Trinkets: A Gullah Basket

Over thirty years ago Himself and I went on a family vacation with my parents and Sis.  One of our stops was in Charleston, SC.  We visited the beautiful Magnolia Plantation while we were there.

I had just started learning to basket weave and was fascinated by the sweetgrass baskets.  The ladies sat and visited while they wove those beautiful baskets, their unique accent as wonderful as the baskets.

Mom bought a basket for herself, my sister, and me.

How I wish I could go back in time and appreciate the cultural art taking place in front of me.

Linked at: 

Get Organized: Our Wee Pantry

One of those never-ending tasks (like laundry) is keeping the pantry organized.  Once again and for the last time, my two organizing challenges have lined up with "dining room" (which is basically where my pantry is located in my small eat-in kitchen) and "pantry".

An absolute mess.

The door racks weren't any better.

So everything came out.  Expiry dates were checked... and some things chucked.  A few items were moved to the food shelf downstairs (mostly duplicates).

Then everything was put back neatly, with some rearranging to make it more orderly.

BIG difference!

Linked at:

http://blog.maryorganizes.com/2016/01/week-3-dining-room-entries-91-day-declutter-challenge-2016/

http://www.abowlfulloflemons.net/2016/01/2016-home-organization-101-week-2-the-pantry.html

Piano Guys at Eilean Donan Castle in Scotland

We really enjoy the music from "The Piano Guys".  If you aren't familiar with this piano and cello duo, listen to this song they have on You Tube.  It was filmed at Eilean Donan castle on the west coast of Scotland.  (We walked ALL over that castle.  It is so beautiful.)

Bethlehem Mexican Bakery

Sometimes you see a sign and you just have to stop to check it out...

We couldn't pass this one up.

Turns out it is a Mexican bakery whose owners love the Lord.

A very scrumptious bakery...

Just to make sure it tasted as good as it looked... we brought home several bags worth to try.

;-) 

Yep, very tasty!

  

Looking for a pinata?  This is your go-to pinata shop.

And it's a good place to quench your thirst after enjoying a pastry.

They are located at 2463 Ft Campbell Blvd, just south of Gate One.

Stop and give them a try!

Ring Holder Frame

I saw a darling little DIY ring holder a while back on Pinterest, just what I needed.

You start with a small decorative frame.  That is an easy one for me, I'm a bit of a frame addict.  In fact, my friends have permission to remove any frame I put in a shopping buggy.

I pulled this frame from my stash and removed the glass.  I then cut a piece of scrapbook paper to size, then put the back on again.

I didn't have a little hook or peg that worked for me, so I twisted some copper wire into a free-form heart shape hook.  I punched a hole through the backing, and gave it a heavy load of hot glue so it won't move.

Here's the finished piece.  

It would work well next to the kitchen sink but make sure your paper background is laminated so splashes don't ruin it.

Kitten to Cat

Friday our little furface had her first birthday.  She's getting so big.  I weighed her that morning and she is 9.6 pound!

She had an excellent kitty day.  There were treats and birds to be watched and ball fetches and cuddles whenever she wanted them.  And she wanted all of them a lot.

Church Beer: Christ Lutheran Brewery

Remember the German Christmas Market I told you about last month?  There's something a bit unique about it...

The church (Christ Lutheran) has its own church brewery!

And you could get a bottle or two... or more... at the Market.  They had samples too!  (It was the most popular booth at the market).

Of course I had to pick up a couple bottles; dark beers make great lamb or beef stew.

Have to love the bottle labels!

"Very dark, sweet, full-bodied, slightly roasty ale that can suggest coffee-and-cream or sweetened espresso."

"A stronger, darker, spiced beer that has a rich body and warming finish.  A good accompaniment for the cold winter season."

And there were fresh HOT pretzels to enjoy too.

So fun!