National Coffee Day

In celebration National Coffee Day I thought I would post a photo of some of the Starbucks mugs Phil and I have collected over the years. One of the first things we do when traveling to a new place is to check to see whether or not there is a mug we can pick up. I reckon every one of these mugs has a story behind it. I'm pretty sure I screamed in excitement when we found the Hamptons mug while sightseeing in New York City. We drove an hour out of our way to pick up Philadelphia and Pittsburgh at a rest stop. When our flight from Ft. Meyers was cancelled and Phil had to drive like mad in the wee hours of the morning so we could catch another flight home, I was happy to score another mug at the Orlando airport. There were the looooong lines for the Disney World mugs and an even longer uphill hike for Niagra Falls. Some are vacation souvenirs and sometimes we were just passing through a "mug city". But from Alaska to Vegas, it's been a lot of fun!

Fall Stitching Basket

Okay... yeah...

I might need to narrow it down a bit...

September

Well, I didn't get my September Prairie Year finished in two days, but I did finish it in three! Woohoo! Go me! I seem to be on a roll!

Here's what the entire piece looks like so far...

It's looking pretty darn good! Only three more months to go!

Phil and I have been doing a lot of work out back on the bluff since the wall and stairs are finished. Okay, it's mostly Phil doing the work but I try to find ways to contribute. We pulled up all the volunteer squash plants (yes, we had more this year!) and we're getting ivy planted with the hopes it will take off and cover the whole bluff.

We've been having ducks visit every day and I try to have a treat for them if we're outside...

They are getting tamer and tamer and will come up and take the food right out of your hand. I have a feeling these might be the babies I watched grow up all summer because there are eight in the group. Happy to see they all made it to

adult-duck-hood!

Hooray! It's Fall!

It's time to embrace all things Fall! I'm jumping right in with my Starbucks Fall Blend, a delicious gas station apple pie, and a fresh Yankee Candle! This afternoon I plan to put together my Fall Stitching Basket!

No stitching to report. Phil and I made a trip to Las Vegas last week and I'm still in vacation mode. We had a fabulous time and I was pampered to the extreme with fresh coffee and pastries delivered to my door every morning and poolside Bellinis in the afternoon. I went for the spa treatment one day and was exfoliated, moisturized, buffed, and polished just like in the merry old land of Oz! I'm in desperate need of a reality check after a vacation like that!

I'm hoping to settle in for some stitching and maybe a chick flick or two later! I'm close to finishing my Autumn Prairie Season if I could just make myself sit down and work on what I refer to as the "fussy bits". I'd also like to start on September for my Prairie Year piece but I'm feeling the pressure to finish it in two days like I did August. It's that and my usual struggle with getting the q-snaps just right that keeps me from picking it up. Boy, does that make me sound like I need a stitchy therapist!

Have a great weekend!!!

PS I Love You

Prairie Schooler sure makes it easy to transition into fall stitching! I started this last week and have loved every minute of stitching it! We have all the elements of fall here! A scarecrow, pumpkins, a squirrel with an acorn, corn stalks, crows, and a cornucopia! I'll be adding the falling leaves shortly!