few degrees cooler.

I love cold mornings in the hollow.  

Smoke is puffin' from the chimney.  

Frost decorates the deck.  

Sun beams filter throughout the branches.

The dogs are extra frisky.

It's beautiful.

...and it's home.

Dad's always said that it's a few degrees cooler in the hollow.

That's fine with me.

We'll just add a few more logs to the wood stove.

*

Happy Thursday...

and yes, that's our new watermark thingie for our photographs. :)

-S

still on a turkey high.

I keep asking my husband if something is wrong with me.  It's a rhetorical question.  I'm sure he has plenty of various responses he could choose to say!  Seriously though, I'm just not ready for Christmas yet.  At this point, I typically have at least two trees fully decorated.  I haven't even brought one box down from the attic.  Yesterday, I slowly started bringing decorations out of their boxes...but I just don't feel ready yet.  I'm still on a turkey high from Thursday.

Please, don't think I'm being a Scrooge...and yes, Mom, I will put up a tree this year (she asked me last night, "You are going to put up a tree, right?").  I'm still just enjoying a holiday that some chose to completely bypass and sprint straight into Christmas.

So, this post is still about Thanksgiving, which I think we should celebrate throughout the year.  We should all learn to gather more and give thanks for our many, many blessings.  

Here's to still eating turkey leftovers and being thankful.

To support small businesses, we decided to purchase fresh, green beans for my annual, green bean casserole from a local business, Cash and Carry Barn, located off of Laffayette Road in Clarksville.  We bought two, MASON jar fulls, and they were delicious.  They weren't my Uncle J.T.'s, but they were pretty darn good.  Thank ya, Cash and Carry!

The Campbell's Green Bean Casserole recipe I've been using for years...ripped straight out of a magazine...wrinkles and all.

One of my tables...I know I shared another picture of this table with y'all last week, but I just love it!  I love the mini centerpieces I threw together (thank you husband for gathering some of the weeds that mornin' from the farm), and I love my grandmother's beautiful china.  We actually ended up having two, round tables in the front room, instead of our big-ish table.  We used that for food instead.  It worked out a lot better.  Everyone had more elbow room while eating.  And that's a BIG deal.

The goods - and this is even without some of our dishes...including the ham!  It got left on the stove-top...whoopsie.  More for us throughout this week.  Maybe it was intentional?

Above: Our group photo from my house...yes, Mase was still in his adorable P.J.s (thank you New York fam).  Below: Group photo from my cousin's house...Mom, Michael, Mase, & I decided to pile in Mom's Jeep later Thursday night and go over to Susannah's house for a quick, surprise visit. :)

...and last but not least, the main man everyone wanted to see.  Our blue-eyed turkey. :)

-S

food, jibber jabber, & simple.

I am so full.  And I keep eating.

I love Thanksgiving.  No gifts.  Tons of food.  Just the way I like it.  

Ours was so fun...mostly due to a little man who jibber jabbered through the prayer.  He is so full of sweet.  There really is nothin like it.  

*

Side note:  I've almost been 24 hours without signing into my personal Facebook account, and it feels pretty darn good.  I realized I wasn't able to completely deactivate my account, for fear I would lose the Creek Junk FB page.  So, I'm just not logging into my personal account...and I completely removed the app from my phone.  Ya, I've found myself mindlessly trying to press the home screen on my cell phone that had the blue icon positioned perfectly for my right thumb.  I apparently had gotten in the habit of automatically pressing it whenever....whenever there was silence, whenever I was "bored," whenever there was a commercial break, whenever I didn't want to genuinely listen to somebody. AND this is one of the main reasons I chose to take a break.  It's just excessive.  

Today, my mind was less cluttered.  Simple.  

That's what I'm wanting this holiday season.  A simple focus.   

Hope you and yours had a nice Turkey Day...

one of our tables today...
Blue Onion China was my Grandmother Wanda's,
homemade flower arrangement with weeds from the farm (and roses from Kroger),
and
some mismatched chairs.

Happy Thanksgiving!

As I filled out my "thankful notecard" last night, 

(we started this little tradition once Michael and I got married), 

I couldn't stop listing thankful thoughts. :)

I hope you all have a beautiful Thanksgiving...

I'm gonna go turn up the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

and get back in the kitchen while nugget is snoozin'!

-S

Vintage Thanksgiving Postcard Source:
http://twistylane.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html

DIY Thanksgiving Banner Tutorial

Want to make a quick, simple Thanksgiving banner?  I'll give ya the deets....

*

Materials:

FABRIC Scissors - Seriously, invest in a good pair of fabric scissors.  They cut like butta.

