July 26, 2008

Thrifty finds...

We try to go thrifting once a week. Here are my treasures from yesterday.

freshly washed and on the line...

SWEET!! 2 vintage cotton aprons in pretty blue.



White cotton nighties with pretty embroidery.

These biscuit cutters...
to add to this...


and these old wooden thread spools...

to add to this...

July 22, 2008

Tonight's snack...

Word for the day....

Dishabille
1. the state of being carelessly or partially dressed.

July 20, 2008

Around the place..





Restaurant ratings...

We rarely eat out. I prefer to cook at home, and I'm a dyed-in-the-wool homebody. BUT, because MDH works for Gusto magazine, we get gift cards to a lot of places as a comp for the price of the gas he uses for his deliveries. Friday night we went to the Bend Fish Company. I have NEVER been to a dirtier restaurant . The floors were gross, the trash overflowing, and we had to wipe down our own table. The counter girl was sullen, and there were rude and crude handwritten signs plastered around. "Don't be mean, leave some green" on the tip jar; "This food is prepared by human beings. we're sorry if we've inconvenienced you". What the heck does that mean? Don't complain if your fish is overcooked, which mine was. Good grief!

We really love Baldy's BBQ. They have the best pulled pork I've ever had. BUT, the last three times we've ordered take-out, they have got our order WRONG, which we didn't discover till the food was home. Granted, after the first time we should have checked it right there and then, but get real people!! It's not rocket science!

Saturday we had to deliver Gusto Suttle Lake Lodge. We had a $50 gift card for The Boathouse Restaurant there.


Wow wow wow! Awesome food!! Great service!! The restaurant is right on the lake near the marina and it was fabulous!! I had Kobe Beef Sliders (little burgers), with wild morels, caramelized onion, and herb truffle cheese. Heaven!! We'll go back for sure. Maybe for my birthday next month.. (or maybe The Blacksmith. I've heard it's great!)

We're a big fan of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" on Food Network. If you're ever in Prineville, go the "Tastee Treet" drive-in. Awesome burgers and the line was out the door!!

Next on our list of comped dinners is China Sun, the MOST incredible Asian buffet that you can imagine!! And also Rigoberto's Taco Shop. There's nothing like Mexican!!

Yesterday's sojourn...

Upon walking in the front door of Neat Repeat, the senior center thrift store, I heard a very faint grunting coming from off to my right near the children's department. The sound grew louder as I neared the stuffies, where I found this little girl with just her little face peeking out! Meet Polly Pink Piggy!

Isn't her little dress adorable?? She even has a little curly piggy tail on her wee backside! Love her!!

Got this little cutie..


Found a very unusual jar, well, unusual to me, as I've never seen this type of lid before. It's metal with a glass insert and a rubber gasket.


I'm a sucker for jars. Go figure. Other than this jar and Polly, it was pretty much a disappointment. Did find a few vintage items, but they had them priced higher than you find them in an antique store!

Speaking of antique stores, we passed one on our way out of town a MDH decided he wanted to go in. I resisted because I have no will power and antique store prices are just too high for my miserly blood. Well, I'm glad we stopped, because we found something MDH has wanted for the yard for a REALLY long time.

It's rusty and a little dented on the other side, but it was only $19!!! Charming! (Don't look at my poor basil plants. It's been quite hot here, and the poor things are suffering.)

I got these... (they were on sale, too!)


and this..

On the way from Prineville to Redmond, we took the back roads to see the scenery and were nearly killed by a huge BUZZARD that flew off a fencepost right in front of the car. Jeez-o-pete, I nearly had a heart attack!!

Once in Redmond we only went to Goodwill. I found this cute little chest that I still don't know what I'm going to do with, but I really liked it. Some sewing or crafting paraphernalia probably, or maybe a hankie chest 'cuz I have so dang many now!!


Also, bought a couple of books, and MDH got a way cool Hawaiian shirt to add to his ever growing collection.

All in all, it was a fun day, kind of like a little vacation. We rarely leave town for anything, so it was an adventure.

July 19, 2008

Thrifting today...

Well, we're off on a thrifting junket today. Since the close of St. Vinnies, pickin's have been slim, so we're traveling to some other little nearby towns to get our fix. We're making the 30 minute drive to Prineville because there is a large Senior Center store there. My husband delivers Gusto, our local food and wine magazine, all over the Central Oregon area so we're killing two birds with one stone. Then we'll come back through Redmond, where there is an Opportunity Center store and a large Goodwill. Wish me luck with finding goodies to share!

