Dunking and Dipping

There are those of us who will dunk with abandon.

And those of us who dip with caution.

The results are quite different.

Quite.

 

But lovely all the same.

{Hope you had a sweet and memorable Easter}

{Linking to Life Made Lovely Monday}

Experimenting with Boxwoods (and setting the Easter table)

On the eve of The Baby Shower, I picked up three of these at Lowes for $3.33 each.   They're called Green Velvet Boxwoods and by the tag's account they are certainly outdoor plants.  Nevertheless, I planted them in pots and put them in my sun window.  They're supposed to get quite large - 3'x5', so either they'll eventually start to fail or I'll plant them outside.  But whatever I do, for the price of a small bouquet of flowers, I've had three lovely green plants to enjoy for a whole month.  They still seem to be doing alright, so...

 This weekend I'm using them as my centerpieces for our Easter celebration table.

 

I just threw all this on this morning, so I'll probably do some tweaking before Sunday. 

 

But the basics are there - my simple china from BB&B, glassware from both of our grandmothers...

Silver from my other grandma and wrinkled linen, of course.  Yes, it will be some extra work to hand-wash all this for 12, but if it's not worth it on Easter then when is it?

All set to celebrate!  Hope you have a lovely Easter.

{Linking to Serenity Now and Funky Junk Interiors}

Ode to the Lampshade

Not really on the Ode part, but I am quite thrilled about what I discovered new lampshades could do for my bedroom.  I'd had the same pair for about ten years, and the shade on my side (bell shaped with nothing less dated than beads hanging on the rim) had broken and if you bumped it at all it would fall off.  It looked, in word, sad.  However, I mistook the ugly lampshade for an ugly lamp and was vainly considering how I might manage to buy a new pair of lamps.  That was silly. 

Fortunately, it finally it occurred to me to try on this dandy $15 burlap lampshade from Target.  And suddenly, I felt as if I had altogether brand new lamps!  Suddenly, my room felt fresh and lovely again.  And I must say, I felt quite smart and thrifty. :)

What around your home just needs an inexpensive little facelift to feel fresh and lovely again?

Here's what the rest of the room looks like.
On my side is the botanical book-page wall.

You'll notice in this pic the bed linens are different as they had a serious run in with my little man...and lipstick.  Hanging on the rails of my Craigslist four-poster is a little canopy I sewed together from napkins and hankies.

{Linking to Somewhat Simple , Just a Girl, and Funky Junk Interiors}

Pinwheel Whimsy

 Yesterday I was determined to have pinwheels, so I made them right quick.   I knew that once you saw them you would feel the same way, so I made a little tutorial to show you how. :)

 First tear the pages out of your beloved, falling-apart copy of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Part II.  And lament the loss of all the useful things you might have learned had you ever read it. (sigh)

 Measure and cut out a perfect square - this is a 4"x4" square.  And use a pencil to draw to lines from corner to corner, like so.

Now, starting from each corner, cut along the line until your about 1/2 inch from the center, like so.

Then using a hot glue gun, put a dab in the center and then fold and press first one and then two corners to the middle.  (You could do one corner at a time, but I found I could make one dab work for two)

Here's my purty hand showing you how. 

And here's the finished darling.

Then you'll need some of these cutie little clothes pins.  I got mine in the office section of the Walmarts, but you could also just hot glue your pinwheels to the string.

 

 And here they are making fun reflections in the mirror. 

And here's my little Spring display, featuring my truly beloved copy of Northanger Abbey found at a sweet little bookshop in Bath. 

 

 And here's me, trying to get a pic without the pinwheel reflections and hoping that you have yourself some fun hanging up some lovely pinwheels about your home today.

{Linking to Blue Cricket Design , Lollipops and Just a Girl and Funky Junk Interiors}

Raspberry Tartlets Are Cute and Sweet

 Now,  once I find a good thing I stick with it.  While it's nice to be adventurous sometimes, I find that adventure in the kitchen can easily turn into left-overs that no one. ever. eats.  Quite discouraging.  So yes, I admit I mostly play it safe and glory in my tried and true recipes.  Case in point: when we needed some tiny desserts for a little (engagement!) party we had this last weekend I happily turned to my favorite-favorite Strawberry Dream Tart Recipe to make these little Raspberry Tartlets.

All you need are some of these itty-bitty-cutie, 2 1/2" tart pans like these available here.  Mold a little ball of tart dough into them and bake at the same temp until just golden brown.  Then I piped the cream cheese filling into them. And topped them with raspberries instead of strawberries for an sort-of elegant look. I think two strawberry halves would top it nicely too.

Here they are on the buffet table in all their sun-bathed glory. :) 

These would be perfect for a nice little Mother's Day Tea, or Mother's Day Coffee, or Breakfast, or Lunch... or really perfect Anytime.

 

You can see my whole little collection of recipes {HERE}.