Burlap - I have extra burlap in my craft area (pile) upstairs...I got mine at the local Rural King. :)

Paint - I used left over black paint from my mirror project a couple months ago...

Small Paint Brush

Old Magazine

String/Craft Ribbon/Twine/Whatever you want to use

scissors, burlap, paint, brush, magazine, & string.

 Process:

1.  Determine the word you want to display and cut triangles!  Harvest, Blessings, Thankful, etc.  Cut triangles from the burlap material with the fabric scissors.  You may want to consider where you're going to display your banner, so you can determine how big you want your triangles...

2.  Paint some letters - Freehand!  You can do it!  A lot of the tutorials I found suggested using stencils...I chose to just go with it, and I only had to re-do one letter.  My "U" looked like the PSI CHI symbol (for those of you who aren't psyc nerds, google it).  Really though, you should try freehanding it.  You'll be prouder of the finished product. :)

TIP:  The paint will go through the burlap, people!  So, when you paint your letters, do one burlap triangle at a time using your magazine beneath.   As you finish, just rip the page, and toss aside to dry.  I tossed mine on the floor.  This allows you to have a smaller work space.   

drying triangles.

 3.  Cut some slivers!  With the tutorials I kept finding, many of them referenced using a sewing machine.  No thanks.  I know how to use one, but that's too much effort right now. Then, I found one banner that had holes punched in it to simply "sew" the string through.  I didn't want circles, so I used that trick we all learned in elementary school to fold the paper (in this case, burlap) and cut a small little snip.  I did this at the top to corners of each triangle.

4.  String 'em together!  Ta-Da!  Quick, simple banner...

I'm thinkin' about puttin' ours over the Thanksgiving food table...or in the living room...not sure yet.  I was so anxious to put it up though, I had to display it over one of our fireplaces!  So, right now it's in our bedroom - ha!

Let me know if you try this...Please, share a pic to our Creek Junk Facebook wall if you do. :)

-S

SIMPLE HOLIDAY FOCUS.

I already know some of y'all aren't going to like this post.  But I'm doing it.

For those of you who have been "friends" with me  for awhile on Facebook, y'all know I've not always had an active account.  In fact, I didn't have an account when my husband and I got engaged several years ago....and I loved it.  Why?  Because I had the opportunity to tell the news to some of my family and friends in person.  FACE-TO-FACE.  Besides my mom, she received a cell phone pic of my min pin posing beside my new bling the night Michael asked. 

Anyway, since having a little one, I've realized time is going way, way too fast.  Mason is standing in his crib, has 2 teeth, and babbling nonsense like his Daddy.  Every moment I am refreshing my newsfeed on my cell phone or responding to a comment (more than likely about one of Mason's pictures), 

I am losing that time with him...
or my husband...
or my house...
or my homework...
or myself.  

It's just too much to keep up with right now, and I am choosing to fully focus on the simple things during the holidays.  So, starting Thanksgiving mornin', my Facebook will be no more.  I might come back after Christmas or after the New Year - I'm not sure which yet.  Depends on if I'm still sane or not, but I'll be back (like that Arnold reference?).  

So, there ya go.  Hope you're not too mad at me.  I'll still try to post some stuff on the blog, so you can either save the blog link or register your email address (look to your right) to receive updates.  I'll still have my email address and, of course, a cell phone where you can reach me.  And, if you're really cool, you can send me a letter...with a stamp.

Happy one-week-from-Turkey-Day-Thursday!

-Stephanie

happy nugget.
standing+teeth+little, itty, bitty piece of hair.

{robinson family}

Last Friday, my husband and I had the opportunity to set-up Christmas decor and snap some photographs of my cousins in our yard...Although the kids were more interested in throwing walnuts in the creek (I don't blame them - I did the very same thing when I was little), I did manage to get a few, neat photos!  Plus, this was the perfect excuse to get out some Christmas stuff for Mase. :)

Thank you, Robinson family, for stopping by our creek bottom! :)

-S

Veterans Day.

My husband bought this 

vest pocket Bible on Ebay several years ago...

It serves as a nice reference for today, 

since many of us are off 

from work and school.

Thank You Military -

past, present, and future.

-S

pecan pie.

I made this pie last Thanksgiving...My Daddy loved it, so I'll probably make it again this year. :) I found the recipe in Country Living Magazine.  I don't know Aunt Karen, but this is one delicious, simple dessert.  Enjoy!

