Some new Pink for me!

I found this sweet little dish at a yard sale last Friday. Typically, on Friday's our office orders lunch from a local restaurant. Last Friday, I offered to go pick it up and boy was I glad that I did. There was a yard sale on my way and, never one to pass up a yard sale, I hung a u-turn and stopped!

I found this beautiful dish, but I'm not really sure what it's used for. I'm thinking butter or cheese. The small plate inside the dish is removable and has holes for drainage.


All of the pieces have the palest pink roses on them and are edged in gold.



The dish is marked Haviland, France and has an imprint of T H. I got it for $10 and am wondering if anyone knows anything about it. I'll share some other of my wonderful finds from last week later.

Thanks to Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting yet another fabulous Pink Saturday!
And, thanks for stopping by The Old Parsonage, I'll be sure to pay you a visit soon.

Enjoy your weekend!

Boy meets Grill

I'm not talking about Bobby Flay, I'm talking about my DH.

We got a new grill on Saturday and he's used it everyday since

• Saturday was Marinated Chicken Breasts
• Sunday was New York Strip Steaks
• Monday was Hamburgers and Hot Dogs
• Tuesday was BBQ Chicken
• Wednesday was London Broils
  
• Thursday was Pork Tenderloin

We bought a Holland Grill and it's been worth every penny. DH did a lot of research before we found this beauty.

The unique style of grilling over indirect heat ensures that there are no flare ups. When you open our grill you don't see any flames, there is a stainless steel pan that distributes the heat and channels the drippings into a bucket. Everything thing is based on cooking times, so there is no need to open the gill during the cooking process unless you are turning your meat. This gives us time to visit with family and friends or focus on the other aspects of our meal.

They say, " if you're lookin', you ain't cookin'!"

What have you been grilling lately?

Memorial Day

As you enjoy spending time with family and friends this Memorial Day, please remember those who fought and gave their lives so that we may remain free, and the dedicated men and women who are protecting those same rights today.

Rudolph Day Plans

I'm always making lists and I love to cross things off as they are accomplished. Doesn't everyone? These are my to do lists for the remaining Rudolph Days.

May 25th

• Update the Christmas section of my holiday recipe book
• Update Christmas Card list with new additions/and recent moves
  
• Review naughty and nice gift list
  

June 25th

• Design Christmas card prototype
• Review Cookie and Candy list
• Work on Scrapbooks for boys - no I didn't finish them last year, but the boys loved them anyway. I'm making it a mission to have them finished by this Christmas!

July 25th

• Enjoy Christmas in July
• Start Christmas Cards
• Buy Christmas ornaments for everyone while on vacation
• Design Cookie and Candy tags
• Read Gooseberry Patch Books for inspiration
• Work on Scrapbooks for boys

August 25th

• Watch Martha Stewart's holiday DVDs
• Work on Christmas Cards
• Finalize Cookie and Candy list
• Work on Scrapbooks for boys

September 25th

• Work on Christmas Cards
• Print out the new pages for my Christmas Magic Notebook.
  
• Plan, Plan and Plan some more; schedule a weekly cleaning, decorating or craft project
• Review gifts purchased and make a complete list of gifts to buy
• Work on Scrapbooks for boys

October 25th

• Work on Christmas Cards
• Buy wrapping paper and ribbon
• Address 1/2 of Christmas Cards
  
• Plan Holiday Party
• Start Shopping from master grocery list
• Work on Scrapbooks for boys

November 25th

• Finish gift buying
• Wrap-a-Rama
• Decorate
• Cut down the Christmas Tree
• Order Christmas Stamps from usps.com
  
• Address remaining Christmas Cards and mail
• Finalize Scrapbooks
  

December 25th

• Celebrate and give thanks for our Saviour's birth

Of course there will be many, many additions and lots of Christmas movies, songs, and stories throughout! I'll share recipes, photos and traditions as we get closer to Christmas.

Remember to do something Christmassy tomorrow, it'll give you some joy!

Random Pinkness

Miss Puddin' (our niece) making pasta during our pasta palooza day. We made homemade ravioli and spaghetti - yummy! We also made a red sauce that was full of meatballs, hot & sweet sausage and spare ribs that simmered all day long.

Our front door with pink peonies (the best silk flowers I've ever seen) and a rabbit made from a vintage chenille bedspread sporting a patchwork apron.

These vintage egg cups are hand painted with delicate pink roses (although in this photo the roses look purple).

Earlier this week I shared some handmade cards that "surprise" had a lot of pink in them. I hope that you enjoyed my random pinkness, please let me know that you were here and I'll be sure to stop by and pay you a visit too!

