Dreams of Summer

Well, it's snowing here again.  

It's probably snowing where ever you are too, the way this winter has been.

I have been wistfully wishing to be outside in a warm sunny garden,

surrounded by flowers and greenery.

Unfortunately, the ground hog says that's not going to happen any time soon.

So, I've dug into my photo archives 

to bring you this little tour of garden statuary and flowers.

For several years, I was asked to photograph the gardens 

that were featured on our local Garden Walk 

and then make sets of notecards to give to the gardeners as thank you gifts.  

Many of these photos in this post are the result of that gig.

Come along with me for a little winter break. 

and let's see what we can find.

Here's a path in my friend Anna's gardens.

Absolutely fabulous.

And a gorgeous gazing ball from my friend Nina's garden.  

You may remember the post I wrote about her garden... you can see it here.

Here's an enchanting little fella

And a fish fountain

A gazing ball that belonged to my Mom

And an everlasting fruit basket.

Another gorgeous gazing ball, nestled in the trees

An armillary in the ivy

And a little girl with a net.

Here's a lady having a wardrobe malfunction...

And a lad on the alert.

Here's a nice, secluded spot to rest-  

Try to feel that warm sun on your face.

Some garden treillage

And another fountain amid the flowers

A gigantic dragonfly at the Morton Arboretum

And my friend Alice's arbor....

such a sweet spot.

Hurry, please, Spring!

Linking to:
Tuesdays Treasures at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Wednesdays Link Party at Adorned From Above

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Casserole

It's going to be Game Time soon and you're going to need a Recipe.

Here it is!

Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Casserole

Couldn't be easier or more delicious.

You're Welcome!

I first saw this recipe on Pinterest.  

Don't you just love Pinterest????

(If you don't know what Pinterest is yet, 

you need to find out!) 

I want to thank Lillian at My Recipe Journey for sharing her recipe on Facebook 

where it was then pinned onto Pinterest 

and shared with he entire world.  

Amazing how that works.

Here's Lillian's version:

This is a super easy, super quick, one dish casserole 

that tastes like pepperoni/pizza/pasta 

and cuts like lasagna.

It's so easy, my son can make it!  

Yup, he actually went out and bought himself a 9 x 13 pan 

and all the ingredients so he could make it, too.

It's that good.

He sent me a text picture of it.  I think we're bonding....

Here's his version:

I followed Lillians recipe pretty closely

but I used Arrabiata Sauce instead of pizza sauce.  

And I added the Parmesan Cheese after I mixed the pasta into the sauce and the water.

I didn't add any salt, and I didn't chop up the pepperoni.

I may have used a bit more than 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, too.

I love the Traders Joe's shredded Parmesan in the bag.  

Very tasty and reasonably priced.

When my son made it, he commented that the top layer of pasta 

seemed a bit dryer than the rest 

and I thought it might have needed the extra cheese to weigh it down. 

I know extra cheese works that way on me...  :*)

At any rate, be sure to let it stand for the full 15 minutes after you take it out of the oven.  

It looks pretty soupy at first, but then it firms up and cuts very nicely.

Add a salad and dinner's ready.

Enjoy!

Linking to
Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Adorned From Above Link Party

Vintage Earring Bracelet in Blues

These cold gloomy days often find me huddled in my cozy "studio" 

(read: laundry room/craft area) 

working on projects that keep me inside, where it's nice and warm.

I've written several posts about the Vintage Earring Bracelets I've been making.

You can read about them here and here and here.

I love making these bracelets because I think each earring is a little work of art.  

Somebody put a lot of effort into making these, usually before machines were used.  

And somebody's grandmother wore them on very special occasions.  

And I love having something small and inexpensive to hunt for at flea markets and antique shops.

I think these little treasures need to be seen!  

This bracelet works with denim and navy and black and white.

The center earring is gorgeous...

Great stones, prong set and beautiful colors. 

This pair inspired me to hunt for other blue earrings and here they are:

It came together when I found the end earrings with the pretty star pattern and the crystal border. 

For the bling, you know.

I had to add a little crystal bead charm to the end of the chain - it finishes it off nicely 

and adds a bit of weight that makes it easier to fasten.

Soooo pretty.

Grandmothers are smiling somewhere.

I think I'll wear it with this gorgeous new necklace I just picked up at Chico's, for half price. 

Oodles and oodles of beads.

The beads in the necklace are a bit bluer than they show up in these photos...

I've got the winter blues allright....

Can't wait to wear them on Saturday night!

Linking to 

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Adorned From Above Link Party