Sweet Pea

Metal Stamped Spoon Plant Markers

2012-02-16T19:52:00.000-05:00

The other day I had a few minutes to kill so I stopped in the Goodwill near my school. I found several books and then wondered to the housewares section to see if any treasures might be waiting for my discovery. No treasures were found, but I did buy a few pieces of silverware to use for stamped plant markers. At $.25 each, I knew that even if my plan didn’t work, I wouldn’t waste much money.

Supplies include: silverware, metal stamp kit, hammer, Sharpie, and baby wipes.

I invaded Mr. SP’s workshop to use his anvil as a pounding surface to hammer each utensil as flat as I could get it.

Next I used my stamp kit to add the names of herbs that I like to grow. I discovered that stainless steel is extremely hard and very difficult to stamp. Silver plate would probably be a much easier to work with choice.

After stamping on the letters, I went over them with a Sharpie and then wiped away the excess with a wipe. (Since I accidentally stamped two O’s, I was careful to only fill in one O with the Sharpie to hide the extra O.)

Rosemary is the only herb that I have that isn’t dead or dormant, so it gets the honor of sporting a new marker.

This coming weekend I will have many thrifting opportunities and hope to find some silver plate flatware to use for more markers. Stainless is too hard and I found it very difficult to get a look that was neat enough to use.

It won’t be long until it will be herb planting time. What’s your favorite herb? I like Basil for eating and Rosemary for smelling.

Bathroom Renovation :: Part Three

2012-02-14T05:20:00.000-05:00

If you missed part one or two, we are in the process of remodeling our upstairs bathroom. Mr. SP worked very hard on Saturday and was able to get half of the bathroom walls tiled. We both are very pleased with the subway tile that we selected.

Mr. SP likes a small grout line and placed the tiles close together. The grout that we will use will be grey.

Cuts around the faucets and windows were tedious but no match for Mr. SP’s skills. He got a good workout, too, as each cut required a walk up and down two flights of stairs to the basement and back.

The old soap dish in the shower area was set in the wall and our new one will be in another position and tiled to the wall. Mr. SP had to cut a piece of backer board to fit the space and then fill it in with thinset.

A plumber came one day last week to change faucets from being separate hot and cold valves to one control. You would think that this wouldn’t have taken too long, but the poor guy was here almost five hours. We decided that if it took a pro five hours, who knows how long it would have taken us. Money well spent! (Some of the plumber’s time was spent in another bathroom.)

I ordered this fabric for the shower curtain and window treatment.

I still need to find coordinating fabric for the window treatment and ordered a few samples.

I hope one of these will work. It will be much easier to pick a coordinating fabric when the main fabric arrives.

Thanks for joining me for our update. Progress is slow when weekends are the only days available to work, but progress is progress!

Turn a Sweater into a Sweater Wreath

2012-02-12T17:21:00.002-05:00

A sweater wreath has been a project that I’ve wanted to try for a long while. This fall when I switched my closet from summer to fall/winter, I noticed that one of my favorite sweaters had developed two holes just under the v-neck making it unwearable. I stashed this sweater away with the hope of crafting it into a wreath.

This wreath is incredibly easy to make. If you'd like to try it yourself, you will need: a wreath form, quilt batting, an old sweater, a glue gun, wire to make a hanger, and scissors.

(Normally I would use a straw base for a wreath like this to give it more body but a wire form was what I had on-hand.)

I started by cutting the batting into wide strips. I ended up using all but one of the cut strips shown below.

Before wrapping the wreath with the batting, make a wire hanger and attach it to the back of the wreath. (Not shown)

Use hot glue to secure an end of the batting to the wire form and then wrap the form until it is covered.

Next, cut the sweater into strips. I cut off the banding edges and v-neck edges if they ended up being in a place that showed on the finished side. Wrap and glue the sweater pieces around the batting covered form.

To make the “bow”, I stitched the two sweater arms together as shown and cut off the excess.

Wrap the arms around the wreath base and tie into a loose knot.

Hang and enjoy!

A darker colored sweater may have "popped" more against my cream colored door but I like the neutral look of this wreath.

