Inspiration

I'm joining Beverly and other fellow lovers of pink for Pink Saturday. Beverly at How Sweet the Sound gives so much of her time to host Pink Saturday so that we may all enjoy a little pink each and every week. Thanks my friend!


I find so much inspiration here in our little community. So many of you share such wonderful crafts and talent that I just want to go and get covered in paint, glue and glitter. This week, I covered a block of wood with a few vintage Valentines.


I made a collar from a vintage piece of sheet music and added glitter of course. Do you use stickles? It's my new favorite glitter/glue combo and it comes out perfectly, every time!


I added another vintage Valentine to the top with an easel back and of course added a bit more glitter.


I'm thinking that I may give a few of these instead of Valentine's cards. And of course make a few more for myself. I really don't have any Valentine decorations, I just pull a lot of red and romantic things out and group them together to create cute vignettes.


M & M anyone? Yhey taste extra special when eaten out of my pink depression glass dish. Thanks so much for taking the time to visit. Please leave a comment, so that I may visit you back. Enjoy your weekend!

Treasures

This week Bob the postman left a special package on our front porch. It was a wonderful gift from a treasured friend and fellow blogger. Debbie @ Ribbonwood Cottage sent me a terrific recipe keeper, she know me so well. I can't wait to fill it full of our family favorites old and new.



I've been looking for a chair for my craft studio for quite sometime. And just on the off chance that our local thrift store might have one this week, I popped in during my lunch break yesterday. BINGO! Not only did they have one, but two chairs just my style. I was afraid that they would be over priced as a lot of items are. They sold me both for $45, so into my CRV they went!



Not sure if that was a good deal, I just know that I saw a similar one this weekend for $50. What do you think?



This week I'm joining Cindy from My Romantic Home for Show & Tell. Be sure to stop by an see what she and others are sharing. Thanks Cindy!

Supper in a skillet

In my new Le Creuset skillet to be exact. I love this cookware. I now have three pieces - a french oven, a braising pan and my new skillet. It's the best cookware I have ever owned. Last night's Chicken Saltinboca was made in a flash and the clean-up was wonderful.



This is a great one-dish wonder.

Chicken Tenders
Diced Mushrooms (optional)
Capers (drained)
Prosciutto (1/4 lb)
Lemon Juice (fresh squeezed)
Garlic
Chicken Broth
Spinach
Parmesan Cheese

Fry the chicken in a smidge of canola oil til browned. Add garlic to taste. Then add the mushrooms and the prosciutto (sliced into thin shreds). Cook until the mushrooms are soft. Then add the spinach (may use frozen - thaw and drain well) cook until wilted. Add juice of 1 lemon and enough chicken broth to cover. Simmer til 1/2 of the liquid evaporates. Add a few handfuls of Parmesan cheese. Serve piping hot!



I don't have exact measurements, it's easy to guesstimate. If anyone wants measurements, let me know and I go back to the original cookbook for the tried and true version. I usually don't serve anything other than a good crusty bread with this, but a lot of restaurants will offer a pasta with red sauce to accompany it.

Can a mask make you a better cook?

Bryan and Chelsea had a wonderful time in the Bahamas. They were so sweet to think of me while they were away (how could they not when I made the frantic phone call) and bring me back a souvenir. Now Bryan prefaced the gift by saying "I know this isn't your style Mum, but let me tell you about the mask. I looked and looked for something that would go with our house, but everything was just so beachy. Then a woman selling the masks told me that they all represented something. This mask is supposed to make you a better cook. I told her that you are a terrific cook already, but it reminded me of how much you love to cook Mum." Then he said, "You don't have to put it out if you don't like it."



It brought tears to my eyes. My baby was so thoughtful to get me something that was soo personal and he thought that I wouldn't put it out. I love it and well yeah, let's just say he's one of the two most wonderful sons in the world (in my humble opinion).



I have the mask proudly displayed right above the stove with all of my cookbooks! Who knows, it certainly can't hurt - right?!

BTW - Happy Rudolph Day! The first of the year:) Did you get to do something Christmassy today? I wished everyone at work a Happy Rudolph Day and started to add new addresses to my Christmas Card book. I also bought some new Christmas love this past weekend - I'll share it later this week.

That time of the year

Everywhere you turn there are sweet, angelic faces...all selling Girl Scout cookies. The phone rang on Sunday and the caller id said (and I do mean said - our phone tells us who's calling- talk about lazy) it was one of my SILs. It seemed odd to me because we usually communicate via e-mail. Picking up the phone two of our nieces started in unison.


"Hi Aunt Leann, it's Sabrina and Sydney. Would you like to buy some girl scout cookies?" They continued by naming every variety. I of course, quickly ordered 2 boxes of Caramel Delites and 1 box of Shortbread - both are favorites at our house. Now I have the perfect excuse for all of those other darling girls. DH on the other hand will most likely buy a few more boxes. How many will you buy this year?

Balance at The Old Parsonage

Sometimes it's difficult to manage work and home. I work 40+ hours a week at an advertising agency. Working on deadline most days is soo stressful. So, when I'm home I like to play.
Of course spending time with family and friends is a major part of being balanced. That's my top priority and if I had my choice, there would be a lot more time spent with each other.

