~Simply Primitives Update~

I'm pleased to announce my very first update on Simply Primitives, December 1st, featuring some of my new cut paper silhouettes. I hope you'll join me along with the other talented artisans there.

Our silhouettes are adaptations 19^th century works, finished and framed in the early style. Each image is hand cut from heavy card stock and mounted on parchment. They are then tinted with our special solution to replicate aged paper. Each silhouette comes in a distressed, wood frame, under glass. The back of the frame is neatly finished with paper and comes ready to hang.

Until Next time...

~Star Rug Company Giveaway~

Just in time for Christmas! How many opportunities do you get to win a fabulous hooked rug like this beauty from The Star Rug Company? Well, here's your chance! Just follow the link to Maria's page and enter to win. Good luck!

Tuesday Display Chain~ Homemade Granola by Kattywhompus

Each Tuesday Misi, of Gable House Musings, chooses a theme and invites bloggers to play along with her "Tuesday Display Chain" by featuring items from their collections. Since many of us are browsing through magazines and looking online for holiday ideas such as gifts, decorating ideas & recipes, Let us give a little of ourselves here through blogland. This week's theme is "To Share".

I'd like to share my recipe for homemade granola...a huge hit at out house. My husband & sons think this is a real treat for breakfast served with fruit and yogurt. It also makes a great healthy snack. I make up a big batch at Christmas for gift giving. It looks great in a cello bag tied with a piece of homespun and a handmade tag. I've made it for fund raisers and bazaars and it is always the first thing that sells out. I hope it will become a favorite at your house too.

Homemade Granola by Kattywhompus

In a large bowl mix all dry ingredients except raisins until well blended.

2 1/2 Cups Old Fashion Oats

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Sunflower Meats

1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds

1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans

1/4 Cup Wheat Germ

1/2 Cup Flaked Coconut

1 Tsp. Cinnamon

* 1/2 Cup Golden Raisins & 1/2 Cup Dark Raisins

Of course the above ingredients can be adjusted to your taste...try a variety of nuts and dried fruit for lots of different flavors!

Melt butter and honey together and then add vanilla. Pour over dry granola mixture and toss until well coated.

1/3 Cup Butter

1/3 Cup Honey

1 tsp. vanilla

Spread granola in a thin layer on two lightly greased cookie sheets (pans with sides work best).

 

Forgive my "well seasoned" baking pan...the best kind. :)

 Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes. Stir frequently while baking. Pay special attention to granola around the edges of the pan. When granola turns a golden brown, remove from oven & spread on wax paper or foil to cool. Stir in raisins, and store in an airtight container. Enjoy! 

See the other Tuesday Display Chain participants at: http://1890gablehousemusings.blogspot.com/

Until next time...

Blustery Black Friday

As I sit here typing I can hear the fierce wind whipping across the Indiana prairie, the creaking of the house, and the voices of our eldest son and Mr. Kattywhompus deep in conversation. We are staying cozy inside, awaiting company this evening. How wonderful it is to be restful and relax with family gathered round! With leftovers in the fridge and dogs at my feet I feel blessed beyond measure.

In between checking the turkey and serving up pie, I was able to get a few things listed in my Etsy shops. I am working on a series of cut paper silhouettes, some of which are already available here, and some of which will be available on Simply Primitives on December 1st. I am thrilled to be included among their newest artisans, and hope you will visit me on my page there. Look for me in the Artisan Directory after December 1st. I have also added a couple of things to my vintage Etsy shop, including this Artisans Sampler, perfect for Christmas crafting!

I've been putting these together from my stash of vintage lovelies...things that are wonderful, but don't necessarily fit with our primitive style home. It's been fun to see how much the people who purchase these kits appreciate and enjoy them. I have several more in the works that should be listed in a day or two.

Here are some of my colonial style silhouettes. The designs were adapted from early portraits and are hand cut from paper.

I'm going to decorate a short wall in the living room, next to my desk, with similar pieces. I'm still looking for some little oval frames to mount some of the smaller cuttings.

These are available in limited numbers, so please...if you see one you must have, don't hesitate.  I'd hate for you to be disappointed.

 

I think they are really special...and hope you will feel the same.

I can't believe I forgot to show you the lovely little gift I received from Michelle Palmer. Out of sight, out of (my) mind... 

I was one of SEVEN winners in her generous fall giveaway...

Michell is such a talented lady...I  just adore her little drawings on fabric. Wouldn't this look fabulous on a fall themed sewing roll?

Michelle chose this drawing especially for me. Does she know me, or what? It's perfect! She also included one of her magnetic Christmas sets in my package and as always, a sweet note.

I encourage you to visit her lovely blog, and afterward her Etsy shop. You'll be glad you did!

Until next time...

Gratitude

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~Melody Beattie~ 

Thanks to each of you for following, what a blessing you are to me! I wish you a joyous Thanksgiving holiday!

Tuesday Display Chain~A Woman's Glory~

Each Tuesday Misi, of Gable House Musings, chooses a theme and invites bloggers to play along with her "Tuesday Display Chain" by featuring items from their collections. This week the question was asked, "Do you have a cherished hat or bonnet?" 

In times past, a woman's covering was her "glory". This post is a celebration of the glory of  hats! 

An antique gingham prairie bonnet hangs near the back door.

A simple cotton head covering is displayed alongside children s clothing in the back hall. I love that the wearers initials, J.L. Butler, are inked along the inside. 

The little calico dress dates to the civil war era and is one of my special treasures.

This straw day hat dates from just before the turn of the 19th century. I waited all afternoon for a chance to purchase it at the estate auction of a 101 year old spinster. Very Jane Austen.