If you like my wreath, see Pieced Pastimes for an adorable scarf wreath.

Since this was so easy to make, I’m considering making a second wreath for our kitchen door with a colored sweater.

Winter is a tough door decorating season for me and I’m glad to have this wreath to enjoy until it’s time to think about a spring wreath. What’s on your door for winter? Do you find winter doors hard to decorate?

Sharing With:
Tutorials and Tips Link Party at Home Stories A2Z
Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Weekend Bloggy Reading Party at Serenity Now

Bathroom Renovation :: Part Two

2012-02-08T18:27:00.002-05:00

If you missed Part One, we are renovating our upstairs guest bathroom. Last week our floor tile was delivered from Home Depot, we ordered a vanity and sink, and we purchased the wall tile from Lowes. Some of the supplies are upstairs near the bathroom and others are still on the porch. The tile boxes are pretty heavy!

Mr. SP worked hard on Saturday to sand the ceiling and then to coat it and the walls with Kilz. You can’t tell from the photograph, but the ceiling is now nice and smooth and you can’t tell that the paint just a few weeks ago was chipping and peeling everywhere. A new vent fan that hasn’t been purchased or installed should solve this problem in the future. The final paint color will be determined after I pick out fabric for the shower curtain and window treatment.

On Sunday Mr. SP started to install the subway tile. He didn’t get too far but did get a good start.

While Mr. SP did the hard work, I researched fabric for the window treatment and shower curtain and ordered a few samples. I’m eager to get these to see how I like them in person. Here are a few that I ordered:

Tomorrow a plumber will come to install a new faucet in the shower. The old faucets are original to the house and leak, even after repeated attempts at fixing them. While he’s here, he’ll also install a new faucet in our main bath which is also original and leaks.

It’s exciting to make some progress on this project! I’m hoping that Mr. SP will tile away this weekend!

Light Smokin’ Mac and Cheese

2012-02-07T05:13:00.003-05:00

I love testing recipes and especially love it when I find a winner. This mac and cheese recipe is from the January 2011 issue of Southern Living. What makes it so great is it is a LIGHT recipe and it has a creamy, smoky taste that is so good. I'm sure to make this again and again.

Baked Smokin' Macaroni and Cheese

YIELD: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1 pound uncooked cellentani (corkscrew) pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups fat-free milk
1 (12-oz.) can fat-free evaporated milk
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded 1.5% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
3 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper, divided
1 (8-oz.) package chopped smoked ham
Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/4 cups cornflakes cereal, crushed
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare cellentani pasta according to package directions. (I used regular macaroni.)

2. Meanwhile, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Gradually whisk in flour; cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and evaporated milk until smooth; cook, whisking constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Whisk in Gouda cheese, next 3 ingredients, and 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in ham and pasta.

3. Pour pasta mixture into a 13- x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Stir together crushed cereal, 1 Tbsp. melted butter, and remaining 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper; sprinkle over pasta mixture. (I omitted the cornflake topping.)

4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Per serving (baked with topping): Calories 456; Fat 11.7g (Mine has fewer calories and fat because I did not add the cornflake topping. Note how large one serving is!)

Click here for a printable recipe.

This recipe was easy to make and is truly delicious. Do you think you'd like it?

Sharing With:
Weekend Bloggy Reading Party at Serenity Now
Saturday 7 Party at Positively Splendid

2012 Landscape Project

2012-02-05T18:59:00.003-05:00

For the past couple of years, we’ve focused on improving our home’s curb appeal. Projects have included: a new driveway, parking area, and patio; steps leading from the patio to the basement; extending several landscape beds; installing irrigation; and last year, killing every blade of grass in our lawn to eradicate my enemy, Bermuda grass, and then establishing a new lawn.

The grass has come in nicely, here’s what it looked like shortly after it was planted in September 2011.

Our 2012 landscape project will be to replace steps that Mr. SP built leading from the patio to the yard with ones that coordinate with our driveway.

Mr. SP is quite handy. He used landscape timbers to form the sides of the steps and leftover pavers for the tops. There’s nothing wrong with his steps, but he’s never been quite satisfied with them. The plan is to start the new steps to the right of the existing ones.

