Plagiarism!

I'm mad. This is the fourth time that I've found an eBay or Etsy seller who has plagiarised my copy word for word. NOT cool. Sorry, just had to vent.

A weekend of good simple eating

As usual the weekend flew by far too fast. Mr. Cheese and I took a much-needed day off on Saturday and drove up to Crossville, TN for the Homestead Apple Festival. We brought home some regionally made and/or grown goodies that I'm super-excited about (yes, I get that excited about food): Mutsu apples, hot sauce, 4-year cheddar from a local cheesemaker, and blackberry jam and pickles from the Mennonite community in Sparta.
We also bought some Norwegian Ski Queen Gjetost cheese at the cheese shop. I sampled a tiny cube of it at the cheese shop and was intrigued, but it was the cool packaging that convinced me I had to have it. Ohhhh myyy....If you're a cheese lover, you must try this unusual cheese. The creamy texture and caramel color and flavoring are unlike anything I've ever tasted. We tried it sliced super-thin on a crusty wheat baguette and it was heavenly. I could eat this every day. Mmmmm...breakfast cheese...
How was your weekend?

Oh Sunset...

Darn you Sunset Magazine, you stir feelings of great envy within me. Heavy (but happy) sigh...

Willkommen Autumn

Although we generally have a spell of "Indian Summer" in October, I do hope that tomorrow will be the last of our mid-ninety degree days. After the hottest summer on record, I'm ready for this:



(All photos taken by me last autumn).

Goodbye Summer

Goodbye Summer 2010. We had fun...
Watching Sailboats at St.Augustine Beach...
Camping in Florida in record breaking 98 degree weather...
On lookout for bison, wild horses, and alligators at Payne's Prairie...
Lovely lazy days and sunsets in Cedar Key...


A weekend of kitsch in Cherokee, North Carolina...
Teaching a nephew to ride a bike...
Good times, summer. See you next year.

Caramel Pumpkin Spice

Hello my friends! Although temperatures here are still in the 90's, our trees are already beginning to show their fall color - a month early for our area. Mother nature seems to be so confused this year. Inspired by the early appearance - visually anyway - of autumn, I curated a "Caramel Pumpkin Spice" treasury. (Go here to see it bigger and shop for something yummy).
Come on cool weather - I'm ready for sweaters, boots, hot chocolate, spiced apple cider, and pumpkin everything! It just seems wrong to be wearing shorts while surrounded by towering trees of yellow, orange, and red.

P.S. Thank you all for your kind, supportive, encouraging comments. I've been contemplating giving up on the blog or taking a long hiatus, because I haven't had the time to be a good member of the blogging community. However, I treasure the friendships I've made through the blogworld, and all of the beauty you guys have brought into my life. So I'm not ready to give up yet! (I just may be a little irregular with my posts).

Slowly making my way back...

Hello my lovelies! My "short break" turned into two and a half weeks, and I thank you all so much for sticking around while I was gone. I do have good reason for my unexpectedly long absence: some severe headaches forced a break from time on the computer (outside of the 40+ hours a week I spend staring at the screen due to work). I have also been dealing with some very sad news regarding family members who are seriously ill and tragic losses in my friends' lives that have caused me to be quite contemplative about life and love and how time is not limitless. I won't get into all of this, but will remind everyone to try to LIVE life with adventure, and no regrets.
On a brighter note, I did enjoy several weeks of good estate sales, and some good times with close friends and family. Laughter really is therapeutic. Why the picture of Paris? Because recent events have me thinking about places I absolutely must see one day - from remote backpacking trips within the States, to exciting cities all over the world.

It will probably take me a week or so to catch up with everyone, and I promise to be back with regular posting soon. Please know how much I appreciate all of you!

Photo Source: Urban Nature

A Little Break

I'm going to imagine that I'm living inside this vintage ad for a few days, would you like to join me on a fabulous virtual camping expedition?

via Flickriver

My crazy schedule this past 5 weeks has made me quite the bear to be around. See, it's even driving me to make bad puns....

via Treehugger

So I think I'll take a break from blogging for a few days to catch up on laundry & housework, seeing friends, and spending a little time with my bored and lonely pups. (Molly has been acting out lately to get attention). I will be back in a few days my lovelies!

The yellow chairs...

The chairs, the chairs! A perfect table setting for a casual dinner party or wedding.
Via Ebom

Molly and the Tandem Chairs

My girl Molly is a "den" doggie; she likes enclosed spaces. She is also quite the wiggly pup, so it's tough to capture her in pics. I was quite happy to get this shot of her under the Eames Tandem (airport) chairs in our living room.

The Return of Flipping Out

I'm super-excited for the tonight's season premiere of Flipping Out. This is one of the few reality shows that I watch, and is a true guilty pleasure. My favorite animal-loving obsessive compulsive home renovator, Jeff Lewis, is sure to create more high drama this season, and I for one can't wait. (And shame on you Ryan Brown, I thought you were a nice guy...)




Premieres tonight on Bravo. Photos sources: here, here, here, and here.

The Vintage Cabin

I love, love, love this home. Some rooms are playful, others classic and serene. Can you believe the house is 185 years old?




See more pictures (here), read more about the home (here), see the homeowner's cool shop "The Vintage Cabin" (here), and read her blog (here).