a little bit of everything

 In my last post, I was telling you about how my friend introduced me to a vintage shop...that was the place where I showed you all the outdoor succulents. Well, I also found a couple of lovely treasures there. I came across this stack of Fire King dishes and thought that by the tag, they were either $6 each or perhaps that rather large period after the 6 was a 0, so that the stack of plates (11 of them) was $60. Wrong on both counts. This entire stack of beautiful dishes was only $6!! The owner of the shop told me that this consignee was an elderly woman who simply wanted to get rid of some of her things; she wasn't looking to make money. This is the Primrose pattern which was made from 1960-1962.

I'm keeping them stacked in my kitchen china cabinet ~ so easy to grab a plate at mealtime. I haven't used paper plates in many years. I try to be environmentally friendly, plus it's a cost savings. Not to mention, even just a salad or sandwich looks more inviting on a pretty plate.

 I also found this small vintage print for $3. I was drawn to the little girl with her braid sticking out of her scarf, the bird in the tree, and the worn frame. This print is now part of my gallery wall that I've been working on in the hallway.

Isn't it fun to receive packages in the mail? This pretty rose tureen recently arrived for me from Cathy at My 1929 Charmer. I won it in her blog anniversary giveaway. Thank you, Cathy! If you're not familiar with her blog, go pay Cathy a visit. She has the most beautiful gardens and has a ton of talent with her decorating and vignettes. You will see why her house is called "The Charmer". :-)

 After a very rainy and cool June, the sun finally came out yesterday afternoon and it warmed up a bit, so I was out in the yard for a few hours pulling weeds, trimming neighbor's overhanging trees, sweeping the porch and patio, and watering and moving potted plants. I found this forgotten chair in the garage and decided to use it as garden art.

 Nothing new here. Just thought this area by the patio was looking so pretty with the tiger lilies in full bloom. I sure wish they'd stay that way the entire summer.

 Brought more houseplants outside and put them on the table on my front porch...

 I normally have a bouquet of fresh flowers on my kitchen table and if they don't come from my yard or the roadside, they're from Trader Joes. I usually stick with alstroemeria since they're only $3.99 per bunch. I keep my table simple since it's small and right there in the kitchen. I don't have a formal dining room.

 I moved the bouquet of flowers to the living room for a change of pace...

 and then added this basket with bottles and blooms instead to the kitchen table. The hydrangea and lamb's ear are from my yard.

 I played switcheroo with the vintage utility cart and the red chair. This is the "after" photo. I like this arrangement much better than the "before". Looks more balanced.

 This was the "before"...

 And since I was playing in the kitchen, I also whipped up a batch of my homemade granola:

MEL'S GRANOLA

4 cups old-fashioned oats

1-1/2 cups mixed nuts & seeds (your choice...cashews, almonds, pecans,

 walnuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas)

1/8 cup each chia seeds, flaxseed meal, & hemp hearts

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1 tsp each salt and cinnamon

1/3 cup olive or coconut oil

1/3 cup pure maple syrup (don't even think of using the fake crap!)

Mix oats - cinnamon in a large bowl. Whisk together the olive or coconut oil and maple syrup, then pour over oat mixture. Stir until oats are thoroughly coated. Bake in 300F oven for 1/2 hour, stirring halfway through. Let cool on cooling rack and then store in an airtight container. You can add any kind of dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, apples, figs, dates, bananas) to the mixture when it's cool, if you'd like. I prefer it as is in the summer...I like it on top of plain Greek yogurt and then topped with fresh blueberries or strawberries.

Brian's had a few vacation days and the lucky guy has been painting our bedroom. After a lot of deliberation, we decided on this light gray - Lattice by Sherwin Williams. So much better than the baby blue it once was! Here's a sneak peek. The room is getting a complete makeover: hardwood flooring, new mattress and headboard, blinds, curtains, furniture, lamps. Will probably take awhile knowing us, but stay tuned.

For those of you in the US, please have a safe and fun Fourth of July weekend!

healthy homemade granola

 Most store-bought granola is loaded with sugar and/or unhealthy oils such as

canola oil. Even if you find a healthy brand, it's usually pretty expensive.

Making your own granola at home is much healthier and cheaper, too.

And you can tweak the ingredients to suit your taste.

Here's my go-to recipe:

HEALTHY GRANOLA

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup unsalted nuts or seeds, any combination

(pecans, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews, pumpkin or sunflower seeds)

1/2 cup unsweetened organic shredded coconut

1 T flax seeds or meal

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or organic coconut oil

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 cups dried fruit (raisins, currants, cherries, apricots)

Preheat oven to 300F. In large bowl, combine the oats - cinnamon.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive or coconut oil and maple syrup.

Pour over the dry mixture and stir until well coated. Spread the granola

onto a rimmed 11x17" baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway

through, until the oats and nuts are a deep golden color. Remove the granola

from the oven, stir in the fruit, and set the sheet on a wire rack to cool

completely. Seal in a tightly sealed jar for up to two weeks.

 

I love this granola stirred into plain Greek yogurt and topped with

fresh berries for breakfast. Enjoy!