Maine has always been my family’s happy place. The weather, the food, the beautiful scenery…it is always a no brainer for us to pack our bags and head up there when we have a little time in the summer. Yes, I know my opinion would probably change if we visited in January but the summers are pretty idyllic and fill me with peace.

This year we added a little extra to our trip and included a stay in New Hampshire and Vermont as well. The reason, my long awaited bucket list visit to the King Arthur Flour Baking center and store. I enjoyed the most awesome four hour summer pie and tart baking class! It was hands on, informative and lots of fun. I had so much fun I forgot to take a picture of my completed pie.

It turned out beautifully and suppled us with dessert for the entire trip. My advice, book early, classes fill up quickly, bring a cooler bag and ice for your finished projects and allow yourself a lot of time to explore the shop and beautiful grounds around the company.

Another place I always wanted to visit was the Vermont Country Store. I have gotten the catalog for years and loved the quaint and vintage feel of the products. It was a bit of a drive from our hotel but worth the drive for the lovely drive alone. We didn’t buy a lot there but it was fun to walk the store and see products from yesteryear. They had a great Vermont food product area and we enjoyed some great local made cheese for a snack…honestly I could eat an entire meal of cheese.

We actually stayed across the state boarder in Hanover, New Hampshire, a quick five minute trip to my baking class. We stayed at the Hanover Inn, located on the beautiful Dartmouth College campus. It was a lovely city to walk in the evening and had plenty of fun, hip restaurants and stores to enjoy. We tried to get the Princess interested in maybe attending Dartmouth sometime in the future…the jury is still out on that one.

nspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . Metamorphosis. You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Wednesday blog hop. Share your style. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam busy Monday. Love your creativity inspiration party share the wealth Karen’s kottage. Crafty creations sunshine Sunday potpourri creative muster

These are my favorites days of summer, the bustle of 4th of July is over, that easy rhythm of slower mornings and later bedtimes has set in. The stores are full with of fresh fruits and vegetables and the flower garden is producing enough for fresh bouquets all over the house. I love the greens, soft blues and faded yellow of the season. I’m so excited to decorate my house again. Our renovation kept most of our basement off limits for most of last year. Enjoy my summer touches and see how the rest of my house looks outside of the kitchen.

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It really felt like summer last week, really high temperatures, nothing really planned, sleeping late, popsicles on the porch. With all the business of life with an 11 year old during the summer months, it was great to take some time to just enjoy a bit of lazy. I did get some laundry done…what a pleasure it is in my new laundry room. Let me show it off a little. It stays pretty neat most of the time.

Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . Metamorphosis. You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Wednesday blog hop. Share your style. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam busy Monday. Love your creativity inspiration party share the wealth Karen’s kottage. Crafty creations sunshine Sunday potpourri creative muster whimsy

It started off as a dream about “what if…?” When we were renting our house. We laughed at some of the ideas and filed just as many for the maybe time. When the opportunity to buy the house came available we jumped at the chance and, well, dreamed a bit more and actually started to make tentative plans to start and then, COVID. It was frustrating because at that point we just wanted it done or at least started.

When that magical day came for groundbreaking we thought we were off on a great adventure…that kept going…and going. Lots of surprises in the old house, a few permit snags and general slowness of the contracting procedures. We were told to think about the end game. This is hard to do when half your bottom floor is crammed into the dining room and your washer, dryer and oven are taking up space in the garage. The adventure grew quite thin.

And then, Hallelujah!, it’s time to move back in. It was a mostly smooth project to reassemble our kitchen, pantry, mudroom/ dining room. Absolutely worth the tears, late night panics, general frustrations for a year. I’m glad everyone is enjoying the view…here are some more shots!

My antique baker’s cabinet got spruced up…my baking center. I love my Polish pottery in the upper cabinet. Also, the perfect place for my antique cracker boxes.

Metamorphosis Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Wednesday blog hop. Share your style. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam busy Monday. Love your creativity inspiration party share the wealth Karen’s kottage. Crafty creations sunshine Sunday potpourri creative muster Wednesday whimsy

When we started our renovation I was very excited to put some decor dream into place. I couldn’t wait to bring out all the things that have been waiting on shelves for months or even years to see the light of day. Honestly, with a second look, lots of other things are now gracing our local thrift shops shelves. Sometimes reality makes you rethink your dreams. My goal was to use as many antique and vintage things as possible, including light, door pulls, furniture finds and graphic displays. I wanted a bit of history in my new kitchen. These are a few of my very favorite kitchen elements…it was so hard to pick.

Metamorphosis Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday .You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Wednesday blog hop. Share your style. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam busy Monday. Love your creativity inspiration party share the wealth Karen’s kottage. Crafty creations sunshine Sunday potpourri creative muster

It seems like yesterday I stepped back from my blog while we lived in a state of chaos in our home…the anxiety was high people. It has all come together…finally. I have a kitchen, I have a pantry, I have a laundry room, and I have my sanity back.

What have you missed? Our Princess started middle school, is almost as tall as me, and is a goofy mix of cute and sass. Her hair is halfway down her back and she occasionally wears my shoes.

I’m still teaching preschool and keeping busy. I completed a pretty intensive Graduate course this spring and relished time in my new kitchen.

My Hero still works at the Naval Academy and is busy looking at landscaping ideas.

As I ease back into the blogging world, I wanted to show a glimpse of our new space, honestly I can’t even remember what it looked like before.

Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . Metamorphosis. You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Wednesday blog hop. Share your style. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam busy Monday. Love your creativity inspiration party share the wealth Karen’s kottage. Crafty creations sunshine Sunday potpourri creative muster whimsy wednesday

…this happened!

We honored our newest military officers…

…and we honored those who served before them.

