I am a writer at heart, that is my true joy and the reason I started blogging. I think it's wonderful that you get to share your talent in the lake newspaper!! :) I love Carol's banner!
September 15, 2015 at 1:38 AM
Anonymous said...
I absolutely love the mantel. I wish we had a fireplace but unfortunately we don't. Yours looks fabulous and probably a lot of fun to decorate for the holidays.
Your fall home pictures and recipe make me feel warm and comforted, Jane. You inspire me to be a better writer. I so enjoy your writing style and love that your newspaper articles now says, "Lake Life with Jane". Your vacation sounds wonderful. Can't wait to hear all about it! ~Courtney
I'm so impressed that you are writing a regular article for the paper, have you thought about including a link so we could all read it? I am finally feeling up to thinking about some fall decorating and fluffing the house. I always love ehat you do in yours, it's so homey and pretty!
That recipe sounds and looks YUMMY, thanks for sharing:) Your Pier 1 table is perfectly gorgeous! I also love that store and quality of the products! I am praying for California and those affected by the fires! I will pray for Ceekay's family too, that is so sad:( Have a blessed day dear friend, I look forward to pictures of your travels! HUGS!
Jane, I ADORE your fireplace mantel! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I like your banner too. I think I'll see if Carol might make one for my home! Like your window on the mantel. You are creative, Jane. Enjoy your travels. Beth
I love your fireplace and mantle! Those pumpkins are pretty cute too! I'm loving your little touches of fall around the home. Your vacation sounds wonderful. Be sure to take lots of pics to share. :)
I love your mantel too. The round table you brought home from Pier I is really very nice. The last few visits to Pier 1 have been impressive. I think that their buyers have improved the store and I have found some great items there. Congrats on your newspaper weekly features. I am sure that your readers love you.
Jane, how exciting that you have your own column! I am sure everyone enjoys reading it so much, you have such a way with words that takes us right into your world. Thank you for the mention, too. I always love visiting you here, you make everyone welcome and feel like a friend is telling us about her days. I am so sorry to hear about Ceekay, I'm praying for those she left behind. Happy Autumn, friend. Xo Lidy
Jane, I love your long and newsy post style. You are basically a lunch-filler! Meaning when I see that you have posted, I know I can sit down and enjoy a sandwich and read and I love that it's long enough to last through the entire sandwich on most days :)
Your decor photos are lovely ! I visited your friend...that toleware reminds me of a few pieces that my grandmother used to have! Very large beautiful trays.
Hi Jane, I love that you're able to relax, even if only for a little while before you need to meet that deadline, to fall into fall in your home. It all looks so inviting, and when you couple it with a comfort meal like spaghetti, it just feels like a safe place to be - home - what we all crave. Here's hoping your next trip adventure is all you hope it to be. Rita
Blondie, I like your decorating. Those windows are wonderful. I have an old stained glass window I need to use in my décor. I love spaghetti. Any kind really. I do the baked , and we eat it for about a week. LOL. Your vacation sound so fun....and you are right you and your husband deserve a fun quiet time. Blessings, xoxo,Susie
Goodness--so much to talk about! I love your dough bowl! I've always wanted one. And your fall decorations look so Autumnal--beautiful! Funny--I just made spaghetti sauce yesterday, and made a home made pizza..so i guess we'll eat spaghetti tonight, unless Hubby wants to "pick something up" as he has to go out for prescriptions later. Either would be fine with me. I'm glad I have the sauce made, though it isn't as involved and healthy as yours, I imagine. I wonder how "Polska Kielbasa"sausage would taste i spaghetti sauce? I've got some in my meat drawer I need to use, but I've already put ground beef in my sauce. I usually start with a jarred sauce, add tomatoes and other seasonings and of course, ground beef--I'm not sure hubby would even like spaghetti without meat. :( I'd have to absolutely ash up carrots and "hide them" in a sauce for him to eat them, although he eats hem in beef stew and soups I make. I absolutely ADORE the table, Jane! Did you get out your dust rag and furniture polish as soon as you unwrapped it? (I would have been waiting with it.) It surely has a soft polished look, doesn't it?
Sounds like the vacation plans have all been firmed up and I KNOW you are happy it's done! (Cause I know YOU mostly had to arrange it all! lol)
Ooohh--I so wish your hubby or someone could get an extra lake paper and I could get a copy, I'd gladly pay for it. Any old copy that has your column in it would be so great. I know what care you are taking with it--and I know it has made you "think" more about what you write and where to place pictures, etc. I've always had a secret dream to have something published!
I'm so sorry about your blogging friend who lost her life to cancer. She certainly had a much longer battle than poor Balisha, didn't she!! Every week, we lose so many to it, and find out about more friends who been diagnosed. One of our church friends has been diagnosed with Triple Negative breast cancer--and it is also in a couple of lymph nodes, too. I'm not sure when her surgery will be, but I hope soon. A neighbor has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. I know I owe you a long e-mail, but I've had such bad headaches since last week, and it has put me in a real funk. I'll put "follow" on your blog, so maybe I'll get a notice sooner than just the e-mail thing. But, I always check anyway! I know you mentioned other things that I failed to mention, but I love this post! xxx Trudy
Well, you can see--my keyboard is still messing up--I didn't check everything. It was MASH up the carrots, and he eats THEM in beef stew--and goodness knows what else is messed up! Oh well--you're used to it! ;) xx
Some of us just work best under pressure Jane. I would love to read your column. Bloggers are usually a few weeks ahead of the calendar aren't we. I have some old windows too but they no longer fit in with our new home which is far from the country decor in our previous home. The good news is they fit in at Christmas and they will also be used by my niece's daughter in her wedding decor in October. Can't wait to see what she will do with them. Sorry to hear about your blog friend. It is a pretty tight community out here in blogland and we ache at the losses as much as we celebrate the triumphs. Take care.
