December Daily

Every October, I look forward to Ali Edwards' post telling everyone that she is going to be starting her December Daily album.  She posts her foundation pages and they always get me excited about Christmas and putting together my own album.  This year I decided to make mine out of an old scrapbook/photo album rather than buy a brand new ring binder.  And now that I know how to put together and bind this sort of thing, thanks to Mary Ann Moss' amazing Full Tilt Boogie and Remains of the Day classes, I did just that.  Here are some pictures:

I used old lace and tatting as well as some newer items left over from other projects.

On the inside I used some paper that I had purchased last year (Everybody Loves Christmas from Echo Park) and mixed in some old vintage children's book pages, ledger pages, Christmas cards, etc.

I also liked how Ali used transparencies throughout her album; she sewed on trim along the edges.  I love using transparencies in my ROD albums so I did a little sewing as well.

Here is some vintage Santa wrapping paper . . .

And the mouse and kitty are illustrations from an old 1950s Christmas book.

An old BINGO card . . .

a calendar/planner page

and an old Christmas doilie.  I sewed everything together ROD style (thanks, Mary Ann Moss!).

I'm going to use these little doo-dads and old numbers to adorn my pages once December is here:

I can hardly wait!  Now if I could just get started on the Christmas shopping.

  

Halloween Goodies!

I am so far behind on blogging.  There just isn't enough time to do all the things (especially the crafty things) that I would like to do!  But now that I am on vacation, I am going to catch up a bit. 


This is the stash of Halloween treats that my crafty pal Becca sent me.  We were paired up for the Vintage Vacation Swap this past summer and have kept in touch since. 

Becca sent black cats to hang up, lots of orange, white, and black flowers, super-cute orange and black swirly pipe cleaners, trims, vintage fall wrapping paper, and these:

My first ever bottle brush tree -- covered in spiders!

A pretty black container with
millinery on top (I think that Becca
made this too), perfect for hiding
more SPIDERS!

And Becca made me a pretty lace rosette.  It has a layer of white tulle underneath that is difficulty to see in the picture as well as a blingy rhinestone button on the top.  Underneath is a clip and a pin so that I can attach it to just about everything.  Thank you for all the fun loot to play with, Becca!!

Treasured Tin Swap

I'm finally getting around to writing about all the lovelies that I received from my swap partner, Heidi, for the Treasured Tin Swap.  Heidi filled a pretty yellow cannister full of goodies.  Have a look at all the fun things she picked out for me. 

Dreams Intertwined Treasured Tin Swap

Here is a sneak peek of the vintage tin that I will be sending out tomorrow for the swap.  It's packed full of goodies that I hope that my swap partner, Heidi, will love.

The tags are clues!

A Rainbow of BIBS!

Sick and tired of finding store-bought bibs that only cover a third of my childrens' clothing and don't soak up messes very well, I made my own!  Since then, I've been making them for whoever is having a baby.  My sister loves them (and "borrows" them from me), a relative requests them, and hopefully my co-worker with newborn twins will like them too.  I really love all the colors.  I back them in chenille or flannel and put a strip of velcro to hold them in place.     

Rhubarb Custard Pie and Lobsters

So last weekend we were hanging out with a relative that we don't see very often and he mentioned a pie that he remembered me baking at least seven years ago (!) and how he had loved it. Since we have been blessed with a ton of rhubarb this spring, I offered to make him one. He told me that he travels to Maine regularly on business and would bring me back lobster in exchange. Two days later, the lobsters were on my kitchen counter! Here is the pie (my mother-in-law was famous for it while she was alive) and the famous and very old recipe. Enjoy! (Those lobsters were soooo good too!)

Ernestine's Famous Rhubarb Custard Pie


Pie dough for a two crust pie
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. nutmeg, freshly grated
4 c. rhubarb, peeled and cut into 1 cm. pieces
1 1/2 T. flour
1/8 t. salt

3 slightly beaten eggs

1/3 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. sugar

Combine 1 cup sugar, flour, nutmeg, and salt; toss with rhubarb pieces until well-coated. Let stand 15 minutes.

In another bowl, combine eggs, evaporated milk, and 1/2 cup sugar; pour over the rhubarb and mix thoroughly. Spoon into an unbaked pastry-lined pie plate. Top with crust and sprinkle with nutmeg-sugar.

Bake in a very hot oven (400 degrees F) for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 to 45 minutes longer (until filling bubbles a bit).

Happy Mother's Day!

Here is one of my first collages: it features my grandmother holding my mother who is only about two weeks old.  I happened upon this photo in my mother's old photo album one day, and I just love it!  My mother was the only child of four (three separate pregnancies) to survive after two weeks and was a miracle baby.  In the background that I cropped out, there is the car that my grandfather has just driven her home in from the hospital.  The quote is from one of my grandfather's old, old grammar school books.