happy day of thanks...

happy day of thanksgiving to everyone... a wee bit early.

just finished baking a loaf of cranberry orange walnut bread.  not sure, anymore, where this recipe originally came from?  it is one which was hand written several thanksgivings ago into my special notebook of favorite recipes (it is quite a select group... only recipes that result in at least a few dozen enthusiastic "mmmmm"s when served will see the inside of this book)

it was six years ago today that i first tried out this recipe... for a road trip thanksgiving in boston.  that loaf was carried in mittened hands, as we walked through the blustering cold winds.  quite different from this seventy degree weather we're having down here this year, south of the mason-dixon line

cranberry orange walnut bread:

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. honey

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 c. orange juice

1 tsp. grated orange rind

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 c. chopped cranberries

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

preheat oven to 350.  butter and flour loaf pan.  in large bowl, cream butter and honey.  add eggs, o.j., and rinds.  mix flour with baking powder.  add to butter mixture 1/3 at a time, blending after each.  stir in cranberries and walnuts.  pour into pan.  bake 50 to 60 minutes.

** mine is always done a bit earlier... around 40 to 45 minutes

well, i'm thankful for many, many things as this whirlwind year winds down... many new and old thanks this holiday, which i hope never to take for granted.  and the biggest thanks, as always... spending a simple day of cheer with family (and these two kiddos, my niece and nephew, who always keep things ridiculously interesting and comical!)

happy holiday!

november lovelies...

as promised, some of my november thrifting and handmade finds... 

how lovely when various treasures come together to create a perfectly harmonious collection of prettiness

various vintage bottles and pitchers, with little twigs of wildflowers, all lined up

the lovely mushroom and bird?  two pieces from my ever growing collection  of cary's (littlelovblue) creations

the pretty johnson brother's pitcher and stoneware ink bottle?  two pieces snatched up from my aunt tricia's vintage shop (ladysneezeweed)

most of the other bottles were thrifting finds... how does one pass up old medicinal bottles with labels such as 'sutherland sisters hair grower' and 'hamlin's wizard oil'?  especially when several were on sale for $4 each!

the antique chapel chair i picked up on clearance while thrifting...

i've been slowly collecting various vintage and antique wooden chairs to create a perfectly mismatched set of dining chairs... ready to place around the lovely antique dining table which i've yet to acquire!  i've been determined to hold off buying a table, until i find the right one (trying so hard to avoid buying the inexpensive ikea table to tide me over)

and here is another lovely i just grabbed from my mom's vintage shop (imsovintage)... an old metal watering can.  i have so many ideas for this one

happy sunday

just checking in...

well, that was a truly wonderful (albeit exhausting) weekend.  it's lovely to see so many new faces here!  and all of those amazingly kind comments!  no words can do justice to how grateful i feel

it appears that i will be buried under mounds of fabric for the next few weeks (and i'm forever finding little bits of thread stuck on my clothes and in my hair!), as i work through a list of custom orders 

in the meantime, i'm trying to work my way through the maze of shipping boxes, packing tape, and tissue paper.  the inside of my house really has seen better days, but i am enjoying making pretty little packages for everyone!




p.s. the above picture was taken on the seat of the antique chapel chair i picked up the other day while on the hunt for more vintage pottery for the shop...  and only $29!  i'll soon share some pictures of other treasures i've recently found while thrifting... my ever-changing mantle is currently holding several




happy monday 

oh my...

well, i am just so giddy with joy right now... and so happy that i'm finally able to share the good news!  a  huge thank you to etsy for selecting me as the featured seller this weekend

and, finally, a legitimate excuse for the scant blog posting these last several weeks... my aching fingers can attest to the fact that my time has been consumed with much stitching

i did have a bit of a laugh this morning when i remembered mentioning, in this post last february, the impossibility of my ever being able to complete the task of picking 'favorites' for an etsy featured seller interview... and, while i obviously overcame this daunting challenge, i will admit that this part of the interview took an embarrassingly long time to tackle

so, more flickr lovelies, poetry, beautiful music, and drool worthy design finds will soon be shared more frequently on the blog once again, in a few weeks time ;)  

happy friday

saturday shopping list - november 6th

what was left limited edition, by windylanestudio

"listen...

with faint dry sound, 

like steps of passing ghosts,

the leaves, frost-crisp'd, break from the trees

and fall."

~   'november night', by adelaide crapsey

"among the bumble-bees in red-top hay, a freckled field of brown-eyed susans

dripping yellow leaves in july,

i read your heart in a book.

and your mouth of blue pansy - i know somewhere i have seen it rain shattered.

and i have seen a woman with her head flung between her naked 

knees, and her head held there listening to the sea, the great naked 

sea shouldering a load of salt.

and the blue pansy mouth sang to the sea:

mother of god, i'm so little a thing,

let me sing longer,

only a little longer.

and the sea shouldered its salt in long gray combers hauling new shapes on the

beach sand."

~  'adelaide crapsey', by carl sandburg

duplex vintage wood house handmade folk art, from mousetrapvintage

 large gray mushroom made from linen and cotton, by littleloveblue

 dashiell smoky quartz pyrite golden feather and bronze asymmetrical necklace, by simonandruby

snowglobe brooch bird in hand embroidery artwork, by cathycullis

 the tallest bee hotel, by wudwerx

 mustard and black spaghetti strap cocktail dress, by byanoushka

 small original etching, by fleurografie

golden bell flower charm ring, by kathiroussel