And now my real Christmas tree.

A Douglas fir, retro globe lights from Target like these, ornaments I've collected my entire life, red velveteen ric rac, candy canes, and a Winnie-the-Pooh angel treetopper.  It's crazy but it's personal and lots of fun to look at.  It makes me smile every single year.

Vintage ceramic Christmas tree.

I bought this a few weeks ago at the Livington Antique Outlet in Howell, Michigan .  I have wanted one of these for years- they are retro and it seems every grandma has one.  This one is especially fun- it's got a a silver glitter overspray, and instead of lightbulbs this one has sweet little birds.  My brother told me I deserved it....and I am so glad I snagged it up.

Woven trivets.

I've collected these trivets over the last year, after realizing you can really never have too many trivets.  They are really colorful and interesting to me.  They're a raffia-like material, dyed and woven with neat patterns and color combinations.  They would also look really great hanging on a kitchen wall.

Taza Chocolate.

I visited this amazing chocolate factory in Sommerville, MA and brought some things back to experiment with.  Taza chocolate, www.tazachocolate.com, is stone ground, organic, dairy/gluten/soy free, and the company supports fair trade and is one of the few bean-to-bar chocolate makers in the country.  The tour is interesting and you get some free samples too!

I picked up a Molinillo, a wooden Mexican wisk, that I will use for the below recipe.  I know it is going to be delicious, just like the chocolates I brought back home.

 http://www.tazachocolate.com/LearnMore/Mexican_Hot_Chocolate

Sewing Table.

I got this last fall at my neighbor's garage sale.  It was $5.00.  I plan on re-painting it but for now it's a side table in my office, and it looks pretty good.  I want to paint it a color, maybe navy, and add new colorful hardware, most likely from Anthropologie.  Something like this.
What do you think I should do?

Holyoke.

One of my favorite home blogs is Holyoke Home, http://www.holyokehome.com , and on my roadtrip out to Boston I was geeked to see this:

I so wish I could have exited and made my way to downtown Holyoke.  Driving through Massachusetts was seriously one of the highlights of my trip and it is absolutely beautiful there!

Orchids.

 

Orchids are one of my favorite flowers.  I have 5 of them flowering right now at my house, and another 4 that are dormant.  Check out some of these beauties!  Most are phalaenopsis, but I also have a few lady slippers that haven't bloomed in a few years.

Tree Peony, Year 2.

This is the tree peony that I bought at Eastern Market's Annual Flower Day last year.  It was $40 which is expensive for me, and only had 2 blooms.  I'm super-excited it survived our mad winter, and so far it's looking like it will have 5 flowers and be gorgeous!  More pics to come.

Pop and chips.

Heading back to Detroit from Boston I saw these fun snacks at a NY gas station.  I'm familiar with Utz Potato Chips from Madmen, but this pop-soda-beverage thing totally intrigued me.  Bears?  Weird.  I'll let you know how it tastes.

It's Spring. Almost.

I was in Ann Arbor on Saturday and wandered through a local farmer's market, and bought these two Ranunculus plants.  I couldn't help myself.  It was chilly out, and we're still waiting for Spring here in Michigan, but I bought them anyway and will take care of them indoors until they're ready to make the leap outside.  I'm not sure if they are the perennial or annual type, but I will find out eventually.  I love the mix of colors and think these are beauties!

A little more about Ranunculus plants: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus

The craving.

I've been craving bacon since yesterday and I thought the craving would go away.  It did not.  I hit the gym after work with the promise of a BLT dinner to follow.  It was a little painstaking to make, my house will smell of bacon for days, and it was totally worth it.  It always amazes me how some of the simplest food is truly delicious.  Yum.

R is for really neat perfume bottle.

I'd had my eye on this antique perfume bottle at a local antique shop since November.  It was on sale this weekend, so on Sunday I picked it up at 55% off.  It's etched on the bottom "Raphael, Paris, Made in France", and even has the original "R" wax seal and cord around the neck.  This will look great in my bathroom with some of my other perfume bottles and clear glass containers!

Rhubarb Freezer Jam + Pyrex.

At the Farmer's Market on Saturday I bought a few punches of rhubarb and a neat little old lady started talking to me about her rhubarb freezer jam and her secret ingredient- a packet of raspberry Jell-o.  So I attempted to make it today and the refrigerator portion is housed in vintage Pyrex.  I have two smaller containers in the freezer, so hopefully it's delicious!

Rhubarb freezer jam:
2 bunches rhubarb, chopped into small pieces (approx. 6 cups)
4 cups sugar
1 small box raspberry Jell-o

I washed and chopped up all the rhubarb, and tossed it with the sugar in a large pot.  I let it sit for about an hour to let the rhubarb release some juice.  I simmered it on low for about half an hour, then turned it up to a rolling boil for 5-6 minutes.  I lowered the heat again, and added the Jell-o, then let it simmer for another 10 minutes. 

