Sweet and Simple

As we prepare for perhaps the winter's largest storm, I couldn't help but reflect on the beauty of something so simple as a cup of tea and cookies.  This helps to quiet my spirit as the winter strom rages.  I have quite a collection of the Gooseberry Patch cookbooks and the Sweet and Simple book has some really great recipes.  Valentines day is a great time to treat your loved ones to special beauty.  Home should be the most beautiful place we can make it, and looking for pretty treats to surprise our husbands and families helps to create beauty that they can't wait to come home to.  I am really hoping I can snuggle tomorrow and not have to trudge off to work so some planning for the beauty I want to create can be accomplished. I am joining Rose Chintz cottage and Tea Time Tuesday again today.  Have a great week! 

The art of writing a grateful Thank you

Being grateful.  The art of teaching our children and grandchildren to be thankful and grateful for what is given to us is almost a lost art in this day and age.  What an opportunity to use the gift of art as an inspiration for writing a beautiful thank you note.  It is a blessing not only to the one that receives the thank you note, but it reaches into our soul and helps us to receive a blessing also.  I love to sit down and write what is on my heart to the person I need to thank.  Finding beautiful stationary is such a treat and the stationary from Carol's Rose garden is just beautiful.  I also treasure the Christie Repasy art which I have. I found the tea light and the stationary box at the thrift store I love to haunt.  I trust you will enjoy a little peak at art and the thank you  note!  I am linking this post with Pink Saturday.  Have a beautful and thankful day!

The Old family Dresser

Hello once again!  Thanks for taking time to view my post.  I am linking to Romantic homes again today.  I have entitled this "The Old family Dresser."  Every time I enter our bath I have pleasant memories of my family.  The dresser belonged to a favorite uncle.  His family did not want the dresser, so I purchased it from his estate sale.  I love the curves and the detail.  It seemed to say that it would make a beautiful bathroom vanity.  I had a good friend plumb it for me and we installed it in our main bathroom.  It reminds me of a passage of scripture...."Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls..." Jeremiah 6:16.  Even though my Uncle has long since passed on a little reminder of his kindness and his love for the Lord stay with me each day when I walk into the bath. 

Tea and Handmade pottery

This is my first post regarding tea. Taking tea is probably one of my favorite things to do. In brings back many precious memories of tea parties with my mom and her friends. As a young girl there was a great bond of friendship that developed and now has lasted well beyond the years of my mother's life.

I was so pleasantly surprised when our youngest son became a potter. He has made some beautiful pieces. My favorites are the cobalt blue sponge. The chunky tea pot and cup are among some of my very special pieces he has made for me. He also made the crock sitting in the pic. 

Apple dumplings just seem to go with tea. One of my "Tea" friends is a great cook.  She has shared her recipe for the dumplings and they are just wonderful! Won't you join me for a cup of tea and cinnamon apple dumplings. Just smell that great aroma!

I am sure my friend would not mind me sharing her wonderful recipe for the Dumplings:

Dough:

2 cups white Flour

1 cup of Crisco or shortening of choice

1/2 cup milk

Mix and roll out.  Cut into 6 squares.

Dumplings:

Peel core and slice 6 apples.

Sauce:

2 cups Water

1 cup Sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Boil this mixture for 3 minutes.

Place sliced apples in the middle of the dough squares and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar (Use 1/2 cup sugar and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon to sprinkle)  Put a pat of butter on top of the apples and cinnamon sugar mixture.

Fold dough over the apple slices and round with your hands.  Place in pan and then pour the sauce around the dumplings.  

Bake @ 425 degrees for 40 minutes.  Great with a dollop of ice cream!  Enjoy... 

I am linking to Tea Time Tuesday. Thank you for hosting this beautiful site.

Romantic Doors and walls

I would like to share some photos of two of the doors in my home and a wall mural in our guest bedroom.  I love to paint.  I decided to paint a mural on our door which leads outside our home and the front entry closet door.  I call it the "Blessing Door"  As you leave our home at the top of the door it states "May the Lord Bless thee and keep thee."  One wall in our guest bedroom also received a mural.  I will take more pics of this mural in a few days.  I find I like many eclectic ideas, but really want my home to reflect me and my bent towards the romantic side.  I am linking again with Show and tell Friday.  Have a great week-end.

Pretty Pink Homemade Laundry Soap

I have been making my own laundry soap for awhile now.  I love how clean, white, and fresh things smell after using this recipe.  The total cost, depending where you live is between $10.00 and $12.00.  I purchased the washing soda and Borax from Rural king and the Zote soap from a ethnic grocery store.  The Zote soap is such a pretty pink color.  It costs $1.19, which is a real buy!  The cost is approximately 8 and 1/2 cents per load with an average of 150 loads.  It takes approximately 2 tablespoons/load and works well in hard water.  Please enjoy the photos of my "Pretty in Pink Laundry soap!  Happy pink Saturday...I am linking to How Sweet the sound again this Saturday..."

Stained Glass

I love stained glass! Especially from old churches. A few years ago I made curtains for my son's home. In return he gave me a piece of stained glass which he and his wife had purchased. As I understand its history, it did come from an old church. There was a piece which was broken, so I found a maker of stained glass close to where we live and he was able to repair this beauty for me. He really did a beautiful job with the repair and now you can't even see it. It has lovely pink and green tones and that old half moon shape with the chippy white paint is so neat. Every time I look at this it brings a smile and sense of peace.   In the last pic is an old watering can which belonged to my grandfather.  I gave it  a new look and it is placed near the stained glass!  I am linking to Romantic Homes beautiful site for this post!  Happy day

Creating for Valentine's Day

I have been able to have a bit more time at home.  After looking at many blogs, I decided to try and create some new things for Valentine's day.  A triple heart adorned with flowers and a pink boa were among the first.  While shopping at Goodwill I found this neat heart basket and cute little picture frame.  The picture inside is a copy of an old valentine my Grandmother had sent to my Aunt in the early 1900's  Hobby Lobby was having a 30% off on all their calicos, so the inspiration started coming together.  Drawing a couple of different sizes of random hearts then using the pretty new fabrics a collage of hearts were formed.  I will let the pictures speak for themselves.  Have a great winter day....Blessings!