Christmas Blog Hopping----

I have totally neglected this blog.   It's just been a busy year for me and I've been more dedicated to my scrapping blog (A Scrapmom's Musings) than to this one.  I've done very little decorating or flea market shopping as well so I felt I really didn't have anything to blog about.   But, now that I finally have my own home again after 5 years, I'll be more motivated to share my love of thrifty decor, eclectic decorating and whatever else I feel like blogging about.  

While browsing some blogs, I came across some wonderful Christmas-themed blog parties!  And, I LOVE blog hops.  It's such a great way to be inspired.  I just hope I can inspire others as well.  So, read along and well.....blog along as well!   Enjoy!
I just recently re-visited Etsy Cottage Style blog and discovered the "Holiday Edition of the Cottage Colors Party".  I thought I'd join in on the fun. 
   Click here: Etsy Cottage Style to link up or visit other blogs.  The Cottage Colors for December are RED and GREEN.  I hope you enjoy my Christmas decor and collection(s):

Here is our tree.  It's the smallest one we've had in a long, long time.  We down-sized into a ranch home and our living space is much smaller than before.  Our tree is 6 feet tall and about 4 feet wide.  My tree is an assortment of ornaments that I've collected over the years or have sentimental value to me.  It's not a fancy tree and isn't a 'showroom' type tree.  I do not have a 'themed' tree unless "eclectic" counts--LOL!   Still, we love our tree.  When I open the boxes of ornaments each year, and pull out each one, I remember moments of my past and it always brings a smile to my face. 

Here are some of my favorite ornaments:

I bought this bread dough ornie for my daughter when she was 3 years old.

And at the same time, I bought this one for my youngest daughter who was just a baby at the time.  They're now 26 and 23.

This is the first ornament my husband and I bought as an engaged couple.

This is the fireplace.  Pretty big, huh?

Here are some close ups of the hearth:

I've been collecting snowmen and Santas for many years.  Considering that I have a much smaller place to display my collection, I did manage to put out every one of them--some on the hearth, some on the mantel and others on the hutch:

And this is the display on my 'coffee table', which is actually an antique trunk:

Different angle, different setting on the camera:

Close ups of the Snowmen on my hutch:

 

And of course, we can't forget the Reason for the Season--the birth of Our Lord, Jesus Christ:   This nativity set is 26 years old.  It was given to us as a Christmas gift all those years ago.  The paint is wearing off here and there, but it's a treasured family heirloom:

I'm glad you stopped by to see my Christmas decor.  I'll post more tomorrow or Tuesday of my Gingerbread kitchen.

I'm also linking up to these parties:

Help Save My Christmas Spirit at A Fish Who Likes Flowers
Creative Bloggers Party Hop at Homemaker On A Dime

Wow! It's been tooo long!

I've been spending alot of time over at A Scrapmom's Musings and have neglected this site.  I am in the process of finishing up swaps and have been invited to create a home decor project over at Mini Album Scraps.  Once it's completed, I'll show it off here.  Please come back soon. 

Gloucester's Haunted Castle

In celebration of Vanessa's Haunted Halloween Party over at A Fanciful Twist --http://afancifultwist.typepad.com, I thought I'd share a place that I've once visited, used to drive by several times in a week when I lived in Gloucester, Massachusetts. 

Gloucester's Haunted Castle


Hammond Castle was built in the 1920s by American Inventor John Hays Hammond Jr.  Hammond holds the second largest number of invention patents next to Thomas Edison. He was a very wealthy man. His fascination with historical European culture led him to include many artifacts from old Europe in the furnishings - he even incorporated ancient tombstones inscribed in Latin and had them made parts of the walls. There are many ghost stories about Hammond Castle. Some think that Hammond brought spirits into the house along with the artifacts he collected. Others think that Hammond and his Wife summoned the spirits through their experiments with Spiritualism.
Even if you don't see a ghost during a visit to Hammond Castle, the site has plenty of eccentric features to entertain. Among the features are a working drawbridge, the tomb of a child from ancient Rome, the skull of one of Christopher Columbus's crewman, an eighty-five foot tall pipe organ (the largest ever installed into a private residence, an indoor swimming pool complete with facades taken from Medieval European storefronts and many, many historical artifacts.

The Cats of Hammond Castle

During their lives at Hammond Castle, John Hammond and his Wife, Irene had dozens of pet cats. Whenever one would die, Hammond would preserve the cat in formaldehyde. He would then lead a slow vehicular funeral procession around Cape Ann that would start and end at the castle. Ultimately the preserved feline would wind up in the master's future burial vault, much like an Egyptian pharaoh taking his pets with him into the afterlife. The burial vault is on the property.

John Hammond expressed a wish to be reincarnated as a cat. Some believe that Hammond did indeed return as a black cat that lived on the grounds in the years after his death. The stray chose the place to live and frequented the stone Bishop's Chair that Hammond liked to sit and smoke in.

