Mosaic Monday and a Little Merchandise too!

This has been a Merchandise week.  Wednesday I met 2 of my friends who are still teaching for dinner.  We decided to meet near The Christmas Tree Shop, how convenient!  By the time they got there after work, I had found quite a few goodies…

It was so good to see them and have a nice leisurely dinner with them..(Hi Sue!)  I don’t like the long drive home alone, but I hadn’t seen them in over a year..and it was time!

I won’t show you everything..just a few things…

 

 

 

I might wear that to Laurie’s Party..It will be here before you know it!

 

 

Isn’t that heart shaped ramekin cute??

And the other things are for the BIG holiday coming up in March.

I love that dark green glass cake stand.  Perfect for some Shamrock cookies, or Leprechaun cakes..

 

Saturday, I had a Blogger encounter of the shopping kind with The Tablescaper.    She is definitely a BAD influence.  We had lunch first, then talked about all of our favorite blogs.. Were your ears ringing?  You KNOW we mentioned you!

We hit Pier One, TJMAXX, and a Thrift Shop among other places..

I paid a dollar for each on the right, and 2 dollars for the spooner.  I didn’t know what is was, TT told me.  I thought it would be sweet with some flowers..

I also got 2 Pinhiero white plates for $1..You can see it here..

 

 

I am joining Mary at Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.  Please stop by and see the other mosaics..Thank you , Mary!

Have a great week everyone!

Foodie Friday~ Cathy’s Stollen

My friend Cathy at Wives with Knives posted her mother’s recipe for stollen before Christmas.  Mike has made them in the  past, so I told him I had a new recipe for him to try.

He didn’t get to it before Christmas. but it is perfect anytime with your morning coffee.

I am joining Gollum for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum….

 

 

I forgot to take a picture of it before we cut into it, but you get the idea..

 

It was delicious!  You can read all about it, and find the recipe here…

Thank you, Cathy for sharing your dear mother’s recipe..

I am also linking this to Saturday Blog Showcase, where you show what you made from a recipe you found on a blog..

The details are here ..All that Splatters…

And since it is still Thursday in the real world…a Flashback to  a dinner party I did for Mr. Frosty…

The only negative was the puddle he left under his chair..:)

The plates were bought at CVS after Cmas last year for 90% off.  Perfect kids table.

If this weather stays the way it is, another snowman table may be on the horizon…

There are 87 other tables to see over at Susan’s Between Naps on the Porch…..take a look..

Have a wonderful weekend, and thanks for coming by..

OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY~~~Can you stand it???

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Southampton, NY

Ice Boating on the Bay…

A video here….Ice Boating..

I am joining Susan for Outdoor Wednesday…at A Southern Daydreamer..

Thanks for visiting, stay warm….

 

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I’ve Got A Metamorphosis, Mosaic, and Recipe~Who could ask for anything more??

 

 

Are you tired of the same old tablecloths…do you yearn for some colorful napkins?  :)

Yes?  Well, then make them..

I found these remnants at a designers fabric warehouse…they let me, the non designer, in..they let anyone with CASH in..  I spent FIVE whole dollars!!!  It is good double sided cotton from Portugal…

Each piece was a DOLLAR, and are big enough for the round table in my breakfast nook/kitchen area table.

There was an extra piece with the lime green plaid, so he threw that in..thank you!  I was able to get 7 regular napkins and a runt from it…

So my metamorphosis  from remnant to….

 

a little breakfast table setting…Tablecloth..8 napkins.. total  $1.00  ..  almost free!  :)

I sewed a line then fringed them, but really I don‘t think it is much faster than doing a hem..and then you have threads all over the place.:(

I may have to rethink the fringe idea!

I hope to use each one in a future tablescape..

Please stop by Susan’s At Between Naps On The Porch for Metamorphosis Monday..

 

The Recipe..Rigatoni Pie…from Martha Stewart

 

  

 

You can find the recipe here…

My notes..

Make or use spaghetti sauce..Mike had made a pot of sauce and meatballs so I used homemade sauce..

I don’t think a can of crushed tomatoes would have good flavor…

I oiled my pan with olive oil...

Really stuff the meat, which I browned with finely chopped onions into each noodle…it makes them stand at attention..:)

I used a layer of ricotta/mozza mixture ..like you would make for lasagna or baked ziti..

Spread it over the meat…then the layer of mozzarella..

I know it sounds time consuming, but it wasn’t that bad…I would do this for an occasion..Like Super Bowl..or a family gathering..be sure to have extra sauce to serve with it.

I am going to try it again, I have another idea I want to try…but we will be eating this for a few more days!

 

 

And lastly, my  Mosaic..Please join Mary at Little Red House to see more entries…She’s having a give away..go see!

