Vintage Christmas Monday

Sorry these are such rotten photos, but I took them this morning on the way out the door to work! I found this adorable Kutie Karacter this past summer at an estate sale. I guess he/she technically isn't a Christmas decoration but since she is dressed as an Eskimo I am using her/him as a Christmas decoration.

This little angel was bought at the same sale. I think she is from around the late 1960's or early 1970's. She is a treetop angel and has a very stiff spring inside her dress that is supposed to go over the top part of the tree. I couldn't get her to stay on my tree so she is going to grace one of my end tables.

For more vintage goodies head over to http://thepottingshed-anythinggoeshere.blogspot.com

Linda

Estate Sale Goodies!

Last Friday during lunch I decided to head over to an Estate sale that was advertised in the local paper and boy am I glad that I did!

Look at all the wonderful things I found!

See that pitcher? It is Longaberger and we know how expensive they are!

The blue candy dish is Fenton and the sugar bowl is a beautiful cut glass that has just a slight tinge on purple on it.
I love this santa candy dish! It is a music box and Santa has 3 different expressions on his face.

And these adorable Christmas ornaments were the first thing in my bastket! And I love the little "bunny" girl. I will put her up for Easter.
And check out these pixies!!! I was in heaven when I saw these. That little tiny pixie dish in just too cute! And a knee hugger!


And these vintage chenille spun head snow men pipe cleaners will definitely being working their way into some of my handmade Christmas ornaments.

Do you see why I was so excited. And the best part is all the above was only $20!!!
Hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday!
Blessings

Linda

Still Mixing !

I find that I am looking through cookbooks specifically for recipes that can be used with my new mixer!

Wednesday was a cold and rainy day and I thought it was perfect weather for chili beans and corn bread.


So I pulled out the 1951 Recipes of Old Virginia cookbook and looked for a cornbread recipe. The one that I thought sounded good, different, but more importantly one I could use my mixer with was Dixie Corn Bread Waffles. They were really good and different. You always think of waffles as being sweet, but they taste just like a crisp cornbread. Delicious and definitely a keeper. Serve hot with butter!


Dixie Corn Bread Waffles:

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
3/4 cups of bread flour (I used self rising)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs-separated
4 tbls. melted shortening
1 tea salt
2 tbls sugar (I didn't use this much)

Sift all dry ingredients 2-3 times. Beat egg yolks well. Alternate dry ingredients with milk, folding in melted shortening and egg whites that have been beaten until stiff (where my new kitchenaid came in YAY!). Bake in a preheated waffle iron and serve hot.

Easy peasy!

I have gotten alot of decorating and crafting done this week. Hopefully next week I will have some photos!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Blessings
Linda

My Early Christmas Gift!!!!!!!!!!

I am sooooo excited!!! (You can tell by the !!!!!!!!!!!!)

I have been wanting a Kitchenaid mixer for years and I finally got one this past weekend.

It is the Professional series and came with a whisk, bread hook and beater. I love it!

I put it to good use yesterday evening when I made some homemade cinnamon rolls. YUM! These cinnamon rolls are so good and gooey and I use the Cinn*abon icing recipe to frost them. I baked 12 of them last night for our family, put another dozen in the fridge, then baked them this morning to take to work. My house smells heavenly!

Here is the recipe:

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Rolls
2 pkgs dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105-110)
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
2 eggs well beaten
about 6 cups self rising flour (I actually used 7)
1/4 cup butter softened (I used 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I didn't use any nuts)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I'm sure I used more)

Dissolve yeast in warm water, and set mixture aside.
Cream shortening and 1/2 cup butter; gradually add sugar and boiling water, beating well. Cool mixture to lukewarm. Add the yeast mixture, eggs and 2 cups of flour; beat at low speed with electric mixter until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and refrigerate over night. (I didn't do this as I wanted the cinnamon rolls last night so I let it rise until doubled in bulk and proceed with the recipe)
Roll dough to a 24x18 rectangle on a lightly floured surface, (again I changed the reicpe by dividing dough in half and working with 1/2 at a time). Spread with 1/4 cup butter evenly over the dough. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the dough. Roll jelly roll fashion starting with a long end. Pinch edges to seal. Cut roll into 1" slices, place slices cut side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise 1 hour or until doubled. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Spread glaze over while warm. Yield 2 dozen.

