Packing Away Winter

I'm making a bold move this week.  I've decided that, come what may, I'm going to pack away winter.  This means running all hats, mittens, gloves, scarves and such through the wash (or to the dry cleaner) and tossing them into a Space Bag.  All coats, jackets, and snow pants must go, too.  Add in the heavy sweaters, turtlenecks and practical boots.  Sleds, snow shovels, and Ice Melt will be lugged to the shed.  Then and only then can spring really begin.
This may not seem like such a "bold move" to most people, but in New England putting all this away is kind-of like purposely breaking a mirror or opening up an umbrella inside--it's tempting fate.  Weather here is tricky.  For instance, temperatures hit the 60s here a couple of weeks ago.  Everyone was pulling out the spring gear, some even sporting shorts and flip-flops.  The parks were crowded.  We even had lunch at the beach.  Then we were hit with flooding rainstorms and freezing temps again.  Out came the scarves and gloves.  April here is as likely to bring snow storms as it is to bring spring showers.  But I need to believe that spring is really here, so here I go (fingers crossed and knock on wood).  Wish me luck!


Goodbye basket full of winter...

Hello spring!  (image courtesy of A Country Farmhouse http://www.acountryfarmhouse.blogspot.com/)

Too Hot to Handle

Among my many collections, is one comprised of vintage umbrellas.  The attention to detail is what draws me to these.  It seems to be a lost art.  Not only do the umbrellas have great fabric prints, but the handles are always something special.  As I've said before, I just can't bear to see them tossed into a landfill or unappreciated.  Here are a few of my favorites from my personal collection.


This handle is sterling silver and probably dates to the late 1800s.  I think it looks like the handle of a cane.

The handle of this umbrella is made of ivory and resembles a sword handle.  It was probably made by a former swordmaker when swords became obsolete.

What handle could be better than this one??????

These are the most "lady-like" of the bunch.  They are both made in Italy, just one more reason to love Italy (as if the food and wine weren't enough).

Sunday Dinner

On this cold, drizzling Sunday, I'm craving my warm weather food.  I love going to the farmer's market and buying fresh tomatoes warmed by the sun, fragrant basil, crisp cucumbers and crusty bread.  That's all I need to make a meal: some salad fixin's and a loaf of bread.  Alas, it will be months before I taste my first fresh tomato, so I need a substitute.  On Friday's episode of Rachael Ray, she created this Warm Provencal Chicken Salad.  It's chocked full of fresh herbs, roasted vegetables, and leafy greens.  I figured it was a good compromise.  So, that's what's for dinner for my family tonight!

Warm Provencal Chicken Salad

1/2 to 2/3 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 pounds baby white or gold potatoes, halved
4 small onions, sliced 1/2-inch thick wedges
8 to 10 cloves garlic

1 pound trimmed green beans or asparagus, halved
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup black pitted Nicoise olives

8 pieces boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 shallot, coarsely chopped
A small handful of sage leaves
A small handful of tarragon
A couple of sprigs fresh marjoram or 2 teaspoons dried
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 cups arugula
Baguette


Preparation

Heat oven to 450˚F.

Place potatoes, onions and crushed garlic in a bowl and toss with just enough EVOO to coat, a couple of tablespoons. Season liberally with salt and pepper, place on baking sheet and place in oven. Roast 45 minutes, turning once.

Place green beans or asparagus in bowl with tomatoes and pitted olives, dress with a little EVOO, salt, pepper and place on baking sheet. Roast 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle or grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat chicken lightly in EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken 12 minutes, turning once, then thinly slice on an angle.

While chicken cooks, place shallot, herbs and mustard in food processor and season with salt and pepper. Pulse chop to finely chop the mixture then stream in about 1/4 to 1/3 cup EVOO to form a pesto-like sauce. Scrape sauce into a large, shallow bowl.

Pile roasted vegetables, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, olives and arugula into a bowl. Top salad with sliced chicken and serve with crusty baguette.

Don't Forget: Liberty Of London Debuts at Target this Sunday!

I just wanted to remind people that Target will be launching their Liberty of London line this Sunday.   Liberty of London is a wildly popular brand in the UK that is best known for their prints.  Most of the prints featured at Target will be florals.  (Although I'm in love with a peacock print that I spied on one of their pillows.)
Many items are only available online.  Be at your local Target early as there has been lots of hype and they are expecting crowds.  To see some of the prints that will be available go to www.target.com/liberty.

Here's the number one item on my shopping list:

I have a vintage "handlebar basket" that would look just perfect on this.  Wish me luck!

SCORE!!!

I was checking in on all my usual spots today and I was in the right place at the right time.  I am happy to report that in addition to finding some cool items for my shop, I also scored a great piece of jewelry for myself.  I'm a sucker for all things nautical (must have something to do with inhaling the salty, Atlantic Ocean air my whole life).  A woman came in to donate some jewelry to a local non-profit thrift store and I happened to be right there as she was describing the anchor pendant below to Joe, the manager.  As I am a frequent customer, I got it for $30.00!  "It pays to thrift."  This will be a staple in my spring jewelry wardrobe. 
I also posted a few of my other finds below.

The gold anchor pendant...

I couldn't resist this pair of vintage 80s earrings because, I swear, I owned these in 1984....

Another nautical item, a very large, vintage brass whale...

A few more from today, a vintage tin house bank, an art deco lighter, and vintage Ray-Ban reading glasses...

A Nod to the Olympians

Thank you to all the Olympians for bringing some excitement to the doldrums of winter.  The talent of all the Olympians was amazing to witness.  

Here are some of my favorite moments (all photos are courtesy of  www.nbcsolympics.com ):

Kim Yu-Na nails both the long and short programs in Women's figure skating and breaks all scoring records on the way to gold.

Shaun White performs stunts never before landed in competition for USA Gold in Snowboarding on the half-pipe.

Joannie Rochette earns the bronze medal with enormous strength and grace just days after her mother's sudden death.

Canada takes the Gold in men's ice hockey.  This was tough to watch as an American, but it only fitting that Canada should win their sport on home soil.

The USA men's four-man bobsledding team takes home the gold in a bobsled made right here in Connecticut by the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, Inc.  As a side note, the Russians wanted to purchase a sled from the company and they said, "These sleds are made by Americans, for Americans."

Last but not least, I found a new sport to follow and I am convinced that if I practice every day for the next 8 years I can make it to the 2018 Olympics....

Women's Olympic Curling

(Okay, maybe only as a spectator, but aren't dreams are what the Olympics are made of?)