Red and Green...

With all the holiday goings on I almost forgot it is time for Tablescape Thursday with Susan at Between Naps On the Porch. Please make sure that you stop by BNOTP to see all the other tablescapes.

We got up to a white Christmas for the first time since moving to Kansas almost 8 years ago! With all the drifting it was hard to tell exactly how much but it was about 7-9 inches. This unexpected "gift" changed our plans of going to friends for dinner. It was a very relaxing day, not doing much and definitely not going anywhere on unplowed roads.

I used the holly/berry plates that you saw a week or so ago...they were a Goodwill purchase.







Wishing everyone a very Happy, Healthy New Year and thank you, all, for making my first few months blogging so enjoyable!

If You Like Colored Glass...

If you like colored glass this post may be to your liking.

It is time for Three or More Tuesday, with Tam, of The Gypsy's Corner. Thanks, Tam, for being our gracious host. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

I started collecting cruets about 25 years ago. I have two small cabinets full. Most of the cruets are of colored glass, although I do have a shelf or two with some clear cruets.

Here are some of the ones that have found their way into my home. Getting half way decent pictures was hard...the backs of the cabinets are mirrored and some of the pictures needed the flash on. Sorry for the glare.





















Thank you for taking the time to stop by...now is the time to go visit The Gypsy's Corner to see what everyone else is up to.

Christmas Eve at In the Middle of Nowhere

Another week has flown by, eke, Christmas is upon us...I will be joining our hostess, Susan, at Between Naps On the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Thank you, Susan, for being a gracious hostess. Please join her so you can see what the other guests are up to.


A very simple tablescape for Christmas Eve here at In the Middle of Nowhere.
























Table cloth-TJMaxx
Napkins-Estate sale
Chargers-HomeGoods
China-Noritake 'Luray' 1935
Crystal-I was told it was Fostoria, but have never found any listed like it
Sterling-Oneida 'Afterglow' 1956
Sterling Serving Spoons-Maker/Pattern unknown, there is a shield with an S and something that I can't make out and a C stamped by itself, other than that there is just Sterling and pat'd stamped. The pattern is what looks like a day lily. If anyone knows anything, let me know...I would love more pieces of this sterling.
Candlesticks-Goodwill, they were brass and I painted them cream color
Domed cake plate with ornaments-have had for quite some time

Thank you for taking the time to drop by. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Welcome Home, Howard!

Howard has been away in Idaho, the past few days visiting with a young friend suffering cancer and probably won't be with us for much longer. Barry our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

To try to cheer Howard up, I decided to make his favorite thing in the world...cinnamon rolls, like the famous Cinnabons. If nothing else, the house smells wonderful!


All rolled out, topped with LOTS of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.


All rolled up and being cut.


Just a few minutes more and they can go into the oven.


Out of the oven, but not frosted.


Here are the two that didn't fit into the large pans...all frosted and ready to be eaten.

Cinnamon Rolls
Yield: 24 large or 36 medium rolls

4 ½ teaspoons dry yeast (I use instant yeast)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 ½ oz. package instant vanilla pudding mixed with 2 cups milk
2 eggs
½ cup butter, melted
6-7 cups flour

In large bowl (I use the mixer bowl) mix vanilla pudding and milk until smooth. Add melted butter, eggs and salt. Mix well.

Gradually add flour and yeast; knead until smooth. Turn out into greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down and let rise again.

Roll out on floured board to 34" x 21" size. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface. In a bowl mix 2½ cups brown sugar with ¼ cup cinnamon. Sprinkle over top. Starting with the wide side, roll very tightly like a jelly roll. Cut into rounds with a very sharp knife, so that you don't flatten the roll.

Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 2" apart. (I use 9" cake pans). Lightly press down on each roll. Cover and let rise.

Bake 350° for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven when the rolls start to turn golden. Don't over-bake.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese
½ cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon milk

Combine all ingredients together and beat until smooth. Ice rolls while still warm.

Red, White and Green

I can't believe it is already Thursday...time to visit Susan at Between Naps On The Porch for her weekly Tablescape Thursday. If you want to see some really spectacular tables, stop by her blog to see how everyone is decorating their tables.

We have been really busy, I just threw a table together a few minutes ago for lunch. It is the best I could do in the amount of time I had to take a couple pictures!

Wishing you and yours a Happy Holiday!











A few of the tree ornaments.

Can You Say Enough Is Enough....

Can you say enough is enough...seems that I just can't when it comes to seeking out treasures at the thrift shops. I have decided that my resolution for the New Year will be to cut back on buying so many dishes. That is a good one, right?

I will join Leigh at Tales From Bloggeritaville when she posts this week. It is so nice of her to invite me to her party every week, she knows I will show up, along with several other guests, so make sure you all go check out her blog to see who else joined the party!



Friday finds at Goodwill include 2 Christmas soup bowls, a small grape vine Bordallo plate, 2 pink salad plates, cobalt salt/pepper shakers,4 dark amber champagne flutes and a red candle holder. All of that for about $7.50.


Cobalt salt/pepper shakers.


2 Christmas soup bowls.


Small Bordallo grapevine plate.


2 pink salad plates


Dark amber champagne flutes.

I really lucked out at the ARC Thrift Store here in town, Saturday. I combined with the Goodwill Monday treasures in the photos. I found another soup tureen/ladle/plate, 6 berry bowls, a couple boxes of Christmas ornaments (for making a wreath) and an Irish coffee mug which I will use for a St. Patrick's Day post...all of this for about $8. Goodwill Monday is senior discount of 25% so I try to work my grocery shopping around thrifting so that a special trip isn't made, as it is 25 miles from where I live.

Soup tureen


Berry bowls and fun silverware

Goodwill had a few items that ended up in my cart...a 5 piece place setting/service for 4 of the Gibson holly dishes, that I have seen on a few blogs recently, 4 wine stems with clipper ships etched on the them, some fun blue/white/orange/green sliverware and 3 cookbooks to add to my collection, which must be around 1000-1100, now. With the discount the dishes were $2.99, wine stem 37¢ each, silverware $2.22 and cookbooks $2.


Christmas holly dishes.


Cookbooks