Rambling Random Thoughts

Okay then.  Let's get this PaRtY started.  A lot of random and much ado about nothing.  Here goes nothing and some random...

Shelly and I did a bit of junkin' on Saturday morning.  I found this pitcher, stirrer and glasses for a mere $4.50 and the silver tray for a buck.  It was really dirty and I almost lost my vision and didn't purchase it.  Shelly talked me into it and I am so happy she did.  Some sudsy water and silver polish brought it all back to life.  I found some vintage Christmas(actually a lot), a scrabble game for 50 cents, a new bundt pan for 25 cents and a groovy vase for another quarter.  A very good morning for us.

We live in an old house and there are a zillion (well, maybe a hundred) unfinished projects here.  Hubby tiled the back splash in the master bedroom last night.  It needs grout yet but it's progress.  While he was tiling, guess what I was doing.  Give up?  Yep, I was painting.  That was an easy one.

 We are considering a huge project and needed a list or dozen.  In fact, this project is so big I had to get a new notebook.  I LOVE new notebooks.  And lists.  And tabs.  Swoon.  The fact that the notebook is so big and so full of lists is the reason this project is still under consideration, however; the notebook is real pretty.

I saw this popcorn bar picture and fell in love.  The candy bar is being used at many parties and weddings.  But a popcorn bar, that's new and yummy.  The Country Mercantile in Pasco has tons of flavors including coconut, berry, green apple.  Oh My!

I learned a new word while in Walla Walla.  The sign pictured below says, "NO PLINKING".  I'm wondering what that means when Max tells me that's what he and Thomas and their friends go out and do.  The Mom radar went up on that one!  Plinking is when you throw something into the air and shoot at it.  Now you know.  I was afraid it was a drinking game.  Shame on me for thinking the worst.

 L'Ecole Winery, where have you been all my life?  I love you.

You may have heard me breath a sigh of relief last night.  On Thursday I have the Members' BBQ at the museum.  Only dinner for 125 or so with me running the show.  And I have jury duty this week.  It was an out of control situation that fortunately is now under control.  I don't have to call back until Sunday evening.

It was back to book camp this morning where I confessed I ate three burgers in three days.  Tons of penance going on here.  The summer BBQ season has arrived.

That's all I've got.  It's all good, just random.  Have a great day!

Walla Walla and I Want to Go Back

Hubby was off from work on Monday and Tuesday.  We decided to drive over to Walla Walla, Washington to celebrate.  It was Hubby's birthday on Sunday and it's Max's birthday on Thursday.  Hubby and I stayed at the Marcus Whitman Hotel in downtown Walla Walla.  It is a beautiful old hotel with a new wing that ties in very nicely.  We got upgraded to a Junior King Suite.  Their breakfast is really good too.  

We had dinner in the Vineyard Lounge with Max and Thomas.  We had other plans butwhile we were waiting for the guys Hubby and I had a glass of wine and saw what was coming out of the kitchen we knew we had to stay.  We texted the guys and they joined us.  One of Max's classmates was our waitperson, so that was fun.

Max drove us all over sightseeing.  It is beautiful wheat and vineyard country over there.  I love the L'Ecole #41 Winery.  It's in an old schoolhouse.

It was so much fun to see where Max lives, goes to school and how well he has gotten to know the community.  I can tell he has really grown up as he turned the car around so his mama could go to an estate sale.  Nicely done, Max!

I didn't take any pictures this trip.  All pictures on this post are from google.  I was in the moment and I was really busy looking around.  It is a wonderful town and though I have no reason to move to Walla Walla Hubby and I both thought it a wonderful place to live.  The hundred plus tasting rooms may have had something to do with that thought.

We took Max and Thomas out for lunch and then left for home.  We made a few stops yesterday, including my favorite, Country Mercantile in Pasco.  Yum!  If you haven't been there, put it on your bucket list.  

It is worthy.

Happy Birthday to Hubby and Max!  I was happy to help you celebrate.

PW, I Love You

 I made a new recipe for our Mother's Day brunch.  Since the recipe is from Ree Drummond, Pioneer Woman's blog, it goes without saying that it was crazy good.  I had to share it because I love you and I don't want to be fat alone.  The end.

 Orange Vanilla Monkey Bread

Ingredients

• 3 cans (7.5 Ounces Each) Buttermilk Biscuits (not The Flaky Kind), Cold
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 whole Oranges, Zested
• 1 dash Salt
• 2 sticks Salted Butter
• 3/4 cups Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

First, make sure all the biscuit cans are very cold.  This is important, I got everything ready and then took the rolls out of the fridge.

