My Other Self Challenge . . .

 I love rings!

Karen at This Old House 2 has created a very fun challenge, called "My Other Self" and I thought I'd participate.  Please join me in my escape from reality, if only for a moment!

My other self wears this kind of jewelry . . . 

   

I love vintage straw handbags and I'd carry one all the time if I could!  

My other self lives here with her (same) family!

Has beautiful gardens!

A great kitchen with all the bells and whistles!

A comfortable family room

A relaxing master suite

Looks like this in her khakis . . . 

Could wear these without breaking her neck!

 

Has her faithful 4 legged friend with her at all times

Drives this

Relaxes here

Does this for a living & makes good money!
(I really do this)

to give them a better life . . . 
(I really want this.)

What does YOUR Other Self look like?

Karen challenged you to do a similar post

Send Karen your blogpost link and she'l put it under her hot tub!

Go on, you can do it.

Color Decisions . . .

This desk cost $2,950.00 and the chair cost $390.00.  Since my last name isn't Rockefeller or Trump I didn't buy these.  However I did buy a desk and matching chair for about $160.00 at a consignment store in Maine. These are in our cottage guest room.  Yup, it's hardwood and in perfect condition.  My dilemma is, what colors do I paint them?  Should I paint them the same colors or different colors.  

The room and all the furniture is being painted, so blog friends, what colors do you like?  You'll notice I've not given you white as an option. I'm not interested in white, the furniture in our bedroom is white.  I want color!

I also have a hardwood dresser, which was free from the estate of a family member and a 1920's hardwood bed that I bought at an auction for $20.00 in the same room, what about those? Should they be painted the same matchy colors or not?  

Or do you like the colors mixed up?  

Of all the colors here, what's your favorite pallet? 

To recap, I'm painting a desk, chair, bed, dresser, and night-stand in our cottage guest room and I can't decide on a color pallet. The walls, and trim  will be a shade of white. I'd love to hear your thoughts.  

Now for all your hard work pick a cocktail, relax and enjoy! You've earned it! I appreciate all your comments on helping me select colors.  The finished product won't be available for viewing until the end of the summer, but I will post about the pieces that I'm going to refinish in the near future!

Which cocktail color did you pick?  I know, more decisions!  LOL!!

Mosaic Monday May Moments in Maine

The Area Code is 207 if you're interested, LOL!

This past weekend hubby and I managed to sneak in a short 24 hr. trip to Maine.  Below are some photos from our weekend, I hope you enjoy them.  It was more of a mental health trip, lots going on with mom.  We had a nice time, the weather was pretty good for the most part, except for a 30 minute downpour on Saturday afternoon shortly after we arrived, but it cleared up and gave us a beautiful Sunday!  Then it was off to see mom!

More Daffies, they waited for me and 

were in full bloom this weekend!

 Dinner is Served

From Bayley's Lobster Pound in Scarborough, ME
http://www.bayleys.com/

I've hooked up with Mary's Mosaic Monday at Little Red House, thanks Mary!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day mom! You make life interesting and fun!

You've got a great sense of humor. You love a party. You are
always ready to go somewhere, anywhere.
 You love your family unconditionally,

and you are a heck of a good friend!

XOXO

#1 of 7

Daffies!!!

I love daffodils, to me they are a really happy flower and they make me smile. These daffodils are in Maine, there are thousands of them! I had hoped to get there last weekend to see all of them in bloom because it's truly something! It's not often you get a chance to "tip toe" through the daffodils, so I hope you enjoy my photos and Wordsworth's poem about this beautiful Spring flower, I think it's perfect!

Daffodils

By William Wordsworth

I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company: I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Have a happy day!

Justice

This is difficult for me to write because I'm not the type of person who enjoys fights, grudges, or meanness.   However, justice has been done.  Osama Bin Laden is dead.  I'd like to thank the brave men and women from our and other countries who serve and protect us.  I'd also like to thank our Gold Star Mothers who lost sons and daughters in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While it may be bittersweet, I can only hope the death of this evil man helps to brings closure to the many families who were affected by the horrible acts of September 11, 2001, including my brother-in-law, who's cousin perished in the Twin Towers in NYC.

I'll never forget where I was, and how the reign of this man terrorized our country and other countries.  This doesn't end it, because Al Qaeda has metastasized. This is not a time to gloat, there is much business to do to end terrorism.

During World War II, Japanese Admiral Yamamoto said "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant."  Thank you President Obama, for bringing this monster to justice.

Country Peach Cake Cookbook Challenge

This is one of my all time favorite cakes.  Some of you may recall that I like fruit type desserts, pies, cakes, breads etc.  This recipe also happens to be from one of my oldest cookbooks, Lee Bailey's Country Desserts Cakes, Cookies, Ice Creams, Pies, Puddings & More!  I'm going to submit this recipe into Dom's oldest cookbook challenge at Belleau Kitchen .

I made this cake for Easter and it was a huge hit!  The funny thing was, my oldest niece arrived at the same time we did and I asked her to carry it into Pushy Sister #3 house for me while I gathered other things.  Well, little did I know everyone was oohing and arring over her cake!  Yes, the little stinker took full credit for my cake and her younger sister didn't say anything! 

So when I came in with my tarts I asked where my cake was because it needed to be refrigerated, boy did niece #1 get grief for taking the credit for baking my cake!  My family is not shy about letting you know what they think, so it was very funny and niece #1 got a huge kick out of it!

In addition to my cake, our Easter dessert table was HUGE this year.  My nieces, their boyfriends, and #2 nephew got together and had a baking contest on Saturday.  This is the 3rd bake-off the kids have had.  Before this it was cupcakes, then pizza. So, because of some unfair biased judging of the Easter desserts the next bake off will take place next month and the judging will be at my home!  Should be fun!

Cake:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
5 Tbs plus 1 tsp corn starch
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
6 Tbs margarine, softened
6 Tbs butter, softened
1¼ cup plus 2 Tbs sugar
¾ cup milk
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
9 large egg whites, stiffly beaten

Cream Filling:
2 cups heavy cream
½ cup sugar
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Peaches: (I use canned peaches in their own juice)
5-6 large peaches
Juice of ½ lemon
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract

1. For the cream filling, in a medium bowl, stir together the cream, sugar, and vanilla. Cover /chill, at least 2 hours before whipping.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round pans; line bottoms with wax paper. grease the paper. 

3. Sift together flour, corn starch, salt, and baking powder; set aside. In a large bowl, competely free of any oil, beat the eggwhites until stiff; set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl on medium high speed, cream together sugar, margarine, and butter for about 4 minutes. Add the flour mixture in four parts, alternating with milk and ending with flour. Add vanilla. 

5. Fold in beaten egg whites (don't overmix).

6. Divide the batter in the cake pans; bake on middle rack for 20-25 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.

7. Using a large slotted spoon, dip peaches in boiling water for about 10 seconds, then run cold water over them. remove skins and cut each into about a dozen slices. toss slices with lemon juice and and sprinkle liberally with sugar; set aside.

8. Make the Cream Filling; in a mixing bowl, whip the cold ingredients until stiff. Add bourbon, if using. 

9. The sliced peaches will have released some of their juices; pour a third of it over the bottom cake layer, a little at a time to give it a chance to soak in. Place a third of the peach slices on this layer and cover with whipped cream; repeat with the remaining layers. (I use about 3 tablespoons of juice from the canned peaches for each layer.)

Keep refrigerated, loosely covered, until ready to serve.

As Dom says "eat, and of course, enjoy."