My Thrift shop Fix

It seemed like ages since I was out thrift store shopping but last Saturday the weather was a brisk sunny day that called me to do something fun, so off to the thrift shops I went! I found a few things that I brought home with me and one of them was a lovely little ironstone tray and a creamer....the sugar bowl was gone but since I have a collection of ironstone pitchers, not having a sugar bowl wasn't a big deal and the tray was cute.... at the next shop I found this sweet arrangement of flowers in a cone made of heavy handcrafted paper. I really like it and she only charged me $1 for it so that was my best buy of the day.

When I came home I put an arrangement of silk roses in the pitcher and displayed the arrangement of flowers on the tray! Just what I needed to brighten up a winter day.

Vintage Book

My mother was cleaning out some bookshelves today and brought me this lovely vintage book, Meal Planning and Table Service, copyright 1924. She was a home economics teacher before she was married and I'm guessing with the section for teachers that this was her required reading.

I love the color of the cover and after glancing through the book I'm pretty sure I'm going to love the book as well. It has a lot of pencil marks through it where my mother must have been taking notes and at first glance has a lot of practical information. My daughter who just graduated from college is interested in proper etiquette so she might just end up with the book, although the vintage charm will definately be lost on her!

Handkerchief Valance

My project today was a valance for the living room windows. I have seen handkerchief valances before and since I have a few handkerchiefs I thought I'd like to make one. I tried a couple different methods and decided to gather the handkerchiefs onto a ribbon. If you would like to try it, here's how I did it.

1. I found some ribbon and used it to measure the size of the window. I tied a loop around one end and put it over the end of the curtain rod and stretched the other end to the length I thought I'd like and marked it.

2. I cleaned and pressed the handkerchiefs that I wanted to use and folded them into a triangle and then stitched a running stitch about an inch from the edge so that there would be room to thread the ribbon.

3. I tied the end of the ribbon without the loop onto a crochet hook and threaded it through the casement that I created in number 2.

4. I continued to add enough handkerchiefs onto the ribbon and I slightly gathered them so they all fit onto the ribbon. The vintage handkerchiefs are soft and drape well, they are easily gathered onto the ribbon. You can use even more handkerchiefs and make it fuller if ya want.

If you use my directions, drop me a note and let me know how it turned out.

Book Club

I think classic literature is lost on me. Last night our book club discussed Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I was the one who actually picked the book because I tried to read it in high school and just couldn't get into it. I was sure, now that I'm in my 50's my taste in literature would have greatly improved and reading a classic like that would give me a somewhat scholarly feeling as I read such a great work in literature. I'm here to report that nothing has changed, although as I struggled through about half of the book, I resorted to finishing it by cheating and reading a chapter by chapter synopsis!

I do enjoy listening to the girls who actually read the books each month discus character development and plot line, etc. and I understand what the book was really about after someone points it out to me, but I have decided that classic literature and most literature in general is right over my head.

Next months selection is " The Lovely Bones".... I'm hoping I am able to read the book and don't run to catch the movie before the next meeting!

New Apron

As some of you know, I have been looking for aprons to add to my small collection. Well, not really a collection yet, but I've got an empty space next to my pantry and thought aprons hanging there would look nice. So.... I've been looking for some vintage aprons and I have been considering some new aprons that look like vintage aprons but I haven't wanted to spend $40 for the pretty ones I've seen.

I told my mother about my plans for some lovely vintage aprons and she surprised me at Christmas by giving me her "Thanksgiving" apron. I call it her "Thanksgiving" apron because every Thanksgiving she invited all my aunts and uncles and cousins for a Thanksgiving meal and she always wore that apron. Of course she wore it on many other occasions but I do remember her wearing it every Thanksgiving. The "Thanksgiving" apron was lovingly washed and ironed by mother before she wrapped it and now hangs next to my pantry (in the middle) with another apron I found at a flea market. Thanks mom!

Happy New Year!

I spent my New Year’s Day taking down Christmas decorations and watching football. Just having a day off work was a treat and staying at home puttering around the house was enjoyable as well. I’m still not finished with the Christmas decorations but hope to finish up by next weekend. I hate to get rid of the lights and the tree, it makes the house feel good, so I think I may just hang on to the “feeling” until next weekend.

I’m ready for a new year and a new decade to begin. I have my menus planned for the first three weeks of the new year and my resolutions are made…. So I’m off to enjoy life!!!!

Class Luncheon

Some of the girls from my high school graduating class many, many years ago get together every couple months to catch up and reminisce about the good old days. Today the ladies came to my house and everyone brought something. We had soups and salad and deserts and a lovely afternoon together. There were 10 of us today, one of the girls told me not to mention what year we graduated, so I'll just say we are oldie but goodies. Our next luncheon is March 30 at Bread of Life in McAlisterville, it's Martha's birthday!

I found the snowman soup bowls at the dollar store. I'm guessing the reason they ended up at the dollar store is because the "carrot" nose was painted red, they were made in China so I'm guessing that the red -orange thing got lost in the translation somewhere....

It's All Cleaned Up!

Christmas Eve, a Christmas brunch and then a big Christmas night meal and it’s all cleaned up and all but the last of the dishes that are still in the dish washer have been put away. I was up till 11:30 last night vacuuming and mopping the floors after every one left. My sister brought games this year and they were a big hit….we played trivia, “wheel of fortune” and “family feud”. She even had prizes and an auction with quite nice prizes…. I was fortunate enough to get a Barnes and Nobel gift card and a basket of stuff that included a mug and hot chocolate along with a bag of mini marshmallows. I later “sold” the marshmallows to my nephew for 5 pieces of candy (the bargaining chips) who wanted them for his 18 month old boy who loves marshmallows.


Today's photo is of the brunch I served on Christmas morning, I didn't really get any photos later in the day when we entertained about 12.

Christmas 2009

Just wanted to post some Christmas photos.... this is my living room. In the winter I watch TV in here because of the fireplace, it's a warm, cozy room. I did my tree in browns and rusts this year but I'm not sure that I like it with the white tree or maybe I'm having a hard time liking such non traditional colors on a Christmas tree.

What does your tree look like? Do you have a particular color that you use to decorate it, or do you use a collection of whatever you have that you have collected throughout the years? I think I need to do more than just one or two trees so that I can use more of the ornaments and stuff I have. hmmmm, if I had another week or two I could probably pull that off....

Shabby Swap

I am a member of a group of women who like the shabby cottage style of decorating and we did a Secret Santa Swap this year and Trish and I exchanged gifts. This is what she sent me. A plate that will be a perfect accent in my sunroom, I love it and a book that I can't wait to read. I paged through it briefly and can't wait to actually read it. She also sent another little wall hanging that will be perfect in my bathroom...

Trish sent my package from Florida on December 1 and I finally received it today. It didn't look like it had been lost in the bottom of a truck somewhere, the box wasn't beat up or anything, I guess it just found its way onto a slow truck to Pennsylvania. Thanks Trish for everything you sent.... you brightened my day!