Friday Show and Tell

Kelli at http://kellishouse.blogspot.com/ hosts Friday Show and Tell each week. Click on over to her lovely site and take a look at some wonderful treasures. This week my post is about my addicition. It is a very serious addiction that I haven't had the willpower to stop. Are you ready for this?

I am a compulsive doll rescuer! Especially Barbies! During my many travels through yard sales, estate sales, thrift stores, etc, if I see a Barbie or any doll under 12" tall, she will leave with me. After I get them home and get them washed, hair combed and properly dressed, I have a hard time parting with them. The problem is I have been this way since I was about 6-7 years old.

So last weekend I decided to pull out all the dolls that I have collected over the years and count them. This took ALL DAY!!! So here for your viewing pleasure is some photos of my addiction. Some various 1950's dolls. There are 4 Madame Alexander dolls I got at an auction for $1.00 each!

Trolls galore

Miscellaneous Barbies, Skippers, Shirley Temples, etc

My favorite, dolls under 6" tall, like Kellys or the McDonalds Mdme Alexanders dolls

A few of my Ken dolls, along with GI Joe, Steve Scout, etc. I love Barbie with Elvis! Again, just some random rescued dolls! Theres Little Debbie and Miss Sunbeam along with Chrissy (mine from my childhood). Do you see Eliza Thornberry and Debbie?

Lots of rescued Barbies!Remember Kiddles and Flatsys? There is a few Dawn dolls peeking in the photo too!More Barbies and vintage Skippers!Lots of Kelli dolls

I love these small frozen Charlotte dolls.There is Buffy and Mrs. Beasley!

There were 748 dolls. 748!!!!!!

What am I thinking???

Some I will never sell, they are they vintage Barbies, Dawns, Kiddles, and Flatsys, most which were mine growing up. To tell the truth I have probably given away over 100 Barbies to little girls who happen to come my way! Right now my great niece loves to come to my house to play. Wonder why?????

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Linda

Just a Little Eye Candy

Literally! Super busy today!

Hope You all have a great day!

Linda

Soft Molasses Cookies

These cookies are my son's very favorite and are on my top five list. (Chocolate chip is number uno!). When these cookies are baking, the smell that wafts through your kitchen will drive your husband and kids crazy! They will be standing in the kitchen, in your way, the entire time these cookies bake and the moment you take them out of the oven, they will grab a glass of milk and some of these warm cookies and plop down at the kitchen table completely contented. You also may need to hide some of these if you plan on eating any, because they disappear very quickly.

Soft Molasses Cookies:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups flour
1/2 tea. salt
2 1/4 tea. baking soda
2 1/4 tea. ground ginger
1 1/2 tea. gound cloves
1 1/2 tea. ground cinnamon
sugar for rolling ball into

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses and eggs. In another bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder and spices. Blend thoroughly with a wire whisk. Gradually mix flour mixture with the creamed mixture until dough is blended and smooth. Roll dough into balls about the size of a walnut, roll into sugar, and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE!
Cool on wire rack and store in tightly covered container. I got about 4 dozen, though the recipe says 3 dozen.

Hope everyone has a great day!
Linda

The Fruit Cupboard

Here summer lies, imprisoned in a jar,

And autumn stands beside it in a glass.

Crab-apple jelly and pear pickles are

the fruits of autumn while strawberries class

as summer sweetness drained ere roses pass.

There is such beauty on these shelves of mine,

the scarlett chili sauce, the pretty green

of piccalilli, and beet relish fine

in brighter red with pale pears set between;

and jars of jam lend contrast to the scene.

The bees store honey from the sunny bowers;

the ants prepare for snow in summers heat.

My cupboard is a record of long hours

but now behind glass doors the seasons mett,

and all my toil, inspired by love is sweet

by: Anne Campbell (from an 1980's Ideal Autumn book)

My garden is now gone, except for a few banana peppers and a very few small tomatoes. I have sowed some turnip, kale, and mustard greens for the fall. Everything that could be preserved, has been. In the winter when I open one of my jars of fruits or vegetables that I canned, I am reminded of summer. I am ready for fall! Tomorrow I will share a wonderful fall cookie recipe. Soft Molasses Cookies.

Blessings

Linda

White Chocolate-Cherry Cheeseball and Fairy things!

