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I'm back from my vacation visiting family in Maine. My husband is always so kind to make sure I get back "home" every year to visit my family and where I grew up. I love the coast and we went "to the coast" several times during our visit. A few times while on the coast were sunny, but most were foggy which can still be beautiful and romantic. We took a sail on the Margaret Todd (the only four-masted ship in New England) and even helped hoist the sails--no small feat! I tried to get a picture of her lovely reddish-brown sails in full sail, but whenever I had the chance it was too foggy to get a good picture. Visit the website about the trips aboard her on www.downeastwindjammer.com and for a good picture as well. Of course we went looking for sea glass, but I will tell you about that later!
Many thanks to Leslie, Ginger (www.seekingwoolandflax.blogspot.com), and Debbie (www.studiobeecreations.blogspot.com)for sending me some interesting itty bitty things! Each package was wrapped prettily, and it was so much fun looking through all the little things. The picture is of everything collectively that was sent by everyone. Pretty fun stuff. Thank you ladies!
This just has to be one of the yummiest recipes for molasses cookies. It is crisp and sugary on the outside and chewy and spicy on the inside. They have a very spicy/molasses flavor. While these are cooking, the entire house smells, oh, so delicious! I found this recipe on www.allrecipes.com and have tweaked it a bit to my liking. These are fabulous with a cup of Red Rose Tea (with a little milk and sugar, of course). So, go ahead, and bake up a batch and enjoy with a hot cup of tea in one of your prettiest teacups.
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/3 cup white sugar to roll dough in
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C)
Mix together brown sugar, oil, molasses, and egg. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger then stir into the molasses mixture. Roll dough into balls then roll in white sugar. Bake for 8 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet.
I'd love to hear from you if you have tried this recipe and have enjoyed it.
Most of my rose bushes are just waiting to burst forth with roses. There are buds galore, and with a little bit of rain (getting that tonight) and a little bit of sunshine, my cottage rose bushes will be a plethora of beauty, color, and fragrance. I just love roses, don't you? Here are just a few of the tender buds. I couldn't wait for them to fully open before posting a few pictures. Now, a cottage just isn't a cottage without lots of lovely roses!
Many, many thanks to Lori from Morning Glories and Moonflowers for her lovely Summer Swap items. Now, this gal knows what pretty packaging is! Just ask my husband, packaging is very important to me, especially pretty packaging. Check out her blog (www.perfectisboring.blogspot.com) which is also beautiful and full of fun. The gifts were to have a summer theme, and hers did from the pretty butterfly on the cookie (yum!) box, to the sandals on her card, to the pretty ribbon and flowers on the necklace box, to, yes, the patriotic necklace. I loved it all. Thank you so much, Lori!
Here is a small glimpse of the latest lampshade I have been working on. It has been a lot of work, but I am pleased with how it is turning out. It features pretty iridescent shells, blue starfish, and, of course, sand--all carefully stitched on. It is a small shade but would be perfect in a bathroom or a cottage home or room that has a beach theme. I should finish it later this week and will post it on my eCrater site. I can't help thinking while browsing through magazines featuring home decor that people should have more decorative
lampshades. I have decorated two in my living room with pretty rose-covered floral fabric (roses, of course!), burgundy trim, and a rose, pink, green, and red beaded fringe--and those shades really "make" the lamps (not to mention enhance the look of my living room)! I'm just trying to find the perfect beads now to go with my bedroom decor to decorate the two plain lampshades there. It is fun having a "quest", and this will be my quest--finding those perfect beads--as I visit new bead shops this summer.
The names are in. I'll tell you, that Roxi is pretty organized. I'm impressed! She mailed me two stickers which I received yesterday on which were the adorable symbol of her swap (little and dolly in a boat). I can in turn put these on the package or elsewhere on the correspondence for the recipient. What a darling idea! My recipient by the way is Lori from Morning Glories and Moonflowers (www.perfectisboring.blogspot.com). Very nice blog! I do hope she likes her summery pendant.
Also, I sent the itty-bitty tins out last week, and Leslie has already responded that she received...and, yes, even liked hers! I'm tickled that she enjoyed it.
