April 30, 2009

Pretty New Vintage Linens

Greetings Friends~ ~ ~

Went antiquing last Sunday and found some very nice pieces for very little money. I like to go to Shupps Grove. A lovely place in the woods where vendors set up tables to sell their wares from April till October. I could spend a whole day there. More about this in another post. Today I share my goodies! I made 2 purchases and spent $21 and came home an extremely happy girl!
The lavender and the blue prints are aprons. The blue one with the red flowers I will use for a pattern because I love the style. Never saw one like this before. Hope to get it sewn up this week on one of the rainy days we are expecting. The lavender one I may use for trim for other aprons. Both aprons have holes in them.

7 pretty lace pieces. A few are sort of ragged but thought I would use them for trim on aprons I am making. One long piece will look nice across the back of the sofa.
3 new Irish Linen napkins and 3 monogramed with a C.


A few dish towels.

Assorted other pieces like hankies and pretty yellow yardage that is very sheer.


2 amazing tablecloths, one is white and still had part of the tag glued on and the other is pale pink.
Guess I had a pretty good day. I know I really enjoyed myself. I just had to share because I know you gals just love a great deal. ~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

April 23, 2009

Remember Washlines?

Greetings Friends~ ~ ~I was outside today taking some pictures on this lovely, sunny, slightly breezy day. Thought I would share them with you along with my ideas about washlines. I would love to hear your ideas too.
Do you remember your Mother hanging clothes outside on the line? Remember how sweet the wash smelled when you brought it inside?


I was visiting another blog and she had posted pics of pretty clothes pins she purchased that were painted pastel colors then decorated with tiny flowers. How sweet these would look on the washline holding my sheets in this lovely Spring breeze.

Maybe I'll have to paint some clothpins. . .What if I put up a washline?
Yeah I know, more difficult then throwing things in the dryer but it's greener!
What if I just hung a few things out like sheets and maybe towels?

Tell me what you think. Would you be willing to do the extra work to have your things smell sweet & sunny or not? Maybe you already hang clothes outside. Leave a comment and let's chat.
~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

April 17, 2009

So Many Books!

Greetings Friends~ ~ ~

We love to read and have accumulated many books over the years as many of you have also. What do you do with all your books? I have been using some of them an a peculiar way and I would like to share this with you. I stack them to regulate the height of objects and lamps in my table top arrangements. Here are a few examples of how I use books for this.
Yesterday there was a discussion on another blog about sofa tables. Sorry I can't remember where it was but I thought about the unique placement of my sofa table and how I use books to shape the display on the table. My sofa table sits between my sofa and the front window in the living room. The idea here was to give me a place to put a lamp to read and knit by when I'm sitting on the sofa and give the cat a place to sit and look out the window.

You cannot see the table thank goodness, because it is modern and ugly but it does the trick.
This is another display on the buffet in the living room. More Books. We refer to them often so I don't like to pack them away.


More books on top of the display cabinet in the entrance way. These are my Knitting Books. I try to keep all the knitting books and recipe books and Essential Oil reference books all together so that I don't end up running all over the house to find a certain book. There is some logic in the process.
My Spinning wheel has a home in the entrance hall also and you will find more knitting books.


There is a half wall between the front door and the livingroom. The stairway is the divider and I have grouped books on this shelf on top of the half wall. I rather like this arrangement and have mixed other items and a small lamp on the shelf.


Here in the bedroom I have both lamps sitting on a stack of books to bring them up to the proper height for reading in bed. This is just a yard sale ginger jar lamp that I have gussied up with a ribbon and a large candle ring to make it pretty.


I love my round table beside the bed because I can stash things under it to hide them. Notice lamp on stack of books.
Close up of the lamp that I dressed up with ribbon and silk flowers. Sweet huh?! The shade sort of looks like an Easter bonnet.

You will notice the Essential Oil bottles all over the house. These herbal remedies have become such a big part of our lives in the past 12 years that we use them often throughout the day so they are always at the ready.

Many women I know have an unbalanced endocrine system so they are always tired. Essential Oils can be applied topically to the adrenal gland and will give much needed support to the endocrine system. I can't tell you what I've personally been through right now but I've come a long way. It was a personal crisis that turned me toward Natural Products and away from drugs & chemicals 12 years ago. If you would like to know more please visit my website and watch the videos: http://www.2feelgood.com/ Then contact me for further information.

May You Be Blessed and Live In Joy~ ~ ~Ahrisha

April 14, 2009

Bakin' Cookies

Greetings Friends~ ~ ~
Saw some sweet little cookies at the store today and realized I haden't baked cookies since Christmas. . . and it's Easter. I am way overdue.

So, ta da! My favorite soft cookie recipe. Here in Pennsylvania Dutch Country we call them Lepp Cakes because they are like tiny cakes and not really cookies. Not a clue what Lepp means? Anyone?!
As I was baking I realized that you might like to see my very special measuring spoon set. It's ceramic and shaped like cherries. Aren't they the cutest. I keep them hanging by the stove on the bottom edge of the cabinet. I purchased them years ago at a little gift shop.

Henry's Lepp Cakes

1- 1/2 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Butter
2 Eggs
1 c. Sour Cream
1 tsp. Vanilla
2-1/2 c. Flour
1/2 tsp. EACH Salt, Baking Powder, Baking Soda

You know the drill. Mix it all up then drop by small rounded teaspoonfulls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake @ 350* till done, when touched on top springs back.


When cool, ice with your favorite icing. Have fun!~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

April 9, 2009

Happy Easter To You

Greetings Friends~ ~ ~
Just a short note to wish the Happiest of Easters to you and yours.


The Christmas, Valentines tree is still up and is now an Easter tree. I have decorated it with glitter eggs and old Easter post cards. There are also little straw Easter bonnets strewn over the tree,

I am enjoying it so much but I have vowed to take it down just after Easter.


We had friends for dinner this past Saturday and Charlotte thought it would make a swell 4th. of July tree because of the Stars-on-Sticks that I have jutting out of the top of the tree. They are gold and sparkly and they would indeed celebrate the 4th. in style. Thinking, thinking, thinking!


I could buy some red, white & blue ribbon couldn't I? Time will tell.

Oh yeah, Stopped at Goodwill yesterday and made this amazing purchase. I have wanted a SPRING banner for some time now. So there was this pristine box with glittery letters spelling Spring and I grabbed it for $1.97. When I got home and opened the box there were actually 3 springs on the ribbon. Did a happy & grateful dance and hung the banner. Sweet!
Looks lovely across the diningroom buffet.
Life is very good! Have a wonderful weekend. ~ ~Ahrisha~ ~