Vintage Thingies Thursday: Re-run First Post ~ Black Bears

Welcome to this weeks segment of Vintage Thingies Thursday. Thursday is the day to showcase your vintage treasures and to share your special things with everyone. If you are visiting and would like to join us, please do. It is very easy!
To participate, all you have to do is:

* * * * Please everyone, follow these guidelines!

(1) do a post about something vintage.
(2) Visit all the participates and leave a comment.
(3) Link in with the link at the bottom of this post, please use a perma-link to link in with, that way, anyone can refer back to your post if they can not get to it on Thursday.
(4) Be sure to refer back to my blog so everyone can see who is participating today, and if you like include the VTT button in your post. Please be sure to have your post up before linking in.

REMINDER: We have several new friends linking in for Vintage Thingie Thursday. I want to remind everyone that the link for VTT goes up on Wednesday evening and will run through Friday morning (early) then the link will be closed. I know it is hard to get in the habit of posting earlier than later, but try and get your link in before early Friday morning. I have to close the link to keep spam out of the link. Thanks!! And I know Wednesday is not Thursday, here...but it is Thursday for our friends who live on the other side of the globe!!

Your are in for a real treat....well, maybe not. If you saw my post earlier this week, you know I have had computer issues...and decided in place of not having a post up for this week....I decided to re-run my very first Vintage Thingie Post ever. This was back when The Apron Queen was hosting, and my first post. This is dated July 17, 2008 in the archives. And believe it or not, I found a VTT post that is still in draft form. I am guessing I never published it. Now, I am going to have to check and see, but I can not believe I'd have a post that was never published...but that was back when I was brand new, only about a week into the blogging world...so we will see. Sorry for the re-run, but maybe many of you never saw this post...and it is in its original format...nothing edited.



I found Confessions of an Apron Queen's blog and loved it instantly. She host "Vintage Thingies Thursdays" on her site, and knew this was for me, you see I love vintage things, and this was just my cup of tea. I think I have mentioned that I collect vintage platters, tablecloths, and black bears. I decided to post some of my vintage black bear/bear items that are near and dear to my heart.


Wonderful Black Bear Print
This great vintage picture was a real find. My Aunt Lavoice accompanied me on a trip to Colorado to close our cabin for the winter a few years ago. We drove to Salida and walked all downtown and visited lots of family owned stores and antique shops.
My Aunt Lavoice purchased this picture for me to put at the cabin. I loved it instantly. It was an amazing vintage print, still framed in what appears to be its original frame. I ended up bringing this back to Texas to reside in my "bear room" a couple of years ago.
Do I love this picture? I most certainly do, because it is a wonderful vintage piece, and yes, because it is a magnificent black bear in the mountains, but most of all, because of the memories of that day with my aunt, shopping, browsing antique shops, "leaving something very valuable in a store and driving 120 miles round trip to retrieve it", and enjoying all Colorado has to offer on a crisp fall day with someone special.
~ Good Stuff ~


These are a couple of my "swanky swig" bear glasses. I really do not know that much about them, other than they are adorable. I would maybe date them to the 50's or 60's, but that is just a guess. I just love them.


I can't bear to leave here!
That is the caption on this favorite vintage post card of mine. I do know this is very old, it does not say anywhere on the card where it was from. I don't even remember where I got this from. I just remember falling in love with it.
I picture that little lady as myself hugging those adorable bears sitting at our cabin in Colorado. She is saying,"I can't bear to leave here!" and that sums up how I feel every time we head for home after spending time in Colorado.

That is my "vintage thingies" post for this Thursday. Check back next week for another installment. I think this is something I am really going to like posting about. Thank you Confessions of an Apron Queen for hosting this every week. Please take a moment and drop by her site and enjoy some vintage treasures. You maybe will want to share a few of your vintage collectibles as well. Either way, it will be a trip down memory lane.

It is hard to believe how much time has passed since this very first VTT post and where it has taken me and the rest of you....I would not have ever thought it possible to be hosting this each week. I am really honored you guys think I am worthy to keep it going.....see you next week....hopefully up and running like I am used to! Wish me luck.........

I am not a happy camper

This is me........mad.....mad.......mad

Had to take computer to the shop.....virus on the darn thing somehow...don't ask me...it was fine this morning. The not so funny thing is....my blog would not accept the sign on information....had to reset....oh, and did I say I was mad???????

