"Front Porches" for Pink Saturday

Today for Pink Saturday we are featuring our front porch Christmas decorations. 

Mr. and Mrs. Claus greets all of our visitors for the season.  My Mom made these for me years ago.

 

They brought along a Christmas countdown to keep us up to date.

 

My vintage snowman is ready too--he lights up around 5:00.

 

 

 

 

I made mesh wreaths this year so I've added a red cupcake wreath to the front door.

 

 

My vintage sled is ready for some snow and the ice skates are coming too.

 

 

My Colorado birdhouse is all spuced up and red birds are already visiting!

 

Our little garden lady is in the spirit too--she just had to have a santa hat.

 

Beverly also mentioned adding a post about anything we might have to sell, I have these shelves for craft paints. I cut the wood out, painted them pink and they are $18.00.  They are listed on my Etsy site.  The shipping is $8.00 and I accept Paypal.

It holds 10 craft paints and there are holes drilled for hanging.


Linking with Beverly @http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog
for PINK SATURDAY.

Going christmas caroling tomorrow with our choir, we are making it to around 8 nursing homes.

Have a great PINK SATURDAY.


Ann

 

 

T is for Ten Gallon Cowboy Hat

Today (a great T word) I'm sharing a picture from Thanksgiving of one of my little great-nephews.   He is sporting a TEN GALLON COWBOY HAT,  well it looks Ten Gallon on him.  He never leaves his house without some kind of hat!!!

The TEN GALLON HAT has several theories about how the term originated.  The first ten gallon hat was sold in  1925 by the Stetson Company. They advertised their Ten Gallon Hats were made of such a tight weave that they were waterproof and that you give  your horse a drink of water--not quite ten gallons, actually about 3 quarts!

The hats today are more decorative and not meant to use to as a watering hole!! The original Ten Gallon Hat was worn by Tom Mix.

Source: Wickipedia

 

We have several cowboys in our family and they can be seen wearing their cowboys hats

on their farms or in their pick-up trucks


---------------------------------------------HAPPY TRAILS--------------------------------------------------------


Ann

Linking withhttp://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com  for

"SEASON OF HOPE"

Our church kicked off the "Season of Hope this morning. We have several outreaches during
December, we are giving away 100 new bicycles, providing presents to children whose parents are incarcerated, caroling at several nursing homes and giving stockings to underprivileged children. 

Our choir will perform 5 programs and this is our beautiful backdrop.

The blue stained windows were purchased a few months ago by a choir member from a church who was rebuilding.

Finishing decorating my home today for the holidays.

 

Have a wonderful week.

 

Ann

 

 

 

Linking with http://smilingsally.blogspot.com for Blue Monday

 

and http://Thetablescaper.blogspot.com for Seasonal Sundays

 

 

 

 

 

S IS FOR SEASON OF GIVING

This week ushers in the SEASON OF GIVING for all of us. We are toting up (or down) our Christmas decorations to get ready for all the company and gift giving.

It has been a tradition in our family to give to others in this SEASON. 

There are hundreds of businesses giving turkey dinners this week--if you haven't planned on participating you should, it just makes you feel so appreciative of all that you have.


I will never forget a year when I was in my twenties, my hubby was in the Air Force and we lived away from home.  The company I was working for was going to bless a family with groceries for Thanksgiving, a tree and all the trimmings for Christmas.

I volunteered to go along and be one of the presenters.  We went to a community of native americans who lived outside the city.  They had several children and when I entered the home I was taken back. I had grown up in a middle class family, never went hungry and always had plenty of clothes to wear and  a nice bed to sleep in.

This family lived in a dwelling with a dirt floor, the children slept in cardboard boxes with some kind of bedding. When the mother accepted the food and gifts she cried and cried. I have never been the same!!!!!!!

During this SEASON--don't forget the unfortunate.



Linking withabcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com  for ABC Wednesday

Ann

R is for RURAL

R IS FOR RURAL


This weekend we traveled out of town for a family wedding.  Our destination was around 2 1/2 hours.

We love to drive in the open spaces. I was born in the country and really feel my heart belongs there.

The meaning of rural in Websters is : of or realting to the country, country people or agriculture.
How far do you have to travel now to reach rural?   Seems like our city just keeps spreading out and it takes a few hours to reach rural.

Rural tranquillity is something we are all striving for today, just to listen to the night sounds instead of horns blaring!! Rustic is something I love so all of the countryside with old buildings and machinery is a treat for me.

I took pictures out the car window--not the best quality.

I love the old and new red barns and this got me to thinking, why are most barns painted red?
I did some research on the the internest and found some interesting facts.

 

Source: internet

Years ago farmers sealed their wood with a linseed oil - a tawney color - derived from flax seed plants and it turned a burdt orange. It was a ferris oxide that was a poison to fungi and mold that grew on barns---thus the red barns.

During the late 1800's as paints were beginning to produced with pigments red was the least expensive paint so farmers used it quite a bit.

Red barns have become quite the fashion statement across the nation.


Linking withhttp://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com   for ABC Wednesday

Also linking with Susan @http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com for Outdoor Wednesday

 

 

Ann

Blue Monday

Several years ago we were in Branson, Mo. and saw the Yakov Smirnoff show.  We had him autograph a poster from his show.

I've had this framed  for awhile. Last week I decided it would be nice in the living room.

 

Linking with Sally@http://smilingsally.blogspot.com

for Blue Monday

 

 

 

Ann

 

Pink Saturday

I'm so proud of my granddaughter, she is in the first year of violin and she is in the 5th grade.

 

Last week we attended her first concert at school. They played 3 songs-picking only-for now. Bowing comes in a few weeks.

The violin she is playing was bought for me by my parents in 1957.  There is a certificate on the inside stating the date my Dad picked it out.  He bought it brand new so that makes it 55 years old.
I have kept in the case all these years. My sis Deb also played in during elementary school.  I stopped playing when I took a bad fall, broke my wrist--compound fracture--the doctors put together what they could but my wrist never bent the same again.

All the violin needed was a new bridge and strings.  She picked out a new bow and we bought her the PINK CASE.

My Dad passed away 20 years ago but I do know he would be so proud of his great-granddaughter.

There is nothing better than having a legacy, wouldn't you agree?

Linking with Beverly@http://howsweetthesound.typepad.com/my_weblog

Ann

QUICK QUIRKY FACTS

Today I'm celebrating a milestone birthday. Sixty-Five, it's really unbelievable, I don't feel that age. A few years ago I acuquired this card that lists lots of QUICK QUIRKY FACTS about 1947.

Hope you enjoy reading these as much as I do.

 

 

Linking with http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.com

 

for ABC WEDNESDAY  LETTER Q

 

http://suelovescherries.blogspot.com  also REDNESDAY

 

 

 

 Make it a great day.

 

 

 

Ann

 

VOTE

A critical election is upon us America!!!!  Do your patriotic duty and vote.

THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY ANN @ TIN AND SPARKLE.

Fall Festival

Our life group at church had a booth in our annual Fall Festival last Wednesday.  We were the
"Hillbilly Holler" booth. Ma and Pa Kettle and Minnie Pearl were there to greet the youngins.  Several of the cousins showed up in their Sunday best.  About 1500 kids came to our festival where we had games, food and fun for all.

Me and Ma Kettle

I guess there's a little child in all of us.


Linking with Sally@http://smilingsally.blogspot.com
for Blue Monday

Ann