Another Sweet Quilt

One of my friends who is a wonderful seamstress gave me a very sweet quilt for looking after her little girl.

  Her little one is a darling two-year old and we have so much fun.  I did not expect anything, but she wanted to show her appreciation by giving me this quilt and pillow sham that she made.  For now it is on my porch, but it will come in for the Winter time and be used in my guest room probably.

Shasta Daisies from my garden.

I love that it feels like I am in a cabin in the woods when I am out here.  And this Fall it will be a cozy little place to be thanks to my sweet quilts!

Above, you can see the grain sack that I won in a give away!

The quilt in the photo above is the one that my sweet sis-in-law made for me.

I can see I still need to paint the wood frame on the wall.

 

I created a chandelier out of this candle holder and white lights, it needs some tweaking still, I see.

One more very important thing, another yummy dessert!  I know you all love chocolate, and who doesn't love a brownie.  There's nothing worse though than a dry brownie,  so how about a very moist brownie that you can put ice cream and whipping cream on top of and know that it is all equally delicious.

Saucepan Brownies:

1/3 cup shortening

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup dry cocoa powder

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Melt the shortening and butter in an 8  x 8  cake pan.  

Add cocoa, stir until well blended.

Allow it to cool.

Then beat in vanilla and sugar.  

Add eggs one at a time, beating with a spoon after each addition.

Add flour and salt to batter.

Mix, add nuts.

Spread evenly in the pan.

Bake for 25 minutes in a 325 deg. oven.

Enjoy!!!

I am joining Nita for another Mod Mix Monday!

I don't often do this, but I want to tell you about a wonderful giveaway over at Modern Country Style.  Sarah is giving away some Emma Bridgewater Mugs!  I want them, they would be perfect in my kitchen!  Go check them out, they are so sweet!!!

I hope your Monday is sunny and bright!  We are still enjoyiing perfect summer weather!  God is so good!

~Wishing You Love In Your Heart...Peace In Your Soul...And Joy In Your Life Always~

Holly Hocks

Happy Friday my friends, hard to believe that the weekend is upon us once again.

The weather here has been fabulous, it's been in the 80's F or 30's C with beautiful blue skies and a wonderful breeze.  I looked after a friends two-year old today and we spent time in the park and had a truly delightful time. 

This Spring, I bought four Holly Hock seedlings, is that what they're called when they are already four inches high?  Anyways, they are all growing well enough, but only one of them grew the tall stalk and has flowers.  Can you spot the bee?

And I am so thrilled that it is more like a double flower, reminiscent of the peonies.  All of the holly hocks that I have seen around our neighborhood only has the four or five outside petals.  Does anyone know what this type is called? 

I have it in a very sunny location on my patio.  I have been enjoying it when I go out there, but I am thinking that I should take one of the blossoms inside to enjoy.

I also have tomatoes that are loving this weather and growing extremely well.

I have nine of them, they are all the Beef Steak and Big Boys.  They will be so delicious when they are harvested!!!

Update on Wednesday's post:  The Lemonade pie here

was absolutely DIVINE !!!  I will definitely be making that again.  The jury is still out on the iced coffee from the same post.  I think I will try it once again, but this time use a coarser ground coffee, it was a bit bitter.  It was nice that it didn't water down the coffee when added to ice cubes.

Have a wonderful weekend my friends and I hope your weather is not too hot or too rainy!

 

~Wishing You Love In Your Heart...Peace In Your Soul...And Joy In Your Life Always~

~I Do the Blog Hop~

Or "What I am Loving This Week".

I made the most delicious Pink Lemonade Pie, I am not counting calories today, so I have no idea how many are in this.  Let's just say LOTS!  But it is so delicious.  I found this little recipe on Creative Homemaking.  I subscribe to their newsletter.

Oh and I stay away from food coloring, so mine is white not pink, unfortunately.

So here's the recipe:
Pink Lemonade Pie
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter
Mix the crumbs, sugar, and butter in a nine inch pie pan or spring form pan. Mix until the crumbs have absorbed the butter and the mixture is uniform. Press the crumbs across the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
Bake for eight to ten minutes at 350 degrees. (If it’s a hot July day, you can choose not to bake the crust. A baked crust holds together better because the heat melts the sugar to help hold the crumbs together.)
For the Filling:
1 8-ounce packet of cream cheese, softened
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup pink lemonade concentrate (not mixed with water)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
red food coloring as desired
Using the whip attachment and your stand-type mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk together on medium high speed until the mixture is smooth. (If you place the sweetened condensed milk in the bowl first, the cream cheese will not stick to the bowl and you will have little need to scrape the sides.)
Add the lemonade concentrate and lemon juice and continue beating. Color with red food coloring as desired.
Pour the mixture into the pie shell and place it in the freezer while you mix the topping.
For the Topping:
1/3 cup shredded coconut
red food coloring
1 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place the coconut in a small bowl with a drop of food coloring and a couple drops of water and stir until the coconut turns pink.
Whip the cream until stiff, adding the sugar and vanilla in the process. Spoon the cream over the pie filling and garnish with the pink coconut.  Freeze the pie until firm.

( I'm keeping it real here gals, you can see that I haven't put my dishes away.  In the lower right hand corner they can be seen still in the sink drain rack.:)

 Anyways, you are probably wondering what this odd little vignette is about, on the left is something called Cold Brewed Coffee.

Here is the recipe for that:

(Click once for better view)

I have made it all made up, I will try a cold glass of coffee over ice with my half and half tomorrow.  Then I can tell you just how good this recipe is.  If you like iced coffee, it's supposed to be way better this way than if you make it up hot and pour it over ice. This recipe came from Smart-Bottom Enterprises.

And on the right is a big ole' watermelon for Watermelon Pie!  My friend Julie from The Harwards made this and posted the recipe, so if you are interested, then do the blog hop and check it out, it looks very delicious!!!