Hopefully this will be resolved by Thursday.... :(

So long....I will miss you guys!

Sun-Dried Tomato Italian Chicken

Does your husband ever call your in the middle of the day and ask, What's for dinner? If yours does not...I'd have to say lucky you. Mine, does that all the time. Sometimes, I throw him for a loop and say Something new, it's a surprise. That little statement alone, usually has him a little worried. My new motto....don't ask, no worries.

I tried a new recipe last week and with a few alterations from the original recipe, came up with a very easy and delicious meal. When my husband walked in the door, he immediately wanted to know what was cooking in The Colorado Lady's Kitchen....the aroma was amazing. Dinner was a hit, his worries soon forgotten.




Sun-Dried Tomato Italian Chicken


Looks yummy, right? Well, that is because it is. Are you ready to get started? Great....let's get right to it.

You will need: chicken breast, onion, sun dried tomatoes, basil, garlic powder, olive oil, red wine vinegar, mushroom soup and Parmesan cheese, pasta, mushrooms (optional)

slice your sun dried tomatoes into strips, you will need about a cup. Next, finely chop your onion. Set aside for right now.

See, these are set aside...look how pretty the tomatoes are......

remove chicken breast from package and slice into strips. You could also use chicken tenders, but I had the breast on hand and just sliced them myself.

In 2 tablespoons of olive oil, brown chicken well on both sides. Once browned, remove from skillet, set aside.

add onion and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the oil you browned your chicken in, and cook for about 2 minutes, until soft.

Add soup, water, tomatoes, vinegar and basil and garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Heat well. If you want to add mushrooms, now is the time to do so. I left them out today, because I did not have any.

Return chicken to pan and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook 5-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add basil and stir for about another minute.

Serve with your favorite pasta or whatever you have on hand. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese before serving (optional) I really love bow-tie pasta, but I did not have any today....serve with salad, garlic bread and a vegetable and you have a great easy meal for the whole family. This serves 4.



Sun Dried Tomato Italian Chicken

3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 package chicken breast cut into strips or use a package of chicken tenders
can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
3/4 cup thinly sliced sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup diced onions
1 1/2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Pasta
shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan over med/high heat. Add chicken and cook about 12 minutes or so until browned on both sides. Remove from pan. Heat remaining olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir soup, water, tomatoes, vinegar, spices and basil to pan. Stir. Return chicken to pan and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook about 8 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with cheese if desired. Enjoy!


***No weekly update this week.....I did not have a chance to get a post up. Let's just say, not much has changed....no goals met this week. However, I did get some yard work done, so I guess that is a form of exercise. Oh well....next week starts Monday. Have a great week!!

A Daily Dilemma

I don't know about you, but at my house, keeping up with the laundry is a real struggle. Main reason, I can not stand for dirty clothes to by laying around...so I am always doing laundry, almost daily.

Funny thing is, I don't mind the washing and the drying. It is the folding and putting away that seems to be where I fall short of keeping up. And well, quiet frankly, I'd rather be on my computer, reading blogs, blogging myself, visiting friends on facebook...I think you get the picture. Anyway.....

So more times than not, you will find a clean, fresh out of the dryer load of laundry sitting on my guest bedroom bed. I feel quiet sure, this is nothing new, everyone has this problem at one time or another......




...Or do they?...this may not be a normal problem that most people have.....well, maybe the laundry part that is.....but something just might be amiss here....it sure has gotten quiet at my house....this is sorta like an "eye spy". Do you see anything out of the ordinary with this pile of laundry?




yep, that is what I thought....a hot out of the dryer load will call the dogs each and every time. Dora especially.....only problem with her is she wants to burrow in for the long haul. She prefers the all over sauna feeling the warm clothes provide.




Bailey, on the other hand is just happy to get a piece of the action.....she works off the motto a little bit of goodness sure goes a long way. I tell you, this kind of help is very hard to come by. .....ahem.......

VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY: Adorable Vintage Figurines

Welcome to this weeks segment of Vintage Thingies Thursday. Thursday is the day to showcase your vintage treasures and to share your special things with everyone. If you are visiting and would like to join us, please do. It is very easy!
To participate, all you have to do is:

* * * * Please everyone, follow these guidelines!

