Valentine Mantle

I fell in love with Chari’s (at Happy to Design) winter mantle when I saw the photos last night.  I thought it was so gorgeous and loved how she had decorated the clock.  So, I wanted to try to do something similar with my mantle for Valentine’s Day.  

I played around with it this morning and will probably do some more tweaking after I make a trip to Michaels this week, but this is how it looks for now.  After looking at these photos, I ‘m not loving the hearts hanging from the top shelf.  I’ll probably remove them and put something else up there.

The mantle clock, inherited from my Grandmother, decorated “A la Chari” with greenery, valentine picks and frosted pink roses. 

Two sweet little cherubs and pink roses are floating on top of a pink heart.  I found it at the flea market and was told it’s a posy holder.  There is a groove going around inside the heart shape where you would have placed water for the flowers.

I love these waterfall prisms and how they cast reflections of light on the wall!

I added prints of vintage valentines in antique brass frames.

I love the soft pink roses on this handpainted bowl.

The front of the bowl is decorated with a neoclassical scene featuring a maiden and cherub.

Sadly, this little beauty has been broken and in the worst place possible…right through the middle of the scene on the front.  Two years ago, my then 5 year old grandson received a guitar for Christmas.  He was playing “rock star” and instead of smashing his guitar…yep, he broke my bowl.  I couldn’t bear to throw it away, so I repaired it.  Unfortunately, the crack is really visible when you view it up close.

More pink roses and soft sage green decorate the vase and plate sitting on the shelves.  I have got to take down those hearts!

The mantle by candlelight…

Thanks for joining me today!  I’m linking up with Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday.

DG

To Paint or Not To Paint…

that’s the question before you today!  This isn’t an actual metamorphosis yet, just contemplating one and would love your thoughts.  So, I’m joining in with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday.

This Pie Safe was given to me by my Grandmother almost 30 years ago.  It was in her kitchen when I was a child during the 60’s (dating myself here!), but I don’t know how many years she had it before then.  She had it filled with all sorts of dishes and glassware…a real Aladdin’s treasure for me.  I can remember getting dishes from inside it and having tea parties with my dolls.  So much fun!

The top doors have screen in them and I’ll be removing the lace panels that I had put in many years ago. 

For quite a while now, it’s been in my bedroom because I had no room to put it in the kitchen.  Since I have a laptop now, the huge desk is gone from the kitchen and I have room to move my Pie Safe into that spot.  Yay, more dish storage in the kitchen!!

I used this chair when the desk was in the room, but it will probably be reupholstered and moved to another room.  The Pie Safe will be placed on this wall next to my Hoosier cabinet, which is a cream color.  All the cabinets in the kitchen are a cream color also. 

So…I’ve been debating painting the Pie Safe to match the cabinets.  However, the top of my island is oak and the Pie Safe will sort of blend with the color of the island top.  I’ve also been thinking about taking the screens out of the Pie Safe and putting glass in the doors.

Decisions, decisions…what to do?  Will the Pie Safe look funny with most everything else in the kitchen being cream?  Should I break down and paint it?  Or leave it as it is?  Change the screens for glass or leave them alone?

In this photo, you can see the corner of the wood island top.  The base of the island is cream. 

I would really appreciate any and all suggestions!

DG

 

Lemon Chocolate Chip Cookies

My daughter wanted chocolate chip cookies…my husband wanted lemon cookies.  What to do??  I didn’t have time to make two separate batches of cookies, so a quick look at Cooks.com solved the problem.  I found a recipe for Lemon Chocolate Chip Cookies that satisfied both of them.

The original recipe, found here, didn’t state a temperature at which to bake the cookies.  I baked them at 350 degrees and they were done after about 10 minutes.  For me, the recipe made 4 dozen cookies…I do tend to make my cookies a little smaller though.

Lemon Chocolate Chip Cookies

10 T butter

1/2 c sugar

1/2 t grated lemon rind

1 T lemon juice

1 egg

1 c flour

1/4 t salt

3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Combine the butter, sugar and lemon rind in a large bowl'; mix until light and creamy.  Add the lemon juice and the egg; mix well.  In a smaller bowl, combine the flour and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix well.  Add the chocolate chips and chill for 1 hour.  Drop by teaspoonfuls  on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes or until the cookies have a deep golden edge.  Cool on wire racks. 

With the combination of lemon rind and lemon juice, I expected a heavy lemon taste.  I was wrong…the delicate lemon flavor superbly accented the chocolate taste.  In other words…these were delicious!  Oh Yeah!!

You can just get a glimpse of some of my Valentine decorations behind the plate of cookies…I’ll show them in a later post. 

I’m linking up with Lisa over at Sweet As Sugar Cookies for Sweets for a Saturday and Mary over at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday..  Why don’t you come on over and join us?