Your Fall décor looks great, Jane! Let us know how you like the cabin in Tennessee. It sounds like a nice vacation that would be something the hubs and I should do. It's too late for us now, but maybe next year. : )
I need to get my Fall décor out, too. I'm hoping to get up in the attic Friday and pull my bins down. I'll probably keep it simple although I will try and incorporate some Halloween in there, too. I love how your mantel turned out. After always thinking the two mantels we had at our old house were too big, the one we have now seems too small and narrow. I have to be careful not to crowd it.
Jane your last paragraph said so many hearthfelt things, I just read your post and will return later with a proper comment just want to tell you you fill my heart with joy, you are what makes blogging special and real. Be back later, xoxo, Vera
Oh Jane, I always love your posts. I am so sorry about your friend, may she rest in peace with no pain anymore. I have a friend that I went to see Sunday, who has cancer and it will be very soon. Stage 4 all over his body. Love your new table - it looks great. Love your mantle with all your pretties. You den looks good and I know that you are glad that it is finally finished. Your vacation sounds amazing and I know that you will have a terrific time. It should be very pretty then with all the Fall foliage. I love the south in the Fall.
We finally had some rain - a good amount and hopefully that will put the fires out. Seems that everything is out of wack - the weather all over the world, fighting, fires, floods.
Thanks so much for your spaghetti recipe, it looks delicious. Have a great rest of the week. Hugs, Mary
I so enjoyed this post, Jane! I'm so glad that you stopped by my blog, because now I have discovered yours (just subscribed via email). Love all your little touches of fall, and the recipe sounds delish!
Dearest Jane, I wrote you a long note on my phone and I was afraid it might not have worked-so I have returned! Well, this is such a newsy and interesting post. I can clearly see why you are writing for a paper, you have such a gift for writing. Love your decorating and you know that I love some orange too. Your mantle is stunning, and that is one of the many things I am missing right now-a mantle! Your trip sounds amazing and oh I can just see the colors in my mind's eye. What a yummy dish your prepared-you have a gift for cooking as well. xo Jemma
Hi Jane, Just got caught up on your last two posts. So interesting to hear what you've been up to. Sounds like you had a great labor day weekend too. Love, love your mantle and the coffee table display too. It's been a sad,sad week here. I know you saw the post on fb about my friends daughter who passed away. Well she died by suicide. Such an amazing girl and we are all in shock. Her memorial service was today. Beautiful and also very hard. My heart is breaking for our friends. Still hoping we can plan a get together soon. I see you have a wonderful vacation coming up soon. Let me know what you think. Love ya friend, Cindy
Love your new table. It's gorgeous and looks like just the right size for "necessities"..lamp, books, coffee cup, etc. Your Fall touches are so pretty. I'm the same way about getting things the way I like and not moving them much. Hope you have a great trip down south. Wishing you safe travels and lovely weather.
Sweet Jane. I just love reading your posts for the words and the pretty house pictures. Homemade spaghetti sauce is easy. I have two different recipes that I've been making since we married. I love to double it and freeze some. :)
Jane Thank you for giving an update on your newspaper column, I've been wondering how that was going. What a perfect name for your column, I think your writing style is so warm and informative and somehow personal too, that I can see why he changed the name. I know I'd be interested to read it if I lived at the lake :) I enjoyed your Fall decorating and seeing the banner Carol gave you. She's such a sweet person and it looks perfect there. On a serious note, I'm so sad to hear about your blog friend. I'm so sorry for your loss. She sounds like she was such a special person...also, I sure appreciated your comments on my yoga post. You always say the nicest things Jane, it really does mean a lot to me. hugs, Leslie
Looking good there Jane - you certainly don't let the grass grow under your feet! Speaking of which, you and I will be happy soon - boot weather is coming, I can hardly wait!
Have a great trip dear - if I wasn't heading to France and Spain I'd pop up to see you and A in Asheville! Hopefully next year. No time to write - we have so much to accomplish prior to leaving - it's a long trip so much to get done before leaving.
Your fall decor looks wonderful, Jane, and it makes me think that I should stop procrastinating and actually go get the boxes full of fall stuff out of my storage room. Everyone is getting into the fall swing of things and I don't want to be left out! lol! Your vacation plans sound nice. We stayed in a rustic condo, well rustic on the outside, by a lake for ours and we enjoyed it so much. It's so nice just to relax for a few days! Have a wonderful trip! Btw, I've wondered about those white rings around the eyes, too! Must be a concealer that isn't really concealing much. Ha!
