Monday, January 25, 2010

Mini Pies Baked in Jars | Brilliant





Read more. More photos and recipes too for single-serving fruit pies and even little chicken pot pies baked in jars. I love this, don't you. Great for portion control for those of us (me) who want to eat the whole pie sliver by sliver. Who thought of this first? There are so many clever people out there. Thankfully we have the Internet to connect us. Hope you are enjoying your Monday as much as I am. Rosemary



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Today's Weather Is For The Birds

If I dared put one toe out the door with my camera I would be faced with this kind of weather. It's pouring and the wind is howling. Thankfully, I don't have to go out for anything except a dog walk or two much later when the rain subsides.

I was half asleep this morning while monitoring three comments on my Blogger Dashboard. I put a check mark beside each one and hit the REJECT button instead of the PUBLISH button. I've tried but this can't be undone. I've written each person to resubmit but in case they don't I would like to thank and apologize to the following:


Maria @ http://agouraantiquemart.blogspot.com/



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Laundry Room Love

You know how much I love to do laundry by now. I am totally in love with the amazing room in the photo above dedicated to this necessary task. Have you ever seen a better one? I certainly haven't. I'm sure there is a clothes dryer in there somewhere but it is not the focus. How heavenly. I am absolutely positive that there is a drying yard outside too. I did five loads last week to take advantage of warm temperatures and sun. Now we have rain. It was great while it lasted. I am still quite pleased with my homemade laundry soap/detergent too. I just wish I'd made it sooner. Happy Monday, Rosemary.

via Crush Party



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Sunday, January 24, 2010

American Silver Punch Bowl Sells For $5.9M

A HIGHLY IMPORTANT AMERICAN SILVER PUNCH BOWL
Made by CORNELIUS KIERSTEDE, NEW YORK, 1700-1710

Pre-auction estimate $400,000 - $800,000
Sold January 22, 2010 Sotheby's New York.
Hammer Price with Buyer's Premium: $5,906,500 USD
This is wonderful news for dealers and American Coin Silver collectors alike.

"Take care of your antiques and they'll take care of you."

Doesn't this make you want to polish your sterling hollowware? Read more about Cornelius Kierstede, the colonial silversmith.



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Hermes 3-Piece Garden Tool Set

Spade, Trowel and Weeding Fork Set with Cherry Tree Handles in a Textile Bag. $345.00 USD. You would definitely be compelled to do your own gardening if you had this Hermès set, wouldn't you? :) Rosemary



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Saturday, January 23, 2010

Have A Cute Puppy Weekend

Dog owners are the luckiest people, aren't they? I never get tired of looking at photos of puppies. The owners of this cutie pie must be having such fun with her. Pink collar means girl dog hopefully. Have a great weekend and remember to play with your dog. xxoo Rosemary



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Do Want This Hermes Avalon Blanket

Wool and Cashmere Avalon Blanket from Hermès. So lovely. My maiden initial is H. Size 55"x69". Drumroll .... price $1,125.00 USD

On second thought, it's too good for Webster the wonder dog. We share all blankets. Sigh. You, however, still have time to order one for your Valentine. ♥



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Friday, January 22, 2010

Dancing On A Giant Typewriter Circa 1937




"Too Marvelous for Words" musical number from the film "Ready, Willing, and Able" (1937) with Ruby Keeler and Lee Dixon. The chorus line keys are brilliant!!



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Conan O'Brien | Last Night On The Tonight Show

Tonight is Conan's last night on the Tonight Show so maybe I'll record it. I think he got a raw deal even though a settlement has been reached. Didn't any of those network people go to grammar school? This is just not done. You don't promise someone something, make them wait 5 years to get it, and then change your mind and take it back. Shame on NBC and Jay Leno too.



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Life's Little Instruction Book, page 153



This is the next to last page before this book is finished. Boo Hoo.



