Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Holidays?



Not your traditional Halloween card, right? Actually, I made this card for a Gina K. challenge...use pop dots or foam dimensionals on a card. Heck, that's a piece of cake for me! I LOVE those little foam pieces and use them all the time. I use them so often that I find the little white backing pieces all over my house and in some of the strangest places.

This card is more of a winter theme rather than Christmas. I used the mountain image from the Gina K stamp set "Happy Camper", stamping it twice and then cutting out just the evergreen trees to layer on top of the larger image. If you look closely, you'll see that I used my glue pen and some glitter on the trees, too. the sentiment is from Gina K's set "Many Wishes".

{recipe: Happy Camper (Gina K), Many Wishes (Gina K), soft suede cardstock and ink, Pure Luxury Ivory cardstock, Cosmo Cricket Wonderland papers, modern label punch, small oval punch, rhinestone twinkles (amuse), wide choc. satin ribbon }

I think my costume this year should be Florence Nightingale...I've been playing nurse to my sick son, and he's not getting better. I think we'll be back in the doctor's office this Monday. What do you think? Should we wear face masks when we go to the office? I'm serious! I've spent the entire day doing laundry (wahsing towels on hot water!) and cleaning the house. I'm wiping all of the door handles and light switches with Lysol wipes, and cleaning all the garbage cans with liquid Lysol solutions. sigh!

Today is All Hallow's Eve, and tomorrow is All Saint's Day. Happy Holy Days, everyone!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Dr. Quinn, Where Are You?


Is there a doctor in the house? Yesterday, I made the six hour round trip drive to retrieve my sick college student for some recuperating time at home. Poor Luke has bronchitis and pharyngitis, but luckily, not the swine flu. I'm keeping him quarantined in his room, and plying him with hot tea, chicken noodle soup, and hard candies. He had to miss an overnight cross country meet in Lansing, Michigan this weekend, so he's a little bummed. I guess Luke got the trick instead of the treat this Halloween.

I made today's card for Gina K's October Release sketch challenge. There's been a theme with my cards this week...lots and lots of Get Well wishes!

{recipe: Many Wishes (Gina K), Basic Grey Mellow papers, soft suede ink and cardstock, pumpkin pie ink, pearls, scallop circle punch}




I was flipping through channels on the television the other day, and was so pleasantly surprised to find TGN, The Gospel Network. And what do they air every night at seven o'clock? One of my old favorites...Dr. Quinn, Medecine Woman!

It got me thinking...where are the wholesome family shows like Dr. Quinn? Now, if you want to find a decent program, you have to watch reruns that are ten to twenty years old.

I have pretty much given up on major network programs for the last several years. ABC? CBS? NBC? Forget it! But this season, ABC had aired a new series that looked a little intriguing. We watched the pilot and a few other episodes. But last week was the last episode of that program I'll watch. I couldn't believe what I was seeing on TV at the eight o'clock family viewing hour (seven o'clock if I'd lived in St. Louis!).

Just think...not so many years ago, Lucy and Desi had to sleep in separate twin beds! Now don't get me wrong...I'm not a prude. Dr. Quinn and Sully slept in the same bed together, and I don't have a problem with that...after all, they were married at the time of this episode. But when I'm watching a program with my husband and sons, and we all groan aloud at what's happening on the screen, then there's a problem.

We watch television as a family, and that's a good thing. We enjoy shows like Monk, Psyche, and Burn Notice on USA. And we're a little obsessed with Fringe on FOX right now. But I don't think we'll be venturing back to the major networks any time soon.

Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things."

They're few and far between these days, aren't they? But whenever I find a good thing, you'll bet that I'll think about it, and probably talk about it, too.

Blessings on your weekend!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

A Visit From a Friend


This morning, I looked out at my bird feeders and couldn't believe who I saw...a hummingbird! I thought they'd left weeks ago, but apparently, they're still lingering before they fly to warmer climates. I've heard that the weather should be nice for the next few days, so I'm going to put some fresh food in my hummingbird feeder. ( Four cups boiling water to one cup sugar).

My card was inspired by my morning visitor. I made this for the skecth challenge at Splitcoast Stampers today.

