Friday 31 August 2012

One last cottage run........



Gosh, when the plan is decided, and everyone is gung ho to run up to the cottage for a last hurrah before school starts..............it all seems good. Now for the reality..................I have to pack, for a tribe!!! Food for an army!!! All for 3 days of supposed relaxation.............sigh. On the positive side, the weather is going to be fantastic!!! And, once we are there, I really do start to relax. But, and it's a huge BUT...........I am a wreck getting everything pulled together and packed. Seriously, the children are hiding right now!!!!!! Yeah, and here I am, avoiding the kitchen and the packing, writing this, for whomever wants  to read it. Oh, it is a lovely form of therapy. On a very positive note, we are very blessed to have such wonderful people invite us to use their cottage. It is one of the most beautiful places to be.......I will post pictures next week (if I remember to pack the camera......ugh).

Thursday 30 August 2012

Birthday Skirt Complete!!!




I know, I know, another "Birthday" post.........but this is different.......it's clothes!!! Earlier this month I showed a package that I got in the mail...........this out of print, vintage kids "birthday" fabric. I was so excited to get it!! Took me all month to decide what should be the first thing I make with this lovely fabric. I have this awesome skirt pattern that is so full of twirl. I tweaked it even further and added a layer of tulle in between the petticoat and the top skirt. I am thrilled with the result. I make this in sizes 2-6 for little girls. You can find it here in my shop!! Order 2 or more items, from my etsy shop, during the month of September and receive free shipping in the USA !! Use the coupon code SeptFreeShip.

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Vintage Birthday Finds



I have this lovely Musical Birthday Plate from way back in the day! It is at least 50 years old, as that is how long it has been in our family. I don't actually know how far back it dates. But you wind it up and it plays happy birthday, and spins your birthday cake round and round. It is still perfectly in tune, and most enjoyable! In the first photo you will also see Happy Birthday Matches. Nothing special about the matches, but the packaging is so sweet, I had to have it, a total impulse buy that I did not need. Do you have anything that you haul out for birthdays? Any special traditions? Do tell!!

Sunday 26 August 2012

Last summer weekends....

Even though summer is nearing it's end, we seem to still be going strong............well, not strong exactly, getting tired is more honest!! We were back to Stratford again this weekend. One of my older daughters came home this weekend, her last hurrah before heading back to College later this week. A favourite for everyone is putting around Stratford. Candy, clothing, theatre, restaurants, it's just a quaint little town. Here we are, resting at Bentleys, on the main street. We were so tired, in the heat, good to stop for a little energy. Cheers to the start of another week.......it's going to be a crazy busy one!!

Thursday 23 August 2012

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Winter Shorts




I was up super early this morning! I had a lady order several pair of these Paper Bag Bubble Shorts this week. I wanted to finish her order, and make some for my own little girl. Although the first picture looks like these are being cut from brown corduroy, it is actually jet black. The thing that is great about Etsy is that you can make special requests, and you are usually accomodated . Etsy is such a competitive place, with so many talented people, that getting what you want is pretty easy! Anyway, my customer saw the summer bubble shorts that I make, and requested them in more wintery fabrics. They turned out beautifully!! The bubble shorts can be seen here. I will be making a separate listing for the actual winter ones. They now come in brown flannel, brown tweed suiting, black or navy corduroy. Hope you like!!

Tuesday 21 August 2012

Back To School Lunch Idea


Lunch can be so boring! Keeping the lunch exciting takes a little bit of work and effort. Thankfully these are a simple and tasty substitute for a sandwich in the lunch bag!

Pizza Popovers

1 cup of milk
3 eggs
1 cup of flour
1 cup grated cheese
chopped up pepperoni or bacon or ham
sun dried tomato (not in oil)
1 tsp basil (dried) or 1 tablespoon if fresh

Whisk the milk and eggs together. Keep whisking as you sprinkle in the flour. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Divide into 10-12 muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until puffed up.
Enjoy!!

