Fabulous Find

This was what I bought at  "On a Shoestring" on Sunday.  My sister-in-law told me that this was there a couple weeks ago.  So I went and looked for myself and couldn't find it.  I had Laura and the owner looking for it everywhere.  Then talked to Shelley and she told me exactly where it was.  I figured whenever I had time I would go back if it was still there it was meant to be!  And it was!

If anyone knows me they know my obsessiveness with sun-bursts.  This one is from the 1960's and if I could actually get the right size battery, Drew thinks it will work again.  Going to re-try tonight and hang it up!  I believe I am going to put it above the book shelf by my desk in the landing.

Powder Room

It's been a strange weekend.  But we have a good week coming up.  My sweet doggie of almost 16 years was put to rest on Friday morning.  My whole family is having a hard time coping with the loss, he was part of the family!  But tonight we are having Drew's cousin Mark and his wife Michelle over for dinner before they leave for Brazil for 4 years!  We will miss them dearly.  My parents are coming to be with me Wednesday and they are spending the night.  We are going antiquing so I can post if I find anything good! Speaking of finding something good, went to "On a Shoestring" again this afternoon with Drew and got something AWESOME!  I will post on it tomorrow.  Then Saturday one of my very best friends, Coral is coming to stay with us and she, Laura, and I are going to the BLACK EYED PEAS!  Can't wait.  Anyway, so start of a new, fresh, clean week.

Speaking of clean and fresh this is our powder room.  This is the only wall with the damask wall paper. The rest of the walls are painted a light, light creme, the color of the pattern.  I notice now more than ever how crooked and badly spaced my frames are... Must get on that soon.  The frames were %50 off at Hobby Lobby, that is THE ONLY time to buy picture frames, they have such good deals!  The frames came matted with the white mattes and the inside is just damask patterned craft paper that I cut to fit. Can you believe that the toilet is creme and the pedestal sink is white!? ugh.

This mirror is from Home Goods.  I think it was less than $30.  They have an awesome selection of mirrors.  You can see the miniature window (kind of) in the mirror.  I couldn't maneuver well enough to get a shot of the window (it is a powder room).  I have a long, geometric patterned, white window treatment that drags the ground.  I have a mate for it and I have thought about one day hanging them on the 4 tall windows in our stair well.  But for now, it stays.

I have had this shelf since I was a little girl.  The room needed a little something else in it and so I stuffed this in there.  Right now it is too cluttered for me, but I like everything that's on there!  Any suggestions on what to do with the shelves?

Hope everyone has a great Monday.  I will post my cool, antique item tomorrow!!

Recipe Friday

I have 2 REALLY simple soup/chili recipes that take less than 45 minutes a piece from start to finish.  Before it starts to get warm I thought I would post these!  They both are really yummy and they both have become 2 of my staple recipes to go to for an easy dinner.

Taco Soup (from my mom)
serves 8-10

1 1/2 lbs ground chuck-browned
1 (16 oz) can whole kernal corn
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans (so not rinse)
1 (16 oz) kidney beans
1 (10 oz) can Ro-tel tomatoes
2 (16 oz) cans stewed tomatoes
2 cups water
2 beef bouillion cubes
1 (1.25 oz) taco seasoning mix
1 (1 oz) package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

Mix all ingredients in large stock pot.  Heat to boil and simmer 30 minutes.  Serve with cheese, nachos, sour cream, and salsa.

I have used ground chuck and ground turkey for this.  Both are good!

White Chili (from Drew's mom)
serves 4-6

1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 (4 oz) chopped green chilis
3 Tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 (16 oz) can great northern beans (drain & rinse)
1 (14.5) oz can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped chicken breast

Cook onion in oil until soft.  Add chilis, flour, and cumin, cook and stir about 3 minutes.  Add this mixture, chicken broth, and beans to pot.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes.  Add chicken, cook until hot.


