Breakfast Quotes from Lady Bird Johnson

Today I was drinking  a delicious cup of eggnog flavored coffee from my Keurig (THANK YOU MOM!), when I noticed the quote was wearing off the side of the glass my hubby had bought me in Texas.  I squinted to read it, and this is what it said, "I hope when you consider your land, that you will cherish those places that are still wild, where you can explore.  Nature's secret places where bulldozer and highway have not invaded."  Lady Bird Johnson.  What a wonderful quote!  What a wonderful lady.  Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson is one of my favorite first ladies.  She was a very driven woman, who stepped in to help out style icon/former first lady Jackie Kennedy when she was pregnant, served on several boards, received a good education, and helped preserve and reintroduce native plants in Texas.  She was even nicknamed "Johnny Appleseed of Wildflowers".  That is a nickname I would love to have!  Her other nickname, "Lady Bird" was given to her by her nurse, Alice Tittle when she was a baby, because she was "as purdy as a ladybird" (a brightly colored beetle).   One of my favorite stories about her is when she chased down reporter Dan Rather in her car after he had a clash with LBJ, and invited him back to have punch because, "That's just the way Lyndon sometimes is".  If you want to know more about this interesting lady, check out her book , A White House Diary.  As for me, I might have to finish my coffee outdoors.

Breaking My Ceramic Cooktop and Hard Candy Like Glass....

We were invited by some friends to see their Christmas lights in the country, so I thought I would bake them each a little individual "Crazy Good Bananna Bread", as listed in an earlier post.  While it was baking, I decided I would make some hard candy on the stovetop, and while digging through my pots and pans, bam!  A pot lid fell out of the cupboard and landed on my ceramic cooktop.  Not only was there a starburst, but there was also a huge deep fault line making my largest burner sink in.  It was devastating.  What am I going to do?  I guess that is where our Christmas bonus will go.  Anyway, the light at the end of the tunnel popped out of the candy flavoring.  There was a recipe for microwave candy.  Whatttt!!!  I don't have to stir over a hot oven while doing squats and taking the candy's temp?  What do I have to lose by giving it a try?  (just some cooking supplies)  So, I went for it.  I made a batch of green watermelon and a batch of red cinnamon.  They turned out beautifully and they were fun to break (unlike my stove top).  The cinnamon was crazy hot, so if you like it a little less intense, use less cinnamon flavoring.  Here is the recipe if you want to try it.
Microwave Hard Candy.....
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 dram or 1/2 tsp LorAnn Gourmet Flavoring Oil (or as desired)
Liquid food coloring (as desired)
Powdered Sugar (optional)
Thoroughly mix granulated sugar and corn syrup.  Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.  Take out carefully remove plastic wrap (watch out for steam), and stir the sugar mixture.  Cover with a new sheet of plastic wrap.  Microwave on high for 3 more minutes.  Remove from microwave and carefully remove the plastic wrap again (STEAM).  Stir in 3 or 4 drops of desired food coloring, and then stir in your flavoring oil.  Pour it onto a greased cookie sheet(score at once to mark squares).  Let candy cool on counter (not fridge) until hardened then break apart like glass.  Dust with powdered sugar to keep from sticking.  The directions said cook on high for 3 min 10 sec each time, but I didn't want to burn it so I only did 3 minutes each time and it turned out lovely.
The real life product is pictured at the top of this post.
My real life stove top is pictured underneath.  Yes, it looks dirty, but don't judge, I don't want to cut myself cleaning it.