Cinn*bon glaze recipe: ( I only made 1/2 of this recipe and had a ton leftover!!)

1 lb. butter
1 lb. cream cheese
2 lbs. powdered sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Allow butter and cream cheese to come to room temperature. Beat together in a bowl with a mixer. Gradually added the sugar. Beat the mixture for 12 minutes (I'm not kidding, this is what the recipe said. Again, I improvised and just beat it for about 6 minutes). When done add the lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix well.


Hope everyone has a great Wednesday!
Linda

Christmas Happy Shelves!

I always say first things first, so when I am decorating for each season the first thing to be decorated is my "happy shelves" and Christmas has some of my very favorite decorations! PIXIES and ELVES!
I love all of the red, green and white on my shelves!

Isn't this such a feast for the eyes???

It's so much fun unwrapping all these "friends" after a years time.

Every time I spot a pixie or elf at yard sales, estate sales, etc.. if it's at all affordable, it's mine!

Several of the things in this cabinet I've had since I was a child. But, that doesn't make them antiques, does it!


Is anyone else having a problem with blogger posting code instead of the photos when you are composing a new post? It's kind of annoying!
Anyway, hope you have a great day!

There's a Mouse in the House!

Actually there are two mice in the house!

Back last spring I bought a huge stack of old craft magazines from the 1960's and 1970's. I do have an issue with anyone who says that they are old magazines, because they were around when I was a kid so they really aren't old, are they?

Anyway, I decided to make these little mice from a 1974 Holiday Crafts magazine. The picture of the mice was in black and white and the instructions were kind of vague but I muddled through and here is the result:


And yes!!! That is a Christmas tree beside them! I put up my beautifully tacky aluminum tree this past weekend! I only have red and green balls on it with multi colored lights. I wish I had a color wheel like the one we had when I was little, but alas, they have proven too expensive to purchase.

Do you see what my little mice are sitting on? That would be my trip back into my childhood with the purchase on the minature kitchen set! There is the stove with the door that opens, the refrigerator that has a painting of "fake" food inside the door and a washing machine that agitates and spins!


I am still pulling out Christmas decorations and working about to make the house all festive and Christmasy!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Linda

Haul Out The Holly!!!

It's that time of the year again!!!

Last night Yngwie and I stuffed all the Halloween decorations into the attic, then pulled all the Christmas decorations out!!

I know it's early, but I love Christmas so much that I like to see my home decorated as long as I can. So now my house is upside down with all the boxes and trimmings and decorations!! I have already started putting my figurines, pixies and elves into my "happy" cabinet and it is looking so good!!! I hope to have it completed this weekend.
All of the photos you see are of "new" decorations, that I have bought over the past year. YIKES! I had no idea I had gotten so many cool things. All bought at yard sales, estate sales, some at antique stores. That big headed Santa belonged to my grandmother. But I had put it away last year and couldn't find it. Finally found it this summer in with some dishes that I had.See that little striped pencil with the doll head on it?? I had one of those when I was a kid that had a elf head on it. I was so proud of that pencil! But, the teacher took it away from me because the elf's hat had a bell on it and it made noise when I wrote. She never gave it back!
And see that handsome young man below??? That is our son Yngwie who turned 18 last night at 7:10! I have taken a picture of him every single year at 7:10 p.m. He's the light of my life! I am so proud to have him as my son!

I have a busy, busy weekend ahead with all the decorating to do. I can't wait. Hope everyone has a great weekend

Blessings

Linda

Halloween Fun!

Hello Everyone!

Hope y'all had a safe and fun Halloween!

Yngwie and friends had a Halloween party at our house Saturday and they had so much fun. Everyone came dressed up. Here is Yngwie, who is dressed as "Hugh Hefner" with three of his friends, a strawberry, a referee, and a lady bug.

Here is the winner of our costume contest.

Of course there was plenty of food:

So, this week we will be De-Halloweening the house and getting ready for Thanksgiving and getting down our Christmas decorations!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Blessings

Linda