Time for tea

Saturdays should be for relaxing with a cup of tea. Not today. Going to help Dot clean after her roommate moved.
This is the first pretty cup and saucer I found while thrifting. Of course, it most likely wasn't a bargain as I like to grab what I like when I see it. Sadly it seems the junque stores think they are antique stores and have prices to match. I've read that comment several times in the past year. :-(
A bone china set from England labeled "Duchess", established 1888. It is the one that was under "glass".
Thanks for the comments about the Towle bowl. It is 10 inches across and 8 inches tall and rather heavy, so it won't be turned into a bell. It would be a rather impressive one, wouldn't it? And about the same weight as the low, low C in my English hand bell choir!

Barn Quilts #3

These two barn quilts really are in the country. (The others were in town!) This first one is on a "real" barn.
Technically this green building isn't a barn, but around here, more farms have newer structures like this shed. The metal bins in the background are common on farms for the storage of wheat or shelled corn.
As the two blocks are just down the road from me, I get to see them every time I go into Fort Morgan.

Towle Bowl?

The weekend I went to Denver, the GW had a 50% off sale. This glass piece must be missing a base because it looks like something used to be attached. Interesting that the plant looks like it is growing in there.
It must be a quality piece because it is marked Towle near the upper rim.
I couldn't discover what it really was, but for $5.00 I liked it enough to bring it home. Pressed glass diamonds or fan shapes make pretty patterns.
I really like it upside down, but the deep shapes make it too "busy" to be a cloche. Or not? Perhaps I'll look for something to use for a nob or handle and use it to cover tea time foods.
I seem to be collecting clear glass pieces lately. If you know what this is, let me know!

Baby Booties

These bootie nut cups are so cute that I had to share them. There are two marshmallows on the bottom with a nut cup forming the top. They are covered with icing that dries very hard.

SWEET THINGS

There's going to be a new baby in our family. I'm going to be a great aunt or is it grand aunt? Either way, we're all looking forward to a baby girl.
I had fun making the baby banner. Making the folded fan circle things was new to me and I would do them again for another banner.

The new grandma-to-be brought this adorable cake. She also made the baby bootie nut cups you can just see on the side.
I'm thinking clothes (decorations) like the onesies and socks we found at Target should have been around about 29 years ago. I would have had to have those little socks in every size because they are SO CUTE!
Sarah and Jennell made the huge tissue puff flowers that added to the cute factor today. Thank goodness for the tall, young people putting them up!

Barn Quilts #2

This red, white, and blue quilt is on the back of the paint store in our downtown area, as was my first quilt. The shading makes it look so real!
I took a picture of the business logo and am including it here because they are also the paint sponsor for Morgan County Barn Quilts. I do love my home town and like to promote the businesses!
Driving around town one day, Sarah and I spotted several more that I plan to photograph soon.

Gifts in the Mail

Last week Bernideen announced the winner of this wonderful Valentine Friendship Give Away. Earlier I posted a much nicer picture from Bernideen's blog, but wanted to do a few of my own pictures, although they're not as pretty. I am learning that these things take more time and thought than I am used to doing.
One item that I really hadn't noticed before opening the huge box was the Black Tea label that hangs from the lid of the pot. And, the pictures don't show you how delicate the set is. They are BEAUTIFUL! This all arrived last week and helped make February special for me.
If you ever visit Colorado Springs, be certain to head west to Old Colorado City to visit Bernideen's Shop as it is delightful. You'll get to meet her and understand how special this gift was for me.

In last week's mail were two Valentine's from new blog friends. First this arrived with a ribbon around it.
I opened it and found this:
On the other side is a lovely card made by Cathy of Hazelruthe's. I don't know how many people responded to her offer of exchanging cards, but the time she spent making this one is very much appreciated! I think I'll be looking for a frame so I can have it out all the time.
The other Valentine came in a box with all these goodies from Kim. This was a card that came with a tea towel, cookie cutters, and a Valentine Pez!
The handmade pin with all the stitching and beading is so cute. The kids at school liked it almost as much as I did! Children do notice all kinds of things adults usually don't comment on so it's lots of fun to hear their opinions.
All in all, as I make new memories, this holiday was special because of the kindness of new friends. Thank you all!