(1) do a post about something vintage.
(2) Visit all the participates and leave a comment.
(3) Link in with the link at the bottom of this post, please use a perma-link to link in with, that way, anyone can refer back to your post if they can not get to it on Thursday.
(4) Be sure to refer back to my blog so everyone can see who is participating today, and if you like include the VTT button in your post. Please be sure to have your post up before linking in.

REMINDER: We have several new friends linking in for Vintage Thingie Thursday. I want to remind everyone that the link for VTT goes up on Wednesday evening and will run through Friday morning (early) then the link will be closed. I know it is hard to get in the habit of posting earlier than later, but try and get your link in before early Friday morning. I have to close the link to keep spam out of the link. Thanks!! And I know Wednesday is not Thursday, here...but it is Thursday for our friends who live on the other side of the globe!!

It seems when I post about my Goodwill finds, I always get several comments on others wishing their local Goodwill had the sort of finds I happen to run across. I have to admit...I spend more time in Goodwill(s) and thrift stores than I do a regular mall. Seriously. For many people, right after the holidays and into January starts a really large commitment to get rid of excess things in their homes. Many donate to Goodwill.....I have found that throughout the month of January and into February, there are great items to be found. Be consistant, stop in more than once in a while, take a quick spin through the store...that is when I find most of my "good" finds.... when I am in a hurry.

That being said, There are four major Goodwill stores I like to shop at. The most favorite is the one in a really not very good part of town....none the less....it offers the best goods of all of them....they know me by name at this store! This past week, I happened to be in this very store, and I mentioned that the store was not very busy...the little guy that always talks to me said that since the new store opened a few miles away, the customer count had slacked off.....hold on...did he say NEW store....oh, my heart started racing. Very politely, as quick as I could without rushing the poor dude, I paid and snatched my sack off the counter and nearly sprinted to the car to make a mad dash to this NEW store....I swear this is true.

Now, next week, I will have to share my finds from the NEW store...and yes....I did find some great things. One thing I was amazed at was the prices at this new location. I have found that more times than not, that things seem to be priced more than I would like to pay....but the new store....dirt cheap...I almost felt guilty....almost......

Today, I want to share two figurines I happened to find at Goodwill......they are the sweetest little things.....

Now, when I saw this sweet little lady, with a puppy, well, I could not put her in my cart fast enough. She is just so very sweet. The sugar on top to this find was the label.........

A Josef Original.....I searched and searched on line to try and find one like her, but I never found anything close to this little lady. She could be a Calendar girl, but I really have no idea...I will keep looking and see if she turns up in my search. None the less...a real bargain at $2.00.

Now this is just so sweet. When I spotted this last year, I had to have it. You see, these little bluebirds remind me of the bluebirds we have at our cabin in Colorado. They had to come home with me, there was no doubt. I think their faces are so very sweet. This is a mint condition piece.

Here is the label on the birds....Again, I did a search, and did not find any like them. I did find however that these types of things made by this maker, varied so much in price and value. On ebay, some were listed for a mere .99 and well...then all the way to over a hundred dollars. These cute little birds only cost me $3.00 and I was happy to pay it.

Now this cutie is not mine. This was the closest thing I found on ebay that was remotely close to my bird figurine above. It is absolutely the sweetest thing....but it is listed for $95.00......WOW.....I often wonder what the value would be on the treasures I find and drag home.....but maybe it is better that I don't know, because I doubt I could part with them. If I pick something up and put it in my basket, it is because I love it and plan on keeping it......that is why I need a bigger house....in the worse kind of way!

Have a great weekend and a very Happy Vintage Thingie Thursday!!

Luscious Lemon Cake

Sunday was my mom's birthday, so a celebration was in order. Happy Birthday to my mom, so glad we were able to get everyone together for your Birthday celebration. Lunch was at my house, simple, easy lunch, nothing too extravagant, but lunch was served on these yummy vintage restaurant dishes and the table was set with a vintage tablecloth, vintage Homer Laughlin bowl and a vintage cut glass vase with fresh flowers (that my husband provided for the occasion, the flowers that is)....all Goodwill finds....don't you just love Goodwill? I certainly do. I have expensive tableware, but it is these types of goodies that I prefer to use, they make my heart sing.

