Around Here

This post could partially fall into the Around Here category because it involves what has been happening around here but also Image Inspiration because my decision and confidence came from pictures found on the internet.  So, here's the scoop.

When we built our home five years ago we chose not to install blinds on our windows.  We have no neighbors and if anybody is out there peeping in chances are we heard them get here or the dog soon will alert us.  I quite enjoy the openness.  But... sometimes I find myself wanting to shut out the light and take a nap and sometimes I get a little edgy when the mood is right that there are open windows right there knowing there are lights on in here and none out there which means at night you can clearly see in here.  You get the picture.  So I finally decided to put some curtains up in our bedroom.  I didn't want to go drilling holes in the wall for something big and fancy... that's just not me.  But I wanted something more than sheers.  After finding a lovely picture on the internet of patchwork curtains made from vintage hankies I knew what my project would consist of.

Last summer, my sister Mary Evelyn and I ventured to an estate sale in which I came home with many items.  Such items included an old charcoal grill in which we proceeded that evening to have what I called an "Old Fashioned Charcoal Grill Out Party" with my sister and her husband, and a big box of vintage fabric.  I do own several old handkerchiefs but not near enough for what I needed.  When I started pulling the old fabrics out and ironing them I got pretty excited.  When I began sewing them together I got even more excited and as of today I have one more to finish and our lovely curtains are done.  Oh, and I chose tension rods to hang them by.  I like the price of the rods (at $2.47 each and WalMart) and I like that if I get tired of the curtains I can easily take them down.  And I like that I didn't drill holes in the walls and buy big rods and hangers and all that.   I did use one hankie per curtain and I wound up cutting out seventy something, thirteen inch squares.  On the up side I have plenty of practice when I go to making my quilt this year.  I just miht need to hit up another estate sale for more vintage fabric!

Here's the picture of the inspiration curtain.

Mine is not sewn near as perfect looking as these... but I am not a perfect girl and care nothing about perfection.  Here they are.

I do like the fact that light can still come through.  The hankies were a bit tough because they were different sizes that the pieces that I cut.  I hemmed the sides and bottom of each curtain and simply made an inch and a half loop and sewed it also at the top for the rod to go through.  

P.S. Sorry about Juanita's appearance.  I had just turned her and watered her so she wasn't much into smiling.  

Literally

1. Collected by Fritz Karch.  I have actually already checked out this book but I will tell you that I really enjoyed thumbing through the pages of items collected and ogling at all the stuff.  I did learn a few things too.  For instance, I have some vintage linens that have the name Vera in the bottom corner and I learned that it is Vera Neumann and some other interesting things.  

2.  Modern Pioneering by Georgia Pellegrini.  I already rented this one too.  I will admit that at first glance through the pages I wasn't too impressed and set it back down for a few days.  When I did pick it back up and really looked at it I felt differently.  She has some good tips on cooking and gardening and some pretty good looking recipes.  I really like the small tips in the corners and plan to write several of them in my journal for later.

3.  Captain Phillips dvd.  My sister Mary Evelyn actually recommended this movie telling me that she and her husband were on the edges of their seats through the whole movie!  

4.  Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems.  I am currently hooked on Mo Willems children's books.  The kids loved this book and I love any book that makes them laugh.  And laugh they did at this one.  It says at one point that the monster wants to scare the tuna salad out of someone.  They thought this was the funniest thing they had ever heard.  I have more Mo Willems books on the way.

5. The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.  I am on the wait list for this one and it is only available on over drive from my library.  Meaning it is a downloadable version that will have to be returned too.  I normally don't like renting books this way because downloading it eats up our internet time.  So I am thinking about buying the actual book.  Anything that can make cleaning up feel like magic sounds good to me.  I am looking forward to a different approach at being a tidy person and it making total sense.  Things like that generally stick with me.  

P.S. I do take suggestions on reading and movies. If you have seen or read anything good lately please let me know!

A Recipe

This recipe is from my own stash.  I made it up from my fondness of deer meat and my double fondness of the luscious aroma of wine floating in the house when I'm cooking.  Even the next day it is wonderful.  I was craving this dish on Monday so I decided to make it Tuesday night.  Thinking I had all of the ingredients, forgetting about the mushrooms and onions totally, and at a complete loss of directions as I could not find the recipe I had written anywhere.  Nor was I convinced that I had ever written it down.  I logged on and looked all through my blog just knowing I had posted it sometime.  Finding nothing here, I looked back through my dove hunt magazines with no luck.  I though about a blog that I had begun for my father-in-law's farm, that didn't last... the blog not the farm, but couldn't remember any log in information.  I decided to wing it and was not as pleased with the results as I would have liked.  My craving was some what satisfied I guess.  The deer meat was gone anyway when we were done.  So today I researched into the blog from 2010 once more with better luck.  I found my recipe and am now sharing it with you.  I am also printing it out for my cookbook and will most certainly have record of it here now.  Yay!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.  It is one of my specialties that Shaun says is "cruise boat worthy."I think it makes the house smell like you just walked in to the Melting Pot.  And now that I have found it Look Out!  It will probably be on the menu for next week too!

On The Menu

On The Menu is a series in which I share recipes that will grace our table and pallets from all over.  Here's what I have found this week!

Orange Gumdrops

Photo and recipe credit: Maeghan from thewaytohisheartblog                     

I just happen to have a father who just happens to love the old fashioned orange slices who also happens to have a birthday coming up.  This is for sure something I want to try and make for him for his birthday.  I can't wait to try them myself!

Honey Yeast Rolls

Photo and recipe credit: Maeghan from thewaytohisheartblog                    

            

Sometimes it pays off to browse through a new blog and oh my goodness don't these rolls look divine?!  The look like the rolls they used to serve at the mess hall at Beersheba Springs Hotel on Monteagle Mountain.  If they taste at all like them I will be in shear heaven!  I feel these will be the perfect accompaniment to any comfort food like roast or fried chicken.