I really love reading comments from all parts of the country when people that stop for a minute or two write and share a thought with me.

Love is a Many Splendored Thing

Today is Day 14 at Brambleberry Cotttage. My thanks to Liz for making this all work the last two weeks. This is the first event I've linked to and with her encouragement and that of all my new friends in the Land of Blog, have recalled many special times in my life with Wally.

This post is dedicated to all my family and friends, both old and new, that have made the changes in my life and that of Sarah's easier. Thank you for being there for us and loving us.
Happy Valentine's Day.

Plan Your Escape

Welcome to Day 13 of a two-week-long Valentine's
party at the Brambleberry Cottage!
Plan Your Escape
We all dream of escaping to some sweet retreat. What is the most romantic getaway you've ever been on –or dreamed of?
We flew into San Francisco the night we were married over 32 years ago. We stayed at the Fairmont two nights before leaving and going on to Oahu and Kauai for two weeks. It was all planned by Wally and was a fairy tale honeymoon. Now, that's a romantic getaway.

Romancing the Palate

Day 12 at Brambleberry Cottage
Romancing the Palate
Do you have a favorite place to dine for special occasions – or the menu for a romantic banquet to serve at home? What makes it romantic?

My husband and I would usually eat supper at home, but by the end of the week, teachers are tired. Going out was a treat no matter where we'd go, usually close to home in Wiggins or Fort Morgan. One local restaurant, Memories, is fun because of the decor. Click and check this out to see all the murals and collections displayed on the wall.

To me, romance was everyday life, doing ordinary things, laughing together, and thinking alike on many things, disagreeing on a few, working together, playing together, and sharing. Romance was loving and taking care of each other no matter what.

How do you show a happy person, jumping up and down, yelling "I WON!!" Well, I won't answer that with a picture of myself, but I could! See it for yourself at Bernideen's!! And it's actually from my recipe blog that I started so I could find my recipes when I need them. I am so good at misplacing things, that I needed to do something!

Sweets for the Sweet

Chocolate Decadence Cookies

Photo: Leigh Beisch; Styling: Dan Becker

Time: 30 minutes, plus chilling and cooling time. Don't overbake these! They're best when slightly gooey.

Yield: Makes about 40 cookies

Ingredients

• 10 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. Put chocolates and butter in a medium metal bowl and set bowl over a pan filled with 1 in. of simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. Whisk in eggs and sugar, mixing until combined. Then whisk in flour, baking powder, and salt. Chill dough, covered, until firm, about 2 hours.

2. Let dough sit at room temperature 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 1 tbsp. portions of dough, rolling each into a ball, and put onto sheets 1 in. apart. Bake cookies until they no longer look wet on top, about 8 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets.

Make ahead: Batter up to 1 day; baked cookies up to 2 days, airtight.

This recipe is from Sunset Magazine, December, 2009. One comment on the recipe page was to bake the cookies an extra minute. I really don't know what Sarah did with hers, so see what works best for you and your oven. We also had ours for more than two days and they were OK to eat.

Sarah crushed peppermint candy canes and sifted them to get the finest crystals to sprinkle over the top of the frosting she used. So pretty and OH--MY--GOODNESS, THESE ARE SO DIVINE.

Please go over to visit Liz at Brambleberry Cottage for more sweet things.

Must Love Pets ~ Day 8

We have had four fabulous Newfoundlands. Our first came from the rescue group when Sarah was in Kindergarten. Nick was an old man when he came to be our Lion King. Then came Jack, our most protective guy, who loved riding with Wally in the pickup. He'd go anywhere, anytime, and even rode down to the corner in the UPS truck. That poor driver had to turn around and bring him back to us. Gus was the next boy that had to be taught how to go up and down stairs and crawl out from under chairs when he was stuck. Now BooBoo is my boy who shares his food with any wild animal that happens to visit the back yard. He'll bark at the trains that rumble down the tracks and really dislikes the lawn mower. But he is the biggest baby of them all.
RooRoo is my kitty that was born with two broken legs. When she was a kitten she moved like a kangaroo. One beautiful blue eye and one green watch for strangers. She only goes out when I garden and then comes right back inside. She is friendly with me, and hides whenever anyone else is near.
Yuna was rescued from my mom's because the mother wasn't taking good enough care of her. Her eyes are both blue, unusual for a plain, old farm cat.
And then there's Buster, Sarah's dog. I think that makes him my 'granddog'! Rescued from a last chance shelter. He is ONE LUCKY DOG! Spoiled is the best word to describe him!
Thanks to Brambleberry Cottage for hosting the 14 Days of February.

