I love the thrill of the hunt…and the excitement when you spot the thing you didn’t even know you needed. There have been times when my Hero needed a bit of convincing and coaxing to see my vision, however once these treasures come home even he admits they are the perfect decorating touch. Let’s see if you agree! Let me show off a little with my most recent finds.

Antique Apothecary bottles with original labels add interest to my sideboard.

Who could resist this adorable mid century advertising sign? Still have not found the perfect spot, but it does put me in the mood for a little toast and jam!

My love of baking often influences my purchases…English tea biscuits anyone?

How about this 9 foot tall drink of water? I could not resist his charm! For now, he will live in the basement.  Hopefully he will have his time in the sun one of these days!

Look what else I found not so long ago…a very tired little Princess after one too many egg hunts!

Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday   Show and share. Tuesday at our house. The scoop art of homemaking. Made by you. Metamorphosis. Gods growing garden. Home and Garden. Share your cup. Share your style. Welcome home. Waste not. Coffee and conversation. Create and celebrate. Moonlight and Mason jars. Wow us            Talk of the town. Tuesday with a twist. Let’s talk vintage. Wonderful Wednesday. Share it. Brag about it. Thursday favorites. Vintage charm. Friday Feature            grace at home. Home sweet home. Feather nest. Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Morning cup of joe. Home matters. Sweet inspiration. Vintage chic. Oh hey Friday. Best of the weekend. Create bake and grow. Sunday at home. Share it one more time. Snickerdoodle. Simple Saturday. Silver pennies. Create with joy. Inspiration Monday. DI&DI. Monday Social. Amaze Me. Proverbs 31

Delighted to be featured on these wonderful blogs! Check out their most recent posts!

Let’s talk Vintage@ Vintage and Co

Morning Cup of Joe@ The Cottage Market

Amaze Me Monday@ Dwellings 

My blog this week was all about this yummy bread!One of these weeks it will be about the fabulous sounding chocolate cake I featured this week! Enjoy your weekend. 

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To say this week was busy would be an understatement…I am not sure I had the time to draw a breath between days…until today. With church the only commitment in the planner today, I am spending a totally chilled afternoon AT HOME! Also, I am planning to enjoy the most wonderful comfort food…Have you ever experienced Rosemary Focaccia? I mean at home, not in your favorite fancy Italian restaurant. Super easy to make and a delight to the tastebuds. You can seriously finish reading my blog, head for the kitchen and have the deliciousness on your plate in a few wee hours!

Ingredients

1. 1 envelope dry yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast

2. 1 3/4 cups lukewarm water

3. 4 cups bread flour plus 3 tablespoons

4. 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil

5. 2 1/2 teaspoons salt

6. 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon chopped Rosemary

7. 1 teaspoon sea salt

8. 2 tablespoons Dough enhancer ( a magical ingredient I just recently discovered. So far I have had rave reviews on my experiments with it. You can pay a fortune for it from a famous baking company or order it from Walmart. You won’t be sorry)

The Easy Peasy Steps:

1. Dissolve yeast in wam water in the bowl

2. Add 4 cups of flour, 1/4 cup oil, and salt to the mixer.  Beat until smooth. Add teaspoon of Rosemary and dough enhancer and beat about 4 minutes. The dough will be sticky.

3. Remove dough. Sprinkle with remaining flour and knead until smooth.  Place dough in a lightly oiled pan, turn to coat, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an hour. Basically until this

Turns to this.

4. Coat 15×10 inch baking pan with oil. Press the dough into the pan.  Cover with a towel and let rise about an hour

5. Preheat oven to 475 degrees

6. Drizzle the top of the bread with olive oil. Make shallow indentations in the dough in rows using your finger tips.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining rosemary and salt.

7. Bake until the top is lightly browned, 12-14 minutes.

8. Remove the bread from the pan and cool before slicing.

9. Best enjoyed with family and friends!

One event this week was the Princess’ school fund raising Gala.  The Princess decided to model my dress for me. She looks way cuter in it than I did.

Show and share  inspire me Monday. Tuesday at our house. Make it pretty. Art of homemaking.  Made by you. Metamorphosis. Gods growing garden. Home of many blessings. The scoop. Inspire me Tuesday.  Tuesday with a twist. Let’s talk vintage. Wonderful Wednesday. Share it. Brag about it. Wow us Wednesday. Talk of the town  moonlight and Mason jars.  Share your cup. Share your style. Home and garden. Welcome home. Thursday favorites. Waste not. Coffee and conversation. Create and celebrate. Friday features. Home sweet home. Feather nest. Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at home.  Morning cup of joe. Home matters. Sweet inspiration. Vintage chic.   Oh hey Friday. Best of the weekend. Create bake grow. Sunday at our house. Share it one more time. Snickerdoodle. Simple Saturday. Silver pennies. Create with joy. Inspiration Monday. Di &DI. Monday Social Amaze me. Proverbs 31.  Smell good Sunday

Delighted to be featured on this wonderful blog this week!

