Linens from Estate Sale...

Love this little tablecloth and napkins! The tablecloth fits our cafe table on our patio. The lady who made them did lovely work but the edges (although surged) are unfinished. I am looking at my notions to see what I can add. I want to keep it simple though to frame her work... Many of them are for the back and arms of a chair....

And some are just tablerunners. She did beautiful work and I am hoping to do something with the ones that have small wear marks or stains in them. Maybe cut the embroidery out and make small pillows?

Lots and lots of crocheted linens!!! I am going to put together a stack for Katie's room. I think some white ones will look nice in her pink room.

A pillow cover (embroidered) and some other doilies, probably store bought (not the pillow cover).

I also got a box of buttons and lace edgings but I'm already using them so they are off in the sewing room. Have a happy Sunday!

luncheon cloth

Last week I went to an estate sale and purchased a box of linens for a very VERY low price. This was why I bought the box: My photo doesn't do it justice (the yellow is the camera lighting, not the cloth).

The workmanship is excellent. I particularly like the way she made the intersections darker than the lines. Not sure what I am going to do with it--right now I'm just holding on to it until I decide what shape dining room table I will get...

Washing up goodies...

I went to an estate yard sale on Saturday and picked up wonderful goodies! So grateful right now for : a) the wash line DH put up--and b) breezy sunny days. Just love not running the dryer! More on these finds later!

The Leash of Shame...

This is Teddy Von Barky. Teddy has two real problems: He is a food thief and he never shuts up. Teddy barks when he is happy, he barks when he is sad, he barks when he hears things (even my voice) and he barks when he is mad. We have spent THOUSANDS of dollars on training, gadgets and doo-dads--and he still barks all the time. It drives my husband crazy and then they are both barking: my husband in yells and teddy in woofs. It is very chaotic here at times. Still, my husband calls Teddy "his dog" and they are really good buddies (when they aren't barking).
Last summer I found something that helped. I slipped one of those cheap grooming/training blue nylon leads on him and told him that was his "leash of shame" for misbehaviour. Whenever he is out of control, I slip it on him and he has to go where I want, do what I want, etc. And oddly, this seems to calm him. My husband doesn't like this method, by the way. I think he (DH) feels that Ted should just listen, but heck, he is only an animal and an insecure one at that. The other night we had thunder storms. Of course, every rumble brought barks from the Ted-meister. So I put the leash of shame on him, put the end of hte leash on my husband's lap and --voila!--Ted fell asleep under my husband's legs. All would be fine except then Seamus came into the picture...and sat in front of me whinning. He isn't afraid of thunder storms at all, generally he sleeps through them, but he is afraid he is missing out on something that Teddy has...

So I slipped a leash of shame on him too and he layed down on the opposite side of the ottoman and fell asleep too. And you dont' think they are like two kids? SHEESH!

a fun day with christina!

Yesterday my husband and I spent some quality time with our niece, Christina. DH actually even took us to a fabric store and read his magazine (in the car) while we shopped for fabric for her quilt. Then we took Christina to our friends' farm. Christina volunteers at a farm that rescues horses so she was excited to meet Linda and Jim's three horses. She enchanted everyone and we all had a great time together!!! Thanks Christina for such a wonderful day!

Coconut Blueberry Cake

I don't remember where I got this recipe anymore but my family loves it and I've learned to always serve it for Easter and Mother's Day. They tell me the lemon sauce makes the recipe. Enjoy!

Coconut Blueberry Cake

Preheat oven to 375 F

Cake:

2 cups, all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1- 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (do not thaw) blueberries--dredged in a tablespoon of flour

1 cup flaked coconut

In a bowl, combine the flour sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat the eggs, milk and oil; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Pour into a greased 13 in x 9 inch x 2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with coconut. Bake at 375 for 22-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Lemon Sauce:

1/2 cup sugar

4- 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and lemon peel. Gradually add water until blended. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and lemon juice. Cut cooled cake into squares and drizzle with lemon sauce.

Feet, they're not just for breakfast anymore...

Talk about challenges when you are trying to feed a guy his cereal!

IT'S HOT!

8:17 and 70 degrees already: It feels as hot as the tropics, but more humid and full of spring tree pollen which means: AIR CONDITIONING! Oh how I hate to put the a/c on this early but I just can't breathe outside with the maple pollen falling. The humidity seems to make the pollen linger in the air. Tomorrow I think we are going to have rain (please) which should help and the temps are going to go lower, which also should help. In the meantime, I'll be hanging with little Miles and putting off laundry until tomorrow when it is cooler... Today it is supposed to go up to 88 degrees!

Back to the garden...

Easter is over! We had a lot of people, a lot of food, and much merriment in our little cottage and garden...
Helena found many many eggs and loved her baskets... Miles was adorable and seems to like the new Phillies Jacket we got him :)

Nana Betty loved the new wall hanging for her room and we took her dinner and then out to the terrace where she could enjoy the blooming daffodils, tulips, and cherry blossoms.

It was a wonderful day and very busy. Now I need to clean up and start working again in the garden...Have a wonderful day!

Easter Greetings

From Paddie the Poodle... Little boy Seamus...

And Mr. Ted. All of the dogs are sporting Easter ties that I made them from some leftover fabric, they seem to like them (or maybe they just like the fuss we make).

Hope you have a safe and happy holiday!

Sunbonnets Finished!

Another for the finished box! A while ago, someone gave me these blocks that an elderly lady had started and abandoned. I redid most of the embroidery and pieced it as best I could (the blocks were all different sizes--a real challenge). Anyway, I like the dear sunbonnets on the quilt. I thought about adding yo-yos at the intersections of the sashing but my spice quilters group voted a strong NO so it is done...

My girls...

My nieces, Maggie and Christina surprised us with a visit yesterday! They did their first road trip yesterday (Maggie just got her driver's license this year). Don't let their beauty fool you--these two farm girls hunt, fish, horseback ride and are brilliant. Today we are going out fabric shopping; each of them need new quilts--Maggie for her dorm room (she is going to college a year early and graduates this May) and Christina has a lime room and needs a quilt for her bed. Nothing like being with the girls, shopping for fabric...it doesn't get much better!
Have a great day!