Reminiscing Moments...

I have So Many pretty new things to share with you I hardly know where to begin... I have a "NEW FAVORITE THING"...We'll start there! I have become very interested in "Demitasse"... Tiny Treasures that would surely make anyone smile... A thought crosses my mind, of tiny tea parties, in a Lilliput World, on mossy hills.  There would be lots of little critters surrounding me, and the birds gathering to sing!!!
Our Dear Friend Fabby of "FABBY'S LIVING"  brought up a good point...She mentioned that although these cute cups are a MUST HAVE we don't really drink that much cappuccino or espresso..."Hmmm... made me think"! NOW let's add something new for these sweet little babies...Let's picture ourselves in the Movie "CHOCOLAT"... We'll sit at Vianne's counter and sip chocolat from these cups! What do you think??? I know they are not French made "BUT" I believe we are all living our Dreams eclectically, "SO" it's allowed... "I think I saw Vianne smile"! I know I'm going to leave her a pair of my little rosebud cup & saucers...
What do you think Fabby? You came along to France with me and did you enjoy your chocolat in our re-purposed cups???

This morning there was a commotion in my backyard of a colorful nature...My Bluebird house was being "inspected" by a magnificent pair... I KNEW I didn't do my spring birdhouse cleaning "YET" and quickly ran out to "clean their domain"... This put me in the MOOD for a "New Birdhouse"...Nothing in particular BUT there was a void that must be filled!!! After spending several hours "House Hunting" this is what I came home with... "A Sweet little Stone Humble Abode"! "Do you like it"???

 

The pretty rose floral plate with the script & gold scrolls is "ROYAL STAFFORD Pink Rose Garden Floral". I introduced it HERE...The tiny coffee pot is "Johnson Bros. England OLD ENGLISH" and it's serving "Numi White Rose Tea"... Look how wonderfully it blends with my rosebud demitasse cup & saucers... It's even the same delicious cream color!

Look at the little intricately detailed silverware... All German and "NOW" we can get these treasures from Our own Dear Johanna "directly from Germany"... I am SO "Tickled Pink" I can hardly breath!!! She's an expert on the subject and can also identify what you have... It's hard to photograph BUT not only is there a gorgeous rose or little bird, the rest of the spoon is a three dimensional branch(not flat)... On my list of favorite things "These are at the top"... The first time I saw one and held it "I was in LOVE"!!! I plan to someday have a HUGE SET that will serve my guests with envy of "Where did you get these, I MUST have some"... AND NOW I will direct them to Johanna's Unique Shop  "Silber & Rosen Shop"
"Thank you so much Johanna for making these available to us"!!! "Yes life is Good"!!! Love You!!!
 Click Johanna's name for her beautiful blog too...

That heavily embossed rose dish(on the right) is "POPE-ROSSER CHINA Made in U.S.A... The pattern is ROSE POINT... I LOVE the detail! It reminds me of lace...  They were a hidden treasure I picked up at GW for $1(for a pair) and Happy Danced all the way home! They seem to work their way into "JUST ABOUT" every tablescape!!! "JUST ABOUT"!!!

The demitasse cup & saucers are from a substantial set I bought back in July when my computer became "POSSESSED"... I had lots of time on my hands and Lots of thoughts of  "What was I going to do without My Land of Blog"!!! Soooo...Shopping I went...This set is "WindsorWare Johnson Bros. England"... It's a creamy ivory color with, the most beautiful, delicate pink rosebuds & trimmed in gold...

Ahhhhh! Laces and Needlework! "God Bless the Ladies that have adorned my tables with these"...  When lace catches my eye, I seem to melt into it's spell...It captivates me like a good book... I LOVE to examine every stitch, listening to stories of their journey through time... All of you who create these treasures will live forever in my heart and SO MANY generations to come... Thank you for my Masterpieces! I Love you all!