And view today's post {HERE}

{Linking to A Bowl Full of Lemons,  Not Just a Housewife , and Funky Junk Interiors}

The Boppy

When the Twins starting talking,  my little man started to refer to his twin sister as "The Boppy".  "Boppy" was his unexpected but nevertheless believable abbreviation of her name , but we were mystified by the "the".   He was always asking "Where's the Bobby?" or saying "Let's go find the Boppy".  It was pretty sweet. 

Somewhere along the way he dropped the "the", and now she is just "Boppy".

I'm so thankful for my one little girl.  She's the perfect pink-lace-and-Mary-Jane balance for our otherwise (albeit delightful) gray-plaid-and-Oxford-world.

We all love the Boppy. 

 

And I couldn't ask for a sweeter pair.

{Linking to Life Made Lovely Monday}

Assigned Seating... for Pots

So far, each day I've gotten a little closer to being 40 spaces cleaner, brighter, and beautiful-er in my little house.  I admit, I'm saving the worst for last.  But in the meantime, it's been nice to have some quick, manageable projects to check off on these days when I've been extra busy with office work.

One such project was this incorrigible pot cupboard.  The one I'd honestly given up on and was content with if I could just get the door to close shut.

 Nevertheless it was on my list, so tackle it I did.  And I had a Breakthrough! I discovered Assigned Seating for Pots.  Now, every pot has a an assigned "seat", so I know in exactly what spot to place any particular pot every time. 

Okay, so I realize I'm just barely catching up with what the rest of the organized world has known all along, but what can I say?  Something just clicked for me this time, and I report that my cupboard has looked like this for a whole week and a half. :)

Old Letters on My Desk

On top of my little writing desk sits an apothecary jar, filled with my Grandma's old letters. 

 

She was such a faithful letter writer and saved boxes and boxes of letters.  Here is one she wrote to my sweet Grandpa while she was away visiting her mother.

Her handwriting was exquisite.  And I love how she addresses it "Dearest Husband" - so sweet. They'd been married about 25 years at this time.

Inside the envelope was the letter from my Grandpa she was replying to.  I adore how it looks like such a man's letter - scrawled out and the page indelicately ripped from a some book, but written with love all the same.

I love having these sweet reminders of my grandparents near at hand. 

Now to sit write a letter myself ... perhaps as soon as I finish these tax reports (sigh).

See More of My Desk {HERE}

 {Linking to House of Hepworths and Serenity Now  and Just-a-Girl}

Wednesday Walkabout

Walking Along.

 Having some fun.

And a little sad,

To be all done.

The Dining Room: Silk and Poofs

Here's a view of our little dining room.  Last year, I finally got the pink (faux) silk drapes I'd been dreaming of pairing with warm yellow walls for years.  I like a bit of elegance in a dining room, but I like some whimsy, too.

The "Silk" lends the elegance while Tissue Poofs provide that sort-of jaunty element - they're a little unexpected and playful. To make them I followed the simple tutorial found HERE.  Martha's just plain smart about these types of things. 

I made the poofs around Christmas time and many guests assumed they were part of my holiday decoration - but no, they're quite permanent... as permanent as anything is in my house.

{linking to a Bowl Full of Lemons and BlueCricketDesign}

View Today's Post {HERE}

Sunday Morning Scones

When I was young - around high school age - my family had Sunday Night Teas.  We kept the tradition, every Sunday evening for nearly five years. It was usually a fairly simple affair: small sandwiches, always scones, and tea of course.  Though those days are long over, I've always kept this favorite recipe for Tender Scones close at hand.  Last weekend I made them for a simple Sunday Morning Breakfast for some over-night company. 

 

Recipe for Tender Scones

Ingredients

2 cups flour (I sometimes use 1 cup whole-wheat and 1 cup white)

5 T. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

5 1/3 T unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, beaten

1/2 cup plus 2 T. heavy whipping cream

 3/4 cup dried fruit, chocolate or chopped nuts (or any combination equaling 3 cups - I usually do currents and walnuts)

Instructions

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender until it resembles small pebbles.

2. Mix in egg and 1/2 cup of cream.

3. Stir 3/4 cup of any combination of dried fruit, chocolate or nuts.

4. Preheat oven to 400.

5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently. 

6. Pat into a 1/2-inch-thick 9-inch circle.  Cut out circles with biscuit cutter or cut into wedges.  

7. Brush tops with remaining 2 Tab. cream and sprinkle with 2 T. sugar. 

8. Bake for 15 minutes or until light brown.

Serve warm with Mock Devonshire Cream and Fruit Preserves

{Mock Devonshire Cream}

1 cup whipping cream

1/4 cup sour cream

1/8 tsp. almond extract

Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form.  Fold in sour cream and almond extract.  Serve chilled. 

Setting a pretty table, and sitting down to slowing savor freshly brewed tea and warm scones made for such a pleasant start to the day.  Makes me think I should start a new tradition - maybe Sunday Morning Teas or just a Sunday morning Special Breakfast?  With three little people underfoot I hesitate to commit to something constant - but I do want traditions for our family.... so what am I waiting for?

View Today's Post {HERE}

{Linking to Life-Made-Lovely-Monday}