That pretty blue floral plate is my favorite. I will have to show you a close up of this one VTT...soon. Same with the Homer Laughlin bowl, it is dated June of 1944. Has been well used, but still a beautiful bowl with character.

I made a great cake for my mom's birthday. My mom loves anything lemon flavor, and this cake proved to be a real hit with everyone...even my daughter liked this and she only likes vanilla and chocolate cake...so I am certain it is a keeper. Now, I will be up front with this...this is certainly not a low calorie dessert...but hey, it is OK to treat yourself at celebrations every now and again. Below is the recipe. I am sure this would be wonderful on a hot summer day, it is such a refreshing dessert and a great make ahead and take dessert.

Luscious Lemon Cake

Ingredients:

1 box lemon cake mix
2 cans (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 (12 oz) container whipped topping, thawed
1 cup sour cream
1 cup oil
4 eggs
box lemon instant pudding
1/2 cup plus 3 Tablespoons sprite or 7up

Directions:

Pour in a large bowl, cake mix, sour cream, oil, eggs, 1/2 package of lemon pudding mix, (reserve other half for glaze), sprite or 7 up. Mix according to mix directions. Pour into a 9X13 cake pan, bake according to instructions on cake mix box.

While cake is baking, mix the glaze. In a medium bowl, combine the 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk with the fresh lemon and remaining lemon pudding mix. Mix well. Once cake is done, remove from oven and poke several holes with a fork in the cake, pour half of the glaze over entire cake. (Reserve half of the glaze for the icing, set aside) Let cake cool completely before icing.

With the reserved lemon mixture, gently fold in the whipped topping, mix well. Ice the entire cake. Chill in refrigerator over night or can be made up to two days ahead. This is so much better the next day.

As the cake sits, all the flavors blend together and makes a wonderful and tasty cake. This is not as good if you make the same day you want to serve....trust me on this....it needs to be made ahead of time. And it is still moist, and very fresh tasting even the day after.

Have a great day and I hope you find this recipe a delight at your next event. It is perfect for a potluck or get together when you are short on time, want something to make ahead of time and just grab and go. I have a few new recipes to share in the coming days...you just never know what is cooking in The Colorado Lady's kitchen...but the one thing you can be sure of....whatever it is will be served on a vintage dish or two.

Stuck at The Starting Gate / New Recipe

Have you ever been to the horse races?? If you have, ever notice how sometimes the horse will kick, paw, and not want to go into the starting gate?....do you have a mental picture of that?...good...because that was me this week.

I had plans to really get out of the starting gate and run the race this week, and well....I was more like a lazy mare in the pasture, grazing on a warm summer day...minus the summer day....uhhh!

How embarrassing to have to admit that to myself and the world. I found myself in a funk this week, not motivated in any area. So of course I did not do my best in this race to get back into healthy eating and losing weight again. On a positive note, I did manage to eat breakfast six out of seven days, ate more vegetables than I did over the holidays, but that is about it.

January is typical a hard month for me emotionally. I seem to not do well after the holidays, and during the gloomy days of winter. I was thinking about that the other day, and it occurred to me that throwing foods that I am not supposed to be eating into that mix is certainly not helping my cause. Monday...new week....we will see how I do this week.

Goals: (1) Stay on task. (2) weather permitting, take the dogs walking at least 45 minutes (I will exercise with the dogs, they love a walk....me not so much) I hope to walk at least one day....I know better than to try for more right off the bat, remember I know myself better than anyone! (3) Pull out my diet plan and review and focus on one day at a time.

***For those who emailed me about a copy of the diet plan I am on, I did not have this loaded right in the attachment, thus the delay. I will forward this as soon as I have my son check to see if I have done this correctly....by Monday, I will have emailed you your copy...sorry about this....thanks for your patience.

Now, I want to share with you a recipe I tried a couple of weeks ago. It is a good side dish with roasted chicken or steak or shrimp, and it a healthy option to regular potatoes. The most important thing about this dish, is it is super easy, great flavor and not a lot of prep work.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

You will need: Sweet potatoes, olive oil, Old Bay seasoning, Cinnamon and Kosher salt

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and a dash of kosher salt. Mix 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil with the spices and stir well.

slice sweet potatoes into about 1 inch pieces, and put on a rimmed baking sheet. I used about 3 medium to large sweet potatoes, (recipe calls for 1 1/2 lbs)

Sprinkle olive oil/seasoning mixture over potatoes

and toss until all of the potatoes are coated well. Bake in a 450 degree oven until potatoes are deep golden brown on all sides. Bake aprox. 30-40 minutes, be sure to stir and flip potatoes half way through cooking.

