A Sweet Little Coffee Break

After a busy day of tidying up,
(How can 2 people, 3 dogs, 2 cats and 1 bird make such a mess?!)

I took a well-deserved break to treat myself. 

My new polka-dot coffee mug was calling my name :)

Isn't it cute? There was only one in that color, 

but I brought it home anyway. 

A little gift, just for me. 

Of course, I had to have something to go with my cuppa! 

These are sugar cookies that I baked for my Ramblin' Man. 

(His favorite - but then again, he says that

about everything I bake! I think it's a ploy...:) 

I took two....

I just found this pretty vintage plate. 

Again- there was only one,
but I thought it was so pretty. 

My Dear Mum taught me that it was important

to reward yourself with a little treat for those endlessly

thankless chores a woman does every day. 

It keeps us from going on strike. 

*Grin*

Fresh flowers are another little treat. 

These bright red carnations cost 

less than a Starbucks! 

They also have no calories, unlike a double mocha latte!

The galvanized bucket and stone birds

were my souvenier's from the 

Northwest Flower and Garden show. 

I sewed some sweet mug mats to go with my new cup. 

One for me, and some extra for guests. 

I find that guests don't use the coasters I set out, 

so I am hoping these might be more enticing. 

I made them out of vintage fabric and rick-rack, 

with thin cotton batting inside.
 I sprayed them with fabric protector, 

and they can also be thrown in the wash. 

I have been changing the decor in my kitchen 

a bit - from blues and greens to red and white. 

I have been finding inexpensive white 

dishware at my local home-goods store,

a piece at a time. 

I have fallen in love with this new color 

scheme. 

I painted this urn to hold my new angel. 

It was originally bronze. 

Just a light coat of  'cream' craft paint,
letting some of the bronze show through, 

gave it a whole new look. 

I tucked some moss around the base of the angel. 

*Sweetness and light*

While I take my break, I like to look through
magazines or books.

Whenever I went to visit my Dear Mum,
(who lived just down the lane from me for 30 years),
we would do this very same thing.

We built our homes 'together' on land
carved out of wilderness.

We would spend endless hours pouring
over decorating books, cookbooks,
and magazines.....dreaming.

She always made me feel welcome
and it was a sweet break from the hardships
of our lives.

We especially loved vintage cookbooks,
and we each had a small collection.

She was an excellent cook, and could
whip up a meal using whatever she had on hand,
without even using a recipe.

Her talent was passed down from her Mother,
Beatrice Euphemie, who raised 8 children
(seven daughters and finally, one son :)
during the depression and WWII.

These are three of my favorites,

I love hand illustrated cookbooks.

This one is especially charming.

'Betty Crocker's Kitchen Gardens',
a year 'round guide to growing and using
herbs and vegetables.
by Mary Mason Campbell,
pictures by Tasha Tudor.

Published in 1971. My Ramblin' Man
and I were dating then.

Oh, the years fly by, don't they?

Look what I found.....
one of his little notes tucked in the pages. <3

Another charming cookbook with sweet illustrations,
'Just a Matter of Thyme'
from the 'Among Friends' collection.
by Shelly Reeves-Smith and Roxie Kelley.
Published 1992

It just makes cooking such a delightful experience!

And of course, the iconic cookbooks
by Susan Branch are always a delight.

This one was published in 1986.

I found these cute paper clips which are perfect
for marking pages.

Oh, yum, these cookies are good!
My grandmother, Bea's recipe.

You can find the recipe Here.

Coffee break is over...time to get back to work.

Hmmmm - what shall I cook for dinner?

Wishing you a lovely week, Dear Friends!
Don't forget to treat yourself!

xoxo

Linking with: Roses of Inspiration