Cactus of the Christmas Kind

I have mixed emotions about the Christmas season.

I love soft white lights that sparkle in the darkness, gathering around the fireplace with a warm drink in hand, music and scents that are specific to the season, and feeling the sense of joy and sharing that's in the air.

I don't love the hectic pace, shopping in crowded malls, and commercialized decorations. Oh, and I don't like Christmas red.

So, when buying my first ever Christmas cactus this year I chose one salmon and one white. My goal is to keep them alive until December 25th and use them as a centerpiece for the table. The white cactus hasn't bloomed just yet but, as you can see, the salmon one is going to town.

I'm headed out in the morning for an overnight girlfriend getaway, but I'll be back early next week with photos to share.

Self Taught and Slow Going

I've been working on improving my very basic knitting skills. This scarf has been on the needles for quite some time and it's fairly long now. It's not supposed to be shaped like a cylinder. I've heard about blocking and thought that was the answer. The lady at the Ithaca yarn shop gently broke the news. Blocking isn't going to fix this baby. So, I've learned a new knitting term, "frogging" (i.e. ripping out) and I'm viewing it as a learning experience and a chance to make a brand new project out of that yarn.

There's a new scarf on my needles now :: one that is designed to lay flat. It's reversible, and it's an easy stitch for a beginner like me. Ahhh...much better.

If You're Celebrating Today......

best wishes for a safe and happy holiday......

filled with family, good friends, and a plate full of comfort.

If I Didn't Know Better.....

I'd certainly think that it's Christmas. Take a peek inside of my mailbox. Ooooooh....a Priority Mail Envelope that's stuffed full. It doesn't get much better than that, especially when you know it's been sent by a new friend you've just recently met. I joined a button swap last month and was paired with Mindy. The idea was for fellow button lovers to send between 15 and 20 buttons from your collection to your partner and in turn your partner would do the same. I must say that Mindy spoiled me rotten!

In addition to the gorgeous buttons, she tucked all sorts of goodies into that Priority Mail Envelope :: a beeswax aromatherapy candle, her favorite chocolate covered caramels, and a very special necklace that I'm quite certain she made. Did you make that Mindy??

Did you notice the little glimpse of patchwork above? Well, it's part of a vintage quilt that Mindy made into a zipper pouch to hold all of the buttons. It's lined inside and is just beautiful. It has that well-loved feel that makes old quilts so charming.

Here's a closer look at the necklace. Just beautiful.

I am so grateful to Mindy for the time and thought that went into putting this package together. It's absolutely perfect. I'm going to wait for hubby to get home from work before I break into the chocolates, but you should know that it's not going to be easy for me. Thank you Mindy, what a happy mail day it's been!!

And thank you to Hannah from A Handmade Childhood for organizing this button swap. It was great fun.

Sweet Potato Casserole

**Edited To Include Finished Photos and More Instruction**

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When I was growing up, going out to eat was a rare treat. My mom cooked every meal and she is an excellent cook. She belonged to a Homemaker's club and every year they'd have a holiday party where everyone would bring a dish and the recipe to share. Many of the dishes we make today came from her homemaker friends. I think this Sweet Potato Casserole might be one of those.

I like sweet potatoes. And I love casseroles made with sweet potatoes and brown sugar and marshmallows. But this recipe??? It's pure heaven. It's different than any sweet potato casserole I've ever had. It's very rich and almost custardy. There are only six ingredients and it's so easy to prepare. We make this dish every Thanksgiving and we all look forward to it. I'm going to make some this evening and I'll share a photo of the finished product. But for now, in case your mouth is already watering, here's the recipe. I hope you'll try it and if you decide to, I hope you love it as much as we do.

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Sweet Potato Casserole

2 cups grated raw sweet potato, firmly packed

(we grate it on the side of a box grater so you get thin round slices)

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla

1/2 stick butter

1 1/2 cups half and half

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Just one warning :: you may be sorry if you don't double the recipe :)

I doubled the recipe and it fits perfectly in a 2 quart casserole dish. Beat sugar and eggs until light and then add the rest of the ingredients. Now, the recipe says to cover and bake in a buttered dish for 50 minutes at 350 degrees. I hadn't made this in a while and forgot that we always need to cook it much longer. I baked it covered for 50 minutes and then continued to bake it uncovered for 40 more minutes. You'll know it's ready when it looks like this: See? It's sort of custardy (yes, that's butter sitting in the crevices but it's only once a year) and the potatoes are nice and tender. Mmmmmm, the smell is amazing. Oh, and one more thing. Today I used a mandoline to slice the potatoes nice and thin. It was much quicker than using the box grater. It's after 10:00 pm and I just pulled this casserole out of the oven. Is it wrong to eat sweet potato casserole right before bed?

Joyful In Your Surroundings

I think I've mentioned before that my basement guest room is where I play with many of my thrift shop treasures. It's a work in progress and, truth be told, it probably won't ever be completely finished. If you were to pack your bags and stay for the night, you'd find the bed loaded with pillows covered in vintage cases. You'd have your pick of fancy hats to wear, and almost a week's worth of wool coats to choose from. There's even a few pieces of extra luggage :: just in case you need it. There's a new addition to this room now. Remember the Art Deco wardrobe I was telling you about (the one that was tapping me on the shoulder while I was buying the McCoy pottery last week)? I brought it home with me. I think it was meant to be. The price was right (practically free) and the vendor even delivered it.