Treasures from the Heart

Found a very special giveaway at Treasures from the Heart that I'd love to win. You can enter, too!

'VINTAGE' BABY SHOE
BIRD NEST

Click the above link (not the pictures) and you'll find the rules.

To enter you only need to leave a comment.
If you want to follow, another entry.
Post about it, another entry.
(If you are already a follower, please leave an entry telling her that.)
Please be sure you leave an entry for each thing.

Kid Central and LOVE Craft

Brambleberry Cottage is hosting two craft themes for Days 6 and 7, so I am combining them here. I always loved having the children in my classroom create crafts that a parent would treasure and be proud to have on display. These open hearts were easy to make by gluing puzzle pieces onto cardboard. The kids got to use lots of glue and learned to have some patience while the first layer dried. Depending on how much time there was, we added up to three layers of overlapping pieces. The only thing I did was spray paint them so they'd be pretty. Either magnets or hangers can be attached to the back side. Sometimes we did these puzzle shapes at Christmas time to look like miniature trees.
The children also made cards/books for their parents using their very best penmanship. This year I used the same poem to make one for a card swap. It is on its way to be delivered next week.
Pictures of all the pages ...
pages are 'off center' so the edges could be scored to make a neat fold and then stacked in order to 'bind' with ribbon.




Enjoy all the other craft ideas. There's still time to join in and make family and friends a special remembrance for next Sunday.

Seeing Red

Visit The Brambleberry Cottage for 14 Days of February to see the latest additions from the participants. I know Liz has done a lot of work to make this a fun month. Today's post is Seeing Red.

I'd rather be seeing cardinals in the yard, but they just don't come to Colorado. These two came home with me after I stopped in Eaton at Victoria's Tiny Tea Room one Saturday in December after going to see my mom. Julie is the best shop owner in Eaton as far as I'm concerned. She has developed four small cottages into a small town business empire. It is right on the highway and so easy to stop by and drool at all the lovlies. And the tea room!! Oh my, you should be so lucky!
I think this one was from a trip to Estes Park. Each trip up the Thompson Canyon is a favorite and has been a summer family tradition for many years. We have been there in the winter for their Christmas parade right after Thanksgiving, too. I like to take the birds to school to help the children have a visual aide for our winter poems. Most of the kids learn to love poetry with me!
This cardinal came home with me before Christmas this year.
There's not much red around right now, but what teacher doesn't have the "Little Red Schoolhouse"? I don't collect apples as many teachers do. I seem to have enough other collections. (I know I have enough stuff)! Maybe sometime I'll get around to sharing a picture of my small antique school desk. It is my understanding that there aren't too many of the smaller ones around.
A red tea kettle to heat water in for our tea time.
Here I tried to arrange red things. I usually don't have things out because of the two kitties that let me live here. I've had the dolly for a long time and have always referred to her as my Danish doll. I think an aunt gave her to me.
Hope you enjoy seeing red and will have a happy day and a great weekend.

Straight to the Heart

Please enjoy visiting The Brambleberry Cottage for 14 Days of February. Today's posts are all about hearts.

I would say I have LOTS of hearts around the house. These are on the soffit above the kitchen cupboards. They go around three sides of the kitchen and are dust catchers that I don't climb up to clean very often.

This copper mold is on the fourth wall with a lot of other 'stuff'. I don't have huge dramatic pieces; instead, I have many smaller things that I tend to find or collect.
This lacey heart was in the bedroom but had to be taken down to take a picture of because the location was too difficult to get a picture of on the wall. Besides, it needed a dusting, too!
These are in the kitchen by the sink and it would have made more sense to put this with the other kitchen hearts, except I need to get to school on time today (and every other day).

Hope you all have a lovely day. Winter snow/rain is predicted for us today.