I sat with a glass of wine tonight and caught up with what all is going on in your life. Loved every pic and your trip to Gatlinburg reminded me of a trip I took with my ex husband. We got so TOTALLY lost in a wooded area that we got scared!!! That NEARLY cured me of exploring off the beaten path. NEARLY but not totally!!! Hope you have the best vacation EVER!!!
So sorry for the loss of your friend. I'll pray for you & her family. I have some friends that just love Gatlinburg. I've only been once & that was when I was in high school. We keep saying we're going to take a trip there.
Hi Jane, love your mantel touches and the awesome accents for fall. So thrilled for your the title for Lake Life now includes your name. Your writing is excellent!! You are so talented my friend. Always enjoy to catch up with you and your adventures. Have a great weekend. Hugs, cm
I enjoyed reading this. I, too, have found that I prefer a quieter look to our décor. It started with a very sad holiday season that I just couldn't decorate as usual. I found that I really enjoyed the quieter feel to it. I loved seeing all the touches of autumn around your home. I am sorry for the loss of your friend. When will there finally be a cure?
Jane, your fall touches are lovely, adding just the right amount of warmth and color! I love your fireplace, your mantle is gorgeous! Hope you decide to come to Nashville, our weather right now is gorgeous,sunny and perfect! There's a lot of fun things to do there, if you get a chance, try and hit the Wild Horse Saloon for dinner. It's lots of fun, they have a huge dance floor, live music and the food is good. If you go before 7pm, there's no cover. We always go when my friends from CA come to visit. Don't know how long you're planning on being here, but Franklin is a beautiful town, main street, with lots of shops, and beautiful homes. A lot of country music stars live there and it's not to far from downtown Nashville. Next Fri, Sat, and Sun is the Nashville flea market at the fairgrounds which always has a lot of great stuff, also not far from downtown. We used to get a lot of things for our shop there. Hope I've given you some fun ideas if you've never been here before. Wish you were gonna be here long enough to meet up, would be fun! Looking forward to hearing all about your vacation! Rebecca
I think it's wonderful that you have your own column in the newspaper, Jane! I'll bet it's awesome! Love the sweet touches of Fall you've added around your home. Funny, you complain about your huge fireplace mantel, and I complain about mine being so tiny....just like with hair, we are never satisfied! Your recipe sounds delicious, but I think that might be beyond my hubby's cooking skill level, and I'm not doing much cooking these days. Oh well, I'll just pin it for another time.
Jane, You are one busy lady. I don't know how you find the time to do what you do. What a wonderful accomplish to have your own newspaper column. That's fantastic!! I love your Fall Mantel, I do see some of my pumpkins in your photos. I feel very special being a part of your beautiful home decor. Sorry to hear about Cheekay, she'll be missed greatly. Hugs, Jody
Jane congrats on your column...what a wonderful thing to be part of. I know Grace has a column in her local paper also, and I wish that papers around here did more things like that.
Hi Jane, just wanted to let you know I'm posting my response to your comment on my blog here as well! :-)
Thanks so much Jane! I appreciate it and thank you for following. I’m heading over to check out your blog as well! :-) I love being able to find new blogs to read and follow AND to get new ideas for décor!
Your fall decorations are lovely and how awesome that you write for a newspaper……I think that must be loads of fun and interesting…well, except for those pesky deadlines! :-) Wonderful recipe you shared…see, I’ve already got some great ideas from your blog AND a new recipe also! If you make it to Nashville, let me know…I can meet you for lunch if you would like! I love meeting bloggers and chatting away....sometimes I’m too chatty, but that’s okay! :-) Hope your weekend is off to a great start and that you enjoy the rest of it! Hugs!!
Can you believe our summer is over?! I put one thing out for Fall, and that's an owl that I made a copy of from Kerryanne at Shabby Art Boutique.....I guess today is the day for me to get out the bin, and start decorating! How cool that your column is still going strong, Jane! Your readers must enjoy your writing as much as your blog followers do. That's because you are so down to earth, and fun! Your vacation time sounds great! Have a wonderful week! Debbie xo
Yum, I love Bolognese sauce! 650 posts is a lot of posts, Jane! And I do wish there was a link on your blog for us to read your newspaper column. Possible some day?
I do admire your fireplace! And the banner and that clock is so pretty on the hearth.
I hope you have a wonderful and restorative vacation. Asheville is such a marvelous city, well Nashville is too!
Hi Jane, you fall decor is lovely. The fireplace is awesome! I can see why it's your hubby's pride and joy. Flowers, pumpkins and your cute banner makes for a great fall look! It is very sad about Ceekay. She was the sweetest lady and I was hoping she could beat that nasty cancer. I fought ovarian cancer twice. I hope there is a cure in the near future. xoxo
So sorry to hear about Ceekay. I haven't visited her in a while but knew exactly who you were talking about.
September 28, 2015 at 10:20 AM
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Autumn fruit and pinecones in old dough bowl on my dining table
Hello! I'm sitting here in my cozy den with my feet up ready to write my post after what seems to have been an hour of uploading and editing my photos. Posting is very time consuming for me and for that reason I'm lucky to get out one per week. I just noticed my next post will be number 650.
I sometimes think of them as short essays. So, as much as I want to get around more often but not have so much for all of you to read at once, I think I'm going to continue to fail at that. Bear with me.
