It all adds up.

The project we have all been waiting for...the money topped bar at the Bank by Pizza Shack.

Since the restaurant will have a bank theme , Ryan requested a penny topped bar (it’s a thing). We decided to go a couple of steps further and add old money and foreign money from travels. Those are some almost hundred year old checks from The Bank of Clinton too. 

Blank slate. Candy contributed some unique things and Ryan and Mary Grace’s travels added some foreign money. 

We laid out the paper items, I decopauged them down and began with pennies. 

Started with a small section in front of the future ice cream case. 

Mostly pennies here but mixed in a few coins and a couple of bills. 

Time to mix epoxy ( no small feat) and pour. 

You have to pour slowly and carefully. 

It looked great. 

Crystal clear and bright. 

On to the tedious work of arranging it all. We didn’t use anything that was valuable, just interesting. 

Candy was very good at it. I couldn’t have done it without her. Many of the coins were from her Dad’s collection. 

I included this envelope from my Dad’s coin bag. He collected coins for years while employed at the bank. We didn’t use many of his coins because we are

having them evaluated. Used a few of the bills and coins from their travels though. 

Got several sections done. 

Second batch gets mixed...

...and poured. 

Ok...by later afternoon we had a little wine. 

Almost done. We ran out of epoxy and pennies. The results were startlingly good. We’ll finish up next week. 

Decided summer was over  but I wasn't quite ready for fall so I pulled out the old blue and white. This collection began back in the 80's. It is back again but never truly ever goes completely out. 

Love my little monkey man. The big jar on the far left is my most valuable. It is truly an antique. However by Asian standards it is probably young at 100-150 years old. I wonder what the little jar says? Anybody able to read Chinese? 

 

Saturday morning is Toby's favorite time of the week - laundry day. He is never quite sure if he belongs in the light or dark pile. 

I'll entitle this one belly up. Patrick dogs had just had a bath and were exhausted. 

The idea came together for the bar foot rail at Clinton Shack. 

Look how great it looks. And the floor! MG and Ryan did a great job on the concrete front too. 

September Book Club

It started with a lovely salad. 

Fabulous Brie and fig preserves sandwiches grilled in rosemary butter.  😃 

Book Club at Jill's. All so good.  We read My Cousin Rachel by Rebecca DuMaurier. We all loved reading an older classic. 

This was dessert. Pavlova. Basically meringue with fruit and whipped cream. Yumm

Jill insisted on a picture taken with timer. I was the runner. 

MG came over after work. Pepper , who adores her emersed himself in her purse. Yikes. 

24 years ago today we welcomed this sweet baby. Ivy Rose McNeil. The room where I stayed at the hospital had a big ole wallpaper border with ivy and roses on it. I had already chosen the name however. 

Sisters came to visit. 

Cousins too. Sophie always ready for a photo op. 

Back in the days where we looked like we had 2 different hairdos. One in front and one in back. Those days are such a blur. With a 5 year old kindergartener, a 3 year old and a baby. 

I remember these days much better   She is about one here. How did I have time to paint shirts like that? And yes MG loved her even if she looks like she might strangle her in this picture. 

Sad to say her photo album ends there. Typical third child syndrome. 

Two more spider lilies emerged overnight. 

Gift from MG and Ryan for helping them. I love doing it. That brings me to...

Floors are ready to stain and finish. 

Ryan got tired of folks peeking in. 

More when they are done. 

Got the house all ready for Mom's first visit. 

Truffles is getting ready. 

Jan brought her over and we had lunch. 

Took a little trip to Meridian to visit Ivy and Tripp. These little buddies love to play. 

Cosmo definitely rules the roost. Here he is in Monty the dog's bed. 

This is Grandma's cat Miss Bossy. She rules the other side of the duplex. 

I woke up the next morning to this sweetness. 

We were fascinated by this Banana Orb spider that lived out front of the porch. Love the perspective with the truck. Also note her tiny husband just above and to the left. Poor guy. He will be lunch after he has done his duty. 

Yes. It is that time of year. Ed made the perfectly seasoned ones with the addition of a little Zatarain's crab boil. 

Then Sophie and Paul had us over Sunday for chicken shawarma. 

So good. 

First (and only) spider lily. 

Opened fully the next day. Back to school harbinger. 

My cousin, Diane asked if we would like these old quilts. My Aunt D was about to sell them for $1 at a garage sale in 1978. She rescued them. We will each take some. Ju ju loves them.