September is National Mushroom Month

I find it fun and sometimes amusing to look up a national day or month and then window shop for items that fit the theme. Today I am sharing items that fit in with National Mushroom Month. I know some of you probably love them and some of you (one of my sisters and my daughter) would never ever consider eating mushrooms. Well you don't need to eat mushrooms to enjoy today's picks.

Let me show you...

Think Happy Thoughts from Society6

Carved Quartz Mushrooms from Ebay

Cute Owl Couple under the Mushroom Postcard
by IronicOwl from Zazzle

Sterling Silver Mushroom with Bronze Moon Necklace from Amazon Handmade

There you have it. Mushrooms from 4 different shopping sites in 4 very different styles. Would you choose any or all of them?

Happy National Mushroom Month!

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The links in this post are from affiliates. I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Etsy Favorites

A long time ago I created a list on Etsy named "Made Me Say Wow". I filled it with art and such I stumbled across while browsing. Today I want to give a shout out to four of the artists and shops that are on that list.

This handsome fellow comes from the shop CarlaKurtArt. It is titled "Afternoon Reflection".

You can find this charming bird in the Etsy shop "JohnHarmonGallery". You can order several sizes of a signed print there.

In the mood to treat you and your home to a luxury piece of handmade furniture. Shop for this and more at the Etsy shop MSTRF.

In one of my favorite mediums, watercolor, you can find this Harbor Seal print in the shop of Dean Crouser. This artwork is a high quality print in a limited, signed and numbered series of 400.

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Bill Harrah's Cars

 Our first post retirement road trip in June took us through Reno Nevada. Being a non gambler in Nevada I needed to find something to do away from the casino that Jim would enjoy too. I hit the jackpot with a trip to the National Automobile Museum. The cars on display here are just a small part of the collection created by Bill Harrah who started out with bingo halls that turned into the Harrah's gaming empire. 

Bill Harrah's portrait from the National Automobile Museum website.

 The website has lots of history and information on events and if you want to see all these beautiful and some of them very sexy cars you can buy your tickets online too.

Our history museum opened in 1989, it was reported to have set the standard for automobile museums

around the world. Since then, it has received many accolades and today it is recognized as one of 10 Best Automobile Museums in the U.S.

The idea for this Museum developed following the death Bill Harrah and the museum still exists today thanks to a persuasive public and the generosity of many.

Bill Harrah was a prominent gaming pioneer who founded Harrah’s Hotels and Casinos and the former Harrah’s Automobile Collection. He assembled the largest and most historically significant collection in the world that reached approximately 1,400 vehicles. His legacy lives on at the National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection).

After his death in 1978, Holiday Inns purchased Harrah’s Hotels and Casinos and Harrah’s Automobile Collection in 1980.

Following the announcement of plans to sell the collection, there was a tremendous public outcry across Nevada and the nation. Responding to this outcry, Holiday Inns donated 175 cars and the research library to the future nonprofit museum. At the time, it was the largest corporate philanthropic gift in our nation’s history.

Holidays Inns sold the balance of the Harrah collection, the majority at spectacular, record-setting auctions in 1984, 1985 and 1986, as well as through private sales.

With generous donations from the City of Reno Redevelopment Agency, the State of Nevada, and many individuals and organizations, this Museum opened on November 5, 1989, with much fanfare and national and international publicity.

The pictures below are just a sample of what I took that day. I spent most of my time walking through saying "Wow, look at that one!" Many of my favorites were the cars with the curvy long and low cars from the 30s and 40s like the silver car below. 

Thanks for stopping by!

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End of Summer

There is something I really want to know about hoses and sprinklers and backyard fun since we are at the end of summer this Labor Day. Do kids still hook up a hose to a sprinkler in the yard and cool off by running through it? Is that too old school and far away from addicting screens for young ones these days? 

I know, I know, don't think badly of me for thinking about green lawns and not water conservation since the whole of the western United States in in a drought. It was just a bit of nostalgic thinking from an old lady. 

A greater priority for many of you might be taking care of a vegetable garden. I imagine if you are one of those generous neighborhood gardeners you have lots of friends right now. I know that I have been gifted many cucumbers and tomatoes from a neighbor across the street. Those fresh sun kissed vegetables are one of the best parts of summer.

Eley Hose Reels is a site with all kinds of watering tools for the joy of kids and the serious work of their grownups. I took a few minutes to check out information on their watering or garden hoses. The quality, durability, being light weight and reliability are what they brag about. You could  get an outdoor hose from them to hook up to the aforementioned sprinkler for the kids to run through in one color, lots of choices for length and lead free brass fittings for when you gardeners need a quick drink on a hot and busy day.

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Sponsored link in this post. Thoughts are my own.

Made by Me @ Mom's House

Jim and I have made two trips to my mother's house in recent months. I had kind of forgotten the things she has in her home that I made. The span a few of my hobbies from quilting to crocheting to painting to leatherwork. 

She even has a shawl I knit for her that I don't have a picture of. I made it when she was recovering from some surgery and complained about cold shoulders that made her neck and back ache. I have never seen it in use and the last I knew the shawl is put away in a dresser drawer and she brings it out to show off my skills to visitors. I have told her that is doesn't keep any shoulder warm in a drawer and if it wears out I will make another. Oh well.

A pieced but not quilted dresser scarf. I crocheted the edging on this too.

I painted this in 1997 and it has hung outside her front door since then except for Christmas time when she puts up another holiday decoration.

One of my first jobs after high school was at a Tandy Leather store. I had to learn Western style leather carving and this is one of my learning projects.

This afghan was probably made in the 1980s. I still like the look of the pattern. Maybe I should dig it out of my pattern mess and make another.

From my quilting days. Hand applique and quilting. I think this pattern came from  a Family Circle or Women's Day magazine sometime in the 1980s.

A glue stiffened crocheted box. I still have a lot of those little silk flowers. Should figure out how to put then to good use. They aren't making anything pretty in a plastic bin.

The little hats above and the large one below were some of my favorite makes. When I was doing craft shows in person I sold quite a few of them. I don't make them now because I don't want to go through the hassle of shipping them in a way that keeps the from getting smooshed. That and the country look in decorating has gone out of style I think.

Hey thanks for making it through all my pictures. Hope you are all healthy and of course cozy!

Back with more again soon. Take care and stay cozy!