Fabulous Florentine

Look what I found thrifting last week! 

Three beautiful Florentine trays.

 Florentine decorative pieces are characterized by bright colors painted onto ornately carved wood trays, boxes, frames and tables. They are then gilded with fanciful flourishes, swirls and medallions.

 This style dates back centuries to the Renaissance and remains popular today with pieces still being handpainted in Italy in the traditional manner. I thought I'd pick up a few inexpensive pieces on my last trip to Italy. Wrong! They were still very pricey.

So if you're lucky snatch up vintage pieces when you can! I found this box and tissue holder for about $1 each.

 I've added the trays to my latest tablescape. Florentine pieces really add a touch of elegance to any room!

Check out my antique store Merchant Square where I frequently have some of these gorgeous pieces for sale!


I'l be joining these parties:
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Home Sweet Home Friday
Show and Tell Friday

"French " Lazy Susan

I found this photo on 

Pinterest and traced it back to Kim at Cheap Chic Home

 What a great idea! She took a couple of old lazy susans and turned them into fun Frenchy accent pieces for her kitchen. I love that they look like old wine barrel lids.

Wow! Maybe I can do that! So here is my version. I found a sad looking lazy susan at the thrift store last week for $2.

 Yuk

A little paint, a little distressing and a new graphic found online = Awesome!

Thanks for the idea Kim!


I'll be joining
Thrifty Things Friday
Wow Us Wednesday
Time Travel Thursday

"French" Tray

Here it is, a simple before and after. My Goodwill find of last week for $2 went from this-

 to THIS! 

I downloaded a French advertisement 

(thanks Graphics Fairy) then tweeked it a bit more with my Printshop program. After a little painting and distressing I printed the image on waxy paper and rubbed it onto the tray. I sealed it with a spray paint clear coat.

Next project, an old lazy susan that I'll share photos of in a few days!


I'll be joining
Show and Tell Friday
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Potpourri Friday
Time Travel Thursday

A Little Sparkle

Just a couple of shots of the silver and crystal that I've been taking  into the store . It's time to get a little sparkle into the house!

A Rafter of Turkeys

Terms of venery were used historically to describe groups of various beasts and fowl for hunting purposes. You are all familiar with a "litter of puppies" a "pride of lions" and "school of fish". Well ,the proper term for a group of turkeys is "rafter". 

So now that Halloween is over and the witches and jack o'lanterns are put away, enjoy my Rafter of Turkeys.  

 My table is set with a hand blocked print tablecloth that I bought in India. I leave all of the pumpkins out and just bring in the turkeys too.

 The dishes are Wedgwood Old Chelsea. I like using them for Thanksgiving because of the rich colors and the bird perched in the tree.

 You gotta have the pilgrims and their friends the Indians on the table!

 Remember the fabulous turkey platter I found last month at the Goodwill? It's ready and waiting for the Thanksgiving feast!

 Isn't this a great turkey carving board? I found it a couple of years ago antiquing.

 Just a few of the turkeys...

They come in all shapes and sizes.

I love these Pilgrim spreaders I recently found on clearance.

I just love Thanksgiving. It's all about gratitude, country, family, and food! 

And I am so blessed to have much to be thankful for.


I'll be joining the following parties
Open House Party
Wow Us Wednesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
Tabletop Tuesday
Masterpiece Monday
Vintage Inspiration Friday

Blackberry Peach Cobbler in a Jar

I keep seeing so many delicious looking desserts baked right in a canning jar that I had to try one myself. 

Tonight my Church women's group was having a class on how to can your own meat using a pressure canner, so to stick with the theme I thought I'd whip up some cobbler in a jar to share. It was so easy and yummy too!

 Right out of the oven!

 Packed up and ready to take to the class.

 I like the idea of baking right in the canning jar. It's a fun presentation, they are easy to transport and they have automatic portion control!

All gone!

I was going to make plain peach cobbler, but when I got to the market the blackberries were on sale. Hmm, that sounds good! You could easily substitute raspberries or use fresh fruit or canned fruit. Cobblers are pretty forgiving. Here's what I did.