DG

 

Stylish Blog Award

I was so shocked and tickled pink when Miz Helen awarded me with the Stylish Blogger Award.  I mean, I see all these fantabulous blogs out there and then I look at mine…it doesn’t seem very special.  To be honest, I was having a rough day and Miz Helen’s thoughtfulness just lifted my spirits so much.  Thank you my friend!

 

For anyone that hasn’t visited Miz Helen…RUN, don’t walk, straight over to her blog and I promise you’ll lose track of time reading over all her wonderful posts.  It’s a delight to visit her each week.

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Requirements to fulfill if you accept this award:

To the blogger who awarded you with the award, thank them and link back to their blog.

Share 7 things about yourself.

Award 15 great bloggers that you’ve recently discovered.

Contact the bloggers and inform them of the award.

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7 Things about Me…

1.  My given name is Kim…although I’m considering having it legally changed to Dreamgoddess.  Just kidding!

2.  I’m obsessed with genealogy.  I can happily spend hours looking through old records and newpapers for mention of a family member.   

3.  I’m an avid reader.  My favorite types of stories are fantasy, suspense, thrillers, horror…I love to read Stephen King’s books, but my favorite author is Dean Koontz.

4.  I’m fascinated by anything relating to ancient Greece and Rome.  If I could travel through time, this is where I would choose to visit.

5.  I have a guilty secret pleasure…yes, I’m a Twilight fan.

6.  I would love to own an old Victorian home and fill it up with beautiful antiques. 

7.  I’ve been playing the piano since I was 5 years old.

In the past few weeks, I’ve discovered some new to me bloggers and greatly enjoyed spending time reading their blogs.  So, I’m thrilled to pass on the Stylish Blogger Award to the following:

(Don’t forget to grab the Award badge!)

1.  Wanda Lee at The Plumed Pen. 

2.  Astoria Girl at Tales From Astoria.

3.  Mary at The Decorative Dreamer.

4.  CJ at CJ's Extemporaneous Effusions.

5.  Christine at Christine's Home and Travel Adventures.

6.  Betty at My Cozy Corner.

7.  Denise at So Many Tables.

8.  Laura at Monogram Boutique.

9.  Harried Homemaker at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker.

10.  Vicki at Nave Family Food.

11.  Country Cook at The Country Cook.

12.  Jennifer at Home Matters.

13.  Big Mama at Big Mama's Home Kitchen.

14.  Diane at Turning the Clock Back.

15.  Holly at Beneath The Big Oak.

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From decorating to delicious foods, these ladies offer up hours of fun reading.  Not to mention the eye candy!  I know you’ll enjoy visiting them and don’t forget to congratulate them on their Stylish Blogs!

DG

Friendship, Love and Pink Roses

For the first time, I’m joining in with Chari over at Happy to Design for Sunday Favorites. I’d like to share with you once again a story very close to my heart.

My original post was published a year ago on 28 January 2010. In the year that has passed since I originally wrote this post, my husband hasn't had any major health problems and no more heart attacks...for which I am so thankful. We've gone through some hard times, but also some breath-stealingly wonderful times. He'll always be my sweetheart.

Pink roses…the sight of them will forever be associated in my mind with my husband. Since I came very close to losing him last Thursday due to a heart attack, I wanted to do this table setting to celebrate a love and friendship that has spanned 35 years…and it all began with pink roses.

We grew up together, living about 3 miles apart, in a little rural area. When we were children, we couldn’t stand the sight of each other. I thought he was horrible because he always seemed to be making fun of me and was so mean to me. He thought I was a loud whiny brat.

All of that changed when I was about 14 years old and he was 16. On Valentine’s Day that year, a lady that lived down the road from my home brought me a vase of the most beautiful pink roses. She wouldn’t tell me who had sent them to me and she would only smile when I asked her. The only thing written on the card was a “?”. After a day or so of driving myself crazy wondering who in the world would send me flowers, my mother finally told me they were from him. Talk about being shocked!

Of course, being only 14 years old, I was too young to date. However, my mother did allow him to drive me straight home after church every Sunday…wow, a whole quarter of a mile from the church to where I lived. I was finally allowed to actually go out on a date with him when I turned 16.

We stupidly let differences separate us for about 7 years while we were in our 20’s, but we eventually made our way back to each other. We’ve been together ever since, raising 4 children and so far, welcoming 3 grandchildren into the world.

I hope I have many more years with him by my side. I hope when we’re very old and gray, we’ll be sitting out on the porch rocking in our chairs, reminiscing and watching our grandchildren play. Until then, we’ll just sit at the dining table…enjoying our time together and the beauty of pink roses.

