Summer sidewalk sale

So, you’ve heard about the sale, but you’re thinking—Sure, I  like it and what a great deal, but what will I do with it?

Let me see if I can help with a few suggestions . . .

Basic white canisters will work in any décor.  For use on the kitchen counter or in the pantry, this canister set has a a tight seal to protect contents from pests and humidity.  Think:  your own kitchen or a great gift for newlyweds.

A utensil basket of goodies . . . here you see a basket perfect for use as a utensil caddy, with a large slot for napkins.  The red is ideal for summer entertaining, as well as the holidays.  It would also be perfect for organizing a desk or a vanity.

Also shown are our vintage-style utensils (all are on sale for 30% off)—at this price you can afford a special set for summer tables or your other special occasions.

Basic cream and and black bowls for 50% off would work on almost any table.  They would look especially great paired with our winter wildlife salad plate, also in cream and black (70% off).  Know anyone who likes to entertain at Christmas?

Know anyone who collects owls?  (Need I say more?)

Do you like to serve cheeses or pastries or know someone who does?  This covered dish takes your presentation to a new level, while keeping your food fresh.

This generously sized cake pedestal is perfect for a summer table (be sure to note the snail on the base), but can adapt to a holiday setting, as well, with a few strategically placed bits of pine or ribbon.

 

This tunic is the perfect beach cover-up, but will transition into fall as a great blouse over jeans or leggings.  I am sure you know someone who would look great in it.

Jute tote with a batik-style print is the perfect weekend, get-away bag.  At this price, you can afford to fill it with a few items for a great gift for your friend.

This picture is is full of ideas.  Start with cloth napkins—set a beautiful table and do something good for the environment (all napkins are on sale); the green plates are made in Portugal are the perfect accent for a variety of settings. 

Know anyone who likes to decorate with a nautical theme? We have a variety of items suited for lakeside décor—starting with these nautical knot napkin rings.

Our lovely trio of green pedestal bowls stack or separate.  Reproduced to mimic depression glass, they add a vintage feel to your table or sideboard.

Classic black accent pieces with brass deer head handles are great for fall/Christmas décor (mismarked here—they are actually 50% off).

Teapot, sugar bowl and creamer, mugs and pedestal bowls would make a great gift for your mother or grandmother.  At 50% off you can buy several!

A silver plate coaster is the perfect purchase for a wine connoisseur; available in a variety of designs, it can also be used as a trinket catch-all or a candle stand.

Black glass candlesticks are elegant and classic, but can easily transition for an elegantly spooky Halloween scene.

These classic hurricanes are lovely with a candles or other decorative elements.

Reproduction prints from our Williamsburg collection keep the man-room from being taken over with scenes of blood letting or football.

Gilded terra cotta accents are perfect for holiday décor, but work well everyday, too!

50% off of vintage-look baby bibs are great gifts for new grandmas or to keep at your house for visiting babies/toddlers.   You can never have enough photo frames—neither can your friends, so pick some up to give as gifts!

Here are my favorite melamine plates.  I would keep these on hand for visiting children and for patio parties.  Again, you see some of our discounted flatware.  Great for everyday or special occasions.

So, if you’re wondering whether or not you should come down to shop the summer sidewalk sale . . . wonder no longer.

Thanks for your indulgence,

Camembert and Berries

While we were stationed in Germany—many, many years ago—I was introduced to camembert cheese on toast with preiselberen (kind of like mini cranberries).  The presentation at our then favorite gasthaus, Berg Wirt, was this:  two pieces of white bread, toasted and cut on the diagonal, served alongside a breaded and baked mini wheel of camembert with a dollop of preiselbeeren.  It was delicious and I ordered it e-v-e-r-y- time we went there.

Since then, I have prepared and enjoyed camembert and brie in a variety of fashions.  Heck, there are few things I enjoy as much a slice of good brie on a fresh Triscuit (Velveeta on white bread, anyone?), but I recently tried a recipe recommended by a friend and am in love!  (Thanks Amy!)

(This is the recipe I referenced in this post about a creative evening with friends and family.)

Your ingredients:

berries, I used blackberries, but this would work with just about any type of berry (2 cups)

agave nectar (2 T)

fresh rosemary (about 1 T, chopped—reserve some for garnish)

a small wheel of camembert (or brie)

a fresh baguette, sliced

butter

balsamic glaze*

Mix the berries, agave nectar and rosemary together—allow juices to extract from the berries while you prepare the baguette slices.

Spread each side with butter, then brown on a griddle.

Transfer baguette slices to a baking sheet, top with a slice of camembert and the berry mixture; place in oven set at 400°, until cheese is melting.  Transfer to serving platter, drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve!

