things I didn't steal...

...at Pioneer Days.

This is just a checking in blog post really.  It's been a busy week.  Work has been hectic, family has been in and out of town, and it's time to baton down the farm hatches for the winter.  I also have a bunch of shop stuff to list, which nags at me until I get it measured, listed, and tucked away.  Ideally, one should list a few things every few days...this keeps you higher in the search engine list.  I, however, don't have the time or, frankly, the patience needed for the slow and steady method.  I like to get it all done, and then spend my evenings snuggled on the couch reading.  (but it's never really done - then I'm just fixated on the next photo shoot and washing, ironing, blah blah blah.)

But never you mind.  My family came over for a fall cuddle-in-and-love-each-other- overnighter this weekend.  I like when we are all under one roof.  I like waking up with Coco and my niece Sadie here together...grandpa sweetly reading them Sunday morning stories...grandma getting Sunday dinner started before we've even had our coffee.  My mamma put a turkey in the roaster, and we all had an early meal before my sister and her husband hit the road back to Cincinnati.

Early afternoon, my parents, Joe, Coco, and I all went to Pioneer Days at the Waterloo Historical Farm Museum.  This is Coco's jam...she can't get enough of the historical farm.  We have lazily wasted many a Sunday afternoon touring the farm - Coco often adding in facts or correcting the tour guides...I'm telling you, she loves this stuff, the sweet little history buff.

Most weekends when we go to the farm, they have all of the curtains closed inside the house so as not to expose the Victorian era home goods to the sun.  On Pioneer Days, however, they open that house up!!!  And I can take pictures of the things that i want to casually wear out, hoping no one will notice.  Kidding!  I did not steal anything from Pioneer Day's ;).  We are members people, that just wouldn't look good.

I, oh, what can I even say. These just sit in the attic, dying a slow lonely death.

They did not fit in my purse.

Sigh.  The Victorian shoes and beaver skin top hats.  Sigh.

The attic at the farm house is full of weird treasures and amazing taxidermy.

They have a great display of Victorian hair art in the parlor, and some huge feather art pieces (this is why I saved all those turkey feathers Kelly and Allison...Christmas craft ideas!!)

Wringing out the laundry!

A dried flowers craft, and a handsome man carrying my bundle of dried wild flowers (weeds).  They were $1!!  We can use them for crafts ok?

I don't even know what to say about these poor people.  They were singing their hearts out...over the loud bluegrass band that was like 20 feet away.  Poor planning on someones part.

The evening light catching just right in my den...perhaps my favorite place in the house.

Au revoir for now sweets.  Grandma Kate is coming for a visit with Coco, and Joe and I are headed up north for a romantic weekender.  What????  Michigan?  Up North?  In October??   Perfection.

Crazy. Crazy Good.

I believe this is what they call the "sweet spot" of summer.  We finally have some days filled with tolerable sunshine and pleasant breezes.  The shop hit 100 sales.  The air is off, the windows are open.  Vacation is a sweet not-so-distant memory, and preparations for the Hootenanny are well under way.

So this is just a hodge-podge of a post about the pleasantries of life.  A few random vacation pics to get the ball rolling, and then we'll wrap things up with a lovely budding friendship.  I know so many of you will be in Leelanau heaven yet this summer...so here are few of my favorite things!

On day one, hour one, on the beach, my mom found a Petoskey stone.  Joe yelled out "Oh my God they are so rare!"  Which became the joke of vacation, as throughout the week we found hundreds.  If I told you where, I'd have to kill you...sorry!

Mom and Dad's first trip to L. Mawby!  One of my fondest childhood memories is of my mom and dad, every Sunday after church, having champagne together.  There was nothing sweeter than sitting in the vineyard and sipping some sparkling wine with them on a beautiful day!

Willow, not the greatest wine, but the greatest view!

Little Bee's in Sutton's Bay - Home to delicious gelato, Italian ices made with fresh fruit puree, and an adorable husband and wife funky retro couple...named after his Grandma Bee!  GO THERE!

Sadie loved her first watermelon/cherry ice!

Chateau Chantal...can't beat that breeze on a perfect Old Mission day!

