Duck's Egg Blue Walls

Felix's obsession with ducks, leading to a larger and genuine interest in ornithology (it took time; be patient, young moms!) made me choose this shade of paint for his walls, Duck's Egg Blue.

Treasure Hunt: Day Seven

My dollar a piece roses from the grocery store displayed in one of the old drinking glasses I had put away with the vases when the set got too small.
Then, just for fun, the same flowers displayed in front of one of the throw pillows on my bed made from a vintage dresser scarf printed with--you guessed it--red roses. I just took the scarf, folded it wrong sides together in half to make a square, stitched up the two matching sides, slid in the pillow form, then pinned the fourth side together to hold it while I sewed on three mis-matched vintage buttons. I didn't use buttonholes, just sewed through both layers to hold the pillow closed. I love the punch of bright red against the cool lavendar.

Treasure Hunt: Day Six

Today I went in the pantry and excavated a can of coconut milk, which changed my boring dinner plans (which had been baked chicken pieces, steamed cauliflower, etc.). Instead I put together a big pot of chicken curry, with browned chicken pieces, broth, lemon grass (treasure from the freezer!), curry powder, and coconut milk, with cauliflower stirred in at the last, all served over rice.

It warmed my heart to see Daisy shovel it in, after several days of depressed appetite due to a cold.

Raspberries

Giles and Felix went out in the woods this morning and brought back these jewels--I've already made one beautiful batch of jam, and more is coming down the pike tomorrow.

*Rules for Jam-Making*

•Wear a full-length apron because the jam will jump out of the pot at you.
•Keep a damp washcloth and wipe up spills immediately before they dry to the consistency and stickiness of used Jolly Ranchers.
•Ignore the instructions in the pectin box when it comes to cooking your jam. One minute is not enough! Your jam is ready when it begins to pour off the spoon in a sheet, rather than a single drip.
•Be sure and display the jars of finished jam on the counter for at least a day, for purposes of admiration.

Treasure Hunt: Day Five

I spent much of today driving through little forgotten towns and bright green farmland, under a large turquoise sky, and returned home exhausted. But after a quick nap while nursing Daisy in her special chair, I revived enough to rummage around in my linen cabinet and find FIVE lavendar sachets at the back, begging to be brought out and used in my shelves of undergarments and pajamas, so I did, and that is today's treasure hunt!

Treasure Hunt: Days Three and Four

Yesterday was our big Sunday dinner and I usually get out the fancy china anyway, but we had a big crowd--eleven--so my mother pulled some of the Richelieu china out of the cabinet--beautiful white plates with fancy gold edges, my grandmother's china. Very nice.

Today I went the other direction and remembered some fun paper napkins in the cupboard--we only use paper for birthday parties!--and used one to set my iced tea on in the kitchen, instead of leaving wet rings everywhere.

* * * *

I'm off to the city now, that's now as in nine p.m., which is an awfully late hour for me and driving, as we do better in the daylight. But I have court in the morning four hours away and need a head start, so I'm spending the night at my mother's, now that Daisy is down for the night. Oh boy.

Another Kind of Treasure Hunting . . .

I did my rounds in town this morning and found this bowl, perfect for decanting laundry detergent into now that my Sam's Tide comes in a package so convenient and so heavy I can barely lift it . . .



And of course we stopped at Farmer's Market . . .



Before the obligatory stop at the fabric store for a spool of thread (oh but look, the fabrics were half off!)

Treasure Hunt: Day Two

I had prepared a big bowl of cut-up strawberries and raspberries for a dinner side-dish and went to my china cabinet to find something I didn't even remember I had: eight pink Depression-glass sherbet cups! I really don't hoard and collect and lose track of my dishes, but there was a large influx all at one time a few years ago, when my mother significantly and stressfully down-sized and I acquired many lovely treasures that I have not fully assimilated into everyday life, so I'm sure these glasses were happy to get out of the cabinet.

The treasure: pink sherbet cups
Where they had been: china cabinet
Where they are now: drying rack by the sink

Little Cake Plate

Treasure Hunt: Day One

I am challenging myself to a week of pulling out the beautiful and beloved treasures I have in various cupboards and shelves and using them in the ordinary course of things. I find that I get in a rut and certain goodies fall out of circulation. This is their week to shine!

Tonight I took the leftover dairy-free lemon bars we carried home from dinner at grandmother's *off* the paper plate covered with foil, and displayed them on the counter under a tiny-sized (that's what makes it so charming) crystal cake dome, on a glass plate. Much better!

The treasure: Tiny cake dome
Where it had been: China cabinet
Where it is now: Kitchen island

Felix's Birthday Evening

Today was Felix's 13th birthday and we had his birthday cake out on the deck tonight right before dark (that was a chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream filling, frosted in chocolate--oh baby!). It was unusually cool after a rain, and all the children were happy. Daisy was covered with chocolate and she and Giles were entertaining the five stray kitties that are wayfaring in our barn but somehow invited themselves up for the party; Clara and Felix had their matching blonde heads together over Felix's new balsa wood flyer; and Bella streamed back and forth across the yard enjoying her flipflops sliding across the grass.

I do not know how many more years I will have all my children home and happy and all calling me mommy--I'm the mother of two teenagers now--but I plan to enjoy them all as much as possible.

Afternoon Light on the Cello

I never get tired of seeing the different way light comes into my house. Here's late afternoon light on Clara's cello. Such beautiful serenity.

Beany Malone

My best cousin Sally reminded me of this publishing company , which has allowed me to become the proud owner of the entire Beany Malone series by Lenora Mattingly Weber-- books I came to later in life but now love with a passion unspeakable.

The books follow the heroine, Beany, from junior high on up through married life, chronicling her adventures in cooking, decorating the Malone's somewhat shabby home, and well-meaning but ill-advised attempts to meddle in the lives of friends and family.

The early part of the series, set during WWII, has an especially wonderful home-front feeling, and features lots of doughnuts and poached eggs, so that's good.

View of Bossy

Bossy has established himself (apparently long-term) just behind the couch, where he knows the sidelighting from the windows will do him justice.

Zinnias in the Kitchen

"The One Festive Touch"

"They always had flowers of some kind on the dinner table . . . it gave the one little festive touch now that showed a woman had been at work trying to make things beautiful."

--Grace Livingston Hill, The Honor Girl

I Love My Daisy . . .

. . head. . . .



to toe . . .

Cucumbers in Rice Vinegar

I have stumbled on one of those dishes that is far more than the sum of its parts, and takes thirty seconds to throw together:

Slice cucumbers.
Add salt (maybe 1/2 t. to every three medium-sized cukes).
Add rice vinegar (must be rice vinegar; find it in the Asian foods aisle) not to cover, but maybe a third of the way up.

Refrigerate all day or, preferably, overnight, and maybe toss them once in the morning. These are perfect--not too sour, not too sweet, they don't taste like vinegar, and they're better than any fussy fridge pickle recipe. Trust me!

Vintage Finds: Ladies Dress Patterns

Where do I begin on my list of the many reasons I love this dress? The square neckline, the portrait collar, the inset band around the skirt hem? It's even my size. Definitely next on my list of things to sew, and I will be doing it with the sleeves, thanks for asking. . .



This beauty will be perfect for cooler weather, after I size it up a couple of inches in my first attempt at such a thing. Good thing I'll be at *Denver Fabrics*(!!!!!!) in six weeks!!!



With many thanks to lanetzliving for their wonderful online vintage pattern store.

Pink and Blue Hydrangeas

Beautiful against the red of the house . . .