{recipe: Friends 24-7 (SU), Teeny Tiny Wishes (SU), sage shadow cardstock, soft suede cardstock and ink, Outlaw papers (SU), kraft ribbon, small oval punch, pearls}

I may have another visitor very soon. My son, Luke, called from college last night to tell me he's sick with fever, cough, and all the usual symptoms. He told me he's on his way to a doctor today, and will call and let me know this afternoon if I need to drive down to pick him up and bring him home. Oh joy! It would really stink to be sick and far from home with no one to take care of you.

My sister, Tina, is sick with the flu, too. Yikes! It's a good thing I'm stocking up on Get Well cards this week!

Stay healthy, everyone!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Just Because


It's always a good idea to have a few "generic" cards on hand for all occasions. Lately, I've had to send out a few more Get Well cards. The flu seems to be spreading like wildfire. Back home in Michigan, they told me that many schools were simply closing for a week, just to try to contain the spread. I don't think our schools here in Indiana have seen the big attendance drop yet, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time. I know of two close friends who've tested positive for swine flu (or H1N1) now.

Yesterday, I was volunteering in Sam's school. As I was signing out at the secretary's desk, the school nurse was telling a father about his son's fever and headache symptoms. Aaack! I pumped the Germ-X on my hands, scrubbed them, and then held my breath as I backed out of the school building without touching any door handles (like a doctor who has scrubbed and is entering the OR!).

For the past several weeks, I've been preaching the "wash your hands" sermon to my family. Whenever we return home from anywhere, I immediately tell them all to go wash their hands. It's really one of our best defenses.

I'm also a big believer in boosting immunities. While my family is not big on taking vitamins, I make sure we eat our vitamins with the superfoods that boost immune resistance. Foods like berries, nuts, yogurt, spinach, tomatoes, beans, oats and other high fibers. Of course, taking a vitamin C every day and drinking some healthy teas like green tea or rooibos tea probably wouldn't hurt, either.

Okay, enough with the public service announcement! On to the card!

I made this card for the color challenge on Splitcoast Stampers today. Originally, I had planned on making this card a vertical card, but after playingf with it, I liked the horizontal better. I had to have these two stamp sets before I retired from my demo status at SU. They were pricey, and I'd put off buying them for that reason. But I think they'll come in handy, and I should get a fair amount of use from them.

{recipe: Define Your Life (SU), Defining Alphabet (SU), Dots and Daisies background stamp (SU), kraft cardstock, melon mambo cardstock/ink/polka ribbon, versafine onyx ink, Rockabilly paper, Martha Stewart punch, scallop edge punch}

Thanks for looking today! And remember...wash those hands!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Sending Tricks and Treats


I'm back! It was a fast weekend in Michigan, but it's always nice to see family, even if it's for a short period of time. My mom's house is always so warm and welcoming.



Her fall display of pumpkins looked so sweet. I thought that was a great use for a child's chair!


I needed a fast card for my son, Luke. I'll be sending a Halloween care package off to college tomorrow, and this card will be perfect. This image from the Gooseberry Patch stamp set "Halloween Goodies" makes me smile. It brought to mind all of the crazy snack projects we used to come up with when I was a preschool teacher. Spread white frosting on a Nutter Butter cookie and add two chocolate chip eyes for a "ghost". Take an apple wedge, stick it with three toothpicks covered in colored marshmallows and what do you have? The Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria! And who could forget the potato/feather turkeys? A classic!

{recipe: stamps from Gooseberry Patch, purple/orange/green cardstock, versafine onyx ink, prisma markers, green brads, corner punch}

Friday, October 23, 2009

Showers

It's a gray day today, with showers forecasted for most of the weekend. What a perfect morning to make a card for a bridal shower!

For starters, I have to decide what stamp set to use.



Once I've picked images, then I move on to the world of pretty papers.




Ooh, so many to choose from!



And then there are the accessories. Twinkles or pearls? Ribbons or flowers?





And don't even get me started on all of the punches!



The entire process is about making choices. Pink ribbon or brown? (Brown) Twinkles or pearls? (Twinkles) Scallop punch or heart punch? (Scallop punch) Foam dimensionals or tape? (Tape) Hearts or flowers? (Flowers) After all of these hard choices, is it any wonder why I can't think of a thing to fix for dinner?