Eggnog and Squats

I found a tempting eggnog recipe on punchbowl.com.  Since my daughter and I were baking cookies, I thought we could make this as well.  We put the cookies in the oven and began stirring the egg/milk/sugar mixture over the stove.  The goal was for this mixture to stick to the back of the spoon, but it was slow going.  The cookies came out, my daughter went downstairs, and I was still stirring....and stirring...and stirring.  I started doing squats while stirring to detract from the calories I would be putting in my body while eating the fresh baked cookies and drinking the eggnog.  The recipe said, "be patient", and "Set your burner on the lowest possible setting".  After my squats, the stove setting slowly went from Low to 2 to 3 to 5.   I was doing toe raises, leg lifts, my arms were getting tired from stirring.  Doing leg lifts while stirring a pan is like walking and chewing gum.  I almost lost my balance, and I hadn't even had any spiked eggnog yet.  Finally, after about 1/2 hour total stirring time, and turning the burner to 6, thickness occurred!  I was elated, and it made the whole experience worthwhile.  The verdict on the taste...My husband and I loved the spiked version, my daughter liked the regular version, and my son was napping after a busy day of playing.  Will I make it next year?  I think I might, however, I do see why there are so many ready made versions on the shelf of the store.  For those of  you who may like to do my eggnog exercise regimen, the recipe follows...
Use an electric mixer to beat 6 eggs in a large bowl. Gradually add 3 cups milk and 8 tablespoons sugar to your mixture until it has thickened slightly. Set your burner on the lowest possible setting and heat your ingredients in a pan until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Be patient! Next add 3 teaspoons vanilla essence and ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled. To make the low-fat version of this easy eggnog recipe, you can substitute with egg beaters, skim milk, and artificial sweetener.
Now to spice it up! To make an eggnog recipe with alcohol, add 1 ½ ounces spiced rum per glass to 4 ounces of eggnog, stirring together. Top with a pinch of either nutmeg or cinnamon. Serve and enjoy!
You can, of course, make non-alcoholic eggnog for kids and other guests by using rum flavoring from the spice aisle. Another delicious eggnog recipe is eggnog punch. This is typically made by mixing a quart of eggnog with a pint of vanilla ice cream. Then, slowly add a quart of 7-Up or Sprite.

Thank you Pandora and Madame Hoel for a beautiful breakfast

Today is the first day of our school's holiday break.  Although I love my job as a school librarian, I am so excited to have two weeks of bliss with my family.  Yesterday after school, my daughter asked, "Will you please make crepes for breakfast tomorrow?"  Of course I couldn't turn that sweet request down, so this morning I took out a folded recipe written in the beautiful cursive of my late high school French teacher Madame Hoel to begin the crepe making.  Madame Hoel was always happy, and she loved all things French.  She had a big bouffant hairstyle sometimes decorated with little bows.  She wore pastel clothing, lots of pastel makeup and costume jewelry, and even rocked grown up braces for a couple years.  She would bring little candies to class and walk around to each student asking if they would like a candy in French, and we had to reply in French.  She taught us to make crepes, played Don McClean's song about Vincent Van Gogh for us, and had us make little commercials in French.  I'm so thankful to her for all the fun culture and high school memories she gave me.  I'm also thankful that when my daughter asks me to make crepes, I now know how.  So this morning, I brewed some French roast coffee, and began the task of crepe making with thoughts of Madame Hoel.  I also turned on my Edith Piaf Pandora station, as I love to listen to music to match the mood of whatever I am cooking or eating.  If you don't know about Pandora, you must join.  It is free.  All you need is an email address.  At this time of year, you can make Christmas, Hannukah, or Kwanzaa stations and they will play a wide variety of songs.  If you do celebrate Christmas, I would like to say to you as Madame Hoel would say, "Joyeux Noel!"

The Art Of Going To Bed

There are many things I love in this world, but as embarrassed as I may be to admit it, sleep is up towards the top of the list.  Wintertime morning gives me the blues, because it is still dark and extra cold when the alarm goes off.  However, I relish the evenings.  Rituals are a fun part of life, and they can make even the most menial tasks seem important.  Bedtime.....ahhh...bedtime.  Pretty bed gear is a must, be it matching flannel or silk button down jammies with slippers, or vintage silk nighties with a robe cover for warmth.  Then, after dressing the part, remove any gross traces of the day by washing the face with some cold cream and a warm washcloth, and brushing the grime off your teeth.  The warmth feels so good on biting cold winter days.  Next, rub some cream on your face in upward circular motions.  You can even close your eyes and pretend a massage specialist is massaging your face.  After your face is taken care of, head to the slumber spot.  As noted earlier in my blog, mine is extra naughty and yummy smelling.  If you would like an extra naughty, yummy smelling bed, wash your sheets once a week, and use a fabric softener in a scent that comforts you.  Plus, don't skimp on comfort.  Get some cozy bedding, and replace your pillows if they need it.  Ok, then get cozy under those covers, turn on the bedside lamp, and make sure you have a carafe full of water to keep you hydrated(I love the one from Victorian Trading Company shown below).  Then, do something calming you enjoy for a few minutes.  I like to rub lavender vanilla lotion on my feet and sometimes read for a few minutes.  I wish I could blog or look at the internet, but I hear electronic media makes you want to stay awake because of the light, and I have noticed for me that is true.  However, it may not be true for all, so if that is how you destress and forget the day, do it.  Another handy thing for bed is a sleep mask.  It keeps the light out, and makes you feel like Holly Golighty from Breakfast At Tiffany's.  Sweet dreams, and I want to give a shout out to a coworker of mine who believed in me, read my blog, and put some post on pinterest.  Thank you Caren!