Writing has become much more of a presence in my life since I started writing for the lake newspaper. I have a deadline and I've learned a lot about myself and self-discipline as a result of that. My column is a full page spread with 4-5 photos of my own. And I was recently very chuffed to see that the editor, who titled my column himself as "Lake Life" recently changed it to "Lake Life With Jane". Anyway, I have to have the October column in by Thursday night and of course, I'm a procrastinator with a capital 'P'.
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Old cabinet in living room
I brought some of my fall decorations out, just a few touches to add here and there. I think I was spurred on by a trip to the grocery store early Sunday morning for dog food. I walked by some sunflowers at quite a nice price. Once I brought them home and with a sweet Indian Summer breeze blowing through all of my open windows, I simply felt like adding some bright colors and warmth. And, my ulterior motive was to have photos for my column. :)
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Lower part of the same old cabinet in living room (!)
I keep my decorations pretty neutral but most of my fall pieces go back years and years when everything was bright orange. I'm finding that I like a little bit of that here and there. It's real and true. Accept nature in all it's color and glory, not to match your décor.
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What really makes me smile is how much I held back on my mantel. This huge fireplace has always been the bane of my existence, simply for it's monstrousness. As time goes on I get a little more affectionate about it, like a cranky old relative who eventually pulls on your heart strings as you grow to love those sharp edges, imperfections and a steadfast refusal to budge. I know this guy will never leave us, it's The Husband's pride and joy.
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Carol from Art And Sand made me this last year. In a unique giveaway, she asked her friends to tell her what they would have on a banner that she'd create. This was my 'word' and I was one of the winners. It was co cool to pull it out the other day and it's at home on The Monster.
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I have three windows I alternate on my mantel...I simply love them. I used to have a vintage mirror but Emily stole it. Okay, I admit, The Husband and I were going out antiquing one day and Emily, about 19 at that time asked us to find a vintage mirror for her room. And we did. Just gorgeous. And for awhile she let me use it above the mantel. When she got married and moved into her own home she took it with her. Sob! But, I have my windows. I added a few fall colored leaves and a wire acorn filled with potpourri. Plants I bought on our jaunt to the burbs that I wrote about in my last post. Simple. For once. :)
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Finally, a little container of pots with fall flowers in the family room.
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We had a nice dinner tonight. I have to admit that when the kids were young I relied on spaghetti and a jar of red sauce along with a loaf of bread and butter for a quick dinner. Not healthy but better than a can of 'Spaghettios'. Still, The Husband is not a fan of pasta and a jarred sauce so I've been tinkering with my own sauces for quite awhile. Tonight I did Bolognese sauce which basically involves adding meat to your tomato sauce. Here you go:
Jane's Bolognese Sauce
***
1 pound Italian sausage
2 T butter
1 medium yellow onion
2 carrots thinly sliced
1 stalk of celery thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 T dried fennel
2 T dried Italian seasoning
1 T cinnamon
Pinch of S&P
1 pound cooked spaghetti
1/2 cup reserved water from cooked spaghetti
Brown sausage in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove to a colander to drain. In the same pan add the butter and saute the veggies. When somewhat soft add the canned tomatoes and remaining seasonings. Simmer on medium heat 1 hour, stirring every now and then and scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. After 1 hour most of the liquid from the tomatoes should be evaporated. Add 1/2 cup of the water in which you cooked the spaghetti...this will not add anything except starch to bind everything together. Arrange spaghetti on plates and top with sauce. I served this with crusty bread and butter. This makes a huge amount...could easily serve 6. I love the leftovers! Remember that the sauce is going to take an hour not counting the prep---you do not want to be surprised if you decide to make this a half hour before dinnertime! (hate recipes like that). Enjoy!
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Still working on that den. For such a tiny room it's taking a long time. I am the type that once I get things the way I want them I rarely change anything up except for some easily moved around accessories. I was so excited to have found this table at Pier 1 for a great price. It's a mahogany brown on top and the base is black. The finish is stunning. I ordered it at the store as they didn't have it in stock after I saw it online. The Husband came along to pick it up Saturday. He is a lover of fine furniture and really wasn't expecting anything up to his standards but he knows this room is my baby. Once we unwrapped it and set it where we thought it should be, we then fought over that, er...discussed it and finally stood back, admired, fawned over and basically treated it like our firstborn. I can't say enough about Pier 1. Quality with a capital 'Q' (the second time I've done this in my post--I'm competing with Sue Grafton).
Okay. On the vacation front. Leaning very much towards a flight to Nashville and after a few days a drive to Gatlinburg where I have found a great little cabin in the woods along a lake. Blissfully rustic and quiet. A few days later we'll drive to our place in Asheville and after 10 whole days following months of nothing but busyness, chaos, nerve wracking events and a freaking broken arm...we will fly back to Chicago. And then the holiday season will be coming around and I will be back to neurotically posting about my crazy life.
Right now I want to give a shout out to a lady that got me started in blogging (and I tell her this all the time), Lidy, from French Garden House. She is a remarkable woman with an awesome shop filled with French antiques and goodies. She currently has a feature in Victoria magazine. Click here and have a wonderful visit with this lovely soul.
