Raw Rutes -

Raw Rutes just sent me a few packages of their products to try!

I was thrilled to open the box and find these fun pics and spoons!

You may remember a few photos I posted with their products:

The Tree Bunch Gourmet Cocktail Pick is perfect for a Bloody Mary.  As you can see, they are sturdy enough to hold a chicken wing, as well as a piece of celery, a slice pf pepperoni, a slim beef stick, a grape and a piece of cheese!!!  These hold your Happy Hour snacks, so no need for a tray of nibblers!  Be creative, I can imagine a little hamburg slider, meatballs, bacon, pickled green beans - the ideas are endless!

Wouldn't these also be cute for children in their glass of milk with donut holes?

or cookies....

Raw Rutes is a Buffalo, NY based company, on a mission to help you celebrate the homegrown and homemade in your life. Many of their products are made right in Buffalo, with the remainder being supplied by craftsmen from across the U.S. and countries like Poland, Italy, and Slovenia. Their staff live and breathe the time honored slow-food traditions that were pushed aside for Instant Noodle Cups and TV Dinners. Whether it's harvesting, dehydrating or fermenting foods, they like to be involved in the process and they are there to help you do the same! 

The Cocoa Caribou Hot Chocolate Buddies are so much fun, not only for children, but adults, too!  Who doesn't love a cup of hot cocoa loaded with marshmallows?  The picks also can hold chocolates, soft mints, pastel pillow mints, even a few soft cookies!

What child wouldn't enjoy coming home from school to this snack?

AND

They are also awesome in cocktails.... a few little treats with a Rum and Coke: 

The first gift they sent was a set of Gin-iper Branches.  These will be so much fun to use in the summer with berries and chunks of fruit!  Today I made a cocktail with Blueberry Vodka and Sprite....

...and I filled the branch with blueberries and a sprig of mint!

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This is such a fun way to make a cocktail special and tastier!

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The Dessert Spoons are just adorable and quite unique, They remind me of the Hoodsie Cup spoons from my childhood that were made from wood, but much sturdier and more versatile....

...perfect for ice cream....

...and I can even imagine using these little penguins to serve or spread cream cheese dips, peanut butter onto crackers or encouraging children to try new foods!

The Nifty Lil Narwhal Martini picks are also very versatile.  Perfect for Manhattans and Martinis - OR - simply to add a little lemon flavor to your water: 

The larger Nifty Narwhal Picks are perfect for Mojitos, holding mint and limes OR sinking a lemon in a Gin and Tonic:

They also carry the cutest Garden Tools and I want to order the Kitchen Herb Hanger, which is so reasonably priced!  They have clever Kitchen Tools, and if you make a lot of tomato sauce in the fall, you might need this !

To receive a catalog, click HERE

All opinions and ideas are my own!  Raw Rutes supplied the products.

Have you read these books?....

I don't read too often in the winter but I read a few books while on vacation last month and I highly recommend both!

Imagine your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not only the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. And then imagine that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive…

Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. But that letter is about to change everything—and not just for her. There are other women who barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they, too, are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.

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Ten years ago, Lena Donohue experienced a wedding-day betrayal so painful that she fled the small town of Watersend, South Carolina, and reinvented herself in New York City. Though now a freelance travel writer, the one place she rarely goes is home—until she learns of her dad’s failing health.

Returning to Watersend means seeing the sister she has avoided for a decade and the brother who runs the family’s Irish pub and has borne the burden of his sisters’ rift. While Alzheimer’s slowly steals their father’s memories, the siblings rush to preserve his life in stories and in photographs. As his secret past brings Lena’s own childhood into focus, it sends her on a journey to discover the true meaning of home.

Happiness is getting lost in a good book!

Rachel Cordaro - and a giveaway....

I have been drawn to the art work of Rachel Cordaro for quite a while and was fortunate recently to meet her in person.

Rachel describes herself as a "floral paintress".  Her paintings first caught my eye because many of the paintings of flowers have black and white vases incorporated into her work!  Some are funky, whimsical and playful and are all full of color!

The first time I saw her work in person was at Parkleigh in Rochester, where her work is still being sold.

She also has a booth at the Shops on West Ridge, a treasure trove of over 200 shops all under one roof!

Some of her paintings have been transformed into textiles, prints and onto greeting cards.

 Her newest venture includes glazed pottery tableware:

When I met Rachel I found her to be delightful.  She and her husband, who is also an artist, have studios in their home.  You can read her bio HERE and visit her blog HERE.

Her pillow covers, tablecloths and table runners are just stunning.  She gave me one of her tablecloths to incorporate into a table setting. The tablecloths are of excellent quality, 70" round and 100% polyester and are reasonably priced.

Here are a few ways I have used my new "watercolor" tablecloth (my favorite pattern, and you all know how much I love watercolor prints!!):

Lunch for Two:

My hand painted wine glasses picked up the colors in the tablecloth:

The colors are so rich and vibrant:

Setting a simple table helps to highlight the fabric....

....and simple floral napkin rings and the flowers on the dish coordinate well with the print!

Decorated for Easter:

Easter Brunch for Four:

 "I am a floral paintress and it is my passion to bring to you a custom mix of dreamy flowers with rich colors"  Rachel Cordaro

All of the colors from my Taylor pattern in the MacKenzie-Childs ceramics coordinate well with this tablecloth, too!

"Artists can be a little short on words, but an audience is pulled toward confidence and when it sees that in our painting, it pulls them in. We love what we do, and that confidence shines through on the canvas. We just want to create something beautiful.”

— RACHEL CORDARO

Impromptu Happy Hour with friends:

As you can see, the tablecloth has been used quite a bit in the last 2 weeks and it still looks brand new!

Everyday:

The hubs thought it was OK to read the Sunday paper on the dining room table because the kitchen table was set for company dinner:

It always feels good to bring flowers indoors!!

Thanks, Rachel for this lovely gift!

Would you like a chance to win a painting, a table runner and a pillow cover?

Go HERE for the rules and good luck!

Contest ends on May 11th

I hope you will visit her shop, Parkleigh, or some of the events she will be participating in:

Here are her upcoming events in The Rochester, NY area:

Cordell & Rachel pop-up Shop at Parkleigh

• Saturday, May 4, 2019  11:00 AM  4:00 PM

Fairport Canal Days June 1-2

• Sat, Jun 1, 2019 10:00 AM  Sun, Jun 2, 2019 5:00 PM

Corn Hill Art Festival July 13-14

• Sat, Jul 13, 2019 10:00 AM  Sun, Jul 14, 2019 5:00 PM

Webster Waterfront Art Festival July 27-28

• Sat, Jul 27, 2019 10:00 AM  Sun, Jul 28, 2019 5:00 PM

Sonnenberg Arts at the Gardens August 17-18

• Sat, Aug 17, 2019 10:00 AM  Sun, Aug 18, 2019 5:00 PM

Clothesline Festival September 7-8

• Sat, Sep 7, 2019 10:00 AM  Sun, Sep 8, 2019 5:00 PM

Artist Row at the Public Market September 15th.

Sunday, September 15, 2019  10:00 AM  4:00 PM

RMSC Holiday Bazaar November 22-24

Fri, Nov 22, 2019 5:00 PM  Sun, Nov 24, 2019 4:00 PM

Potter Barn Pop-up Shop benefiting St. Jude Children's Hospital

Saturday, November 24, 2018 11:00 AM  2:00 PM

Sharing with Tablescape Thursday

While on vacation I read a few good books.....

I decided to remove myself from Social Media and TV while on vacation in Grand Cayman last week.  It was a nice break and I was able to read 4 books while enjoying the beach and pool!

The first book I read was The Last Mrs Parrish....proof positive that you never know what goes on in another's marriage - I was engrossed and couldn't put it down!  The thrilling twist was a great surprise!

I immediately opened this book, The Couple Next Door and couldn't wait to read "The end".  It was a bit stretched out and the story could have been told in less pages!!  The new parents are at a dinner party at their neighbors home when a crime is committed.  It had a surprising twist, but took forever to get to it!!

I enjoyed Driving Lessons  - Sarah and her husband leave NYC jobs and move to the country.  She is challenged living in a quaint southern town and hasn't driven a car in years!!  Cute story!

I ended my vacation by finishing this book just as the plane landed and we arrived home!  I "lived in" Now That You Mention It .  This was a fast moving read and I actually laughed out loud a few times!  Nora's life is falling apart so she returns home, a place she doesn't feel welcomed.

 I still have one more to read.....I have read all of Hilderbrand's novels and just need to find some quiet time to sink into this one:

Have you read a good one lately?