A FAVORITE SHOPPING MECCA

On the way to visit my 97-year old Mother-in-law the other day, we stopped at one of my favorite places in our hometown -- the local farm salvage yard.

Since my heart starts pounding the minute we drive in, I guess you can never take the farm out of the farm girl. I don't know why as I was never the outdoors type of kid -- preferring to dress up and go to town! It must be all of the John Deere green, International Harvester/Farmall red, and the Case yellow that has rusted to that wonderful metal patina after years out in the sun and elements.

The first thing I spied was this tractor gear. Salvage Guy said he wanted $5 for it. I thought that was a little high, but it is huge (15" in diameter) and weighs a ton; so I said O.K!

Then, when we got home I was looking through the new Restoration Hardware catalog; and look what I found----

AND, THEY WANT $189 FOR IT; AND IT ISN'T EVEN THE REAL THING!!!!!

Guess Salvage Guy wasn't too high, after all.

I also found these cute smaller gears in my favorite International Harvester/Farmall Red. Bob and the Salvage Guy were very patient with me as I pointed from my air-conditioned car which three I wanted in which sizes. They were only $1.00 a piece.

I wasn't about to get outside in all of that dirt and sun (it was 102 degrees). So, it was the best possible shopping experience from inside my cool car. AND, just look at all of that wonderful patina.

Now, I just need to figure out what to do with my treasures. Any suggestions?

I'm joining the following parties:

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

Southern Hospitality for Thrifty Treasures Monday

Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Very Merry Vintage Style for Share the Love Wednesday

READY FOR FALL!

Our pumpkin patch has gone crazy this year. Even though it isn't even the first of September they are almost ready. Does this mean we will have an early Fall and Winter?
The little decorative pumpkins seem to be ready, also.

The beginning of the school year also signals Fall to me. My grandkids are ready - they start on Monday.

Wyatt will be in the 4th grade, and Caitlin starts high school (oh, my!).

I've been rather negligent in taking pictures of them this summer so Caitlin and I decided it was time for a 'photo shoot' down at the river to celebrate the beginning of her high school years.

Where have the years gone?

I'm joining Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday.

SHAMELESS PLUG

Some of you know that in my life before my husband's retirement I was a quiltmaker, which involved design work for publications, teaching, traveling, and writing books. Once I retired from doing all of that, it just became too expensive to make quilts without an income to support it. So I began to experiment with some ideas to use my quilt designing ability in smaller, manageable ways. Recently, I have been making a form of an artist trading card in a 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" format transforming quilt designs into paper patchwork. I've been so engrossed that I have now made a number of the cards, and need a separate blog to chronicle the activity. Therefore, I have a fledgling blog called Q-Bits (or bits of quilts), where I will explain the muse behind the individual cards. Plus, I will show some of the quilts I have made over the past 50 years.
The card above was made in honor of my Mother, whose birth date is approaching; and is based on the quilt below that I made entitled, "Mother's Kitchen".

So, if you are interested in my quilts and the inspiration behind them, head over to my other blog, Q-Bits by clicking here. I've just started the blog and have scads of cards and quilts to show in the future.


While I'm shamelessly promoting my other blog, I would also like to mention my son's blog, called "Michael M. Saulmon". Yes, he is always straight forward in that manner - just his name as a blog title - no pretense with him, which to me is one of his endearing qualities. His blog is always interesting and thought-provoking on a variety of subjects including education and life in general. He is a high school teacher and enjoys traveling in his time out of the classroom. His posts from his laptop while overseas are always informative and fun. In his defense, he doesn't know that I'm promoting his blog. He is still searching for his 'blog niche' out there in cyberspace, so if you are interested or know someone who might be send them his way by clicking here.


Enough self-promotion for now!

FARM INSPIRATION

For those of you interested in the farmhouse look and have a creative spirit, I offer up the following pictures for inspiration.

Have you seen the new show on Lifetime called "Picker Sisters"? These two cute, young things travel around finding stuff similar to the above. Then, they take them back to Los Angeles where their shop guy makes furniture, light fixtures, etc. out of their finds. And, of course, they then sell them to their rich clients.