Lastly...love and prayers to the family of our dear friend Ceekay who passed away Monday after a 9 year battle with ovarian cancer. She was a lovely and brave lady who had a blog that was always lively and fun. And send some hope and prayers to those struggling along the Hungarian borders. It's heartbreaking to watch but worse to be living. And of course, here in our country, let the wildfires in California end soon without any further loss of life of or animals.
Jane x
posted by Blondie's Journal at 12:05 AM on Sep 15, 2015
"A FALL TOUR, DELISH RECIPE & SOUTHERN VACAY"
59 Comments -
This is a very touching and heart-felt post, Jane. Thank you for the reminders.
Your home lookin' great for the seasonal change!
September 15, 2015 at 1:00 AM
Thanks for the shoutout!
How fun that you are writing for the lake newspaper. That sounds like a fun challenge.
September 15, 2015 at 1:18 AM
I am a writer at heart, that is my true joy and the reason I started blogging. I think it's wonderful that you get to share your talent in the lake newspaper!! :) I love Carol's banner!
September 15, 2015 at 1:38 AM
I absolutely love the mantel. I wish we had a fireplace but unfortunately we don't. Yours looks fabulous and probably a lot of fun to decorate for the holidays.
September 15, 2015 at 3:03 AM
Yummy to your recipe and now I have to play catch up with Fall decorating! I really love your "home" sign too...:)JP
September 15, 2015 at 5:26 AM
Your fall home pictures and recipe make me feel warm and comforted, Jane. You inspire me to be a better writer. I so enjoy your writing style and love that your newspaper articles now says, "Lake Life with Jane". Your vacation sounds wonderful. Can't wait to hear all about it! ~Courtney
September 15, 2015 at 7:26 AM
I'm so impressed that you are writing a regular article for the paper, have you thought about including a link so we could all read it? I am finally feeling up to thinking about some fall decorating and fluffing the house. I always love ehat you do in yours, it's so homey and pretty!
September 15, 2015 at 7:56 AM
That recipe sounds and looks YUMMY, thanks for sharing:) Your Pier 1 table is perfectly gorgeous! I also love that store and quality of the products! I am praying for California and those affected by the fires! I will pray for Ceekay's family too, that is so sad:( Have a blessed day dear friend, I look forward to pictures of your travels! HUGS!
September 15, 2015 at 8:27 AM
Jane, I ADORE your fireplace mantel! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I like your banner too. I think I'll see if Carol might make one for my home! Like your window on the mantel. You are creative, Jane. Enjoy your travels.
Beth
September 15, 2015 at 9:06 AM
Your mantel looks great and I love your new table. I will miss Ceekay very much.
September 15, 2015 at 9:21 AM
I love your fireplace and mantle! Those pumpkins are pretty cute too! I'm loving your little touches of fall around the home. Your vacation sounds wonderful. Be sure to take lots of pics to share. :)
September 15, 2015 at 9:43 AM
I love your mantel too. The round table you brought home from Pier I is really very nice. The last few visits to Pier 1 have been impressive. I think that their buyers have improved the store and I have found some great items there. Congrats on your newspaper weekly features. I am sure that your readers love you.
Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley
September 15, 2015 at 10:03 AM
Jane, how exciting that you have your own column! I am sure everyone enjoys reading it so much, you have such a way with words that takes us right into your world. Thank you for the mention, too. I always love visiting you here, you make everyone welcome and feel like a friend is telling us about her days. I am so sorry to hear about Ceekay, I'm praying for those she left behind. Happy Autumn, friend. Xo Lidy
September 15, 2015 at 10:32 AM
Jane, I love your long and newsy post style. You are basically a lunch-filler! Meaning when I see that you have posted, I know I can sit down and enjoy a sandwich and read and I love that it's long enough to last through the entire sandwich on most days :)
Your decor photos are lovely ! I visited your friend...that toleware reminds me of a few pieces that my grandmother used to have! Very large beautiful trays.
September 15, 2015 at 11:00 AM
Your fall touches are perfect, Jane. I love Gatlinburg and the little cabin by the lake sounds perfect. xo Laura
September 15, 2015 at 11:46 AM
Beautiful fall decorations Jane ...enjoy the week....love Ria x
September 15, 2015 at 2:22 PM
Hi Jane, I love that you're able to relax, even if only for a little while before you need to meet that deadline, to fall into fall in your home. It all looks so inviting, and when you couple it with a comfort meal like spaghetti, it just feels like a safe place to be - home - what we all crave.
Here's hoping your next trip adventure is all you hope it to be.
Rita
September 15, 2015 at 3:29 PM
Blondie, I like your decorating. Those windows are wonderful. I have an old stained glass window I need to use in my décor. I love spaghetti. Any kind really. I do the baked , and we eat it for about a week. LOL. Your vacation sound so fun....and you are right you and your husband deserve a fun quiet time. Blessings, xoxo,Susie
September 15, 2015 at 3:31 PM
Goodness--so much to talk about! I love your dough bowl! I've always wanted one. And your fall decorations look so Autumnal--beautiful!
Funny--I just made spaghetti sauce yesterday, and made a home made pizza..so i guess we'll eat spaghetti tonight, unless Hubby wants to "pick something up" as he has to go out for prescriptions later. Either would be fine with me. I'm glad I have the sauce made, though it isn't as involved and healthy as yours, I imagine. I wonder how "Polska Kielbasa"sausage would taste i spaghetti sauce? I've got some in my meat drawer I need to use, but I've already put ground beef in my sauce. I usually start with a jarred sauce, add tomatoes and other seasonings and of course, ground beef--I'm not sure hubby would even like spaghetti without meat. :( I'd have to absolutely ash up carrots and "hide them" in a sauce for him to eat them, although he eats hem in beef stew and soups I make.
