No More Procrastinating

With tax time fast approaching in the U.S. I had to make a trip to the grocery store for supplies. As I've done for many years, I file hubby's and my return myself. I don't have human help during the dreaded project, but I do have my sugary friends to keep me going.

It's how I get through it! So the next time you hear from me, I'll be basking in the feeling of a lightened load (or bouncing off the walls from all that sugar).

Simply Put . . .

I ©

'nuf said.

Blooms & Views, Issue #1

One of my favorite things about my morning ritual is going around to each window and opening the shades. Everything seems new as it is unveiled at the start of each day. So I am on a mission to turn the sights I behold as I tie back each curtain and raise each shade into welcoming sights. With careful planning, the view from each window, whether tiny or expansive, can become a cheerful vignette. Blooms & Views will be a regular feature on my blog. Each week or two I'll show a favorite view from a window in my home, a favorite arrangement made from blooms I have picked from my yard, or a favorite spot in the garden.

In the spirit of humility and to remove all pretense (a quality I detest. . .I could do a whole post on that. . . but I won't . . . let me just say that I hate it when I detect pretentiousness in myself or others...blechhh!) I have decided to show one photo in each installment of Blooms & Views of an area on our property that has yet to be arranged in a pleasing manner. All of hubby's and my spare time has been devoted to renovating the inside of this big old house, and although we are far from finished, we have decided we desperately need to turn our attention to the outdoors and do some landscaping. Progress may be slow since we will do all the work ourselves. But with a little vision and a lot of blood, sweat and tears, we can achieve our dream. I invite you to come along with me over the next weeks, months, (years?!) as we transform this old neglected former vineyard into a garden of delights.

New Look for a 150-Year-Old Door

In the 15 years we have lived in / restored our 1856 home, this is only the second time the front door has seen a new color. I'm thinking it may be seeing a third color very soon. The house is covered in gray stucco, and has sort of a French feel, so I was going for French blue. I'm not really feelin' it. Hmmm, I wonder how soon my son will be coming home again. Probably not any time soon if he suspects
he'll be put to work again :).

Goodbye, Poppy Dog

Last night, our 14-year-old doggie, Poppy, went to sleep and never woke up. There's a very sad mood at our house today, but we'll be okay.
We'll miss you Pops.

The Potential in One Itty Bitty Seed

This. . .

will soon become this (excuse me, kitty)

& will one day be made into this


©Enjoy the simple pleasures this weekend.©

Raspberry-Lemon Twist

Last Friday I made a birthday cake for G. He always requests raspberry cake ~ my own recipe that I have never been particularly fond of. So this year, I decided to liven it up by giving it a lemon-rasberry twist. It has now won a place in my keeper file.

It's not from scratch, I took some short cuts.
Lemon cake box mix

raspberries stirred in

Raspberry jam between the layers and vanilla frosting tinted a soft pastel yellow instead of lemon (to add sweetness instead of more tartness).

There's one piece left. Maybe he'll share.

Fabulous Finds or Merely Mediocre?

Sometimes while hunting for vintage treasures, if I'm not striking gold, I can tend to search harder. As if I absolutely must find something to buy. Subconsciously of course. It's like I start seeing things that I would ordinarily find average, as somehow special. Hmmm, if I tilt it just so, it really does have nice detail, and wait a minute, isn't that a bit of patina right there on the tip? Then of course, when I get home and have to make room in my inventory to fit one more thing, I suddenly can't see the beauty so c learly. Can anyone out there relate?

Here are some of the things I found on our B&B weekend. A couple of them I would call fabulous, a few let's just say fab-ish. Not bad for this time of year anyway. Some of these will be added to my shop as I find time. Feel free to inquire about any of them if there's something you need before then.


Ursula Mascaro slippers, Printers' Blocks spell PArIS, Silver Plate Pitcher, Old Gold Satin Ribbon, SEARS made in Japan Alarm Clock, Brass Victorian Hand Clip


Gargantuan (40 inches tall!)Florist Basket
and Quaker Lace Tablecloth


Great Old Hat Form, more Slippers, more Printers' Blocks, Pillow Fight Silhouette, Tiny Brass Mirror Frame


Giant Wardrobe Trunk ~ I've decided to keep.

I guess for now I can stuff a few more things in my big trunk :).

B&B Fix

G (my husband) and I are back from a mini getaway. Bed and breakfasts are the best pampering experience when your time away is short and you need to feel refreshed, rested, and a little bit catered to. We stayed at this B&B in Independence.
The weather was in the 60's on Thursday, and Saturday morning we woke to this snowy scene. Beautiful!
The ALL-IMPORTANT coffee bar was right outside our room.


We made tracks early that morning as we headed out to do some treasure hunting. I hope to post pics of some of our finds later. We made sure we were back in time for breakfast, a full sensory experience with gourmet food and exquisite presentation. De-lish!


If you just need to get away to different scenery to stimulate your creativity and get a different perspective on life, your nearest quality B & B should do the trick. I'm already trying to figure out when we can find the time to be spoiled again. . .