Good Bye Summer... Hello Fall

Hello dear friends.  I have a love/hate relationship with Labor Day.  When I lived in Texas, I loved it.  It meant that the 100 degree temps were on the way out and cooler breezes would soon arrive.

  

My favorite seasons in Texas were Spring and Fall.  The temperatures were were warm most days with cool nights.  

Now that I live in Massachusetts, Labor Day is my least favorite holiday.  It marks the ending of the most beautiful summer that I can remember.  I do have to say that I am looking forward to Autumn and the foliage.  I have not lived in the East for twenty-three years.  But I will still be gazing into the rear view reminiscing of warm summer days.

I started pinning some Fall decorating ideas.  The good thing about moving is that you have to re-think decorating for the holidays.  Once I started pinning I couldn't stop.  So here is the first of a few Fall posts.

This family must start decorating for Fall on the 4th of July!

 

Home Design Ideas

Wish mums were in season all year round!

Home Design Ideas

Love the simple elegance of this table.

HGTV

For the family who keeps forgetting what season it is.

HGTV

This guy must own a pumpkin patch!

HGTV

Looks like the size of spiders I've found in my house!

Corner Paint

The last thing I need is a witch with better legs than mine.

BHG

Who needs to go into the kitchen to eat?  Just sit on the stoop and help yourself to all the food groups.

BHG

She Knows

I don't know what the pictures are of on the wreath.  Perhaps some banned trick-or-treaters?

Pottery Barn


So this is what an ironing board is for!

Rustic Pig


Have a safe Labor Day weekend!

First Stop - Santorini

Hello dear friends.  Hope you are enjoying the last days of summer.

This post takes us back to the cruise.  Lucky you.  If you missed the first or second installment, and you don't mind being bored to tears, you can find it here and here.  

After leaving Rome, we spent one day at sea.  Naturally, these sea days are the busiest on the ship.  People get up early and run each other over to save chaise lounges for themselves as well as 12 additional chairs for their nearest and dearest.  The restaurants are crazy, spas are packed, and the gym is filled with well-meaning people that think they will keep the extra poundage at bay by working out.   By the end of the cruise, the gym is empty except for the Mister.  

Our first stop was Santorini, the most popular island in the Greek Islands.  If you have daughters that were teenagers a few years ago, there's a good chance that you saw The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants which was filmed there. 

This is the view from our room.  

People going to Santorini were chartered in a small boat to the island.

There were 3 ways to get up to the town of Fira.

#1

not in this lifetime

#2

when pigs fly

or

#3

not a chance in #@$%!

One of the many phobias that I have is heights.  I could see Santorini just fine from the rooftop bar on the ship.  My #2 and I decided to keep an eye on Wild Bill while the rest of them had jumped ship for cocktails in Santorini.

Cocktails on the Mother Ship with Grandpa.

B-I-L took these pics on the island.

The Mister picked out those socks all by himself.  

Note to self:  Do not let the Mister go shopping without supervision.  

You could never guess that these four characters were tourists.

When the gang got back, they told me it was beautiful, but I probably would have had a heart attack from a combination of fear and exhaustion if I had attempted the journey. I guess they know me pretty well.

Glad to have the family back safe and sound.

We topped that evening off by going to the Lawn Club Grill.  

The 2 nefs were the guest chefs while my #2 was our roving photographer.

They began with pizza.

Longest 5 seconds of their lives.

Whew!  That was close...

The crowd was riveted by the guest chefs' performance.

The excitement was building.  The crowd couldn't control themselves.

2 nefs pretty darn proud of themselves!

Πολύ νόστιμος!!

delicious in Greek

An encore performance at the grill.

If you can't take the heat... drink more wine.

Bam!
The best lamb chops I've ever had in my whole life!
sorry, Mister.

Enjoy the last days of summer!

The Envelope Please...

Hello dear friends.  My fashion correspondent, Dude, kept my phone buzzing last night with her critique on the dresses at the Emmys.  The first four pics were Dude's favorites.

Camilla Alves

Love it!

Taylor Schilling

Gorgeous dress.

Allison Williams

Dude liked this one.  Me, not so much.

JLD

Gorgeous!

Julianna Rancic

Best she ever looked at an awards show.  #1 did not care for her hair.

Sophia Vergara

Va va va vooooom!

Kerry Washington

Dude described this dress as "awesome."

I think it is more like "yucksome."

Kate Walsh 

I'm not crazy about the yellow but the cut of the dress is pretty.  Bet it's hard to use the ladies room in this one.

 Julia Roberts

I think Julia looked fabulous.  

Her legs are great - why not showcase them?

Christine Baransky

This is a beautiful, age appropriate dress and looks great on her.

Viola Davis

Another gorgeous age appropriate dress.

Halle Berry

She'd look good in a paper bag.

Debra Messing

Stunning!

Kristen Wiig

Lovely!  I usually don't care for her dresses, but this one is a knock-out!

Lena Headley

My favorite!  

But lose the tats....

Lena Dunham

If my mother was still alive, she would say "that girl goes out of her way to look homely."

And now... the Mister's comments from the peanut gallery.

Allison Janney

Nice drapes!

Hayden Panetiere

Jiffy pop!

What were your favorite dresses?

Hope you have a star-studded day!