Enter to Win!!! Valentine Giveaway!!

I recently participated in a Valentine swap with friends on P&R group-what fun that is! Well, I made one extra Valentine just to share with you! Leave me a comment (you have until February 2, at midnight) and I will enter you into a drawing for a Valentine of your own. I know the picture isn't the clearest, but here in Oregon, it hasn't been the brightest light lately. I fell in love with this lady's picture. I know, I know, she's old and very, very wrinkled, but I am convinced she is someone's dear sweetheart. She and I have gotten to know one another, as I made several of these to send out to my swapping friends. You can be one, too!
I'm listed at Bloggy Giveaways!

My Spring Rabbit

I had so much fun making this little guy! I found him in an old BH&G book, and just fell in love! Thanks to Patti M. for helping me get him together!

Yippee, they came!

My daughters and I are dying to try out our soldered art projects and have been waiting for the mailman to bring us some glass slides! They came today, so now we're in for fun! Another project, LOL.
I finally found where I put the vintage Valentines that I usually put on my old window hanging on a beam between my living room and dining room. I had mounted them are cardstock and held them in place with photo corners so I didn't have to use glue. I love old Valentines! I've bought some for the purpose of using for scrap, then can't part with them. I guess I need to at least make a scrapbook, but my window is a good place for some of them and I can enjoy them. My goal is to have them up this week. My other goal is to complete my Valentine swap projects from my PP&R group and get them mailed out. I'm having fun with those. Valentines remind me of childhood days, the beautiful happy colors, the wonder of getting the cards in the "mail" envelopes that we had hanging on our desks and EVERYONE put one in. Not like how it happens on Charlie Brown, where he gets no Valentine. I just feel like crying when I think of someone not getting a Valentine and the other kids do. So hopefully I'll have pics to share of my Valentines real soon!

Estate Sale Tomorrow!! It's About Time!!

Well, I believe the lady is still living, so I can be glad for that. BUT, I LOVE estate sales, garage sales, you know....junk! And TOMORROW there is finally an estate sale in our area! Yippee!! I am definitely not loaded with dollars this time of year, especially w/Randy having been out of work waiting on his new house building project to get started (paperwork glitches, ya know?). But, he's back to work, and all I'm going to be looking for is little junk. Cheap junk. OK, if there is another great deal on a piece of furniture, it will be hard to pass, but, just getting to go through junk is fun. So, first thing in the morning, I'm getting in line to go to this sale, and there better be something for me!!

Thanks Annette, for my new banner!

Annette, from Huckleberry Arts, made me my new banner! Thanks Annette, I love it! That was quick!

Nice, Warm, & Cozy....Home.....

Well, we're getting ready for Christmas, that's for sure. Took some pics today of my living room and dining room. It's so nice and cozy and relaxing. I love wood heat, although it is dusty! It just feels so good.
Now, I'm sitting, enjoying the season, like I haven't got a thing to do LOL. Actually, first thing in the morning, I have to make 36 loaves of Cardamom Bread. But, the good thing, is my baking is split up over 3 days! I was only going to bake on Friday, but it wasn't working for some people. It's turning out fine for me, as I've got orders for about 105 so far, if I'm counting right. Yippee, I love selling bread the last minute before Christmas, so I'm not broke on Christmas. I've had some really good comments that people are surprised I haven't raised my price. It's been $5. for 19 years LOL. I sure do have to shop to get the best buys on butter, eggs, milk, and flour, though. I have a lot of cardamom stocked up, which is pretty expensive, but I recently got a really good deal on it, so I'm set!! Here's my recipe:

Finnish Cardamom Bread

4 cups scalded milk
4 cups flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground cardamom seed
2 Tablespoons yeast.
Mix these together really well. I have a Bosch mixer, which I love, and I really use it a LOT. After that's mixed in good, mix in 4 eggs, and 1/2 pound butter. (Yes, use REAL butter!!!)
After that is all mixed in good, change to dough hooks, and start adding flour until it's a good soft dough. Let raise till double, punch down, divide into 6 or 8 equal pieces.
Now, take one of those pieces, cut it into 4 pieces, roll those out like snakes, a little longer than a foot, probably. Lay all four snakes on the counter parallel, then starting in center, work you way down braiding it. Then start at the other end/center, working to the end of that side.
Let raise till double, and bake about 15-20 minutes until nice, golden brown. I ice mine and decorate with red candied cherries. Yum, and it smells soooooo good.

Christmas shopping Day!

Here's my buffet I antiqued with black paint. I love how it came out. I bought it intending to redo it and sell it, and I finally listed it on craigslist. I won't be real sad if it stays with me! Isn't it pretty?













We finally got out to do some Christmas shopping. Talk about a LOT of people! I don't really mind the crowds. I love to get gifts, too. What I don't like is the "overdo-ing" you see. We're determined to keep the gifts really simple this year, so I'm probably more conscious of it than I usually am, or else I just ignore it. I want to just enjoy the whole season, the reason we celebrate it, even the gift-giving with a calmness, a focus... a child-like simpleness. You see how much fun a child has going to the dollar store and buying something that's really not much money, but to them it's a treasure, something they're excited to give.
My little boy last year knew I had broken my favorite butter dish. It was actually one of those glass refrigerator dishes, a think they used it for veggies or something. I loved that thing as a butter dish. Well, my son decided I needed a new butter dish, and got me a cut-glass-crystal-looking candy dish, from the dollar store. He was so proud of his purchase. I don't have the heart to tell him it's not practical. Not even for a candy dish, you can hardly pick the lid up, the knob is so tiny. My husband was making fun of it this morning and I had to tell him to hush, it was a treasure from Seth and he was proud to give it to me.
That's a memory. It only cost a dollar. He probably got the dollar for doing some odd job for me. Anyway, today, the shopping carts were everywhere. Some people were smiling, enjoying themselves. Others looked so angry. Why pack that shopping cart full if it's not even fun? Why can't people at least smile? I've gone through some horrible things in my life, and you still find a smile for a stranger you meet.
Anyway, I think there should be a rule that you can't go shopping acting grouchy!