{recipe: Doodle This (SU), Teeny Tiny Wishes (SU), choc. chip ink and cardstock, Basic Grey Sugared papers, choc. satin ribbon, Martha Stewart lace punch, scallop oval punch, lg. oval punch, Prima flower, twinkles}

For some reason, I do my best card making in the morning, while I'm enjoying my first cup of coffee for the day. But here's the really odd thing...I do my best writing in the evening, after dinner dishes are cleaned and the rest of the house if busy watching television or doing homework. I guess these two artistic pursuits use different parts of the brain. Interesting.

So tell me, what time of the day is your creative time?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

For James


My nephew, James, is turning eleven next week. I know that we'll see him when we're in town this weekend, so I thought I'd make him a card and bring it with me.

James is a vintage car and truck lover. When he saw the Adam Sandler movie, "Bedtime Stories", he couldn't stop talking about how much he loved the truck from that movie. I confess, I love vintage trucks, too! Especially when they're a cool color, like this very retro sage green. When I found this stamp set at Gina K.'s shop this summer, I knew right away that I'd have to use this image for James' birthday this year!

{recipe: stamp from Gina K. Designs, Basic Grey Archaic papers, choc. chip and sage shadow cardstock, pewter brads, versafine sepia ink, prisma markers}

James is also getting his traditional Aunt Mary birthday gift...my secret fall candy mix. It's a very complicated recipe. Here it is:

One jar salted peanuts
One bag candy corn
One bag plain M and M's

Whew! That's a tough one, huh? But the kids love it! I found some really funky colored M and M's that are black, lime green, purple, and orange. It looks very Halloween-like when all mixed together.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

From Our Home to Yours


Yesterday's color challenge on Splitcoast Stampers was to use Bravo Burgundy, Cameo Coral, Vanilla, and Always Artichoke...now, I never would have added the cameo coral to this combo on my own, but I think it makes a nice addition. Once again, I added old stamps with new....from vintage 1998 Stampin Up to 2008 SU.

{recipe: Home and Heart, Harvest of Friendship, Filigree, Bella's Bloom, baroque burgundy cardstock, cameo coral cardstock and ink, always artichoke paper and ink, versafine ink, prisma markers and pencils, oval punches, gold stickles}


Speaking of home...I'll be going home to Michigan this weekend to attend a bridal shower. (Hmm, better make a card soon!) My sister, Jenny, has been busy crafting, and I can't wait to see her new hats and gloves in person. She's been making some wonderful items with recycled and felted wool sweaters. You can see them on her blog on the right (old maid new). Drop her a line for ordering info. She's been selling her items in a local shop, and they're very popular.

One of my favorite items are her coffee beanies. I love them! Whenever I head to a local coffee shop, I tell them to skip the coffee sleeve because I have my own. And when I pull out one of these darling creations, all the baristas gush over how cute they are! Not only is it stylish, but it also saves a disposable coffee sleeve from clogging up a landfill with more useless paper.

These coffee sleeves make a fun gift. As a matter of fact, I mailed off two this week. One went to Gina K. to thank her for opening her shop for me when I was in Madison this summer. What a sweetheart! The other is going to my dear friend, Beth, who I've enjoyed many a cup of coffee with in the past.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Thinking Ahead



Sometimes, it's fun to live in the moment. But there are other occasions that need a little forethought and careful planning. Today, I made a card to add to my stash for those colder days ahead. This image is from the new Gooseberry Patch release "Sugar and Spice". When I saw this snowman mug, I knew I had to have this set! The background paper is also from the new Sugar and Spice Scrapbooking kit. And what is in the mug, you may ask? Could it be a cafe mocha? Or maybe it's a peppermint mocha! Whatever it is, it has a little sugar on top, too!



I added a little glitter with my Sakura Glue Pen. Now it looks good enough to eat...or in this case, sip! If you'd like to see these sets for yourself, just click on the Gooseberry Patch link on the right.

recipe: {Sugar and Spice clear stamp set and Scrapbooking kit (Gooseberry Patch), soft suede and cranberry cardstock, versafine onyx ink, prisma markers, glitter, felt snowflake, amuse twinkle, word window and modern label punch}



Here's another wonderful reason to plan ahead...Operation Christmas Child! Every year, Franklin Graham and Samaritan's Purse collect shoeboxes filled with goodies for children who live in extreme poverty around the world. These shoeboxes are filled with mere trinkets, but to the children, they are treasure!

You can fill a shoebox for a boy or a girl (ages 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14), and drop them off at an area church or collection site that is participating. This year, the National Collection Week is November 16-23.

