A Little of this and that.....

Monday, August 8, 2011

HOTH - Roosters and Chickens Party

I decided to join Sheila over at Note Songs for her Heart of the Home Roosters and Chickens Party. She asked everyone to post pictures sharing our favorite roosters and or chickens. My kitchen has quite a few roosters in it. I think I've always loved roosters and chickens so it was a no brainer for me to have them on display.

These are a few of the pictures that I have hanging on my kitchen wall above my buffet server. They are an off -white colored tin picture frames. My husband and I found the prints and then sized them to fit the frames. I have a off-white tin type ceiling and these picture frames match it quite well.


I found this hand made rooster at a local Craft Fair a few years ago. I just love his long legs! My little grandson sometimes likes to walk by him and make his legs swing back and forth. He hangs on the side of my built in refrigerator and he welcomes everyone into my kitchen.

This is the shelf that is hanging above my buffet server in the kitchen. I had my husband custom make the shelf for me. He made it out of oak and about had a heart attack when I told him I wanted to paint it! Had he known that he probably could have made it quite a bit cheaper. I have several different roosters and chickens up on that shelf in addition to a few off-white pitchers and canisters. I put the leaf and fruit strand up there last fall and liked it so much I decided to keep it year round.

These two little roosters flank my metal basket that I use as a hold all for mail and stuff that needs to be put away. It's almost full so I guess I better clean it out. The poor rooster on the right has been knocked off the counter a few times and his head was cracked. I couldn't stand to throw him out so I glued him back together and he keeps his cousin company!

This large rooster sits in the center of my buffet server. He has been moved all over my kitchen at one time or another. I just love this big one! I picked him up at an antique store up in the mountains when we were up there for our anniversary a few years ago. I love him because his feathers have a dark antique stain over it that makes him look aged and worn. This rooster is very heavy and makes a nice statement I think.

My sister gave me these two little roosters last year for my birthday. I have them on each side of a moss covered basket that is full of wooden eggs. The eggs are both white and brown. My sister picked these up for me when we were at a tea house in Colfax. They had lots of roosters and chickens and I wish I had gone back there and gotten a few more roosters before the tea house went out of business. They were very reasonably priced also.

This rooster is a tea light holder also. Another one of my sisters bought this for me for my birthday a few years ago. I believe it is a Party Light product. When the tea light candle is lit the rooster is really lovely. There are numerous cut outs in the rooster to let the light shine through.

Thank you for stopping by and checking out a few of the roosters I have in my kitchen. I have several more that I did not showcase. Please head over to Note Songs and check out the rooster party!

Thrifting Fun!

Awhile back I was in Las Vegas for a few days visiting family for a funeral. We had a little extra time on our hands so I went antiquing and thrift store shopping. Teapots, scales and rolling pins are some of the cool things I came home with.

I have always loved tea cups and teapots and have quite a collection already. When I spot a pretty one my heart starts to beat a little faster. I especially like it when I get them for practically a steal! This one was missing a lid but it will make a wonderful planter or perhaps it will hold some kitchen tools.

Another thing I love is old wooden rolling pins. I look at them and imagine about the ladies who owned them and what they possibly were thinking when they were rolling out their pie crusts. Were they baking a pie for their own family or perhaps it was for a sick neighbor. Maybe they were taking it to church for a potluck supper.

I was lucky enough to get several extra rolling pins for free on this trip! I mentioned to my husband's aunt that I loved old rolling pins and was collecting them. She said she had several that belonged to other family members including my husbands great aunt and his grandmother. I jumped at the chance to bring them home and add them to my collection.

She asked me what other things I was looking for and then began to shop around her house. She kept on puling things out and asking me if I would like them! I was so excited but also kept feeling like I was taking her stuff. She assured me they were things that she didn't want and if I really liked the stuff she would rather they go home with me then just sit around and gather dust.

This beautiful old scale came home with me from her house. I have always wanted one for my kitchen and now I have one.
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I just love how the front of the face looks. It is going to be a welcome addition to my kitchen! I can see using it for holiday displays or perhaps it will hold some fresh fruit up on top in it's basket.

So I ended up with quite a few good deals from the thrift store and quite a few more for free from my aunt in law!

Linking up to Southern Hospitality, Debbie Does, Between Naps on the Porch and Charm Bracelet Diva

My apron is on it's way!

My apron is on it's way to my swap partner! I hope she likes the apron that I made for her and all the goodies I sent also. My swap partner doesn't drink alcohol so I was thinking more of a refreshing cool fruity drink when I picked out my fabric for the apron. I really had a hard time finding any fabric in my area that really spoke to me when I was thinking cocktails. As soon as I started thinking about other cool drinks I saw lots of fabrics that would work.



I made it a flirty and kinda sexy apron though! I of course had to add a little lace ruffle also as I love ruffles and lace! Pink and orange make a nice color combination. There are two pockets on the front also. I also cut the bottom of the skirt into a couple of curves- kind of ruffly on it's own.



I made some cloth coasters out of some fabric I brought back from my last trip to Hawaii when I was there visiting my daughter. Of course I had to include some colorful umbrella picks that she can either use in her fruit drinks or she can use them as picks to decorate her food. I also sent her two palm tree dish towels that I found at a local store. I liked them so much that I also bought some to include in my Aloha Flirty Apron Swap package and a few for myself!



In keeping with the pinks I also sent her some cloth placemats and coordinating cloth napkins. She could use those anytime to cheer up her table.



I'm linking up to Treasure Hunt Thursday @ From My Front Porch To Yours

Cool Drinks for Hot Mamas Apron Swap

My swap package was delivered yesterday. I was on my way out for the evening and when I went outside it was sitting on my doorstop. So I took it in the car with me cause I really wanted to open it immediately! My partner Madelyn was so clever as she made my apron reversible. On one side it was a cute cocktail themed apron. There is even a little bit of glitter on some of the cocktail glasses on the fabric. There is two nice pockets trimmed in large pink rick rac.

On the reverse side was cute little cupcakes! The cupcake fabric looked so cute! There was also pockets and they were trimmed in a cute pink and green braided type trim.

My swap partner made me matching potholders and matching coasters in each of the fabrics! So that means there is 2 potholders and 8 coasters. She also include a neat cupcake recipe book that has 500 recipes for some delicious and beautiful looking cupcakes. She also sent me a silicone spatula and a set of matching cupcake liners and cupcake toppers.

I also received the two dish towels that were machine embroidered with the cutest cocktails! I had previously commented on them when Madelyn first posted about them. I just recently got an embroidery machine and don't really know how to use it and that is why I thought they were so clever and cute!

I absolutely love everything that I received in my swap package and am now the owner of another cute reversible apron! I just love these swaps!