Spring Arrives in the Kitchen

 

 Something about this tray caught my eye recently.

Perhaps it was the chippy handle, the yellow bead board or the fact that it was made by a local woman.

Not quite sure, but it brought out the want vs. need conversation between my sister-in-law and I.

We were attending the opening of a friend's shop where it was charmingly displayed propped up on the back of a porch swing.  A vintage daffodil print was incorporated into the grouping along with a few other color coordinated pieces.  It all looked so pretty together and I knew if I was at all interested I'd better grab it as things were going quick.  So I did.  I carried it around as we looked at all of the beautiful displays, all the time wondering did I really need it (not really).  

My sister-in-law and our friend instantly said "it's SO you."

Ha!  Do your friends and/or relatives ever tell you that?

We talked a bit about the potential uses.

I started to think maybe I really did need it afterall.

 The opening day $10 off coupon helped to make the decision.

Once home I decided the best place to use it now was on my kitchen island which is trimmed in white bead board.

Since I'm in the mood for some spring touches, I went up to the attic to do some springtime "shopping".

These tall daffodils seemed like a good way to get started on my vignette.

This vintage potholder sported the right shade of yellow and a pop of blue.

Ditto for my old chalkware bird.

 A votive from the thrift shop.

I like the hobnail look of the votive holder paired with the vintage elements.

 ~ Sing A Song of Springtime, Sweet Little Bluebird ~

Okay, I have to agree...

it is "so me"

&

I think it will be fun to decorate for Easter, Fall and even use for practical purposes as a serving tray.  Not to mention I feel good supporting my friend's local business and also the lady who made it.

Win/Win!!

Edited to add:

I'm laying off the Springtime posts for awhile as I think they are jinxing things around here:

 

 This is what we woke up to the day after creating my spring vignette. :/.

 

Finding Spring on a Winter Weekend

 

One of my favorite traditions since moving south is a yearly visit to The Southern Spring Home & Garden Show.  No matter what the weather is doing outdoors, once you enter the door of the expo center, Spring has Sprung and in a BIG way.  This year there were 22 gardens to walk through.

It amazes me to see tulips, hyacinths & daffodils blooming so beautifully inside this large building.  Each of the landscapers come up with a theme for their garden and they exhibit a lot of creativity when it comes to executing these themes.  

Here I couldn't resist taking a peek into the country store.

So Cute!

 

Speaking of cute...

This chubby piggy heading for his water trough.

 

Last year there were real piggies at the spring show.

I took the picture, but never did a blog post.

So, I'll just tie them into this one.

One of the landscapers titled his garden

"Blue Ridge Waterfall"

and had this to say about it:

"Inspired by the waterfalls of the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Imagine taking a relaxing hike and witnessing this waterfall in all its majesty.  You need not travel far, as you can have this spectacular feature in your own backyard."

The spring show is a great place to go for garden inspiration or to talk to the experts on a project you might have in mind.  Last year we talked to several people about our interest in a waterfall/pond.

Several of them came out to give ideas and quotes for the project.   

This fairy garden was actually another from last year.

I like the way it was lit up with tiny fairy lights.

 

 This year we had no big projects in mind, but it was still a pleasure to soak up the sights and sounds of spring along with the creativity of the gardening experts.

Craving more Spring?  Pictures from a past visit can be found here. 

It was in the early blogging days so the pictures are a bit cringe-worthy.  However, there was a lot of inspiration that year so it just might be worth the visit ;-D.

 ~ Kim

Breakfast Conversation & A Quick Survey

 

 Had you been present at our breakfast table today you would have heard the following conversation:

Him:  The other day on the radio they were talking about whether you drink the milk that's left in your bowl after the cereal is gone or toss it.

Me:  I usually drink it unless it is too sweet from the sugar in the cereal.  In that case I would toss it.  I'm sure this was bred into me by my frugal mother. In fact I remember my mom and her best friend having this very conversation years ago.  Her friend was a "milk tosser" and my mom couldn't believe that she would waste good milk like that.  :D.

As the conversation progressed, he suggested that I put it to the bloggers.  See how highly he thinks of you.

So, if you eat cereal and care to participate, the question is:

What do you do with that milk remaining in the bowl once the cereal is gone?  Drink, Toss or perhaps something else all together.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, he drinks it too.

Just think, we've been married for 33 years and are still learning riveting information about one another :D ♥ :).

Sending Love From My Happy Home to Yours

 

Just popping out of my little yellow house with the blue shutters to send a little LOVE your way this Valentine's Day.

 

I've dusted off my Valentine's Day bonnet and. . .

helped Cupid sharpen up his bows.

Early this morning I wandered into the rose garden (ahem) and selected a beautiful and fragrant rose just for you.

From the warm and cozy kitchen you may smell the scent of the cherry pie whirling and swirling through the air as the tea kettle whistles a happy tune.

We did a little early morning baking just for you, Sweetie Pie.

After all, I couldn't let this day go by without wishing you all a

Happy Valentine's Day.

The little (yellow & blue) bird has it right...

A Valentine for Someone NICE.  You all are so nice and I wish you happiness and love today.

On a side note I learned that one of my blog friends is celebrating a birthday today.  If you have a moment to stop by and wish her a Happy Birthday, I think that would make her smile. I also think you will enjoy your visit as her blog looks just like a pretty Valentine. You can visit her at Leisure Lane by clicking here

Happy, Happy Birthday to Marianne

& 

Happy, Happy Valentine's Day to all.

Looks like it's going to be a happy day all around.

♥♥♥   

Sprouting

 

As Valentine's Day approaches, I found it appropriate to see the shape my sprouts fell into after I finished rinsing them.

I've been making a real effort to eat healthy, whole foods.

This has me doing a lot of label reading and changing the way I think about mealtime.

Looking for a way to add more veggies to my winter lunches, I revisited something I used to do as a newlywed... sprouting.

 It's kind of a fun wintertime gardening activity with the benefit of healthy little sprouts to add to salads and sandwiches.

Yesterday I melted a slice of cheddar onto an English muffin.

Topped with avocado slices, red onion and freshly sprouted sprouts, I enjoyed a most delicious lunch.

 Instead of sliced bread, I tried these English muffins made with sprouted grains and no flour.  They are so good, especially when slightly toasty.

Lunch was followed by a long walk.  

All in all a good day on the healthy eating/exercise front.

I might not be able to say that every day, but every day offers a new chance to work towards that goal.

 Now if I could just get over that notion that sandwiches need to be accompanied by potato chips.  Seems I can rationalize them as, after all, they are potatoes and potatoes are vegetables, aren't they??

Fresh Buttermilk

 

 Shortly after breakfast on Saturday Brett announced that he

was off to prune the nandina bushes.  Seems the gardening section of the morning paper suggested that now was the time for this task if your nandinas have been looking a bit leggy, which ours have.

My only request was that if he lobbed off any berries, please don't toss them.

When the job was done I was presented with a pile of red berries and a pile of yellow.

Looking for a way to enjoy them in the house, I decided the yellow ones might add a sunny touch to the kitchen table.

Looking around for something to put them into I settled on my milk jug.

I'm thinking it now looks more like a Buttermilk jug.

 
Speaking of buttermilk, are you a fan?

While I've known people who can drink it by the glass, I prefer it in blueberry pancakes, muffins and many other baked goods.