Here you can get a better view of the patio and steps. The new steps will coordinate with the ones you see to the left.

One more level will be added to this wall. This will look better and it will make the area easier to mow.

The Greenstone patio will be edged with pavers that match the wall and driveway.

The steps will lead to a path to the basement.

Mr. SP has a large woodworking shop, but he likes to bring certain equipment outside to use. The concrete pad will be extended to give him a bit more workspace. Instead of having an awkward space to mow, the landscape bed will curve around to meet the new sidewalk.

We’re pretty excited about our plan and hope that we can start on this project soon.

Valentine’s Mantel

2012-02-03T07:47:00.003-05:00

I’ve enjoyed sharing three Valentine’s crafts over the past two weeks and am excited to share my finished mantel.

The red candles have a cherry scent that is quite pleasant. I usually find candles a bit strong, but these are quite pleasant.

All of the vases are vintage with the exception of the glass votives and the small silver votive.

I usually don’t usually do a themed mantel for Valentine’s Day but am quite enjoying this.

If you missed the tutorials for my Valentine's projects, you can find the links here:

Faux Patchwork Heart Wreath

Cupcake Liner Heart

Fabric Covered Heart

The big day will be here before we know it. I have a feeling that there won’t be much celebrating on Valentine’s Day for us. I’m on the tennis court until 6 pm and then Mr. SP is in two tennis contracts starting at 6 pm and won’t be finished until 9 pm. By then I’ll be passed out on the sofa! Our celebration just might take place on February 13.

What about you? Do you have big Valentine plans?

Sharing With:
Weekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots and Jello

Fabric Covered Cardboard Heart for Valentine’s Day

2012-01-31T21:00:00.002-05:00

My Valentine mantel needed one more bit of bling, so I made a fabric covered heart that was nearly free since I had all of the supplies on hand.

To make this, I traced a heart on cardboard, cut it out, and then spray painted one side pink to match my fabrics.

I coated the painted side with Mod Podge and then pressed fabric roughly cut into a heart shape over it.

Then I flipped the heart over and cut slits into the fabric to make it easy to glue over the heart’s curved edges.

I then cut two more hearts in graduated sizes out of coordinating fabrics and Mod Podged them into place.

The heart looked like it needed just a bit more bling, so I searched my inherited sewing stash and found some white nylon trim strips, perfect to make a ruffled edge. (I think that my mother-in-law intended to use these for t-shirts.)

Hot glue made ruffle making easy.

I love the finished product! It’s simple but so cute.

Isn’t the vase on the right gorgeous? My very good friend gave it to me last summer when her mother had to move into an apartment. I’ll always think of her mom when I use it!

This is definitely the most feminine mantel I’ve ever done and I love it! Bring on the pink and the ruffles!

Girls’ Night In! (Host a Weekend Party)

2012-01-29T20:04:00.001-05:00

Saturday night I hosted a fun Girls’ Night In party for a small group of good friends. I asked each friend to bring a bottle of Pinot Grigio to share and I provided the food: appetizer, four soups, cornbread, and cupcakes.

Hummus, carrots, and crackers makes an easy appetizer.

It isn’t easy to host a party when you work full-time but with some planning it is possible. What works for me is to plan the menu ahead of time, shop on Friday night and start some of the cooking, and then get the house ready and prep the rest of the food the day of the party. Planning is key. I have made each of the soups many times and knew exactly how long it would take to prep and cook each one. I had everything ready when the first guest arrived making it easy for me to socialize while a did a few last minute things like make the cornbread.

I got completely ready for the party before I started cooking. In the past I’ve not judged my time properly and ended up with just a few minutes to throw myself together before my guests arrived. To avoid that stress, I got ready first!

Fiesta Chowder from Southern Living is a Favorite. My friends really liked this!

Source: myrecipes.com via Paula on Pinterest

Ina’s Beef stew was also a hit. Check this post for the recipe.

Potato and corn chowder from Cooking Light is an old favorite. The original recipe calls for crab but I always leave it out. I blogged about this soup a few years ago here.

