From ... almost trash to treasures!

This is my first Met Monday post ... but I couldn't resist showing some neat things I've made in the last month!   I cleaned out our hobby room a couple months ago and found so much stuff to work with ... a box of beads ... lots of beads;  wiggling eyeballs;  all kinds of ribbon and trim scraps ... Take a look at the "afters" ... just imagine the "before" picture of a giant box filled with what could have been trash!  As always, thanks to our hostess ... and don't forget to click through to visit the party!  http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

I made several sets of napkin rings because I unearthed a giant box of glass beads!  ... several are from natural stones ...others from glass or plastic beads.  They couldn't be easier to do ... all you need is pliable wire.  Put a loop on one end, string the beads and hook the other end in the loop and curl the raw end under so you don't prick your finger with it.  You can make a double length and twist it like the red ring ... or just string beads like the yellow one!  Even if you have to buy the beads, you'll make these for about 20% of the cost of ready-made ones.

I needed a grape wreath for a weekend dinner party and I had all the stuff to make one ... so here it is!  I took it apart when I was done ... so I could use the grapes for other things.

When I make tassels,  I use wooden flower pot shapes and string them with wire that I string beads on.  I've made lots of these and find it a great way to use scraps of ribbon, etc.  Like the painted metal tray? 

I'm sure you've all made ghosts from cheese cloth and Elmer's glue!  I've started making mine on styro balls, so I can insert a hook and hang them!  This year I found some neat Christmas ornament hooks with glass beads on them ... All you have to do is uncurl the bottom of the wire hook and turn it into a spiral .. kind of like those spiral things you put in the ground to chain a dog to ... Then it will stay in the styro ball ... will pull out easily (no glue) ... so you can use all the supplies for something else.  I also sprayed my ghosts with silver  glitter paint.   My daughter sets hers on tall clear wine glasses instead of hanging them! 

Mr. Owl Has Lived with Us for 35 Years!

I recently made a run to one of my favorite places ... a collectible shop that supports a small community museum.   I donate a few things to the shop from time to time ... but generally buy more to bring home!  My daughter and I loaded up on lots of things to use in our autumn decorating.   Then we decided that we should take lots of pictures that can be posted to let people know how neat the shop is!  So, this Shannon crystal candle holder in the Dublin pattern was a good buy!  I filled it with faux pumpkins.  In the middle picture, the little "cage" came from the shop and cost me a whole dollar!  It looks equally cute with faux pumpkins!

I have finally found the beaded fringe I want to glue to my little lampshades on my antique lamps.  The next time you see them, they'll be "adorned" with some glitz!  Mr. Owl will like them better!

This is my first post to Seasonal Sundays!  Make sure you click through to visit http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/ so you can see all the other neat posts!  I'm also posting with Tablescape Tuesday and you can click through thefavicon on the left to see all those participants.  I hope you'll also click through to visit my website and take a look at the cookbooks I have for sale.  I can ship them worldwide.  Enjoy!

It's Time for the Barnyard Bash!

My pigs and I are happy to accept the invitation to party in the barnyard!  Special thanks to our hostess.  Make sure you click through her icon to visit all the other posts.  I hope you visit my website and take a look at my neat new cookbook.  I'll ship them anywhere ... pament is secure with Paypal.   Oink, oink!  Hope you enjoy!

Foodie Friday! - Ripe Tomato Cake

Here's a great cake recipe ... and a cooked icing recipe ... that is so good.  It uses ripe tomatoes ... not green ones and not tomato soup.  Don't overbake it ... watch it closely!  I bake mine in an 8 inch square pan and just pile the icing on top ... but you could split it into two layers and the icing is enough to frost both layers.  You'll love it!  Don't forget to click through the Foodie Friday icon to see all the other posts!

Tablescape Thursday - Apples are Ready!

It's time to pick apples in Southern Illinois, so that makes it time to set the apple tables!  Make sure you click through to our Tablescape Thursday hostess ... the icon is on the left of this post.   I hope you'll click through to my website and take a look at my newest cookbook.  I'll ship them anyplace, so don't hesitate to buy!  Leave me a note ... I love to hear from you!

Tablescape Thursday - Marilyn Monroe and Artichokes!

