Catching Up on a Busy Week

This has been one busy week! But I wanted to show you some of the things I've worked on between visits here and there.


I went with the checkered border because, as you can see, the sign and the wall color are so similar that the sign lacked "pop." In an attempt to keep all of us happy, I still tried to rough it up a bit. I'm happy with it, and as Amy said, any ole sign will do, just keep the chocolate baking.

Redo Jr. and I worked on one of last weekend's yard sale finds. He got out his dad's trusty drill and put two holes for drainage in the bottom of this "flower pot."

Then we planted our two new dahlias:

Pretty new planter. Couldn't wait until next spring for everything to be planted, wanted to enjoy some of it this summer. Hope I remember to water them!


Working on some of the other lovely new yard sale finds from last weekend, and will show you as soon as they're completed. Hope your week is speeding happily by.

A Visit to Hunter's Grove

Ms. E, Redo Jr., and I drove to Hunter's Grove today to visit Mr. Redo's cousin Amy and her kids. The house is 200 years old and has been in her family almost all that time. 

This is the old schoolhouse adjacent to the house. Amy's parents plan to retire in a few years and "redo" the schoolhouse into their retirement home. I cannot wait to see what they make of it! 

This beauty met us as we walked from the car around the house to the back porch. 

We love to watch the birds from inside the house, but they may have been shy when we first arrived today. 

The glorious chimney. It works. Last winter the chimney served to heat the upstairs. Next winter the newly installed heat pump will keep things warm. 

Here we have the well house. Looks like a miniature historical president's home, don't you think? Well, not really, but I do like that thingie on the top. 

The hand pump, no longer in use. 

Redo Jr. got to the front porch ahead of us. If I lived at Hunter's Grove, little work would get done as I sat long hours sipping sweet tea and cooling myself with a funeral home fan on this porch. Remember those days? I doubt the early inhabitants of the home had much time for such relaxation. Perhaps on a Sunday afternoon when relatives visited from town. 

Amy's garden. She has snap beans, tomatoes, squash ... and cotton! One cotton plant which will grow brown cotton. I hope we get to see that when it produces.

Amy's mother, Becky, is an historical reenacter. Becky dresses in period costume and works her spinning wheel. She is a wealth of knowledge about fibers and dying them fascinating historical colors. Last year at cousins' camp, Becky cooked brunswick stew for the family over an open fire. 

Amy's sunflower will produce loads of seeds, which will produce loads of sunflowers next year. 

How would you like to have this building as a garden shed? No wonder Amy's garden gets bigger and bigger each year. The door and window (roadside free find - score!) will be used for cold frame next year. 

Meet the hens: Henrietta, Amelia Bedelia, Pippi, Ruby, Goldie, Buttercup, and Isabella (not all pictured).  They arrived at the post office just a month or so ago and quickly grew. 

Henrietta and her friends live in this lovely home, built by Amy's husband Brandon. Love the red!

All too soon it was time to leave, down the winding lane. If you go for mail at Hunter's Grove, you walk one mile to the mailbox and back home. 

That can be tiring on a hot June day, so halfway to the mailbox you stop and rest. 

(Redo Jr. and Ms. E no likey each other :) 

But if you're headed back to town, as we were, you stop at the gas station for a cold Coke. 

Wouldn't it be fun if this old machine still worked? Remember the old Coke bottles? Instead Redo Jr. went inside for pizza and Dr. Pepper. We had a great day in the country. 


P.S. You can see more great pictures, both outside and inside Hunter's Grove, by visiting Amy's blog: http://Witsend.blogspot.com

Welcome to Our Bakery

I told my husband before we married that I didn't like to cook. He didn't believe me. 


After 19 years, he's a believer.


But I do love to bake - cakes, pies, cookies, brownies. All chocolate of course.


So after seeing a sign like this on Pinterest recently, I thought a similar sign would be fitting in my kitchen.

I'm a little undecided on whether or not to put a scrapbook decoupage border around the edge, something like this.

So today, I'd like a little feedback on what you think? 


Leave it plain, with a completely rustic look?


Or jazz it up just a tad with the border?


Or scuff it up and put some dark wax on the edges?


Voting begins now, and thanks for your input!

One Man's Trash . . .

The weekend provided one of the most amazing yard sale/thrifting arenas ever.

Which began as this:

We needed coasters, especially since it's summer. The kids have friends over a lot, and cold sodas and ice tea abound. These were great at 25 cents each, but I knew I could make them lots more interesting with a little scrapbook paper and Mod Podge. 

It will take most of the week to show you everything, especially since I want to do certain things with particular items.

I owned no napkin rings - aren't the crystal ones gorgeous? There were three of the lovely napkins - I see there are strings which will need to be clipped. 

It'll be fun to see which colors I select for painting these. Red? Blue? White? 

A few of each? 

On Friday we went to a yard sale off River Road. When you say River Road in our town, it’s synonymous with wealthy. When we arrived at the house, we remembered visiting a yard sale there for each of the last two years.

Isn't this bench adorable? The box will become a planter in the garden next year. I'm dreaming of what will be. 

The lady of the house said, when asked, that she used to yard sale. Now, she is at the stage of downsizing.

She obviously likes the same things I do. I'd love to use the red circus wagon on the deck to hold potted plants. My son thinks we should buy circus animals for it. That's a sweet idea but I have other plans. Dreams of flowers rising up and flowing down the sides. 

An aside: While reading a blog last week, looking at someone's gorgeous flowers, she taught me something I'd never heard, perhaps you have. When putting together a flower pot's contents, you need the fill, the thrill, and the spill. Ahh. I love that. It goes on my planning list. 

 The fill, the thrill, the spill. Can't wait for next spring. 

That's all for today. Yes, there is more. Later this week, I will show you some of the changes I made in the treasures I found. It's going to be fun! 

Cheeseburger Biscuit Bake

From Taste of Home, December 2010 Issue

While cleaning out a cabinet this week, I came across a Taste of Home cookbook from last December and flipped through it. Dog-eared a half dozen pages with recipes to try. The first was this casserole. 


Cheeseburger Biscuit Bake


1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion (I use the canned flakes)
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/4 c. ketchup
Dash of pepper
1 can pork and beans
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 tube (12 oz.) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits


In large skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, ketchup and pepper, beans. Spoon half into a greased 8-in. square baking dish; sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat the layers.


Place the biscuits around edges of dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400 F for 18-22 minutes, or until the meat mixture is bubbly and biscuits are golden brown.


* denotes a change I made from the original


Enjoy!

Lowe's Gift Card - We Have a Winner!

Thanks to each of you who entered the giveaway!


I used Random.org to choose a winner, and that lucky lady is:

Star Honey

Congratulations! I'll be sending you an email in a few minutes.


Wish each one of you could have won! Thanks for joining the fun.


(If you saw my earlier post that Serenity Rose won, this was an error so please forgive me - and thanks.)