Wintertime Reads

If you sometimes like to read for entertainment alone, won't be offended by a little shamelessness, and want an addictive series, Sara Shepards Pretty Little Liars Series and The Lying Game Series are for you.  Perhaps I'm a little old to be reading about high schoolers, but this author has me hooked with her beautiful writing style, and her unblushing sense of adventure.  Here is a little example of her wonderful description from Never Have I Ever;"The room was no bigger than a chicken coop, smelled like rotting vegetables, and , inexplicably, had two pictures of serene-looking Japanes geishas hanging on the far wall.....".  Pick up the first in The Lying Game series and see for yourself if these books are for you.

Flapper

I just read the book Vixen by Jillian Larkin.  It dealt with girls trying on the flapper lifestyle in Chicago, 1923.  The details of the clothes, hairstyles, ect. had me wanting to play dressup.  I seriously considered chopping my long locks to a flapper bob.  So I looked online at flapper haircuts, and the cutest pictures were always entertainer Louise Brooks.  But alas, everytime I cut my hair, I miss the femininity of my long hair Although I've seen many feminine ladies with shorter hair, I just don't think I look cute that way.  However, hair aside, I'm now totally obsessed with flappers, speakesies, ect.  The search is on for Louise Brooks movies, because she has me curious just from the still pics.  Also, the search is on for some fun, jazzy twenties tunes to listen to.  Let me know if you want to come along to the 20s with me, we'll have a gay time!

Grandma Lou

I was so proud of my grandma Lou.  She was the grandma you pictured when you thought of a grandma.  She had curly white hair, and she always had it fixed.  She wore polyester pants, cute little shirts with birds on them, and matching necklaces and earrings.  Her house was also the quintessential grandmother’s house.  It was yellow with cute black shutters and a perfectly cared for yard with little cement animals.  I had so many adventures in her yard and ate her tart green apples right off the tree.  Grandma’s oven always had treats inside, although not fresh cookies like you might think.  Better yet, there were individually wrapped Little Debbie Swiss Cake Rolls and Star Crunches.  She  made Spaghettios piping hot, and let us watch The Price Is Right and The Young And The Restless with her.  She said phrases like “For Pete’s Sake” and “I do declare”.  There was never a holiday dinner, birthday dinner, or family reunion that she missed.  At Halloween, we went to her house and she gave us a special ziplock bag filled with several kinds of candy and a dollar.   However, none of these things compared with the way she paid attention to me.  She listened intently to stories I told her like I was the only one in the room.  And I have a feeling she was the same way with all seven of her grandchildren, because family meant so much to her.   She passed away the other day, and I was quite surprised to see that she was not always my grandma.  She used to be that beautiful young thing pictured above.  It is so easy to think that she was just mine, but she wore many hats throughout her life.  I sometimes wish I could travel back in time and be her friend.  I love her and miss her, and will try to keep her memory alive by sharing her wonderful grandmother qualities with  those who weren’t fortunate enough to have my grandma Lou for themselves.  

Late Night Tooth Fairy...

A special, once in a lifetime moment happened in my son's life today.  He lost his first tooth.  He was so brave, proud, and excited.  I found a little container with a lid to keep the tooth safe until evening.  However, after taking it out to examine it, he lost it at least two times.  It was found on both occasions.  So, after many cups of coffee throughout the day, I played tooth fairy tonight at 11:30 pm.  Had he spent the night in his own room, rather than his sister's room, it would have been much less difficult.  At 11pm I went in, and his sister was still awake.  She knows the tooth fairy is a farce already, so I could have done it then, but sometimes I like to think she might still semi-believe.   The next time I checked (carrying a load of her clean laundry to put away as a cover story), she was out.  In my pocket was a tiny vial of blue glitter dust and a $1 bill.  He was on the top bunk of her bunk bed, so I had to reach up, and find the tiny container with the tooth in it.  After much searching, it was found, and the tooth was extracted.  Replacing the tooth was the bill and money.  Then I put it back under the pillow and took off.  It was such a rush, like playing dong and ditch when I was a child.  Hopefully I can get all this glitter dust off my hands by the time he sees me in the morning....

How about some homemade fabric softener to go with all that....

• 1 cup baking soda
• 6 cups distilled white vinegar
• 8 cups water
• 10 -15 drops essential oils (Lavender, Vanilla, Citrus, whatever you please)
•  one gallon container

1. Add the baking soda to the plastic container.
2. Add 1 cup of water to start with.
3. Add the vinegar slowly to the bottle due to the fizz factor.
4. Add the rest of the water and swirl
5. Add the essential oil.
6. 
   
   Add 1 cup in your final rinse cycle for each load after giving a good shake.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

Since I was on the topic of loving to hang my clothes outdoors, I thought I would search for homemade laundry soap recipes on the internet.   There were many, but most of them consisted of the ingredients below.  It is so much cheaper to make your own.  Plus it is fun.

Homemade Laundry Soap

1 bar Ivory bar soap or 1/3 bar Fels Naptha (harder to find but stronger)

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder 
1 oz Essential Oil

1 bucket

2 gallon containers (white vinegar containers are kind of cute if you take the label off)

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan.  Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts.  Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.   Now add your soap mixture and stir.  Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.  Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will turn to a watery gel(like egg whites).  Add 1 oz. of essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice, such as a mixture of Lavender and Vanilla, which I love.  Pour into cute containers.  Use ½ cup per load.

aaah, summer

All of my senses get a workout in the summer.  Every morning, I wake with glee ready to see the what new flower is in my garden from the 100s of seeds I planted in the spring.  Finally I am reaping the visual rewards of all the weeding and watering.  Daily, I walk out barefoot on the soft, cool green grass to peek at my gardens.  For a while, it was just lush green, but now at least one new flower opens every day.  The colors of nature are so vivid, and the butterfly visitors make it feel so ethereal.  Yesterday, I harvested my Chamomile flowers to make tea.  They smell so enchanting, and the tea will taste so good come fall.  

Another thing about summer that I love is hanging clothes on the line to dry.  Who knew it could be so fun.  First of all, it makes me feel like a vintage housewife.  I smell the lavender fabric softner on every towel or garment as I hang it (Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Lavender has edged out my old favorite Downy Lavender Vanilla).  The sound of birds singing, bees buzzing, and the distant lawnmower float in and out of my ears as I hang.  All the senses are so delighted in summer, I am so sad to see it come to an end.

Girl's Weekend Part Deux

The first evening ended in cocktails and debauchery at our temporary pad.  The next morning, we were feeling a little worse for wear, but we cooked a delicious breakfast, and headed out for an unscripted adventure in Estes Park.  This adventure included taking old tyme photos, shopping, seeing the famous Stanley Hotel via The Ghost Tour, and going on a wine tasting at a little independent winery.  I was grumpy and ready for a nap by the time we went to the winery, but I guess it acted as hair of the dog, because after the tasting, I was fresh and new.     Two of our friends took a little nap, and Erica and I soaked our feet in the jacuzzi tub, drank champagne, and chatted.  She told me the funniest stories and had me laughing so hard.  The crazy thing is, this was close to my favorite part of the trip, and yet we could have done this at one of our homes for free.  After our homemade pedicures and the other gals naps, we dolled ourselves up for a night on the town.  During our shopping excursion, one of the salesclerks told us about the beach party at an Irish Pub called Lonnigans.  Erica had already been itching to go there, so after much debate we decided we would end our day with that.  However, we had to eat first.  There is a cute little resturaunt hotel called Nicky's.  It had the cutest seventies lounge vibe and the yummiest salad bar.  Samantha and I bought a bottle of wine we could all decorate.  Then they hang the bottles of wine from the ceiling.  There are very old decorated bottles up there.  Perhaps we can go back one day and see ours.  Next stop, Lonnigans.  We had a cute little table at the beach party, talked, laughed, ect.  Then I won $25 in a dance contest.  I enjoyed limbo, and we saw a guy's knee get dislocated.  We left before the night was over, and we got a good nights sleep before heading home.  It was a gloriously fun weekend, and it rejuvenated my girl time battery(although I already want to see them again).

