Thursday, September 20, 2018

A quick 5 minute wreath for only $3.....

I stopped into the Dollar Store today and picked up a grape vine wreath, a floral pick and a buffalo plaid fleece scarf.....


I quickly wrapped the scarf around the wreath and held it place with a twisty tie:


I added a floral pick, simply by bending the stem over the wreath:




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Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Pickle Time...3 of my favorite recipes....


Early Autumn always brings back the memories of my grandmother making pickles.  My grandfather  dug out a root cellar in his back yard in Maine and that is where they stored all of their home canned goods. It's a sweet memory for me and there is something about steaming vinegar that can clear out your sinuses in no time!!  


 I only preserve a few jars of pickles each year.  Here are some of my favorite recipes:


 These are great in a tossed salad or on a charcuterie tray:


This is a quick recipe that my Nutrition students made every year:


November 14th is National Pickle Day, so make some now and enjoy them later!

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Friday, September 14, 2018

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Caitlin's Bridal Bouquet

My daughter was married this past Saturday and carried this bouquet as she said her vows and entered a new phase of her life with her loved one:


I have been collecting rhinestones, jewels, and pearls from family and close friends for years...


...with the idea that I would make my daughter's bridal bouquet.

I used a huge styrofoam ball as a base, cutting off 1/5 of one side to create the bottom.  I started hot gluing the larger brooches first....


....and used smaller pieces like earrings and broken pieces to fill in the empty areas...


...pearls and loose rhinestones filled in other empty spots...


...gathered shear ribbon was spiraled around the flat base of the ball...


...and a ribbon covered PVC pipe was the handle!


The tiny flower at the base of the handle was a flower from my bridal bouquet, 38 years ago!



This was such a special piece, representing so many people who are special in Caitlin's life!


It was a perfect day, a glorious celebration and a great party to honor their union!

Caitlin and Pedro  9/8/18


Monday, September 10, 2018

Ten on the Tenth...



Our challenge this month was to come up with ideas of "RAKs" (Random Acts of Kindness) that costs less than $10.

The purpose of a RAK is to brighten someone's day and make them feel good,
HOWEVER
an adverse effect also happens.

The giver feels good about knowing they did a delightful deed!

Here are a few ideas, that cost less than $10, to consider:


Buy the movie ticket for the person behind you in line...
(internet)
 Pay for someone’s morning coffee...


(internet)

Buy $5 gift cards and pass them out....



*************

And if you do not want to spend any money, here are a few ideas:

Write a secret note telling someone all of the special qualities they possess.

(internet)


Give up your spot in line.

(internet) 


Give an elderly person the gift of your time, listen to their stories!
(internet)


Volunteer!
(internet)



Any way you can find to brighten another person's day will be a reward in itself - you never know what weight another person is carrying, so even a SMILE can lighten the mood!!

Hop over to these Ten on the Tenth blogs to see other ways you can brighten someone's day for under $10:



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Saturday, September 1, 2018

Tales of the Traveling Tote #16


The Tales of the Traveling Tote #16

The Tales of the Traveling Tote is a series of adventures that share where our Mackenzie Childs tote bags have taken us.  Four times a year a group of bloggers each write a connected post about the places we have been. We have built incredible friendships through our blogs and we hope you enjoy our tales as much as we do!

To read about how it all began, go HERE


(September 2018)


 (cape cod)


June was spent on Cape Cod: East Sandwich Beach, Falmouth Heights Beach, the Pilot House for Happy Hour :


We took the Island Queen from Falmouth to Oak Bluffs and back to Falmouth a few days later:


We stayed at the Harborside Inn in Edgartown:


I loved this quaint arbor/walkway to enter the property.  The harbor was filled with boats and the view was lovely!


Each morning I walked to the Edgartown Lighthouse and watched the Chappaquidick Ferry cross the short waterway:



(aurora, Ny)

July arrived with the anticipation of Sarah coming to NY for the Annual MacKenzie-Childs Barn Sale.  She stayed in Aurora and we went to Skaneateles for lunch and shopping.  We stopped by M-C to meet with some of the "campers" who stayed for 24 hrs to be the first in line!  I also drove her by Victoria and Richards home, where they lived when they owned the company:


 That evening she invited me to stay at the E.B. Morgan Inn with her and we had dinner at the Aurora Inn with our "new friends":


We enjoyed wine on the back porch of the Inn, overlooking Cayuga Lake, and had a campfire and S'mores after dinner:


The next morning we arrived at 6:00 am for the Barn Sale, wearing Courtly Checked footwear I painted....


...and we only waited a little under 2 hours to enter the sale - and YES, it was worth it!!


Here is my favorite piece I purchased:


A few days later, when Sarah and I stopped into the Del Lago Savor MacKenzie-Childs store, we realized neither of us had our Traveling Tote - so, we improvised:



(sharon springs) 
I made a quick stop at the Beekman 1802 Mercantile to pick up some jelly.  If you are not familiar with them, you can read their story HERE 
This is so good: 


 (ohio)
At the end of July we took a quick trip to Ohio to play with our grandsons!


 and I got to visit one of my favorite stores:  A Proper Garden:

On the way home we went to Canada and visited 
(niagara falls)


Niagara on the Lake is a great little town where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario.  The area is home to over 20 wineries.



The town has the oldest golf course in North America and we had drinks and dinner there.  They  make the best soup and frozen drinks!! 

There were a few summer nights spent on Oneida Lake, on my dear friend Maureen's paddle boat....sometimes we just took it way out and sat and chatted over a glass of wine!


The summer has flown by!
We are busy with wedding preparations for our youngest daughter who will be married on Sept 8!

As always, we are having a giveaway, hosted by Linda - make sure you stop by to enter!!
(giveaway)
 Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda is hosting our giveaway this season:

(Visit my friends):
Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths 
Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch
(You are here) Patti with Miss Kenzie @ Pandora's Box
Katie with Miss Daisy @ Preppy Empty Nester
Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda
Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply 
Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul
Jackie and Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home
Ricki Jill and Countess De Monet @ The Sketchy Reader
Lea and Miss Scarlett @ Cici's Corner

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(patti)

We will be back in December: