Friday, September 30, 2011

Pink Blossoms for Pink Saturday

It is October 1st.
My favorite month
the month of my birthday
the month of cool days and crisp nights
and the start of 18 days off of work



But there are still blooms in the garden...fading fast, here is one last look

Sedum I transplanted from my Mom's

The hydrangeas are drying and the pink is fading

The last of the phlox

Still picking Zinnia's and bringing them in for bouquets


Front porch geraniums

Hanging Geranium

My dark pink Mums are ready to pop!

And FINALLY! My pink and yellow dahlia is blooming...so late this year


May your Saturday be filled with plenty of pink blooms



Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Vintage Books

Books seem to of always been important to my family. In my 4th Great Grandfathers Will from 1809, a list of books is included, one of which was The History of Scotland.

I have my Grandparents and parents books they had as children, love reading the inscriptions from their parents or Grandparents. I still have all my little golden books too!

I still love holding a book in my hand and flipping through the pages, nothing can equal that for me for reading.

So how about a look at some of my Mom's books?
These are all so colorful and I love the graphics

As a child those guys peering out of the window scared me!

They would of been living in Detroit MI when she got this book. They moved back to Charleston in 1939 when Mom was 14, they could of easily left the books in Detroit...but they did not.

This would be a great picture to hang up in my Cottage, but I could never take the pages out, I am too much a purest!

The original bubble boy


This was my favorite one of my Mom's growing up...I thought Poppy was so cute.


She was found in a shoe






Thanks for looking through these books with me...hard to believe they are almost 80 years old!

Happy VTT



Monday, September 26, 2011

Table Top Tuesday

I had my new stove delivered on Saturday and it was a good opportunity to clean and move things around on the cabinet next to the stove. That is where I have the things I need to cook with.

utensils, herbs, salt, pepper and vinegar and oil

I love the cookbook holder I found years ago...usually Mr. bible is there....that would be The Joy of Cooking. He gets it out every Sunday and decides what he wants to make for Sunday dinner, he loves that.

Of course I have my large salt and pepper grinder and my utensils for quick access.

This is one of my most treasured items. I had always wanted a vintage spice rack, they were so expensive back in the 90's...about $250. When my Mom and I were in London on one of our trips, we saw this spice rack at Fortum and Mason. I loved it and you could pick which herbs you wanted for the drawers. My sweet Mom bought it for me and had it shipped home. You can see why I love it so.




The vinegar and oil we brought back from Paris. There was a kitchen shop down the street from our hotel on Rue Vaneau and I loved stopping there. So these, some salt and pepper shakers and clay jars for basil and garlic have come home with us over the years. Now I have seen the same ones show up in the US.

It is a small space, but holds what I need and does so in a Sentimental way, bringing back thoughts of good times of trips in the past.


I know everyone is showing their Fall decors... I am running behind but here is what I do have in the window of the kitchen

I love it because, it runs on a battery and timer and comes on every night!
There is nothing like saying home with a candle burning in the kitchen window.
 


Joining Marty for TTT


Sunday, September 25, 2011

Better Than a New Piece of Jewelry

Or at least that is what one of my cousins said when they saw a picture of my new stove!

This spring we started doing a little kitchen update little by little.

The first thing we did was to replace the fan above the oven. I am sure it was high end at one time, it was a microwave shelf with a built in light and fan. Well the fan went out and we had just bought a new microwave. When we priced the fans alone it made more sense to buy a built in. So out with the big old black, greasy metal beast!

This is the hole it created and now we had to replace some tile since it was it was larger than the new microwave

Here was the new microwave and see the area we had to fix the tile.

Then we realized the one kitchen light never stays lit and we had replaced then over 10 years ago, so out with the old.


In with new light fixtures




So next we wanted a new stove. The broiler stopped working and when I came home a couple of weeks ago I asked Mr. what happened? There was a missing knob.....he thought I knew because he did not?

So after going to every place that sold stoves we settled on a Electolux, gas, convection  with a warming drawer and double oven in all stainless.

The deliver men showed up on time Saturday

Of course Mr. wanted it the old one ready to go. Boots and Heidi want to know.....what is going on Dad?

Here she is!!

Again, out with the old.....

In with the new!

And there it is all put back together.

New microwave, new stove and the tile all put back together. Next is a new counter top....Mr. has to cut it for the new stove since the old one was a drop in and now the counter is chipped from the cutting. Luckily my next door neighbor owns a counter top shop!

So what was the first meal I made?

Rosemary and lemon roasted chicken

The new stove has a setting for perfect turkey/chicken with a probe and we used the convection oven. It was the best roasted chicken I have every had! Tasted like the rotisserie chicken you get at the grocery store.

I can't help but just walk in the kitchen and stare at my new bling!
No not a ring but a stove, which is just as good to me!

Joining
Metamorphosis Monday