There you have it, a easy side dish that is so good, it will go with many meal options. This recipe serves 4 and has 178 calories per serving.

Have a great week everyone, and thanks for keeping me on task to record this journey and trying to move forward. Encourage on another....together we can do it.

VINTAGE THINGIES THURSDAY: Vintage Glass Towel Holders

Welcome to this weeks segment of Vintage Thingies Thursday. Thursday is the day to showcase your vintage treasures and to share your special things with everyone. If you are visiting and would like to join us, please do. It is very easy!
To participate, all you have to do is:

* * * * * * * Please everyone, follow these guidelines!

(1) do a post about something vintage.
(2) Visit all the participates and leave a comment.
(3) Link in with the link at the bottom of this post, please use a perma-link to link in with, that way, anyone can refer back to your post if they can not get to it on Thursday.
(4) Be sure to refer back to my blog so everyone can see who is participating today, and if you like include the VTT button in your post. Please be sure to have your post up before linking in.

REMINDER: We have several new friends linking in for Vintage Thingie Thursday. I want to remind everyone that the link for VTT goes up on Wednesday evening and will run through Friday morning (early) then the link will be closed. I know it is hard to get in the habit of posting earlier than later, but try and get your link in before early Friday morning. I have to close the link to keep spam out of the link. Thanks!! And I know Wednesday is not Thursday, here...but it is Thursday for our friends who live on the other side of the globe!!

I have mentioned several times that my husband and I love to go to Canton to First Monday Trade Days. We usually reserve that for warmer weather months. But, we went for First Monday this month for a change. Luckily, the weather was pleasant, cool, but in the sun, it was nice. There were not nearly as many vender's as in the warmer months, but if you were brave enough to make it in the cooler weather, there were bargains to be had.

I have the saddest story to tell you, but for some reason, I am holding off for a bit longer...I am so aggravated at myself for letting my husband talk me out of not buying something that I have regretted each and every day since. It almost has become an obsession. And I have been sad, bewildered,and mad at myself....this was a treasure from my childhood, that I may very well never see again for the price I found it for....can you believe I did that??? I am thinking of going back for First Monday Trade Days in February and hope beyond hopes he did not sell this item, and has it for sale then. I will let you know, and post about this in February....promise......nothing like leaving you hanging...right??? Well, I just want to make sure you check back and see what I am talking about.....sorry.

But, that trip was not without a great find. And this time, I did not pass it up. Like I said, bargains were to be found, and really, I am surprised I did not bring more goodies home.

Do you remember these? I found several of these vintage glass towel racks, some were priced over the top....but I did find these two from a guy who was more than happy to sell them to me. You know, it is funny, I don't remember anyone in my family having these in their homes, but I remember them being in a blue bathroom of someones house, and I thought they were great....now....who's blue bathroom they were in has slipped my mind, but now I own a set.

They need to have the paint removed and cleaned up a bit, but not too much. I like the rusty look and only want to clean up the glass. These were a steal at $20.00.

Funny story, the man had a higher price on them, and Steve was happy to give him whatever he wanted for them...(he was ready to go...and tired of me talking about the item I was not taking home, that now regret) Anyway, I asked the vendor if he had a better price on these....He looked at me real serious like and asked,....better price? Do you mean a better price for you or for me? Silly man......I did get him down off the original price by about $5.00, Steve slapped the money in his hand and was ready to go.....before I walked all the way across the field for the item, I now regret each and every day not getting.....just sayin'

I am going to put these in my sewing room, and use them to display some of my vintage linens. Truth be told, I need about 10 times more of these, but I will just display a few of my treasures with these two. I bet who ever owned them originally would have never thought they would end up in a room other than the bathroom. I will have to take pictures when I get them on the wall. It may be Spring, as I have a couple of shelves that need to be reworked to hang too, then I will show you the whole wall.

Have a great weekend my friends. January is marching on....come on Spring!