Good Morning All,
How do y'all like my new banner? These photos are of my grandmother and her farmhouse. She cooked on that green woodstove summer and winter. When I was little I would wake up early when I heard grandpa go out to feed the livestock and would run down the stairs and into the huge kitchen to sit in the rocking chair by the woodstove. I would stick my feet on the feet of the stove and it was so warm! See all that canned food? Grandma canned it all right on that woodstove! Going into their basement which was dirt, not concrete, was a feast for the eyes and nose. There were apples, applesauce, tomatoes, grape juice, potatoes, beans, everything you can think of she preserved! I miss those days and that house so much. The house in the top right corner is the house she was born in and that is her on the fence. The photo is dated 1920.

Tuesday I got my new Gooseberry Patch Christmas book in the mail and while I was disappointed with the craft section, the recipes looked great. So yesterday I picked up the supplies to make the White Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball and it got a thumbs up from my family.

White Chocolate Chip Chesse Ball

8 oz. pkg cream cheese softened

1/2 cup butter softened

1/2 tea almond extract

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 c sweetened dried cherries, chopped

3/4 c. sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Beat together cream cheese, butter and almond extract until fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Stir in chocolate chips and 1/2 c cherries. Cover and refrigerate until firm enough to handle, at least 2 hours. Shape mixture into a ball and refrigerate until ready to serve. Roll in almonds and garnish with white chocolate and more dried cherries in desired. Makes 2 cups.

The only thing I changed was I used slivered almonds instead. When I make this again, I am going to chop up the white chocolate chips. They are a little large for a cheeseball. I served mine with graham crackers.

Yesterday on my way out to the garden look what I found in my yard. A fairy ring! Folklore has it that these rings are formed by fairies dancing in a circle. There is a scientific reason that these rings occur but that definition isn't nearly as fun as believing fairies made it, so I reject their reality and substitute my own!
I also harvested my pumpkins and so many peppers! Do you know what I do with this many sweet banana peppers? I cut them into slices and freeze them. You know when you want to make a recipe that calls for green, yellow, and red peppers and you go to the grocery store to get them and find that they cost $5,000,00.00 each? Well I just use the red and yellow banana peppers that I freeze as a substitution! Works great.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Autumn Aromas from A to Z

I found this in a 1983 Ideals book. This is by Carole Joyce Davis.

Apples...steaming, savory, spicy in a deep dish pie

Bonfires...burning leaves, smoke wisps in the sky

Clover...perfumed red heads, bees' nectar harvest

Doughnuts... sugared and warm, best with cider just pressed

Earth...arid autumn powder, stirred by the merest whisper
Frost...nose tingly invader, white landscape, crisp air

Grapes...scented purple cluster for good eating

Hay...sweet summer bales, animals' winter clothing

Indian summer...aromatic balminess, a season in between

Juniper...blue berried bush, pungent and keen cedar smell

Kerosene...oily whiffs, lantern shadows blend in disappearing light

Licorice...black confections goblins like at Halloween

Marigolds...golden-flowered garden beauties

Nuts...harvested from wooden shell, roasting hickory and hazel

Orchards...fruity apple fragrance, laden trees

Pine...blazing logs suggest a forest-scented breeze

Quince...strong astringent scent, yellow fruit shaped like a pear

Rain...dampened hillsides and paement, laundered summer air

Stacks...ax-hewen logs, corded winter heat

Turnips...robust root, often defies Jack Frost

Umbrella... trusty rain roof, ready for splashy days

Vegetables...earthy essemce of abundant crops

Wheat..."amber waves of grain", mean fresh baked loaves of bread

X...autumal equinox, frosty tang in days ahead

Yams...orange candied, syrupy slices in brown sugar dress

Zest...autumns spice, sachet of harvest bounty

Isn't that a perfect poem for Autumn ? Makes me feel warm and cozy just reading it!

The photos are of my Grandmother during a hike on their farm. I think they are just beautiful!

I love the Ideals books and buy them everytime I see them at yard sales or estate sales. I especially love the ones from the 1950's because they have such beautiful photos.

Have a blessed day everyone.

Friday Show and Tell

TGIF! And it's a holiday weekend!

Kelli at http://kellishouse.blogspot.com/ is hosting show and tell, so click over and see everyone's treasures!

This week I would like to show you my caster or condiment set. These were used around the turn of the century and were a must on holiday tables.

A silver plated round holder, holds serveral bottles that are all shaped differently. From what I have been able to learn the bottles not only contained salt and pepper, but vinegar, something called "pepper sauce" sometimes ketchup, olive oil, etc.. I also spins so that you can reach the bottle that you want.