Here we are again ... Tablescape Thursday!  Thanks so much to Susan for hosting.   Make sure you click through the icon on the left to visit our host site.  I hope you'll also click through to my website and look at my most recent cookbook.   Autumn is upon us and if you need some new entertaining ideas, this  book is a great one! It's worth the purchase, just to find out who got the first bite of my wedding cake!  Hope you enjoy my artichoke scape ... and a little history lesson to boot!

Victoria's Trifle

The first time I ever made a trifle, I used a recipe that was in Victoria Magazine!  Since then,  I've made it scores of times ... especially at Christmastime as shown in this picture ... and many times during the summer with fruits in season.  One year we gave trifle kits as Christmas gifts to our friends.  I filled trifle bowls with the ingredients for a quick/instant pudding style trifle ... and made a cute giant recipe card that also had the history of trifle on it.

Trifle comes from English Renaissance times ... but was popularized by Queen Victoria.   Did you know that she started keeping a journal of recipes and menus when she was just a child?  She truly planned and supervised the preparation of both family and State dinners in her court ... using her own recipes.   Sponge cake was a favorite of hers ... and it was frequently used in trifle.  Trifle was also made as an effort to use stale cakes.

If you are in the mood for trifle ... go online ... you'll find hundreds of recipes!  One more tip ... don't hesitate to use that trifle bowl for other things.  I especially enjoy layering lettuce/vegetable salads in it.  

As always, thanks to our hostess!  Make sure you click through the icon on the left to visit other Victoria posts.

Tablescape Thursday - Egyptian Fusion

It's that time of the week again!   Special thanks to Susan for hosting our tablescaping event.  Make sure you click through her icon on the left to visit all the other posts.  I hope you'll click through to my website and look at the information about my newest cookbook.   If you are planning fall parties, it could be a big help.  If you like my writing style ... you'll enjoy the short stories about the crazy things I do!  Happy Tablescape Thursday!

Poppies for Victoria ... and Phoebe!

I should post this on one of the "got it for almost nothing" blog parties!  The story behind this tea set is kind of interesting!  The pot came from TJM in one city ... then 100 miles away, I found the creamer in another TJM ... then farther east, I found the sugar bowl!  All three pieces were on the clearance aisles, so I paid less than $5 for all three pieces!  The little basket and the  baby quilt came from GW ... two different trips ... and each cost me fifty cents!  You'll have to read my rooster party post to get the story on the cups/saucers! 

All that said, Victoria magazine instilled my love of tea time and my tea parties are quite unusual.  I trained two Labrador puppies to drink tea from china cups ... just for fun!  My friends were amazed.  One of my favorite memories is of my daddy playing "tea party" with his two great grand daughters.  He was 78 at the time (they were 3) ... and he was sitting in the floor of my sunroom playing with the little dishes and "taking tea"!  Priceless ... and captured on video!  Those girls are grown now, with children of their own!  ...and lastly, I hosted a garden tea party for 50 little children and their moms and grandmoms!  What a hoot!  My staff did the work, but I sured enjoyed the results!  We did this in association with a garden and hobby trade show ... and the local newspaper published a picture of my friends little great nephew!  He was sitting on the floor, under a table.  He didn't want to go to a tea party!   He grown considerably, too ... and attended our Christmas open house a couple years ago.   He quite the mannerly young man, now!

Oh, the stories!  This little tea party is just waiting to happen!   I think the setting might be perfect for Phoebe (3 1/2) to try her hand at tea!  We're about to unveil a new bedroom for her ... at Gwamma and Papa Joe's house ... so we might celebrate with a little tea party.  She'd outgrown her toddler bed, so we've spent the last two weeks moving furniture, etc ... to turn her Mama's old bedroom ... from the hobby room it had become in the last ten years ... to a bedroom for Phoebe!   Enjoy!

It's a Rooster Party!

I'm posting several pictures from a cute red, white and blue rooster tablescape!  Make sure you click through to my website and look at the details of my newest cookbook.  I can ship it anyplace!  You'll also want to click through the party icon to visit our hostess and check out all the other rooster posts!  Hope you enjoy!

Tablescape Thursday - Bunnies!

Here we are again!  Hope you enjoy my post ... don't forget to click through to my website ... and take a look at my Autumn Affairs ... new cookbook.   I can easily ship you one.  Thanks to Susan, as always, ... be sure to click through her icon on the left to visit our party host and see other tablescapes!

Victoria Tuesday

We're having fun with our Victoria posts!  Enjoy!  Make sure you click through the icon on the lower left to visit the hostess and her other partiers!