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Monday, December 5, 2011

Chirstmas from l'uccello!!!! I won...can you believe it?


Anyone who knows me is aware that I NEVER win ANYTHING!!

It's a standing joke at work, when one of our regulars hands out lotto tickets every night,
that I WON'T be winning!

So when my favorite fantasy shop online l'uccello had a giveaway....I knew I wouldn't win...


never do...right???  But this is my fantasy store so heck yeah I was going to try!

OH. MY. GOSH.

I WON!!!


So the best Christmas gift ever. From my dream store. Free.
I'm still in shock, even after it got here!


The wrapping was gorgeous. The cards were fabulous.


And the vintage goodies are AMAZING!!


So thank you so very much l'uccello, I'm thrilled!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Blue mason jars and silver


Finally a way to display my sterling silver and use it all at the same time!

(And I really have to paint that other wall gold)

On my mission to eating better/living better/not giving in to menopause life 
(yes I did go to the gym again last night!)
I cleaned off my dining room table so I could actually eat off it and use my pretty dishes and silver.
I'm certainly NOT going to be polishing silver all the time sooooo....

This was my solution!


Love it!

I shared at:


http://romantichome.blogspot.com/




SABlink-party

Monday, August 1, 2011


Ruffled Lace Leggings or Tights - Very Violet Purple

Ruffled Lace Leggings or Tights - Very Violet Purple
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Ruffled Lace Leggings or Tights - Very Violet Purple Ruffled Lace Leggings or Tights - Very Violet Purple Ruffled Lace Leggings or Tights - Very Violet Purple Ruffled Lace Leggings or Tights - Very Violet Purple Ruffled Lace Leggings or Tights - Very Violet Purple
Romantic lace leggings or tights are made from 4 way stretch lace with a soft ruffle at the bottom.
Under a wedding dress, tunic, as pj's or a sexy undergarment you choose how you want to wear these.
They have been hand dyed to a gorgeous violet color. Not for the shy!

These are very fitted with negative ease. Relaxed waist is 34 inches, stretches to 44 inches. Hip relaxed 42 inches, stretches to 52 inches.



Friday, July 22, 2011

Salad with Pomegranate Dressing Recipe

Pomegranate Dressing Recipe!

I lost the pics of this when I changed my blogs, it was worth re-posting!

  I've shared on 

Show and Tell Friday on My Romantic Homes,

504 Main

Shabby Art Boutique

French Country Cottage

Picnic time!

 

                                


The promised recipe for the Pomegranate dressing.
This was so easy even I could make it!
Thank you for posting it Sam!



You will need:

For the vinaigrette:
1 cup pomegranate juice reduced to about 1/4 cup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
1 cup oil, preferably olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper

For the warmed goat cheese garnish:
Goat cheese (Chevre was the brand I used )
3-4 Tablespoons chopped herbs (I used chives, but parsley, chervil, dill, thyme or an assortment thereof would work just as well)


You will start by adding the pomegranate juice, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper to a bowl and whisking everything together.




Then, slowly at first, begin to add the oil while whisking. You should see the mixture thicken slightly.


Next, you will slice a log of goat cheese into rounds and press each side of the goat cheese into the herbs. It helps to put the goat cheese in the freezer for a few mins (approximately 10 mins) before slicing, it will be firmer and easier to slice.

Then lay the goat cheese in a lightly oiled pan and bake at 400 degrees F for 5-7 mins or until warmed, but not melted.





I used mixed spring greens, oranges, raspberry's and pecans, but you can use any seasonal fruit or nuts that you like.







And you know I had some questions for Chef Sam!


What is reducing and why did you do it for this recipe?

Reducing is just bringing a liquid to a boil and letting the water evaporate so you're left with a more concentrated flavor. I did it in this recipe because the other ingredients will dilute the taste of the pomegranate and I wanted that flavor to be very prominent in the finished vinaigrette.

Can I leave that part out?

Sure.

Can I substitute another cheese for the goat cheese? What kind?

Absolutely. I like the slight tartness of goat cheese, but Brie or Camembert would also be excellent choices!

Why did you heat the goat cheese?

When Chevre is cold it's a little bit crumbly, but as you heat it, it becomes almost creamy. By heating it, it provides not only a contrast in temperature, but also creates a pleasant textural contrast between the rest of the salad.

What can I do with this recipe besides using it as a dressing?


It also makes an tasty, unusual sauce. If I plan to reuse the vinaigrette, I will double or triple the recipe above and then whisk together an egg yolk with a splash of water or, better yet, more pomegranate juice. Then I'll whisk the egg yolk mixture while slowly pour the vinaigrette into the egg. It makes a creamy sauce that goes surprisingly with game (lamb, squab, quail, etc...), as a condiment, or even as an accompaniment to desert!


This was fabulous dipped in fresh baked bread! Greg and I ate the whole loaf before we could get a picture. Whoops!  Ah well...next time...

Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Melinda Fingerless Double Ruffle Gloves

I'm in love with these gloves! They were so much fun to design and make. There will be lots of these in my closet this winter!

I'm linking to my favorite Monday blog partys!

Canoe Ridge Creations



A customer requested a pair of these to go with the lace leggings I offer and I loved them so much I'm offering them in the shop too!


Made from the same stretch lace as my leggings, you can have these in cream or lilac.


3/4 length, they can be scrunched down for a shorter look. The thumb opening is reinforced for stability and because it's prettier than just leaving the serger seam. (My picky Mom would be proud!)

Soft ruffle on the hand and at the top, these are wearable all year.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

I swear...by I-Dye!



Don't you just love creative days that turn out fabulous?

I've always used Dylon cold water dye with great results.
So of course I had to try the new I-Dye for polyester.
I loved the color so much (violet) that I just kept putting garments and fabrics
in the pot and this is what came out!


