Fairy Lights

This is something that I have been working on for a while. The pictures really don't do it justice on how peaceful it looks at night.

We hung up these icicle lights after Christmas was over because we wanted them up permanently on our porch. Unfortunately, any time I looked at them I was reminded of Christmas and it just made me feel "white trash" to still have Christmas lights up.

Solution: throw a few flowers up there and they are automatically "spring fairy lights".

(This was one of the first drafts. I ended up trimming the egg carton better in my later flowers. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of the pretty ones.)

I had to take the pictures at night with the flash on. Any time I turned the flash off, I ended up with these pictures (which I think look kinda cool).

Basically I took egg cartons and trimmed down each cup cross section to look like a flower. I wanted mine colored so I painted them with water and food coloring to get a muted effect. I mixed up different colors to get a variety. Using a hole punch and a really big sewing needle I made different patterns on some of the flowers and strung them up and around the icicle lights. Of course I have to give the warning that if you are going to do this, to use LED lights only.

Potato Soup

Potato Soup

3 cups of peeled diced potatoes (yukon gold, russet)
3 cups of chicken broth
3/4 cups of chopped green onion
1/4 teaspoon of garlic
pinch of black pepper
1 ½ cup of heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons of corn starch (leveled)
1 cup of cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons of cold water
cooked bacon

Boil the potatoes in the chicken broth. Once it boils, lower it to a simmer and add in the garlic and black pepper. Cook for 30 minutes. Add green onions and heavy cream. Cook for additional 10-15 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix your cold water and corn starch together. Right before the 10-15 minutes are up, add your slurry to the soup. Add in the cheese. Crumble the bacon on top of the soup when you are ready to serve.

This recipe was given to me verbally by a friend. If for whatever reason, you do not understand the instructions just let me know. I like to also add in a little extra cheese and salt to taste.

Butterfly Rain Forest

Last Friday, I tagged along with Becky, her mom, and her brother to celebrate her mom's birthday at the Butterfly Rain Forest at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

I took my fair share of pictures. Beware.

and finally one of Becky's hand.

For a good time call....

A few weekends ago, Becky and I decided to check out some of the thrift stores in Ocala. I love exploring thrift stores in other towns. It is such an adventure.

I found this glass humming bird feeder at the Humane Society Thrift Store. I have seen many plastic humming bird feeders, but I have never seen anything like this. Even the three flowers (which are removable) are glass. I have it hanging in the tree right outside my porch. Hopefully I will see a humming bird feed from it one day. The store was running a special where everything in the store was 30% off that day. $5.00 - 30% = $3.50.

I also found at the Humane Society Thrift Store this marble mortar and pestle brand new in the box (though per my mothers advice, I will still wash it thoroughly because it "could have been used in a high school science lab"). I have wanted one for a while. There are certain herbs that I cook with that I find unpalatable unless they are chopped up first (rosemary for example.... it reminds me of christmas tree needles) $5.00 - 30% = $3.50

This next item was a complete splurge buy. It is a ceramic chess board that somebody attempted to paint but never finished. They didn't do a very good job. They didn't even prime the thing white, they just started painting it. All four pieces connect together (somehow). My plans are to paint it and stick it on my porch. I am not fond of the board I currently have so I will just switch it out with this one and use the chess pieces I do currently own. This is just a future craft project waiting to happen. I do not recall the price of this item.

One of my favorite scores of the day is this set of 4 bone china owl napkin rings (yes, more napkin rings to add to the collection). As soon as I saw them, my heart skipped a beat and I knew I just had to have them. $4.00 - 30% = $2.80.

The sticker on the front of the box.

"M. Cabrini Shop
1723 Monroe St.
Madison, Wis 53711"

The only thing I could find out from a quick google search was there was a "Cabrini Gifts" at this location and was bought out by Orange Tree Imports in 1986. Here you can also see the new Fieldcrest Luxury cloth napkins I bought at the Goodwill in Ocala. I love the pattern on these dark red napkins. $10.00 for 8 = $1.25 a piece.

This was one of the largest Goodwill's I have ever been in. It was massive. It also was filled to the brim with brand new items directly from a store. By far my most expensive purchase of the day was this plant holder that I currently have sitting out on the porch with my dying aloe and my (brought back to life) african violet plant. Somewhere around the range of $15.00.

(The planter was fine when I took this picture. I, apparently, was crooked)