Mrs. Magpie is a Big Ole Fuddy Duddy!

Okay, I said it, and now you are wondering why is Mrs. Magpie a big ole fuddy duddy? Because, dear friends, I have not begun the first bit of fall decorating... not even a teeny weeny bit!



See... I don't do scary. I'm sorry, but I don't thrill to the sight or sound of things that go bump in the night... though I must admit, some of you have had some very clever ideas with your decorations. Just don't let them fly, clomp, or shriek their way towards me (I'm skeeeeeeered)! I mean the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!) is not, nor has it ever been, on my Top Ten Hit Parade. Even the bats in the pictures make me shiver. ~~Ewwwww~~ Fuddy Duddy, that's me. Just don't throw tomatoes or eggs (or even worse, spiders or bats) at me, please! ;-)



And while I love a cute pumpkin, and a festive gourd or two, it's been kind of difficult to get in the fall spirit when we've had 90 degree, barefoot weather...



[Note to readers: One of my favorite bloggers thought that Annie had a piece of wood through her head, much as Steve Martin used to wear an arrow through his. Sorry to disappoint, but she is simply reclining in her little chair!]

I'm afraid my pumpkins are languishing in the attic this year along with my scarecrow which scared the dickens out of me when I saw him on the side of the front door the other day and promptly removed him. Even Autumn Annie, who is the quintessential fall chick...



Can't get her groove on...



But lo and behold, just as you think summer will never end...









The weather softens along with the light...



And now, all I want to do is curl up under this Martha Stewart quilt...



A quilt I purchased for a great price (gotta love that Martha!) at K-Mart several years ago...



And rest my head on a sunny yellow pillow...



But first, I need to scoot the visiting munchkins over...





There...



That's better...



Now, I can hunker down in my own little corner of the upstairs sitting room's sofa...



To read my pretty pink book Cece, Todd, and Addie kindly gave me for my birthday this summer...



And admire the little antique wicker basket/table that holds magazines galore. I hoard them, you know...



The piece has been "mistreated" (as per The Nester's directives) and has some fabric just stuck on top till I can staple it on there. The basket/table cost a mere $15 when it originally had been listed at $75. Right place. Right time. Nice antiques dealer...



Then I like to take pictures of my Dollar Tree flowers in the little polka dot teacup planter I got on clearance from Dockside Imports. I realize the flowers are the ubiquitous silks, but they have such cute fuzzy centers (and were a dollar a bunch!)...



Let's fluff the sofa to take some more pics...



Speaking of which, do you take lots and lots of pictures for your blog...



And then find yourself in a quandary about which ones to post, like the one with this little guy below (also thrifted) who is a story unto himself?



I know I do...

I had so many pink pictures of Cecelia because she wore pinks the whole time she visited...



While her brother (another of our godchildren) wore his fair share of blue, making it difficult to pick a favorite shot, though this one is a definite contender...



Then there's just something about the way the light falls in one shot...



That makes it hard to pick between it and the group of others that look pretty much identical, give or take a flower pot...



Or some pillow tops...



Or the flowers themselves...



But back to fall and Florida weather and such... as much as I love the cool crisp days associated with fall, I am a sunshine girl at heart...



So while everyone else is dreaming of pumpkins, I'll be curled up dreaming of bees and butterflies...







And blue, blue, BLUE Florida skies...



Only, minus the heat and humidity! ;-)

And maybe, just maybe, with the added accent of a pink hibiscus...



Or two...



Please note that I've had several people comment about the "butterflies" print. It is a hand colored book plate print by famed artist Walter Anderson. Mr. Anderson attended the Chicago Art Institute (along with Mr. Magpie's great aunt), and though long deceased, his work can be purchased online and at a shop devoted to his art on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. I particularly love his alphabet series. Other members of his family were/are famed potters.

On that note, I'll close by thanking you for visiting me here at my blog. I always enjoy returning the call and seeing what's happening in your corner of Blogville! I'm also joining several events today including: Leigh at Thrifty Thursday, Beverly at Pink Saturday, Sally at Blue Monday, and Cielo at Show Off Your Cottage Monday . Because I've got a little something for each, I thought I would play along with each of these memes, and I want to thank each of these lovely hostesses for all the trouble they go to hosting these fun events. You may click on the event name in the line above to visit and hopefully join us for these special blog events! :-)






Warmly,


Mrs. Big-Ole-Fuddy-Duddy-Magpie (Sheila)