Autumn For Real

Technically speaking, it's still summer for another week and a half, but around here autumn starts when the kids are back in school and opening weekend arrives for the football season.  This was SB on Thursday for the first day of school.

And yesterday we trekked to the new Meadowlands stadium to catch the season opening game between the Jets and the Bills.  My longtime readers know that we're diehard Bills fans, and WD is a lunatic Jets fan.  It killed me to create his Jets themed bedroom, but he is my baby, no matter how big.

One of WD's gifts for his 16th birthday was a couple of tickets to the season opener.  He elected to bring a friend that he's known since kindergarten and the 2 of them had a blast on the long road trip, playing games in the car, tossing the ball around in the parking lot, and of course enjoying the game.

We met up with some friends who only had to drive across from Manhattan to tailgate before the game.  The  Jets green clad boys were the minority in our group, but there was very little blue in a sea of green once we got into the stadium.

While some people tailgate with an rv and pro style smoker, all you really need is a couple of coolers, a propane campstove, a table to put your food on, and good friends.

Speaking of autumn, nothing says autumn like fresh pressed Cider Mill cider.

Speaking of food, my theme for this weekend's tailgate was bacon.  I've shared my recipe for Drunken Bacon Wrapped Cheddar Brats before, but I also made Bacon & Cheddar Potato Skins, and Sausage & Bacon stuffed mushrooms.

For dessert, I brought along some of the Chocolate Dipped Bacon that I shared last week, as well as football shaped brownies(recipe post coming soon.)

It was a beautiful day for a game, I only wish my team had played better.  There was far too much of this for my taste.

QB swallowed up by unblocked defenders, ball thrown nowhere near receivers, RB on the ground.

But as far as birthday gifts go, WD's team trouncing mine on a gorgeous end of summer day, couldn't have been planned better.  And after the game was over we were treated to a flyover.

It's time to clear away the summer decor(spring, really, we were gone so much this summer that I never got a chance to decorate,) and pull out the Autumn decor I created last year as well as craft some new items.

Thanks for popping in and welcoming autumn with me.

Chocolate Dipped Bacon

I know some of you are thinking, "What?! Bacon & Chocolate - Ewww," but trust me when I say it's all sorts of wonderful.  Salty & sweet, chewy & crunchy.  I promised, I'd be back to regular posting once summer was over, and I figured that my first post back ought to be the kind of delicious craziness that comes from random flights of fancy in my kitchen.  This summer of travel has meant very little time for crafting, but we do have to eat, even when living out of suitcases.  This quick and easy treat gets a big thumbs up from my boys.

There isn't much to the recipe.  It's basically dipping cooked bacon into chocolate.  What could be easier?  Recently I've been cooking bacon in the oven.  It's a simple, easy clean method for perfect bacon every time.    Lay out the bacon in a single layer on a foil lined jelly roll pan.  I cut the bacon slices into 1/4ths for the candy, but leave it whole for breakfast.

Place into a cold oven, then turn the oven on to 425.  Don't open the door while it's cooking.  After 17-18 minutes the bacon will be perfectly done.

Remove the cooked bacon to paper towels to drain.

Meanwhile, melt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in the microwave.  One of my favorite things about my microwave drawer is that you can stir items from the open top without ever having to touch the hot bowl.

Dip the bits of cooked and drained bacon into the melted chocolate and lay on waxed paper to harden.  I use chopsticks for the dipping, but you could use a fork, too.

After the chocolate hardens completely, I store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Thanks for popping in and cooking with me.

Whirling Dervish

This is my baby, my first born, the one I used to call Pooh Bear before he told me at the ripe old age of 5 that 'Pooh Bear is a baby name' and to please stop calling him that.

The former Pooh Bear, known to my readers as Whirling Dervish, will be turning 16 in 2 weeks.  I've felt this birthday coming on like a runaway train.  Most of his friends have already turned 16, and many of them already have their licenses.

This impending first adult privilege has had me panicking and counting down the moments left before he flies the nest.  There are only 2 Halloweens, a handful of Christmases, 2 Mother's Days, etc. before he's living somewhere else.  And that, my online friends, is why I've been MIA.  I've tried to eke out every last moment of this summer, because we only have 2 left before part of this family unit might leave.  Lucky for me, summer in NY doesn't end until Labor Day.  We've spent this summer up at the cottage,

down in Georgia,

up at the 1000 Islands,

and camping in the Catskills.