 

 

 Let’s Think Warm!

 

Don’t forget Laurie’s Party…♥♥♥♥

Thank you for visiting and spending some of your time here..I appreciate it!

Hot, Hot and Hot..Foodie Friday…

I am joining Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum..it is still Friday! I hope you will go visit ML and see what she, and many others, have cooked up for you..

Some chicken soup for what ails you?  Sending a big bowl to The Tablescaper, she’s feeling under the weather..( I KNOW. lots of people did soup! )

 

Or maybe some Pot pie??

 

I label it in case we forget what we are eating…:) My friend Sol at Memories in the Baking showed us that before we were bloggers..of course, she does hers better!) You can get the alphabet cutters in Michael’s with your coupon!

And some dessert..

  

An individual apple crisp made with left over oatmeal raisin cookie dough that never made it to the cookie stage..

Put a little ice cream on it, you deserve it!

Have a wonderful weekend…Do you have all you decorations down?  Inside, yes, but waiting to be hauled to the basement..outside..uh..nope..too cold and icy!

Thanks for stopping by…

Tablescape Thursday~ They Came Bearing Gifts..Gold

Today is the Epiphany, Little Christmas, Three Kings Day.

To celebrate the end of the Christmas season, I chose the last gift..Gold..plus I didn’t think myrrh and frankincense were good inspiration points..:)

I used a Quaker Cotton Lace tablecloth my mom gave me when I was first married…a gold and pearl garland for a little bling.

Gold glass chargers from Pier One…

 

 

The plates are Lenox Eternal. little cut glass bowls underneath, they were my mom's, gold etched stems, Gold glittered gift box place markers, Villeroy and Boch..

 

 

 

The centerpiece is in a Revere bowl I spray painted gold, with hydrangeas I sprayed gold too.  ( Kammy, the spray paint queen, will be so proud of me!)

Fresh white mums, and a gold beaded garland I got at Villeroy and Boch.

 

Star mirrors are from WSonoma Outlet.

White napkins, tied with gold and white striped ribbon and some gold berries and “gifts”. A cheapie dollar store gold runner for texture..

The flatware is trimmed with gold..by Wallace..

Gold candles in candlesticks by Mikassa..gold trimmed bobeches

Thank you Susan, for hosting ..:)

Please visit her beautiful blog, Between Naps on the Porch to see the other tables this week..

Thanks for visiting..hope to be back for Foodie Friday..

I will be hosting a St. Patrick’s Day Blog Crawl on the 17th of March …, everyone’s invited..more details later..Paddy will be here again too, unless he gets picked up by the IRA..he had a close call last year..:)

Laurie at Bargain Hunting with Laurie is having a Valentine’s Party ..hop over to see her invite..

Outdoor Wednesday~ Is it Spring Yet??

Oh my goodness, I am tired of this already!  And 3 more long months of it??

A view from my window to the house across the street..you didn't think I was going outside did you?

We didn’t get the 28 inches we got before Christmas….but it just kept spitting white stuff for 2 days…and the wind..brrr..

So everything is ICE…an hour away..NADA!  I don’t mind the cold, but the snow and ice keeps me out of the stores, and you know this economy can use all the help I can give!

So I’ll remember  it IS Winter ..I live in NY..and ..it is what it is!  6 months from now we will be doing this!

 

Flying Point, Southampton, NY

 

My blogger friend, The Tablescaper was out for the holiday weekend.  We got snowed out of a lunch, but finally met for coffee on Sat. before she left to return home.

We always have so much to talk about when we meet, the time flies! 

We exchanged gifts..she was armed with 2 shopping bags..this was a tiny little coffee cafe and we were taking up a lot of space..:)  I felt everyone’s eyes on us as we opened our gifts! But we didn’t get thrown out…( I just glimpsed at my sidebar and saw Sue has a good story for us.  I must have missed it in the NY paper..oh those Jersey girls..:)

TT has a thing about 12..she buys 12 of everything..so I was gifted with 12 of these lovely salad plates..

 

She also gave me a large bowl and 6 matching smaller ones she found at an antique mall while away for a weekend.

 

I have lots of plans for them..

If that wasn’t enough, she brought the take home gifts she gave at her luncheon I missed due to a dead battery.

It is a lovely glass candleholder surrounded by a pretty wreath!

If you missed her beautiful luncheon, you can see it here on The Tablescaper’s blog.  Thank you, A!!

And if you want to see what I gave her, you will have to ask her?  :)

I am joining Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for Outdoor Wednesday..Please go visit her blog to see the other entries..Thank you, Susan, for hosting..

As this is my first post of 2010, I want to wish you all many blessings in the new year…