Girl's Weekend

Everyone needs to get away once in a while.  Plus, I think girlfriends are a must have to keep sane (even if you have the perfect life).  So on the most hectic week of my awesome new job as librarian, I was lucky to have a girl's weekend to Estes Park scheduled.  I left from my busy workday, picked up a lovely girlfriend an hour after I left, and we resumed driving and chatting for two hours until we reached our destination.  The drive up there was the beginning of the fun.  It is so fun to chat with your longtime girlfriends (this particular one and I had been friends since fourth grade, not to mention she was my boudoir photographer).  I told her how I had been such a grouch to my family, and hopefully distance would make their hearts grow fonder.  She told me similar stories.  Then, when we arrived at our destination, boom it was so fun.  Two more of our lady friends were waiting for us in a divine place called Mary's Lake Getaway(photo above, website as follows   Maryslakegetaway.com).  I do suggest you stay there.  It was like having a beautiful mountain lodge all to yourself.  Waiting for us with open arms were the two previously mentioned lady friends, Erica and Samantha (known since kindergarten and sixth grade, respectively).  That night, at the suggestion of my friend Samantha's mom, we went to dinner at Dunraven's.  It was the most magical, delicious Italian resturaunt, with an eccentric decor.  There were Mona Lisa interpretations everywhere.  On the walls and ceiling of the entrance, there were $1 bills taped everywhere.  I asked an employee, and he said it was more than $10,000.00.  He said it is good luck if you tape a dollar bill to the wall.  I asked if a penny would bring luck, and he said no.  Being the cheapskate that I am, I had to decline.  Who knows where I could spend that dollar on girls weekend.  It is late, and I must be off, but stay tuned for the conclusion to girls weekend.....

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Are you so excited for April Showers?  I am.  I love the rain, because I picture the green grass and the flowers blooming.  Also, the smell is out of this world.  So check out these cute vintage umbrellas I found for less than most on http://www.lace-parasols.com/.  The above is the "Virginia".  Can't imagine why I would be so enthralled with that.  It is $37.99, which is cheaper than most lace parasols on the net.  And if it last you a lifetime of Aprils, what is $40.00?  What a cute site, and what cute items.

Tribute to Chance

I was hanging out with my daughter today, when I heard the Louis Armstrong song, "What A Wonderful World", and I fell apart.  I was so embarrassed crying in front of my daughter, but she gave me a hug and was so sweet.  I used to love that song, until I was on bedrest with my first son, and he used to kick every time he heard it.  I thought he loved it, and would love it when he was born.  Unfortunately, that day never came, as he died an hour and a half after his birth on September 29th, 2000.  That song used to bring me to tears, until a few years ago, when I could finally get through it after hearing it through countless weddings, ect.  But today, for some reason, it snuck up on me again.  Every bone in my body longs for him.  I often think how he would be in fourth grade this year, and I think how he would be such a good brother to Miles and Virginia.  Maybe it is selfish to long for a third child when so many people can't even have one, but I do.  I long for the baby I lost.  I long for him every mother's day, every birthday, and every once in a while, on days like today, when I think of how wonderful it would be to have him.  This is to every one who lost a baby, every one who wishes they could have one, and even to those who cancelled a birth on their own, and think of it every day....I love you Chance...thank you for being my son...if even for only an hour and a half.

St. Patty's Feast

Thursday is St. Patty's, and I have such a love for holidays, I am going all out.  While searching for dessert recipes, I found a yummy looking chocolate irish whiskey bundt cake on the following site.... http://www.chow.com/print/recipe/10892

What is going into our St. Patty's this year?  Corned Beef and Cabbage, scalloped potatoes, the above cake, and many fun games for the kiddos, and plenty o' Irish humor.  The corned beef is so easy.  You just throw it in the crock pot with onions, cabbage and beer, and turn it on.  It is ready at dinner time.  There are so many resources for St. Patty's games for the kiddos.  Here are a few... http://familyfun.go.com/st-patricks-day/st-patricks-day-games/, http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/holiday_themes/stpat_games.html

A great site for Irish Slang is http://www.irishabroad.com/culture/slang/irishslang.asp.  

