BLUE MONDAY

Sally at Smiling Sally is once again hosting Blue Monday. Check out her blog for a plethora of Blue Loveliness!!!


In an effort to spruce up things around here, I have been trying to work on our bedroom. I made a new dust ruffle and some pillows; and also purchased a new summer-weight matelasse spread in a yummy shade of blue.

I discovered that by ordering a full-sized bedspread instead of a king-sized coverlet, it fit our king-sized bed generously and was less money.

I love the raised paisley pattern!

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

SPRINGTIME IN THE ROCKIES & LOOK WHAT I FOUND!!!

It is "Springtime in the Rockies", and here in Colorado not much is blooming yet. But, check out the color of that sky when the sun was coming up this morning. We awoke with new snow on the ground and glorious sunshine.

The only thing blooming in our yard is our pear tree. It is hard to tell the white puffy blossoms from the snow!

The only green in the yard is from the willow tree. But, I think, Mother Nature is telling us Spring is on the way.

A friend and I went out this morning in the sun and snow to do a little junk hunting, and look what I found. See that name at the bottom of this tin candy box - yes it says, "Salmagundi". I didn't buy it even though I really wanted to. It seemed a little pricey; but after I got home, I couldn't stand it and had to go back to get it.

I did a little research first on the picture thinking that it was from the Art Nouveau period and had the look of the artist, Mucha. And it is from a picture entitled, "Zodiac le Plume" by Alphonse Mucha.

In checking out the Whitman Candy Company, I discovered that in 1924 they introduced a special line of art boxes, including Salmagundi. They state that they considered it an exotic Art Nouveau design from the mysterious east. I'm not sure Mucha ever worked in the east, but the woman depicted is rather mysterious.

The box shows some wear, but I still think it is beautiful and it did have my name written all over it!!!!

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

TOILE PARTY

There is a new party in town - a Toile Party, organized and hosted by
The Pretty Organized Palace. Everyone was invited to show pictures of their favorite Toile de Juoy fabric used in their home. Be sure to check out The Pretty Organized Palace for a list of participants and all of the homes decorated with toile fabric.

The border on this quilted, patchwork pillow is one of my all time favorite toiles. Two meters of this fabric was purchased from a French vendor several years ago. I have used it in numerous quilting projects, and there is not much of it left. When it is gone, I will miss it as it is the most luscious shade of red!

My favorite toiles often include multi-colors rather than the more familiar two-tone toiles. This pattern called 'Bosporus' has been around for quite a while, but I never tire of seeing it.

One of the charms of toile, I think, is the depiction of bucolic, pastoral scenes. 'Bosporus' is certainly indicative of that typical rural life from long ago.

After finding this 'Bosporus' fabric a couple of months ago on a clearance table, I bought enough to make the dust ruffle for our king-sized bed.

Now be sure to go by prettyorganizedpalace.blogspot.com to check out a variety of toile and learn more about this charming fabric.

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

FOODIE FRIDAY - PIG FEAST

It's that day we all look forward to - Foodie Friday - hosted by Michael of
Designs by Gollum.

I have been hungry for this dessert for ages, but I've managed to resist knowing that there is really nothing redeeming nutritionally about this recipe. Well, my resolve has finally been broken. Here is "Pig Feast" - the title says it all!!!

Mix well:
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Pack into a buttered 9"x13" pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool.

Combine:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cool whip
1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled crust.

Mix and let stand until firm:
1 - 5oz. package instant vanilla pudding
1 - 5oz. package instant chocolate pudding
3 cups milk

Spread pudding mixture on top of cream cheese layer.

Spread another 1 cup of cool whip on top. Sprinkle a crushed Hershey bar and more nuts over top. Refrigerate.

We savored every bite!!

Go check out Gollum's blog for more wonderful Foodie Friday participants. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

AUNTIE EVELYN'S DESK

This is my great-grandfather and step great-grandmother in 1935. My step great-grandmother was known in the family as 'Auntie Evelyn' as she married into the family late in life. I only met her once when I was eight years old, but I was fascinated by her. She was an artist, and I remember her desk being filled with paints, potions, glue, scraps of paper - all kinds of interesting stuff!!

