A New (Old) Treasure!

OMG! I cannot believe how much I LOVE this antique buffet/server.



Brat girl and I, decided to go wandering around at one of the local antique stores the other day.

I was actually looking to see if I could find some Princess House Crystal, so that I could add to the pieces I already have.

As we were strolling down the aisles, I walked right past this booth, and Brat Girl called me back, saying "I REALLY like that!" I came back and said "Yeah, so do I, but I am sure it costs a FORTUNE!" and asked "How much is it?" She looks at the tag hanging from the knob, and says "$185.00." "NO WAY!!!!" "Are you kidding ME?" I was shocked. We stood there, drooling over it for a few minutes. I kept saying, "I don't know if I can pass this up!" Of course, Brat Girl, being the enabler that she is, kept saying you should buy it! If you don't, I might!

We walked around a few more minutes, but I couldn't stop thinking about the buffet. Forget about looking for Princess House Crystal! I WANTED that buffet! So, I pulled out my cell phone and called Mr. Mister. I was so excited as I was telling him about it. He said, "if it's what you want, then buy it."

He didn't have to tell me twice! LOL! I ran (well, not really, but I walked really fast!) up to the front of the store and paid for it before "I" talked myself out of it. (I tend to do that quite often!) Afterwards, I felt some buyers remorse. But, only for about five minutes. LOL!

We had to leave it there until Friday, because Mr. Mister was out of town, and there was NO WAY that we were going to be able to get it into the truck. That thing is HEAVY!

Finally, Mr. Mister made it back home, and we picked it up. It is now gracing our dining room, with all of it's loveliness! I still need to finish wiping it down with Murphy's Oil Soap, (it is filthy) and figure out what I want to display on top of it. The pictures and stuff were already up on the wall. We had to take a shelf down, (that is why there are silver screws there) and the pictures are long enough that the bottoms of them are now tucked behind the buffet. I cannot decide if I want to move the pictures and everything else, higher up on the wall, or leave them the way they are now. I don't think it looks "bad" the way it is, but I am not totally sure I like it either! (It's the perfectionist part of me coming out again!) So, most likely, everything will be moved up about seven inches or so.

Anyway, that's my story. What do you think of my new (old) treasure? Isn't she PURTY? (BTW....Brat Girl has already informed us that this MUST be willed to her, because she is the one who found it at the store! LOL!)

A Little Of This And That!

Hey everyone!

Not much going on right now! (Except, that it's RAINING again!) I have been busy doing the "Flylady" thing! This week, I scrubbed the front of my kitchen cabinets, washed the curtains in the kitchen, dining room, and living room, and did other things that haven't been done in a while. I really need to tackle the area on top of my cabinets! I am NOT looking forward to THAT! Why? Because, I have all kinds of stuff up there that needs to be cleaned! Things like, artificial plants, glass baubles, antique beaters, a doll my mother made, a clown that Mr. Mister's parents bought me in Las Vegas (almost 20 years ago) a gold bell that Mr. Mister brought back from Korea, and even a fairy house teapot!



The above pictures only show a "portion" of the area above my cabinets! NOW do you understand why I am not looking forward to it? ROFL!

I've also been looking for new recipes to try. Brat Girl and I have been craving potato soup in a bread bowl. (YEAH, I know it's HOT outside! LOL! But, all food that has been cooked is HOT when you eat it! Soup is no different! LOL) So, I went looking at All Recipes and found these!



Baked Potato Soup I

Submitted by: Sherry Haupt Photo by: Rebecca
Rated: 5 out of 5 by 920 members Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes Ready In: 40 Minutes
Yields: 6 servings

"This soup incorporates pre-baked cubes of potato with onion, crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese and sour cream in a milk soup base which has been thickened with a roux."

INGREDIENTS:
12 slices bacon
2/3 cup margarine
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
7 cups milk
4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 green onions, chopped
1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
2. In a stock pot or Dutch oven, melt the margarine over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
3. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until cheese is melted.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com



Italian Bread Bowls

Submitted by: Kerri Skrudland Photo by: Docswife
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 144 members Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

"These cute little bread bowls are a great way to serve soup in the wintertime. I usually serve a hearty potato soup when I have the time to bake them. They freeze for up to 1 month, if desired."

INGREDIENTS:
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition.
3. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
4. Punch dough down, and divide into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 4 inch round loaf. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.
7. To make bowls: Cut a 1/2 inch thick slice from top of each loaf; scoop out centers, leaving 3/4-inch-thick shells. Fill bread bowls with hot soup and serve immediately.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com

YUM! I'll be adding these to the menu! I cannot wait to try them! If you read the reviews, other people have made suggestions on how to change things, or make them even better, so I may play with the soup a bit. We'll see!

Christmas Tree #2

Finally, I have taken pictures of the Christmas tree in my bedroom. Originally, this tree was put up in the "powder" room that guests use when they come and visit us. But, since we never have guests over, and there is only one electrical plug in there, I have started setting it up in my bedroom. (Eventually, I plan on getting a larger tree for the bedroom, and this will go back into the "powder" room.)

Both rooms are decorated in what "I" am calling a Moroccan theme. (You can see some pictures of my bedroom here and here) This Christmas tree kind of reflects that theme as well.

This picture is dark but I REALLY like the way the lights made a design on the walls. It almost looks like a faux finish has been painted on them.



I used a peacock as the tree topper.



I LOVE this picture of one of the peacocks on the tree!



And here are a few more.



Now, I need to move to the living room and decorate "BIG MAMA!" She is 9.5 feet tall! I also have to put up the garland coming down the stairs. I will post those pictures when I am done.

Christmas Tree # 1

YEP! I am one of those crazy people that has Christmas on the brain all year long! Every year I add more trees and decorations to the house. This year we will have a total of five trees up. (My goal is to eventually have one in every room!)

The kids both have their own trees now, so they are included in the five. They will decorate theirs, and I will be decorating the other three.

I always start putting up the trees in November because I like to take my time decorating them, and if they are up earlier that means I get to enjoy them longer.

So, this weekend I got the first tree up. It is the cardinal/woodland themed tree.



(I really like the picture above. I am thinking I may need to make my Christmas cards with it one of these years!)

It has picks with "ice" on the ends, berries, pine cones, cardinals, and all kinds of things sticking out of it. It sits in the dining room.



I chose cardinals because they are one of my favorite outdoor birds! I love to see them in the winter time with their red feathers contrasting against the white snow. SO PRETTY!

"GAUDY" Surprises!

If you have been reading my blog since the very beginning, then you already know about one of the BEST purchases we have ever made. The faux fireplace that is in our bedroom! (I have several pictures of it in the February archives). What I didn't mention before is that it actually came with two different logs. The "normal" log that you use when you have the gel fuel burning, and another log that holds tea lights. We when looked at the tea light log, we thought it was very "GAUDY" looking. It had red glitter all over the areas where it was "supposed" to look like a "real" burning log. Well, it went right back into the box and was thrown into the closet.

Finally, after stubbing my toe on that box for the 100th time, I decided to pull it back out and put it into the fireplace. I wanted to see what it actually looked liked when the tea lights were lit.

I was pleasantly surprised.



In the pictures below you can see what I mean about "GAUDY" red glitter. But, when you turn the lights off, you get beautiful "ambiance"



Who knew?

Now, I have to stock up on more tea lights!

A Taste Of Shabby Chic!

This is what I spent the evening working on! And I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out. I have been wanting to work on some projects for my craft room, and this is the first "shabby chic" inspired thing I have done. My room will eventually be a mixture of garden, fairies, & shabby chic. It's the only room in the house that I can go totally "GIRLY GIRL" so don't be surprised if you see a chandelier hanging from the ceiling one of these days. LOL



I used Daisy D's Paper(the lullaby collection)which I thought worked perfect for this. Daisy D's is one of my favorite scrapbook companies. I LOVE their products and plan to use more of this line on several other things I will be working on.
The lamp is a Hollywood Lights product, and is self adhesive. I bought it at the store where I work. The dragonfly and butterfly are Christmas ornaments that I bought at Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago. I couldn't leave the store without them! I knew I would find a place for them in my room! Aren't they beautiful? LOVE them!

Liliana!

How about that! I actually took my patootie upstairs to my craft room and "finished" something! YEE HAW!

I did this magnetic board for a baby gift. The parents decorated the room in Pooh. I had A LOT of help from the girls I work with, because I was having a hard time "feeling" it. But in the end I think it turned out OK.



I couldn't get a good picture of the whole board, so I took pictures of the different sections. At the bottom right corner of the board I attached a frame so that they can put a picture of Liliana there. The pictures are a bit blurry, but I hope that you can still see some of the details.

Pretty!

So here is a look at my new bed! I am totally LOVING it!!! The headboard still needs to be attached to the wall. It is just sitting there right now. We also bought a long skinny mirror that we are going to put on top of it. Not really the "theme" but Mr. Mister found it and we both really liked it. Plus the colors matched so we went for it. This room is all about putting things we really like in it. So far, I think it has worked well. We found two chairs to go in front of the window with a little table in between. The kids have both been making fun of us because we sit there with our laptops, drinking wine and talking. "Brat Girl" said we have our own little internet cafe. "Bud" said we were yuppies. ROFL! We are still on the hunt for a TV armoire. We have seen a few that we like but I don't want to just settle for something. I want to look at it and fall in love with it immediately! So we will continue to look until we find the perfect one.

I Found Them!!

YAY! I found the votive cups today. So here is ANOTHER picture of my bedroom. Are you tired of seeing it yet?

I am not sure how often I will be lighting all of those candles though!! That is a lot of tea lights! But it sure will come in handy when the power goes out.

Aren't the colors on the panels perfect? They pull the color from the walls, fireplace, and other items we have in the room. Now we just need to buy some palm trees and other plants to had some "life" into the room (well........besides us........LOL). Of course, we still need to buy more "dust collectors" so that the fireplace doesn't look empty. It's going to take some time, but we will get there.

Bare walls.........BE GONE!!

I am SO EXCITED!! After almost three years of living in our new home we have FINALLY hung something up on "one" of the walls in the bedroom. Better yet! It looks AWESOME!!! I cannot stop looking at it. I will take pictures of the whole area (you've seen the fireplace & lamps already) once I find more votive cups. The tin panels we purchased each hold ten votives or candles. I had purchased a couple of orange votive cups from World Market a few of years ago and they were perfect, so I went back to buy more and guess what??? They don't carry them anymore. The hunt begins! I have tried several other stores and no luck. My next stop will be Pier One Imports. Wish me luck!!

Shopping!!

Mr. Mister and I went shopping today! We are trying to work on some of the unfinished projects around the house (believe me........there are A LOT). While out looking we decided to stop by my favorite furniture store (Ashley Furniture). We found some really cool lamps for the bedroom. I am wanting a Moroccan feeling in there, so I thought these would be perfect. As soon as we came home, I plugged them in and LOVED them!! They add such ambiance to the room. We have them sitting on the bookcases next to the fireplace. We also found some tin panels to hang above the fireplace. (You can see a portion of them in the first picture) They had a matching mirror that I had decided not to buy, but I have changed my mind so we will be going back for that tomorrow. The panels are not really "Moroccan" but the colors were perfect for the room. I am so excited to see some progress, even if we still have tons more to do. I think we are going to try and stick to one room until we finish it, and then move to another. Otherwise, it's just way too overwhelming.

Another Round

We have another storm heading our way. Here is a look at what they are calling for. (We live in the 3 - 6 inch area)

I guess I will just have to light the fireplace in our bedroom (we bought it as an anniversary gift to ourselves) and snuggle down under a pile of warm comfy blankets. I absolutely LOVE this fireplace. It is definitely one of the best things we have bought for the house. The great thing about it, is that it can be moved wherever we want it to be. It is not electric. It burns 1 pint cans of gel fuel. Each can will burn for approximately 3 hours. It even crackles like a real fireplace, and really helps keep our room warm.

Now...............where is my hot chocolate?