Enjoy your weekend!

Rudolph Day...another reason to Celebrate on Monday

I know that everyone is gearing up for Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer, but Monday is also Rudolph Day. A day that I use to plan and prepare for my favorite season CHRISTMAS!!! So in honor of Rudolph Day and for today's Show & Tell, I'd like to share my collection of vintage tree toppers.

I have over 50 of them, from Germany, Poland, Japan and the United States. They make my heart sing! I display them on top of our piano (only at Christmas - I'm not a complete kook) in glass candle holders that I top with white lights and fresh greens.

Does anyone else celebrate Rudolph Day? Does anyone else collect tree toppers?

Be sure to visit Kelli today for more show and tell favorites!

My Secret Ingredient

Yesterday was my DH 47th birthday. He requested my famous chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing. Now if you know my husband, you'd know why he asked for cupcakes instead of a cake. I always make his cupcakes the way he likes them ~ 1/2 cupcake... the other 1/2 icing.

My Chocolate Cake recipe came from my Gram and it has a secret ingredient...



Miracle Whip! This cake is so moist and chocolatey good. Contrary to the name, do not substitute mayonnaise for the Miracle Whip, it changes the flavor of the cake.

Mayonnaise Cake

• 4 cups Flour (sifted)

• 2 cups Sugar

• 2 tsp Baking Soda

• Pinch of Salt
  

• 2 cups Miracle Whip

• 2 cups Warm Water

• 1.5 tsp vanilla

Mix the above until well combined. Bake in a greased cake pan at 350 until a toothpick comes out clean. Approximately 30 min. 12 min for cupcakes

Butter Cream Frosting:

• 1 stick Butter (room temperature)
• 1 box Confectioner's Sugar
• 2 egg Whites
• 1/4 tsp Cream of Tarter
• 1.5 tsp Vanilla
• Dash of Salt
• 1/2 c Cocoa (if you want Chocolate Icing)

Mix well. Frost and Enjoy!

Hand Made with Love

For this week's Paper Crafting with Kelli, I'm sharing two Mother's Day cards and a few Thank You cards.


This one was for my wonderful Mum. I'm lucky that she lives right up the street and we get to see each other often.A close up of the crepe paper flower embellishment that I made...

This quote says it all...

And guess what my MIL live two houses down the street in the opposite direction! Yes, Bob and I were childhood sweethearts!





And of course I had to make Thank You cards for the wonderful gifts that I got for Mother's Day...



I hope that you are enjoying your week. Come back tomorrow for a great Chocolate Cake recipe!

My Favorite and the Coffee Pot

My favorite tea pot was the very first one. I just love the colors and it appears almost hand-painted.Patricia Lee was the only person who guessed which pot was the coffee pot. It's the fourth photo, the cream colored pot with blue flowers.

Enjoy your day!

A Special Christmas Gift - Pink Satruday

This treasure is from my Gram. As I mentioned in an earlier post this week (see my Walton post below), Gram grew up during the depression. Times were tough, but every year her parents saved enough money to buy each of the children (Leona, Olive, Edward (everyone called him Yank), Gladys, and Anna Jean) 1 small gift.


I'm one of 13 grandchildren and felt honored that she gave this beautiful pink basket to me. Our sons were so lucky to have had her in their lives, she was more like another grandmother than their GG (great-grand).Gram passed away on Memorial Day 2002, but she lives on in all of us.

Thanks for visiting, come back and visit again soon!

I'm a Little Tea Pot

Short and stout.

Here is my handle.

Here is my spout.

When I get all steamed up.

Then I shout.

"Just tip me over and pour me out!"

I inherited this little collection from both of my grandmothers. Actually one is a coffee pot (shhh don't tell). Can you guess which one is my favorite?

Please stop by Kelli's at There's No Place Like Home today for more show & tell, you'll love what you see.

Thanks for visiting, come back tomorrow for Pink Saturday. Enjoy your day!

Planning for Christmas

This month Rudolph Day falls on Memorial Day. We're having a BBQ that day, and for that reason I'm going to make plans to celebrate Rudolph Day the Saturday before (May 22). Not sure what Rudolph Day is? Check out My Merry Christmas and Magical Holiday Home.


This photo is my Christmas Notebook. It's my go-to-guide for Christmas planning. It has calendar pages with gentle reminders for the big countdown and push that really starts (for me) in September. There are gift lists; cleaning and organizing lists; decorating ideas and photos from years past; Christmas card lists, gifts to make, meal planning and food gift ideas, and my infamous cookie and candy list that continues to grow!



