ROTATING STUFF

 Above the two windows in our bedroom there are shelves that I enjoy changing out occasionally.  If you've followed my blog you know that we are lifetime collectors of all kinds of stuff, and a lot of it is stashed away!  I decided it was time to put the things currently on the shelves away, and bring out some different items.  

 Above is one of the before pictures, and now below the change-out.

 Below is the other 'before' shelf.

 And, now, the after.

We probably have enough collections to change out each week, but that probably won't happen.  I hate ladder work -- dusting will be about it for awhile!!


I'm joining the following parties this week.  Please check these blogs out and thank them for hosting!
Very Merry Vintage Style for Share the Love Wednesday
The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursday
No Minimalist Here for Thursday Open House
The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Northern Cottage for Partytime Tuesday

BED SKIRT SECURITY

 I've always called them dust ruffles, but I guess the manufacturers call them bed skirts - sounds better, I guess!  At any rate, they have always been a fixture in our household.  Always short on storage space, all that real estate under the bed could not go wasted --  thus, a dust ruffle to hide the clutter.

Since I've made scads of dust ruffles over the years I've developed my favorite way of making them.  I love a secure dust ruffle -- I don't want it to move around and need daily fussing!

So,  I use a fitted sheet that covers the box springs as a deck for the skirt.  Then, I just attach the skirt with hook and loop tape to the fitted sheet.  This allows the ruffle to be removed for laundry or to be changed out without disruption of the bed.

 And, the fitted sheet holds everything securely.  I have a mechanical bed which does have a lot more movement involved.    So, I go one step further and use safety pins to secure the fitted sheet to the box springs.  These pins are the best.  They are curved for ease in pinning, and are quilt basting safety pins.

 My dust ruffles always stay in place with the exact clearance I like.

I'm joining the following parties:

2805 for Potpourri Friday

Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays

Thanks to the hosts of these blogs!

Copy Cat Pillow

 Back in the 1950s as a teenager, I inherited a bunch of stuff from my step-great-grandmother including furniture and paintings.  They were my first antiques, and started me on a life-long collecting journey.  Among those belongings from her was this small embroidery with painted accents.  She was a talented painter, and I assume she made this.  I've always wanted to do something with it, and recently found this image below in an old November 2007 Romantic Homes magazine.

I decided to incorporate the embroidery into a pillow.   

 I'm always looking for ways to make things out of what I have on hand.  So, I used muslin scraps plus plaid fabric from an old 100% wool Pendleton skirt.

 My grandmother's button box did not yield any suitable buttons, so I asked Bob to make me some out of his supply of twigs.  I think the buttons turned out perfect for this pillow.

I love the completed project and it is so suitable for our Colorado home! 

I'm partying with the following blogs.  Please stop by these blogs for a plethora of inspiration.

2805 for Potpourri Friday

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Debbiedoos for Copy Cat Challenge Monday

Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday

Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Very Merry Vintage Style for Share the Love Wednesday

VALENTINE CANDY

 I realize it is a little early but this is a recipe to hold onto for Valentine's Day.

 Yummy chocolate covered peanuts.

It makes enough to share with all of your loved ones, plus the neighbors.  I need to share -- otherwise I'd eat them all!

Chocolate Covered Peanuts

32 oz. salted dry-roasted peanuts

4 oz. baking semi-sweet chocolate (4 squares)

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

1 1/2 lbs. white almond bark 

Put peanuts in bottom of 4-quart crock pot.  Layer baking chocolate, chocolate chips, and bark.  Cook on low for 3 hours (you are just melting all of the chocolate).  Stir with wooden spoon until smooth.  Drop candy into mini-cupcake papers.  Cool.  Makes about 100 pieces of candy.  I keep these in the freezer, and they seem to do just fine.

This week I'm linking up with the following parties.  Be sure to check out these blogs, and thank them for hosting.

A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday

Northern Cottage for Partytime Tuesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

2805 for Potpourri Friday

Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday

NEW YEAR RESOLUTION #1 - ALREADY FORGOTTEN

Well, I haven't really made any New Year resolutions for years, but I do try to think about some things I need to accomplish in the new year.  I've been thinking that I REALLY do need to curb this 60-year old collecting habit I have, especially when it comes to dishes.  I'm just plain running out of room, and I've already purged leaving only the best and the ones I love the most.

BUT, yesterday we went to Colorado Springs.  After running errands and having lunch, we had some time to kill before the 'Home and Remodeling' show opened.  What to do?  Of course, we stopped at one of our favorite antique malls.

I walked down one aisle, and there they were -- two 19th century aesthetic movement soup bowls in brown transferware. I was prepared to walk away after admiring them, but then the price caught my eye -- "pair of bowls - $9.95".  That's way under the going price for one bowl, let alone two!!

 I couldn't leave them there.  After I got home with them, I noticed they had the same rim pattern as this wonderful pedestal dish that a friend gave me.

 They aren't the same inner pattern.

 But, so typical of the aesthetic movement!

 I just love them!!!  Guess my collecting days aren't over, yet.

I'm partying this week with the following.  Check them out for lots of inspiration.

Northern Cottage for Partytime Tuesday

A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday

Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

A COLLECTION - 3 OR MORE OF ANYTHING

I've done numerous posts about my major collections -- mostly dishes!  And when I first started blogging in 2008, I even did a series on my collection of favorite chairs and their stories.  The chair posts can be viewed here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Today, I thought I would share four of my smaller collections.  They may be smaller in number, but big in effort as I've diligently looked for these items in my price range for 20-30 years.

The first is my 'Clark's ONT' thread boxes.  They are small at just 3 1/2"x4 1/2", and probably were given out as advertisement.  The top one has an insert that contains a pin cushion and is signed by the same cabinet maker as signed our large Clark's spool cabinet that dates to the 1880s.

Below are three wicker picnic baskets.  The one in the middle is quite large, and the other two were given out as premiums at Bob's family's grocery store in the 1950s.  They are great for storage of other collections - one holds my collection of old hymnals.

 I began looking for flash cards with the word 'home' on them, and never found any; but I've picked up these three that say 'house'.  Not quite a collection are the flower frogs as I only have two that belonged to my mother.

 As a child, Dick and Jane books were a favorite of mine as they contained my namesake - little sister Sally.  The framed page on the left shows Sally with Mother at the sewing machine.  My favorite is in the middle - "Work, work, work. Sally can work. See Sally work".  The one on the right is a huge page from a teacher's display book.

These are just four of the things I look for when out and around.
I'm joining the following parties to start the New Year.  Please check out these blogs and thank them for hosting.
The Polo House for the collection party on Jan. l
Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday
No Minimalist Here for Open House Party on Thursday
Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

FAVORITE PROJECTS - 2011

In reviewing my blog posts for 2011, I realized that we didn't do as many projects as we usually do.  Then, I realized you have to stay home to get a lot done.  But, I was fortunate to do some traveling this year to Germany--

 And to France--

 Plus, I had a great girlfriend's trip to Santa Fe for 5 days, and Bob and I went to the Round Top, Texas antique extravaganza by way of New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Kansas.  At our age, I'll take traveling any day to staying home and working on stuff!!  Here are a few small projects that we did accomplish.

We had been looking for a way to display Bob's collection of plumb bobs for awhile.  When we were in Round Top we saw some displayed on a big spool, so this was our copy of that idea.

This was a cheap yard sale rocker (without it's rockers).  Bob made new rockers and restored the finish to its Mission-style roots.

I upholstered a new seat and made a cushion for a more comfortable back.  This project went home with our son for his study.

 Below was a little rearranging project with a Restoration Hardware vibe.

Another rejuvenation on an old chair -- Bob did his magic in the workshop taking this walnut Victorian chair apart, regluing and refinishing.

 

We then upholstered it in blue velvet.  We just took it to the consignment shop, and hopefully it will find a new home.

 A two-year entry way project was finally completed when I found this table; and we refinished a yard sale frame and inserted the mirror.  The alabaster lamp was a gift, and I covered a lamp shade with a herringbone wool fabric.

 Another project from the long ago-entryway project was this gallery wall.  I debated a long time about what to put on this wall, and finally decided on this arrangement.

All in all, nothing big or too exciting, but fun projects just the same.  I have a few things in mind for 2012; we'll see how many get done (if I stay home)!

I'm joining the following parties this week.  Check these blogs out for a plethora of inspiration.

Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

Southern Hospitality for Top 2011 Projects on Wednesday

From My Front Porch to Yours for Auld Lang Syne Party on Saturday

JOY TO THE WORLD

AND SHE SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME JESUS; FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS.  Matthew 1:21

FINISHING UP PLUS THIS AND THAT!

It was wonderful in Colorado today even though a lot of major highways in the southern part of the state were closed due to a huge snowstorm.  We were on the northern tip of the storm and only received 4 inches of the white stuff.  We took a little time out of the Christmas preparations to go down to the river  to check it out.  The sun was shining and it was beautiful!!

I changed up the decor in our Hoosier cabinet.  The snowmen and Santas were moved into the guest room, and I got out my German Grandmother's set of Putz houses and churches.

She always had the houses and churches on her mantel along with this little mirror, deer, and bottle brush trees.

I, also, spent some time loading up the bags that I assemble to give out to friends.

This year the bags include blogland's famous 'White Trash'.

These cookies are called palmiers in some European countries, which means palm tree.  However, in Germany they are called schweineohren, which means pig's ears.  Gotta love the Germans - we tell it like it is!!!

Earlier I had made these decoupaged wooden tags/ornaments to attach to the bags.

And, everyone will get a couple of the Honig Lebkuchen.

I'm not the greatest photographer, but occasionally I get some lucky shots.  I assembled some series of note cards from pictures I took this past summer while in Germany and France.    I have series of churches, flowers, and other sights that I'm including in the bags.  Just my thing to encourage the writing of notes!

  The big thing I did today was the horrendous trip to the grocery store for the week.  Does anyone else think groceries have really gone up in price?  Tomorrow, we're making the two-hour trip to visit Bob's 97-year-old mother.  

I do believe I'm about ready for the celebration of the birth of our Savior.  How about you?

GERMAN COOKIES

As a child, my German grandmother and I  would make these honey-ginger (Honig Lebkuchen) cookies together;  except that we would just roll and then cut in circles.  We would pop them in the oven, and that is where everything would go wrong.  My grandmother was a lousy cook and would burn everything!  Recently, my cousin and I were talking about Grandma's cooking - he remembers the rubbery eggs and I remember the burnt cookies.  I didn't know German cookies could be good until I was grown and making them myself!

 I ordered the cookie cutter (shown in the top photo) from a German company about 35 years ago.  I also bought the paper Santas that match the shape of the cutter at the same time.

 The cookies are glazed, then a couple dots of frosting hold the non-edible papers on.  When my kids were in grade school, I use to visit their classes where I would have all the kids glaze the cookies and put the papers on to take home while we would talk about the German Christmas customs.  It was always great fun.  I don't make the Honig Lebkuchen like this very often anymore.  I only have enough paper Santas left to do about one more batch.  I can't find any place to order them anymore, so guess I'll have to resort to photocopying and cut each paper out individually.

And here they are -- all ready to hand out to friends and family.

I'll be joining Centsational Girl for her cookie party on Tuesday, Dec. 20.  Check it out for more goodies!