BEATRIX'S OWL FIGURINE

This morning I reset the buffet in my kitchen which I often do.  My bouquet of Stargazer's was in the window receiving lots of light and they have all opened to fullness - just about done really!

I am also sharing another Beatrix Potter Figurine that I could not resist because it reminded me of the day the fat little owl landed on my bird feeder and the squirrel came along! 

  Some of you might remember my little vases with birds on them as well.

I was so happy to have spring on the calendar but I am well aware that April can always bring us snow here in Colorado.  The very wet kind of snow.  Is some snow not so wet?  Yes, we have snow that is much more dry - figure that one out!

WILMA'S PINK LADY PIE

This is a reposting from 2009. 

 I am doing my part here to encourage springtime - you know - bring it forward!!!

How about a slice of PINK LADY PIE:

Don't be fooled by that greenness outside -

 these photos are from July 2009.

Wilma Pfadenhauer gave me this recipe back in the 1980's. She was a "waste not want not" lady who new how to get the value out of every dollar.  She always had rhubarb in her garden!

Wilma's Pink Lady Pie:

For the crust you will need 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 1/2 Tb sugar, 1/2 cup oil, 2 Tb milk

Mix ingredients thoroughly and press into 9" pie pan, crimping the edge of the dough around the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Set aside to cool!

For the filling: 2 cups diced rhubarb, ( I also added 2 cups fresh strawberries) 1 3 oz pkg of strawberry jello, 1 cup sugar, 1 Tb lemon juice, 2 cups whipped cream which was 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream whipped with 1/4 cup confectioners sugar

Cook rhubarb and strawberries with the sugar until tender. Add the jello and stir until dissolved. Let cool and add the lemon juice. Fold in the 2 cups of whipped cream and pour into the cooled crust and refrigerate. This pie can now be frozen for later if desired.

Top with additional whipped cream or ice cream when ready to serve.

THE TABLE IS SET WITH PANSIES

Last night I saw my first robin up in a tree behind my house.  I saw one this morning too.  That surely means spring is on it's way - right?  This photo is actually a coffee

set from our private label china at

the store:

This means it is time to celebrate and pull out some pansy table setting pieces and have some pansy fun.

My fondness for vintage doilies is never more pronounced than in the springtime.  

I am sharing a little trivet I recently

 acquired while antiquing:

These sweet hankies can

be used as napkins:

These dessert plates are Crown Dorset.  I used to sell them years ago and I will tell you that Crown Dorset pieces are always exceptional and more embellished with

gold paint.

I have to tell you that it is a beautiful spring day in Colorado.  I really feel guilty saying that as I saw photos of the snow that Carolyn and Sandi received on Prince Edward Island.  

Regardless of the weather, I hope your weekend is lovely!

COTTAGE TEAPOTS FOR SPRING and "Friends Sharing Tea"

Good morning and I hope your week is going splendid.  It is spring break here in town so the children are all happy!  I am sharing my little tea time setting:

I now have 3 Japanese cottage teapots that I have acquired at flea markets and I just adore their whimsical style.  The one below left is the largest but really not that big.  I know there are English ones that were made like these but they are much more expensive.

We are at least glad to have

 spring on the calendar here.  

So please come sit here by the window.  There isn't much of a view as we are still brown - winter brown.  

Do pour yourself a cup of tea and we shall have a chat.  I know you are anxious for springtime like I am.

Yesterday I made an arrangement in this egg I found for $4.00.  I remember these from my childhood in the 1950's.  Grandmothers always seemed to have them.

THE VIOLETS WILL BE THE FIRST TO APPEAR

As we anxiously await spring, I am remembering that one of the first things to appear will be the violets.  

A year ago I found this violet and lilac Bavarian chocolate pot for $6.00.  It had no lid but I gave that matter some thought and ordered a lid that worked.  It has hand painting on it which is wonderful to see

in our age of decals.  I am also sharing two English Violet Cups and Saucers and some violet vintage linens.

It is still somewhat cold weather in Colorado this morning and perfect for hot chocolate so we can use our teacups for that today. So today it will be "Friends Sharing Tea" or hot chocolate!  You might remember this little arrangement I did several years back in an old Victorian coffee pot with a broken spout.

As you can see, this tea cart has sides that can be raised up and lock to create a table.  It is very handy.  Once I failed to make sure the lock was secure and of course - a broken saucer was the result.

I love everything about violets 

and I am sure you do too!

MINT RAISIN BLARNEY SCONES

We can all celebrate Saint Patrick's Day and I especially love the many recipes available.  Of course scones are always on the menu at our house and I have been playing with recipes again.  I did several modifications to this recipe this morning. 

 It was lovely and warm out so I was watering my yard.  Within one hour the temperature dropped it had started snowing like crazy!  I have set up a little table for us to enjoy some time together:

I purchased this little child's tea set years ago in Wyoming and of course I shared the cottage teapot several times recently as I am not tired of seeing it.

I purchased my doll in the 1980's in Toronto, Canada. I may have shared this before so I apologize but I am thinking of it as I see this doll.  My friend had taken me to a house to see the antiques that were for sale by a friend.  I purchased several things including this doll.  She lived in an elegant farm house that was decorated and I was so impressed however she had spent all her money on the decorating and there was no toilet paper in her bathroom but she had a clever note: "please use these paper napkins for toilet paper".  We of course got a laugh!

 My grandmother embroidered the topper and napkins as a wedding gift for me nearly 46 years ago.

Here is what you will need for the scones:

1/2 stick of soft butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 Tb mint extract, 2 3/4 cups of cake flour, 2 1/2 Tsp baking powder, 1/2 cup yellow raisins and 1/4 cup black raisins, 1 cup of buttermilk.  You will need a shamrock cookie cutter and I used a floured cloth for rolling the dough and a knit cover on my rolling pin.  Both of these get laundered afterwards.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your baking sheet with parchment paper.  I put wax paper on my table to put them on to cool when baked.

In a medium bowl combine the butter and sugar and vanilla and

 mint extract and beat through with mixer.

In larger bowl, mix flour and baking powder together and fold in raisins.  Now alternately mix the butter mixture above and the buttermilk into this and stir well with a spatula until a nice dough forms.  Roll the dough out onto the floured cloth and cut with shamrock cutter.  I sprinkled some green sugar bits on top for fun  or you could just brush with sugar and a little cream.  Bake 18 minutes.  Makes about 20 scones.  Clotted cream would add a nice touch here!

PENNY PHILLIPS MADE ME GO CUCKOO

I just couldn't resist a great title for this post because several weeks ago Penny showed us what she did with 4 broken cuckoo clocks when she turned them into shabby chic creations.  I commented to her on her blog that I knew I would just have to find one and I went lots of places without seeing any at all.

  Finally, I saw two at an indoor flea market in a booth and I made an offer on the larger one.  It is from Germany and came home with us.  As you can see it has a new paint job:

It took me a while to understand a

cuckoo clock and how it works and

in the process I have learned more 

because this is actually a Cuckoo

Whippoorwill Clock.  That means it

has 2 different birds that comes out

and sound different.

I have to admit that I love Penny's last name because my Grandfather was a Phillips and so that was my Mother's maiden name!  When I was a child there were lots of Phillips kinfolk  and great cousins in the panhandle of Florida where both of my grandparents came from.