Blown Away by the Flea Market

Literally! Blown away, that is.

Quite a gale blowing, 30, 40 mph? The good news is there was Great Stuff! The bad news is the dealers were frantically packing it in early because their wares were blowing away. [I think there was a November hurricane, far out out sea? And this is its tail wind? Beats ol' Irene....]

I can't show you all my treasure because some are ---ssshhh---Christmas present makings. Yay! I felt so inspired and creative, much nicer than a tour through the mall or Target.

What didn't I buy? a red Bakelite needle/thimble case; brush trees, snowmen dolls to redo/ re-dress; postcards, both pictorial and Christmas. A tiny prim chest of drawers; 3 yellow ware bowls; a small black velvet bag with a  dainty rhinestone heart pinned in its side; various small leather or silk coin purses. Wool fabric. An aged farmhouse muffin tin for tea lights; bonsai trees; hand knit hats. A box of small treasures like a book shaped locket and tiny wooden sheep. Vintage Christmas wrapping paper, oooh!

I just couldn't get everything I liked! The dealers were loading their bins and tossing them into their vans like the end of the world was at hand. (Or an NFL football game scheduled?)

They were like, ''Take it, take it!''  [How much?] ''Just take it!'' {Well, okaaaaay...].

I had to beg this guy to sell me these wonderful felt hearts!

Most of my other purchases came from a couple of ladies whose boxes were packed but they let me look through them. Again, ''a dollar! a dollar! Hurry!''

I loved this set of heart shaped, nesting Shaker boxes!

And these berries....

I especially like the white winterberries.

Nearby a young man was selling oddball army surplus stuff...huge camouflage ghillie nets (or duck blind covers?)....but he had a small box of neat old bottles. I grabbed tis large flask, for yes, a dollar!

...for my growing lavender bottle display.....

And then! The trash bins. Yes I will dumpster dive, especially at this market and in this atmosphere of near-panic by the dealers.
Look at these neat canisters. Someone threw them away!

They all had matching, perfect lids!
I washed them and Cloroxed them so they're nice and pristine.

I may keep the far right TEA container  to store my tea...

And this guy was the clincher, the reason to reach on into the shards of broken glass....

Look! A swallow. (set oddly sideways?]
Sadly the jar lip is badly chipped but I can use it for spools of thread or something in my workroom, right?

I love it...
Like a funky tattoo art?

I can't wait for next Sunday! It's the bigger market but often the same dealers. Maybe I'll have time to get some of the other treasures?

Any treasures found in your markets lately? And what about your Christmas list? Any special secret wishes there?

love

                  lizzy

 

.....gone to the  beach

Mom! What's for Dinner?

Hi! We've all heard versions of that, haven't we?
Even if you don't have kids, or they've flown from the nest, there's: Honey, I'm home, what's for dinner?
My mother was a wonderful cook, everything from Julia Child gourmet to Italian specialties, to homestyle all-American comfort foods. She herself ate like the proverbial bird though and she often pondered the question, Why is it the woman's job to cook all the meals? In his defense my dad was also a very good cook and in later years he did quite a bit of the cooking. But still...that was like  something special, a favor. Since he was a man. Nope, bottom line, the kitchen buck stopped with mom.


Anyway. I try to prepare meatless meals now and then. And this veggie potpie sounded warm and  enticing.

(from USA Today Sunday insert in my local paper]:

The farmers market is still bustling and full of lovely autumn produce. I stocked up on pickles.

And beans for a white chili that's on our to-try list. Lovely broccoli and tiny brussels sprouts....

...and I picked up the makings for the potpie.

Shiny red potatoes, cremini mushrooms, a white cabbage, sweet onions....

You could perhaps use regular white mushrooms but the baby bellas/ creminis are so tasty and hold their shape...almost meatlike. Most supermarkets carry them, if you don't have a farmers market.

The prep calls for oven roasting the veggies for 20 minutes. This is not long enough to cook the diced potatoes. Next time I will either start them first, allow a total of 40 minutes for them, or precook in the microwave.
I also omitted the thyme, not a flavor we like..added parsley and a smidge of tarragon instaed.

The vegetables roasted in the 9 x 13" pan are quite crowded and while they cook nicely they create a lot of liquid. Pour this off before you add the cheese sauce to avoid a wet, soggy potpie.

[And what the heck is medium dice? I went with 1/2" (and obviously missed, as you can see) but I must check that out. I have no culinary education to fall back on. Why can't they just say?] I also brushed the patchwork-y topcrust with an egg beaten with cold water. It looks pretty!

The crust was store bought as directed. [Mrs. Smith's]. This was a brand I'd never tried and it was difficult to work with, the top just fell in pieces. But it was very good, flaky, crisp, yummy.

The recipe is NOT so easy. But worth it, because it was very delicious.

Here's my new oven! It is wonderful! I love it. I thought I didn't miss having an oven. It's been almost a year since my previous oven finally rusted through so completely it was unusable. Wall ovens don't come cheap! But are my preference, I hate baking stuff down on the floor.

We made baked apples for dessert. Some kind of heirloom red and yellow stripey kind, filled with walnuts, cranberries and dot of butter, lots of cinnamon and a drizzle of maple syrup. Oh that made the house smell so good! Served warm with a blob of Splenda sweetened fat free Greek yogurt and a cup of. peach tea.

Winter should be cosy here at the beach!

PS the potpie made very nice leftovers too...

It's a keeper! Here's the link:  Potpie
love

          lizzy

gone to the beach......

Mistress Crow Loves Mr. Moon

Last winter I found a rusty spiral wire---bed spring?---on my beach. I knew right away it would become a "nodder" ,

...a strange primitive sort of folkart sculpture/ toy that dates back to America's 1800s. A sort of make-do, like whirligigs and pin keeps.

Nodders are the great grandaddy of modern bobble dolls. Probably you've seen a famous baseball player nodding on the dashboard of some guy's pick-up? Yep, that's a nodder...as are hula girls and nodding Garfield the cat dolls.

It took me ever so long to make the figures. I love  folkart images of Mr.Moon, the  man in the moon...so I knew my nodder should be a Moon and a crow for autumn.

I did a rough sketch on the paper pad I use for a mousepad. I made patterns, then found out that unless I wanted a huge moon, it would be difficult to attractively form his profile.

I decide to print a drawing on muslin...none of my 7" sketches looked at all as interesting as my small "remember this idea" doodle. So I blew it up to size, I figured our mirror reverse. I carefully attached muslin to printer paper, fed it in...bleh! The printer went wacko. And spit it out. Again and again and again...

Finally I had two sides. I trapunto'd Mr Moon's features, sewed and stuffed him. Added glo-in-the-dark inked details.

I dug a nice piece of driftwood from my stash., added an old brass keyhole cover...

Missy Crow was simpler!

Except I had no black cotton, finally used a napkin, lol. Her eyes dont't match but are wonderful old golden yellow buttons, one is Victorian glass, one the tiniest MOP in yellow.

She holds her heart in her beak, and pines for Mr. Moon.

Will love prevail?

I made two Missy Crows, as I often do, I always make extras.

This pretty dove or sparrow holds a tiny quilt scrap heart.

Her base is a giant plastic button from my newest button box purchase.  So she stands ever so nicely atop this Mason jar [but isn't attached permanently].

I also had the Eureka! moment for making Mason jars with tea lights...this is a primitive, scented wax votive from Michael's...battery operated, so it is safe if tucked int a bowl of potpourri. And of course will "burn'' even with the old zinc lid screwed on tight.

Golden candleight for a cold Autumn full-moon night.

love

                lizzy

gone to the beach....