The Dead Spot

There is a section of floor in the main hall of Hammond Castle that is bleached lighter then the rest of the floor. This is the result of the Hammond's experiments with Spiritualism. John Hammond created an elaborate Faraday cage that surrounded psychic mediums with an electrical field during seances. The concept was that the electrical field would keep out psychic impressions of the living around the medium and only allow in the spirits. The electrical field bleached the floor where the cage once stood. Some say that the "Dead Spot" has focused the energy of the castle's spirits into this small area.

The Supernatural at Hammond Castle



Items have been known to disappear, reappear, or be moved by unseen residents. There is a spectre who sometimes appears in the organ loft. Workers at the castle hear voices when nobody else is around. A ghostly red-haired woman occasionally appears amongst guests at weddings held at the castle.

Castle of the Damned

During the Halloween season, Hammond Castle is transformed into the haunted attraction, Castle of the Damned. The annual Halloween haunt is put together by an interactive theatrical group that aspires to provide more than the traditional haunted attraction. The attraction varies from standard methods of scaring its guests and relies on more visceral means (through haunting images and scenery) to leave a more lasting horrific impression on those who pass through.



Sometime soon, I'm going back down to my old stomping grounds and visit Hammond's Castle.  Another stop that's a must for anyone at Halloween----SALEM!  The home of the Salem Witch Trials.  But that's another story for another day.  I hope you enjoyed this post and hope you get the chance to visit this truly unique castle.

Prepping for a Craft Fair

I'm gathering supplies and doing my best to get some papercrafted items ready for a craft show that I'll be doing on November 14th.   It'll be my first craft fair and I'm a bit nervous.  I've got lots of ideas brewing and want to make so many things, but I have so little time left.  I didn't find out until 2 weeks ago.   But, this is one item I'll be making:

An Altered CD Case

When opened it reveals an accordion album!

Psstt....I'm still in the process of creating the pages on the inside.

I also plan on making mini albums, altered journals, paper pinecone ornies; and so much more! 

This is a short post, but I'll be posting again soon.  

Home-Made Applesauce

Ahhh, Fall----the time of year when apples are picked and I get to make apple pies, apple sauce, apple crisp and anything else that calls for apples!   Yesterday, the kids and I met up with my father to go apple picking at McDougal's Orchard.  It was cloudy and started to drizzle near the end of our venture, but we picked quite a bit. 

This morning, my daughter and I decided make Home-made Apple Cinnamon Sauce.  Right now the house smells sooooo good!  This is an easy, simple recipe.

Slow-Cooker Applesauce

         Ingredients:
Apples--4 medium sized
Brown Sugar--1/4 Cup
Cinnamon--1 tsp, ground
Nutmeg--1 tsp, ground
Water---1/4 Cup

           Directions:
Peel the apples, then cut using an apple corer
Mix brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and water in slow-cooker
Add apples, stir, then cover
Turn cooker on high and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours
Stir well, breaking up the apples (I used a potatoe masher)
Cover, reduce heat to low and continue cooking for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Check the sauce occassionally and break up or mash to the consistency you want
Let cool and serve warm or store in the fridge to serve cold

Makes about 5 servings

Nutritional Info:
Fat: 0.6 g
Carbs: 28.1 g
Calories: 110.0
Protein: 0.3g

Enjoy!

It's That Time of Year!

Well, it's that time of year when the weather gets cooler, the leaves change color and it's time for.....CRAFTING!  I'll be doing more crafting as the holidays approach.  I've also been invited to participate in a craft fair to be held in November.  Matter of fact, I need to look into other craft fairs as well.  So, check back and see what I've created!  

Okay, Enough of Ignoring This Blog

I have been so neglectful of this blog because I'm giving so much of my time and energy to my Scrapmom's Musings Blog. I was considering putting everything into one blog, but felt it would be too overwhelming. Oh well. So.....today I vow to keep this blog updated at least on a weekly basis with things such as recipes, crafts, and living my life in Maine. I hope you'll come back often and enjoy what I'll be offering. Thanks!

So, where to start? I think I'll share some of my yard sale finds.

This is a dresser that I picked up for $3.00!!  I need to repaint it, but I might keep it white.  I'd like to add some flowers or something to it.  Not sure yet. 

This is a wooden shelf and a metal "thinga-ma-jig" that I'll use somewhere in the house.  I always buy stuff when it strikes my fancy, bring it home and then wonder what I'm going to do with it!  I think the wooden unit will go in the kitchen.  I'm not sure if I'll keep it as is or paint it.  I collect all kinds of country goodies, so I'll use this to display them.

And the item below I bought for a $1.00 and plan on keeping this in my scrap room.  The items inside were also purchased at the yard sale.  I like it as is as my scrap room has a Rose theme. 

This will be used to display little odds n ends that appeal to me.  They might not be scrap-related--just things that make me smile.

And this is an old jewelry box that I thought would be perfect on my work table in my scraproom to hold small embellishments.  I definitely have to change the color! 

Thanks for looking and come back soon!