The recipe:

Blackberry Peach Cobbler in a Jar

1 package frozen blackberries 12 oz 

1 package frozen sliced peaches 12 oz

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

1 cup Bisquick

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

cinnamon sugar

In a large bowl allow blackberries and peaches to thaw.

Cut the peach slices into chunks and sprinkle the fruit with sugar. As the fruit thaws it will render some juice. 

Add cornstarch mixture and gently stir.

Place 12 8 oz jam jars into a large baking dish.

Divide the fruit evenly among the jam jars. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the Bisquick, sugar and milk. Pour  batter over the fruit. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until golden. 

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Best served warm, but you can put on lids and save for later, remove lids and reheat in the microwave.

Enjoy!

I'll be joining
Potpourri Friday
Inspiration Friday
Share the Love link party
Wow us Wednesdays

On the Menu Monday

A Preview

I've mentioned before that I'm working on a table setting for my women's club's Christmas Idea House. 

It's an annual event held in one of the towns on the east side of Phoenix and all of the proceeds go to local charities. Marty over at A Stroll Through Life is having a cloche party, so I thought I'd share the centerpiece of my tablescape.

 Rather than use the traditional red and greens of Christmas I chose as a color scheme black, white and turquoise. Pretty bold!

 The entire tablescape including dishes, silverware, crystal,

 table linens and centerpiece will be raffled off.

This is just a sneak peek of the table. Check back later to see the entire table setting! 

For more info about the Christmas Idea House go to http://christmasideahouse.org/sites/cih/


I'll be partying with
Open House Party
Wow Us Wednesdays
A Cloche Party!
Tuesday's Treasures

Pimpernel Placemats

Today's post is about something very British, Pimpernel placemats. They are those hard cork backed mats that are literally art for your table. On our first trip to Great Britain we realized that virtually everyone used them, restaurants, Bed and Breakfasts, Inns, and private homes. 

 Here's a little background I snagged from the internet:

"Pimpernel placemats are widely recognized for their high quality and design. Pimpernel Placemats hold a high and well-regarded reputation. They have been produced in England for over 70 years. They have an original and unique style of design and manufacture and they are the most beautifully decorative and rustic style placemats available.

Pimpernel Placemats: The Process

The process behind the creation of Pimpernel placemats is profoundly impressive. The placemats are created by using a cork base that consists of a Eucalyptus wood core. The wood is specially treated and grown through an environmentally friendly process. The top layer of Pimpernel placemats features a beautiful art print that has been specially treated onto the placemat and is scuff and scratch resistant.

The artwork is exceptionally stunning and beautiful. Pimpernel placemats are so exquisite that you wont want to just stop with the placemats. The sets often include coasters, and other accessories. " onlinetips.org

 So of course I had to start using them too!

 I've had this set of 4 large hunt motif mats for over 20 years. I bought them for $5 at an estate sale and they've gotten pretty beat up over the years. While the mats are very durable they are NOT indestructible! You can set something warm on them but they are not intended to be a trivet for HOT things, As you can see I learned this the hard way when I placed a casserole dish straight out of the oven on this mat. See those scorch marks?Ouch! I keep this mat under my laptop now to protect my desk.

 This awesome Tall Ships set I bought just this past week , also at an estate sale for $3!  So you can see with a little hunting you can find them VERY reasonably priced.

 I keep lots of sets of coasters all over the house. While gathering them up for the photo shoot I discovered I'm missing a few. Hmm, under the couch cushions?

 I had to have a Christmas set made to go with my Spode Christmas Tree plates!

 I keep this set on my kitchen table most of the time for our every day use.

 The mats are easy to clean, just wipe with a damp cloth. But don't immerse in water or you may get some water marks around the edges. I learned that the hard way too!

 I do use my Pimpernel mats often. Since there are literally hundreds (maybe thousands) of designs you can find some to match any decor or dishes. Here I've used them in a "lodge" themed dinner party.

I'm taking a couple of sets into my shop this week. They would make a great 

Christmas gift!


This week I'll be joining:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
Time Travel Thursday
Inspiration Friday
Vintage Inspiration Friday
Show and Tell Friday
Open House Party