Back to Blogging

I unintentionally took a little bit of a blog break and am happy to be back.  For the past 8 months, I have been working on a fundraiser featuring a Tour of local homes and it has been easy to fit the work into my daily routine.  But, the last minute details of the 2 weeks leading up to the Tour, took their toll on my schedule and I just couldn't

 find the time (or mental focus) to write a decent post. 

 The Tour was last Thursday and it was a huge success.  We had nice weather 

(after a week of rain), 6 beautifully decorated homes, 800 visitors, and raised $35,000 for local charities.  It was fun and challenging to do something so all consuming, but it is a wonderful feeling to be done.  The predictability of folding laundry and picking up the kid's toys is a welcome change!  Also, after spending time in such beautiful homes,

 I realize I need to give my own house a little attention and love. 

 I plan to spend some time reading my favorite decorating

 and design blogs to pick up a few new projects.  

And of course, get back to blogging.

"He, She" what could they be?

I am a little curious as to what I have here. 

 I found these "He, She" cups at a thrift shop in
Massachusetts while on vacation a few weeks ago.  

The rooster had me thinking egg cups or custard cups,

 but now I am leaning towards my husbands guess of tea cups. 

 I'm not finding anything similar on etsy or ebay to give me any clues, 

so the mystery may never be solved.

Any ideas?

Woof, Woof!

We are a cat family at the moment.  With 3 young kids, a dog seems like one more thing for me to clean up after (yes, I mean poop) and too much of a commitment at the moment.  

But, my daughter is proving to me that all 5 year olds are puppy crazy, so I have been collecting vintage linens to make into pillows for her room.  

These embroidered pups are just as irresistible as the real thing.

I am looking forward to sprucing up these Vogart pillow covers

 and making them into pillows. 

And I'm sure one day when life gets a little more under control, 

our 2 cats will have to make room for a new friend.

Her Library Adventures

Good Old Fashioned Food-Ice Box Cake

With no relatives in town this Easter, we decided to keep the meal simple and spent the day focused on the kids activities (Easter baskets, church, an egg hunt, and taking a long walk at a newly discovered park).  We wanted a super easy dessert that could be a group project, so we opted for an ice box cake.  This had been a favorite of my husband's when he was growing up.  I googled "chocolate ice box cake" (even though we were pretty sure of the recipe).  I was amazed at how fancy this simple little cake has become.  I was expecting photos of the traditional log version, but found some beautiful photos of stacked cakes.  People have even made individual cupcake versions!

We opted to try the "new" stacked cake.  The recipe is still the same: 2-3 packages Nabisco chocolate wafers, plus whipped cream (made from 3 cups heavy cream, 3 tbsp, powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla).  The first layer is 7 of the cookies arranged in a circle with one in the middle.

We had the kids help spread the whipped cream and stack the layers of cookies.  It can be refrigerated overnight (or as little as 5-6 hours).  It is so yummy and sweet.  A guaranteed sugar headache from your first bite!

And, in our house, helpers always get to lick the spoon!

Little Vintage Pots

When I am at estate sales I keep my eyes open for small kitchen items that can be used in my daughter's play kitchen.  I have accumulated a stash of 1950's tea and coffee pots and figured it was time to clean them up and add them to her play area.  These 2 little coffee pots are aluminum percolators.  One is marked Century and the other West Bend.  They would have been used on a stovetop or over a camp fire. 

 I bet they would still brew a great cup of coffee.

They still have their baskets and stems. 

 I think my husband might grab one for his next camping trip!

And even though this little pot was probably used to store grease back in the day, it will take center stage at our next teddy bear tea party!

Marketplace Monday at Common Ground

I wanted to share a site that I found a few weeks ago.  It is a great place to promote your etsy shop or online boutique.  Debra at Common Ground hosts a link party every Monday where you can showcase  any 3 of your items.  All she asks is that you become a follower of her blog and display the pretty Monday Marketplace button somewhere on your blog.

I have already sold 2 of my etsy items that I listed over the past few weeks.

This week I'm going to link up something old and something new. 

My Kiddie Quilt block pillows.

And my newest vintage inspired child's apron.

Happy Easter~Vintage Inspired Wreath

Happy Easter!

Everyone has been sharing amazing Easter projects and inspiration for weeks, but I couldn't resist showing off this one last vintage inspired project.  My friend Linda texted me this photo of her neighbor's beautiful wreath and I immediately needed to know the details.  Her neighbor, Susan, has been collecting bits and pieces of Easter decor for many years (I think she said 20!) and tossing them into a big zip lock bag.  Susan finally decided to make them all into something and this is what she came up with.  An amazing collection of memorabilia (the card in the center was given to her as a child) put together so beautifully.  This is a wonderful idea to keep on your wish list for next year and now is the perfect time to scoop up Easter trinkets at the craft and consignment shops and start assembling your stash.