I absolutely ADORE the table, Jane! Did you get out your dust rag and furniture polish as soon as you unwrapped it? (I would have been waiting with it.) It surely has a soft polished look, doesn't it?
Sounds like the vacation plans have all been firmed up and I KNOW you are happy it's done! (Cause I know YOU mostly had to arrange it all! lol)
Ooohh--I so wish your hubby or someone could get an extra lake paper and I could get a copy, I'd gladly pay for it. Any old copy that has your column in it would be so great. I know what care you are taking with it--and I know it has made you "think" more about what you write and where to place pictures, etc. I've always had a secret dream to have something published!
I'm so sorry about your blogging friend who lost her life to cancer. She certainly had a much longer battle than poor Balisha, didn't she!! Every week, we lose so many to it, and find out about more friends who been diagnosed. One of our church friends has been diagnosed with Triple Negative breast cancer--and it is also in a couple of lymph nodes, too. I'm not sure when her surgery will be, but I hope soon. A neighbor has been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
I know I owe you a long e-mail, but I've had such bad headaches since last week, and it has put me in a real funk. I'll put "follow" on your blog, so maybe I'll get a notice sooner than just the e-mail thing. But, I always check anyway! I know you mentioned other things that I failed to mention, but I love this post!
xxx Trudy
September 15, 2015 at 3:59 PM
Well, you can see--my keyboard is still messing up--I didn't check everything. It was MASH up the carrots, and he eats THEM in beef stew--and goodness knows what else is messed up! Oh well--you're used to it! ;)
xx
September 15, 2015 at 4:25 PM
Your home looks lovely! So sad to hear about Ceekay...praying for her family.
Blessings,
Cindy
September 15, 2015 at 4:37 PM
So sad about Ceekay. She fought the good fight as long as she could. I too love Pier 1 and think they have excellent furniture, etc.
Brenda
September 15, 2015 at 5:54 PM
Your fall decor looks really nice. Love your mantel. Hope you have a fabulous time on your vacation!!
September 15, 2015 at 6:18 PM
Some of us just work best under pressure Jane. I would love to read your column. Bloggers are usually a few weeks ahead of the calendar aren't we.
I have some old windows too but they no longer fit in with our new home which is far from the country decor in our previous home. The good news is they fit in at Christmas and they will also be used by my niece's daughter in her wedding decor in October. Can't wait to see what she will do with them.
Sorry to hear about your blog friend. It is a pretty tight community out here in blogland and we ache at the losses as much as we celebrate the triumphs.
Take care.
September 15, 2015 at 6:58 PM
Your Fall décor looks great, Jane! Let us know how you like the cabin in Tennessee. It sounds like a nice vacation that would be something the hubs and I should do. It's too late for us now, but maybe next year. : )
I need to get my Fall décor out, too. I'm hoping to get up in the attic Friday and pull my bins down. I'll probably keep it simple although I will try and incorporate some Halloween in there, too. I love how your mantel turned out. After always thinking the two mantels we had at our old house were too big, the one we have now seems too small and narrow. I have to be careful not to crowd it.
September 15, 2015 at 7:11 PM
Jane your last paragraph said so many hearthfelt things, I just read your post and will return later with a proper comment just want to tell you you fill my heart with joy, you are what makes blogging special and real. Be back later,
xoxo,
Vera
September 15, 2015 at 7:21 PM
That cabin sounds like just what the Dr. ordered :).
I'm glad to hear the paper is working out nicely (and keeping you on your toes lol).
There are so many tragic things happening now. It is so sad. Those poor people (and animals!) in California. Breaks my heart.
I had learned about your friend last week. I hate cancer. It's taken far too many good people, it's so not fair.
I love Pier I too, but it's way too dangerous for me!
xxx
September 15, 2015 at 7:41 PM
Oh Jane, I always love your posts. I am so sorry about your friend, may she rest in peace with no pain anymore. I have a friend that I went to see Sunday, who has cancer and it will be very soon. Stage 4 all over his body.
Love your new table - it looks great. Love your mantle with all your pretties. You den looks good and I know that you are glad that it is finally finished.
Your vacation sounds amazing and I know that you will have a terrific time. It should be very pretty then with all the Fall foliage. I love the south in the Fall.
We finally had some rain - a good amount and hopefully that will put the fires out. Seems that everything is out of wack - the weather all over the world, fighting, fires, floods.
Thanks so much for your spaghetti recipe, it looks delicious.
Have a great rest of the week.
Hugs,
Mary
September 15, 2015 at 8:10 PM
I so enjoyed this post, Jane! I'm so glad that you stopped by my blog, because now I have discovered yours (just subscribed via email). Love all your little touches of fall, and the recipe sounds delish!
September 15, 2015 at 9:37 PM
Dearest Jane,
I wrote you a long note on my phone and I was afraid it might not have worked-so I have returned! Well, this is such a newsy and interesting post. I can clearly see why you are writing for a paper, you have such a gift for writing.