Well, the "Itty-bitty Swap" is over, and many thanks to the Rozells for hosting the swap. Three ladies and I have exchanged names and addresses. What fun! I've mailed out the tins full of itty bitty things to them and so hope they enjoy going through them as much as I have had putting them together! I really do like small things and have a printer's drawer and dingbat drawer (I know--very 80's and 90's, but I can't get rid of them) full of small things that I've had fun collecting over the years from around the U.S. and even from different countries.
I'll talk more on little things in another post, but perhaps my favorite small thing was found at a yard sale for $5 several years back. It is the small, complete, leather-bound King James Bible you see here (including a small magnifying glass held in a sleeve in the back cover). Some research indicates that this type of Bible was given out for Sunday School attendance awards years and years ago. However, inside this one is hand written, "Property of M. Alice Washburn, A.M.A., M.A.L.F.P., A.D., Spring Hill School, 1928". One of my favorite yard sale finds for sure!
Spring is officially here--today I saw the first hummingbird at our feeder! While this picture may not be the best because it was taken through our window screen, you can still see the little lady. Isn't she sweet? I have missed "our" hummingbirds and am delighted at their return. Praise be to God for creating such delightful little creatures!
Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11)
You know, I really enjoy African violets. They can be beautiful all year long (certainly a pleasure during those long, cold, snowy winters) and come in an array of lovely colors. Their velvety, sometimes glittering petals either smooth edged or ruffly are a delight. I have a large tub next to a frosted window and have had a hard time in the past getting things to grow on the windowsill. I had this wonderful image in my mind of ivy or philodendron growing up a metal fence-like piece to look like a garden. Well, all of the greenery would always look terrible after awhile. I guess a frosted window isn't the best for leafy plants. So, I decided to try some African violets since they like lots of light but not necessarily direct sunlight (the status quo for this window). I certainly do not have my greenery-covered garden-like fence as once imagined, but, alas, those violets are just thriving here (as you can see from the picture)! The colors of the violets match the curtains wonderfully (which unfortunately you cannot see) and are also some of my favorite violet colors. Enjoy!
I've added two new charms to my Ecrater account (www.glassbeadtreasures.ecrater.com). Here is a picture of one of them if you'd like a peak. The inspiration behind this cobalt and copper charm is from a Limoges teacup and saucer I bought in Paris. I couldn't get any better inspiration than from this! I really like the cobalt flower beads--such a rich, deep blue--which are gorgeous held up to the light.
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven
you." (Ephesians 4:32) "...and be ye thankful." (Colossians 3:15)
One thing my mother drilled into my brother and me growing up was making sure we always wrote our thank you notes every time after we received a gift. Thank you notes were mandatory! At the time, it sure was a drudgery; though I do admit having a positive feeling after all the thank you notes were done and in the stack to mail. Today I see the great value (thanks, Mom!) of that training and am training my own two children to do the same. Sure, one child cannot write and the other barely, but they draw pictures, write what letters and words they can, and the thank you note is done. It shows whoever took the time to pick out their card and/or gift that they are appreciated. It is a person returning the kindness of another. Now, how can you go wrong with that??
There sure aren't many people who are thankful anymore, and it takes such little effort to make a great positive impact. It doesn't take much time and is always worth the effort to be thankful--a simple smile and a "thank you" to someone at the cash register; a quick note to someone who did something nice for you; or perhaps a little gift to show someone your appreciation for their faithful work.
We had a long, snowy, cold, miserable winter here in Wisconsin this past year; yet, our mail carrier was there faithfully every day up and over country roads (which were rarely plowed until hours after the storm) delivering our mail. I can hear it now..."But he/she is PAID to deliver your mail--that is the mail carrier's job!" That is TRUE...but...how could it possibly hurt to thank our carrier for faithful delivery on all of those wintry days? And thank our carrier we will! We bought a candy bar, the kids are in the process of drawing pictures, and we will jot a quick note just to be kind and thankful and hopefully put a spring in the step and smile on the face of our mail carrier.
Now, how about you? Who can you show thankfulness and kindness to today?