This is now one of my “go to” favorites! 

*for the balsamic glaze:  mix 2 cups of balsamic vinegar with 1 cup of brown sugar in a small sauce pan, heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer mixture until reduced by (about) half—mixture should be thick and syrupy.  (Refrigerate the remainder and use on other stuff—hamburgers, vegies, whathaveyou!)

Thanks for your indulgence,

changes are afoot

there are few things that get me as jazzed about being a shopkeeper as doing a BIG switch-a-roo at the shop.  we have new things rolling into the shop, so my creative juices have been flowing.   it takes  a while to build-up to making such a big change, but once i decide the major pivot points—so to speak—we start the shuffling.  we move the small pieces off of the display furniture, reposition the furniture and start putting it all together again. 

we work the new merchandise into the displays and show new ways to use and display the items we have had for a while.  what better way to show folks that we offer home décor that they will use year ‘round?  i mean, when you decorate for the various seasons you choose to celebrate, you don’t move all of your existing furniture and accessories out of the house—you make additions (along with a few subtractions).

I hope, if you live nearby, you will come in for a “look-see” yourself, but here are a few pictures to show you a few of our changes.

 

I will be posting some detail shots of the inventory and displays later this week, but as I said—I hope you plan to come for a visit soon.

thanks for your indulgence,

Time for thanks

was it just last week?  it seems like at least a month ago.
we gathered together—family and friends—to celebrate the national day of gratitude.
the menu was much the same as it always:   turkey, dressing and the rest, but this year we tried a few new recipes.  my favorite among the new dishes was the the cranberry relish.  it was a last minute recommendation from my mom—she had enjoyed it when our friend, sherry, prepared it last year.  a quick search on the epicurious website yielded the recipe we sought.  a few improvisations made it my new favorite.  I’ll share it below, but first a few shots of our dining room on the big day.







Okay, the recipe . . .
Cranberries in Bourbon

• 
  1 pound (about 4 cups) cranberries
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup bourbon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 3 ingredients in 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake until cranberries are tender and sugar is dissolved, stirring once, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and stir in bourbon. Refrigerate cranberry sauce until well chilled. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead.) Transfer to bowl and serve.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-Cranberry-Sauce-2715#ixzz2DuEYh53B
my changes:
I used two packages of cranberries (didn’t measure); 1 cup sugar and one cup of light brown sugar; the cinnamon and I added about 2 tablespoons of finely chopped, fresh ginger root to the roasting process. 
it was delicious!
the other change this year was that I prepared the turkey using a brining method.  I am sold!  we always smoke our turkey—as we did this year—and I love it prepared this way.  the additional step of brining made the turkey even more moist and tender—if that is possible.  the brining ingredients are simple, but there are a lot of them—so I made it simple by using a prepared jar of brining spice I purchased at our local culinary shop, Ingredients.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Bourbon-Cranberry-Sauce-2715#ixzz2DuEQc0Ue
Thanks for your indulgence,

it takes a Friendly Village

This is my second attempt, in as many days, to write a blog post.  I actually wrote one, but it turned so long and pathetic, I decided to  trash it and start over.

I have, instead, decided to share the best part.

On Saturday, in between all of the “have to” stuff, I decided to make a run to one of my favorite antique shops.  It was actually a “have to,” too, because I was looking for the some props for my window display.  I plan to hang the plate rack I painted at The Hayloft and I was trying to decide what would look best displayed on it.  Then I thought of my favorite dishes.  Sure, I could have used something I already had in inventory, but where’s the fun in that?!?

I’ve decided to transition my window from fall to Christmas the week of Thanksgiving.  I mean, it’s bad enough that I already have five fully decorated Christmas trees!  Anyhoo, the plans for the windows are coming together and they will involve:

Anyone who knows me, knows of my affinity for Johnson Brothers Friendly Village.  It is the pattern I use to set my tables for any event from November through February.

 

I bought 8 more dinner plates, cereal bowls and bread & butter plates.

Those square salad plates . . . my first!  Love them.

A box full of a variety of loot.  The Pilgrim’s Progress book is for my personal collection—it’ll be part of my Thanksgiving display at the house.

 

Love this turkey platter with gold trim.  The beauty of Friendly Village is the variety of color mixed with the fact that it doesn’t have a Christmas specific theme, but the snowy scenes imply the holidays.  The blue  trim on this platter will blend quite well.

 

The mugs are a first, too.  I’ve never had them before. 

Well, there you have it.  The beginnings of a winter window . . .

Thanks for your indulgence.