I have never used mine for anything except dispaly purposes, but I'm thinking I may use them for Thanksgiving this year.
Wishing everyone a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Blessings
Linda

End of Summer

Well, summertime is winding down here is SW Virginia. The children are all back in school, the leaves are beginning to turn red and gold, and today is rainy and cool. September can still be quite warm here, but at nights you can really feel the difference in the air. There is always just a "nip" to it.

Last weekend Yngwie had some of his friends down for some tubing and boating. They were so not ready to go back to school!

After a few hours on the lake, they decided to hit the pool and have some supper!

People jumping should be an Olympic event! I'm not sure who was crazier, the young man who is jumping or the three who stood there and let him jump them!

We haven't really firmed up our plans for the holiday weekend, but I am hoping for some time to get out to some of my favorite antique stores and maybe visit a town several miles away where I saw some really cool looking antique stores, but they were closed on the Sunday that I was there. Monday I will start pulling out my fall decorations, if I can still shimmy up that little opening to our attic!

Have a great day all!

Six Quirky but Boring things about me!

My friend Arlene over at http://agrimm.blogspot.com has challenged me to a new meme. Six quirky, but boring things about me. I could probably list 100!

1. I have to arrange colored candies, like M&M's by color before I can eat them. Then I eat the color with the most down to the color with the least. Sounds a little OCD, huh?

2. I can pick up things on the floor with my toes just as easily as with my fingers. That probably stems from being too lazy to bend over.

3. I love Halloween and go all out decorating for it.

4. I sleep with my window open just a little all year round. I like to hear the outside noises.

5. I once drowned a kitten, by trying to baptize it in a rain barrel. I got in huge trouble for that one. I was probably 5-6 at the time.

6. I was the "Arch" angel in the church Christmas pageant for years because I was the only one who could remember the "fear not, for behold" verses in the Bible.

7. I'm adding a seventh just because I can. I LOVE those cheap frozen pot pies! The ones that used to cost a dime when I was growing up. I could eat one every day.

I'm tagging anyone who would like to play along!

Have a great day!
Linda

Busy Weekend

First, thanks for all your thoughts and prayers with my family this past week. Our Grandmother was so special to all of us. Already I miss her so much. I had been going to the nursing home almost every day, and now I find myself wandering around looking for something to do. I almost picked up the phone Saturday to call and tell her about the watermelon I picked from my garden. She loved gardening and always like to be kept up to date about what everyone else was growing as well. Life will never be the same without her, but I know she is whole and well now and rejoicing with her Saviour.
The second thing I wanted to tell you about is a fantatic giveaway over at Linda's blog http://behindmyreddoor.blogspot.com/. She has a beautiful blog and her give away is fall themed, my favorite time of year!

Thursday I went to the craft store and bought supplies to make several projects I had seen in a couple of magazines. I'm glad I did as it kept me busy this weekend. I made several things, that I will put up in the next couple days.

The first is this altered notebook. I had seen a couple of these while surfing around the net and thought they were so cute. Let me tell you, this could become as obsession! They are extremely easy to make and I really like how it turned out.

Just using scrapbook paper, I covered the notebook on the front and back then added some decorative elements.

The little blue birds I cut out of a greeting card that my Grandmother had sent to my Dad when he was in the hospital years ago. I really had fun making these and I am going to pick up several more notebooks while they are on sale. These would make great garden journals, recipe books, etc..

This Jack o Lantern fellow was lots of fun to make as well. I found the pattern for him in last years Create and Decorate magazine. He is made of muslin and then painted. I think he's cute in a creepy sort of way.

This weekend my twin nephews decided they wanted to have their 12th birthday at my pool. Both of them are really into the "Civil War" so I made them this cake. The north on one side and the south on the other. Unfortunately, when the candles were lit, one of the union soldiers had a bit of bad luck. Opps!

Hope everyone has a blessed day.

Linda

My Grandmother

Yesterday morning my grandmother walked into the arms of Jesus, never to suffer on this Earth again. She was the most wonderful Grandmother anyone could ever have. You can read a post I wrote about her life here:

http://lbpsews.blogspot.com/2007/05/show-and-tell-friday.html

She fell and broke her hip in April and had to have a complete hip replacement. She came through the surgery well, but it took too much of a toll on her body. She went to rehab to try and learn to walk again, but each day she just got a little more weak. Last week was so hard for her, and for all of us who loved her. She was having terrible hallucinations, that were so real to her and she was terrified. She also developed a upper resiratory infection that went into pneumonia. She died in her sleep Saturday morning.