I took these pictures at a farm sale a year ago. Things were going cheap that day - I could have made a fortune. Oh well, the story of my life! Or as they say down on the farm - a day late and a dollar short!!

I'm joining in the following parties this week:

Funky Junk Interiors for Sat. Nite Special

Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday

The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursday

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

THINGS I ENJOY

Years ago, I bought this baguette bread board just because I loved the patina. Then on our 50th anniversary trip to Paris, I discovered French baguettes.

I made the table runner from one of my favorite Ralph Lauren fabrics.

Love my great-grandmother's monogrammed butter knives.

A 7-foot harvest table made by my husband surrounded by chairs purchased by my grandparents when they married in 1904.

A brown transferware pitcher bought at Marburger Farm at Round Top, Texas five years ago; now holding roses and valarian from my garden. The valarian was transplanted from my mother's garden many years ago.

A brown transferware butter dish from a neighborhood lady's estate sale.

Crochet edging on napkins inherited from my grandmother.

Just a few of the things that trip my trigger!

I'll be joining the following parties this week -- please check them out for a plethora of inspiration.

A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

Very Merry Vintage Style for Share the Love Wednesday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

A ROOSTER WITH A STORY

It is time for Sheila's (at Note Songs) rooster and chicken party. I don't have a flock of roosters in my house, but I do have one. And, there is a little story that goes with it - you know how Sheila loves a story.

My mother was raised during the hard times of The Depression on her grandparent's farm - you know - lots of hard work and no money. One of her jobs as a child was to kill and dress chickens for dinner. She hated it, and vowed that she would never, NEVER marry a farmer. Well, guess what, she married a farmer; but made my father promise that they would never have chickens. He kept his word.

But, mother must have missed the chickens; because our everyday dishes were decorated with chickens; she had tea towels with chickens on them; and she had a whole flock of these Royal Copley roosters and hens parading around the kitchen. Plus, every Sunday she could fry up the best chicken and gravy dinner imaginable.

See that piece of old wood in front of my rooster. On a recent trip to my great-grandparent's homestead, I picked up that piece from my mother's old childhood workplace - the chicken coop.

I am constantly reminded with warm feelings of my mother, her kitchen, and her chickens.

In addition to Sheila's Tuesday Rooster & Chicken party, I'm joining the following parties this week:

A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

Very Merry Vintage Style for Share the Love Wednesday

No Minimalist Here for Thursday's Open House Party

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

White Ironstone Cottage for Treasure Chest Friday

Be sure to check out these blogs for a plethora of inspiration.

THIS AND THAT PLUS CATS

Yesterday, we took a day trip to northern Colorado to see our son, Mike. We hadn't been to his house for a long time; as usually when we go to see him, we meet him part way in Denver (1 hour for him and 2 hours for us). But, this time we needed to go meet our new grand-kitties. At four months, they are energetic, inquisitive, and just plain cute. They are litter-brothers, and great company for each other. They very patiently sat for their 'official' four-month portraits.

First meet Virgil:


And this is Statius:

After playing with the kittens, we headed to Denver. Mike was the "Teacher of the Year" at the high school where he teaches, and was the recipient of generous gift card to The Olive Garden. He wanted to share it with us, so we had a nice lunch. Thanks, Wiggins School Student Council; and congratulations to Mike, always OUR teacher of the year.

We then headed to the Armadillo Antique Mall to peruse the goodies for a couple of hours. I didn't buy a thing; but I did not come home empty handed. About 8 years ago, we had bought a big box of unopened apothecary jars at an estate sale. We kept one, but gave the remainder to Mike. As a scientist teacher, he was interested in the labels showing the compounds contained in the pills.

Recently I've been enthralled with apothecary jars, so I asked him if I could have a couple more jars. Of course, he said yes -- what else would he say to his Mother?

The Luyties Pharmacy Company was founded by Herman C. G. Luyties (1833-1896), a physician and pharmacist; and at one time, was the largest homeopathic pharmacy in the world.

And finally, when we got home, the view of the mountains was so beautiful out of our bedroom window, that I thought I would try my hand at blue-hour photography. I probably would have achieved more blue if I had waited another 15 minutes.