This vintage hat was given to me by a fellow church goer. I love the long ribbons of tulle that tie under the chin. While on a high school field trip, I met Katharine Hepburn at the Chicago Art Museum. She was wearing a hat similar to this. Ms. Hepburn, and her hat, made quite an impression. 

Antique aprons and bonnets hang near the front door.

A faded red bonnet, soft with age.

This delicate white bonnet features tiny pink polka dots and a quilted brim.

I found this beautiful straw hat at Goodwill, still in it's original hatbox. 

I love the little flowers and berries...ever so cheerful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few hats are no longer in my collection. 

They have moved on to new owners via Etsy. 

 

A 1940's "high crown cloche" in a creamy wool, meant to be worn perched on the crown of your head.

 This stylized high crown cloche, a 1940's classic, has a definite "Breakfast at Tiffany's" feel. The wide bow on the front lends a touch of romance, while the back curves slightly upward to show off those silky 40's hairstyles.

Sometimes referred to as a "tilty hat", the details on this 1940's ladies beret are what make it extra special. The mocha brown wool felt has been stamped with a striking whorled pattern that radiates from the crown of the hat. Beaded and wire bullion flowers, surrounded by felt leaves and a bit of tan grosgrain ribbon embellish the left side of the hat. 

This sweet 1940's ladies platter hat, in a creamy straw, has a rolled brim wrapped with russet grosgrain ribbon. In front, the hat features one long slim feather, accented with a single rhinestone. Mushroom brown netting covers the front of the hat and is long enough to tie or pin in your hair. Dyed to match velvet trim, finishes the inside of this hat. Still available on kattywhompusvintage.etsy.com

This is a contemporary April Cornell Straw that I wear on sunny days.

And finally THIS...for your entertainment.

Me, modeling an antique calico bonnet in our motel room at Simple Goods. Lessons learned? Don't let friends photograph you after you've just driven 6.5 hours...and don't take yourself too seriously.  :)

Until next time...

See the other Tuesday Display Chain participants at: http://1890gablehousemusings.blogspot.com/

This week's theme by Pamela at Civil Folks. 

Tuesday Display Chain ~ You Light Up My Life~

Each Tuesday Misi, of Gable House Musings, chooses a theme and invites bloggers to play along with her "Tuesday Display Chain" by featuring items from their collections. The theme this week is "You Light Up My Life".

I took these photos in the early quiet of morning.

~An ironstone canning jar turned lamp atop the buttery~

 ~A star sconce reflects the light of a nubby candle in the living room~

~An old hymnal illuminated by candlelight~

~A redware lamp brightens up a corner in the living room~

~ Dinner by "Candlelight" in the kitchen~

~We'll keep the light on for you~

Until next time...

 1890gablehousemusings.blogspot.com

Ordinary Days

It's been a busy week. Between attending the Simple Goods show, hosting a group of homeschoolers, teaching a friend to sew, blog deadlines, surprise parties, and doctor appointments, I feel like I hit the ground running and haven't stopped. Tomorrow I will sit with a friend who has just had surgery and later in the week I will enjoy luncheon with a group of high school classmates. In between my daily chores I'll try to squeeze in a little stitching. These are the ordinary things that make up my days. As my Auntie used to say "It's better to wear out than to rust out."

I love Ohio...and Simple Goods was, as always, a primitive feast for the senses. Of course they don't allow photos to be taken inside, so you'll have to trust me when I say that it was wonderful. I saw some really beautiful old things and some new things made to look old. I talked with some talented and lovely people. I coveted a red wool petticoat that sold for $400...out of my budget for petticoats, but marvelous all the same. I didn't actually buy very much. My biggest purchase was some old striped floral fabric, perfect for making sewing rolls. 

I also bought this tiny grain painted box from Derek Schmidt of T.F.C. Folk Art.  I added the funny little strawberry on top. It's not attached, I just like the way it looks perched up there.

  One of the things that has kind of become a Simple Goods tradition is that Emily brings a fun and creative project to share with us. This year we spend the evening before the show playing with paper dolls. This project was so much fun that I think I might try it on my own sometime. Here's what I came up with.

~A masked mermaid and a Victorian dog/angel~

~Downtown Granville, Ohio~

Another tradition is a trip south to Granville, just a short drive from Mt. Vernon through the picturesque rolling, farmland of Ohio. Granville reminds me of the fictional town of Stars Hollow, and just might be the cutest place on earth. You won't find Luke's Diner, but you will find great coffee at The Village Coffee Company. In Granville the people are friendly, the shops are wonderful and the pie is homemade.

One of the main reasons for our pilgrimage to Granville is a visit to Green Velvet. 

The entrance hints at what you'll find inside.

Green Velvet is luxurious, and sparkly...a girlie girl's paradise.

The shop was all decked out for the holidays season.

~Spools of beautiful ribbon at Green Velvet~

~Pastel Vintage Glass Ornaments~

~Wonderful soaps and perfumes~

~More Sparkle~

We always try to stop in at some of the really great antique malls on route 70 near Springfield, Ohio on our way home.

Look at this great storefront seed display.

~A wonderful early basket~

 Doesn't this this old blue cupboard have a fabulous finish?

I found this small chest which will serve as a jewelry box after it's painted. It has two working drawers and the top opens to reveal a nice bit of storage. 

And suggestions on what color I should paint it?

 And last but not least...This little wooden tray once painted, will become a sewing caddy.

I have lots more to show you, but I'd like you to be awake for it.

Until next time...