This stage of teenage life has WD annoyed at being forced into family time,

and taking the first chance to go off on his own.

Museums that delight SB,

have WD asking if we're done yet.

But this summer of living out of our luggage has found that elusive WD smile every now and again.

This past weekend, WD and I ran the Warrior Dash at Windham Mountain.  It was the first time in a long time that I've seen WD smile all day long.

It didn't hurt that he kicked my tail.  The course goes 1 mile up a ski slope before zig zagging around and back down, with some walls, ropes, and barbed wire thrown in.

Let's not forget the mud pits,

 and fire jumps.

There are no pics of us running together.  It turns out that WD is part billy goat, because he darted up that mountain faster than anyone else in our flight.  My pride hurt a little watching his backside bound up that mountain while my lungs were burning, but I couldn't be prouder of him.  And I finished towards the top of my age group, so I can't be too disappointed in my own performance.

The little boy that I used to love reading to, when he'd sit still for a moment,

can now school me on a race course.

But that's ok, because he's announced that he'd like for us to try to run all of the Warrior Dashes(there are 49 in the US, Canada, and Australia,) then try a few Tough Mudders and Spartans, too.  He may be planning on widening the gap between our finish times, but all I here is that he's making a multi-year commitment to hang out with his mom.

Summer's almost over and I'll be back to regular posting once the boys are back in school.  Thanks for popping in and listening to me prattle.

Furniture Makeovers w/ Cassie from Primitive & Proper

I'm so excited to have Cassie from Primitive and Proper here today.  She's such an inspiration, and every time I need a kick in the butt to get motivated on a project, I visit her blog.

Hello to all of Marcia's fans!  I am so excited to be here today on Marcia's blog.  She is so sweet, and talented, and MUCH better in the kitchen than I am!  I am Cassie from Primitive and Proper, where I blog about furniture makeovers, my home, crafts, life, and anything else I feel like.  In my few years of blogging I may have shared one recipe, maybe two.  So I am not here today to share any cooking tips- you don't want them from me!

Today, I am going to share with you some of my past furniture makeovers, with a little twist.  We all have the right to change our mind, right?  It's our prerogative.  Don't need permission, make my own decision... he he.

The makeovers I am going to share today are going to be madeover makeovers.... meaning pieces of furniture I have redone not just once, but twice.  We moved into our current home last fall, and with moves come change, naturally.

Recently in another guest post, I shared this Dorothy Draper knockoff I found.  When I first found it, it looked like this....

Then I gave it its first makeover, and it looked like this and was used in our family room.

And finally, the last outfit it wore before I decided to sell it.....

We also had these cute chairs that were in our playroom in our first house.  I can't find a picture of what they looked like after we painted them (they came unfinished) but here they are unfinished, prior to being painted blue and green.... (and that little baby is just about to turn 7, sniff sniff!)

When we redid the playroom in our last house they were repainted a pretty shade of turquoise...

And in this house, they are now being used in Sawyer's room and needed a makeover again!

This time, he chose the color- glossy cherry red, and it adds a nice pop to his Star Wars room.

Emmy also had a piece that had been done for her old room, and then needed another makeover after moving.  We bought this vintage vanity and stool for her room at our old house...

In her old room, orange was perfect....

But in her new room, pale pink was the best choice...

And finally, here is the last redone redo I will share today.  I bought this dresser intending to redo and sell a while back....

It had a nice clean modern shape that was perfect for a simple white treatment, so I painted it white., but then I loved it too much and kept it in my room!

Well, then I found THE MOST AMAZING dresser that was actually a little larger, too and gave us more storage.  This one needed some touch ups, so of course I just decided to repaint it entirely. :)  I wanted to give it a new, fresh look.   Here it is now....

Of course, the problem now is that I love it even more.  It won't work in my own room in pale pink, so for now it's sitting in my garage waiting for me to find a home in our home for it.  Or waiting for me to get up the courage to say good bye, and I am not sure that will happen any time soon!

Thank you so much, Marcia, for having me here today and allowing me to show that it is ok to be fickle indecisive lacking direction confident in whatever direction you want to go!  Never be afraid to change your mind!

(Me again) Big ol' Thank You to Cassie from sharing some of her amazing furniture makeovers while we're in Hotlanta.  Isn't she amazing?  Hop on over to Primitive and Proper to see even more awesome transformations.