Ghostly Good Coffee

 

Happy Monday!

Did you do any crafting this weekend? We had a LOT of rain, and it was a good time to hunker down in the craft room and play.

I made this fun card for a coffee card swap. I'm having fun with that CP free ghost die!

And my one and only Halloween stamp set from Hello Bluebird has served me well once again!

I'm going to work on some Autumn-inspired cards this week, and may even pull out an autumnal stitching project.

Cleaning Out My Christmas Sale!

 Hello, friends! I'm cleaning up my craft stash before the big holiday crafting season. I just want to give these neglected stamps and dies new homes. If you purchase multiples, I will give a big discount! US only, Shipping extra, Paypal. (Please consider an order over $10 for shipping purposes)

Woodware sets, $3 each. Get all 5 for $12!

Hello Bluebird, $10

Stampin' Up, $5

The Greetery: $10

Reverse Confetti: $3

Papertrey Ink: Get all three below for $5

Penny Black Hedgies $5

Saltbox Studio: Get all three for $8

Thanks for looking! Have a great weekend!

The Kitty Caper

 

My neighbor rang the doorbell the other afternoon to tell me that there was a cat stuck in the tree in our front yard. And as you can imagine, Jemma was standing at the base of that tree, fixated on that furry kitty.

Did Jemma chase that cat up the tree? Chances are good!

I had to drag Jemma into the house and then fetch a ladder.

The poor kitty was talking to me the whole time, in the most pathetic way that said "Lady, get me down from here!"

She knew exactly what I was attempting to do. After un-wedging her from the crook of these tree limbs, I managed to help her out, trying to calm her down and hold her near my neck. She quickly scurried over my shoulder, down my back, and leapt to the ground.

She ran to the woods and then paused. I told her that we were friends now, and she couldn't leave without saying goodbye.

So she came back, let me pet her briefly, and then went about her merry way. Funny.

She was such a beautiful cat. Clean, too. I've never seen her before, but she must be someone's pet.

It's always a wildlife adventure here at the cottage.

Peanuts and Starbucks

 

Did you hear about the big Peanuts collaboration at Starbucks? All the fun fall products dropped today...and sold out almost instantly.

I went to my local Starbucks around 10 a.m. They told me that people began lining up at 4:30 a.m. to get the merch. What?! That's crazy!

I didn't get any Peanuts merch, but I did get two Snoopy gift cards.

I put together a Peanuts themed birthday gift for Sam, who turned 23 last weekend. 

I found this fun cake mix at Walmart!

And I found some Peanuts socks and matching boxers. He'll be getting a Starbucks gift card, too. And it's going in this card that I made...because you know me. I love to carry a theme to its completion!

The trip to Starbucks was also momentous, as this was the first PSL of the season!

Yum, indeed!

Scenes in a Sip cards

 

Altenew released their Scenes in a Sip stamps and dies in July, and they sold out quickly. My local stamp shop/now online shop was offering an online class with this order, as soon as the restocks were filled. My order came last week, and I couldn't wait to give it a try.

I knew I'd need some festive elements to go with these cards. I pulled out some dies from Hello Bluebird, and look what I found in the storage envelope: Mary Rose 2025 had saved a bunch of die cuts for future use!

Mary Rose 2025 had also saved some embossed panels that were perfect for these cards. It sure made the crafting session a lot easier yesterday.

This was a really fun set to play with. It was easy to get the layered images with my MISTI, and that spoon is just too cute.

I chose to die cut the mug and layer it on top of the embossed panel. But this set also comes with a stamp that gives the mug a nice shadow if you chose to make a one-layer card. I'll be trying that soon.

These cards all got a little Wink of Stella snowy sparkle. I'm going to try them with some WOW embossing powders, too.

I don't have a plan for Christmas cards this year, other than trying really hard to get more creative and use what I have.

Have you seen any new trends for Holiday 2026? I think my trend will be "frugal". 

A Trip to my Hometown Orchard

 

I needed to get down to my Mom's house to do some sorting and organizing. It's a process, and it feels overwhelming. We are chipping away at it, one drawer and one cupboard and one closet at a time.

I decided to pop in to the orchard that was such a big part of our family's yearly traditions, Erie Orchards and Cider Mill.

The minute you walk into this building, you are greeted with the smell of freshly baked apple fritters. Resistance is futile. I had to buy them!

The reason I come to this orchard every autumn: they grow the most delicious golden delicious apples! I bought a BIG bag. I also got the last of the summer peaches (yay!) and a quart of their homemade apple cider.

It's such a cute homey, country orchard. Soon, it will be packed with school buses bringing children for their field trips. Every weekend will feature craft fairs and festivals. I managed to get their on a quiet afternoon, and I'm so glad I did.

If I had an Autumn Bucket List, this would be at the top.

25 Years, and Full Circle

 

Many of us know exactly where we were 25 years ago when we heard the terrible news. It was a day that none of us will forget.

I was a teacher at my local church preschool when we heard the news.

And here's the funny thing.

Twenty-five years later, I am making plans to return to the preschool once a month to play music for the children and lead them in song.

I'm calling this my "grandma fix". 

Even in the midst of sorrow, we need to find our joy.

I have been blessed. And I want to be a blessing to others. The school is not exactly down the road. It will be a 45 minute drive to get to them. But I'm comfortable with them, and happy to do it. It's a homecoming, of sorts. And I find I need to comforts of home at this stage of life.

Comfort and joy.

Blessings on your Friday, cafe friends!