Wednesday, May 31

Little Spaces


This is one of my favorite areas in our little girl's room. The photograph is of her saint, Saint Elisabeth the New Martyr, who as the granddaughter of Queen Victoria.

Monday, May 29

Little Houses


I've needed to make new dishcloths for awhile, so when I spotted a Nineteen Hundred House dishcloth on Missusking's Instagram feed, I just had to cast on! My daughter made a little French knot doorknob and has offered to add a wreath for the front door.

Saturday, May 27

Singing to the Birthday Girls




Birthday Cakes





Since our daughter and our youngest niece both celebrate their birthdays on May 26th, we decided to have a joint celebration with two cakes!  The birthday cakes were inspired by a wedding cake that we spotted while watching the BBC's Emma months and months ago.  I used two different bundt cake pans:  a Vaulted Cathedral Bundt and a Bundt Quartet PanThe cake recipe was one from King Arthur Flour and I thought that it was just 'meh'...  it used a lot of eggs and butter and perhaps if there had been a lemon glaze added, the flavor would have been better, but it was just too plain to go frostingless (which was what we wanted).  I love how the dusting of powdered sugar sets off the bundt cake patterns and the roses were perfect decorations for these sweet girls!  

Friday, May 26

Eleven!


Happiest of birthdays to the sweetest of daughters.  We cannot believe how quickly eleven years has flown by!

Thursday, May 25

Blueberry Muffins



It's been awhile since we made a batch of blueberry muffins for breakfast!

Wednesday, May 24

Strawberry Picking





We went strawberry picking today and the farm that we chose had a little crew of animals to enjoy as well.  The goats were hilarious begging for food and butting each other out of the way.  I could almost hear them scream, "Feeeeeeeeed usssssss!"

Tuesday, May 23

Handwashing Unmentionables


A month or so ago, I bought some new unmentionables and the saleswoman admonished me for washing my previous ones in the washing machine. 

 "But I use a little lingerie bag," I protested. 

"That doesn't matter!  Always launder lingerie by hand with a gentle soap and hand to dry!" she replied.

Ever since then, I have obediently been washing these delicate things in a bowl of warm soapy water.  I've been using just a little dab of either hand soap or dish soap to clean them.  In the above case, Mrs. Meyers peony dish soap did the trick.

Sunday, May 21

Sunday


  
Recently I can't get enough of the color pink and was so happy to spot these gorgeous hydrangeas at the market on Saturday night.  It is so nice to see them on our table along with our white tablecloth.  This Thursday is the feast of Ascension and I'm glad that there is still some Pascal beauty to enjoy.

We collected seashells on the beach today with Sugar Plum's godfather, who was visiting from the great state of Texas.  One of the best things we found was a Mermaid's Purse (a shark's egg case)!  I washed them all with gentle soap and lots of hot water and once they were dry, we packed them up, and sent them back with Uncle Mark for his children.

This coming week is filling up with lots of different activities and tasks, but I'm determined to try to make it to pick strawberries once more.  The ones that we picked on Saturday were so delicious!


Saturday, May 20

Strawberries and Geraniums


 We went to the park to play with friends this afternoon and ended up stopping to pick strawberries and buy lots of geraniums on the way home.  It was the best sort of Saturday outing!

Queen Anne's Lace Pillowcases




 Out little girl made me the most beautiful and thoughtful Mother's Day gift:  pillowcases embroidered with Queen Anne's Lace.  The pattern is one of Alicia Paulson's and a great one for our daughter to figure out.

Friday, May 19

All Yours to Enjoy


In those days, women made whatever was good and never minded how tedious the process, but now we live in a short-cut age.  But house-keeping is fun, and I think that women hate it lack imagination.  It is one job where you enjoy the results right along as you work.  You may work all day washing and ironing, but at night you have the delicious feeling of sunny clean sheets and airy pillows to lie on.  If you clean, you sit down at nightfall with the house shining and smelling faintly of wax, all yours to enjoy right then and there.  And if you cook - ah, if you cook - that creation you lift from the oven goes right to the table.  One way to look at it, of course, is that the women's work is never ended, and I have heard housekeepers say they hate to make cakes because they are eaten right up anyway.  You can make it drudgery f you want to, but it isn't.  And it isn't monotonus either, for no day is ever really the same.  Lucky the women who has a home and can live in what she is creating!"

Gladys Taber

Thank you to dear Kyrie for sending me this quote!

Polishing Silver the Easy Way


We inherited these gorgeous silver tea glass holders recently, but when we got them, they were black with tarnish.  For several days, I tried polishing and polishing them with silver cleaner, but they never got completely clean.  After checking out the internet, I found a great quick trick! First, boil four cups of water.  Add one tablespoon of baking soda and a piece of tin foil.  Put in your silver and in 10-20 seconds, the tarnish is gone!  I still have to polish these holders to shine them up, but I am so pleased with the results and will be using this method to keep our other silver looking its best!

Wedding Favors




The wedding favors at Anna and Justin's reception were amazing.  There were little pots of local honey, beeswax candles in the shape of bee skeps, and each place card was attached to a packet of wildflower seeds.  I love how Anna displayed the seed packets.  Her new sister-in-law lent her a gorgeous reclaimed door without glass that she strung twine across and clipped the packets to (along with tiny bags of lupine seeds scattered between the packets).  Anna did such a great job styling her reception.  I am so impressed!

Thursday, May 18

The Bridesmaid Bouquets



The bouquets that Anna and Justin bought for Kate, Juliana, and me were so gorgeous!  I've been enjoying them all week and thinking of the newlyweds each time they catch my eye.

Tuesday, May 16

Anna and Justin's Wedding


My wonderful husband filmed and edited my sister and brother-in-law's wedding video and it is terrific!

Monday, May 15

A Moveable Feast






We stopped at Whole Foods on the way home from the wedding weekend.  We don't have one near us, so it's always a treat to wander the aisles.  Each of us got to purchase something special and I chose novelty tulips that remind me of lilies of the valley.

Our little girl was eager to begin another embroidery project and is making us pillowcases with Queen Anne's Lace along the edge as my Mother's Day gift.  I cannot wait to see her beautiful work gracing our bed.  Queen Anne's Lace was included in our wedding flowers, so they are a favorite here.

My husband was the videographer for the wedding ceremony yesterday and has spent the whole day going through footage.  I cannot wait to see the final video (hopefully tomorrow!).  I hope that Anna and Justin will be happy with it! 

 I spent a little time in the kitchen baking a carrot cake tonight.  I have wanted to make one since my namesday last Monday and finally gave into the temptation.  It will be a nice treat this week!





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