Finally February

January is such a long dull brown month.

Flower shopping.

Aren't Hyacinths incredible?

Their scent is quite amazing, like springtime itself.  When I came across this amazing tableau of all of them gathered en masse at Trader Joe's I just had to document the sight.

Now I use this photo as my wallpaper on my Galaxy S5.

 A visit to TJ's is always a treat. I love how there's the flower display right at the front door of my store, then there's all those beautiful fresh fruits & veg, too.

What I've been eating:

Ihop has had  all you can eat pancake special going on and I've got to eat here twice.  I ordered that same tasty breakfast both times and then went out thrifting afterwards with my fav people.

One morning I woke up with the word 

Nalisniki 

stuck in my head.  I recalled it was a polish word that reminded me of my childhood & my grammy but I couldn't quite recall what it meant, something about food.  
Thought I'd have to give my momma a call but I figured a 5am call would be inappropriate. So I whipped our my trusty Galaxy, said, "ok, Google" then questioned, "What is Nalisniki?"  Try it!
{I LOVE Google!!}
Turns out Nalisniki, say naaa LISH knee key it's Polish for pancakes or crepes. 
So i wonder if i dream on other languages??
Anyway, I've had a hankering for pancakes.
Don't you LOVE going out to breakfast?

Thrifty Finds:

I've found a great deal of nice books lately

I comb the shelves looking for anything that catches my eye, tickles my fancy.  I collect books.  I'm always on the lookout for beautiful old books, books with interesting covers, classic books and books by my favorite authors.  

I like to collect Pyrex & milk glass but only if I can get it for less than a few dollars.  Besides being useful I like the nice bright sunny happy colors of Pyrex.

My eyes almost bugged out when I spied that exquisite glass with the lovely delicate etching, and it was only .25!

Aren't maps cool?  And travel books are nice to thumb through when you want to dream about vacations in far away lands.  

Here's what I'm Obsessed With: 

Trader Joe's version of my beloved old fashioned candy treat, Swedish Fish.  
I think they're new.  
But these are yummier.  
Cool different shapes & flavors, each delicious and I ate the whole bag myself. 

So lots of great finds recently.  I discovered some Dickens, Daphne du Maurier, Jane Austen, Agatha Christie and a few Stephen King I didn't have yet.  Also spotted that pretty minty colored box from Target at the Goodwill.  It will be perfect to store my treasures in.

Here's my List of  -   Stephen King Book I Still Need:

Bazaar of bad dreams 11.3.15
Finders Keepers 6.2015
Joyland - June 2013
XDr. Sleep - September 2013
XJust After Sunset 2008
Green Mile 1997
DESPERATION 1996
INSOMNIA 1994
XDOLORES CLAIBORNE, Viking, 1992,
X THE EYES OF THE DRAGON Viking, 1987
X SKELETON CREW, a collection of short stories, Putnam, 1985
X THE TALISMAN, Viking, 1984 (co-authored by Peter Straub)
CUJO, Viking, 1981
FIRESTARTER, Viking, 1980
DANSE MACABRE, Everest House, 1980
THE DEAD ZONE, Viking, 1979
THE STAND, Doubleday, 1978
NIGHT SHIFT, Doubleday, 1978
THE SHINING, Doubleday, 1977
SALEM'S LOT, Doubleday, 1975
CARRIE, Doubleday, 1974

Just lately I've added some nice checks to my SK List so now,  I need to look for, find & obtain mostly the oldest books and a few of the newest titles.  

I'm a BiG FaN of List Making! 

I'm an idea person.  But I'm not so much a remembering person, so list making is a must. You name it, I have made a List about it!  About the only thing I can think of that I don't have a list for is a List about all my many Lists!

 What do you make Lists of?

I keep a folder on my computer entitled Books I've Read that houses not only my chronological list of books I've finished reading but also more lists of all the names of authors I like and each book they've wrote and year each book was published.  Then I check off the books that I've read, very tidy like.  

What I See When I Walk:

I adore sunsets.

Almost as much as sunrises.  

I like when the light goes all soft and pink and mysterious.

Like so many great moments, it's fleeting.

What's Blooming in my Garden:

I was so thrilled this cute Helleborus I planted a few years ago in the Fairy garden was finally was going to bloom.  With a name like, "Christmas Snow" I though for sure it would be lovely.  But it is quite boring as far a Helleborus go, no cute pink shading, no darling speckles or freckles like some of my other cultivars I grow.  The leaves are evergreen though, like my others, and are among the first welcome blooms.

Go ahead, use that pic for some adorable cellphone wallpaper!

Highlights of my Week

Thrifty Finds:

I'm excited to share some of great bargains I've found lately while scouring the favorite secondhand shops.  I found this collections of Hitchcock books for sale at the library for $1 each, so I scooped them all up!  The green pot was at Goodwill filled with caked on dirt but I knew it would clean up easily.  I think it was $1, also.  I'll use it as to hold my ever growing washi tape collection. 

Don't you LOVE a bargain?

I discovered this lot of goodies at my favorite Goodwill that just happens to be 5 minutes from my house.  The silverplate tray and milk glass vase were in pristine condition and only $2. The china tea cups, pink glass & white Fiestaware teacups were all .25 cents as were the saucers.  Another Goodwill I go to sometimes charges much more and rarely has anything as cool.

And last but not least is the Pyrex 043 size casserole I got from Megathrift for $5.  Pyrex is really a hot collectible besides being useful and durable for baking yummy treats for everybody.  At first glance I thought it was the spring green color just really dingy with lots of those weird black silverware marks that come from putting them in the dishwasher but I've had success scrubbing those marks away with Magic Eraser.  Unfortunately, this poor little casserole had all the clear coat finish worn away, as well as some of the Olive paint so it felt rough to the touch not smooth.  I used it anyway to transport some of my homemade mac & cheese as a surprise dinner for my daughter and her husband.  I really Love the 043 and 045 sizes and snatch them up whenever I see them.  So I learned a lesson to feel for the finish.