2 Lads - Best wine and best company in all of the Traverse wineries.  We were served for an hour by one of the "2 Lads" who was gracious, knowledgable, and adorable.  (there were hugs given and emails exchanged).

Coco:  "Lets just get this over with mom."

And when you see 80 year old women and 2 year old children at the top, well, you really have no excuse.

The Dune Climb.  Coco insisted that there should have been some kind of better "reward" for reaching the top.  All she got was "jumping off the dunes" lessons from Joe...they are the tiny two on top of the dune ;).

Our sweet neighbor's luscious home, filled with primitives, antiques, perfect old quilts, barkcloth curtains, baskets hanging from hooks on ceilings...etc, etc.  Perfection.  (and a bear in her yard on night 2 of vacay!)

Part 2.  I have this friend who plays guitar in this Band, and there is this tall leggy blond lead singer whom i adore.  She is just good people.  Well, she did a sweet little blog post that may or may not mention me ;).  I love her blog, and she is doing a giveaway this week for a Shabby Apple gift card (really sweet reproduction vintagey goodness clothing!).  So head on over to Dressed Up Like a Lady, enter the giveaway, and look at the pretty lady in the pretty dress!  (And click the band link to get a peak at The Canastas who will be playing the hootenanny!!)  

It's just been a Crazy Good summer!

Gone Fishin'.

And this, good people, is why we live in Michigan.  Because after only a five minute drive from the house, nestled in the sweet succulent woods of Chelsea, is Riker Lake.

Uncle Scotty Karate and his family own a heavenly piece of the land, giving us a parking spot and a boat, always waiting.  For so many years Joe has brought me here...first just the two of us, then a toddler done up is sunglasses and life jacket in tow.  Without fail she always gets the first catch on her Dora the Explorer rod, yelling excitedly "bobber down!!".   Usually a small little crappie, known affectionately as "John Sniff."  (When Coco was little she called all the little fish that we caught John Sniff (John Smith in toddler talk...she was watching a lot of Pocahontas in those days, don't judge)).

Each time we go out, I am astonished that we are the only people on the lake.  Pure, unadulterated, quiet.  Cranes and ducks flying overhead, little turtles peeking their heads out of the water...magic.  A few snacks on the boat, because fishing makes you hungry.  But really, this post is about the pictures, so let's get on with it already!

That's my girl - Never one to miss an opportunity to pose.

This is always my view heading out into the lake (Exception:  The summer that I was training for the triathlon, Joe would make me row out to the other side of the lake, jump off, and swim back.  True story.)

Reelin' it in!!

:(  Only a John Sniff.

Uterus cloud on the horizon.  I'm never one to pass up on a good fertility omen!

And here's to a summer full of fishing and fertility!

Pay it Forward People.

I took Coco to Coney Island for dinner tonight because she got two, count em' two, Panther Paws at school today.  Panther Paws are little orange circles of paper that one receives if one does something super duper at Emma Smith Elementary.  Stockbridge, as a town,  basically runs on Panther Paws...get with the program people.

In the beginning of the year she brought every single one home because she liked the wow factor of saying "guess who got a Panther Paw today??!!"  At some point, she realized that you could put them in a box by the office to win a prize, so she dutifully gathered dozens of them from around the house and tried to throw the odds a bit, but those other kids were onto her and stopped her short, and we had to settle for the pride of having them at home.

Anyhoo, after a lovely meal of Coco creating "force fields" around her french fries so that I would get shocked if I tried to eat anymore (I just wanted one ok?) (maybe two), it was time to head out.  But then the manager walked up to the table next to us and stated "you ladies won't be getting a bill tonight."

I shushed Coco straining one table over to hear the goods...what was the problem?  raw chicken?  regular coke when they had ordered diet?  What on earth happened to them that they got no bill???

"The woman sitting behind you paid for your meals.  She said to have a wonderful night."

There was confusion followed by awe followed by appreciation.  "But we didn't know her!" they protested.  And that is the point, isn't it?  Random acts of goodwill.  Because you never know when someone just needs someone to do something unexpected and nice for them.

And that is your homework.  Pay it forward people.

And if life gives me too much of anything, let it be poppies and peonies.  Please.