Heather Bullard

Matilda's Mouse

2009-11-15T19:35:26-08:00

On Friday, I was invited to attend the monthly antique barn sale at Matilda's Mouse by my friends Gale and Sandra. They are both vendors at the sale and have incredible style and I knew everything would be over the top gorgeous. Here are some images from the day with limited interuption...

The historic home and barn were once owned by Betty Crocker and the grounds are so charming. I especially loved all the boxwood hedges lining the walkways.

Isn't it a beautiful location and aren't the displays incredible? It's the perfect place to take your girlfriends shopping for an afternoon. They even have a coffee truck with hot java and goodies for you to fuel up on. And there's nothing like a day of Christmas inspiration to get you in the holiday spirit! For me the inspiration carried over to Sunday at the flea market where I continued buying vintage ornaments. It's contagious I tell you! Thank you ladies of Matilda's for a fantastic day shopping and visiting with you!

The next sale is December 11-13. They are located at 29200 Miller Road, Valley Center, CA. If I were you...I'd plan on going to this one. I heard it was going to be a winter white extravaganza!

l'automne

2009-11-13T04:00:00-08:00

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face.
~John Donne

Wishing you a beautiful autumnal weekend full of all it's splendor. To view my favorite photos of the season click here. There are so many breathtakingly gorgeous photos on Flickr. Prepare to leave inspired.

Warm Heart, Artisan Hands

2009-11-11T08:30:42-08:00

That describes my friend Natalie who has the most endearing personality and warm heart you can imagine combined with an incredible dose of artistic talent. I met her while doing a few photo shoots over the summer where she provided beautiful baked goods and a generous helping hand.

Aside from making delicious baked goods such as crumbles, pies, cakes and buckles she makes the most beautiful necklaces, altered art and shadow boxes. While I was visiting the last time she gave me the "H" bubble necklace with a great chunky chain and the diorama shadow box of the dried leaf and pod from a liquid amber tree.

She has listed a few of these treasure boxes in her etsy shop and will also take special orders if you have something you would like preserved such as shells from a great trip, a locket of your baby's hair or other little keepsake. Just send her an email (vintagesparrow@gmail.com) and let her know what you have in mind.

I sure wish I lived closer to my friend because I would come over in the morning for coffee, let her tell me how to raise chickens, go junkin' with her and spend the afternoon pouring over cookbooks and chatting recipes. Oh, if only.

Brocante Carnival Highlights

2009-11-09T15:51:48-08:00

To sum it all up...We had a seriously fun day together! Such an incredible group of ladies (and one gentleman) came to conquer the Rose Bowl and spend the day laughing, shopping and sharing.

Some friends came later in the morning to meet up with us. I tried to get photos of everyone, including the shy ones while they were shopping. The best part of the day for me was sharing what we bought during our lunch. Here's a peek...

Isn't this a gorgeous collection of colors and texture? Love it! There were quite a few who collected paper ephemera and Leslie brought home some player piano music.

And who can resist any kind of beautiful beaded trim? Did you notice how the shoppers clothing sort of blended with their purchases? So cool!

Here's Pam's favorite purchase of the day, a spun cotton bell ornament. Faded beauties, she can spot them a mile away!

Here's Jenny holding one of our prize cornucopias. They were filled with a pair of handmade earrings from Amy, a packet of holiday notecards and other goodies.

For those of you who attended and took photos, please leave a comment so others can visit your blog. In all the excitement we completely forgot to write down everyones name and blog address. Sheesh, you can tell we need to do some fine tuning next time!

And it's hard to leave you without sharing our Rose Bowl Celebrity sighting of the day....

All I can think of is that song..."One of these things is not like the other ones, one of these things just isn't the same". Do you know who she is? Don't feel bad if you don't, I had to have someone tell me. Guess I don't watch enough tv.

Thanks everyone for spending the day with us. You made the experience unforgettable!

Crocheted Wreath Necklaces

2009-11-07T07:35:36-08:00

I just had to share this with you because these crocheted necklaces just make me smile. They are Jenny's handmade contribution to the goodie bags we're giving away on Sunday.

She dressed them up on a shipping tag stamped with her line of Creshendoh Doohdles which makes them even more adorable. We had such fun getting together last night for an evening of crafting, packaging and chatting. Jenny taught us how to make these so now I need to run to the craft store to buy some supplies. Inspiration abounds!

Coffee Chat: Social Networking

2009-11-04T09:40:30-08:00

Would you like to sit down and have a little chat over coffee? I've been wondering a lot lately about the vast amount of social networking going on around the world today. Facebook, Myspace, Google Friend and Twitter are a few that come to mind. To be honest, they leave my head spinning. I mean, I can barely get through my email inboxes let alone keep up with other networking options available. Am I the only one who can't do it all? I would love to hear your opinions and view on such things as:

1. Do you Facebook (or similar websites) and if so...do you spend a lot of time on it? Do you enjoy finding friends from the past or seeing what everyone is up to?

2. Twitter...To Tweet or not to Tweet, that is the question. I have a Twitter account and have never used it. Do you read all those tweets going out by the millions per day? And does anyone really want to know what everyone else is doing and/or not doing via Twitter?

3. Can somebody please school me in the difference between Google Friend Connect and Google Reader Subscribers? I am at a complete loss. I think it's mostly a Blogspot thing because I don't see it on many Typepad blogs. Confused to say the least. Care to help a girl out?

Please think of this as a friendly open discussion. The kind of conversation we would have over coffee. I know that many of you will have great tips, advice and opinions regarding the subjects and I can't wait to see how everyone feels about all this networking.