Monday 20 August 2012

A Sunday Jaunt

Oh the plans we have for the weekends..... not so much relaxing.... lots of outdoor jobs actually. Well all those jobs got put on hold this weekend when my eldest daughter came home for a visit. We packed the littles (Sadie & River) into the SUV and off we went to explore Stratford, ON. This is the sweetest town!! So many lovely shops, exciting restaurants, live theatres, Historic buildings! It also happens to be the town that Justin Beiber is from (for those who need to know!!). I'm also lucky enough to have a shop there that sells my Sadieloohoo clothing line. Anyhow, the above photo represents some of the goodies we bought. Along the way to Stratford is a little Cafe called Dorthy's. They make the very best butter tarts!! We bought, raisin, plain and pecan.........so good we ate them in the SUV which is an absolute NO NO!!! Then there is Rheo Thompsons. Oh to be able to share this fudge with you............so delicious, creamy and smooth. Let's be honest, I'm glad I don't have to share!! Pina Colada and Mango candles were also snatched up, can't wait to light these! And that, dear readers, was Sunday in my little neck of the woods.

Saturday 18 August 2012

DIY Instant Fabric Art



There are so many times that I tuck away pieces of fabric that I love. These can be scraps or big pieces ...........pretty much anything. This week I saw a way to display them and enjoy them! It's fabric wall art.
You will need:

Lightweight fabric
An Artists canvas (stretched over frame, can be bought at Micheal's)
Spray Adhesive
Stapler

1. Measure your piece of fabric so that it is 2 inches longer and wider than your panel. Cut the fabric.
2. Spray the front of your canvas board with the spray adhesive. Lay the canvas board on the back of your fabric.
3. Pull fabric taut, folding in the edges. Secure with staples every few inches.
Voila......art.

Oh the Fun We'll Have


For the second time this summer we had a couple of hours to go out and garage sale. We found a marvelous doll house, full of all the furniture. Sadie and I had fun checking it all out at home. It is only missing the family, I'm sure we can find one of those for her house.
See that barn board shed in the back of the photo? It is/was my neighbours.............he doesn't want it and they are ripping it down right now.........as I type this..............oh the things I will make from this! That's right, he is giving me all the wood planks!! What should I do with it all......such treasure!!!

Friday 17 August 2012

My Vintage Find


I don't know why, but lately I have been "needing" glass butter dishes! And here it is, I finally have a vintage glass butter dish. Butter is sold all wrong here for this shape of a dish, but no matter..............I just cut up the brick of butter into 4 rectangles ! This particular dish came with the tin tray underneath, it just tends to make me nervous when I see the kids carrying it around to the table, the glass slips and slides on it. I may put the tin part away. This dish has made it through 48 years, and I don't want its existence to end here at my house. Love it........and thrilled with the "get"!! Do you have a favourite vintage piece in your kitchen? If so, what is it? Please share!!

Show us your life--Front Porches

Over at Kelly's Corner she is doing a link up of your front porch. So far, mine is not so much to look at, but, I have big plans, Big Ideas. I actually took this photo the other day so that I would have a before picture to go with the after picture that doesn't exist yet. Someday soon the after picture will exist.......stay tuned..............

Help, Hope & a Giveaway



Oh I need some HELP dear readers!! My first photo is of my roadside mailbox. It was here when we bought the place............so .............it's not my fault. It is so ugly!! I want something unique!! Things I do know-- I do not wish for the mailbox to be animal shaped, or painted like a Canadian Flag............But that's all I do know. So, please, if you have any ideas, please share them with me!!!
My "little boys" and I worked on our driveway today. Yes, that is a driveway, not a forest. We had 3 days of rain, and all these weeds showed up. It poured last night, so, when it was sunny this morning, I thought we should be able to pull the weeds a little easier. For almost 3 hours we worked at it. Here comes the HOPE............I read on one bloggers blog that you can spray the weeds with vinegar and they will die. So, upon completion of the pulling.........I went out and sprayed it all with vinegar. I HOPE this works!!!
Now for the giveaway. My daughter has a wonderful blog! It is full of honest skin care and makeup info. She is hosting a giveaway! Just click here to go to her giveaway and check out her blog!! Enjoy!!

Thursday 16 August 2012

Ontario Peaches--Theme Thursday!!


