Yardsale Treasures for the week

I woke up at 6 a.m. eager to get started yardsaling, since the neighborhood sale started at 7...those of you who are yardsale junkies know that you have to get there early! Left the house at 6:30 & arrived with the rest of the earlybirds. Again, I had $20 in my wallet, so had to make the most of it.


At the first stop, I found this cute iron bird tray for $2...it's already rusty, so no need to do anything to it. It will probably stay in the house somewhere & get displayed on a table. I think I need some faux eggs to put in it.


Fitz & Floyd nutcracker Christmas ornament was $1.50...I may resell this on Ebay. Retail sticker on bottom is $35.00.
For some reason, I kept finding nice purses today...I have always had good luck finding purses at yardsales & a lot of mine have come from there. Left to right....Cole Haan black leather/linen purse ($3), Liz Claiborne straw mesh ($2), and Stone Mountain ivory leather ($2)....not bad, 3 nice purses for $7.00, huh??!
The Cole Haan black purse is my favorite! All of them are in mint condition...I just love bargains like this! :)
4 handpainted wine/goblets were $4.00 for all...and they match my kitchen!
International Silver Co. silverplate candelabra...$2.00. New, still in the box...and this is priceless, the wedding card that came with it was in the box too! How funny is that? I guess Tim & Jenny don't like silver, LOL.
Nice wood picture frame with glass, 50 cents...can always use more of these!

Restortion Hardware cream vase for $2.00, sticker on bottom from store, retail was $16.00. Now that's a deal! Hardback book, Nicholas Sparks "At First Sight", which I wanted to read anyway was 25 cents.

Grand total $19.25....my entertainment & enjoyment...priceless!

Now....it's time to start peeling & stickin'!!

Vulcan Statue in Birmingham

I am an official Birminghamian now...I've visited the Vulcan! Had lunch with some girlfriends on Wednesday & after lunch, we all decided to go & visit Vulcan. It was such a beautiful spring day & perfect for a ride to the top. Three of us are new to town & are getting out to see all the sights that B'ham offers. The other gal is a native & had never visited Vulcan either. Just goes to show...you can live somewhere all your life and not do all the tourist things. Case in point...I grew up in Atlanta, but never went to the Coca-Cola museum.

We went through the little museum they had set up and found out that he is made out of iron...Birmingham is known for being an iron/steel city & this is where the majority of the wealth in the city came from. Now, all the steel plants are closed down, but the heritage of that industry remains. Vulcan was built for the St. Louis 1904 World's Fair & after the fair, he came to reside over the City of Birmingham. I know there's a lot more to the story than what we saw, but that's the bare minimum facts. Here's more info, if you'd like to read more about him: Vulcan This was a mansion tucked into the trees, right below the Vulcan...not too shabby, huh?? And moi...the view from the top was spectactular! Birmingham really is a beautiful city. I love the rolling hills (which I didn't realize were so plentiful until I moved over here). I really love my newly adopted Southern city...a little like a small Atlanta, but I sure don't miss the traffic! There's a great neighborhood yardsale happening early on Sat. a.m., so guess where I'll be?? I'll be sure to share any goodies I find with ya'll. And, I have another project on the horizon...I redid my laundryroom last year & got it all decorated with birdhouses & bunnies. It's really cute & I love it, but always planned to put a black/white tile floor down. So, I found some peel & stick tiles at Lowes & brought them home yesterday. Guess I'll be working on that this weekend too!

Have a wonderful weekend ALL!!

A Fresh Coat of Paint

BEFORE:

For over a year, I've been meaning to give the front door a fresh coat of black paint...and I finally got around to it this weekend. The color was faded to a dark charcoal gray & the brass handset was weathered & faded too. So, I got out a can of black paint (oil-based, ugh!) and put on 2 coats of fresh black. Then, to spruce up the handset & kickplate, I painted it with Sophisticated Finishes in Blonde Bronze. It's not perfect, but it looks SO much better...had a hard time getting rid of the lap marks with this oil-based paint. But, I'm happy with it for now!

BEFORE:

After talking about the Tomato Basil Soup recipe....I had to make some, so for those who haven't tried it, here's what it looks like, ready to eat. We had this for dinner last night, with some crusty Publix Italian 5 grain bread, a nice green salad & Waldorf salad. We love fruit & I try to have it around all the time. My hubby will eat fruit if I cut it up like this....he loves it this way! Here's the recipe I posted earlier: Tomato Basil Soup and added here again for ease.

La Madeleine's Tomato Basil Soup

4 C. tomatoes, peeled, cored & chopped or 4 C. canned whole tomatoes, crushed (I used the canned...I like easy!)

4 C. tomato juice & part vegetable stock or chicken stock (I use chicken stock)12 to 14 washed fresh basil leaves

1 C. heavy cream (told you it was yummy...this is why!)

1/4 lb. unsalted butterSalt to taste

1/4 tsp. cracked black pepperPreparation:Combine tomatoes, juice and/or stock.

Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches in blender or food processor.Return to saucepan & add cream & butter, while stirring over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves & serve with your favorite crusty bread.Note: in the directions, it does say to simmer the tomatoes, juice & stock first & then put it in the blender, but I never do that. I always puree first in blender, then start it simmering & add the rest. You can easily adjust the amounts up or down depending on how much you want to make.

Native Azaleas are beautiful!

At least I think that's what these are...if anyone knows any different, please tell me, since I'm under the assumption that these beautiful pink blossoms are indeed, native wild azaleas. We are surrounded by woods in our neighborhood & I was walking down the park road which borders our neighborhood. Out in the edge of the woods, I saw this big shrub covered in these beautiful blossoms, so I got closer to investigate. I've never seen a native azalea this color, but I've heard they also come in pink. I talked my DH into going back with me on Sat. & we dug up 3 babies & planted them in the backyard...hope we can keep them going and then they will grow & give us blossoms of our own.

I couldn't resist clipping some branches for my vase!

Petals from the Past.....

Is it just me, or does something come over you this time of year & just gives you the urge to dig in the dirt?? And when you get out & see all those blooms & blossoms in the nurseries, it really kicks into gear...I want them all! I visited a delightful nursery here in AL yesterday. Went with a ladies group down to Petals from the Past in Jemison, AL (about an hour south of B'ham) ...a wonderful family-owned nursery that was just amazing. I had heard all about it, but this was my first visit. I was in for a treat! We got the grand tour from the owner (who has a degree in landscape design & horticulture). He & his wife own the nursery & treat you like you're family. We all got some great advice from Jason, the owner & he took time to answer any questions we had. One thing that really amazed me & I thought it was genius...they grow blackberries on vines just like grapes grow, so that there are rows in between, no weeds or snakes, & you just walk along picking the berries...all neat & orderly, how cool is that? He told us that they get ripe around May & you can go & pick to your hearts content, so guess where me and DH will be heading soon?! There were also fig trees & blueberries in abundance, all for picking when harvest time comes. I would definitely recommend going there if you haven't been & live in the area....it is truly a treat. I bought some reseeding annuals that he showed us growing in the yard....I'm all about reseeding plants! The house that you see, which is now the nursery store, was an old farmhouse that they moved to the property...it was once a few miles down the road. It has an old-fashioned feel & they sell old-fashioned heirloom plants that your granny might have grown. Lots of old roses for the rose lovers out there. Me...I stick to Knock-Out roses that are easy to take care of...I'm a little leery of growing roses, cause I've heard how hard they are to take care of. It's a charming place to visit & they have lots of great garden ornaments too. Oh, and all their plants are grown in AL, which has to be a good thing. Hope some of you get there one day!

DH & I had a real bunny spotting last night right after dinner...we've been wondering when they would come out again this year...and then, there he was in the backyard. We had so much fun last year watching 3 bunnies frolic around in the backyard, putting on a show for us! They are so darn cute! I scared him when the flash went off...and away he scampered, but I know he will be back.

Who likes asparagus?? We sure do! Just a quick recipe to share with y'all...I watched Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee recently & she did these roasted asparagus. I used her exact recipe, but left off the kalamata olives she added. These are SO delish (as Rachel would say!)...asparagus must be in season right now, cause it's been really cheap lately & I've been buying it for about 4 weeks now. This recipe is one of the best I've found, I always have just steamed it before, but this one is great.

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Chop ends off asparagus, drizzle with a little olive oil, place on baking sheet (so they are all spread out), sprinkle with lemon pepper, bake for about 12-15 min. until crisp tender. Try it...it's SO yummy!

Happy Gardening Everyone!

Bunnies and Spring....

After seeing some lovely spring displays around (and especially with bunnies!), I sucumbed this year & did a display on the foyer table...ode to the bunnies. I mean, I have all those bunnies, so why not use them this time of year, right?? I have a definite bunny obsession & love the little critters. They've made themselves at home here at our house & my hubby puts up with them for my sake, LOL. It only seems fitting that they get a place front & center this time of year, so hope you enjoy my spring array too! I fiddled & putzed with it long enough, so I'm done. Picked up the creamy ironstone vase yesterday at Goodwill ($4) & it makes a great display for the fresh tulips, which I got this a.m. from Walmart (not my favorite place to shop, by the way). The only thing I bought for this is the nest & eggs, found that at Steinmart for $5.99. So, there you have it!

Buh, Bye Winter...last bowl of chili for awhile

With winter bidding farewell on Tuesday & spring making her debut, I made chili tonight for dinner...it's such a comfort food & we dearly love our soups & chilis around here. My sweet DH, Peter, eats anything I put before him, so I get lots of practice in the kitchen coming up with things to feed us. Thankfully, he likes my cooking & is always appreciative & complimentary about my dinner offerings. I make several different kinds of soups, especially during the winter, & we enjoy them so much. When spring & summer arrive, I'm usually ready for something lighter & so soup is not usually on the menu when the temps reach the 80's or 90's as they do in the dog days of summer. So, we enjoyed one last chili supper for awhile. I use the Carroll Shelby spice packet (he's a good ole' Texan), so it's spicy & hot...of course, adding a chopped up jalepeno helps a bit with that too. If you're on the timid side as far as fiery goes, it will blow your head off! I served it with a side of steamed cabbage (I know...cabbage sounds strange with chili, but it really made a good companion!) And ssshhhhhuuuuh, don't tell my DH, but I used 1/2 ground beef & 1/2 ground turkey...need to cut back where we can, you know? He would just scrunch up his face if I told him. I'm so proud of him...he's working out about 5 days a week now, trying to shed some pounds. He already feels so much better for it too.