While we all grieve for her, we also know she is no longer in pain. And the thing that excites us the most is that for the first time in her 96 years, she will meet her father who died before she was born. Can you even imagine what a reunion that will be!!!

Thanks to all of you for your prayers for my family during the last few months. It has really meant so much to me.

Blessings

Linda

Friday Show and Tell

Here is SW Virginia it has been hot, hot, hot! However, today it's supposed to cool down to the upper 80's! (cool is a relative word!). So what have I been thinking about with all this hot summer weather everyday? Why Fall of course! The first project was a doll that came from last years fall edition of the Create and Decorate magazine. That is my very favorite magazine. It's a little hard to find, so when you do, send in your subscription so you want miss any of the great crafts!
Meet Autumn, my fall Amish doll! I never could find a good place to photograph her, sorry the photos are dark.
Her body and apron are made from an old flour sack that my grandmother gave me. I embroidered her name on her apron so none of the other dolls could take it!

These little Halloween ornaments were adapted from the new Better Homes and Gardens Holiday Crafts magazine. If you love crafts, run, do not walk, to wherever you get your magazines and grab it. It is loaded with beautiful crafts!
My little witch shadow box is made from the top of a jewelry cardboard box. Just covered with scrapbooking paper and added some doo-dads and ribbon!
This little pumpkin sitter is also the top of a jewelry box and got some orangeish-gold glitter to give him some bling!

I loved making these and I will probably make a few more with Christmas elements.

For more show and tell go over to visit Kelli athttp://kellishouse.blogspot.com.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Linda

Summer's Bounty Continues!

My gardens are still thriving even though we have been going through a very dry spell. Luckily we live on a lake and can pump water to the gardens from there. But nothing is better for gardens than a full day of rain.Check out the size of these turnips! I would have loved to weigh it but it seems my scale sprouted legs and walked away, because no one knows where it is. (does that ever happen in your home?).
The little cherry tomato plants continue to provide hundreds of tiny, delicious, sweet, balls of taste! They are soooo sweet. We eat them like candy. Note to anyone who wants to plant cherry tomatoes: You only need ONE plant! Really. Trust me of this.
I can hardly wait for this little fellow to be ready! I have 3 of these little Sugar Baby watermelons.
I also have the motherload of banana peppers! I usually just slice these into rings and freeze them so that I can use them in Mexican dishes all winter long! In the fall these are so pretty as they start turning orange and red. They can be substituted for red and yellow peppers in most recipes as they are very sweet.
This butternut squash just volunteered to grow! I guess where one of my butternuts from last year rotted into the ground, the seed came up this year and I have a couple of butternut squash that will be ready soon. Volunteers are always welcome in my garden!
This is probably the vegetable I am most excited about! For the last 2-3 years I have had zero luck growing pumpins. They bloom then die. But this year I have 3 pumpkins on the vine and they are just starting to turn orange! They aren't real big, the largest being about the size of a basketball. They should be ready just in time for fall decorating! It will be so cool to have grown my own jack-o-lantern!

The green beans are just about finished. I was able to can 21 quarts from two small rows. I will pull them up this weekend and till for the fall planting which will be kale, mustard, and turnips.

The tomatos are still plugging along. I was able to can 1 pint, and 9 half pints of salsa this past weekend.

I really dread the gardening season winding down, but look forward to fall with it's cooler temps. We are supposed to be 98 degrees today with high humidity.

Stay cool and have a great day!

Linda

Friday Show and Tell!!

Kelli over at http://kellishouse.blogspot.com hosts Show and Tell each Friday. Head over to her site for more fun!


This Friday I would like to show you a couple teeny tiny dolls from my doll collection. I collect vintage dolls and my favorites are always the ones that are under 6" tall. I have always loved miniature things. These tiny little girls are about 1 1/2" tall. I love the pink bow on the doll on the right.The doll on the left is rubber and she/he is also about 1 1/2" tall. The tiniest doll I have is the one on the left. She is less than 1 inch tall!
Can you imagine crocheting a dress that tiny? Someone did!

I have tomatoes calling my name this weekend, so I will be canning salsa! YUM!
Have a great weekend!

Linda