I'M SHARING TODAY @
"WHITE WEDNESDAY @ Faded Charm" 

"PEARLS & LACE THURSDAY @ Faith, Grace and Crafts" 

"LET'S DISH @ Cuisine Kathleen" 

"VINTAGE THINGIE THURSDAY @ Coloradolady" 

"TABLESCAPE THURSDAY @ Between Naps on the Porch" 

"THRIFTY THINGS FRIDAY@ The Thrifty Groove" 

"FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY @ French Country Cottage" 

"WOW US WEDNESDAY @ Ivy and Elephants" 

"SHOW and TELL FRIDAY @ My Romantic Home" 

"PINK SATURDAY @ How Sweet the Sound" 

"Seasonal Sundays @The Tablescaper" 

"Masterpiece Monday @ BoogieBoard Cottage" 

"NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY @ Coastal Charm" 
"TABLETOP TUESDAY@ A Stroll Thru Life" 
"TEACUP TUESDAY@Martha's Favorites" 

" Welcoming Spring" WITH Bunnies & Chocolat sprinkled with Pink & Green

I have been drawn to the color combo of soft pink and pale greens since the first time I saw wire edged French Ribbon...It was back in the early 70s I received a gift from an inspirational friend Tied with this RIBBON! I hate to confess that I don't remember the contents of the gift, BUT I still have the RIBBON! 

Let's add some "CHOCOLAT" to our scheme too...We can NEVER have too much of this!

This pretty little plate is a Theodore Haviland Regents Park "Rose"! It was acquired while thrifting my days away last fall and thinking of "You All"...There were only two BUT for $1 for the set, "They literally JUMPED in my car"! ANYTHING with a rose "Is a MUST HAVE", don't you think???
The Pink bottom plate is also a thrifting treasure... Not my best buy but $5 each was more than fair for "Bordallo Pinneiro" deep rose pink plates made in Portugal... they remind me of Majolica with a timeless tone!

Look at that "CUTE" little pale green cloche! It's one of two and I have been VISITING it regularly at a local consignment shop! I was convinced that one day it would be mine!!! and after setting this vignette I called the shop and "Made an offer they DIDN'T refuse"...Then I trotted down to fetch my treasure and enhance my setting! "LOVE THEM"!!!
"Sherry" do you see your little green sherbets? I won those beautiful green sherbets from Sherry @ Back 2 Vintage...If you've never visited Her Land of Blog YOU MUST click here...AND if you live in her area YOU MUST visit her shop... "How fun is that"!!!

Reed & Barton "Harlequin" serving pieces...I only have "3" of the set of 5...BUT those of you who KNOW me "KNOW" that I look at "THREE" as a perfect set...

Oh My! More bunnies are Hopping in!!! He's going to need a BIG MUG!

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This beautiful serving bowl is "HUGE and STUNNING"!!! It is Mexican Pewter and every bit as intricate as Arthur Court(I have both)... I ALSO think that silver/pewter blends a table with pink...

What are we quenching our thirst with this morning??? "CHOCOLATE PU-ERH NuMi TEA"!!! I also have a pot of Artisan Coffee Roasters "Tiramisu Coffee"...Oh My it tastes like Heaven, the BEST I've ever tasted!!!What else would chocolate bunnies drink?
I stopped into TJmaxx today "AND" they had the Artisan Coffee Roasters "Tiramisu Coffee" for $4.99 a bag!!! OH MY GOODNESS...They also had Carmel, BUT the Tiramisu is the one that has WON My HEART!!! I'm going to go back and buy every bag they had! "YUMMMMMY"!

I Love to use tea towels as little table cloths... If you line them up down your table, they are PERFECT as a runner by covering over the seams with flowers and teatime goodies... This group  I've had FOREVER and they've been tucked away for a special occasion...Of Course a Tea COULD NEVER be more special than "Spent with You"!!! 
See that big beautiful rabbit, laying there, in the linen?
We can never have too many bunnies at our tea!