Here's what I'm Loving:

I think the candy boxes that Godiva does each year are really beautiful and it's my very favorite chocolate.  I've saved the pretty holiday candy boxes for years and years.  I dug out all my heart shaped candy boxes and vintage valentine decorations and started decorating the house.  I'll be posting photos about that soon.

How cute is that?

 and useful!

What I've been cooking:

It's been so cold and wintery lately that I've been making lots of stews and soups.  This particular batch was some chicken stew that is so very easy to make using a bag of frozen veg. mix that I usually have stocked in my freezer.

Easy Chicken Stew

1 bag of frozen veg. mix - I like the mix that has peas, corn, green beans and little cubes of carrot
1 c. frozen chopped onion
3 stalks celery, chopped up
1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 2 fresh cloves
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. Italian herb mix
1 c. or more of cooked chopped chicken
1 16 oz. carton of chicken broth

salt & pepper to taste, perhaps some cayenne, especially if your throat is sore or you have the sniffles.

Saute first four ingredients on medium low heat with a splash of olive oil for about 15-20 mins until softened.
{You could also chop up potatoes or any other veg you wish.  Just be sure they get totally cooked.} Sprinkle flour onto cooked veg and stir well so everything wads up and just starts to brown.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth about 1/3 c. at a time stirring well in between so everything is incorporated.
Add chicken and let it come to a boil slowly.
Simmer on low for at least 15 mins.  Take a taste test to be sure the seasonings are spot on and all veg is cooked soft, no crunchiness.
Serve with biscuits for the best meal!

* If you only have raw chicken on hand you can boil it in your soup pot first using the carton broth to cover. Once your chicken is fully cooked let it cool on a plate in the fridge for at least and hour then chop it up.  Pour off the broth into a large pyrex bowl or 4 c. measuring cup and set aside. Now you can start at the beginning of the recipe.

I'm obsessed with:

Washi Tape!

I've been on a washi tape hunt of late looking for it everywhere I go.  And not just in craft stores, mind you, even Dollar Tree sells washi tape and it costs only a dollar a roll there. There's so many lovely washi and I WANT it all!

What I've been Reading:

 

I've been going through a reading dry spell lately but I saw this on the 'New Books' shelf at the library and grabbed it.  I've read all her books and I do enjoy a good mystery.

What I've been watching:

Downton Abbey is my most favorite show on tv lately.  It airs Sundays, 9pm on PBS.  It's such a well done show!  It's got superb acting, exciting drama, amazing costumes, and such lush sets.

Did you notice Lady Rosamund's terrific hat during episode 5 of season 5?!

Always a pleasure to watch but  I always feel disappointed when the show comes to an end each week because it's so good I just want to keep watching!

Another show we've been enjoying is Agent Carter.  Have you seen it?

The series just started in January and airs Tuesdays, 9pm.  I'm a Marvel geek, love all the stories, tv shows and movies.  This one is very good, interesting story lines, set in the 1940's so I'm LOVING the costumes, hair, makeup and music.  I just adore that era.


I'm really Loving this image:

imagine a warm summer night, perfect

I'll leave you with this nice quote:

enough said, eh?

Hope your week was a good one!

Highlights of my Week

How My Garden Grows:

Our peaches our getting a blush

Tiny baby pumpkin and gourds growing in my garden.  

I'm enamoured by how cute they are! 

It's so fulfilling watching something grow from a tiny seed.

Thrifty Finds:

I'm CRaZy about dishes.  I don't know why.  

Maybe because they are pretty as well as useful.  I found the Depression glass plate at Goodwill for $1! 

I  have been collecting 'Florentine Poppy' since I was just a girl so I recognized the pattern right away.  

Got the Pyrex casserole real cheap, too, but there was no lid with it.

 Found these great used books

I saw this adorable polka dot glass on a shelf and snatched it right up!  Never mind that the dots are pink and metallic gold, really now, How Cute is That?!  I found the perfect spot for it on my kitchen cupboard shelf.  Is it too pretty to use?

Found an unusual piece of milk glass to add to my collection

Here's what I've been reading:

So many new good books came out recently from some of my favorite authors.  Then my hold requests for them came through at our library all at once it seems like.  Lucky me, time for some summer reading!

Sookie doesn't seem to enjoy sharing the couch with me while I'm reading.  I like to put my feet on her!  She gave me that funny look, like she was thinking, Really Lady? So I had to snap a few  pics of her sweet silly beautiful face.

Things That Make Me Smile:

Just the other day I got this sweet book as a gift from my daughter, Sarah.  

How Cute is that?  

Two of my Favorite things rolled into one!  It's a parody of the show which makes it all the more funny.

The gray kitty on the back cover {on the right} must be Bates because it has the cane and the ball & chain would cause him limp like Bates.  

The kitties reenact key scenes like this infamously scandalous scene when the Count has the bad manners to drop dead in Lady Mary's boudoir!  She and her maid must sneak his body out!!
                                  ~ Thank you my dear angel kitten pumpkin gumdrop

 On my To-Do List:

Don't you love soft glowing twinkling lights?  

These stars look so pretty and festive 

and I have just the window !

Found it on Pinterest, don'tcha know?

It's the little things isn't it?

Here's what I've been listening to:

One Republic - Love Runs Out 

I just can't seem to get enough of this song!

Listening to it makes me feel good.

When I hear a song I like I just want to listen to it over and over again.  

Does this happen to you?

Have a Lovely Week!
Thanks for chatting,
XO,
♥ Michelle