the Clothesline

I'd love a clothesline. Unfortunately, we have nowhere to put one.

My good friend and neighbor Carol, generously allows me to borrow hers.

 

 

Treasures of yesteryear.

A perfect fit for my Etsy shop.

 

 

 So bright and cheery. I want to hoard them!

But I don't.

  

 

 I'm crazy for vintage hankies, too.

 

  

Aren't these the sweetest?

 

 The smallest one with the alphabet and numbers...could it have been for a child? Did children carry hankies back then? I don't remember....



~Spring Has 'Sprout'ed~

It must be spring! The first day warm and sunny enough for Sprout to sunbathe!

 

 



 

 

 

I'm Back!

 

The past few months have been a blur. The holidays, our San Diego trip, the flu, my back going out, the snow, the snow, the snow. Did I mention the snow?

 

Both hubby and I picked up the flu in California. The day after returning home, we were sick in bed. He fared better, only suffering for a few days. Mine clung. Seemingly forever. Fevers of 104+. Coupled with my back issues, I was in bed for most of January.

 

I snapped this beauty from my phone after hobbling home from the doctor and immediately climbing into bed...my temp was a mere 102. Don't you love my rash?

 

 

 

Glad that's over! Now to get my back problems resolved. I'm in Physical Therapy and getting better. My pain level is a consistent 3-4, opposed to the 6-7 when I began.

 

San Diego was glorious! I love it when the temps during the day are in the 70s and nights in the 50s. Perfect!

The day before our departure, we hit the antique district and the beach. I was in heaven.

 

 

We returned home to this:

 

 

Thankfully, our son lives right around the block. He took the best care of us!

Shopping (we had NO food, as we were gone for 10 days), drug store runs, snow shoveling.

All that after caring for our two dogs while we were away and picking us up from the airport in a near blizzard. We have the GREATEST son in the world!

 

Look at the snow hat on my garden gargoyle. There's even a snow pom-pom on top:

 

 

Remember this one of Fannie in the garden path?

 

 

Here's Fannie and the garden path today:

 

 

Who's ready for spring?

 

 

 

 

 

~Monarchs~

 

 

My husband spotted a pair of Monarchs in the garden this week!

I was beginning to wonder if they'd ever grace our yard again.

We've had several different butterfly varieties, all beautiful and

spectacular in their own way. I truly adore them all.

Yet, with Monarchs, I feel a twinge of sadness when they haven't made an appearance.

Almost a sense of panic and worry. I'm so relieved they stopped by!

Our wildflower garden boasts gigantic marigolds. I've never witnessed such big, bountiful beauties!

The Monarchs LOVED them!

Their color is magnificent! A harbinger of autumn...

I feel incredibly lucky to have captured such intimate shots.

We haven't seen them since.

 

~Early Autumn Garden~

 

My girl. She is the happiest creature I've ever known.

Always frolicking, enjoying life to the fullest. Ready to play.

She loves being in the garden with us.

Look at her long bulldog tail (I adore this type of tail, so expressive!)...see it wagging?

A beautiful day in the garden.

The bees are certainly abuzz!

And the leaves are beginning to change color and swirl about.

 

 

A perfect early autumn day!



~Zinnias~

 

 

Looking to bring birds, bees and butterflies into your garden?

Look no further than the humble zinnia.

Carefree and simple to plant by seed!

 

Beautiful butterflies of all types love them...

 

 Bumblebees adore them...

 

 

 Hummingbirds are daily visitors...

 





 

 

 

 

So cheery...a must for every cottage garden!

 

 

~The Spider~

 

 

Admittedly, I don't know a lot about spiders.
This one is hanging around outside my living room window.

I find it odd that it hasn't left the web in two weeks.

I know it's alive, it moves around within the web.

What is it doing?

 

~Weekend Pickings~

 

 

We had a fruitful weekend! Yippee! This summer has been dreadful for garage and estate sales. The pickings have been SLIM. We finally found some goodies!

 

I instantly fell in love with these beauties and knew they'd be a perfect addition to our shop.

I already listed them! Although, between you and me...even though I'm not a big fan of salt & pepper shakers, I do love vintage dog figurines and I'd kinda like to keep them. Just perfect condition.

 

Another set of vintage S & P. Very pretty birds marked Japan. I believe both sets are circa 1940-50s.

 You know how I adore old jars. We discovered this box at a nearby garage sale.

The box itself has some water damage but the contents are untouched, unused and in excellent condition.

Juice decanter BALL jars??? Never heard of them! An Internet search offered very little info. Apparently, they were produced from the late 70s through very early 80s. I guess people were not that interested in canning juice.

I'm thrilled! The jars are very unique and every box includes a plastic pouring spout lid.

They will make a great addition to the shop! I'll probably sell them individually.

Look at this! How exciting to find such an incredible antique.

A daguerreotype case with a photo of a young boy.

It even has a small, handwritten note tucked inside.

These date to the 1850s. Such a treasure!

The condition is good, with some worn spots on the case. The frame itself has some minor condition issues. The tiny latch and velvet are in great shape.

Overall, it's a lovely piece.

 

Here are a few more finds for the shop...Thanks for looking. 

 Butterfly Gold Pyrex creamer and sugar bowl.



 A blender cookbook published in 1961. Some of the recipes are quite bizarre!

 A Tang pitcher from the 70s.

This cute dachshund planter.



 

~Super Simple Mac & Cheese~

 That's right, easy peasy...no draining, no colanders, less dishes to wash. Plus, it tastes great!

Start with the simple concept of cooking the pasta IN the milk.
 

Let it simmer for about 15 minutes or until tender.

Most of the milk will have absorbed into the pasta.
 

 

Sprinkle with your seasonings...

 

 

Add your shredded cheese...

 

 

And give it a good stir.

 

 

Mmmm...doesn't it look delicious?

Serve it alongside a mound of steamed broccoli. Add a protein if you'd like.

A simple and quick dinner!

 



Easy Mac & Cheese

Makes about 3-4 servings

 

2 c. dry pasta (elbows, rotini or penne)

2.5 c. milk

1 c. shredded cheese (I used a cheddar blend)

1 TBL butter

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

scant 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric

1/4 tsp. paprika

pinch of nutmeg

salt & pepper to taste

 

Combine the pasta and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until simmering. Do not boil. Reduce heat to low or med/low and cook for about 15 minutes or until milk is mostly absorbed. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle in the seasonings, butter and cheese. Mix well, adding a splash of milk if needed to create a creamy sauce.

Serve hot.

Note: I don't care for this reheated or leftover. It loses the creamy texture.