Source: myrecipes.com via Paula on Pinterest

The fourth soup was homemade turkey noode. I cooked a turkey last weekend and used the carcass to make stock early on Saturday morning. Just before the party began, I added carrots, celery, onion, salt, pepper, and herbs. After simmering the broth until the veggies were tender, noodles were added. I don’t have a picture of this yummy soup. I also don't have a link or picture of my cornbread, but let me tell you, if you have a cast iron skillet, use it for cornbread. I could have eaten half a pan by myself!

Cupcakes made a great dessert and a pretty centerpiece.

The recipe for the cupcakes is from Southern Living. Their version makes mini cupcakes but I made mine full sized. The cream cheese buttercream frosting is particularly good.

Source: myrecipes.com via Paula on Pinterest

I didn’t have ten placemats and napkins that matched but found enough to coordinate to set a pretty table.

The ladies arrived, the wine was poured, and a good time was had by all - so good that I didn’t take a single picture of my guests!

My favorite of the Pinot Grigios was Big Fire. I already knew that I like Cupcake and the Rex-Goliath. I really liked The Naked Grape, too. I didn’t think that the wine with the heart label and the Cielo were so good but a few of the ladies liked these.

While the ladies socialized at my house, four of the husbands including Mr. SP played tennis and socialized afterwards over a beer. Everyone ended up having a fun night!

It wasn’t easy to pull this party off after a long and stressful work week, but I’m so glad that I did and look forward to the next time that I entertain. If you need a fun party idea, a wine and soup tasting works very well!

Cupcake Liner Heart

2012-01-26T05:17:00.000-05:00

After making a Faux Patchwork Heart Wreath to hang over the mantel in my living room, I decided the mantel needed a few more Valentine touches. A ruffled heart made from cupcake liners filled in an empty space on the mantel perfectly.

Making it was easy and in expensive.

Supplies:
Cardboard
Utility Knife
Sharpie
Cupcake Liners: 3 packages of white and 3 packages of pink/yellow/green
(You will only use the pink papers.)
Glue Gun and Glue Sticks

How-To:
Draw a heart on cardboard using a Sharpie and cut out with a utility knife.

Fold a cupcake liner in half. Add a drop of glue to the right side and fold in half again. Add another drop of glue to the right side and fold one more time. Hold briefly until glue sets, then glue onto cardboard heart.

Glue one row of white papers to the edge, then add a second row of white. Switch to pink and add two rows. Fill in the middle with white.

Display! I am in love with the ruffles that the liners create. This looks like the top of a very fancy box of chocolates.

Vintage flower vases make fun candle holders.

Pink, white, and ruffled…Perfect for my Valentine mantel!

Sharing With:
Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do
Tutorials and Tips Party at Home Stories A2Z
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios
Share Your Creations at Kristen's Creations
Saturday Seven at Positively Splendid

Bathroom Renovation :: Part One

2012-01-24T05:17:00.001-05:00

Renovating our upstairs guest bathroom has been on our “to do” list for a long while. 2012 is the year for this project.

Take a look at this tiny bathroom. House designers in the 1950’s didn’t count bathrooms as spaces deserving much square footage. This space is small and very difficult to photograph!

The main thing that I disliked in this bath was the floor. The vinyl’s condition was good, I just didn’t care for the pattern. However, I did like how easy it was to clean.

Our original plan was to keep the wall tile. The previous owner installed it and since this bathroom isn’t used often, it’s in like-new condition. After much debate, we decided that neither of us really liked the tile’s pattern and we agreed that we’d be happier with new, white subway style tile.

The vinyl floor came up quite easily. I did that project by myself one evening while Mr. SP attended a football party. (Removing vinyl sounded like more fun to me than watching football!) A Saturday at home was all we needed to gut the rest of the bathroom.

Removing the tile was fun and relatively easy.

This bathroom has no ventilation and even with little use, the ceiling paint peels. We hope to install ventilation as a part of the renovation to prevent this problem in the future.

These areas will be patched and sanded before we paint.

Mr. SP worked hard to get backerboard on the floor so that we’ll be ready to tile once we receive it.

