A Blondie Day

Happy Homestead

Just a heads up, my Happy Homestead Pillow Collection is in the shop today.

The collection is inspired by dreams of my great grandfather's farm. Although not owned by my family any longer, I was privileged a few years ago to visit the house and farm once owned by my great grandfather where my dad spent all of his summers growing up…and I got to take my dad there once more before he passed away. It was an amazing experience and I was in awe at how much I felt at home and at peace there.

 

 

 

As of late, my creative heart has been divided into two parts.  This is one part...so the next collection of pillows will be inspired by the second part....coming soon!

 

Hope you enjoy them.

 

XO Helena

The Colors of the Weekend

We are fitting in as many happy things as we can these last few weeks of summer.  My Girl starts Middle School in a few weeks and I will miss her. Making memories is high on my list right now.

One evening was spent at a fair.  The bright lights and aroma of delicious (and mostly fried) foods filled the senses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch at one of our favorite places on earth...Maureen's Kitchen!  Absolutely everything here is delish and all the cows, well - too cute.

 

 

 

 

Once upon a time this wonderful place was a tiny little cottage converted into a restaurant.  It was a 1/4 of the size it was now.  I miss that...the cozy homey feeling.  Everyone that worked there was family and you felt like you were being served breakfast by your favorite aunt. 

I can't blame them for expanding, but some of the charm - well, it's missing.  BUT, the food is still fabulous!!!

 

source

 

I did not find too much in my treasure hunting this weekend, but what I did find was sweet and I was happy to make it mine.

 

 

Amongst these treasure were a lovely vintage sewing box, a rosette afghan, gorgeous crushed velvet ribbon...

 

 

...a Kitchen Madonna and a beautiful flower book from 1867.

 

 

 

 

We are working on converting the spare bedroom upstairs into a storage/workroom for me - so off to work I go.  Hopefully this room will keep me more organized!

 

Much love,

As always,

 

Helena

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Clusters

It has been much too long since I posted my last Vintage Handwritten Recipe, and I aim to change that.

Since summer still has a bit of oomph left in it (temps in the high 80's coming this week), something quick, easy and NOT hot will fill the bill.

Hence...Chocolate Peanut Butter Clusters!

Oh boy - these are yummy.  Be prepared.

So here's the recipe as written...

Double Peanut Clusters

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup salted peanuts

Melt peanut butter and chocolate chips in a double boiler.  Stir until completely melted and blended.  Mix in nuts until completely coated. Drop onto cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  Chill.

BLONDIE NOTES:  I used dark chocolate chips.  If you are a fan of dark chocolate, you'll like that extra richness!  I also used lightly salted peanuts.  When you spoon this out onto the cookie sheet, be prepared for it to spread a bit, so leave room in between each cluster. After they have completely chilled, you can break them into smaller pieces, as I did, before serving - like a brittle.  

These were a big hit and disappeared very fast, so you might want to make a double batch.

Hope you enjoy!

Much love, as always,

XO Helena

Astor Place Vintage

One of the things I love best about, well, pretty much anything vintage is because it has a soul.  Each item has a story, a past, a history.  And one of my favorite things to do is to imagine that past.  Oh the tales I weave!  Vintage tablecloths, cookware and teacups tell me stories of the families gathered around the table savoring a wonderful meal cooked with love – perhaps a birthday or a Sunday afternoon dinner.  Embroidered linens evoke pictures of young brides working hard on their needlecraft so they can fill their new homes with beauty.  And clothing – oh clothing!  The images they create in my mind… first dates and dances; holidays and parties; walks in the park and church on Sundays, followed by a large family meal.  Furniture can also tell its story, as I try to picture where it once lived and how the rest of the room was decorated.  How fun it is and deeply satisfying to give all these things a new life and to appreciate them once again.

 

And that is exactly what I loved about Astor Place Vintage, a novel by Stephanie Lehmann.  Not only does she show you that vintage items do indeed have a past, but she brings you there!  When I was asked to review this book by Simon and Schuster, it didn’t take me more than a second to say “yes”. I couldn’t wait!

 

The story starts in more present time, 2007 to be exact, where you meet Amanda, the owner of a vintage clothing shop in New York City named, appropriately, Astor Place Vintage.  She is appraising an elderly wealthy woman’s clothing for possible purchase for her shop when she discovers a journal from 1907 sewed into the lining of an antique fur muff.  The journal’s author, Olive Wescott, lived in Manhattan 100 years earlier, and as you travel back and forth in time from Amanda’s world to Olive’s world, you will find yourself not only intrigued, but genuinely liking both of these women and identifying with them in different ways.  As the story unfolds, you find that their lives intersect and they are connected to one another in a magical way.

 

I found myself not only caring about these women, but by the end of the book I wished for more of them.  Stephanie Lehman brings you perfectly back in time to turn of the century New York City and makes it real.  I love her references to actual places and events and I found myself more than once Googling some of that information to learn more about it.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely book and am hoping for a possible sequel to see what happens next in the lives of Amanda and Olive.

 

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book…

 

“The past doesn’t just go away; it lingers on.  You can actually touch and see the remains, and to the extent that these souvenirs survive, the past is present.  You can’t say that for the future.  It’s not here in any form.  I can’t be; it hasn’t arrived yet.  Once it does arrive, it’s the present, but only fleetingly before it’s the past.  You can never hold the future in your hands.”

 

I hope you will consider this book…and enjoy it!

 

 

XO Helena

 

Ruffles and Gypsies

Just a quick note that there are ruffles...

LOTS of ruffles...

in the shop...

 

 

 

Rufflette Bags...

Blondie Blu Army Backpack...

 

 

... and crossbody bags...

 

 

 

 

Also, Gypsy Bags!

 

 

All in the shop today.

 

 

XO Helena

 

 

 

 

Little Snippets

Lately I've neglected my poor blog but I suspect in September after My Girl goes back to school and JW travels again (most likely) things will go back to normal, and I can blog a bit more.

But for the time being, little snippets of things will have to do!

My thrift shop and estate sale luck continues...

 

...beautiful, colorful vintage scarves have me thinking gypsy thoughts...

 

 

Gorgeous vintage lace abounds!

 

 

 

A treasure trove of vintage buttons...

 

 

 

 

And stunning vintage linens make a happy girl of me.

 

 

 

 

Flowers from my garden give me smiles...

 

 

 

...as do my blue toes...

 

 

 

 

A few new mini gypsy prayer flags are in my shop...

 

 

 

 

As are some new plates...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I am off to enjoy a summer day!

 

 

XO Helena