My big bargain joining us is the vintage"Daisy dot MARCREST"...I have LOVED this pattern since the 60s when Mom brought home a casserole and one large chop plate from "The First National Grocery Store"...Dad remarked on how she didn't NEED any more dishes AND that was the end of her MARCREST collection...I DO have the casserole that was used for EVERY picnic, road trip, etc we went on. It seemed to be ALWAYS full of sausage &peppers, meatballs, stuffed peppers, Boston baked beans, bread pudding OR various other goodies invented by Mom(Yum,Yum,Yummy)...OK, now for MY bargain Marcrest...I found a VERY LARGE stack of it in a local thrift shop. It was SO DIRTY that you couldn't even tell if it was chipped. I juggled the WHOLE pile to the guy in charge and told him I'd use them for my plants if they were unusable. He sold me ALL of them for $2. Which was even a bargain for plant saucers. When I got home and gave them all their hot bubble bath...THEY WERE MINT! not even a scratch! Can you picture me "Happy Dancing" at that point! Dishes and Cups&Saucers AND that wonderful "BEAN POT"!!! You ask...Is it full of BEANS? Is it full of MAYBE "Jelly Beans"? No, It's full of "Carrot Cake Scones"!!! AH, Isn't life wonderful! to give us the NET to find such things...I just typed in "I Want Carrot Cake Scones"...BINGO, there they were, HUNDREDS of them... I will add the recipe here Below...
Did you notice how Marcrest "Looks like Chocolat"? It's one of the things I LOVE about it(other than all the MEMORIES of Mom)...

Did I mention we can NEVER have too many roses? David Austin thought so too...One can ONLY dream to absorb all his knowledge...I faithfully DO READ all I can about him and his techniques...Did you know that you should feed each of your rosebushes a "banana peel" every year...I cut one WHOLE banana peel PER PLANT and work it into the soil around the plant making sure it's beneath the surface! Plants use lots of potassium, this is an easy way to replenish it!

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On St Patrick's Day I always adorn the table with Fern Leaf Anemone in my favorite pale greens, then after the Leprechauns have left the premises The TULIPS join the vase... My favorite for this display is Parrot tulips of pink & Green! The Fern leaves mingling with the Strap leaves are a perfect marriage...

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LOOK what happened!!! God graced me with "What's left of my cherry tree" In blossom!!! It's a whole month early. It opened March 22nd... 

Carrot cake Scones! 

Author: Karlynn Johnston

Serves: 18

Spicy carrot cake scones drizzled with tangy cream cheese icing.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 4 cups of flour
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1 cup of raisins
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup of cold margarine or butter
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• sprinkle of nutmeg
• sprinkle of cloves

Instructions

1. Kick the tires & light the fires to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk together your flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a very large bowl. You need the space to cut in the butter and it is a rather large recipe.
3. Shred your carrots and then blot them with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
4. Take your Greek yogurt – mine was honey sweetened but really you do not need the extra sweet- and mix in the baking soda.
5. Cut your cold butter into the dry mixture using two knives criss-cross or a pastry blender. Butter most definitely tastes the best in scones, but you can use margarine as a substitute, just make sure it’s cold!
6. Take your egg and beat it, then add the Greek Yogurt and egg to the dry ingredients at the same time. Mix them in well, then take the raisins and carrots and dump them into the bowl.
7. I used my hands at this point to work the dough. It may seem like there isn’t enough moisture, but trust me and keep kneading the dough. You will get a perfect non sticky scone dough like below!
8. Roll the dough into a stumpy log.
9. Cut that log into three equal pieces.
10. Once those three almost equal circles are flattened into one inch thick circles, which are about 6 inches wide, cut them into 6 pieces each.
11. Lay those 18 scones onto parchment lined baking sheets, you only need two. They will fit and they do not expand sideways as much as they bake upwards.
12. Bake them in a 350 degree oven for 20-24 minutes until the bottoms and tops are a delicious golden brown.

I'M LINKING TODAY TO THESE FUN PARTIES! PLEASE COME SEE ALL THE FUN

"LET'S DISH @ Cuisine Kathleen" 

"VINTAGE THINGIE THURSDAY @ Coloradolady" 

"THRIFTY THURSDAY @ Tales from Bloggeritaville" 

"THIFTY THINGS FRIDAY @ The Thrifty Groove" 

"TREASURE HUNT THURSDAY @ From My Front Porch To Yours" 

"FEATHERED NEST FRIDAY @ French Country Cottage" 

"BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH" 

"SHOW & TELL FRIDAY @ My Romantic Home" 

 "PINK SATURDAY @ How Sweet The Sound"

"SEASONAL SUNDAYS @ The Tablescaper" 

"MASTERPIECE MONDAY @ Boogieboard Cottage" 

"NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY @ Coastal Charm" 

"BUNNY BLOG HOP @ DIY by Design" 

"TEATIME TUESDAY @Rose Chintz Cottage" 

"TABLE TOP TUESDAY @ A Stroll Thru Life" 

"HOME SWEET HOME @ The Charm of Home" 

Triliums, Thrifting, & My Obsession with Triplicates!

