Reminiscing

When I was little, I was the biggest tomboy around. It didn't help that my Mom (whom I adore) didn't think it was a big deal for her little girl to run around in her brother's hand-me-downs. I have to say in my Mom’s defense, she was under duress. She had her hands full with four kids, and quite honestly, one of them was always in serious trouble (no, it wasn't me . . . not that I was an angel all the time). Worrying about what her children were wearing was not her top priority. Besides, my brothers’ clothes were still in good condition and I wasn't complaining.

My childhood wasn’t completely devoid of feminine charms, however. I did have a most beloved pair of red shoes. Click here to read a little tale about them.

When I wore the red shoes, the tomboy in me fled and everything princess and fairy tale grew and took over. I was Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and the princess who could be bruised from head to foot by simply sleeping on a pea.

By the time I was in high school, the tomboy had taken a back seat to the emerging young lady. I was fully immersed in the world of girly delights, pretty dresses, vintage clothing, and (gulp) high heels.

Below are some pretty feminine inspirations I have in my bedroom. The pink beauties inspired my new banner.

Joyeux Printemps!

Spring is here!

Thank you all for your well wishes. I’m feeling much better now. The sun has been out all morning and I’m doing a happy dance. Our plum tree is flowering and dandelions abound in our yard. Dandelions really are incredible when you look at them up close.

Pouring some sunshine into your life today with these photos. Enjoy!

Sprucing Things Up

I spent this weekend cleaning up from a trip we took the weekend before last. We don’t often take trips these days, so it was a special treat. The only problem was the amount of gear we had to take with us. It was pretty overwhelming and everything was dirty when we got home. I guess it’s a small price to pay to be able to venture out of our own backyard and have an adventure. Sprucing things up after the trip gave me an opportunity to take some photos of our clean home. Though it won’t stay like this for long. I don’t ever show photos of our scary messy home. I’m not brave enough for that.

In the hallway a basket and floral market tote. The basket is usually filled with clean towels. They were all in the wash during this photo.

Pink Roses and Gold

I'm loving this color combo right now.

I’ve discovered that I enjoy displaying greens almost as much as I do roses.

This lamp is one of two. They're on loan from my MIL. They just needed a shade update to make them work for us. We were in darkness in our front living room-bedroom area. Now these lamps provide a more cheery atmosphere at night.

Seashells in a $4.00 vase! I found this amazing vase on sale at Safeway after the holidays. It’s not the best quality. The silver lining will rub off if you're not careful, but it’s great for displaying shells.

Candlelight made a relaxing ending to a very busy weekend.

I want to thank all of you who take the time to visit here. It’s always fun to see who has come to enjoy this space with me. Wishing you all a beautiful week and weekend!

~N

Waking

She felt the cold on her face as she stretched under the warm covers. She shivered, thinking about the freezing dash she would have to make to flip the heater on. She scanned the room for her slippers, and realized she had left them on the other side of the bed. Brilliant of me, she thought . . .

Then with a big swing of the covers she ran across the room, stuffed her feet quickly into her slippers, continuing her dash into the kitchen to turn up the heat before anyone woke up.

The bit of exercise warmed her as she puttered about and thanked God for the discovery of electrical heating.

She set the table, but there was something missing. A little sunshine for the table, she mused.

It’s the dead of winter, no flowers in my garden, but through her kitchen window she could see green clover. Putting on her thick boots, she hurried outside and clipped a few sprigs of clover and one forlorn-looking dandelion. She raced back inside, breathing heavily as the door closed behind her. She quickly took out scissors and clipped off the stems. Then taking one of her favorite serving pieces, she filled it with water and floated the clover and dandelion in the bowl

A bit of sunshine for the table . . . She sighed as her hands closed around her hot cup of tea. Life is good, she thought, as the warm liquid slipped down her throat and warmed her to the tips of her toes.

Swedish Pancakes ~ Good Soul Food

I recently made these amazing Swedish Pancakes. The recipe was super delicious and easy. The pancakes melt in your mouth, but you don’t want to eat too many of them (they're not exactly a low calorie food). I suggest practicing your hospitality and have your friends over for a Swedish Pancake party. You can fill these with anything you desire. I thought it would be fun to set up a filling bar and let everyone experiment with fillings and toppings.

Swedish Pancake Recipe

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter
3 eggs
2 cups of milk
1 cup of flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon of butter

Filling and Topping:

Jam (or whatever your heart desires)
Powdered sugar


Directions: Makes 6 servings

1. Melt the butter in a pan.

2. In a bowl beat the eggs together with a whisk

3. Add ½ cup of the milk to the eggs and beat the mixture for 2 minutes.

4. Add the 2 cups of flour to the egg mixture and beat until the mixture is smooth.

5. Add the remaining 1 ½ cups of milk. Then add the cinnamon and melted butter.

6. Add the tablespoon of butter to the pan and heat the pan until it is hot.

7. Drop a tablespoon or two (depending on the size you like) of the thin batter into the pan for each pancake.

8. Cook for 1 minute, until the edges are lightly brown. Turn the pancake and cook on the other side for 1 minute.

9. They are best served hot off the pan so eat them right away. Use a spatula to put them on plates. Fill with your favorite jam, roll them, and top with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

These are amazing. You’ll love them!