I love to be in my kitchen - baking something for my "men," spending a Sunday afternoon making pasta or a good homemade soup.
I also love to fluff our treasures - moving them here or there or transforming them into something new and wonderful.


And then there's my love of crafting, scrapbooking, gardening, and, and...



Then there's the list of hafta's - the cleaning, the laundry, the meals and the never ending bills.
Do you work outside of the home? If so how do you balance it all or is it a juggling act?

Unexpected Pleasures at The Old Parsonage

When I started this blog I never expected to forge true friendships. I was looking for another creative outlet, somewhere to share the true me. But true friendships are what I found.



So many of you stop by The Old Parsonage and leave such sweet and encouraging comments. You'll never know how much they/you mean to me. Or, yes I do think you know. You get it. Someone who doesn't blog really won't "get it." They don't realize the framework of our friendships, the prayers that we pray for one and other, the joy that we share when someone else is blessed. You "get" a friendship made with someone that you've never met and probably never will.

Last year I did get to meet one of my blog friends - Cathi from Shakerwood Primitives. She was in our area visiting an old friend. Well, she and I met for breakfast and it was as if WE were old friends - because we are!


Cathi is the sweetest person that you'll ever meet. And talented? Well just look what she made and surprised me with for Christmas! Isn't it beautiful? Look at all of the lovely pieces and there's that pink that I love so much! I thought that maybe I might use it for my Bible, but then again I may use it for carrying craft supplies . Oh the choices!

Thanks so much to all of you - MY FRIENDS - for just being you!

Afraid to Breathe

I'm sure that you know last night there was a terrible earthquake in Haiti. There was mass destruction and so many lives lost. And, for a little while I was afraid to breathe.

Bryan and Chelsea are in the Bahama's and our local news said that there was a tsunami watch for the Bahama's and Cuba. I couldn't think, couldn't breathe, all I could do was pray and cry. Thank God a few hours later they said that the watch was over, but I still needed to hear his voice. He called around 10 to say that they were OK and having a great time.

My heart and prayers go out to all the families effected by this major disaster.

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

Fresh Pineapple at The Old Parsonage

I love to have fresh fruit sitting around for sacked lunches and for everyone to grab and go. This week, our local market had pineapples for just 99cents each - Jackpot! I cut one up tonight to put in DH's lunch that I was packing for tomorrow.

Just look how juicy it was. And sweeeet? It was pure sugar! I must have eaten about 6 chunks while I was cutting it up. I just might go back tomorrow and buy a few more.

Have a wonderful evening everyone!

An Itch at The Old Parsonage

I get an itch every year at this time. The house looks so bare once all of the Christmas decorations are down and packed away. I do still have lights and wreaths on the porch, but plan on taking them down this week.



I've been cleaning and fluffing to make the house feel cozy this winter. I'm itchin' to move some furniture. Although, because our home was built in 1916 we have those old fashioned radiators which can't be blocked during the winter months.



I did move a chair into the foyer draping it with a warm throw and decided on a new vignette for the spinet desk. I started this amaryllis later this season with the hopes that it'll bloom by Valentine's Day.



Thanks so much for stopping by, I'll be by to visit soon!

If ya' gotta do it...

If ya' gotta do it, at least have something pretty and pink to do it with. These gloves have been a life saver lately. My hands have been so chapped lately. What's that saying? "I love a man with dishpan hands."

Please stop by and visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday.You'll find a great group of friends and some wonderful sharing going on.

Thanks for stopping by!

Celebrating Me at The Old Parsonage

Today is celebrate me day. Last year I adopted this tradition but didn't quite keep up with it. Every month on the 7th (representing my birthday) I try to do something to celebrate me. Whether it's a special treat , just taking some time for myself or... whatever. It's something that I encourage all of you to do. We give and give and do an do. But try to take 1 day per month and do something that makes you happy, something that you want to do, not have to do. So tonight, I'm scheduling some time in my craft studio to just have fun! What will you do?


And yes, the tree came down yesterday, all that's left is this sweet smelling pile of pine needles. I know, I know, people might say - just sweep i it - but you get it. Right? Have a wonderful day, I know that I plan to!

New Kitchen Goodies

I'm joining Beverly and other fellow lovers of pink for Pink Saturday. Beverly at How Sweet the Sound puts hours of work in to hosting Pink Saturday so that we may all enjoy a little pink each and every week. Thanks my friend!



She's given us a little leeway with the color pink these past few weeks, so I'm showing a bit of new red kitchen goodies. Every year I get a new Christmas apron and this year's is wonderful. It's burlap with a beautiful red stitchery of holly and berries.


Now, you all know how much I loved my French oven from last Christmas. I used it at least once a week.



So this year Santa surprised me with a skillet and a braising pan to match in the same wonderful red. I must have been a very good girl.

And last but not least I got a great new cookbook by Nigella Lawson. Mmm... the recipes sound wonderful. I have another of her recipe books and it's my goal to start at the beginning of that book and work my way through the entire book, making each and every recipe, wish me luck! And, I wish each and every one of you a very Happy and Healthy New Year!