-S

*

Aunt Karen's Pecan Pie

3 eggs, well beaten
3/4 cups light brown sugar
3/4 cups dark Karo syrup 
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons melted butter
2/3 cup pecan halves
Single pie crust for a 9 inch pie (unless you want to make your own, but this option is way more schedule-friendly)

*

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  To well-beaten eggs, add the rest of the ingredients.  Pour into unbaked pie shell.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce oven to 325 and bake for 35 minutes longer.  Cool on wire rack.  Eat!

{haley, joseph, & baby}

For those of you who enjoy viewing photographs on a blog (my personal viewing preference, as well), here are more of those maternity pictures I promised...

Haley and Joseph are still anxiously waiting on the arrival of little Savannah!  I just love the anticipation that surrounds a sweet bundle of joy. :)

Happy Wednesday...

-S

What is Creek Junk?

Recently, many people have asked me, "What is Creek Junk?"  So, I'll try my best to explain.  Almost 3 years ago, I started a blog, tiny snapshots.  It was a place where I could display my photographs in a unique way and write random stuff.  This past summer, I got to a point where I wanted to change things...I wanted to somehow reach people I didn't know.  I wanted to share more things people might find fun and useful.  My mom, husband, and I came came up with the name "Creek Junk."  

It's still a place where I can display my photographs in a unique way and write random stuff.  It's a place where you can find me if you don't have Facebook (I applaud those of you who don't).  It's a place where I can sell things...things from around my house, mostly furniture, and eventually t-shirts.  It's a place where maybe - this is a BIG maybe - I can start some sort of mini photography business on the side.  So, really it's still the same as tiny snapshots, just not as uber personal.  Clear as mud?

*

With all of that said, there are several ways to keep up with this thing...

*Look to the right on this page.  That's where all this stuff is located.  

1.  You can follow this blog directly by joining the site (for example, if YOU have a blogspot, follow me and I'll follow you).  

2.  You can also subscribe your email address.  You will then receive email updates whenever I post a new blog post.  There is a delay (several hours) in getting the emails...I don't know why.  I didn't create the gadget, but it does work.  

3.  Twitter!  Since twitter is linked to my Facebook, you should get all the status, pictures, and blog posts when I post them.

4.  Lastly, you can LIKE us on Facebook.  I want to be sure to say that I will not be sharing blog posts on my personal Facebook page.  It's getting too repetitive for those of you who are "friends" with me and follow the Creek Junk fan page.  It's easier for everyone to keep up with just one page, so for now, if ya don't LIKE the page, you'll just miss out.  Also, since Facebook has changed things in regards to promoting fan pages, you'll need to make sure you do this:

1. Go to the Creek Junk Facebook page
2. Click on the settings dropdown menu (the little gear icon) next to the Message box OR you can hoover over the "Liked" option
3. Select "Add to Interest Lists"

This will make sure our posts show up on your newsfeed.  Now, are you really confused?!

*

So, ya.  Creek Junk is basically just my personal blog.  Thanks for reading and hopefully following, liking, or subscribing. :)

-Stephanie

me behind the camera
{photo by my momma}

Halloween costume.

Like I said yesterday, I hauled Mase out in our front yard and took pictures of him in his Halloween costume.  Little late, but who cares...having a baby has made me learn to fully accept the word late.  These are some of my favorite pictures of this little man.  Have I said that before?  He loves the camera.  I told someone recently...he's a ham for the cam.

The blanket was an unfinished project started by my Grandmother (Dad's side).  My uncle and his wife took it to someone at their church, and she finished it.  They gave it to me, and like anything that's got a good story behind it, I absolutely love it.

Enjoy your weekend.

-S

lesson learned.

I'm slowly learning more and more about parenting each day...

For instance, I noticed several weeks ago that many of my friends were posting photos of their babies in their Halloween costumes all over facebook.  I immediately thought that seemed a little silly since the 31st was so far away.  Okay, well it came and went faster than I was able to carve my own pumpkin.  So this afternoon, I'm dressing Mase in his costume again (he loves it - I'm being very sarcastic) and taking pictures out in the yard while the sun is still shinin'.  Holidays are just crazy fast now.  This is a fact.  So, maybe I'll get a jump start on Christmas this afternoon and do those photographs, too...

I hope you and your family had a safe and fun Halloween.  We spent way too much money on candy.  My goodness, it's expensive...BUT I had told Michael to get the "good" candy.  We didn't have a lot of trick-or-treaters and thankfully, my husband bought the good stuff, because we are happily enjoying the leftovers. :)

Y'all have a good weekend...I'm going to take Halloween pictures!  Ha!

Here's our little pumpkin...with antlers. :)

-S