Category Archives: home

Show & Tell

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Antique flour shifter, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

I found this very much used and loved flour sifter a year or so ago. I forget I have it, but it’s mainly for display.
Blue Graniteware coffee pot
I found this on the trip Bri and I took to New England in the fall of 1984. It’s old and stained, but adds a vintage feel to the shelf in my kitchen where it is displayed.
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It’s a cold and blustery day here in s.e. PA. I’m glad I went to my mom’s yesterday. Today I was looking for a plastic box for the rest of my snowmen. I brought up an Easter box first and it was too small. I looked in one of the boxes leftover from the kitchen redo (it’s going on 3 yrs ago) and there were my vintage Franciscan Autumn leaves dinner plates! I need to bring them up in the kitchen! I started to decorate a bit for Easter. My entire house needs TLC! I’m trying! ; )
Have a great weekend!

Show and Tell-My collection of Pink Glassware

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My collection of Pink Glassware, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

This is my collection of pink glassware. I’ve had the pink cup and saucer for many years. I purchased the cake dish from a friend off of eBay. The other items were found at thrift shops or the Goodwill. Does anyone know what the small bowls are for? One has a little handle on it.
I think these all are perfect for Easter and spring. I need to take the snowmen out of the front window now! Come on spring!!

Show & Tell

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Sewing Ephemera
Above is a display of Cross stitch items-mostly gifts from my dear blogger pals and some sewing things. The box was a gift from my friend Barb in Colorado. It’s a shadowbox with some copies of antique sewing ephemera and some actual things like binding. I found the little silver walnut needle case on eBay.
You can also click on the photos of the right for a better look-sorry some of my mosaic isn’t showing.

Show and Tell

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This past Monday I went to my Mom’s house and we went over to the Goodwill so I could drop off a few things. We always look around inside, and I found a few ‘treasures’. Why would anyone give this charming plate away?
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Perfect for a birthday celebration!
Then I saw this little hobnail salt holder stuck on a shelf for $1:
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Mom located a couple of thumbprint cobalt blue drinking glasses to go with some of the other glasses I have.
I have to make another run to my mom’s as she woke up Thursday with a terrible sore throat. I had to go to the dentist, so she had to wait until today. I feel bad, but her 100 foot long stone driveway wasn’t plowed and now the snow has a crusty ice topping. My brother’s friend will be doing that this morning. Please say a few prayers that she doesn’t have strep throat. I’m also thinking tonsillitis.
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I’m wondering how crowded this event would be as I’d love to go! When people hear ‘free’ they go bonkers!
The Brandywine River Museum will host a public celebration of Andrew Wyeth’s life and work on January 31 with complimentary admission and a display of his most famous work, “Christina’s World” on loan from The Museum of Modern Art in New York. More details at: http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/

Sunday’s ‘I Recommend’

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Welcome to the nineth (full) edition of ‘I recommend’. As the name implies, this is a share to recommend just about anything you like or have tried. It can be a book, drink, food, movie, music CD-anything.

cflBrian started to switch out our old standard lightbulbs last year to the ‘piggy tail’ Compact fluorescent lightbulbs. (This is a guy you could tell lived through the Energy crisis of the 70s as he is always turning lights off).They are recommended by Energy Star-

Why should people use CFLs?
Switching from traditional light bulbs (called incandescent) to CFLs is an effective, simple change everyone in America can make right now. Making this change will help to use less electricity at home and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global climate change. Lighting accounts for close to 20 percent of the average home’s electric bill. ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy (electricity) than incandescent light bulbs, last up to 10 times longer, cost little up front, and provide a quick return on investment.
If every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, in one year it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes. That would prevent the release of greenhouse gas emissions equal to that of about 800,000 cars.
Do CFLs contain mercury?
CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 4 milligrams. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury – an amount equal to the mercury in 125 CFLs. Mercury is an essential part of CFLs; it allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact (not broken) or in use.
Most makers of light bulbs have reduced mercury in their fluorescent lighting products. Thanks to technology advances and a commitment from members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the average mercury content in CFLs has dropped at least 20 percent in the past year.

They really are energy savers. We saw our electric bill dip below $100 for the first time in years. They come in a cool blue and a more yellow,I prefer the yellowish myself. I guess they call these other names.
When we remodeled our kitchen, going on 3 years ago, we chose Energy Star appliances too-the dishwasher and frig.
Have a great Sunday and if you are off, a restful Martin Luther King’s Day.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An Eagle fan photo:

brieag

Typical Monday

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I am in total agreement with The Carpenters who sang-‘rainy day and Mondays always get me down’.
I got up really early thinking the dentist opened at 8:30 and they would call me then. Seems they do, but they don’t take calls until 9. I called them at 9:30 and got in at 11. Ugh. Too much too soon. And I have to get a crown. Dr. B took too much of my cracked tooth off and the temp popped off at dinner tonight. He said I needed to come back if that happened. I think I’m getting Fixadent! I have to put up with that until the 29th? I’ll be eating pudding and mashed potatoes by then-or going bonkers. And I have so much dental work on the bottom left (the new tooth will go on the upper right), that the food is getting between the gums there. And I won’t discuss the price. I think all my crowns added up would have almost paid for Sean’s used car by now. Funny, one of the dentists has an awesome vintage car he is restoring. I know I helped pay for that.
After I ate soup-which I am hoping didn’t loosen the glue, I sorted out the Christmas lights. Anybody need any? I think I have as many as they do at Longwood Gardens! I then put on my dust mask and worked an hour on my ‘rearranging of the holiday deco on the shelves’ project. Trouble-the dust kept getting in my eyes. Bri knocked a wall down next to the shelves last year (who would build a wall in front of 12 feet of shelves) and just let the dry wall dust go all over my stuff. I didn’t want to touch it, but now I have to as it’s driving me crazy. I managed to irritate my left boo boo ankle and could barely put weight on it when I came upstairs. I have it wrapped up and it’s better tonight.
So, I’m hoping for a better Tuesday! Send me good vibes!
My mom has a terrible chest cold and I feel like I should be doctoring her. All her cold stuff is outdated. She buys 150 pairs of socks, and doesn’t keep her cold meds up to date. I really don’t need a chest cold with a tooth that could pop out at any second. I look like I did at age 8!

The rug

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Here’s the rug my father-in-law gave us last week. Cosmo loves it!

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And my amaryllis has 4 blooms on it now! I was wondering what to do with the bulbs later on…I know they need to rest, but any secrets to getting them to rebloom or is it a big process? I should ask the people at Longwood.  Speaking of Longwood, I think I’m skipping 20 minutes in the cold for the ice skating. I was waiting for Sean to get back to school and he did about 4:20. He just sounds so thrilled with being there. I had a blah day-blasted hormones!

img_3690This is on the center of my dining room table. I’m still packing away Christmas stuff, so when I get that cleaned up, I’ll show you the entire table! : )

All kinds of busy

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I had fun picking out the photos for Carolyn’s Birthday bash yesterday! Teal/aqua is my favorite color! I’ve never been dripping in diamonds either and it was fun to pretend.

Today is my brother Ken’s 42nd birthday. I hope he has a nice day.

So…been so busy and need to take a breather, but Sean the food bulldozer has plowed through all the food, so I need to food shop later. Tuesday, we got out the deep carpet cleaner machine and did the Oriental rug we acquired from Brian’s dad. This gorgeous rug was stuck under the dining room table at his dad’s house on top of wall to wall carpet. It was all puckered and wouldn’t lay flat. It looks divine under my round table! It’s the right colors-mainly blue with pink. I’ll have to take a photo of it after I clean up the rest of the Christmas things. The cat loves it so much as it’s wool  (pretty sure it is) and plush. I also did the majority of the other rugs, having the guys move the coffee table, big chair and sofa in the family room. This proved to be the dirtiest rug. I only use Oxiclean now and it does a great job. Sean’s rug is 22 yrs old and the family room rug is 16 yrs old and both sprang back to life.

Yesterday I took down the Christmas tree. I was up and down the basement steps a zillion times. I still have the lights and a few breakables to pack up, but that took almost 3 hours. The guys got it in the coffin-like box and pushed it back up in the attic. I am rearranging my basement shelves which look like a tornado went through them. That’s a job and a half.

Today at Brian’s work, there will be an employment meeting. As of 12:10, the ‘big cheese’ hadn’t arrived at the paper yet.They are coming there after leaving the office where Bri use to work-they fired everyone over there. Wish him and his fellow office workers well. In case the worse happens, I went on the Long*wood Garde*ns website and they had a job that Bri could probably do.

Update-Brian’s job was ‘spared’ for the time being-thank goodness, but about 2-3 people lost their jobs.

Sean just went to use a Wawa gift card he got to buy us lunch. I should watch what I eat as my tummy has been in a funk. Oh well.. Off to get ready for shopping.

2008 in a nutshell by Dianne

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Want to play along? Kelli over at ‘There is no place like home’  is hosting a meme. You take your first blog sentence for each month of 2008 and add a favorite photo from that month too. Be aware that most of my ‘first’ sentences have nothing to do with the photos. :O)
January-

That’s my life for the last few days.(I had been sick and so had Brian)
Yellow roses
February-

Let’s start off February with a fun event thanks to Lisa/Oceandreamer’s 2nd time around hosting it.(One World, One Heart blog giveaways)
Punch needle design
March-
This is my mom’s birthday last year and my youngest brother is giving her the cupcakes that I made to blow out the candles.(for a Photo Hunt)
Purple and yellow orchids
April-
It’s 70 degrees outside!!! I’m inside and wearing a sweater though.

May-
Thanks to Scrappy Jessi for hosting this fun event.(showing our childhood toys)

June-
Like I did last night!

July-
I really did see a camel! (a place on our road had several exotic pets or boarders)

Strasberg, PA 7-30-08, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

August-
Today I’m sharing my baby book.

September-
I can’t believe it’s September already!

October-
….the cataracts are gone! Well, that may be so for my mom in a few hours.(My mom had both her eyes done, and one got an infection, so she had to have a third operation!)

Celebrating after 28 yrs!, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

November-
This is from the Philadelphia Flower Show 2006.(We try to go every year since I am so snap happy)

December-
I just realized that I was pretty much on the go for over a week, since my birthday on the 19th.
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