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Thursday, January 21, 2010

Laundry Day + Homemade Detergent = Perfect


aundry day at the cottage yesterday. I finally got a good day to hang out a couple of loads of sheets and towels. The weather was nice with temperatures in the 40s and a nice breeze. I couldn't wait to jump into bed last night. There is nothing to compare to the smell and feel of line dried bed linens. I haven't been happy with my laundry detergent for quite some time. Everything I buy is too highly scented. I don't like many scents except citrus, spice, and vanilla. I am especially not fond of floral smelling anything except flowers themselves. I finally used up a tub of powdered stuff from Costco that literally took my breath away when I took off the lid. And it didn't get my gardening clothes clean either. I got some liquid from Costco last trip and it is even smellier though it did a pretty good job of cleaning. I am taking it back. I read a bunch of recipes online for a simple homemade natural detergent and this is what I made. I grated one bar of Octagon soap with the big side of my box grater. Then I put these shavings in my food processor and buzzed until I had tiny pellets. (This step was my idea and it worked perfectly.) I dumped these pellets in a stainless steel mixing bowl and added one cup of Borax and one cup of Washing Soda. I mixed it all together and then transferred the mixture to an airtight container. It smelled fresh, that's all. I have a front-loading washing machine that requires low-sudsing HE detergent. The blogger who wrote this recipe (altered a bit by me) said this would work well in such a machine. And would you believe you only need 2 Tablespoons for an entire load? When I took the clothes out, guess what they smelled like? NOTHING. Perfect. After a day on the line the bedding smelled like sunshine and wind. The photo was taken yesterday just to prove that we can still have nice weather and blue skies with white puffy clouds in January. I am going to do a dark load or two today. xxoo Rosemary
Here is a link with 10 homemade laundry soap recipes.
This is a photo of my finished product. I put it in a tall glass jar that once held dry roasted peanuts. It's perfect. I can roll it around and mix everything up to evenly distribute all the ingredients before every load. I have darks in the washer right now. So happy!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Audrey Hepburn Stamp With Quote


I never tire of reading about the inspirational Audrey Hepburn, do you? "Others matter more than you do, so don't fuss, dear, get on with it." Now what could be more to the point and funny too? She was beautiful inside and out. Love her, Rosemary.



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No-Knead Bread Video + Recipe

Mark Bittman, a.k.a. The Minimalist, visits The Sullivan Street Bakery and watches Jim Lahey make his famous No-Knead Bread. The secret is letting time do all the work. I've made it and it is easy and delicious. Jim says even a 6 year old can make it.




Recipe and short article from The New York Times. This is great bread using only 4 ingredients. All-purpose flour, yeast (the instant variety), salt, and water. You stir it all up and let it sit. Watch the video and you'll be a pro in no time. This recipe has been around for quite a long time, since 2006. This is for those of you who haven't tried it yet. Winter is the perfect time for some nice crusty bread fresh from the oven. Enjoy, Rosemary.



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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

My Dog's Brain | Stephen Huneck

My Dog's Brain by Stephen Huneck. My dust jacket is somewhat skuffed but the interior is perfect. It's full of wonderful illustrations about a dog's life by the very talented Vermont artist who passed away less than 2 weeks ago. The image can be enlarged so you can more clearly see what's on Sally's mind. Yes, the black labrador dog's name is Sally.
R.I.P. Stephen Huneck 1948-2010



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Monday, January 18, 2010

Extreme Birding | The Big Year | Fowl Obsession


I don't know when I've been so entertained by a book on birding. Actually this is the first one I've ever read and I am only on page 181 of 268. This was the top book at the free book exchange at my local Post Office one day last week and I snatched it up immediately. I was thrilled that the upcoming long weekend would be the perfect time to sit down with it. It is wonderful. THE BIG YEAR, A Tale of Man, Nature and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik. I really can't put it down but I had to this morning because I had a real estate showing.
It is the tale of many world-class birders in the US who took off for one year to see how many birds they could see. This isn't a sport/hobby for sissies. You have to be tough and it helps to have money because it can be very expensive. Some did it on the cheap and were successful too.
I don't want to ruin it for you but I can promise you will learn a lot about the inside of a true birder's head and be totally entertained with the trials and tribulations of this competitive sport that's so much more than a hobby. Even couch birdwatchers will love it. Go to the library right now and reserve it. I know you'll be happy you did. Rosemary
I blogged about another book on birding but still haven't read LIFE LIST by Olivia Gentile. Maybe that will be next on my list.



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Sunday, January 17, 2010

Sassafras Tree With Three Different Leaf Shapes

Today was a great day for me. I stayed in my pajamas all day and read, watched movies and had a lovely time. It was dark, gloomy and rainy outside anyway so there was no guilt. I looked through old photos and was reminded of last spring when I photographed new leaves just beginning to appear on my Sassafras tree. It's not unusual to see three different leaf shapes on one branch. I love it. Enjoy the rest of your long weekend. Rosemary



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