I have a passion for Triliums! One of the Very First plants to grace my gardens... Of course, I planted "three" deep red ones...

I have found some wonderful treasures in my "goodwill hunting"... The little vintage"Toto basket" is one of my FAVORITE FINDS! It was $1...The creamy white dishes peeking out are a set(4) of Italian Ironstone($1ea)... That very same day I got a stack of hand made napkins(do you see them scattered around the table)? The material looks like MAYBE "VERA"??? There were "3" for $1...

These Sweet little Twins are just "Darling"! How could I not invite them home with me! "Does ANYONE Recognize them"??? They are SO Beautifully Detailed!!! They were only $3 for the pair!!! MAYBE from the 40s??? HEY!!! that would make them older than "MOI"!!!

She is holding a canvas and paint brushes & He is holding roller skates... Can you tell by their expressions that they would rather be OFF "Doing their Own Thing"... and NOT standing around posing for my Tablescape??? I baited them here by promising to pack Our cute little picnic basket with tasty treats for an afternoon down by the lake...I also positioned a pear(Limoges France)  on top of the fountain, to tempt the talents of an aspiring young lady artist..."She does not look impressed"!!!

This cute little fountain is all vintage charm. The bottom is a a small pedestal of blown glass that would be Perfectly Proportioned for a large cupcake or muffin. The 2 sherbets on top ALSO have a matching third one...They are SO THIN and SO GORGEOUS...The consistency of fine crystal... I do not know the maker of ANY of these beautiful glasses...I would LOVE to know??? Hint Hint Hint

"Look at her thick gorgeous eyelashes"!!! Just like those "Vintage Head Vases" have...Is it possible it's the same manufacturer??? They are a very high quality...

Those demitasse cups are hand painted ADAMS Real English Ironstone, Este1657,Member of the Wedgwood Group...The color is a very pale turquoise with flowers painted inside AND out...I was able to get a set of 6, although the manufacturers mark on the bottoms are different... There were no saucers ... "BUT who cares"...They were only $3dollars for all six... Who could pass on these little charmers... NOT ME!!!
Oh Yes, that is a little Limoges Bee Box... 

Their eyelashes EVEN Cast a Shadow on their cheeks...Isn't that Precious? LOVE THEM!!! They are also quite tall, measuring in at around 8inches(give or take a bow)...

"My TRILIUM from Spring 2011"...I hope Mother Nature has spared some of my gardens...Now that Spring has Sprung, time will tell!!! My TRILIUM is planted with my hostas, so they poke their pretty little smiling face up through the giant leave and display their "All their Triple Characteristics"!!! There are wonderful wild varieties BUT they are a delicacy to deer... SO... along with the HOSTAS I MUST REMEMBER to spray my deer repellent  on ALL my smorgasbord... SO... the critters will just stand back and admire the visual beauty along with me!!! "If I forget to spray I just hope I have my camera HANDY to CAPTURE the Kodak Moment to share with you"...

Feast your eyes on this divine "Majolica Jug"!!! Are you ready??? It was "$1"!!! That's ALL!!! I grabbed it, paid, and RAN to the car "Quick as a bunny" before they realized that I "Practically Stole It"!!! I drove STRAIGHT HOME like there was a posse on my tail!!! I gave my new treasure a bubble bath and placed it ever so gently on a VERY HIGH shelf in my kitchen...If there was a knock on the door, MY STORY was "I hadn't been out shopping ALL WEEK"!!!
I don't have a CLUE who the maker is??? NOR do I care!!! I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE IT!!! It has a chip in the back of the rim(probably why they marked it SO CHEAP), BUT I've camouflaged it with a  "BOVANO of Cheshire Connecticut", hand made enameled copper, "Trilium"!!! Bovano is the authorized US distributor for Soyer Enamels. Soyer Enamels are manufactured at the Cristallerie de Saint Paul in Limoge France where they have been produced for more than 100 years. I am SO LUCKY to live local to The old foundry building that still houses the enameling studio and Bovano Home Gallery. To see more BOVANO, travel HERE!

