October Hauntings and History Repeated

I have been haunted for 5 years. It is not necessarily a "being" that I am haunted by . . . .








The are no orbs.







No spooky sounds.









Just horrid green wallpapered walls from the Archie and Edith Bunker era . . .








We have worked on one room at a time for the last 5 years. We have made some updates and changes . . . .

Before

After

See the faux brick carpet squares.

Gaaarosss!

Hubby replaced with wonderful tile and refinished cabinets.

I think this was a the wallpaper in the foyer of "How To Lose a Guy In Ten Days" You know when she went to meet his family . . .

Before

After

. . . and a few other rooms.

Now this horrible room. Why the big deal? Well, see, the contractor who apparently built this house in 1972 was inebriated or new at the house building thing, or just plain old SHODDY worksmaship! I say that because, you see, the first indication? Was all the old plaster towel rod holders plastered in the wall. They all were not straight, nope each one - four of them , dropped 1/4 of an inch from the left holder to the right the holder. Even the toilet tank was off, at an angle.

The second indication was when we first started taking wallpaper down. We discovered something very disturbing.

NO PRIMER ON THE WALLBOARD BEFORE PAPERING! Oh my does this project overwhelm me! Wallboard not primed before being papered means you get torn wallboard when the paper is removed. It was not put up great anyway, so painting over it does not look good either.

But on the other hand, it makes for great wall art. See:

I think it looks like a bird

So now begins the ridding of Archie and Edith Bunker :

. . . first the wallpaper, then updating the paneling, and then new chair railing . . . hope it gets done before Christmas!

And while on the subject of Archie Bunker. You know they say history repeats itself?

Well, I thought I would add some pics of the Bunkers house, but I sorta ended up on you tube . . . and this is where the history comes in (as much as sitcoms can be historical). In light of the gas/oil situation, the election, the ugliness of those who do not like it when people do not agree with them, and the huge economic issue, I offer this as light humor (disclaimer: the following views do not necessarily represent the views of this blogger [me] - it is strictly offered as view back to the 1970's)

The Frost is on the Punkin'

Long time ago when I was in high school, an English teacher had read a poem, and read it so well in its intended dialect. Fall is always so great and the poem brought to my imagination all the wonderful scents and scenes of fall. . .

. . . . They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere.
When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here –
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin of the bees; . . .

Years afterward I could not remember who wrote the poem or much about it. Isn’t google wonderful? I typed in the part I did remember, and waaalaaaa! Up popped the poem by James Whitcomb Riley – When the Frost is on the Punkin’ ( also check out Little Orpan Annie, it is great for October).

So with the punkin sharing going on at the Nesting Place (I hope it is ok that this one is a little different than the ribbons :)) , I thought parts of the poem were so appropriate as I dig out punkins and fall décor and as the weather becomes a little cooler (they are saying 57 overnight low tomorrow night!!yeah!)

…But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days
Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock…

I saw something like this a year ago . . . with the stacked pumpkins. I use the foam ones because it is too warm for real ones to last very long. Pumpkins in the South seem to rot pretty fast.

Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps
Is poured around the cellar-floor in red and yaller heaps;

I poked a holes in the pumpkins with a dowel:

And your cider-makin's over, and your wimmern-folks is through
With theyr mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and sausage too!...

And stacked them up; Added some “faux-liage” and ribbon

And Voila:

I don't know how to tell it—but ef such a thing could be
As the angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me—
I'd want to 'commodate 'em—all the whole-indurin' flock—
When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

Happy First Day of Fall!!

Fall Inspiration and P.O.O.P.I.E.

I decided it would be fun to join the party over at the Nesting Place . . . and I am but first (and part of the party):

I was reading through LindaJanes site yesterday when I came accross this cute item - here.

I have one of those cloches!

And I have a bird nest thing with "faux-liage!" I can kill two birds with one stone...

So I take the faux twiggy items off the bottom . . .

I cram the birds nest, it was a little tight, and I was determined to make this happen, into the croche . . .

And waaa laaaaa! I have something new that did not cost a penny.

I now will find a clever spot to place this among some of my "faux birds" (not stuffed - glass, silver - not tacky . . . I hope . . . hmmm)

And yes I do have a few other "faux liage." It is funny, we never had any in the house growing up - it was all too fake. Some of the pieces I now have are actually from my mom. As I think about each room - I have more than I realize, but I only have these pictures right now.

So here goes:

This one I bought - there is cool pot it sits in - and yes, it is fake berries and well fake all around.

Then this one use to be in my office cubicle and now it is at my shop:

The big green plant is real . . .

Check out the list of P.O.O.P.I.E Post here -there are some oh so faux pics of ivy topped kitchen cabinets and then some really attractive arrangements and some very fallish arrangement.

Happy Day To All!!