A fun site for Irish Jokes is http://irishjokes.com/

Have fun, have a green beer, but be responsible, and celebrate a heritage who saw its share of opression  in the late 1800's.  No group was considered lower than the Irish in the 1850's.  Read about it at the following site....http://www.kinsella.org/history/histira.htm

And you can't celebrate the holiday without some wonderful Irish music.  So lively and delightful.  Go to Pandora.com and ask for St. Patty's mix, or celtic music.  It is so fun to listen to.

Hopefully I wasn't a dry shite in this blog, referrin you to a lot o sites....

Crazy Good Banana Bread

I had a couple bananas going brown on the counter, so I decided to make banana bread.  I looked in my recipe box, and found something different.  It was a recipe from Carole Lanthier from Ontario.  I found it in some cooking magazine.  Here goes:

1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 medium mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a small bowl beat the  eggs, bananas, butter, coconut, and extract.  Stir into dry ingredients until moistened.  Fold in walnuts and cherries.  Transfer to a greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes.

I didn't have cherries, and I used chopped pecans instead of walnuts, and it was sooo delicious.  I think the almond extract is to blame for the out of this world flavor.  I was never a huge fan of banana bread, but this has converted me.

March

Welcome to the month o' green(St. Patty's is on the 17th).  March also includes noted dates such as the birthday of Dr. Seuss (2nd), the beginning of daylight savings time (13th) and the first of spring (20th).  It is a month full of tradition and new beginnings.  The green tips of spring bulbs will soon be popping out of the ground.  Birds will soon be in the yard whistling and waiting for worms.  Spring/Summer clothes will be dragged out of storage.  Houses will be spring cleaned and windows opened.  A new beginning awaits...

St. Patty's Pancake Rainbow

Today, I thought I would indulge my children in a rainbow of pancakes for breakfast.  Is there a pot o gold at the end?  There is in the form of perfect childhood smiles.  If you would like to make a pancake rainbow, do the following:  Set out five bowls.  In each bowl, put 1/4 cup water, and a couple drops of the desired color food coloring.  Then add a little more than 1/4 cup mix to each bowl and stir vigorously with a fork.  Meanwhile, heat your skillet.  Then take a tablespoon and use it to make the pancakes the right size.  Cook them thoroughly on one side, and after you flip them, hurry and take them off so one side doesn't brown as much (so you can see the color).  Arrange them any way you like on a pan, and enjoy! -Linda

Happy birthday Barbie!

3-9-11  Happy birthday to Barbie today.  Did you know her full name is Barbie Millicent Rogers?  Also, she is two years older than Ken.  I just wanted to say happy birthday to Barbie, who gave me hours of playtime enjoyment as a child, and now gives my daughter great enjoyment as well.

Spring Cleaning Green

3-2-11  The green cleaning method isn't new.  The vintage housewives always made their own.  Here is my favorite Spring Cleaning Glass recipe below...
2 cups water
1/2 cup white or cider vinegar
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol

If you want, add 2 drops blue or green food coloring for beauty.
If you don't want to make your own, Mrs. Meyers makes great green cleaners in cute vintage looking packaging that can be purchased at www.mrsmeyers.com

Recycled Valentine's Bouquet

2-20-11  The Valentine's day bouquet of pink and red roses was recycled today.  At some point, the pink ones started looking slightly droopy, and I thought it was time to separate them from the red.  Currently, two of them are upside down in the kitchen drying.  With the remaining four, I decided to take four tiny matching vases and add a drop of food coloring to each and then some water.  Then, I added a pink rose to each.  If you ever wanted to do this for fun in the spring, just get some tiny glass vases (very cheap in the floral section of any big box store), add a drop of food coloring and water, and add wildflowers or some purchased from the store.  If you would prefer a lighter shade of colored water, add a drop to a larger portion of water in a measuring cup, and pour it into the vase for a pastel beauty.  As for drying your beauties, you can air dry or microwave them.  The following site will give you directions for this:


http://www.freeshipping.org/blog/learn-how-to-dry-flowers-and-make-valentines-memories-last/