Love your decorating and you know that I love some orange too. Your mantle is stunning, and that is one of the many things I am missing right now-a mantle!
Your trip sounds amazing and oh I can just see the colors in my mind's eye.
What a yummy dish your prepared-you have a gift for cooking as well.
xo
Jemma
September 15, 2015 at 9:49 PM
Hi Jane,
Just got caught up on your last two posts. So interesting to hear what you've been up to. Sounds like you had a great labor day weekend too.
Love, love your mantle and the coffee table display too.
It's been a sad,sad week here. I know you saw the post on fb about my friends daughter who passed away. Well she died by suicide. Such an amazing girl and we are all in shock. Her memorial service was today. Beautiful and also very hard. My heart is breaking for our friends. Still hoping we can plan a get together soon. I see you have a wonderful vacation coming up soon. Let me know what you think. Love ya friend, Cindy
September 15, 2015 at 11:03 PM
Love your new table. It's gorgeous and looks like just the right size for "necessities"..lamp, books, coffee cup, etc. Your Fall touches are so pretty. I'm the same way about getting things the way I like and not moving them much. Hope you have a great trip down south. Wishing you safe travels and lovely weather.
September 16, 2015 at 5:22 AM
It sounds like you have settled on good plans for your vacation--that cabin sounds wonderful. Enjoy it all and get some rest!
September 16, 2015 at 7:22 AM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
September 16, 2015 at 10:46 AM
Sweet Jane. I just love reading your posts for the words and the pretty house pictures. Homemade spaghetti sauce is easy. I have two different recipes that I've been making since we married. I love to double it and freeze some. :)
September 16, 2015 at 12:18 PM
I am so sorry to hear about your blogging friend, CeeKay. How very sad.
Beautiful fall decorating you have done. I just dug my fall decor out of the basement and will be playing around with some today.
Your bolognese sauce looks and sounds delicious. Perfect for a cold autumn or winter evening!
September 16, 2015 at 12:23 PM
Jane
Thank you for giving an update on your newspaper column, I've been wondering how that was going. What a perfect name for your column, I think your writing style is so warm and informative and somehow personal too, that I can see why he changed the name. I know I'd be interested to read it if I lived at the lake :) I enjoyed your Fall decorating and seeing the banner Carol gave you. She's such a sweet person and it looks perfect there. On a serious note, I'm so sad to hear about your blog friend. I'm so sorry for your loss. She sounds like she was such a special person...also, I sure appreciated your comments on my yoga post. You always say the nicest things Jane, it really does mean a lot to me.
hugs,
Leslie
September 16, 2015 at 5:31 PM
Looking good there Jane - you certainly don't let the grass grow under your feet! Speaking of which, you and I will be happy soon - boot weather is coming, I can hardly wait!
Have a great trip dear - if I wasn't heading to France and Spain I'd pop up to see you and A in Asheville! Hopefully next year. No time to write - we have so much to accomplish prior to leaving - it's a long trip so much to get done before leaving.
Love and hugs - Mary
September 16, 2015 at 10:09 PM
Your fall decor looks wonderful, Jane, and it makes me think that I should stop procrastinating and actually go get the boxes full of fall stuff out of my storage room. Everyone is getting into the fall swing of things and I don't want to be left out! lol!
Your vacation plans sound nice. We stayed in a rustic condo, well rustic on the outside, by a lake for ours and we enjoyed it so much. It's so nice just to relax for a few days! Have a wonderful trip!
Btw, I've wondered about those white rings around the eyes, too! Must be a concealer that isn't really concealing much. Ha!
September 16, 2015 at 11:49 PM
I sat with a glass of wine tonight and caught up with what all is going on in your life.
Loved every pic and your trip to Gatlinburg reminded me of a trip I took with my ex husband. We got so TOTALLY lost in a wooded area that we got scared!!! That NEARLY cured me of exploring off the beaten path. NEARLY but not totally!!! Hope you have the best vacation EVER!!!
September 17, 2015 at 12:19 AM
So sorry for the loss of your friend. I'll pray for you & her family. I have some friends that just love Gatlinburg. I've only been once & that was when I was in high school. We keep saying we're going to take a trip there.
September 17, 2015 at 9:42 AM
Hello Jane,
Sending a HUG! Sorry for the loss of your friend.
Thank you for the recipe. Yum!
Have a great trip. :-)
Carla
September 17, 2015 at 11:32 AM
Congratulations on the magazine title being changed to include your name. That's exciting!
Your fall touches are lovely, Jane. Don't shoot me, but I actually like your monster fireplace ;)
The new table is beautiful! I hope you have a great vacation.
(((hugs)))
rue
PS. You haven't seen the other pictures of my house? lol I could have sworn you had! Click on my cottage link at the top of my blog silly ;)
September 17, 2015 at 2:38 PM
Love your touches of fall! I especially love those on the hearth! ...very cute! Enjoyed reading your post! :) ~Rhonda
September 17, 2015 at 3:41 PM
Hi Jane, love your mantel touches and the awesome accents for fall. So thrilled for your the title for Lake Life now includes your name. Your writing is excellent!! You are so talented my friend. Always enjoy to catch up with you and your adventures.