We celebrated our nation’s freedom…

…as Blue Angels thundered right over our house!

We gave thanks for all of God’s bounty and blessings…

…and then this happened! It can happen in your house as well…

The Best Ever Shortcake

Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup shortening ( I have used butter as well but shortening seems to give the cake a bit more bounce)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.Grease and set aside a shortcake pan (or large muffin pan)

3.Measure  flour, salt, and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside.

4.Cream sugar, shortening, egg and vanilla. I use my kitchen aide

5. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix slowly.
6. Add milk slowly to batter. Combine until just smooth.
7. Spoon into greased pan and bake for 20-25 minutes
8. Cool and remove from pan.

9.Smother cake with fresh strawberries and real whipped cream…you made the effort with the cake, you might as well do the cream right!

10.Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy!

Metamorphosis Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Wednesday blog hop. Share your style. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam busy Monday. Love your creativity inspiration party share the wealth Karen’s kottage. Crafty creations sunshine Sunday potpourri creative muster

I love collections in my home. Things displayed in multiples seems to speak to my decorating soul in a powerful way. I have made some mistakes along the way….think 1990 Longenberger basket obsession…when I realized I was collecting what I thought I should be collecting rather than what I really wanted to collect. Expensive lesson for me. I am a wiser collector now. Let me share some life lessons I have learned on my collection journey…and show off a few of my most favorites at the same time

1. Display collected items together…they lose their impact if they are separated . Think of Grandma’s home with her ceramic cats scattered throughout the house on every surface….don’t do that! I like how my vintage rolling pins look in this giant egg basket…suddenly simple objects are seen as an elevated art display!

2. Collect what you love and what resounds with your soul…Be honest when you no longer feel the love and gift or donate. Also, don’t serve as a storage facility for family member’s “treasures” out of guilt or obligation . If you don’t love Aunt Lulu’s souvenir thimble collection , find someone who will delight in them…Aunt Lulu would approve! Many of the chickens on display on my dining room hutch come from a friend who inherited them from a relative. After 20 years of storage I was excited to give them an honored spot in my home. 

3. Don’t collect with your child’s college fund in mind…unless you collect early Picasso abstracts. We all know someone with tubs of Beanie Babies in their basement just waiting for the magical buyer to show up and pave the way to Harvard. The price of my beloved Lusticru omelet pans (French flea market finds) on eBay tempts me to enlist my friends to send me every piece they can find…but then the memory of finding these beauties would be forgotten in the crush of enamelware.  

4.Master the art of rotation. Seasonal collections are a great way to freshen decor with little effort. For example, I display seasonal vintage postcards on a 24 pane window in my kitchen. They make me smile. In May and June I display vintage French seed labels. 

5. The best collections are aquired over time and experience.  It is so tempting to see a beautiful collection on a blog and jump on the EBay express to immediately duplicate it.  Most likely that blogger has been collecting for years and that collection represents her/his life and experiences.  Let your collections represent you! This collection of antique kokeshi dolls is unique to me and my life experiences in Japan.  I have never seen a collection like it and love the unique and unexpected element it adds to my home. 

Someday I hope the Princess will share my love of collecting…beyond collecting compliments on her performance of Frozen Jr.

Metamorphosis Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday . You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Wednesday blog hop. Share your style. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam busy Monday. Love your creativity inspiration party share the wealth Karen’s kottage. Crafty creations sunshine Sunday potpourri creative muster

Have you ever considered the simplicity of a brownie? With very few ingredients you can have a beautiful pan of yummy in under 30 minutes. It does ignite a debate occasionally with some people “team cake” and others “team fudge”. I stand in the middle. This recipe could go either way depending on oven time. A happy medium you could say. My people, however, were “team fudge” today and that is what I gave them…Instant happiness!

The Usual Cast of Characters

• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs,at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup good quality, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 7 oz roughly chopped chocolate or large chocolate chips

The Steps to Glory

• Preheat oven to 175°C | 350°F.
• Lightly grease an 8×12-inch baking pan with cooking oil spray. Line with parchment paper (or baking paper); set aside.
• Combine melted butter, oil and sugars together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in color (another minute).
• Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until JUST combined (do NOT over beat as doing so well affect the texture of your brownies).
• Fold in 3/4 of the chocolate pieces.
• Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top out evenly, and top with remaining chocolate pieces.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes for just under-done brownies (fudgier texture) or until the center of the brownies no longer jiggles and is JUST set to the touch.

After 15-20 minutes, carefully remove them out of the pan and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing into 16 brownies. They set while they cool.

Helpful Hint…

*Do not over beat your batter once the flour and cocoa powder are added if you desire fudgy brownies, that creates air pockets in the batter which will give you cake-like textured brownies.

*Store at room temperature for 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. These brownies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving OR reheat in the microwave.

We had a visitor this week from school. Tina Tiger, the Mayer of second grade, enjoyed the brownies and journaled all about the experience.

Metamorphosis Inspire me Monday. Inspire me Tuesday .You’re the Star. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday. Keep in touch. Beautifully made. Wednesday blog hop. Share your style. Grandma’s House DIY. Vintage charm.Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at Home Thursday favorites. BFF open house. Morning Cup Of Joe. Home matters.Create bake grow. Happiness is homemade. Create with joy. Creatively crafty Senior salon. Turn about Tuesday Saturday Sparks Farmhouse Friday All About Home Flaunt it Friday Pink Saturday encouraging hearts and home Wednesday Centerpiece. Dare to share. heart and souls simple sunday silverado. The Fabulous Party. homestead blog hop traffic jam busy Monday. Love your creativity inspiration party share the wealth Karen’s kottage. Crafty creations sunshine Sunday potpourri creative muster homemade Monday full plate what’s for dinner