For a good year-round lighter soup, I wanted to share a wonderful recipe that I got off CopyKats site...they copy restaurant recipes & this one is a winner! I miss our La Madeleine's over here in Birmingham. There are several in Atlanta & that's one place I wish would open up here in AL. Their tomato basil soup is TO DIE FOR....I mean it, really! If you don't have one in your area, you are truly missing out on a wonderful French bistro ambience...they have homemade soups, salads, fresh pastries, & desserts...all with a French flair. Try this soup...I promise you will be hooked! They have restaurants all over the country, but haven't found their way to B'ham yet. I emailed them to puleeeze think about opening up over here....we'll see. See if there's one near you!

Check out La Madeleine

La Madeleine's Tomato Basil Soup

4 C. tomatoes, peeled, cored & chopped or 4 C. canned whole tomatoes, crushed (I used the canned...I like easy!)
4 C. tomato juice & part vegetable stock or chicken stock (I use chicken stock)
12 to 14 washed fresh basil leaves
1 C. heavy cream (told you it was yummy...this is why!)
1/4 lb. unsalted butter
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper

Preparation:

Combine tomatoes, juice and/or stock. Puree, along with the basil leaves, in small batches in blender or food processor.

Return to saucepan & add cream & butter, while stirring over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves & serve with your favorite crusty bread.

Note: in the directions, it does say to simmer the tomatoes, juice & stock first & then put it in the blender, but I never do that. I always puree first in blender, then start it simmering & add the rest. You can easily adjust the amounts up or down depending on how much you want to make.

Rocks....I really like rocks!

Rocks....I really do like rocks! Since I was a kid growing up as a tomboy, (I loved being outside more than anything!) I picked up rocks & was facinated by them. I had a rock collection that I kept in a shoebox for the longest time. Wish I'd kept those for the long haul...whenever I'd see an interesting rock, in my shoebox it would go. My family used to go to NC on vacation when we were kids & there were all sorts of neat rocks there...in the streams especially. We'd visit the gem shops & I was in heaven...all those neat gemstones were so pretty. Once we even found some rocks that had nuggets of garnets in theme & we chipped out the garnets & fancied ourselves having something very valuable. Never did anything with the round red garnets, but they were pretty to look at. So, now I love to add rocks to my garden beds for the texture & just the plain ole' pretty look they have. I picked these 3 up in the neighborhood (an empty lot). We have huge boulders of rocks around here, some houses have nothing but rocks in the frontyard, which makes landscaping very challenging. We don't have any boulders in our yard (I really wish we did!), so I'll have to make due with the ones I can actually pick up & carry!

Here's the yardsale armillary... I'll leave it in this frontbed so it can be seen well. The rocks will probably be moved around the yard to different areas...we've got a lot to do in this yard, as I only started planting things last year. I'll have lots of places to put the rocks. Here are a few things starting to bloom in the yard this week. Purple verbena is coming back strong from last year & my Endless Summer hydrangea is putting out some nice green growth! Those reddish leaves right below the armillary are Double Knockout roses...they are really bursting forth with new leaves, so I'm really excited to see how well they do this year...they bloomed all summer last year. Looking forward to seeing more out there soon. Have a great weekend everyone!

Seashells & aqua blue just seem to go together...

I've always loved seashells & it seems I have gone through stages of collecting them & then getting tired of them & discarding them over the years. I have managed to hang on to a few special ones that I've had for many years now & decided to put them on the glass shelves in my entertainment center in the den. So, here they are, such pretty colors & textures & I love how they shine when the light is on them. My rug & fabrics down here have some lighter shades of blue, so I thought it would be neat to add some aqua accents to my shell collection to bring more of that beautiful color in the room too. Here's where I'm starting & I hope to add more along the way. I've seen some neat Hull pottery on Ebay that would really mix in here well, so I would love to collect some of those old pieces as well. These aren't old, but it's a start. The skinny vases came from Tuesday AM for $3 each & yesterday when I was out to lunch and browsing in an antiques store with some friends, I spotted this pretty blue bowl...it has little brown speckles and even though it's not an antique (made in China....please!!), it looks great with the pieces I already have. Now I'm really excited to see what else I can find that blends in with these pieces. Just what I need....another thing to be on the lookout for!

I've been lucky & managed to find a lot of neat shells at yardsales last year. This big conch shell (I have 2 of these) came from the Phillipines, where my aunt & uncle were missionaries there back in the 60's.

This is another shelf in the room with a few more shells displayed. Most of these came from a great yardsale I found last year...the couple had owned a shell shop in FL & had some great pieces.

Remember the watercolor from last weekend's yardsale....I put it on the wall coming down the stairs from the foyer, into the den. With all the soft blues in the pic, it really looks good in here.