we were ready to keep him. Later that morning, the Momma came around crying for him. Now, I did say I researched kittens on the web, and it said that the best place for a new born kitten was with it's Momma. So, we decided to see if she would take him back (insert tears here). She did, and they disappeared under one of our bushes. I kept an eye on them all day, but she must have moved them during the night, because they aren't under the bush.We're on the look out for Momma and what we think might be multiple kittens - maybe they're in our barn. They will need to be neutered, and placed with someone who loves them. As you can see in the photo's DS #2 was ready to take this one home. Dodger looks so small in Adam's arm's, don't ya think?

And while we're on the subject of Dodger's - GO PHILLIES!!

A Wonderful Giveaway

Gwen from A Charming Home is having a giveaway in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. She is such a sweet and talented friend. Pop on over to see her beautiful blog and be sure to become a follower, you'll be glad that you did!

A Tussie Mussie Holder from The Old Parsonage

As part of another of my Stampin' Up! club challenges we were given a piece of thin metal to use anyway that we wanted. I embossed mine and then cut it into a strip to use for this tussie mussie holder.
I rolled the sepia colored rose paper into a cone then added the pink paper and the metal as a topper. Can you see the sweet pink garland a round the rim too? And, a vintage pink velvet ribbon makes the perfect hanger.

I had a small piece of the metal left over and made a small ornament for Valentines Day! And for those of you who aren't sure what a tussie mussie is...

A tussie mussie is a round nosegay bouquet comprised of several varieties of flowers. As such, the tussie mussie conveyed different messages of romantic sentiment when given from a special admirer. They were usually wrapped in a lace doily and tied with a ribbon. Later, silver tussie mussie holders became popular, and Victorian brides often walked down the aisle carrying these elaborate and beautiful bouquets.

Don't forget to visit Beverly for Pink Saturday there's always some great blog fun there too.

A Fall Welcome at The Old Parsonage

Cindy at My Romantic Home is hosting Show and Tell. You simply have to visit her wonderful blog to see what she and others are sharing today. You'll be glad that you did!

Now for my Show and Tell...A little bit of fall to welcome all our friends and family to The Old Parsonage.


I couldn't believe our luck when we found the pretzel tin a few years ago (at Shupp's Grove flea market) with our name on it and it was actually spelled the way we spell it!


Can you see the copper can/kettle in the fern stand? It was a gift from DS #2 for my birthday. He certainly know his Mummy! Don't you just love the corn cob stopper?

Does anyone know what the can was actually used for? I'm thinking oil, but who knows.

Our family reunion was great. It was a little overcast and windy, but the sun finally broke through the clouds and warmed things up. Next year we're going to plan for an earlier date.

Have a wonderful day!