Now is a great time to hit the Dollar Stores and Target clearance aisles for items such as school supplies, hygiene products, candies, small toys. This is a great project to do with the children in your family. They can even write a note and include a photo of themselves in the boxes. My family has been participating for the last six years, and it's become a wonderful tradition for our holidays.

For more information, please visit this website:

www.samaritanspurse.org

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Good For The Soul

It has been said that confession is good for the soul. Well, I have a confession to make. And if I can't confess to you, my blog friends, well, then who can I confess to?

Do you remember my post in September when I mentioned how much I love brown transferware china? Here's the post:

http://maryrosescafe.blogspot.com/2009/09/swapping-out.html

I told you how I love those big turkey platters, but the frugal part of me kept telling my brain that I didn't need them. Well, guess what? The frugal part of my brain had an arm wrestling match with the splurging part of my brain. You can see who won here:




I found these lovely Spode turkey plates at T.J. Maxx, and I only bought six of them, so it wasn't a complete splurge. They just make my hutch look so autumnal and pretty. I couldn't help myself! I just love eye candy!




Of course, I have to rationalize my purchase. For the cost of one dinner out at a fast food restaurant, I was able to purchase dishes that my family will use and admire for years to come. A good trade off, in my opinion, and really, who needs all the fat and calories of another supersized value meal?



Do you know what else is good for the soul? Stamping! I made this thanksgiving card today using a sketch from a challenge at Splitcoast Stampers.

{recipe: Falling Leaves (SU), choc. chip/ pumpkin pie/ old olive ink and cardstock, pure luxury ivory cardstock, Basic Grey mellow papers, word window punch, modern label punch, amuse twinkles}

We have sunny skies today! I decided to wash my favorite woolen sweaters from LL Bean and put them out in the sun to dry. I just looked out, and they are covered in little yellow leaves from the Linden trees. Ah, autumn!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Holiday Stitching



I've said it before, but I'll say it again. Crafters are always working a full season ahead. If it's summer, we're working on fall projects. In the fall, we're working on winter. But this week, I managed to finish an autumn project...in autumn! Of course, the next day, I had moved on to holiday stitching. Here's a new pattern from SamSarah that I'm currently stitching for a Christmas gift:



The original pattern (found in the Christmas ornament issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine) called for a lot of Crescent Color Silk flosses...which I don't own. I decided to swap them out for the Weeks Overdye flosses that I do have. Thus far, I've used whitewash, linen, molasses, turkish red, and moss.

I picked up an assortment of Q Snap frames in various sizes last month. Wow...what an improvement over the hoops that were once used in needle art.




It is a chilly, overcast day here...the perfect weather for cuddling up with a soft blanket and a warm labrador. Hope your day is cozy, too!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

More Stuff to Crow About


I have a new love in my life. Crows. I know, weird, huh? I'm obsessed with them right now! There's just something so primitive about the bird...he shows up in all of the best autumnal settings, too. For example, big crow and his friends are now perched on this pillow, thanks to the pattern that I finally finished from Homespun Elegance.




And then I found this beauty at my favorite store in town. When Sam first saw him, he thought it was real! Those eyes are very lifelike. I love him. I could probably have a flock of crows just like this little guy all over my house! For now, he's perched on my mantel.



When my husband first saw that the bird landed in our house, he said "I see you found a Raven."
Oh! I hadn't thought of ravens, only crows. I think that Ed's mind went to the raven instead, in large part, because of a book that we both read and loved called "Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norrell" by Susanna Clarke. The raven figures prominently in this fantastical novel about England and the history of magic. (I wish someone would make this book into a movie. It would be awesome!)




Today, I made this card for the color challenge at Splitcoast Stampers. Looks like the crows aren't afraid after all! I used a LOT of stamps for this card from various SU sets dating from about 1999 to 2009, but overall, I think it came together quite nicely. New and old combined to make something fun!

{recipe: Great Groupings, Falling Leaves, Just Jeans, Stipple Plaid, Autumn Vine paper, choc. chip/apricot appeal, bermuda bay cardstock and inks, Versafine onyx ink, prisma markers and pencils, felt flower, brad}

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Garden Mojo




Autumn is in full swing here in Northern Indiana. The fall foliage is taking center stage, while the gardens are beginning to wind down for the season.

