Strawberry fun

We feel very fortunate to live in a small town on the edge of the urban growth boundaries, so we are surrounded by country land, with lots of farms, orchards, and vast places for berry picking!! Last weekend we took the kids (minus one plus one friend) to go strawberry picking, and even though pickings were already slim we came home with 16 pounds of strawberries!!

Do you see this mischievous face? That would be Clara holding a white strawberry and planning to tell her little brother that it was a special (and very delicious) strawberry, and anticipating the fun she will have when her brother eats it.... I swear to you I didn't teach them these things....!!!!

Was that a sour strawberry, Rita...?

This week we are going for raspberries and blackberries... Can't wait!!!

We have had a busy weekend... Not only was I doing a garage sale with Lisa and two other friends, two of my daughters are playing in a large soccer tournament! Six soccer games down, three more to go...!!! My youngest daughter's team made it to the championship finals, and that is where we are heading this morning! I will be back soon with some cool makeovers I have been working on...!!

Update! - My youngest daughter's team won First Place in this weekend's tournament!!! We are so proud of their hard work!!

Mid-week ramblings

I made a trip to Monticello last week to bring new stuff and fluff up my space... If you are a dealer, like me, do you ever have those days when you just get tired of everything and just feel like starting all over with completely new things? That's where I am!!! And that is why Lisa, Mitzy, Karen and I are having a garage sale this weekend!!! This will be our third year and I promise you there will be some good stuff there!!! No, I am not clearing my booth completely, but I am getting rid of tired items, projects that never took off and "what was I thinking when I bought this" stuff!! Lisa has posted a flyer about it if you are interested in coming!!

Here is Lisa's super cute space right next to mine. She has taken a giant leap and has opened a new booth at Stars & Splendid Antique Mall!! Check her blog to see great pictures of her new space!

I was absolute beside myself when Lisa gave me the sweetest dress she had found at an estate sale... I swear to you my heart skipped a beat when I laid eyes on it!!! When she said I could have it, I had to restrain myself from jumping on her and lick her face like an excited puppy!! Just kidding! Thank you, Lisa, you truly made my day!! I will hang it in my bedroom with a few other darling vintage dresses.

While at Monticello, I was very surprised to stumble upon this collection of vintage postcards from a very famous museum in Lisbon... The Museu Nacional dos Coches (National Carriage Museum) is one of the many tourist attractions in Belem, Portugal, along with the Tower of Belem, the Monument to the Discoveries and the Jeronimos Monastery (not to mention the best custard pastries you will ever eat!!). A mere 15 minute drive from my mom's home, Belem is always a place we visit when we got back. I have posted about it here....

Finally, I wanted to show you something I have bought for myself.... Very rarely do I spend money buying clothes or shoes for myself, as I always feel there are other priorities... But when I went to the mall with my daughter to find her some shoes for graduation, these boots drew my attention. They were the last ones on the shelf, and they were my size... I tried them on, and they felt very comfortable... Then I looked at the price... It had been slashed from $75 to ...$15!!! I have paid more for a pair of flip flops!!! I was very excited until my kids told me the color looked like poop... I don't care, I love them!

I didn't want to end this post without thanking Sarah, from My So Called Junky Life, for giving me the "One Lovely Blog Award". Thank you so much, Sarah, I am both thrilled and honored!!! All this blog love means a lot to me!!!

I end with a funny little thing that happened today... Anna and I were making chocolate mousse, this afternoon, when my 6 year old son Alex asked what we were doing. We told him what it was... A little bit later, he came to me and asked: "when is the deer ready?"!!

A Garden Party

I can't think of a better way to start the summer than with a blog garden party... The wonderful thing is that, at this virtual party, it doesn't matter if it rains, I don't have to worry about fitting into my dream dress, my feet will never get sore, and I still get to visit with some awesome people!! Floss, from Troc, Broc and Recup is throwing a blog garden party for her fortieth birthday and I am joining in !!! Happy birthday, Floss!


I will wear one of my favorite Gunne Sax dresses, but which one...? What do you think?



















































... I will put on the daintiest shoes...























... and will not forget my sweet parasol!!





























I will ride along the countryside on my stylish ride....























... but not before I gather a bouquet of lovely roses from my garden...

... and not before I whip up a loaf of delicious Walnut Bread to bring along!!

Would you like to come, too? You are all invited!!!

Summer favorites

I love summer salads... with busy kids coming and going to soccer and gymnastics practices, it is wonderful to be able to make a meal ahead of time then just pull it out of the refrigerator when it's time to eat!! You probably know by now that I love the Barefoot Contessa!! I love how easy and delicious her recipes are, and I have all of her books. When I saw this recipe on one of her shows, I knew I had to make it. It has become one of our family favorites...

Roasted Shrimp and Orzo Salad

Kosher salt
Good olive oil
3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

Meanwhile, place the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!

Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, onion, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Lately I have been replacing the fresh dill with cilantro (since we love it so much), and sometimes I keep the feta cheese on the side because I don't like cheese... (I know, how is it possible!!!!). I also added corn because we love corn and it goes pretty well together!

Another super easy summer favorite of ours (and one that never lasts long around here) is Strawberry Lemonade. All you need are these two ingredients and water....

I find the frozen sliced strawberries (1 lb sweetened) at Safeway, but I am sure you can find similar packages anywhere. Add a can of good ole' lemonade, water and ice and you are done!! Simply delicious!!

Funky Junk Sisters Show

In the spur of the moment, Joy, Lisa and I decided to drive on Sunday 2 1/2 hours north to visit some of our friends at the Funky Junk Sisters first annual show in Puyallup, WA. We had so much fun!! It was nice to be able to visit with our friends without having to worry about rushing back to our booths, like we always do.... And we came home with some great treasures!

The Funky Junk Sisters with Mom!

We were delighted to see our sweet friend Tiffany from Shabby Scraps, she is always so upbeat and we love her!!

Kris and Amy from Today's Country Store had a wonderful space at the show...

We met up with Timi and Laura (not in the picture...) and giggled a bit more...!! Timi has the funniest blog and her stories always make me laugh!

I would have bought this adorable framed vintage wedding veil from Lulu if I could afford it... But I did buy some other cool stuff from her!

Debi had a wonderful collection of horse prize ribbons, and I couldn't resist buying some from her....

After we left the show, we couldn't resist traveling just a few minutes away to Sumner, and visit the Today's Country Store... What an incredible collection of vintage goodies (I was so mesmerized I forgot to take pictures inside...)!! Then a couple of stops at Goodwill (what is a fun day without some thrifting...?) and home we came, happy and tired.

I was very happy with what I bought, some I will keep and some I will sell... Here is my loot!!

I always love to find old feed sacks...

... Cool metal suitcase...

Lisa says I am a magnet for little vintage doll strollers...

... You know I love needlepoint...

... Love the detail on this small silver tray...

This chair is one of my favorite purchases!

... Old quilt block...

... Sweet vintage prize ribbons...

... Old letters (from 1914!) and a rosary....

... And this darling old rocking chair!

... Old brush, hanger and fabric...

... A vintage necktie box, frame and bed lamp (this one at Goodwill). Also at Goodwill, these awesome white cowboy boots! Too bad they're too small for me...

Finally, a great Craigslist find from this weekend!!! A tufted velvet chaise (very comfortable!!), which will go with me to Expo in July... That reminds me... I've gotta get busy!!!