Shabby Chic Will Be The Death Of My Finances

2-17-11  What is it about home decor, that adds butterflies to the stomach?  Why would one use money that could go to a months worth of gourmet meals on bedding?  I will tell you why.  This is your peaceful place.  This is where the most important moments of your life take place.  Your dreams, your recovery from illness, your rebuilding of cells, and your most intimate moments take place here.  So it should be as cozy and aesthetically pleasing as possible to everyone who lives there.  Luckily for me, my husband deals with the flowers in our room.  Perhaps it is because underneath there is a down mattress pad and the coziest pillows I could find.  A great mattress pad and pillows to buy can be found at consumersearch.com.  As for the sheets and bedding.  I can not get over shabby chic by Rachel Ashwell.  She finds the softest, cutest fabrics.  I have had several of her designs, but my current fave is Bella Blue bedding (above).  The light pastels are so soothing an mesmerizing, and the fabric is so soft.  The best is after you wash it in lavender vanilla detergent and use lavender vanilla fabric softener.  Sweet.

Spring Has Sprung

2-16-11  The groundhog didn't see his shadow, meaning an early spring.  There is a major case of spring fever hanging in the air in this household.  I am so excited to plant flowers and veggies.   This year, I am for sure planting roses and baby's breath.  Also, I heard you can plant carnations in this zone (zone 5), but they are small.  There will be an herb garden with lavender and basil (my favorite herbs).  All this will have to occur in the front yard, due to the giant white ball of fluff in my back.  I am talking about my Great Pyrenees, Snowball, who loves to dig in the wet dirt.  Last fall, I planted 100 bulbs, all of which she dug up.  I did read somewhere that dogs love the sweet smell of bulbs.  One idea I am considering is window boxes.  The perfect area is outside the kitchen window.  You can open the window and smell the herbs or the flowers.  Better yet, you could open the screen and cut the herbs to use in cooking.  Of course there will still be some cold windy days ahead, but Spring is on its way.  Here is a site with step by step directions on making your own window box: 

http://www.marigoldlane.com/garden/makewindowbox.html

Love's Babysoft

2-7-11  This morning while getting ready, I pondered what scent to wear.  Behind the other perfumes, it caught my eye.  Love's Babysoft.  From the age of 11, Love's has always been in my perfume collection.  I don't know if it is the memories, or just the clean fresh scent, but it is always lovely to fall back on.  Sometimes, I would even spray it on my children's clothing before dressing them when they were babies.  People would comment on how good they smelled.  One day I let my sister in law in on the secret, hence the two bottles on my shelf(pictured above).  She included a twin pack with my Christmas gift.  Loves has been around since 1974, so I guess it is not quite vintage, but it is quite a bit older than I.  It is so inexpensive, you could buy a bottle to keep in your purse for whenever there is a bad smell in your car or vicinity.  The Victorian ladies used to carry something around to sniff in cases like these.  I'll take a cue from them.
-Linda

2-6-11  My husband just left with the kids for their biannual visit to the dentist.  There probably aren't any worries, as they brush everyday and try to floss often.  Good thing modern dentistry is mostly about prevention.  There is evidence of dentistry being performed as far back as 7000BC.  I can't imagine the implementations they used to take care of tooth rot.  Even the Egyptians and Greco-Romans used prosthetics and oral surgery.  Barbers used to be the ones who performed dentistry, until the first dental school, Baltimore College of Dentistry opened in 1840.  Now a dentist has to go to school at least four years, to check out your oral region.  Thank heavens for that, and the fact the tools have gotten better.  The above photo looks too painful.  My kids actually get excited to go to the dentist these days.  My daughter just told me about the glow in the dark toothbrushes they had last time she went.  We've come a long way.

Bubble Bath

2-5-11  In these frosty conditions of wintertime, my biggest addiction is probably a bubble bath.  Just about every night, I ask my hubby if it is ok if I partake in a bubble bath.  Luckily, he always says yes.  Then I pour some Avon Soft Pink bubble bath into the tub and draw the water as hot as I can make it.  I light some candles, and grab a crystal cut glass of wine, and sometimes a magazine or book, and retire to the bath for an hour or more.  It is my personal time, and I love it.  All my cares disintegrate into the bubbles, and the smell, I cannot describe the smell.  It is so rich and foamy, like nothing else I have tried.  I have been using Avon Soft Pink since I was a tiny child.  Perhaps it is the smell of memories, but it is intoxicating to me.  I looked online and could find nothing of the history of Avon Soft Pink bubble bath, but I believe it has been around for some time.  Here is what I did find.  Avon was originally California Perfume Company in 1886.  Women didn't have the right to vote.  15% of women worked outside the home.   Avon products Inc. was named in love for David McConnell's father's favorite playwright William Shakespere, who was born in Stratford Upon Avon, England.  However it came about, I love it , and I will use it forever.