Open all the cans of biscuits and cut the biscuits into quarters. Fill a large Ziplock bag with the granulated sugar, the orange zest, and the dash of salt. Seal the bag and shake it around until the zest and the sugar are totally combined. Add the biscuit pieces to the bag, seal it and shake/toss it around until all the biscuit pieces are coated in the orange sugar. Pour the pieces into a bundt or tube pan and set it aside.

In a medium pan over medium heat, melt the butter then stir in the brown sugar and vanilla until just barely combined. Pour the mixture all over the biscuit pieces, scraping the pan to get all the butter/brown sugar out of there. Let it settle for a second, then place the pan in the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top of the biscuits are golden brown. Then remove the pan from the oven and set it on a rack. Let the pan sit for at least 10 minutes (but no more than 15), then turn the cake out of the pan onto a cake plate.

Note: When it first comes out of the pan, the melted sugar/caramel will be a little on the hot side. Wait a few minutes after turning it out before serving.

Delicious!

Pretty in Pink

You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig.  

In my efforts to clean and beautify our laundry room I took on a quick painting project yesterday.

BEFORE:

 AFTER:

Due to the light issues in the room it is difficult to see the new color accurately.  It is a lipstick deep pink.  Orchid Rose is the color.  Due to raising three boys this is the first pink paint I've ever purchased.  

I spray painted the window grids with a glossy black to match our 1920's windows.

It's just a bit of fun in a workroom, but it is still a workroom.

A Fun Sugar Cookie Tutorial

Last Friday I had a baking lesson from my friend's daughter.  We met at Sheryl's place and Lisa got busy.  Honestly, I pretty much watched and gleaned as much information as I could.  Lisa makes the BEST sugar cookies evah!  I had her recipe but my cookies didn't look or taste like Lisa's cookies.

Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup shortening * Lisa uses butter flavor Crisco, I didn't know that!

1/2 cup butter *Lisa says it must be room temp.

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs * Lisa says they must be room temp.

1 tsp. vanilla *Lisa uses Costco brand, I do too.

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 cups flour *I brought Robin Hood from Canada, I think it's the best.

Cream the shortening and butter in a medium bowl.  Add sugar, mix well.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Mix in the dry ingredients.

Roll out dough on a floured surface and cut out cookie shapes.*Lisa makes them thick and I think that is what makes them good.  Really thick, see photos. 

 Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  *Lisa really watches them so they don't get over baked.

Cool.  Frost and decorate as desired.

Lisa works a fair amount of flour into the dough before she rolls the cookies.  She kneads it in.  We tripled the recipe.

Emeri was our helper.  I can hardly believe it but she talks MORE than her Grandma and I when we get to together.  She calls her Grandma, "Chilla".  It's really cute!

Yes, they are thick!

For the frosting Lisa melts a half cube of butter, and adds the butter and half and half to the powdered sugar, slowly.  No recipe, sorry folks.  She adds a bit of vanilla but not too much as we wanted the frosting to be white.

Wedding white!

The frosting should be thick enough that it doesn't fall off the knife.

The frosting should be spread on thick.  Lisa puts the sprinkles on thick too.

Besides cookies for Mother's Day we made wedding cookies for an engagement care package that I was mailing to Danny and Jessica.  We made wedding cake cookies and bridal gown cookies.

The hearts were for Mother's Day brunch.

For Danny and Jessica's package I had fun finding treats so they could celebrate their engagement.

Vintage champagne glasses, a silver keepsake, a check for champagne, wedding sugar cookies, Bride magazines, nail polish(Glass Slipper and Champagne Toast) for Jess, vintage favors with Jordan almonds. Don'ts For Wives, a book I found at Paper Source with some very antiquated ideas about marriage.  I hope they have some laughs reading this book.  I packed the box with some something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.

I used an old wedding dress pattern for tissue.

Hubby and I had fun putting the package together.  We are so happy for Danny and his sweet fiancee.  

Their wedding date is June 21, 2014.

Thank you Lisa, Sheryl and Miss Emeri for a fun morning.  It was inspiring and very educational for this baker.  Sugar cookies are my favorite and Lisa's are my very favorite!

Easy Peasy, NOT

When Shelly and I went to the Island Chicks this Spring we spotted some pretty little cloches.  We realized they were made from stemmed wine glasses and vintage earrings.  At ten bucks a pop we naively chuckled and said we'd make our own.

 I found vintage earrings at a garage sale.  They let me fill a sandwich bag with earring for five bucks.  Then I went to the thrift store and looked for 49 cent glasses.  I watched  several many you tube videos on how to cut glass and got busy.  Hubby was gone and I thought I'd craft a dozen in an evening.

