Vintage Spring Sweetness

Just a little sneak peek for you, Susie! Vintage trims are something Susie and I have in common. These are from my own collection. Hidden behind them (and underneath!) is the rest of the goodies I gathered for this swap.

I have two other swaps that will be going out this week. I've been a busy bee getting them together and will post sneak peeks as I take photos and get them ready for the post office.

Saturday Morning

Means a trip to the Farmer's Market!
It looks like we'll be having stuffed peppers soon! I've already sliced one of the limes to add to my diet coke - yummy!
Isn't this Gerbera Daisy pretty? One of the booths had dozens of them in every color imaginable! I had such a hard time picking just one. Murph, always the enabler, encouraged me to get a few, but I'm afraid I'll kill them - I don't have the greenest of thumbs. This bright pink looks so cheerful and springy - I hope it lives.
I have wanted a good study Bible for a while now. I have a small zippered white one I was given when I was baptised and a NIV daily devotional Bible, as well as my grandmother's Bible. Gram's Bible is so old, I don't use it for everyday, I just treasure it. Justin has the Nelson King James and I really like it, but it's not cheap.

I've been going through all my books this week. Murph took several large bags to the Bookmine, the local used bookstore for me. We went there yesterday to look for cookbooks by Alton Brown of Good Eats. While we were there I decided to see what they had in the way of study Bibles as they carry new books as well as old ones. Being so close to Easter, I thought they might have what I was looking for. The didn't have the exact one, but they did have The Life Application Study Bible, NIV. Since I was able to get it with my book credit, I did.

Later Murph and I decided to go to Books-A-Million to look at the cookbooks, since they didn't have them at the used bookstore. We walked in the front door and what was the first thing we saw? A display of Bibles on sale, including the Nelson King James Study Bible! It was less than half price, so I bought it! I'm so happy to have it.

(We still haven't bought the cookbooks!)
Gracie is feeling much better, though not quite her usual self. This is what she does when she sees anyone coming towards her! I scratched her belly - carefully, of course - and let her give me kisses and gave her a couple, too. And pretty soon she let me take this -

That's her serious look - with her ears pulled back! (Hey Lisa, do you recognize that collar? It's the one we bought for Stella! Hard to believe she was ever so small.)

I've been working on some upcoming swaps, which is always fun! I'll share those things with you later next week.

Enjoy your weekend!

Catching up

We went to the Farmer's Market this weekend and while it's still a little early, we managed to find a few goodies. Honestly, even if we hadn't bought anything we had a great time just wandering around. They had everything from fruits, vegetables, and plants to boiled peanuts and live chickens. (I'm not sure if the chickens were for laying or frying, but I'm going to go with eggs!)
This is one of the things we bought at the antique/junque shops on Friday. I've wanted a small bench for a while now to put on my small front porch, for sitting, yes, but also for setting packages while I unlock the front door. On the way home we stopped and bought a can of black spray paint as I'm not real fond of the green!

We also bought two chairs for the back deck. I don't have pictures of them as Murph took them straight to the garage and has already started working on them.
Kathy of Kat Collects is my partner in the Vintage Easter Basket swap. I've been spending a lot of time on her blog and have fallen in love with all of her bunnies. Not surprising that I had to have a few of my own!
I LOVE this little egg! It's so very sweet!
These little bunnies are salt and pepper shakers and just too cute!

I bought a couple of other things for swap packages and Easter baskets that I'll share later. I'll share the other chairs, too, as soon as they are finished.

Gracie is at the vet today, being spayed and microchipped. We took her bright and early this morning. She was not nervous at all, as a matter of fact she was so happy to see the other dogs and ready to play! The house is so quiet without her, I'll be glad when she is home. Brutus must agree with me as he's looked high and low for his buddy all day. Stella is just enjoying the quiet!

ETA: Gracie is home now - she was happy to see us, but happier to see the front door! She slept all the way home. I carried her in and put her in her kennel where she's been sleeping for the last hour and a half. Other than sleepy, she's fine. Brutus is happy to have her home, he can finally relax!

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone!

Winter Basics and Baubles

Yesterday the mailman brought my Winter Basics and Baubles swap from Peggy of Pegs Life In The Button Jar. She had it wrapped so nicely! I don't always think to wrap my swaps, but it's so nice to receive a wrapped package.
Here's what was inside: Two red dish towels, which I appreciate as they are so hard to find. A vintage crocheted doily, so pretty with it's red and pink trim. A handmade St. Patrick's Day tag - you know we love all things Irish! A set of red and white measuring cups - those always come in handy. Look at the vintage butterfly pin - you should see it sparkle - just lovely! Can't wait to wear it to church tomorrow. Two pretty candles and two red jar openers! Thank you for such a thoughtful package, Pegg!

Thanks also to Heidi for hosting another wonderfully fun swap!

Speaking of swaps - yesterday Murph and I went to my favorite antique/junque shop. I haven't taken any pictures yet, but wait until I show you what we found!

Strawberry Bread

Yesterday I finally got around to making strawberry bread - even if you don't like strawberries, doesn't it look yummy?
It's an easy recipe to make with basic ingredients. The only thing I added was a simple glaze.
(This picture is really so you can see my bunny!)

Strawberries and Cream Bread
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar (use if you want sweeter bread)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups strawberries, fresh and coarsley chopped (do NOT use frozen) or fresh blueberries
3/4 cup walnuts (optional)

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.
In another bowl, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beat 1 minute or until light and airy. Add brown sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in sour cream and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients, stirring only until they are moistened.
Fold in strawberries and nuts.
Pour int a greased 8x4 loaf pan. (You can make muffins, too. Just adjust your baking time.)
Bake at 350 for 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let stand 20 minutes in pan, then turn out on wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy your weekend!

Spring China

I don't know much about this China pattern other than I love how delicate it is. Look at the shape of the sugar bowl and cream pitcher - aren't they lovely?
There is a service for four (luncheon plate, dessert plate, bread plate, salad bowl, berry bowl, cup and saucer) with two platters (on the left) and two serving bowls. You can click on the pictures to get a closer look. My china cabinet is filled to the brim already, so I've no idea where to keep this pretty set of dishes, but I'll figure something out!

I'll leave you with a Gracie fix! She cannot understand why she's in her bed and not my lap - check out those eyes!

Strawberry Jam

Today I made strawberry jam! It's been a few years since I'd done this and I forgot how much sugar a batch of jam takes. Since I had so many strawberries I made a double batch - 10 cups of crushed strawberries and 14, yes 14, cups of sugar! And the stirring! Oh, the stirring! But it smells so good you don't really mind.
My favorite part of making jam is hearing the jars ping when they seal!
Not to mention how pretty all those jars of jam look lined up on the counter. For me making strawberry jam is a true labor of love, because I don't like strawberries! (Hard to believe there is someone who doesn't like strawberries, I know, but it's true. I try one every year just to make sure - so far I still don't like them. Maybe next year.)

I have some strawberries left over and a recipe for Strawberries & Cream Bread - I think I'll make it tomorrow morning - stop by for a slice!