July 13, 2008

My 100th Post!!!

And it's purely self-serving. I have just spent an hour listing a bunch of stuff in my ETSY store. Listed the Pyrex items I found this week, and some really great vintage items taking up space in my house. Would love for y'all to take a look!

July 12, 2008

Pyrex is NOT...

...just for the kitchen :-)


Want some of this???

for dinner tonight, we're having some of this...


some of this...

and since we're always on the lookout for new taste, on the grill with burger fixins, these yummo looking things!


washed down with some of this...

or maybe some nice iced tea, sweetened with some of this...


Speaking of unusual foods, ever seen any of this??? You have now!! It's in a squirt can like whipped cream! Go figure!

Score!

Goodwill finds...

a PERFECT little Pyrex Snowflake casserole to match the bowls I found yesterday!



a soft-as-a-baby's-behind cotton sheet to make, um, maybe a housecoat? nightie or pajama pants? a skirt? all of the above?? It's a queen size so there's a LOT of fabric there!


a couple of books.. always on the look out for authors that I'm not familiar with. Sometimes it's a nice surprise, sometimes a let down.



speaking of books, did I mention that I am addicted??

My non-fiction bookcase, mostly Medieval Studies and reference works.

Contemporary fiction, Medieval fiction, more reference books and my binders of, oh, 'stuff'.

Fantasy fiction, vintage poetry, and my vast collection authors such as Victoria Holt, Mary Stewart. Phyllis A. Whitney, Norah Lofts, just to name a few. Yea, it's a sickness. More books than I can probably read in my lifetime!

and here's where I do all of that reading, not to mention the 3 or 4 crossword puzzles that I do on a daily basis. Like my new lamp? I LOVE it! Got it today at Fred Meyer. I have had my eye on it for awhile, and today it was ON SALE!! My favorite words, considering I rarely buy ANYTHING at retail.

Thrift store finds...

A matched set of Pyrex Snowflake bowls in EXCELLENT condition!!

Fabric scraps.....

Isn't this the dang cutest pattern?? Wish I knew where to get more of it, but it says on the selvedge 1996, so that's probably out of the question!!


Off to Goodwill to see what THEY have in store for me!!

July 11, 2008

What's on your fridge?

Word for the day....

Salmagundi
1. a mixture or assortment; also, a kind of mixed dish or salad.

July 6, 2008

Finished a great book today

Click to read about this novel!

This was one of the best books I have read in a long time, although it went too fast and I didn't want it to end. Not very often that I enjoy books written by men, because I never feel they can get inside a woman's head and make the character's believable. I was wrong with this author. He's great!

This is his other book, and although it has a male voice, I want to read it as well. I like this author that much!

Click to read about it!

July 5, 2008

It's a miracle!!

Every year we have had lot's of baby birds born in the multitude of birdhouses on our property, but this year there are few due to the presence of a very mean Scrub Jay who runs everyone off. Most houses are empty this year, except for a couple far away from the house. The exception is a pair of starlings who set up house just outside of the family room sliding door, and a pair of Pygmy Nuthatches who, for the second year, have raised babies in a small hole in another tree off the family room. I could watch the coming and goings of the starlings as the house is in my line sight while watching TV.


I have always wanted to see babies fledge, but it always happens that one day they're there, the next day they are gone, having probably fledged in the wee hours of he morning, much to my disappointment. Imagine my shock and awe as I was watching TV last night at dusk, to see a baby starling launch itself out of the house directly onto the screen of the patio door where he hung for some seconds deciding what to do next!! I was beside myself, yelling "He fledged! He fledged!" to my husband, getting the dogs all in an uproar with my yelling. He tremulously flew off to another tree where the mean old Jay took notice of him and went after him, to what purpose I can only guess. I freaked out and ran out waving my arms to get the Jay off of the little guy, and the baby starling confidently flew off to join his mom who was calling him from another tree. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself! What an experience! So imagine my delight when some 20 minutes later, I saw another little head peek out of the house. I had thought there to be only one baby! I thought to my self, maybe he'll fledge too! Sure enough, there he went! Two fledgings in the space of 30 minutes and I saw them both!!! Life is good :-)