The end of a good day!!

IT'S HOT OUT THERE

It's so hot out there that I'm dreaming of a nice cold, winter day when the river is beginning to freeze over. Tell me it won't be long!


It's too hot to even blog. See you in a week or so.

THE WHOOPIE PIE RECIPE

I've had several requests for the Whoopie Pie recipe, so here goes:

CHOCOLATE COOKIES

1 2/3 cups flour

2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
4 tablespoons Crisco
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. In the mixer bowl, beat butter, shortening and sugar until combined. Beat on medium for 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla. Beat for 2 more minutes. Beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the milk. Drop cookies by a tablespoon on a cookie sheet (I use parchment paper on my sheets). Spread cookies apart as they will spread. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
FILLING
7 oz. jar marshmallow fluff
1 1/4 cups Crisco
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
Beat marshmallow fluff and shortening for 3 minutes. Reduce to low and add sugar and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
Sandwich filling between the flat sides of two cookies.


NOTE: I live in a high altitude, so check your oven temperature and length of baking time. I don't know if you would need to adjust for a different altitude. This is a 1950's recipe - I bet it will work anywhere! Back then, we weren't concerned with altitude (or the huge amount of Crisco used!!)

SUMMER CLOCHE PARTY

My favorite thing to put under a cloche has to be food. Today one of my cloches holds homemade whoopie pies - always good with a glass of cold milk on a summer afternoon.



Yummy, sticky goodness made from a vintage recipe!

I'll be joining the following parties this week. Be sure to stop by these fun blogs to check for inspiration.

Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for her Summer Cloche Party on Tuesday

Very Merry Vintage Style for Share the Love Wednesday

Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

EAGLE LOVE

Here is the piece of brown transferware that I found while out and about in the city last weekend. I'm excited to find a piece with an eagle on it, as I've never seen anything similar.

It's always fun to find a piece with a 'Kite Mark' on the back - it makes it easy to date the piece. For years, I have used my 1977 edition of the Kovel's Dictionary of Marks on Pottery and Porcelain to determine the date. They explain that the mark in the top circle indicates the type of ware manufactured - in this case, IV is earthenware. The number in the semi-circle below the IV indicates the day of the month, or 15th. The letter in the lower corner of the diamond-shaped mark indicates the month of the year in which the object was manufactured. Kovel's table indicates that M is June. The letter in the right-hand corner indicates the year of manufacture. Kovel's table indicates that P is 1877. Therefore, this piece was manufactured on June 15, 1877. The number in the left-hand corner tells the manufacturer of the object; but also there is the Ridgways logo shown. The pattern name is Indus.

There are similar tables on various web sites on the internet such as www.aw-antiques-collectibles.co.uk/kite-marks.php.

My new eagle platter has joined some of my other brown transferware collection. Love it!!

I will be joining the following parties this week. Check them out for a plethora of inspiration.

Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays

Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party

Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

WEEKEND FUN

On a long holiday weekend, most Coloradans head to the mountains and lakes to commune with nature. Not us, we head to the city for some shopping, antiquing, and a nice restaurant meal. Antiquing was good as I found several things. One thing I found was this red and white hand towel with the initials SAL on it. My first thought was that it was an airline towel (yes, they used to have real towels on airlines!). I was thinking Scandinavia Airlines, but they seem to use the initials SAS. Any ideas?

Since Sal is my nickname and for $2.95 it came home with me to join the other red and white/blue and white towels in my collection.

We ate at one of our favorite Mexican food places. New on the appetizer menu were Avocado Fries -- strips of avocado, lightly battered, and fried -- yum, yum!

I found a couple of other things while antiquing that I will share on a future post, including a wonderful addition to my brown transferware collection. Stay tuned.

I'll be partying with the following blogs this week. Be sure to check them out for inspiration PLUS!

Kim at Savvy Southern Style for her Wow on Wednesday party

Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special

Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Monday's Thrifty Treasures

GOOD TO BE HOME!

Even though traveling Europe the month of June was a wonderful experience, it sure is great to be home in the U.S.A. to celebrate the 4th of July!

May you have a glorious weekend!