MADE ONE FOR MYSELF

 

I thought I'd make a little cozy 

for myself today.

I had this fabric from years

back.

We really aren't doing anything

special.  It is cold and it

is supposed to snow

tomorrow.

Do you mind winter?  I enjoy

the slowdown myself.

I should have including some

Valentine Sugar Cookies but

 they seem to have

"disappeared".

ROMANTIC VALENTINE TABLESETTING

I think it is fun keeping the dining room

area table set for different seasons

and holidays.

Valentines Day is such a fun opportunity

to combine both whimsy and 

romance.

I found these English Adams plates

a year or so ago which all depict scenes

of romantic couples.  I set my table

with my favorite Alencon French lace

tablecloth.  This photo from last year

shows you the vintage cupid napkins.

I have 2 musical teapots that feature

couples.  I think both are from Japan.

 

I hope your winter is going well

and like you, I look forward to spring.

We have used our fireplace a lot

this winter.

Our snow melted this week and I 

see some plants and bulbs 

"hanging on".

VALENTINES DAY TABLE

 

This is the time of year that I keep busy.

The truth is that when I am not busy,

I am bored.  I am looking for 

inspiration for my coming garden

 season or making something delicious

in the kitchen (this gets me in

 trouble here).

I spend time looking at new 

decorating ideas or making something.

I have been working

 on a Valentine

table:

Last year I found the middle plate but

recently I found 6 more of these

vintage Adams ENGLISH plates:

Each one has a different

couple.  Last year I found this

lovely lace old Quaker

tablecloth with cupids

and Colonial couples.

I made this tea cozy a while

back with vintage laces

and crochet:  it is available

on Etsy

Lady Madeleine and Lord

Chumley are ready

for tea:

I will use these vintage

napkins for our meal (I 

will replace the fancy

ones for actual use):

Do you love setting up a

pretty table for dining?

VALENTINE TABLE SETTING

 My hubby and I decided to take some

days off this last week.  Our lives

are very simple and we don't travel

 very much but this week we took off and went east 

to St Louis one day to 2 mega size antique malls and then we

 went to all 3 smaller local antique

malls on another day. 

I had been thinking for a while about

looking for 2 antique oil lamps for

my dining room table.  My husband

asked if I wanted these and the answer

was "of course I do".  They came from Springfield, Missouri.

This is an area off our kitchen without

a wall separating the two called a

Hearth Dining Room.

I tried using the leaf in the

table but decided I preferred

it without the leaf. I can always

add it if needed.

ANTIQUE VALENTINE PLATE

 I was wondering if there was any such

thing as an antique or vintage Valentine

 plate and sure enough I found one.  In

fact, the one I found is #8 in a series, 

marked "Adams" and made in England.

I have since, seen a few

others on Ebay or Etsy.

I decided one was

enough to make me

happy and yes, this

one is a little stained

 but I'm ok with that since it is just going to be a decoration.

I haven't gotten my other Valentine's Day

Decorations out but am thinking of doing

some crafting of Valentines.  How

about you?

CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE OH LALA

 I have posted this cake on this blog many times but here it is again because frankly, it is really delicious so I baked one today.

I am going to just copy the recipe

 from an old post and

paste it down below.

 

While the cake was in the oven,

 it started

to snow lightly.

I love this little Sadler Valentine teapot too.

Here is what you need for your

Chocolate Fudge Cake Oh LA La:

5 squares unsweetened chocolate, 2 1/3 cups sifted cake flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 stick of butter, 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar, 3 eggs, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup plus 4 TB water-boiling

1. Melt chocolate in a small bowl over hot water -2. grease and flour 2 size 9" cake pans either square or heart shaped

3. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl

4. Beat soft butter in large bowl. Add brown sugar and eggs; beat with mixer at high speed until light and fluffy about 5 minutes

5. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with sour cream until batter is smooth. 

Do not boil water too soon as it evaporates fast- stir in boiling water and batter will become thin Pour into cake pans

6. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes- check with toothpick (my convection oven took 25 minutes)

7. Let cool 10 minutes - cut around edge to loosen

Turn onto cake platter...I like to put Cherry pie filling between the layers before icing

Fudge icing: 4 squares unsweetened chocolate, 1 stick of butter, 7 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar, 3/4 cup of milk, 2 tsp vanilla 

Melt chocolate in small saucepan with butter - remove from heat

Combine other ingredients in bowl and then add chocolate mix- beat till ready to ice cake!

DECORATING FOR VALENTINES DAY

 The first comment I am going to make is that this new blogger format sure is a lot more difficult to do.   I would hate to be learning about blogging  for the very first time.

Today I am sharing my armoire with you and I love mixing Valentines Day in with red transferware.  The banner was by Wendy Addison whose Ephemera is wonderful!

This tea cozy above was made with a

 Patience Brewster Tea Towel and

 a hanky and

fabric!

Some people only do 

Christmas decorations

 but I still love to do it.

 

Many have snow right now but we do not.  We did hear something about an Artic blast and that sure sounds cold to me.  I wish I could discipline myself to go walk outside but I am very bad when it comes to being cold.

I love my Nicol Sayre Valentine lady:

If you haven't done so already - go back one post if you like and leave your name for

my drawing for the large Valentine Tea

 cozy drawing this Saturday. Names left here

won't be entered so please leave a name

on the proper post - thanks!