I was 12 when she died, and there was a note on this desk that I was to have it.

My very first antique!! I was in love with anything old from that time on.

I've cherished this desk now for 58 years, and am so glad that Auntie Evelyn and I connected that one time all of those years ago.

The book under the "A Wish for You" book was Auntie Evelyn's "commonplace book". It was a book that she no longer needed for it's original purpose, and she glued clippings of interest, obituaries, recipes, etc. onto the original pages. "Commonplace books" are said to be the precursor to scrapbooking and even blogs.



Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

A LITTLE SHOPPING EXCURSION

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Colorado, so we decided to go to the Antique Show & Sale at the Colorado State Fairgrounds. They have this show four times a year, and there is always a wide variety of items and a wide variety of prices! We have been antiquing out and about for about 45 years, and don't purchase too much any more. But I'm always on the lookout for brown transferware from the 19th Century especially at a good price.

I bought this gravy boat yesterday for $14. It is in perfect condition; and I figured at that price for something with an 1800s registry mark, I couldn't go wrong!

Just look at the aesthetic period decoration on the handle.

It's a real charmer.

We had lunch out; and with this treasure to bring home to enjoy, it was a great day.

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MIKE!!

We knew from Day 1 that it was going to be an interesting ride with you in the driver's seat! Those huge, beautiful eyes just sparkled with curiosity. We could tell you were wanting to get out of that baby brain and explore the world.

My favorite picture just exemplifies your approach to life at an early age: find a book on the subject, read about it, and figure it out for yourself. Click on the picture to enlarge and see that he is reading, "Toilet Training Made Easy"!

Both sides of your brain were engaged. In addition to having fun with algebra at age 3, you took right to the piano and have filled our lives with music ever since.

We learned that it didn't do any good to discipline you by sending you to your room. That was your favorite place to go to read your encyclopedias, math books, maps and dictionaries. It didn't surprise us at all that your college odyssey lasted 13 years and resulted in 4 degrees. And, how wonderful that you have taken every opportunity to travel to enrich your education. All of your experiences from driving a truck from coast to coast more than once to introducing your students to the subways of Tokyo makes you who you are today. I'm just glad we didn't know about the wild taxi ride in the hills of Mexico until it was all over.

We're proud that in addition to teaching your high school students physics and chemistry, your main goal is to instill them with the joy of learning. No one better than you exhibits that joy.

So, Happy 41st Birthday, Dr. S------! May you and your students have a super trip to Greece and Italy over Spring Break. Come back safely with more experiences to share!

Love from Mom and Dad

FRUSTRATION

I'm frustrated today! Does anyone else out there still sew? If so, are you having trouble finding sewing supplies?

I've sewn for years and years and have made everything from clothes including coats and costumes to anything for the household: tablecloths, curtains, quilts, dust ruffles, etc . etc.

Well, it is time for a new dust ruffle for our king-sized bed. In anticipation of this project, I had bought fabric; but not the necessary supplies. While at Hobby Lobby last week (an 80 mile round trip), I figured I had better pick up some Velcro. My favorite way of making a dust ruffle is to put a fitted sheet onto the box springs, then attach the ruffle to that with Velcro. It seems that things in Hobby Lobby's fabric department have changed.
The last time I purchased Velcro it was sold by the yard from a roll, but now it is sold only in 1 yard packages. They only had 3 packages - I need 7 yards. Oh well, I'm thinking, I can pick the rest up at my local Wal-Mart even though it will be more expensive.

Fast forward to Wal-Mart -- there were at least 10 different kinds of 'self-adhesive' Velcro. But, I need the 'sew-on' kind as the adhesive-type gunks up my sewing machine. They did have 2 packages of sew-on, but they were the wrong width.

While waiting (and waiting) to ask the clerk a question, I was talking to another customer. She told me that Wal-Mart was pulling the fabric departments out of their Denver stores. Is that going to happen in my small town? I'm not that fond of Wal-Mart, but I don't really relish the idea of driving to JoAnn Fabrics (a 120-mile round trip) to buy a spool of thread.