The sink is one of our dilemmas. If we keep our current sink, we’ll have it sprayed white along with the tub and I’ll possibly make a skirt for it to hide the exposed pipes under it. On a quick shopping trip to Ferguson, we found this tiny sink and vanity that fits into our small space and we are considering ordering it. It comes with the mirror but not with the faucet. It would be nice to have a small bit of storage space in this bath. Currently there is none other than the medicine cabinet.

For the floor, we picked an old fashioned black and white mosaic. Our plan for the walls is to use white subway tile.

I’ve been looking for fabric to use for both a shower curtain and valance for a long while and haven’t found exactly what I want. (If I knew what I want, it might be easier.) I’ll most likely make a valance using this Pate Meadows design.

It feels so good to finally have a start on this project. Tiling is next on the list! (We still need to order it.)

Faux Patchwork Heart Wreath

2012-01-22T18:38:00.000-05:00

This weekend was cold and dreary, perfect for crafting. I had my first round of prolotherapy injections in my back on Thursday and was given orders to rest for four days. Not being able to exercise over the weekend gave me plenty of time to craft and I enjoyed it so much!

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I decided to make a “wreath” to hang over our fireplace. I had most of the supplies that I needed on-hand and only had to buy an inexpensive sheet of foam board to complete this project.

Supplies:
Foam Board
Sharpie
Utility Knife
Mod Podge
Foam Brush
Coordinating Fabrics Cut into 2.5” Squares
Pipe Cleaner

How-To:
Use a Sharpie to draw a heart onto the foam board. I drew on the wrong side in case I messed up, then I’d still have a clean “good” side. Cut heart out with utility knife.

Brush the back of a fabric square with Mod Podge and smooth into place. Press fabric over to the back with your fingers when covering the edges.

Vary the position of the fabric squares to resemble patchwork.

Allow to dry for several hours or overnight.

Since this is very lightweight, I made a hanger out of a pipe cleaner and adhered it with packing tape.

Hang and enjoy!

As a cute embellishment, I made a flower with heart shaped petals using this pattern.

I am so pleased with this project. This cute heart makes me smile and really brightens up my living room. Please keep visiting as I’ll soon share my Valentine mantel.

Sharing With:
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios
Tutorials and Tips Link Party at Home Stories A2Z
Share Your Creations at Kristen's Creations
Weekend Bloggy Reading Party at Serenity Now
Weekend Wrap-Up Party at Tatertots and Jello
Valentine's Week Party at Shabby Creek Cottage
Saturday 7 at Positively Splendid
Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do
Best DIY Project of January at Beneath My Heart
14 Days of Valentine's Fun Stuff Friday at Toys in the Dryer

Brown Display for Winter

2012-01-17T05:10:00.000-05:00

I like to have a pretty display on a chest that’s in my dining room to admire as it’s the first thing I see when I walk through the door. New Year’s cards worked for the first few weeks of 2012, but New Year’s is over and it’s time for a change. I shopped my house and came up with a simple display that smells good.

The candle has a wonderful vanilla scent. I found this on sale after Christmas for a steal at Kroger. I almost passed it by and am so glad that I didn’t. Often candle scents are offensive to me, but this one is an exception and smells very good.

I filled a glass hurricane with a mix of coffee beans and polished rocks that my grandmother used to use in flower arrangements. The coffee beans have a subtle scent that is so pleasant.

A P. Buckley Moss bird Christmas tree ornament is too pretty to save only for Christmas. I enjoy this year-round.

This is the first thing that I see when I come home each day. I like the mix of browns for winter.

It was wonderful to have yesterday off from work. A little time to myself was just what I needed to get rejuvenated. Bring on the week, I’m ready now!

Sharing With:
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life

Vintage Typewriter Table

2012-01-15T18:58:00.002-05:00

When I visited my aunt over Christmas break, she gave me a very interesting typewriter table that belonged to my great-great aunt who raised my grandmother.

Have you ever seen anything like this? I certainly have not! Believe it or not, it actually is pretty comfortable to use. It could be a tad bit bigger, but for its size, it’s not a bad place to sit and type.