It was a total experiment, so although I am sure the flavor is super the consistency may be a little off.  Either way though it will be great.  Oh- and rhubarb jam/sauce/compote is one of the best things ever on vanilla ice cream!!!

Gymkhana.

This is a huge departure from my normal topics, but it's so cool I wanted to share.  This is pretty much some of the coolest driving I have ever seen.  The fun driving starts at 1:10 with the baddest sections at 2:45 and 5:04.

Gymkhana is a type of motorsport practiced in an increasing number of countries. Similar to autocross, gymkhana courses are often very complex and memorizing the course is a significant part of achieving a fast time.

Gymkhana events are time and/or speed events in an automobile. These can feature obstacles such as cones, tires, and barrels. The driver must maneuver through a predetermined "track" performing many different driving techniques. What separates gymkhana from traditional autocross events is that the gymkhana requires drivers to perform reversals, 180 degree spins, 360 degree spins, parking boxes, figure 8s and other advanced skills. Drifting is also encouraged where helpful or necessary. Essentially, a gymkhana is any event featuring a starting point, a finish line and some sort of "obstacle" to get through, around, or by, all within a time limit.

Vintage gum wrapper chain.

I found this last spring for $3 at an estate sale and thought it was so cool.  It's really graphic and fun, and I love the bright colors.  You just know someone spent a lot of time and care making this long chain.  I think it would make a really fun garland on a mini Christmas tree.

Lasagna pan & pretzel jello salad.

This is a super adorable vintage Pyrex lasagna pan in my favorite pattern- Friendship.  It seems too shallow for lasagna so I plan on making a sweet treat instead.  Pretzel jell-o, aka a dessert of the gods, with this recipe from my friend/co-worker R.D.:

PRETZEL JELL-O SALAD

2 2/3 cup thin pretzel sticks, crushed, but not too fine

3 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup margarine or butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks)

8 oz. (1 package) cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 cup Cool Whip

6 oz. strawberry Jell-o

1 package frozen strawberries, do not thaw or drain.

Mix crushed pretzels, 3 tablespoons sugar, and margarine well.  Press into a 9 X 13 in. pan to form the crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, cool.

Mix cream cheese with the 1 cup sugar in mixer and blend well.  Fold in the Cool Whip. Spread over cooled pretzel crust.

Stir the jell-o into 2 cups boiling water.  When dissolves, add the frozen strawberries. Stir and when slightly thickened pour over the cheese layer.  
Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.   Spread the remaining Cool Whip on top.

Tip:  Use a 10 oz. bag of frozen strawberries, cut up, to get more berries than in the frozen containers with juice.

Vintage coat.

I found this super vintage coat in Milwaukee over the weekend.  It's labeled Lepp and Company, Racine and Kenosha, and has a real beaver fur collar and three great wood buttons.  It needs a little repair to the inner lining, and I need to get it cleaned, but once that happens it will be a great addition to my coat collection.  Plus it was only $15.00, marked down from $60.00.

More WTWTA.

My original copy of this book from my childhood.  A super great gift from my aunt and uncle, from 1983.  I think every little one should have a copy of this......it's my favorite.

Christmas Vinyl.

A little late, but this is an amazing Christmas gift my brother got for me from Etsy.  The vinyl is near-perfect, and the sleeve is in great shape with the WTWTA artwork that I love.  I display my original copy of the book on a shelf in my living room, and this will be displayed there too.

Ribollita.

I received this recipe from my friend and co-worker Al, and it sounded delicious.  So for Sunday supper and a weeks worth of lunch I whipped up a batch.  It was easy and is full of good-for-you ingredients, and it is delicious- thanks Al!

Tuscan Ribollita

Print This Recipe (Recipe Cookie Magazine)

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled & smashed
• 1 small onion, peeled & roughly chopped (all i had was a red onion)
• 1 carrot, peeled & chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 4 oz. pancetta chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 15oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
• 3 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
• grated parmesan

1. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the first five ingredients in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the beans, broth & rosemary.  Simmer, covered until the beans break apart, about an hour.
3. Add the kale and cook for 5 to 7 mins more.  Stir in the bread crumbs and serve, drizzled with the remaining olive oil & sprinkled with cheese.

Cookie jar.

This is a vintage Red Wing cold-painted cookie jar.  My mom grew up with the green version, so I've always known the pattern and versions of this in good condition sell for around $100.  I was lucky enough to find this beauty at an antique mall in Racine, Wisconsin, and I paid $9 for it.  I've thought about listing it on Ebay but it's really growing on me.