I found a neat blog hop this week, it is for "Aroma's". Could be anything, a lovely smelling baby, a smelly smelling baby, coffee, sweet rolls, tanning lotion, whatever smells good or bad to you. Out here on "The Property" we get some pretty retched smells at this time of year. Farmers are taking in their crops and spreading manure and when the wind blows just so, or any way at all actually, we get some not so pleasant smells wafting through the windows. But this morning, when I woke up, I saw and smelled the humble basket of peaches on my counter. Oh, when they are in season, the smell is delicious!! So, I put my humble peach on a tiny, vintage cake plate and took her picture. The peach is my choice for Theme Thursday's Aroma's. What is your favourite scent? What is your least favourite scent? Do tell!!

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Catch me if you can......

During our photo shoot, it was hard to keep the kids focused on the task at hand. All I could see was the grass stains that were about to be.  This is the very full Sugar Shoppe Petticoat Skirt. You can find it  here in my shop. I wonder if the photographer air brushed my grass..............it's really a ton of weeds, with bits of grass here and there. Here it looks like real grass...........like we put some effort in!

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Mmmmm, Quick Chocolate Macaroons




So, it's raining....again. It is one of those days where the temperature is lower, but, the humidity is high, so you want to turn on the air conditioning....but are afraid of the air conditioning bill that will soon be arriving in the mail. So, you suck it up, turn on the oven and bake a little something. Today, it is macaroons. Quick to whip up, quick to bake, quick to disappear! Enjoy!!

* 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
* 1 tablespoon of any flour you like (I used coconut flour)
* 1/2 cup of coconut milk, plus 2 tablespoons (you can use regular milk)
* 3 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
* 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
* 1 packet stevia
* 1/16 teaspoon of salt

Combine all ingredients in a microwavable bowl. Put in microwave for 3 minutes. Scoop from bowl, into balls onto a baking sheet. (you can use a melon baller, ice cream scoop, or just a spoon)
Bake at 360 degrees for 16 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet.

I can't wait to see how these taste cooled..............I can tell you they tasted great warm. No, I could not wait!

Monday 13 August 2012

Raspberries? Yes Please!!


I mentioned that I am "sans green thumb". I have put in extra effort for these red morsels of deliciousness!! I have a small patch of raspberries and one of the bushes has been ripening for the last 2 weeks. I have gotten 2 handfuls of berries off this bush, it is my favourite, obviously. That being said, there are about 5 other bushes that are loaded with berries that are just starting to think of ripening............I am sure that these will soon be my favourite bushes as well!! Do you love raspberries? What do you make with your raspberries? The possibilities are endless......do share.

Flower Pot Garden




I mentioned the other day that I have a "flower pot" garden this year. I am not a person with a green thumb, so, I have started small. I was at the Brussels Farmer's Market and there was a small booth with a few vegetable plants for sale, they were about 2 inches tall. From that, I have grown them into what you see here. One is an heirloom tomato plant, the tomatoes will be purple. One is beefsteak tomatoes, a must for BLT!! The front one is a green pepper plant, and I have already harvested one! It will be in an omelet for supper tonight!! How does your garden grow? What have you gotten to eat so far?

Sunday 12 August 2012

Can't wait for Fall!!



In the heat of July we took a day and dressed the girls up in the Fall Clothing that I had ready for my etsy store. Thankfully it was early in the day, and rather shady under the big tree, so the girls did not notice the heat. Peasant Tops and denim bloomers are featured in these photos........so much more to come. You can find these items here shortly........there is a lot to list, and my home is filled with family this weekend, what a time for the photos to arrive! Ah well, there is all next week to get the clothing listed. Hopefully the rain will continue and I can stay in and list everything. Or the sun will return, and I will be outside puttering about. Have I told you about my flowerpot garden of veggies? Well, I will next week!

Friday 10 August 2012

Rainy Days call for Brownies & Candles



I love rainy days!!! They feel so cozy, and you don't have to feel guilty for not taking the kids out to play in the hot sun!! I made these brownies from a mix. This is really rare for me, but I wanted to try this gluten free mix. I can not get over how yummy they are!! I topped them off with coffee icing...........YUMMY!! It is almost lunch time here, candles are lit all over the house, dessert is ready and calling...........I best get on with it and make some soup or something!!