And last, but not least, I posted about Millie from Wreathmaker giving me the sweet little teacup on Monday, what I  forgot to mention was something that I did not see in the little package, when I opened it at her house, until I got home was the most delicately embroidered napkin.  I don't know if it's linen or cotton, but it is so darling, here it is.  She know that I collect napkins and I use them, too.  They are not for looks only.

I know it's hard to see, but it's so pretty!

Whew, I'm tired after all this blog-hopping, I hope you liked something that you saw.  Have a wonderful Wednesday dear friends.

~Wishing You Love In Your Heart...Peace In Your Soul...And Joy In Your Life Always~

Yummy!!!

A Lovely Tea Cup

Good Monday to everyone!  We have another beautiful sunny day!

Today I want to show you a sweet little teacup that a blogging friend who lives in my city, just a few blocks from me actually, gave me.

Millie, from Wreathmaker, invited me over for tea last Monday.

While there, she gave me a little gift, it was a turquoise teacup!

She had noticed that I was adding turquoise to my decor and she she so kindly added to it.

Isn't it gorgeous!?  It is an English made Foley China.  Thank you, dear Millie, I enjoy it every time I look at my sideboard now!

I put it on my pedestal plate to show it off better.

 This is the table that Millie laid out, see her beautiful bouquet?  She grew these flowers in her own garden that she showed me around.  It was a hot day, but it was so lovely and peaceful out in the garden.  To see more of her flowers go to Wreathmaker.

We enjoyed some delicious English Scones that she made, with whipping cream, real butter, strawberries and peach preserves.  Oh my, it was so delicious.  I always enjoy visiting with this sweet friend, and not just for the treats and tea, which I love, but because she is a truly delightful lady. 

Have a lovely day my friends and I hope it isn't too hot for you, wherever you are!

I am joining Nita for Mod Mix Monday!

WISHING YOU LOVE IN YOUR HEART...PEACE IN YOUR SOUL..AND JOY IN YOUR LIFE.....ALWAYS...

~I Made A Banner~

Happy Friday my friends!!!  

Another weekend ahead of us and our weather is still hot and beautiful, awfully windy today, but a little cooler (in the 80's F, lower 30's C) and still SUNNY!

The sun is the reason I had to do something in my little sunroom today.  It blazes through the West facing window and cooks me while I am trying to do bookwork or visiting all of your fabulous blogs.

Originally I had a set of draperies on this window, but I took them off and put them on the window just to my left here.

See the sun blazing there?  This room gets SO warm!

But I had to put something on my naked window, and one day this idea came to me!  I had seen a banner that The Pear Tree Cottage has in the dining room, so maybe that was what made me think of it.

I knew exactly which fabrics to use, I had them all in my fabric stash already.  It also pulled the turquoise and red into this room rather well, I think!

I am very pleased with it.

What have you been working on?  Have you had any bright ideas lately?  Do tell.

WISHING YOU LOVE IN YOUR HEART...PEACE IN YOUR SOUL..AND JOY IN YOUR LIFE.....ALWAYS...

~For the Love of a Garden~

Gardening requires lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration.  ~Lou Erickson

(Past Blossoms)

The greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses.  ~Hanna Rion

(Present Blossoms)

Don't wear perfume in the garden - unless you want to be pollinated by bees.  ~Anne Raver

How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence.  ~Benjamin Disraeli

Thank you for visiting, I hope you enjoyed the photos of the blossoms that I enjoyed last month and the ones that I am enjoying at present.

WISHING YOU LOVE IN YOUR HEART...PEACE IN YOUR SOUL..AND JOY IN YOUR LIFE.....ALWAYS...

~Just Playin'~

Happy Monday to all!

What a gorgeous weekend we had, I hope yours was equally as lovely.  We had temperatures in the upper 90's F again or upper 30's C!!!  And it's a beautiful sunny morning with temps of 76 F already at 9:30 a.m.!  I am loving this summer!!!

Today I am just playing around because I wanted a lighter feeling on my eating area buffet.  I know I photograph my buffet and kitchen a lot, but this is a cottage blog, not one of the fancy-shmancy decorating blogs.  If you're tired of seeing it, tell me and I will try to come up with something different. 

Today I also want to recommend a very smart lady and her gorgeous blog.  I found it just yesterday, although I have been to her blog before I was really struck with it's beauty yesterday.  It's called The Pear Tree Cottage.

 Check it out!

Okay, on with what I have today.

I normally have my silver on this sideboard because I love the looks of the dark silver and the white contrasting with it.  But I have my milk glass up there for now, a much lighter look for the summer time and I've added a bit of turquoise and red with it, too.  

Sometimes I like a formal feel to this area, but right now I am wanting a more playful feeling.  See the little red maple leaf plaque?  I made that about twelve years ago, maybe more, it feels good in here.  The hearts nestled up to the vintage turquoise container are two that my oldest daughter made me about twenty years ago.  I am missing my youngest grands and their parents, so I have the digital photo frame in here again where I can enjoy their photos.  The daisies and lilies are from my garden.

I rediscovered this very old bread canister in storage yesterday, it was my mom and dad's.  I am guessing that it is probably from the 50's.

Can you see the red and turquoise that I have added in?  I am loving it!

Have a beautiful day my friends and check out Nita's gorgeous blog where she is hosting my favorite Monday party Mod Mix Monday!

and A Delightsome Life

I know my home is a mix of modern and vintage, so I like to join in and see what others are doing as well.  This is what my kitchen looks like with it's new summery look, I hope you enjoyed yourself!

WISHING YOU LOVE IN YOUR HEART...PEACE IN YOUR SOUL..AND JOY IN YOUR LIFE.....ALWAYS...