If you would like to virtually see how Bovano makes the works of art...
Here is a "SNEAK PEEK INSIDE How BOVANO is made"!!!

I'm linking today to 

 

THRIFTY THINGS FRIDAY @ THE THRIFTY GROOVE

SEASONAL SUNDAYS @ THE TABLESCAPER

"Searching for Carrickmacross Lace"...

"Happy St Patrick's Day to You All"!!! I am RE-POSTING due to my SHY return to blogging... Hmmm, the table is SET for the season, "I MUST GET THAT CAMERA TRIPOD SET" !!!
These little Irish Lasses were born here in Connecticut when Sandi McAslan lived here... 

I only bought ONE little doily at the Convent in Northern Ireland where this beautiful lace is made...I found all the other pieces of my Carrickmacross Lace here in my own little town of only 1000 residences... Each year I would find a new treasure at our little church bazaar... We do have the late Frank McCourt and his lovely wife and Frank Delaney as locals... Hmmm, I wonder if they may have donated them... I had been looking for decades for this fine lace, "What LUCK of the Irish to have found it next door"...

Carrickmacross lace has a history that reaches back into the early 1800’s when the town of Carrickmacross needed employment for its citizens, especially young women. On a honeymoon trip to Italy, Mrs. Grey Porter, from Carrickmacross and wife of the rector of a neighboring parish, was inspired by Italian lace designs. She and her hand maid learned the appliqué technique by copying the Italian work, and in 1820, established a lace making school which attracted many students. The school grew in popularity, as did the fine quality Carrickmacross lace.

Economic hardship in the 40’s and 50’s saw a decline in the demand for lace, yet production continued, though much less so, until the late 80’s. Realizing the fine quality of workmanship that would be wasted if the lace making ceased, the nuns of the St. Louis Convent established a lace making school both to employ young women in the community and to give shelter to those in need.

The great era of Irish lace ended with World War 1 in 1914, but outworkers at St. Louis Convent continued their tradition of lace making and today, Carrickmacross lace is used by designers all over the world. Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation gown, as well as Princess Diana’s wedding gown were both designed with intricate insets of Carrickmacross lace.

This showroom features several award-winning pieces, including a stunning cascade of daylilies made entirely of lace. On display, as well, are antique lace collars, christening gowns, tablecloths, napkins, and placemats. For purchase are many fine, locally handmade pieces of lacework, including placemats (€200), table runners (€700), christening gowns (€750), bonnets (€ 85), wedding veils (€400), and dainty doilies (€35-60).

Address:

Carrickmacross Lace Showroom and Shop

Main Street, Village Square, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan

T: 042 96 62506 www.carrickmacross.ie

How to get there:

From Dublin, N2 (50 miles) to Carrickmacross

From Belfast, A1 (becomes N1 at Border). At Dundalk, take R178 to Carrickmacross (70 miles.)

 

The Belleek "thistle cup" on the left is one of many that followed me home from Northern Ireland when we visited the Belleek Factory...