When we moved here in the spring of 2008, I took a hard line with my gardening. I was frustrated with the fact that we've been moving with some frequency in recent years, and I never got to see the full fruits of my labor where my gardens are concerned. Gardening is a time and money consuming process, and when you're planting entire gardens by scratch (as I've been doing with the last three or four houses), you really don't get to see a fully matured garden for three to five years after planting. Unfortunately, we've been moving before the lush garden phase.




I told myself that this time, I was going to leave well enough alone and only plant vegetable and herb gardens for their practicality. In truth, I think I just lost my gardening mojo.

This year, after another bout of Lyme disease, I finally felt well enough to plant something else in July. And lucky for me, by that time, everything was in deep discount at the garden centers. Thanks to a cool summer, my new plants took instantly, and where other gardens in the neighborhood were looking a little sad, mine was in full bloom. Those little plants were so thankful to be rescued from the clearance rack at the garden center!




This year, I had three stand outs. In the very last week of June, John Ryan helped me plant Morning Glory seeds along our mailbox, lamp post, and trellis near the garage. This vine was amazing! It bloomed in pink, purple, blue, white and red. People commented on this plant all summer. I was so pleased that it took, considering how late we got it into the ground!





Another favorite plant? Coleus. I had some lovely varieties in shades of lime green, purple and red. Some of them grew to bush-size! Coleus takes a backstage in spring and early summer, but by late summer and early fall, they really shine.



I also bought a flat of tuberous begonias because they were cheap. They loved the dappled sun/shade of my front yard, and bloomed in profusion. They looked like delicate red and pink roses. It's the middle of October, and they're still blooming!



My big garden setback this year was a powdery mildew fungus that overtook my Hollyhocks. They had grown to over seven feet tall, but before they could fully bloom, the powdery mildew took over. Well, I must have been foggy-headed thanks to the Lyme disease, because I didn't recognize the problem until it was too late. The mildew killed not only the Hollyhocks, but it decimated my nearby cucumbers and zucchini, too. It wasn't until it reached the zinnias that I finally got around to treating it with a spray mixture of baking soda, warm water and dish soap. I think I'll have to be vigilant about this problem next year.


I think the biggest lesson I learned this year is that you can be a budget gardener in some simple ways. For starters, if you can plant it by seed, it will save you a lot of money. I successfully grew beans, peas, lettuce, zinnia, cosmos, sunflowers and morning glory from seed this year.




Another big way to save money? Don't rush out to the nurseries on that first warm weekend in May. It may be tempting to be the first in the neighborhood with colorful blooms, but the truth is you pay a big price for that. If you can wait until AFTER mother's day to buy hanging baskets, they will be much cheaper. And if, like me, you can wait until after flag day to plant your annuals, you will get them at cheap prices and still be able to enjoy them for months to come.




Now I can sit on my porch and admire the colorful mums and burning bushes and dream of next year's gardens. Roses? Wisteria? Hydrangea? Hmmm...we'll see!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Just Cross-Stitching



I picked up the Halloween and Christmas ornament issues of Just Cross Stitch magazine last week. My good friend, Beth, has a pattern in each issue! You can see her Halloween Manor from Fanci That on pg. 47 in the Halloween issue (very cute!). But the pattern I can't wait to stitch up is her "Glory to the Newborn King" angel pattern on page 17 of the Christmas ornaments issue! If you love the Saltbox Studio line of stamps as much as I do, then you may recognize this angel from last year's Christmas release. Just adorable! And how cool would it be to stitch a lovely ornament gift and make a matching hand stamped card to go with it?

Both of these issues are filled with some wonderful projects. Just $4.99 for the Halloween issue, and $6.99 for the larger Christmas issue. I would spend that much on just one pattern in a needle art shop, but these issues are filled with a TON of patterns I can't wait to try.

I like the fact that these patterns are small and relatively easy to stitch in a short amount of time. These are just the sort of patterns that I want to make as gifts for the holidays. I'm finishing up one more autumn stitching project this weekend, and then moving on to some of the projects from these magazines. I wonder how many I can make before December 25th?

Speaking of Christmas, my husband and I were talking about early holiday shoppers. Ed works in the retail business, and he told me how important it will be to buy early this year, as many stores have reduced their inventories to cut costs this season. He said that if you're waiting for drastic reductions in December, you may find some very picked over stores with very little merchandise on the floors. He said that it's a good idea to shop sales now rather than waiting for Black Friday or the bustling days of December. Just thought I'd pass this info on to all of you, too.

As you know, I'm cutting way back on the holiday spending this year. For this reason, I've begun my holiday shopping even earlier than normal. If I found a fabulous deal in September (like Longaberger photo frames for $7!), I stocked up. A big sale at Gooseberry Patch? I ordered early. I have a gift closet in my guest room that's storing my early bird specials. I'll be adding my hand-stitched creations to the closet, too! It makes common sense to be a little prepared.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Coupon Book



I have a fun project to show you today. I made a coupon book this week using the "Preserving Memories" scrapbooking kit from Gooseberry Patch. I really needed a better way to organize my coupons, and this little book has worked out well. I'm going to give some step by step instructions and dimensions here so that you can make you own book, too.

The Cover:

For the cover, I used two sturdy pieces of 6 X 6 inch chipboard. I made a binding using a 2 1/2 " X 6 " piece of chipboard, scoring a half inch section in the middle to form the binding. I attached a piece of 5 3/4 " squared paper from Gosseberry Patch to the front a back on the covers. Then, I attached the covers to the binding. I embellished the cover using a wide oval punch of red cardstock, a scallop oval punch of the green gingham paper from Gooseberry Patch, and the red corner accents from the scrapping kit.

Inside:



For the interior, I used 8 1/2 X 11 inch Pure Luxury Ivory Cardstock(Gina K Designs) that I scored at 5 1/2"mark down the center, then turned and scored again at the 3" mark to form the pocket. I flipped the "pocket" up and secured the left and right side openings with tape (so that the coupons didn't go flying out!). I adhered some cute pieces of paper from the kit (that I'd cut to measure 2 3/4 X 5 1/4) onto the front of each pocket. I used my trusty Dymo label maker to label the coupon sections.

To fit the cover to the pockets, I used a hole punch to punch holes in the top and bottom on the center crease line, then punch holes in the top and bottom of the center binding of the cover. I threaded a length of ribbon through the holes from the center, and then tied the ribbon on the outside cover's binding. Done!

My book has six pocket pages. Here are the others:







And here's the back cover:


This cute little book could really be used for so many things other than a coupon organizer. It could become a scrapbook, using the pockets to hold papers, journalling tags, or memorabilia. Another idea? Make this coupon book as a holiday gift, and put a special "coupon" in each pocket...redeemable for a free haircut, lawn cutting, baby sitting service, or home-cooked meal. And wouldn't this be cute with Gooseberry Patch's new Sugar and Spice scrapbooking kit?

Blessings on your weekend!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Autumn Project



I have a punch needle project to show off today. Isn't this cute? This is from a Lizzie Kate pattern, and I like the funky, primitive look of this one. Beth told me that punch needle wasn't very popular at the trade show, and it does seem to be fading a bit...probably because it's so pricey to do a punch needle project with the overdyed flosses. But I still love the look.




I found this picture frame in storage and decided to pop out the glass and put the punch needle project in...it's not fully pressed and stretched yet, but you get the idea.

A Story About Story Inn

My husband, Ed, loves to find unique restaurants each year for our anniversary celebrations. We're not big on gift-giving (although he did bring me flowers, a Starbucks coffee AND Starbucks oatmeal that morning! Isn't that sweet?). We really enjoy spending a nice meal together once a year in lieu of fancy presents. (And let's face it...I'm not a very fancy gal!)

This year, he made reservations at the Story Inn in Brown County. Here it is:


As you can probably tell, this building was once a general store. It has now been converted into an inn and gourmet restaurant.


Ed read the menu online, and he knew this was the perfect place for me. Locally grown foods are served, and many of the herbs and vegetables come right out of the back gardens! They have a great food philosophy...only the best seasonal produce and meats are served. The menu featured three soups, two salads, one appetizer, and five entrees. The dessert choice of the evening? Blueberry Cobbler. Did I get the dessert? You betcha! And with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to go with it!



The interior was really eclectic...stained glass windows, paneled ceiling, and antiques everywhere.



And the gardens? They were lovely, even in the fading light at dusk.




A fantastic meal in a fun setting...what could be better?

Stop back to the cafe tomorrow...I have a really fun papercrafting project to share with you using a Gooseberry Patch scrapping kit.

Happy Friday!