Do you like it? I think it fits right in. It's showing it's age and has many blemishes, but I'm showing my age and have blemishes too. We're like two peas in a pod.

The hang space is lined with cedar :: perfect for storing wool, and there's room in the bottom for blankets and quilts. This little room is coming right along. It's not for everyone, I'm sure, but it brings me great joy and I think it's good for the soul to feel joyful in your surroundings. Don't you?

Last Friday's Thrifting Adventure...Part 2

My heart skipped a beat when I spotted this box in the thrift shop. Doesn't it just scream vintage? The packaging is as wonderful as what's inside. Two "clever little vases that hold a corsage of flowers at the base of the candle". How fun is that? You slip the vase onto the candle and fill it with water. Then, load it up with beautiful flowers and you have instant sunshine on your table. I just had to do a little demo for you, so I grabbed my garden scissors and scoured the yard for anything that still had some life. I was quite surprised at the variety of color that's lingering. Small snips are all you need. Just enough to slip down into the water. The fall candle holder consists of Blanket Flower, Sedum, plumes from our ornamental grass, and some colorful leaves from one of the bushes. Perfect for a Thanksgiving table, don't you think? And here's the assortment of spring/summer flowers that were still holding on: There's Yarrow leaves, yellow and red Knockout roses, purple Geranium, Dianthus, Carnations, and a splash of lavender.

These little candle vases might just be one of my favorite thrift finds yet.

Except, maybe, for these Fire King Jadite bowls. I've been wanting some Jadite for a long, long time.

Sunday Stroll

Hubby and I have started a little tradition. How many times do you need to do something before you can call it a tradition? Well, we've done it twice...and I'm calling it a tradition. We're early risers on the weekend so for the past two Sunday mornings we've gone on an adventure. As soon as the sun starts peeking over the mountain, we throw on our clothes, tame our bedhead a tad, and drive down to the local gas station for a cup of coffee. From there we head to a nearby location and explore (with camera in hand, of course). It was foggy yesterday morning and the drive was peaceful and beautiful. The car ride gives us a chance to catch up and talk about the upcoming week. I think I do most of the talking :: hubby is a man of few words, but there's no distractions or responsibilities to tend to during these moments so it's extra-special time that I cherish.

This particular town had some interesting buildings, a train station, and a walking path along the canal. The coffee house is called Beans in the Belfry :: cute.

We were too early for breakfast at the corner diner...maybe next time.

The neighborhood streets were steep and hilly so we got our hearts pumping and maybe even burned a few calories.

Hubby noticed these lanterns on the police station. I thought they were neat. I just love old towns, don't you?

I adore the color scheme on this building :: pumpkin orange, olive green and cream. It's perpetual fall.

There were repairs to be made:

and some tender loving care was happening at the church.

We headed down to the canal where the train station was located.

The cars were full of coal, which started a conversation about electricity and power plants. Hubby's very smart (have I told you that before?) and he loves the topic. I learned quite a few things about power sources and grids...things I never really paid much attention to for the first forty-five years of my life.

Here's the path. We walked twenty minutes out and twenty minutes back.

It was a good morning. I'm happy we started this new tradition.

How Do You Know When You're Overdue for a Post?

Your faithful readers start sending e-mails "encouraging" you to get busy (my last post was "An Affair With A Crockpot"):

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"Grrr.....I am going to have an affair with a NEW blog!! Now get postin!!"

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"All I can say is your affair with that squash is just too long! You need to get over it and on to something else. It's been since Tuesday!!"

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Well, my faithful readers, this one's for you. :)

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Do you know how long it's been since I did a post about thrifting? Six weeks! I haven't been thrift shopping since I started working in early September but I definitely made up for it on Friday. This trip was so successful that I'll need several different posts to cover it all. Today I'll tell you about the gorgeous pottery that now lives with me.

My usual thrifting route includes Goodwill, Salvation Army, Rescue Mission, a small Mennonite-run shop and a wonderful little antique shop with flea market prices. The antique shop is moving to a new location and many of their vendors are discounting their merchandise. I took this opportunity to begin my collection of pottery :: primarily McCoy pottery that I've been eyeing for quite some time. I am in no way knowledgeable when it comes to vintage pottery but I do know that it makes my heart sing. Everything about it is charming to me and I especially adore the bright colors and cottage style. The piece above is my favorite. I spotted this yellow vase first, and scooped it right up. Within seconds, a well-loved vintage Art Deco Waterfall-style wardrobe was tapping me on the shoulder. More about that another day. This piece of pottery has such vivid color and a texture that is very appealing to me. I'm thinking it will be nice in the powder room to hold soaps and lotions and things. And last but certainly not least, I fell in love with this fabulous little planter. The descripton on the price tag reads Royal Copely, but there are no markings on the bottom. If you know anything about collecting this type of pottery I'd love to hear from you. I think it just may become an addiction :: a healthy addiction of course.