The chargers were hand painted for me by a very talented artist. Since I wanted to be able to use the chargers in Christmas table settings, she surrounded the pink roses by snowy pine branches and berries. I topped the chargers with clear glass dinner plates and salad plates. I added vintage pink stemmed glasses for serving shrimp cocktails. Small pitchers were placed at each setting to hold individual servings of salad dressing.

Peacocks and Fairies

I’m still enjoying my Snow Queen table and wasn’t quite ready to pack it all away just yet.  So for this week’s Tablescape Thursday with Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch, I decided to share a table setting from a couple of years ago.

The setting was inspired by these iridescent glass chargers.

Some of the coloration in the glass reminded me of a peacock and when I found the fairy figurines with the same coloring…well, the table just started to come together.

These salad plates by Arcoroc echoed the colors in the glass chargers.  Purple organza napkins were decorated with iridescent beaded tassels and peacock feathers.

The centerpiece for the table was a carnival glass compote filled with iridescent glass balls, more beaded tassels and topped by a peacock.

Brass candleholders holding purple candles flank the compote.  A peacock rests on each candleholder. 

The gold tablecloth picks up highlights of gold from the glass chargers.

It’s almost Mardi Gras time and this tablescape would work well for a Mardi Gras dinner.

Thanks for visiting and don’t forget to check out all the lovely tables showcased over at Between Naps on the Porch!

DG

Stuffed Radishes

This week for Full Plate Thursday with Miz Helen and Foodie Friday with Designs by Gollum, I’m focusing on the lowly radish. 

While looking through one of my vintage cookbooks, a recipe for Stuffed Radishes caught my eye.  The recipe called for stuffing the radishes with a combination of caviar, hard boiled eggs, and mayonnaise.   We love radishes, but we’re not a caviar type family.  Stuffing inspiration was found when I spotted a recipe for homemade Thousand Island Dressing in another vintage cookbook.

 

The recipe makes A LOT of dressing, way more than you would need to stuff radishes unless you’re feeding a crowd.  You could cut the recipe down (probably quartering the recipe would yield enough dressing to stuff a bag of radishes) or the remaining dressing can be refrigerated and used for salads.

The Thousand Island dressing is divine…much better than the bottled stuff.

You could even add a bit of crumbled bacon or minced ham to the dressing before stuffing the radishes to make a wonderful appetizer. 

Stuffed Radishes

To prepare the radishes - wash and clean the radishes; let them dry.  Cut the bottoms of the radishes so they will stand erect.  Trim the top of the radish and then core it.  The center part that you core out can be minced and added to the dressing. 

Thousand Island Dressing

1 c mayonnaise

2 T olives, finely chopped

2 T pickles, finely chopped

1 T parsley, finely chopped

1 T onion, finely chopped

Cayenne, to taste

Paprika, to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Use the Thousand Island Dressing to stuff the center of the radishes.  Now, the radishes are lowly no more…they’re elevated to “wow” status!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you’ll visit again soon!

DG

 

 

Dining with the Snow Queen

Jagged icicles and glittering snow,

restless winds around us blow.

Stealth and quiet, we must not be seen

if we are to catch sight of the Snow Queen.

Utterly forbidden it is to see her face,

to trespass in her hallowed abiding place.

If caught, to eternal winter consigned

to  be imprisoned until time out of mind.

 

Bitter chill and shards of ice,

for all that shall we pay the price?

Frost like a mirror, smooth as glass,

in truth we are at an impasse.

Oh please tell, do we dare to go on

or should we quickly have withdrawn? 

Ominous shivers down us creep

as we anticipate what we shall reap. 

She rides from out of the distance,

from a land of timeless existance.

White horses pull her crystal sleigh,

from her destination she does not sway.

Ermine trimmed cape blowing in the breeze,

who can say what her arctic gaze sees?

Sparkling snowflakes cling to her gown,

while below in the valley lies the sleeping town.

Ethereal and beautiful in her icy glory,

truly not a fairy tale or other story.

Shimmering crystal, etched with a snowflake,

a crown of ice …it’s her, no mistake.

Neither to the left nor to the right

does she look during her swift flight.

Not the tiniest sound do we make,

nor movement, our life not to forsake.

Then ever so slowly, she nears our hiding spot,

shock, anger and a glower we received not. 

Instead a sublime smile, a wave and a wink,

then to our surprise, she was gone in a blink.

Amazing, no imprisonment or fuss,

what about all the stories told to us?

Imagine our shock and surprise to find

The Snow Queen was actually quite kind.

The Snow Queen graciously thanks you for visiting with her today and she hopes you’ll come back soon! 

She’s joining in with Susan over at Between Naps on the Porch for another Tablescape Thursday.  Why don’t you join us too?

DG