Back to the Velcro issue. It is still not solved. I could buy a 25-yard roll of Velcro at a decent price on-line; but at my age, 25 yards of Velcro is a pretty big commitment.

Here is my sewing machine in happier times sewing on yards and yards of Velcro.

Now, is this what is going to happen to my sewing machine?

Maybe, I should just go ahead and buy that 25-yard roll of Velcro. Just think how happy I'll make someone when they find a partially used roll of vintage Velcro at my estate sale!!

MET MONDAY

It is time for Met Monday again hosted by Susan at
Between Naps on the Porch.
Be sure to check out her blog for a list of the participants this week. I'm sure you will find lots of great before and after pictures!

This week I want to share just a mini-metamorphosis with you. About a month ago, all of you started to talk about Spring. Well, I'm a died-in-the-wool winter person - I love my winter and here in Colorado we haven't had near enough snow this year to suit me. But, I thought at the time that I should get with it; so I cleared my little cupboard of its winter (Father Time) decor.

Oh, but it was just too soon for Spring. I couldn't make myself get into it, so I just closed the door!

Bob tells me that he is going to plant the peas and lettuce in the garden next week. And, this weekend we changed our clocks to adjust to daylight savings time. I'm still being dragged into Spring kicking and screaming. I just don't look forward to dealing with summer clothes, bug bites, heat stroke, wind, hot weather, possible floods and/or wildfires, and tornadoes.

But, I'm making an effort! Here is my mini-metamorphosis attempt at welcoming Spring. I got out some of my antique and vintage Easter items.

A paper-mache bunny and a tiny sand pail.

A Victorian glass egg, some lambs, and a vintage Easter card.

A small covered milk glass candy container from my childhood and an antique Easter postcard.

A tiny metal Easter basket and antique cards.

An old Easter card and two glass candy containers that belonged to my Grandmother.

Now, Mother Nature, can we please have a couple of good snowstorms this month.

Thanks for stopping by,
Sally

FOODIE FRIDAY - MONSTER COOKIE DAY!!

This is my first time participating in Foodie Friday hosted by Gollum at
Designs by Gollum.
Be sure to go by her blog to check out all of the other participants with yummy food to peruse!


When my kids were in grade school, we moved to a new town requiring them to change schools, always a traumatic experience for young kids. Mike was in 6th grade and was having a hard time adjusting. They were scheduled to go on a field trip his second week in his new school, and his teacher asked if I would make cookies for 60 kids to take on the trip. Of course, I said yes and set about making monster cookies. They were a big hit with the kids, and I guess Mike felt welcomed because from then on he adjusted to the new school without any problem.
This is what you need for monster cookies:

4 cubes margarine
2 lbs. brown sugar
4 cups white sugar
12 eggs
8 teaspoons baking soda
Mix the above well, then stir in 48 oz. creamy peanut butter
Add:
18 cups oatmeal
22 oz. M & M candies
12 oz. chocolate chips

Use a 1/4 cup measure and drop on cookie sheet. Flatten before baking at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Mike likes raisins in his cookies, so in the last third of the dough, I add about one cup of raisins. This recipe makes a monster amount of monster-sized cookies.

I always package them individually in sandwich bags, just as I did those for the sixth grade class field trip. These cookies freeze and/or travel well.

After that experience with the sixth grade class, I made these cookies all of the time for school and church functions. Back in those days, no one was concerned about peanut butter allergies, I guess.

When Mike went away to college, he requested monster cookies to be sent for his birthday in March. He has always been a spring break-type of traveler, so hasn't been home for his birthday very often. So, now it is family tradition since 1987 to make monster cookies to send to Mike for his birthday. Yes, he will be 41 years old in a week. It's not just Mike that needs monster cookies - Bob, Jenni, and the grandkids love their cookies, too!

All is good in the Salmagundi household tonight. I made 144 monster cookies today. Now, I just need to get Mike's mailed to him tomorrow as he is headed to Italy and Greece for Spring Break.

Does your family have a Foodie tradition that just can't be messed with????