Home and Garden Thursday@A Delightsome Life

Wasn’t it wonderful to have Easter so late this year? The warm weather and beautiful skies added to the joy of new bunny dresses and old fashioned church Easter egg hunts. I hope your Easter holiday was filled with joy and thankfulness…I know my was…to the brim…and overflowing!

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Lisa at Condo Blues – Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things – Pin

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Jesus Christ is risen today,

Alleluia! Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!

Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!

Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Wishing you a happy and blessed Easter Sunday!

show and Share. Inspire me Monday. Tuesday at our house. The scoop.              Inspire me Tuesday   Make it Pretty. Art of homemaking. Made by you. Metamorphosis. Gods growing garden.  Tuesday with a twist.  Let’s talk vintage  wonderful Wednesday. Share it. Brag about it. Wow us Wednesday. Talk of the town moonlight and Mason jars. Share your cup. Share your style. Home and garden. Welcome home. Thursday favorites. Waste not. Coffee and conversation               create and celebrate.  Vintage charm. Friday features. Home sweet home. Tada. Grace at home. Feather nest. Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday.  Sweet Inspiration   Morning cup of joe. Home matters. Vintage chic. Oh hey Friday. Best of the weekend. Create bake grow. Sunday at home. Share it one more time. Snickerdoodle.        Simple Saturday. Silver pennies. Create with joy. Inspiration Monday. DI DI.       Amaze me Monday social. Proverbs 31

Delighted to see my blog featured on this wonderful sites!

Brag About It@My Husband Has too Many Hobbies

Morning Cup of Joe@The Cottage Market

Are are you ready for Easter? At our house, a menu has been planned and a basket has been filled! Saturday is our church’s huge Egg hunt. I wish everyone a joyous Easter Sunday!

Please support and follow our lovely blog party hostesses:

Jerri at Simply Sweet Home – Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Christine at Light and Savvy – Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Maisy at Becoming Alice – FB | G+ | Pin

Sheree at Stage Presents – Twitter | FB | Pin | Inst | Inst

Lisa at Condo Blues – Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things – Pin

Penny at Penny’s Passion – Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Kelly at Under a Texas Sky – Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

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Someone had a Birthday this week!

I don’t know how it happened but our Princess is now Four and in her words, “a big girl”.  This little bit of a girl is the joy and light of our home and, apparently, quite popular with my blog readers. This week I am taking a detour from the usual decor and lifestyle subjects I normally write about and answer a few questions about our sweet little Princess. I hope you enjoy this brief journey…and a few vintage treasures that might be captured in the background!

1. When did the Princess become part of your family?

    My hero and I started the adoption process sometime in the Fall of 2013 and officially became “paperwork pregnant” (officially logged into the Chinese government data base) in early 2014.  We waited….we waited some more…it was difficult. We had no idea that a precious little girl was also in the process to become officially adopted. When God had everything in place, we received a phone call, on a random summer morning that we had a referral. Then we opened an email and fell in love.

2. Where is the Princess from?

   The Princess was born in the Northern Mountains of China. We know nothing of her birth circumstances, but she was found in a city with a rich history along the famous Silk Road. She was thankfully brought to the police station by a kind and concerned stranger and placed in the care of a small but highly regarded orphanage.  She was obviously loved and doted on by her nannies and already showing signs of her determined and creative personality.  We will always be grateful to the special women who loved our little girl so fiercely for the first twenty months of her life.

3. What Medical Challenges has the Princess faced?

We, of course, found our girl to be absolutely perfect but she did arrive home with a serious medical need.  The Princess was born with a cleft lip and palate, a common genetic defect that is usually repaired in the first few months here in the USA.  Surgical options are more limited in China.  How blessed we are to have Johns Hopkins practically in our backyard. Our brave Princess has had 2 major surgeries since she came to us and will face several more in the next few years. She has done wonders with speech therapy and continues to amaze us with her spunky attitude.

4. How has your life changed now that you have royalty living in your home?

There are no words to describe the force of nature that is our Princess.  Sassy and bright, she loves and disagrees with equal passion. She is creative and intelligent and never fails to initiate a smile wherever she goes.  Life is not always easy but it is alway a joy.  I am just so happy people have found such pleasure in watching her grow and change.  Someday my blog will feature her High School Prom…and that thought leaves me a little bittersweet.

Show and Share. Inspire me Monday. Tuesday at our house. The scoop.              Inspire me Tuesday   Make it pretty. Art of homemaking. Made by you. Metamorphosis God’s great garden. Home of many blessings.  Tuesday with a twist. Let’s talk vintage. Wonderful Wednesday. Share it. Brag about it. Wow us Wednesday. Talk of the town.  Moonlight and Mason jars.  Home and Garden Thursday  waste not Welcome home  SYC. Share your style. Create bake gather grow feather nest Friday. Vintage charm. Morning cup of joe. Grace at Home.  Home matters  Friday friendship. Funtastic Friday   Friday Feature  home sweet home.  Favorite things   Vintage chic. Oh hey Friday   Sweet inspiration. Sunday at home. Share it one  more time snickerdoodle Simple Saturday silver pennies create with joy inspiration Monday. Digging it. Let’s add sprinkles. Amaze me. Proverbs 31