Since this was originally my Great-Great Aunt Fannie’s table, I’ll include a picture of Fannie. I barely remember her, but my grandmother and my father loved her to death. My dad took my mom to meet Fannie before my grandmother met her!

I’m not sure where this table will find its permanent home, but for now it is in my family room. I thought it would be fun to fill it with vintage books to make a vignette.

Old books are so interesting. Some of these were my grandmother’s and a few Mama gave to me. Many are my grandfather’s school books.

The stool part of the table cleverly folds underneath it.

I’ll soon find the perfect little nook for this cute table. Have you ever seen anything like this?

Sharing With:
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground
Weekend Bloggy Reading Party at Serenity Now
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life

Winter Decorating :: Silver and White

2012-01-12T05:27:00.000-05:00

Silver with white says winter to me. Glass candle holders, small silver compotes, white candles, and an ornate silver tray make a pretty display for my dining room table.

More silver and white adorn the buffet beside the table.

All I need now is some snow on the ground to match my silver and white theme!

Is Getting Fit Your Goal for 2012?

2012-01-11T05:15:00.000-05:00

Last year I started a Fitness Friday series where I shared exercises that I have found to truly work. It’s a new year and many have set a goal for 2012 to get in shape. Let me help!

I did a bit of blog housekeeping this weekend and organized all of my Fitness Friday posts into one location. You can now click on my “Get Fit” page to find the exercises that I’ve posted.

I hope to start writing Fitness Friday posts again very soon. Being injured for so long took the wind out of my exercise sail and being depressed about being hurt made it difficult for me to get motivated to post about exercise. (I was lucky to be able to exercise even while injured, though not at the intensity or frequency that I prefer. For that, I am very thankful.) My new treatment has me wearing a Serola Belt for all activity except for bathing and sleeping. This belt holds the SI joint in position which allows muscles that haven’t been working properly to work again. In addition to wearing the belt, I’ll soon start Prolotherapy injections which stimulate healing. The doctor I saw predicts that the combination of wearing the belt and doing the Prolotherapy should have me back to normal by summer. I already can tell a difference in how my back feels after wearing the belt for only a few days. I finally feel almost normal! What I’ve found amazing is that now that I don’t hurt, I feel happy again! For so long, I’ve been sad and depressed and I had forgotten what happy feels like and I like it. I’ve got my fingers crossed that this treatment will work!

Let me know if you try any exercise. If you have a suggestion for an exercise that works a particular body part, let me know and I’ll see what I can do to help you out.

Happy Exercising!

Winter Mantle

2012-01-10T05:18:00.001-05:00

My winter mantle was inspired by old artwork that belonged to my grandmother. Both scenes looked rustic and wintery and I thought they’d look good mixed in with some white pottery, a pinecone wreath, and a touch of brass.

I never lost my love for brass. I like how my fireplace insert shines in the light.

Being a working girl, I had to wait until the weekend to take some pictures. During the work week I only see my house at night. It’s so nice to be home when the light is pouring in the windows.

The picture on the left was painted by my grandmother’s friend, Alice Fitzpatrick. I am guessing that Alice gave it to Granny as a gift for Christmas 1929.

The picture on the right was painted by my grandmother’s cousin, Freeman Funk. I’m suspect that this is a paint-by-number, but I could be wrong.

Freeman kept a careful record of his painting time.

Alice Fitzpatrick painted this picture that hangs in my dining room later in life. I inherited it from my grandmother.

It has yet to really feel like winter in Virginia.

I’m dreaming of a snowy day with the hopes of hearing the magic words, “_______County Schools are Closed.” If that happens, I’ll sit in this room and watch the snow fall while enjoying a hot cup of coffee.

Sharing With:
Winter Mantle Party at Potentially Beautiful

10 Calorie Cookie

2012-01-08T14:35:00.001-05:00

Is is possible? Could it be? Yes, this cookie really contains only ten calories and it tastes good, too. If you are on a diet and need a chocolate treat that won’t damage your waistline, this is it!