This is a photo of just some of the cookies and candies that I made last year. A few people have asked if I would sell trays; well this might be the year! Baking and being in the kitchen is so relaxing for me, it's my de-stresser. I turn on some country radio, grab a well worn apron and I'm ready to roll. And, my men are only too happy to be the guinea pigs:)

In case anyone is interested, May's Rudolph Day Book and Movie Club picks are:

Movie: Love Actually

Alternate kid pick: Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas

Book: Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

Is there anyone else out there who is a keeper of Christmas, other than my good friend Cathi? Stop back later this week and I'll share my plans for the remaining Rudolph Days. There's only 7 left you know!

PaPer cRaFtiNG

You all know that I belong to a Stampin'Up! group. We meet once a month, for food, friendship and fun! These are a few of the cards we made this month...


The inside is soo whimsical. We cut circles out of vellum and then made them into spirals.


Then glued the top and bottom to the inside of the card and added stars to each side. The effect was perfect.


We had some fun with this card too.


Now this one, was a little tricky. We cut about 1.5 inches off the side of the envelope. Then we stamped images on both pieces and then ran both pieces through a crimper.


Tie and secure a coordinating ribbon to the top.

We then made a card for the inside of the pocket. And viola!

If anyone is interested in the actual dimensions of the project, just let me know. I'm always happy to share.

Don't forget to visit Kelli and all the other crafty people joining the fun!

Enjoy your day!

Lilacs and Love

Ahhh can you smell them? The sweet smell of lilacs, a definite sign that Spring is getting ready to segue into summer.

The lilacs are in full bloom and I braved the rain, soggy grass and wet feet to cut these blooms.
I am lucky to live right down the street from my parents and my mother-in law, so we (my DH and I) will get each get to spend part of the day with our Mothers. And, then the rest of the day, I'll be with my wonderful sons and their girlfriends. We are truly blessed. May you get to spend your Mother's Day with someone you love and who loves you.

Happy Mother's Day! Breathe deeply and enjoy the love...

Christmas Love

You all know how much I love Christmas. And, apparently I'm not the only one here at The Old Parsonage that likes to spread Christmas Cheer throughout the year.

My Christmas cacti are blooming all over the place.

What could be better than beautiful pink yumminess smiling down at me while I do the dishes?

And, that it's my Christmas Cactus make me smile even more! Does anyone else have blooming Christmas Love? Please visit Beverly at How Sweet The Sound for more pink yumminess. Thanks again Beverly, for being the hostess with the mostess!

A Favorite Christmas Present

The Walton's is one of my all time favorite TV shows. Set during the depression, the show depicts a simpler time. A time when families, friends and neighbors were a true community.

The series reminds me of my Gram and the stories that she told of growing up during the depression - eating butter beans for supper, or onion sandwiches for lunch, only getting one Christmas present, having only 2 dresses and quitting school to help out around the house and with her brothers and sisters. Don't get me wrong, her stories were full of love and compassion for her fellow man, but times were tough and everyone appreciated what they had.

My wonderful husband really surprised me at Christmas this past year. He bought me the complete series on DVD! I'm up to season 4, as I only watch one on weekends, when he's taking a nap and it's raining outside. They make you laugh and they make you cry.

Does anyone else know about this movie? It's the pilot for The Walton's. It's a Christmas Classic, and one of the first movies that I watch right after Thanksgiving. If you haven't seen it, be sure to try it. All of the children and Grandma are the same actors as the series, but Mama, Daddy and Grandpa are played by someone different.


Be sure to come back tomorrow for my Pink Saturday post and to stop by Kelli's at There's no place like home to see some of the other wonderful treasures that people are sharing this week.Thanks for visiting!

A Yard Sale full of Christmas

I have been reading and admiring The Little Pink Studio for over a year now. Cerri is so talented and her vintage finds are amazing.

As I was reading her blog last week I noticed that she was having a Yard Sale. Back the car up, I never could pass up a yard sale. And boy was she selling some great stuff!

I just couldn't pass up all of the wonderful vintage themed Christmas images.

And tins full of vintage inspired Christmas stickers.

How cute are these Santas? Or maybe they're elves?

She even had paper in all of those great Christmas colors, deep burgundy, pine green, golds and even few miniature pieces of sheet music. All just making my heart sing "Joy to the World!"

Cerri even tucked in a sweet treat ~ pink of course! Be sure to stop by The Little Pink Studio for more vintage inspired ideas!

Have a great day!