Have a great weekend. Hugs, cm
September 17, 2015 at 9:08 PM
I enjoyed reading this. I, too, have found that I prefer a quieter look to our décor. It started with a very sad holiday season that I just couldn't decorate as usual. I found that I really enjoyed the quieter feel to it. I loved seeing all the touches of autumn around your home. I am sorry for the loss of your friend. When will there finally be a cure?
September 18, 2015 at 9:41 AM
Jane,
your fall touches are lovely, adding just the right amount of warmth and color! I love your fireplace, your mantle is gorgeous! Hope you decide to come to Nashville, our weather right now is gorgeous,sunny and perfect! There's a lot of fun things to do there, if you get a chance, try and hit the Wild Horse Saloon for dinner. It's lots of fun, they have a huge dance floor, live music and the food is good. If you go before 7pm, there's no cover. We always go when my friends from CA come to visit. Don't know how long you're planning on being here, but Franklin is a beautiful town, main street, with lots of shops, and beautiful homes. A lot of country music stars live there and it's not to far from downtown Nashville. Next Fri, Sat, and Sun is the Nashville flea market at the fairgrounds which always has a lot of great stuff, also not far from downtown. We used to get a lot of things for our shop there. Hope I've given you some fun ideas if you've never been here before. Wish you were gonna be here long enough to meet up, would be fun! Looking forward to hearing all about your vacation!
Rebecca
September 18, 2015 at 10:05 AM
I think it's wonderful that you have your own column in the newspaper, Jane! I'll bet it's awesome! Love the sweet touches of Fall you've added around your home. Funny, you complain about your huge fireplace mantel, and I complain about mine being so tiny....just like with hair, we are never satisfied! Your recipe sounds delicious, but I think that might be beyond my hubby's cooking skill level, and I'm not doing much cooking these days. Oh well, I'll just pin it for another time.
September 18, 2015 at 3:08 PM
Jane, You are one busy lady. I don't know how you find the time to do what you do. What a wonderful accomplish to have your own newspaper column. That's fantastic!! I love your Fall Mantel, I do see some of my pumpkins in your photos. I feel very special being a part of your beautiful home decor. Sorry to hear about Cheekay, she'll be missed greatly.
Hugs,
Jody
September 18, 2015 at 7:15 PM
Jane congrats on your column...what a wonderful thing to be part of. I know Grace has a column in her local paper also, and I wish that papers around here did more things like that.
Are they online? I'd love to read them.
Jen
September 19, 2015 at 1:33 PM
Hi Jane, just wanted to let you know I'm posting my response to your comment on my blog here as well! :-)
Thanks so much Jane! I appreciate it and thank you for following. I’m heading over to check out your blog as well! :-) I love being able to find new blogs to read and follow AND to get new ideas for décor!
Your fall decorations are lovely and how awesome that you write for a newspaper……I think that must be loads of fun and interesting…well, except for those pesky deadlines! :-) Wonderful recipe you shared…see, I’ve already got some great ideas from your blog AND a new recipe also! If you make it to Nashville, let me know…I can meet you for lunch if you would like! I love meeting bloggers and chatting away....sometimes I’m too chatty, but that’s okay! :-) Hope your weekend is off to a great start and that you enjoy the rest of it! Hugs!!
September 19, 2015 at 9:18 PM
Can you believe our summer is over?! I put one thing out for Fall, and that's an owl that I made a copy of from Kerryanne at Shabby Art Boutique.....I guess today is the day for me to get out the bin, and start decorating!
How cool that your column is still going strong, Jane! Your readers must enjoy your writing as much as your blog followers do. That's because you are so down to earth, and fun!
Your vacation time sounds great!
Have a wonderful week!
Debbie
xo
September 20, 2015 at 9:58 AM
Yum, I love Bolognese sauce! 650 posts is a lot of posts, Jane! And I do wish there was a link on your blog for us to read your newspaper column. Possible some day?
I do admire your fireplace! And the banner and that clock is so pretty on the hearth.
I hope you have a wonderful and restorative vacation. Asheville is such a marvelous city, well Nashville is too!
Dewena
September 21, 2015 at 8:25 PM
Hi Janie,
The table is gorgeous....I love some furniture with dark finishes. They always give such class to any room.
So sorry to hear about CeeKay. She was a very nice lady.
Summer's over....can you believe it? Yay!
xo
Barb
September 22, 2015 at 3:28 PM
Your decor photos are lovely! You inspire me to be a better writer. I so enjoy your writing style. Thanks for sharing!
September 23, 2015 at 11:15 PM
Hi Jane, you fall decor is lovely. The fireplace is awesome! I can see why it's your hubby's pride and joy. Flowers, pumpkins and your cute banner makes for a great fall look! It is very sad about Ceekay. She was the sweetest lady and I was hoping she could beat that nasty cancer. I fought ovarian cancer twice. I hope there is a cure in the near future. xoxo
September 24, 2015 at 10:22 AM
I love your fall decor! That dough bowl is amazing! :)
Susan
September 24, 2015 at 10:31 AM
Love all your fall decorations, and congrats on the new writing gig. How wonderful!
September 24, 2015 at 1:00 PM
So sorry to hear about Ceekay. I haven't visited her in a while but knew exactly who you were talking about.
September 28, 2015 at 10:20 AM