Repurposed Utensil Holder

2009-11-02T19:50:50-08:00

One of my favorite purchases at the Junk Bonanza was this vintage German utensil holder. Originally it was meant to hold ladels and spoons near the stove but I thought it would make the perfect jewelry holder.

It has a small tray at the bottom which is perfect for holding rings, bracelets and pins. One of the reasons I loved it so much was because of the black & white calligraphy. Such a timeless combination.

Does anyone know German? I tried to translate the words but only came up with roast, roasing, fry, pan, cook and bake. I can barely remember my years and years of French in school and think I would have failed German miserably. The words seem so hard to pronounce.

Although these pale blue enamel utensils were not part of the holder I thought they would be nice to serve jams, jellies, chutneys or nuts and their color was so unique. I'm looking forward to using them. It's funny what you end up with when you're at an antique show. You never know what will strike your fancy and in what ways you'll be inspired to use it.

Giveaway Time!

2009-10-28T11:00:52-07:00

I think it's about time for another giveaway and Wendy of The Shabby Nest has graciously provided one of her gorgeous Ticking Rosette Pillows for a prize! Don't you just love ticking? I think the trio of rosettes add just the right touch. She makes lots of other beautiful things like these, and these, and these little numbered beauties. So much talent in one little lady! If you would like to be entered into the giveaway just leave a comment answering this:

What is your favorite Halloween candy?

And if you'd like to double your chances and be added to my $50 Amazon Giftcard giveaway, just become my Google Friend by signing up on my sidebar. I just signed up for it last night and my friend box looks lonely. It would be great to see all your smiling faces in there. : )

Winner will be announced Monday! Good luck and thanks for playing!

UPDATE: Congratulations to the winner..Gwyn Rosser of The Pink Tractor! Your prizes are in the mail. Thanks so much for all the new friends and kind comments on Wendy's pillow. You guys are the best!

Gettin' Crafty & Fall Finds

2009-10-27T08:39:53-07:00

Just to warn you...this will start off as a fun post, something you will really like. Then somewhere in the middle you will be mad at me. So, if you'd like to click away now, I won't get my feelings hurt. Continuing on for those who are willing to forgive me. Aren't those pumpkins the coolest ever? I made them with the most scrumptious velvet I've ever seen. Hand dyed beauties with crinkles and sheen. Gorgeous preserved squash stems and velvet leaves to accent them. Beauuuuutiful Autumnal Perfection!

I can't take all the credit though, they came from a kit. The talented Kim at Olive Juice came up with the idea and I couldn't wait to buy one. They're called Posh Squash. Now...here's the part I warned you about. They're completely SOLD OUT! I know. I'm sorry. It's taken me a while to finish them to share with you and now look what I've done. Shown you something that isn't available anymore. But I'm hoping some of you crafty divas will still be inspired to make your own. I know you're out there. You're the ones who always think..."I can make that". So now you'll have to do just that. And hopefully next year Kim's fingers won't be worn to the bone and she'll be able to create hundreds upon hundreds of kits for those who like me, need direction and a fool proof plan. ; )

So to end things on a better note...did you notice my table? My new rustic farmhouse table? The one with the perfectly aged wood and spindle legs? Last week my buddies Pam, Amy, Jenny and I were at the Long Beach flea market going over details of our upcoming event. We were standing next to this table while we were talking and when I finally looked down to notice....I had to have it! So Amy, being the great junker that she is, went over to the dealer and got the price down for me. Thanks Amy! Now it sits on my patio waiting for dinners, parties, luncheons and photoshoots. Here's a silly video we shot that morning after I bought the table.

In the video I tried to show you the completely awesome handmade journal Pam brought to take notes. If only I could craft like that woman. I jotted my notes down on my phone...not quite as glamorous as the way she does things. I'm sure those of you coming to our Brocante Carnival will now be relieved at seeing how serious we all are. Flea markets bring out the best in friends!

Casino Butter

2009-10-25T21:03:23-07:00

I thought I'd share one of my favorite compound butter recipes with you. It's called Casino Butter and was originally a recipe I tore from a magazine probably a decade ago. I've since then modified it to make it my own. It's very easy to make, freezes well and goes with practically everthing.

The ingredients are fresh and simple. Parsley, green onions, garlic, red bell pepper, hot sauce, white wine, lemon juice, salt & pepper and of course, butter. (Recipe at the end of the post)

Chop up all the veggies into a small dice. Don't worry if they're perfect because next they'll be going into the food processor along with the softened butter, white wine, hot sauce, s & p and lemon juice.

I do mine in two batches because I only have a mini food processor. But if you have the grown up version, by all means use it and save yourself some time.

I add them to a mixing bowl and blend them together with a spatula to make sure there is consistency with both batches. Next, I spoon half of the mixture onto waxed paper and form it into a log.

Twist together both ends and slip it into a plastic freezer bag. When you're ready to use it just slice off what you need and put the rest back into the freezer. It will keep for several months.

For the remaining fresh batch, I spread it on open faced french bread, topped it with grated parmesan cheese and broiled it until golden. This butter is also really delicious on any grilled meat, hot pasta or grilled vegetables. And as a side note, I've made it with and without the white wine and it's equally yummy and on occasion have used a small jalepeno pepper too. It's pretty fool proof and will make you look like a gourmet in the kitchen! Bon Appetite!

Casino Butter

1 pound softened butter
3 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1-2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 cloves of garlic
4 green onions (use 2 if they're large)
1/3 cup red bell pepper
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Chop vegetables into small dice add all ingredients to food processor and blend. Occasionally stop processing to scrape down sides. Cover and refrigerate or freeze remaining butter. Spread on french bread then bake or grill or use on grilled meat, vegetables or pasta.