A pair of my cream lace leggings....it was difficult to capture the vividness of this color!
These are poly or nylon, I can't believe how well they took the dye. Amazing.

I grabbed a cream sweater that I've had for a year and never worn.....and I will be wearing this tonight!

Some vintage cream satin....turned out a gorgeous soft tie dyed purple (ish) color.

Did someone say Roses???

And last but not least, a silk cashmere shawl that I've cut into skinny scarves and I'm going to embellish with sequins and beads......

And I'll be keeping ALL these for MY closet!
  So this will count as my Brenda's Closet Thursday edition too!

Obviously I don't wear a lot of boring colors....♥

Friday, June 3, 2011

Mixed Media Old Store Painting


I playing hooky from sewing, still in the painting/embroidery/applique mode....

This old store is on a back road and has been there forever...

I would love to get inside it, but that hasn't happened yet!

So I have to be content with putting it onto fabric!
Still deciding on whether to add the beams out front....

Now I can start embellishing, always the fun part!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Graveyard on Muslin

Linking to Show and Tell Friday. Not sure my graveyard fits the theme..
but I like it and it has roses!

I finally got started on my Graveyard picture I've been wanting to make, why is there so few hours in the day?

There's two graveyards I pass on my way to work everyday, very old, one with a weeping cherry tree and the other with old gates and roses....


so I'm combining them both because I couldn't decide!


I've started on the background, painting on muslin...

Soon as it dries I can start doing some free hand work on it!

Too much fun!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Pomegranate Dressing Recipe!

                                


The promised recipe for the Pomegranate dressing.
This was so easy even I could make it!
Thank you for posting it Sam!



You will need:

For the vinaigrette:
1 cup pomegranate juice reduced to about 1/4 cup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
1 cup oil, preferably olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper

For the warmed goat cheese garnish:
Goat cheese (Chevre was the brand I used )
3-4 Tablespoons chopped herbs (I used chives, but parsley, chervil, dill, thyme or an assortment thereof would work just as well)


You will start by adding the pomegranate juice, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper to a bowl and whisking everything together.




Then, slowly at first, begin to add the oil while whisking. You should see the mixture thicken slightly.


Next, you will slice a log of goat cheese into rounds and press each side of the goat cheese into the herbs. It helps to put the goat cheese in the freezer for a few mins (approximately 10 mins) before slicing, it will be firmer and easier to slice.

Then lay the goat cheese in a lightly oiled pan and bake at 400 degrees F for 5-7 mins or until warmed, but not melted.





I used mixed spring greens, oranges, raspberry's and pecans, but you can use any seasonal fruit or nuts that you like.







And you know I had some questions for Chef Sam!


What is reducing and why did you do it for this recipe?

Reducing is just bringing a liquid to a boil and letting the water evaporate so you're left with a more concentrated flavor. I did it in this recipe because the other ingredients will dilute the taste of the pomegranate and I wanted that flavor to be very prominent in the finished vinaigrette.

Can I leave that part out?

Sure.

Can I substitute another cheese for the goat cheese? What kind?

Absolutely. I like the slight tartness of goat cheese, but Brie or Camembert would also be excellent choices!

Why did you heat the goat cheese?

When Chevre is cold it's a little bit crumbly, but as you heat it, it becomes almost creamy. By heating it, it provides not only a contrast in temperature, but also creates a pleasant textural contrast between the rest of the salad.

What can I do with this recipe besides using it as a dressing?


It also makes an tasty, unusual sauce. If I plan to reuse the vinaigrette, I will double or triple the recipe above and then whisk together an egg yolk with a splash of water or, better yet, more pomegranate juice. Then I'll whisk the egg yolk mixture while slowly pour the vinaigrette into the egg. It makes a creamy sauce that goes surprisingly with game (lamb, squab, quail, etc...), as a condiment, or even as an accompaniment to desert!


This was fabulous dipped in fresh baked bread! Greg and I ate the whole loaf before we could get a picture. Whoops!  Ah well...next time...

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Over on my other blog....we're cooking!

OK, Sam is cooking...I'm drinking wine, watching and eating!

 A Tongue in Cheek look behind the kitchen door in restaurants! Bring your sense of humor and see the view from a server's perspective.

 

Chef Sam's First Post - Pomegranate Dressing Recipe


 My fabulous friend Chef Sam graciously agreed to be my first guest blogger!  Not quite sure he knew how much work it was going to be...but he does now....poor thing...

We worked together years ago in a Mediterranean restaurant (not saying how MANY years ago!), he went on to graduate from Cordon Blue School in Atlanta and I have to say my birthday dinners have greatly improved since then!

Although, he did laugh when I told him what I wanted for my birthday dinner this year...
fried chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans!  I'm such a country girl.
(If I don't ask for something simple, Sam won't sit down and eat, he just keeps cooking and creating!)


I asked nicely for a re-creation of the pomegranate dressing I loved so much and got way more than I asked for!


 

 A mixed green salad with oranges, raspberries and warm chive goat cheese.
Isn't that GORGEOUS???

A platter of assorted tea sandwiches...oh just wait till you get the recipes for THOSE...I wish I had snatched some to bring home!  A glass of White Merlot wine, some antique roses and Homer Laughlin china and a gourmet picnic on the cliff over looking the river.


Can you tell what's missing from this picture???
Oh nooooo....we forgot the dressing!

No worries...we just had to keep smacking Greg's hand (our photographer) who was starving after taking tons of pictures and pop it back in the picture!


I'm assuming everyone knows who drank the wine? Somebody had to do it....

So much fun you guys!
Huge thanks to Chef Sam and Greg for a fabulous evening with friends and food.

Sam is working on posting the recipe for the dressing, so check back!



I'm linking to
The House in the Roses