Out and About ~ Looking-for-Fall Roadtrips

Hi on a very wet evening! My friend L and I have resumed our once a week or so fun outings, our roadtrips as we call them,  for ''fall''....of course it's not fall at all but with school starting soon, in a few weeks, the year is moving on from summer's freedom to autumn's bustle. Our first outing was to Christmas Tree Shop

This is a nod to my Cape Cod homesickness/ family nostalgia; I used to take the kids to the Cape every summer, late August. Shopping at CTS was always a highlight, lots of intriguing goodies, cheap cheap cheap.

Here is the flyer that caught our interest: click

CTS is  merchandising Fall with shades of aqua, cream and a clay/ peach, emphasis on the soft dusty turquoise.

I didn't spend all that  much!

My kids are long past the age of being excited for back to school or Halloween---my purchases tend to be either practical or small pretties to enliven my house in October.

On the practical  side, I got these soup mixes, despite it being one of the hottest days of the summer. Never too early to stock the pantry with winter storm supplies.

I loved these large cups with covers, instead of my faux Japanese bowls I usually use for soups. I  can ladle out portions and they're all ready to go in the fridge when whoever is hungry decides to eat.

I think Mel recommended these mixes, so we'll see.

Lovely fake Nantucket baskets---the large to hold a sewing project, the long narrow one to hold scissors, cutters and rulers on my cutting table.

Fun garden stake:

New face moisturizer and pretty melon pink nail polish.

I quite like the moisturizer so far, halfway between a gel and a light cream.

Closet sachets to combat the prevailing odor of damp and a few extra forks.

An important tradition! I always get my box of coastal inspired Christmas \cards here, $3.99 for 16 cards. And a fun fall shopping list notepad for the kitchen counter. We're big on lists.

On the fun side, an aqua light up pumpkin. I like it, it's very sweet but it is flat. I was picturing a round lantern thing?

Modern autumn dishtowels. I got extra set for little hostess/ girlfriend gifts for fall get-togethers.

A tiny white acorn plate, no clue what for! Butter? Small snack?

A new throw or blankie for Mo, not pictured. It is pale dusty aqua-grey with sprigs or leaves. Sooooo soft. Amazing what  they do w polyester nowadays.

Did not buy but wish I did, this wonderful lifeguard stand floor lamp. Very  on sale! The shade was too big but I could have changed that.  Too bad.

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Another day, we went to Hobby Lobby, our second trip ever. The long drive went pretty well, as I overrode the GPS and took us there via the back beaches and islands  And we both found a few things we liked or needed. L is doing some reupholstering! She has elegant taste and chose something very nice for her bench, a stylized indigo and pale grey block print.

I bought fabric. HL stocks what seem to me to be nice homespuns and as I continue to make ''primitive'' style quilts, I can always use additions to my meager collection. The HL price is about half of a quilt shop price [if indeed we had a quilt shop!]. $6.98/yard less 30%.= $2.45 for 1/2 yard!

And I also got a half yard of the red horseshoes I love. And FINALLY found a white cotton with black sprig "shirting" print for the borders of Blue Baskets. I had pretty much given up looking so was very happy with my find. It is truly white, despite looking cream in the photo.

On the home front, I have found a couple of under $2,oo nature Journals, via various used book sites. My current book is crammed to bursting, with now-illegible notes scribbled even on the page margins. I'll show you these when they arrive.

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Today we had a real rain day. Not a storm, just rain. Rain here in the summer is a rare blessing. The small crock on my deck I use as a rain gauge had at least 4" earlier.  And once the flood waters recede [nowhere for the runoff to go, as we're at sea level], I hope my garden pots perk up and get a second wind.

Have a good week!

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach...

Look closely, late  blooming wildflowers among the grasses, brought out by the rain: