1/29/11

The 'Crabby' Birthday Luncheon

Did I say 'Crabby'?  I meant to say 'Happy' Birthday Luncheon!
I don't know why my keyboard makes such crappy awful unforgiveable spelling mistakes. 
 I never was a good speller, but I figured for as Smart as my PC is Touted ToBe, it should be able to know what I meant to Say/Spell!
I'll start OVER...The Happy Birthday Luncheon!!!

Starting off with Crab Cheese Spread and Crackers...followed by this Gorgeous and Delicious Spring Salad with Vinergarette Dressing and Blue Cheese.

I probably shouldn't say this, but the Spring Salad was full of Weeds!  I am an advertureous Salad eater, and I didn't want to show my Texas IceBurg/GreenLeaf/Spinach Salad Limitation Knowledge, so I ate the Weeds...and Ya'll they were really Good and I hope Good For Me!  Thank-you Gretchen for the most Beautiful and Tastiest Bunch of Weeds I ever ate!  

The Main Dish or as 'The New Joy of Cooking' says...The Entree'...Crustless Crab Quiche!
OMGosh, if you haven't had this Delicious Dish, you must try it sometime! 
I haven't checked to see if the recipe is in 'The New Joy of Cooking', but my Crab Quiche Cooker, SusanB has her own 'Joyous' Recipe that I bet she will share.  What am I saying....why would I make it when she will make it for me!  Wasn't that sweet of her to make it for my Birthday?  Thank you SusanB. 

DaDa!  My famous 'Drop Biscuts'....Really they are famous throughout Blogland.
The post...'The Joy of Cooking and Serving Drop Biscuts'...has climbed to #Two in the STATS Most Popular Posts! 
It's within less than 100 page views to Top #One...Collectin' Chicken Scratch
 Maybe some of Ya'll will check out the Drop Biscuts post ... I'm thinkin' I'd rather be known in Blogland for Droppin' Biscuts rather than Scratchin' Chickens!

And NOW....The Dessert...HeathBar and Pecan CookieBars with Valentine Tea!
I have to tell you about the Valentine Tea....it's Chocolate Flavored! 
I'm a Newbie Tea Drinker with my Wednesday Knitting FourSome, and they have been trying to convince me that TeaCups and TeaPots are for more than Collecting.  I've found that I like my Tea like I like my HiHoney...Strong and Sweet! 

As for the Cookie Bars...OMGosh, they were SooooGood and SoGood ForME!  Yep, they were made with Wheat and Gluten Free Flour, so I could eat at least as many that fit on the top plate of the Tidbit Tray!  Thanks Gina and Happy January Birthday to you, too!

Here we are, The Wednesday Knit FourSome!
LtoR...Gretchen, Susan, Gina and Me!
We really did get some knitting done and if you would like to hop on over to my other Blog,
you can see more of the Luncheon and our 2011 Sweater Challenge Posts.

1/26/11

Photo Focus On Vintage Baby Dolls and The Letter P

P is for Photo Effects...and...Pink Saturday




Hush Little Babies, don't you cry!
This was my first thought as the 'Straight Out of Camera' photo came up in my Windows Live Photo Gallery where I usually crop and adjust the exposure and fiddle with the picture before sizing and saving.  However, this photo seemed perfect in composition and was the ideal photo to do some Fun Photo Effects!

Special Effects and Frames are from Picnik.
This was my first Photo Editing at Picnik.  I found it to be very User Friendly.

Linking to
 Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday
and
Beverly's Pink Saturday

1/24/11

A Small Shelf Space and Perfect Place for White Stuff

Here I am thinking how quickly the days of January have clicked off the calendar, and here in West Texas we haven't had any of the White Stuff...Snow that is!

This White Stuff!!!
Well, I've made up for the lack of Snow by adding to my White Dishes Collection! 
 It seems on every Thriftin' Trip I'm drawn to the White Stuff and have acquired collected enough to create a
Small Shelf Space as the Perfect Place for Showing It Off.


I felt especially lucky to come across four small white plates of Homer Laughlin's 'Seville' pattern.  I'm afraid it may grow into another Collection...if I'm Lucky!

As the days of January have quickly come and gone without any Snow, and I've just realized that there's one more Monday  this month...that will make Five Mondays in January...maybe we will have a chance at some White Stuff afterall....Snow that is!

Of course I'll be on the Thriftin' Trail for the other White Stuff, too!

Linking to
Mary's Mosaic Monday at The Little Red House
Marty's TableTop Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life 
and
Linda's Junkin' Finds Friday at A La Carte

1/23/11

Home Sweet Home



Oh Toto...There's No Place Like Home!

There's No Place Like Home!

I know just how Dorothy felt! 

The week away was abit like a tornado whirlwind....a WORK Whirlwind!
So, I'm really glad to be back in my Home Sweet Home!

While I was a way, I got to BlowOut Candles and be with my Mom.

With the Whirlwind Work schedule, there was no time for photography, so here's a shot of the pretty pink Tulips to Get Back To Bloggin'!

Thanks to everyone for the 'Have a FunTime and Good Trip wishes!

I'll be by to visit soon! 

1/16/11

This Weeks ONE and ONLY...Post

Really, Ya'll....I know it's hard to believe after last months All Out CramItIn TwoHundred or Bust Posting. 

Then I Challenge myself to Conserve Blog Time and Space in 2011 by The Ole' DoubleUp on Meme Posts.  So far, that's worked pretty well.  Yep, I've Spent Twice The Time and Taken Twice The Space.  I call that the biggest UnConserving Effort Ever!

Now, I'm here to Pop a One and Only Post on Ya'll.  So here Goes and here's Why!

I'm going to be GONE.  I mean really Gone Out of Town, Out of Pocket and Out of Computer Contact!

 OMOne and Only how will I ever make it without my Computer!  Actually, I just won't be able to Pop on the PC to Post and Comment.  I still have my PHONE...Whew!

I am going to miss.....
Mosaic Monday
TableTop Tuesday
Junkin Finds Friday
and
Pink Saturday

However, I absolutely CanNot ruin my Perfect Attendance at Alphabe-Thursday

So....One and Only is for the Letter O!!!

1/15/11

Pink Tulips in January for Pink Saturday


A Thoughtful Gift of Two Tulips in January was the Inspiration for this 'Franciscan Desert Rose' Tablescape
 and a bit of Reflecting on my Childhood.  
You see January is NOT my favorite month. 
Here's why....it rained, snowed, blowed dirt, and ruined every Birthday Party my Mama planned for Me.

I am a Fair Weather Fan, and if I'd had my druthers, I'd have picked April, May, June or July for a Birthday!
Why I wouldn't even mind being April, May or June instead of Sue...at least I'm not named January!
Now back to Tulips.
I always associate Tulips with early Spring, Dutch WindMills and the color Red, and I've never given them a thought as a January Fresh Flower. 
In fact the only Fresh Flower I associate with January is the Carnation. 
It's the Month of Januarys Flower. 
Garnet is the Birthstone...I wouldn't have minded being named Garnet.

Birthdays? yes, in a general way...for the most, if not for the best of men...(and women)...You were born (I suppose) on a certain day:  So was I: or perhaps in the night: what then?
- James Kenneth Stephen

That's It!!! The reason....I was Born At Night In A Snow Storm!  Oh Goodie...now I have a January BirthNight to look forward to...I hope it Snows!
Linking To
As Always, Thanks Beverly for Making Saturdays Pink!!!
PS...By Popular Request, The Rosebud Napkin Folding Tutorial is Posted Below this Pink Saturday Post.

1/14/11

Going Going Gone On Green Glass


Going Green is A Big Deal these days!
Being Green is Politically Collector-lly Correct!
At least for this Collector of Green Glass!


n a recent Out of Town Thriftin Trip, I scored on a number of Green Glass pieces including Two Diamond Point Stem Water Glasses.  Indiana Glass Company produced this timeless pattern in crystal, crystal w/ruby stain, blue satin, black, yellow, teal, blue, amber, electric blue, carnival and milk glass and my favorite green.


In the same Out of Town GoodWill Store, were Two Sherbert Dishes. 
If they look familiar, it's because Linda showed the ones she found this week, too. 
I'm using them for Candles in a Tablescape that will air tomorrow for Pink Saturday.
Putting Pink and Green together....Collector-lly Correct!


All in all it was a Good Goodwill Shopping Trip.  The Green Glass pieces were 75 cents each with everyone being in absolutely MINT condition.  The Diamond Point Stems are listed for $6 and a comparable Footed Sherbert lists for $5. 
I'm happy to add them to my collection of mix and match Gone On Green Glassware!

Linking to Linda's Junkin Finds Friday!

1/12/11

N is for Needles

Sewing fills my days, not to mention the living room, bedroom and closets. 
{Author Unknown...but it could have been Me} 

I remember exactly when I became fascinated with The Needle! 


The rhythm of the Treadle Sewing Machine and Mothers hands feeding the material under the foot had this six year old girl completely spell bound. 

I would sit beside her for hours and watch the needle go up and down. 

My job was to hold the Tomato Pin Cushion to receive the pins that steadily were pulled from the material before it went through the foot.

Mother was very careful to always pull the pins so the NEEDLE would not be damaged.  It was a long way to town for a package of Singer Needles.
Starting with Needle and Thread and scraps of material, I hand stitched doll clothes until finally I was long legged enough to reach the Foot Pedal of the old Singer Treadle. And so began a life time of Needlework, an appreciation  for the Art of Sewing and Collecting Sewing Stuff.  I still occasionally sew on a Treadle...often sew on a 1950 Century Edtion Featherweight...and mostly sew on a Janome Memory Craft 6600 Quilters Dream Machine.

Here's a bit of NEEDLE History....afterall there are lessons to be learned about the Letter N.
  • The first sewing needles were made from bone and were used to sew animal hides together. The oldest known bone sewing needle was one found in what is now southwestern France and has been estimated to be over 25,000 years old.
  • The knowledge of needle making was also used to make fish hooks in England. The country became well known for high quality fish hooks as well as sewing needles in the middle of the 17th century.
  •  Metal needles were handcrafted before the industrial age. The process began with cutting wire long enough to make two needles. Then points were ground on either end of the wire, the wire was flattened in the middle and eyes punched out. The needles were then separated. This operation is still followed today, but machines now do the work instead of people.
Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by.
 Life is like that - one stitch at a time taken patiently and the pattern will come out all right like the embroidery.
Oliver Wendell Holmes


"I will not allow my creative spirit and need to knit to be thwarted by a lack of materials."
"DITTO" 
 CollectInTexas Gal ~ Collector of Knitting Materials

    Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled spirit, and it doesn't hurt the untroubled spirit, either.
    Elizabeth Zimmerman





    I like making a piece of string into something I can wear.
    {Author Unknown...but it's not Me...unless you count OneSock}



    Another Set of Needles - Crochet - "I like making a piece of string into something I can use to wash dishes." 
     CollectInTexas Gal...maker of Crocheted Dish Rags.
    N is for Needles....Linked to Alphabe~Thursday...Thanks Jenny!
    As ye sew and knit, so shall ye rip.
    {guess who}

With These Hands ~ Focus on Photography

With These Hands
{click on photos to enlarge}

 Gina Knits

Gretchen Purls

We Knit and Purl

I Knit Three ~ Purl Three

{click on Banner to view the 2011 Sweater Challenge post}

1/11/11

The New Joyous Eggplant Challenge


The New Joy of Cooking Challenge has me contemplating a variety of recipes that have not been on My Menus before. 
 For instance Eggplant Parmigiana or Rolled Stuffed Eggplant or Caponata Eggplant Relish or maybe even Ratatouille. 
Now let me tell ya, the only thing I know about Ratatouille is a Rat Mouse Movie.

I'm leaning toward the Caponata Eggplant Relish just so I can use the latest piece to my Fitz and Floyd Collection.  
Which just happened to be the inspiration for the Acorn Dining Table Centerpiece.

In addition to the Eggplant Server, some Out of Town Thriftin' netted the white platter, salad plates and candle sticks.


As well as the Green Candle Holders made by Roselane Pottery of California.  They were originally sold as a set of three pieces with the third piece being a 'Console Bowl'.  I found a complete set on Ebay in Pink and White with the bowl having the pottery marks and Foils...one of mine has a Foil Sticker.  The complete set on Ebay has a BuyNow price of $45.  My two candle holders were found at an Antique Shop and were priced at $25 with Booth Closing Sale of 75 percent off....got em for $5.00.


Now about The Joy of Eggplant Cooking!
Since my OneWordGoal for the New Year is Challenge...I'm going to go with the Challenge of  Cooking and Serving Ratatouille. 
 The New Joy says it is a nice vegetable melange (huh) served warm with lamb or chicken or as a vegetarian entree with saffron rice. 
I see a Bunch of Innovations happening with this one!