This is the second smallest doily they make at the St. Louis Convent in Northern Ireland... "This is the piece I brought home from my trip"... Hubby told me that the reason the road narrowed into a path was to prevent hubbies from "Turning Around and heading to the Pub"... It took us a whole day to find our destination... I had a MAP and as I navigated Hubby kept mumbling something about spending a day of his vacation looking for "A CONVENT", and I would mumble my reply of "But they are the ONLY place that makes handmade Carrickmacross Lace"!!! "We were in our 20s then and OK I can imagine it would NOT have been something he would talk about EVER AGAIN"... It was our little secret and I watched eagerly out the window as I DREAMED of the HUGE Christmas tablecloth that soon would be mine... There was a constant supply of sheep that would get in our path and once again, Hubby would mumble something about Wool to keep us warm as we Slept on the side of the path overnight looking for "A CONVENT"... We DID finally arrive and after a considerable amount of admiration for the "Masterpieces created here in this place"... I DID NOT get my Christmas Tablecloth, there would be NO envy in the ladies that would see my TJmaxx Christmas tablecloth... I had resorted down to the SMALLEST of doilies they made, it was all I could afford... Hubby waited patiently watching my every expression and as I lay my purchase in the Nuns hand, he "Upgraded me to the SECOND smallest doily they made", he said, "Here you really should get one with shamrocks"(It pays to be married to Mr. Right)  Oh I LOVE him to pieces, that was thirty something years ago and just like my little Carrickmacross Doily HE is One of My Favorite Things!!! NO... HE IS "My Favorite Thing"!!!
 

"HAPPY St Patrick's Day"!!! 
Caution:Please WEAR GREEN so the leprechaun doesn't pinch you!!!

Hobbit House in the Cotswolds

This is quite a sight to see...

Even though I (kind of)like it... it's a bit GOTHIC TERMITE! I Would love to explore it though...It (kind of) has a strange curiosity about it!!! (kind of) quirky & quite fun...You can see more here

 I Had to share it with you!  You can TAKE A VISUAL MOVIE TOUR HERE !!! "Have FUN"!!! and be sure to come back and let me know how YOU LIKED IT???

Saying "GOODBYE" to winter 2012

Saying "Goodbye to Winter 2012" has to take us back to where our winter started at the End of October 2011...I want to forget all things WHITE frozen SLUSHY and cold from 2011...It was a RECORD year here for that 4letter word SNOW!!! As you can see in THIS photo I will be doing LOTS of crying as I clean up this spring...This is the ONLY destruction for WINTER and it goes back to Hurricane Irene followed by Nor'easter Snowstorm Alfred!

Take a look at what is LEFT of my beautiful Hydrangea fence! You will see the BEFORE picture in the NEXT photo...

Even though the HYDRANGEA FENCE was not HUGE it was getting there and every year it was more gorgeous than the previous year!!! WELL, the LEFT side is TOTALLY GONE now...sniff,sniff,sniff...

There are Lots and Lots of downed trees AND these were HUGE ones. SO Tall I needed binoculars to see their leaves. Now we have Lots and Lots of firewood! Do you see the ROOTS of the trees???

You cannot see it in this picture...BUT... this is "TWO" large trees and they are crushing a whole field of native Mountain Laurel bushes(hundreds of years old, and all gone)...

Here's a sight we don't see often...Hostas in the snow...

I have NEVER seen the destruction this October snow brought... SNOW & LEAVES equal MAJOR disaster...We were without power for over a week... I did not take pictures of all that I lost... It was too heartbreaking "BUT" I must NOT complain...Mother Nature gave us a super mild winter..."BUT" my heart is NOW with all those in our heartland and around the world that are suffering "All Kinds of Disasters" and not a moment goes by that I don't PRAY FOR THEM! AND as I clean up this spring "I will smile and count my Blessing"... After all I have all of you WONDERFUL Blogging Friends!

Hard to believe this was October!!!

I ran around after the snow started trying to ROUND UP my garden labels...HAHAHA!!! Too Funny!!!  Thank you for stopping by and "I've MISSED YOU ALL so much"...BIG Squishy Hugs!!!

Hello all you wonderful people "In my Land of Blog"! I am Really Missing You ALL! and although I have Spring Fever BAD, my Blogging Fever is overwhelming... I have tried SO MANY times to get into my blog and "It rejected me saying I wasn't who I said I was"!!! AND a few times that I DID get in and visited a few of you, My Comments were "Rejected with a stern WHO THE HECK ARE YOU"??? "UGH"!!! I think I'll go DIG IN THE DIRT! and that is a WHOLE other issue Seeing AS we had an October Snow storm that practically WHIPPED my gardens off the face of the earth! BUT I'm counting my blessings and PRAYING SO HARD for all of the poor souls who have lost everything from Mother Natures Wrath...

Love you all and Big Squishy Hugs to you!!!