Vintage Football

2-4-11  Ok, perhaps it is not girly or pink, but it is vintage.  Football has been around professionally since 1920, as the American Professional Football Association.  In 1922, it was renamed the National Football League NFL.  The Green Bay Packers have been and organization since 1919, and they became a professional franchise in 1921.  The Superbowl isn't quite as vintage, as it has only been played since 1967.  However, it is always enjoyed in this household as a time for family, snacks, fashion, and perhaps a microbrew or two.  I love the shirt above, as fashion for the Superbowl.  It can be purchased at teenormous.com.  As a snack, I love to serve traveling tortilla dip on a carnival plate, with some blue tortilla chips.  Just spread some beans, followed by some guacamole, then some sour cream mixed with taco seasoning to taste, and then sprinkle some cheese, tomatoes, and olives on top.  It is simple, wonderful, and totally Superbowl worthy.  Perhaps you could tune in Sunday around 4:30pm, and we can enjoy it together.

Superbowl Manicures and Homemade Bookmarks

2-2-11  Day 4 of being frozen in...cabin fever is setting in.  However, my daughter and I made some bookmarks together (two are shown below).  We also did Superbowl manicures.  Even  an extra girly girl can take part in the Superbowl with this idea.  Green Bay (green and yellow) or Steelers (black and yellow with red and blue accents) can be painted on to your nails and your can have a little rivalry with your friends, family or special someone.  Our family is divided 50/50.  My son and I are going for Green Bay (as you can see by my nails below), and daddy and daughter are rooting for the Steelers.  Both teams have been around for a long time.  Let the games begin. -Linda

Valentine Romance

 2-1-11  Trapped inside the house during a winter ice storm, there was a lot of time to shop online for a gorgeous Valentine's day dress.  The perfect dress found me (photo above).  It was on modcloth.com on sale!  They suggested you wear it with seamed hose, Mary Jane high heels, black lace wrist length gloves, and maybe a fascinator.  How adorable.  Someone needs to take my credit card away!
  On another note, have you gotten that special someone a Valentine's present yet.  May I suggest the tasteful boudoir pic?  Nothing racy or too steamy, but something fun and sexy that will last well into your golden years.  I did this for my husband on our tenth anniversary.  I had a wonderful professional photographer who is also a nurse, so my bare midriff didn't make her blush.  Check out her website @ http://www.samanthatroudt.com.  Happy early Valentine's Day!!  -Linda

Homemade Valentines

1-31-11  Tomorrow is the first day of February.  My children and I put together their Valentines yesterday.   Why not send out grown up Valentines to our grown up friends and family?  It is a tradition worth starting. 

Sunday Dinner

1-31-11  This morning, while chopping some vegetables for the crock pot in the pink strawberry apron my sister in law had bestowed upon me last Christmas, a marvelous sound echoed across the cold winter sky.  I stopped short...I hadn't ever heard that sound in real life...it was church bells.  Looking at the clock, I noticed it was 10am sharp. How had I lived in this town for six years and never heard it.  The sound was beautiful and melodic.  It was an unbelievable perk to a beautiful Sunday morning.  
  My parents are coming over this evening for Sunday dinner.  What happened to the tradition of Sunday dinner?  Perhaps it has gone by the wayside, but I think it is worth keeping up.  We have so many fun diversions in life these days, but carving a niche for Sunday dinner is well worth it.  Set out the china, put out some flowers, perhaps open a bottle of wine, and invite some friends or family...who knows where the evening will lead.
-Linda

The beginning

1-29-11   Frost nips the soon to be buds of the bare winter trees.  The wind is howling, as I sit cozy in my living room with a freshly brewed coffee in a snowflake painted mug.  I have been feeling this pull towards history lately....family history, old photos, vintage finds.  When I wake in the morning and pad to wherever I am headed, it pulls.  So, I am starting a blog.  I will find wonderful old photos and ads, cute dresses and accessories, and wonderful music and sayings to compile on this blog.  The journey begins today.....