I took advantage of the nice weather this weekend to rework our front door in anticipation of fall.
Masks come in many styles and colors and there are so many options! We have both disposable and washable in our lineup. Of the latter, we have both solid and printed fabric. If you're ready for a personalized choice, you may be interested in knowing that it is possible for your own photograph to be printed on a mask! I recently ordered some from Walgreens during their 50% off photo sale. This purchase qualified since it involves photography. The everyday price is $19.99.
I had to have one made of our dogs!
I took this butterfly picture one day in our backyard and thought it would be something I will enjoy wearing. Each mask comes with two silicone adjustors which thread onto the elastic cords. I took the first two pictures prior to adding them. These masks do not come with a wire across the top, but do cover the bridge of my nose. While they are a bit loose along the sides on me, the adjusters definitely help. They are comfortable and I like the way that they entirely extend over my chin.
I had this one made for my mother with a picture of her dog.
I am happy with this purchase. If you decide you would like to have one of your special photos made into a mask, you might want to check out the site for Walgreens and click "design your own" custom face mask ...and you'll be covered!
We love visiting MO Botanical Garden in St. Louis. During a typical year, we go many times. The spring orchid show, frequent summertime evening picnics with friends, autumn strolls through the fall colors and winter's spectacular Garden Glow with dazzling lights during the Christmas season all make for happy memories. We miss it this year! I have had the opportunity to take so many pleasant pictures of plants and displays over the years and when I snapped this one a few summers ago, I always thought it would be perfect for enlarging as a wall hanging.
Taking advantage of deep discounts at Walgreens for the photo and Michaels for the frame, I decided to use it for part of my late summer mantel. When the patriotic décor came down right after the fourth of July, this went up and will remain in place until it's time for autumn.
I love seeing the Chihuly pieces (which permanently float in the lily pad pool). I searched the house for brightly colored glass to play off them. The large red glass vessel and bright green candlestick are both on loan from my mother. 😉
It took me such a long time to find just the right planter to use. I thought the simple lines of this one looked interesting and would work best.
It only came in this gray color, though, and so I painted it black (as shown below) since I wanted it to match the picture frame. The black specks on the mantel are a result of the plant I knocked over when I took the picture!
I hope your day was great!
Another stop we made on our recent little getaway was to the Iliniwek Village Historic Site in the far northeastern part of MO. Not far from Battle of Athens State Park, this quiet cultural development sits way off the beaten path. So much so, in fact, that we blinked and missed the signage the first time down the road and had to turn around! This 127 acre site sits in the middle of undeveloped agricultural areas. I couldn't resist snapping a photo of this cornfield. We never grow tired of traveling through farm country.
Iliniwek Village State Historic Site is the only Illinois Indian village location found in our state. It is situated on sandy soil high above the Des Moines River. Once home to an estimated 8,000 residents, it was inhabited from 1640 to the late 1670s. That means it was occupied when Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet came through the area in 1673. In fact, the people of this tribe were the first Native Americans for the explorers to meet on their trip. There have been, and continue to be, archeological digs where numerous artifacts have been discovered.
Although Illinois Native Americans built several different styles of homes, posts have been placed back in the ground to show a longhouse which stood in this particular village. We took this picture standing at the front end of what would be the structure. It is difficult to imagine that as many as 26 relatives lived together in one home.
Today there are nice walking paths dotted with interpretation boards so that visitors can learn as they stroll back to the remains of an Illinois tribe style longhouse. The setting is thick with native grasses and plantings which attract birds and butterflies and it's all very well maintained. We were the only two there during our visit so we had the place to ourselves while we enjoyed this interesting historical stop. We recommend it!
Athens survived the times, but slowly declined in size and importance post-war as bitter feelings divided the people and, primarily, as railroads robbed river traffic. It was nearly gone by the turn-of-the-century. In 1962, remaining locals rallied together to create the park and it was donated to the state in 1975. It was renamed as an official historic site in 1985. Civil War reenactments are held every three years, the next being slated for 2022. Today it is a beautiful park and perfect place to spend time exploring. Two of the buildings are open on set days of the week and contain period furnishings and content.