It's not as easy as you may think and honestly I should have bought the cloches at the show.

Hubby came home and I had nothing to show him for my evening's work.  Nada.

The next night he helped me and we enjoyed some success with a blow torch.

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.  No one warned me so I went ahead, foolishly, I might add and used a blow torch and ice water with mixed results.

Anywhoo, I had to share my results. 

I made cloches for my sisters for Mother's Day.  I used fairly large wine glasses, pearl and glass vintage earrings and saucers with a silver design.  I put their gift under the cloche. and tied a ribbon at the top.  Very pretty!

 I made a few more for fun.  I'd probably make more but Hubby and I are lucky that our kitchen is still standing and that we still have our eyesight.  It's probably best to leave well enough alone.

Oh, and do me a favor and refrain from leaving me comments about how to cut glass with string, nail polish remover and fire, or how to cut glass by scoring it or ... I know, I know, I know and those methods do not work on stemware.  Trust me on this one.

Oh Mama!

 Mother's Day began on Thursday evening for me.  Max surprised me by coming home for the weekend.  He brought me a box of shiney brites.   Max definitely knows what his mama loves, he brought me some wine from Walla Walla too.  It was going to be my first Mother's Day without any of the guys at home.  I was so happy to have Max here for the weekend.  And I got call from Danny and Sam yesterday.  I am blessed by my guys.

We set a special table for the Moms in the sitting room.  Since it is lilac season I chose lavender and green for the tables.  We have brunch on Mother's Day.  The place cards were sugar cookies with each mama's   first initial.  I'll be sharing more about the cookies later this week.

 Hubby's parents came for the day, and my parents, and my sisters and their families were here.

It was pretty special for Hubby and I to have both of our Moms here to celebrate with us.

I filled the house with big and small bouquets of lilacs. 

 After everyone left Hubby came with my book, a pillow and a blanket and  led me to the sofa.  He then went into the kitchen and tackled the dishes.  So yes, it was a very nice day for this mama!

Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers

Have you planted your annuals?  I was stalling as I didn't want to prolong the watering season.  Yesterday I caved.  It's been such gorgeous weather and we are hosting Mother's Day brunch on Sunday so I bought the annuals and planted them.  Last year Sheryl helped me with my planters and this year Shelly helped me.  Shelly gave me something to remember easily, 

"every planter needs a thriller, some filler and a spiller."

 Just like last summer I went with fuchsia and coral for the patio planters.  

The colors clash but in a pretty way.

According to me, anyway.

The window boxes in the front are red, white and blue.  They need to look good with our bunting for the Fourth of July.  We are a military family and I like to be reminded of our troops.

***Edited to add:  The plants were purchased from Vander Giessen Nursery, LCHS and WFC, all in Lynden.  VG Nursery is where most of the plants were purchased.  They have beautiful plants.

On a another note, come see me at the Lynden Pioneer Museum Gift Shop this morning.  It's our Mother's Day SaLe!  We have 20% off all aprons, towels and our new line, Crabtree & Evelyn, and one surprise sale.  Plus it's super fun on Thursday mornings at the museum, Leslie and Marjean are the volunteers.  See you there!

Our Guest Room

 Remember when the guest room became a guest room?  It continues to get little updates and tweeks.  The candlebra is new to me.  I found it at The Picket Fence in Lynden.  I'm still looking for six inch cream tapers, the ten inch are just too tall.  They aren't that orange in real life, by the way.  I'd like to find a creamy white twist taper.  Remember those?  I'm not sure they are even made anymore so that will be an ongoing lookout at estate sales.

 I hung the hooks and added satin and velvet hangers for guests.  Possibly for her dress that she packs for dinners? Or for a pretty robe?

I am still on the look out for a luggage rack and a cozy cream rug.

It's coming along though, this space for guests to feel welcomed and loved.

Get Going!

I did a bit of junkin' this weekend.  The local yard sales on Friday were better for me than the estate sale in Belltown on Saturday.  At the sale on Saturday they were pretty proud of their wares and I walked away.  I will not pay $65 for a curtain panel.  No, I think not.

The sunshine was amazing this weekend and I took advantage of the vitamin D by sitting on the patio in the sun, enjoying a happy hour on the patio and spending most of the weekend outdoors.

Hubby and I are hosting Mother's Day brunch this year so I need to get my game on this week.  There is some cleaning, cooking, crafting and creativity involved.  This is the kick in the pants I need because honestly, there hasn't been much cleaning, cooking, crafting or creativity going on here.  Game on!  

Or at least, I'll make a list of what I should be doing to prepare... and in the meantime, I have some painting to do this morning.  Happy SuNnY Monday!