Sunday, January 31, 2010

Silver Sunday and Spring Fever

Nothing says Spring like Tulips. Yes, had to have some, got them at Publix, where else. The Anjou Pears too. I know a lot of my friends in TN and NC, really got buried in the snow this past weekend. Just remember Spring is just around the corner.

This red dish is a new GW purchase, the cloche fits perfectly.
I love the contrast of the lime green and red. The Blue green paint on the wall makes the chairs look goldish color but they are more lime green. To me it looks terrible with the wall color. But I think I have posted before that we have very high ceilings like 14 feet or more and the ceiling is the same color. I need some help with this room.




See the wall on the opposite side of the room, the sitting room is the same color as the dining room.
I plan to use chair covers until I get the paint changed.
This is a very special heart, given to me by my dear friend Mary. Not sure how it is made, but it is very fragile and hollow in the middle.
One of my silver engraved bowls, this one is small.
This is a recent GW purchase too, a wine bottle coaster, inside the glass is my collection of silver napkin rings, some of them match the coaster perfectly, all of them found at different times and locations.
This is one of my favorite Christmas gifts. It was given to me by
S. my brother's girlfriend. She purchased this very beautiful candle holder at the Metropolitan Gift Shop in NYC. I just love it!!
Isn't amazing how something so non-traditional can blend with traditional items. Timeless beauty, that's what I call it. Hope you'll join Gypsy Fish, for Silver Sunday posts, there are a ton of great posts.
I love hearing from all of you blogging friends!




Friday, January 22, 2010

Red Rose Tea, Pepperidge Farm, PW Cooks and my morning

Wow, today's weather is absolutely perfect! I have spent this sunny day in my kitchen and family room. I have been cleaning and puttering even though I am fighting a cold and my head and nose are very congested. Hope it doesn't hang on too long. I have things to do, afterall. But for today I have been enjoying my home and thought I would share with you some of my favorite things lately.



I have never been much of a tea drinker, have preferred coffe instead. My husband on the other hand prefers tea these days and usually has Tazo Awake for his morning ritual. During the holiday's my bother and his girlfriend were here and she introduced us to Red Rose tea and spiced tea. Her ancestory is from India. She taught me how to make spiced tea. I am now hooked and I think coffee may become my second choice from now on.

So this was my afternoon tea and cookies. Publix has Pepperidge Farm cookies fo BOGO right now so I loaded up on my favorites. Red Rose tea is also available from Publix.

If you want to enlarge a picture, simply double click the picture.
Red Rose is an English tea made in Canada. Decaf and caffienated.


Here are all the ingredients, the spices are Cardamom and Cloves.




This is my sunny spot, where I had my tea this afternoon.
This is a photo of the sugar and spices that I added. Didn't meaure just sprinkled some of each spice.

My husband would use 2 tea bags, but I prefer just 1.

Here it is with the cookies, yummy!!

Oh I almost forgot... If you buy the RedRose tea, they have a promotion right now and they tuck a tiny porcelin figurine in each box. They say on the bottom Wade, Eng Aren't they cute?

A new purchase from Amazon was this cookbook.. Pioneer Woman Cooks. If you have never visited her blog, you are in for a real treat. She has about a million followers and you will see why when you explore her blog. She is very talented and funny. This book is fun to read and look at. She really knows how to make cooking fun and easy. The recipes have step by step illustrations and directions. You'll love the photos of everything, the food, the kids, the cowboys, the horses, the farm, all of it. To visit Pioneer Woman's blog click here.

I made these yesterday, yummy!




I enjoyed snapping a few views of my kitchen and nook that I have never photographed. The lighting could be better, but that is sun streaming in the windows and I don't care.

You can see my shadow in this one he is begging for more kibble.

This is my spot for blogging.
There is Zach again, he is hoping I'll change my mind about the kibble.

More shots of the Breakfast Nook, I know I recently posted pictures of the nook, but I made a few changes sonce those pictures were taken. Don't look at the paper bag on the floor. Oops, that's real life I guess.



My new Blog Banner. Whatcha think?
Oh goody, the mail today, the Ballard Catalog. I think that is what I'll do next, look at my catalog. Not that I can afford the stuff, but always inpires me with new ideas.

Or maybe I'll take a nap with Zach!!

The clothes basket can wait............

Wonder if anyone else spends their day this way? Technically I am sick, so I have an excuse. Ha Ha

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Vintage Hankie collection

I am also joining Cindy's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home, Cindy's blog was the first blog I discovered over a year ago and I have been a follower ever since. So go on over and check her blog out, it is wonderful!! Trust me you'll love her.

If you haven't seen Centsational Girl's post today about what makes a house a home, I encourage you to check it out. I absolutely love what she has put together. It really puts meaning into the term "Home Sweet Home". A home is so much more than just a house.


I need to apologize for the large amount of photos that I have in this post. When I was a girl my mother had a collection of hankie's, I remember her giving me one to have in my very first purse. Through the years growing up I would often go to the box where she kept them all and I would unfold each one and admire them one at a time and then fold them back up and put them away. Several years ago mom bestowed the majority of her collection to me. Now I keep them all in a special box of my own and again as in years past I take them out and admire them, all over again. It never feels like they are old or boring and each time I notice another little detail that I missed the last 20 times. Anyone else out there do this kind of stuff?








This is me trying to find fun ways to display, at least for a photo shoot of sorts.




After Chrismas I went to an Antique mall in High Springs, FL and found some very special monogrammed hankie's. I even found one with my initial "M" and then a "B" maiden initial So very very cool, don't ya think? Besides that I am in love with monogram's these days, as many of you are.









Here are all the monogram ones together. Love em!






Love this butterfly.



Hand embroidery, so sweet with pink and blue.



This is linen, but almost looks burlap, hand crochet border.

Not sure what this is called?

Oh this one is special, it is hand crocheted on the border.



Tiny cross stitch on this one, also linen. This is one I have added recently from a thrift shop with several other linen pieces, they all had brown spots on them. After soaking in Oxyclean they magically disappeared. Good stuff I tell you, that and Zout, can't live with out them.

This one was my first ever hanky, it is the thinest one of all, I think it got used alot and washed many, many times. When I was in grade school I was known to collect rocks, caterpillars and all manner of things and wrap them in my hankie for safe keeping, and then there was the occasional runny nose!!

This one is soooooooo pretty!



This is lace border.



Can't leave out the middle pattern as well.