These recipes are SO EASY!  I try and get all Publix or Target brand cans and I really do save some money.  Also I didn't know what great northern beans were, but I used Navy beans in the white chili.  I do NOT like to cook chicken, I always over cook it so it isn't raw and then it turns out to be tough and chewy like bubble gum.  So I use a rotisserie chicken for the white chili, it is SO easy to use and you have left over for another meal!  Enjoy! Happy Weekend!

(I didn't put pictures up because soups and chilis don't look all that appetizing on film..)

New Stools!

Our stools came yesterday!  From Overstock.com.  They are the perfect height and the silver helps make all the dark in the "dining" and kitchen area not seem so dark..

This isn't where they sit, but the light was better to take the picture here.  They are finally the right height for the table and the counter!  I kept the saddle stools for future houses.

Antique Finds/All in the family.

Yesterday, Laura and I went to "On a shoestring" in Bluff Park and my favorite "Antiques & Consignments" in the old Ethan Allen building on 31.  Here is what I bought! I spent less than $20.

I found this at the first stop.  My mom has a vase similar to this and I just really think colored glass is different and fun.  I have cleaned it up a little (found a lovely dead wasp in it) now it is ready to go through the dishwasher.  I found it in the caboose at "On a shoestring," where everything is 50% off, so this was $2.50.

I'm keeping it all in the family I suppose!  This is an old trivet, my grandmother has a painting with this little prayer and I always loved it.  Laura bought one similar but it has bright umbrellas on it, it is super cute.

This was my favorite find of the day.  It an original rendering of a glass company here in Birmingham.  It doesn't have the date on it, but it is in the original frame.  My sister-in-law reminded me yesterday that Drew's grandparents on his mothers side owned and ran a glass company in Georgia.  So each piece I got yesterday has a significance with a family member!  

I love the muted colors and the old cars.

Got to LOVE the architectural handwriting, no CAD back then!

In door green thumb

In the last couple of weeks I have collected some plants and flowers.  My mother has so many plants around their house and I want to be like that!  Some how I can't keep them alive very long, so I am crossing my fingers this time.  They are good for you too!

These are two types of cacti.  They probably are not to be planted together.. But I thought it would be really cute in one of my grandmothers antique cups by the sink.  They are to have medium-high light and not much water.  They are the not prickily kind of cacti.

Sorry for the bluriness. I need to work on spending time taking my pictures.  This is a bromeliad.  I got it from Collier's Nursery on Old Rocky Ridge.  They were SO helpful.  I told them I wanted a plant, easy maintenance, and that didn't need much light (because we don't get much light downstairs).  I also already had the pot, from Old Time Pottery, so they helped me get a plant that made all these requirements!  This is it! I love the orange bloom.  They said to let it fully dry out before watering it again.  So I am patiently waiting... I don't want this one to die.  The lady who helped me said that in about 6 months the bloom would die, but that another would sprout shortly after, in a different place.

For the last few weeks when I make my weekly Publix trip, I grab a bouquet of flowers.  One of the $3.99 or $4.99 ones.  I have had these daiseys almost 2 weeks.  They came in a larger bouquet and these are the ones that have continued to last.  I change the water out every few days and trim them.

Drew came home last night with a beautiful pink and green bouquet for me last night.  He had to go to Target to pick up a prescription and we had been there the day before and he remembered that I had commented on this bouquet.  I had a few of the flowers from my bouquet at Publix.  I kept the green ones from that bouquet and added the ones he brought me last night.  I LOVE greenery too, all the extra makes for a beautiful centerpiece!

Here are a few left over in a little bud vase in the powder room.  All I do is spend max $4.99 a week and they spruce up my week and home! 

Cook Books

I received A LOT of cook books as a wedding or shower gift and I am so grateful! I put many of them to good use each week.  I found the little retro stand at an antique store in Huntsville.  It was black, but my dad insisted paining it glossy black.  I am glad he insisted.  It is the perfect size, holds all my cook books and doesn't get in the way!  Holler at me if you ever need a recipe!