Kay Ellen

Restful Weekend

A restful and memorable weekend. 

My husband and I were both sick during the couples conference but we are glad we didn't stay home.  Awesome teaching and fellowship with our church family.

Sipping my favorite coffee, spending time reading my bible and enjoying the beautiful scenery of Newport Beach.

The weather was perfect. Cool and crisp and the sun was shining. It meant so much to me to spend time away with my Husband.  

I wanted to stop and smell the flowers but my nose was pretty stuffed up. I am glad I brought my camera along to capture some of the sights of the weekend.

This chair looked like a nice place to stop and relax...

or this charming bench surrounded by brick.

I love fall blooms, they seem more vibrant at the beach. I think the ocean air helps to keep them healthy and vibrant. Maybe the ocean air will help with my husband and my sickness too!

We had a wonderful lunch on Balboa Island at Amelia's. A quaint bistro with Italian roots.

We went for a short stroll after lunch. I enjoy looking at charming and cozy homes for inspiration.  This one caught my eye....A stone cottage on Balboa Island! Burning oil lamps and a gorgeous weathered wood front door with iron detail!! Oh my goodness.... so much charm just in the front! I would have loved to peek inside!

Here's my husband patiently waiting for me as I take a few more photos...

Back at the hotel enjoying the view from our balcony.

I took a nap and woke up just in time to watch the sunset. What a beautiful sight to see. 

Thankful for the time away, still resting and taking antibiotics to get better.

Feeling blessed...

Thank you for stopping by,

:KayEllen

Pretty Petals and a Winner

Pretty Petals...

It is time to pick a winner!!!

I put all the names in this old coffee pot I rescued from the trash!

Here we go... I picked one!

Drum Roll Please...

Beverly!!

Oh how fun!!! Congratulations! My Pink inspiring friend!

Just email me with your address and I will send out the Starbucks gift card and Silver Spoons.

Yippee!

I am off for some much needed R&R with my husband. We are attending a Couples Conference with our church family.

We are both fighting colds...Pray we get over this yucky stuff quick!

See you in a few days!

:KayEllen   

Out of the Blue

Feeling a little blue today... I was looking at this picture and missing my son with his curly hair, blue eyes and sweet smile.

The oldest leaving the nest has been a big adjustment for me. I think about him all the time, pray for him daily and hope he is doing well in college.

The first few weeks away I felt like he was on vacation... but as time marched on I realized this was going to be a new chapter for our entire family.

I was thankful to see him two months ago for my father in laws memorial service... but of course it was a very brief visit and seemed we were just starting to enjoy his presence at home and it was time to leave again.

The count down has begun on my November calendar. He will be home in twenty days for Thanksgiving!

I share this with you today to remind you all to hug your kids tighter and make each day count. Because out of the blue it will be time for your kids to go too!

Fall blessing to you all and thank you for stopping by,

:Kay Ellen

BTW: I will post the winner of the Fall inspired giveaway this weekend!

Treat Yourself

What are you doing for Halloween? Are you treating yourself to some sweets?

Making a joyful noise?

Disappearing like Houdini?

Dressing up for fun?

What about staying home,relaxing and having a cup of tea?

Decorating for a party?

A movie sounds fun. As long as it isn't tooo scary!

Don't let these three go with you! Eeeeekkk!

Buy yourself a bouquet of sunflowers to brighten your day.

Sharing a moment with family...First time to experience the Jungle Boat Cruise!

A spooky haunted house?

Maybe you feel like baking?!

Leave a comment for a chance to WIN these beautiful silver measuring teaspoons!

In a coffee mood?

and a $25.00 Starbucks Gift Card to WIN too!!!

Happy Fall and Happy Halloween!

Have a wonderful time and enjoy the last few days of October...because here comes November!

Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour on November 1st!

Blessings to you all and a little Pink inspiration mixed in before I go!

Pink Peanut Pumpkins:-)

Happy Pink Saturday to Beverly! Celebrating all things Pink...thank you for stopping by Pink friends to say hello!

Don't forget to leave a comment with your blog name or email to enter to win the Starbucks gift card and Teaspoons from Anthropologie!!

"Pumpkin Tea" anyone?

Treat yourself!

Bye Bye

:KayEllen

A Garden of Pumpkins

I finally had an opportunity to visit my favorite pumpkin patch! I couldn't wait to see all the unique pumpkins and gourds at Live Oak Canyon.

As you can see...I filled up a wagon with a colorful assortment. The pumpkins I chose were a little higher priced then a typical pumpkin...but I couldn't resist!!

The variety of pumpkins and gourds I selected last a lot longer then traditional orange pumpkins. Hoping they will last until Thanksgiving.

I spent some time weeding the flower beds and placed my new colorful bunch into the garden.

I picked a small pumpkin for my little garden keepers apron...

Mixing in a few traditional pumpkins to a favorite urn for contrast. 

A colorful flower bed with a twist!Oh!!I had so much fun...Can you tell?

Bright colors with contrasting textures and sizes.

Hope I have inspired you to try something new and different in your garden today! 

Need more inspiration today? Stop by the Inspired Room too!

Make sure and stop by on October 28th. I am having a Fall Inspired giveaway:)

OK here's a hint...Starbucks and Anthropologie oh my!!

See you soon.

:KayEllen

Chippy Mood

I was in a chippy mood recently and headed out to see my friends at the Barn. As an independent Interior Designer I enjoy having creative days to connect with fellow artists and friends.

Rusty and chippy can be a very appealing look in a shabby feel decor or in an enchanting garden setting.

How about a lazy day on Lagoon Street?

Watering a garden in black in white.

I am a self taught photographer learning new ideas every time I take a photo...

Elegant memories tucked away in a beautiful pillow pocket.

Sweet creative friends making me laugh as I stopped to take a photo:) Kim Caldwell from Artistic Bliss and Jessi Nagy visiting from Nebraska and her darling blog Scrappy Jessi

Here's Miss Trisha from Vintage Bliss who never stops for  very long between traveling, creating and teaching! She is a new vendor this year at Silver Bella and is taking some of my Mom's no sew adhesive to sell!

Dear Rita is a very talented lady and I love to listen to her speak Italian!!!
She teaches classes and sells wonderful vintage inspired treasures and jewelry. Her blog is Mammabellarte

Thank you for the chippy and white inspiration friends!!!

Next time you are in Temecula make sure to check out "The Barn's" blog...La Maison Rustique to see when they are open... Always a fun and inspiring destination to visit!

Thanks for stopping by:)))

For more inspiration this week check out my friends Melissa's blog Inspired Room:)

Happy weathered treasure hunting friends. Still need more inspiration? Another blog you can check out House in the Roses.

Back to work!

:KayEllen

Smiling Scarecrow

Hi Blogging Friends,

Are you having a good week? Need a pick me up? Maybe buy a scarecrow. They are so cute and can add humor and a smile:))) to your front porch.

I also enjoy this time of the year for cutting fresh flowers and arranging them in an Autumn feeling container.

My green metal container was a great find at a garage sale this summer. I bought two for 5.00!
Yes, I love a bargain!

Scarecrows are on sale 50% off at Micheal's, Joannes Fabric and Rite Aid!! They are starting to disappear quickly.

Take care and happy shopping!

:KayEllen

A day filled with Sparkle

Don't be spooked by some of my photos today! I just had a fun creative day away at Glitterfest in Tustin, California. A Halloween themed event with glitter and sparkle everywhere you looked.

What a delightful day visiting with wonderful artists and fellow blogger's. So many treasures to see... I was on spooky sparkle overload when it was time to leave! lol

One of my stops was at Lisa Loria's booth. She had a great collection of vintage dolls modified with paper, ribbons and fabric. Everything she made was eye catching and scary cute!! A multi-talented lady!

Trisha (left)from Vintage Bliss came from Arizona to sell her charming wares at Glitterfest and also The Barn in Temecula. I felt privileged to see her twice in the same weekend! Such a sweet friend and creative lady!! I love the art piece I bought from her! A charming haunted house dipped in bees wax. My dear long time friend Martina (right) came with me for the day. She owns Marchen Studios an artistic Art Studio in the Inland Empire. Some of the artists at the event will be teaching classes at her studio in the future!

Inspired from the day and new treasures in hand, I came home and added some spooky themed collectibles to my piano in the entryway.

Say cheese! Isn't this the cutie-st card ever?! Susie Scott made it! I enjoyed meeting her and admiring all of her papermache dolls and artful paper products she designed. Each piece handmade and signed.
What a kind and warm hearted artist.

The talented Kristen Robinson made this Bingo "Treat" card with paper and ribbon embellishments. What a fun holiday table she had! So great to meet her too!Loved her jewelery, eeekkk!! So pretty:)

As you can see each treasure I bought has a home for October!

I mixed in some candy corn with my doorknob collection.

Here's my haunted house from Tricia and Great Grandma Carrie's brass bell girl standing guard.

More candy corn and memory photos mixed into my spooky cute decor:)

One more Glitterfest peek...Look at this pirate! Ahoy there:) This was at a fabulous table by blogger Edgar and Edgar. The mother and daughter team looked so cute !!So sorry I didn't capture a picture of them:)

I ended the day with a Blog Party Dinner with Scrappy Jessi and her and talented Peeps!
So sweet of her and Kim Caldwell to include me.

Thank you for all the inspiration glitterfest artists! I had a spooktacular time from dawn to dusk.

:KayEllen 

Something Smells Good

Now that it is October and the weather is cooling down I am ready to bake! You too?

Time to share a recipe with you all!

Here is a favorite pumpkin muffin recipe I enjoy making during the Fall Season...

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

3 cups of all purpose flour
2 cups of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 15oz. canned pumpkin
2 cups of chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients together
Preheat oven 400 degrees
Bake 16-20 minutes

Enjoy!

:KayEllen

Walking by Pink

The month of October is breast cancer awareness...I was hoping to inspire you and attempt a gentle tugging to make an appointment for a mammogram today.

Many of us know someone that has been effected by breast cancer. Ask a friend to go with you if you are nervous or unsure of the procedure. Let us all do our part to make a difference this year.

OK, lets take a stroll...

At the end of summer my family and I had an afternoon walk around the Carmel Mission. 

Grab a cup of tea and enjoy photos:)

Happy Pink Saturday to all the blogging ladies that stopped by! Thank you Beverly for your dedication to connect us together to celebrate Pink!

Please click here if you would like to see more creative posts today and learn about Pink Saturday.

I could have stayed in this area of the garden all week!

Take Care,

:KayEllen