Chocolate-Coffee Meringues
2 T unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 large egg whites
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup super fine sugar

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat. (I used two baking sheets.)

2. In a small bowl, combine cocoa, espresso powder, and cinnamon. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until frothy using an electric mixer set to medium speed. Add cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla; increase speed to high, and continue beating until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar, 1 T at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and mixture becomes glossy. Gently fold in cocoa mixture until combined.

4. Using a rubber spatula, transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. (Or cut 1/4 inch off the corner of a large plastic bag.) Pipe small mounds onto prepared baking sheets.

5. Bake for about 45 minutes. Turn oven off and leave cookies in for at least 45 minutes more. Remove from oven; transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Notes:
I made 35 cookies making the calorie count actually nine calories per cookie. A batch of 24 cookies equals 13 calories per cookie. They are fat free!

At only 10 calories, you can eat as many of these goodies as you’d like with ZERO guilt!

Chocolate and zero guilt...What could be better?

Sharing With:
Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch
Weekend Bloggy Reading Party at Serenity Now.
Saturday Seven at Positively Splendid

Vintage Pot Love

2012-01-04T18:09:00.000-05:00

Collecting vintage pots over the years has been so much fun. They are easy to find in antique and thrift stores, affordable, and come in pretty colors and patterns. A good portion of my collection is on display in my kitchen right now.

Green pots hold my dish soap and sponges.

These three decorate the corner by the television. My mom’s friend, Peggy, gave me the pot in the back that belonged to her mother. Wasn’t that sweet?

Green pots line the counters against the wall.

Yellow pots fill the display shelves at the ends of the cabinets.

The white pots are in my basement, waiting their turn to go on display. I have only one blue pot, one orange, and no pink. I’ll look for those colors this year to add to my collection!

Sharing With:
Vintage Inspiration Friday at Common Ground

Mad for Plaid

2012-01-03T18:23:00.000-05:00

When I visited my aunt and uncle over Christmas, my aunt gave me two plaid scarves that belonged to my grandmother. I didn’t think that I would wear them because they are wool but loved their patterns. When I got home, I decided that they’d make a pretty winter table runner. I added a red and black buffalo checked scarf that I haven’t worn since college to make a set of three.

I’ve always been a fan of plaid. In college, I wore this plaid scarf with a red double breasted coat complete with giant shoulder pads. I loved that coat and still have it. If big shoulders come back in, I’m ready!

Love the variety in this bowl. I made the clove pomanders years ago and they still smell good. I also made the acorn covered ball and the hemlock cone covered ball.

The pie safe beside the table holds a plaid sewing box that belonged to my great-great aunt. Her sewing supplies are still inside. My dad gathered the Sumac years ago for me and it’s still pretty. My dad died in 1997, so I’ve had this for a long while!

Red plaid is definitely a favorite print for winter!

What about you? Are you mad for plaid?

Sharing With:
Share Your Creations at Kristen's Creations
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Table Top Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life

Winter Ornaments

2012-01-02T11:03:00.001-05:00

Today I’m enjoying my last day of winter break. The Christmas decorations are packed away for the season except for things that look “wintery.” Many of my P. Buckley Moss ornaments look like winter and even though they are tree decorations, they are pretty to display this time of year.

I made a very simple display on a chest in my living room. This is a good spot where I can enjoy them daily.

If you aren’t familiar with P. Buckley Moss, she lives in Waynesboro, VA, and the scenes depicted are from the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.

These peaceful snowy scenes say “It’s January!” to me. I like January as the rush of the busy holiday season is over and life slows down a bit. There's no shopping to do, no yard work to worrry about, and best of all, there are snow days for which to hope! What about you? Do you like January?

Sharing With:
Marty at A Stroll Through Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday

Vintage New Year Post Cards

2011-12-31T09:05:00.001-05:00

Can you believe that it’s the last day of 2011? The older I get, the faster time seems pass by.

Our house is in the terrible transition of putting away Christmas. Cleaning up makes a terrible mess! Even with a mess in just about every room of the house, I had to pull out my vintage New Year cards to share for the beginning of 2012.

