Inadvertent Collections

Hi on a hot summer/ autumn Sunday night! Thinking of Fall makes me think of fun outings like leaf peeping, flea markets and pumpkin patches, cider mill visits and apple pies.  My brother has been traveling around the Midwest to some of his favorite flea markets and he sends me photos that turn me green with envy. I love him and his wife for being such diehard collectors, no minimalism or decluttering at their house.

As previously mentioned the little Friday church flea has finished until next April; it's far too hot to even think about the big Sunday flea, so I feel a bit bereft. I am already squirreling away my dollar bills for next year, that worked well and made flea-ing fun and budget friendly, too.

Now, looking over my summer photos I am somewhat amused by seeing the sudden appearance of what I call Inadvertent Collections---things you see and pick up casually, with no intent to accumulate or to curate a true collection. For example here is blog friend Kit's husband's collection of hair ties! He finds them while running [he runs marathons!]. That is some collection! Since Kit mentioned this I have only found one hair tie, in maybe six month; her hubby must put in way more miles than I do.

And here is my funny accumulation of washers and nuts and other mostly metal rings and disks. 

This conglomeration numbers around 40 pieces now, picked up during dog walks beginning last December. I have strung them on an old chain. I even found the tiny key in the  beach alley one spring day.

I don't know why I pick them up, it's like finding worthless treasure.

 The disk on the right is a favorite, a Scotty dog medal? [upside down, sorry]

And a few bits are actually really coins!   $1.52.

At the beach, I am compelled to pick up and pocket beautiful pebbles.

I marvel at the eons of time that went into their rounded perfection.

Another collection recently has been souvenir plates.

I like them, they're fun. Usually cost about one dollar except for special ones like the antique Statue of Liberty plate.

I only buy them if they're predominantly blue, especially if classic Staffordshire transferware blue. And only places I've been or wish to go to someday, somehow.

The details around the edges are always very charming and interesting.

They're really tacky so I mix them in with the more traditional plates.And think maybe no one will notice.

What do you collect? Do you like to find funky things on the street , urban ''coin of the realm''?

....

Back home, in a deluded moment of autumnal enthusiasm, I made farro stuffed winter squash. I used Delicata squash but any summer or winter squash would do.  I stuffed the squash ''boats'' with ground beef, onion, garlic, farrow [rice is actually better]; minced dried apples and apricots. seasoned with cumin, cinnamon, caraway and fennel seeds.  Drizzle w olive oil, and add some apple cider for liquid; top with garlicky bread crumbs and parm. 

Delish, if not exactly what we might want on an almost 90* day. Reheats really well too.You can find a number of stuffed squash recipes in my Pinterest ''Food'' board, here.

Happy last day of September, time goes too fast, much too fast.

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach.....

No treasure here!

As Summer Lingers

Happy mid-week, friends. As summer maintains its hot greedy grasp we are experiencing such beautiful beach weather here.

This weekend was maybe the best of the summer so far, and October looks to be hot and sunny as well. We'll take it and enjoy each day, it will be icy and dark soon enough.

Look at my lovely almost deserted beach. I counted ten family groups in all. Only a few swimmers and surfers [no lifeguards], big choppy waves , and a mostly shore break.

Gully, my little companion all these years 

A brief fog bank rolling in and out.

I prepped my Year block for September to take to sew on---I did get it together with advice from Penny and Dorothy. Only the main body of the house is sewed.

But it was too windy to work on it. I got a nice section of Bitty accomplished instead, hooray!

Another afternoon as Mo and I were headed to our beach sit-and-drink session [tricks included] we came upon this creature hogging our beach bench.

It was HUGE, those bench slats are about 3" wide; I am guessing he was at least 5" himself. It is a praying mantis, harmless.

Note the looong feelers and scary eyes? No way was I gonna sit with him, and Mo has a thing for eating bugs.

Even though it was a bit creepy I didn't want to harm it or scare it. I coaxed Mo down to the boardwalk instead.

Another day, a quick stop in the little Target over the bridge.  Not very interesting but I loved these garments from Isaac Mizrahi--the sundresses are either faux silk shantung [plaid] or--swoon, the solid sundresses are finest pinwale cotton corduroy, what an inspired idea. [yes, these are adult clothes]

Late delivered Lily Pulitzer muumuus? Even I wasn't feeling that beachy.

And I picked up some very on sale Halloween candy for when I redo the house for Fall in a week or two. These are Cadbury ''eggs'' for Fall. I LOVE Cadbury eggs, another inspired idea to have them in Fall colors, isn't it.

And we can blame blog friend Kit in Montana for this choice. I always get candy corn, love candy corn, and I had never seen, or not noticed, this Fall Mix til she showed it on her blog. It has little pumpkins mixed in, how adorable. It can fill my candy jars through Thanksgiving, or be bagged up for trick or treaters too. Or--you can use them in a Fall Party Mix like this  , bagged up pretty for Thanksgiving table favors---or fill a big bowl to set out during all those football games. Just do a search for Fall Party Mix on Pinterest. So fun.  HERE

And last---the local end of summer fair, sigh. I love a Ferris wheel and hotdogs and fuzzy toy prizes. My friends' little girl won a stuffed toy Pug. Oh my I was jealous, wasn't I.

have a good week.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

"Bugs are yummy, mommy! Flies are FUN!"