whoosh!

week from today is the start of the 2014 winter olympics.

i picked up this jar at an estate sale last december.

love the jar, 

herring......not so much.

love is in the air

we now bring you back to winter

  monday's high will be - 

 -4. 

we interrupt this winter

to bring you a bit of spring.

i found this canning jar

at a thrift store a few weeks back.

it was amoung all the canning jars 

and stuck out in all it's 

floral couture.

reminds me of liberty fabrics.

must have taken someone quite some time 

to paint all the flowers.

i used it to keep receipts during the holidays.

 when spring is here 

i plan to use it for the real thing. 

time for tea mr. carson

all set.

ready for downton abby tonight.

my new favorite tea time treat is

crackers, spread with mascarpone 

and a dab of quince and apple's "tart cherry and white tea" preserves.

it's like a bite of cherry pie.

i am hoping my jar lasts the season.....

quince and apple is a local business right here in madison, wi.

the owners were featured on "wisconsin foodie" the other night.

back in the day they worked at potters crackers putting in an 8 hour day, then when the day job was 

finished they started making preserves and would work until 2 in the morning.

long work day.

i just checked their website, they have  products in many 

shops around the us, plus they ship.

on with the show!

evergleam

sorry i know christmas is over,

but our local historical museum has an

exhibit of aluminum christmas trees

and my friend denise and i

stopped by to see what is all about.

the historical society says 

it is the states largest collection of classic 1960's aluminum christmas trees.

i bet there is some collector out there 

that has more :)

here is the coveted pink aluminum tree.

don't have a pink tree, you can make

 a silver one pink 

with a pink

canned light as above.

we headed up to the 2nd and 3rd floors looking for more trees,

but they were only on the first floor.

we did however get a nice view of 

the capitol square.

here's a pic of the street on the square to the left of the photo above.

sorry for the glare.

here it is today.

blah, blah, blah.

we noticed a faded sign on the building that is in the previous photo from the 50's.....

do you see it -

barons, department store.

a small remembrance of the good old days.

a christmas tail(s)

donny and erin brought their newest members of their family

home at christmas, 

barley and timber.

two luvable, full of energy rescue pups.

1st thing barley did was make a few laps in the house and grab an ornament in his mouth from the tree.

good thing we were able to get it out without it breaking in his mouth.

timber made a few laps and saw the tree and thought

wow, indoor plumbing.....how nice.

ooops, oh well target was donny's present,

 how did he know?

it's bedlam, 

bedlam i say!

snow year 2014

happy snow year!

the farmers almanac has been correct -

 bitter cold and snow......

hope you are all off to a wonderful new year,

we are starting it off right with

kyle and julie's wedding in a few weeks 

eek!