The cards belonged to various great-great aunts, mostly Willie. I don't have a picture of Willie, but I'll share one of two of her sisters, Fannie and Lulie. I took this picture of a picture at my aunt’s house the other day. It’s too bad that the glass gave such a glare. Fannie is on the left and Lulie is on the right. Fannie raised my grandmother and was a milliner. I think my grandmother looked a lot like Lulie.

I hope you have a wonderful new year. To be honest, I’m glad to see this year go. I haven’t been a very happy person this year, mostly due to my back problems and not being able to do the things I like to do. I start a new treatment next Thursday and am very hopeful that 2012 will be the year that I finally get back to normal!

I wish the best for each of you for 2012!

Sharing With:
The Polohouse for Favorites on the First

Top Projects of 2011

2011-12-27T22:35:00.001-05:00

At the end of each year it’s fun to look back to see what was accomplished and to share a few favorite projects from the year.

A Pine Cone Door Decoration brightened our front door during the cold winter months.

A yo-yo embellished Spring Wreath decorated a porch wall.

A Tea Cart Makeover was a summer project.

As was this Tennis Racket Dahlia front door wreath.

A Patriotic Table Runner adorned our table for the 4th.

Transform a Wreath with Paint was a fall project. This wreath crafted in February was badly faded by fall. A bit of paint transformed it into....

Can you believe that it’s the same wreath?

A School Pride Pillowcase Skirt is great for game-day and so simple to make.

For Christmas, Peppermint and Candy Cane Wreaths brightened my windows.

Thanks for stopping by Sweet Pea. If you are new, please comment so that I'll be sure to visit you.

I’m sharing with:
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for her Top Projects Party.
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday.
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday.
CSI Project for Favorite Projects of 2011 Challenge
Jen at Tatertots and Jello for her Weekend Wrap-Up Party.
Amanda at Serenity Now for her Weekend Bloggy Reading Party.
Amy at Positively Splendid for Saturday Seven.

2011 Christmas

2011-12-26T09:25:00.001-05:00

The big day has come and gone and I hope it was special for all. We hosted a Christmas Eve dinner and then spent Christmas Day with my mom and father-in-law.

It’s been a while since I’ve entertained and I really enjoyed setting a pretty table and cooking a large meal.

Mama and my father-in-law enjoyed a bit of Christmas cheer.

I made beef tenderloin for the first time and it was quite tasty.

We also had scalloped potatoes, pineapple casserole, roasted broccoli, maple glazed carrots, and rolls.

Our friend Elsie is fantastic cook and baker and made dessert. This cake was on the cover of the December 2011 Southern Living and I was so excited to try it.

Nicole and Keith think it looks quite good, too. (This cake gets a 10 out of 10 rating from me!)

Christmas Day started with Pumpkin Spice coffee from Vermont and present opening.

Mr. SP spoiled me, as usual. You can tell that I like to workout by his present choices. I have my fingers crossed that 2012 will be a better workout year for me. I’m still plagued with the back problem that has bothered me since May. Thursday I have to travel 3.5 hours to see a specialist that my pt hopes can help me. Please cross your fingers for me because I’m really desperate for a solution.

Next up was an afternoon with Mama on Walnut Avenue.

Mama and I had to laugh at how she opens her pantry doors!

Do you like Mama’s new kitchen curtains? I admired them while she fried our traditional Christmas Day oysters feast.

Everything was so good!

Mr. SP and his dad surprised Mama with a new tv. Don’t you like the way Mr. SP decorated the package? Mama had no idea what was in the box and was quite surprised.

It was a wonderful day. This week we still have a few more celebrations with family and with friends. We are both off from work and plan to enjoy every second.

Thanks for stopping by. I’m looking forward to reading about your celebrations, too.

Merry Christmas to All

2011-12-24T07:30:00.001-05:00

Christmas Eve is finally here. I’ve been gone over a week and have much to do today to get ready for dinner tonight. After a week of doing no domestic duties, I look forward to a day in the house to get ready for my guests. (After a trip to the grocery store…wish me luck!)

As a final Christmas decorating post for 2011, I'm sharing my vintage card collection.

I wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas!