Pretty Things

When the stresses of daily life become too much to bear, I like to ease my tension simply by sitting back and enjoying simple, but pretty things.

While I'm not a pack-rat (or at least I don't think so) I have small collections here and there of stuff that makes me smile.

Like Pyrex. Particularly from the 1970's. You see, it's more than just a simple mixing bowl to me. To me, it hearkens the days of my youth. The smell of homemade bread baking in the oven. Mom loved to punch down that inflated dough ball in her giant Pyrex bowl. The sound of her electric mixer clanking against the sides while she whipped up her frosting. The feel of Crisco on my fingers, as I was allowed to "grease" the big blue bowl before Mom placed her pizza dough inside so it could rise. See the big, blue bowl? It's on the second shelf down from the top, squished between the two white ones. It also sat many a table as an elegant server, and I can still taste her anti-pasta salad or creamy mashed potatoes that filled this bowl.

So you see, it's more about the memories that tickle all of my senses that the sight of brightly colored Pyrex will invoke. That's what makes me smile.

The kitchen in so many ways is my favorite room of the house. It's my laboratory, where I can concoct my mad creations. Or, simply- gingerbread people. I LOVE GINGERBREAD PEOPLE. It's an odd obsession, I realize. I can't quite place just when and where this all started, but to me Mr. and Mrs. Ginger are not reserved only for Christmas. Perhaps it's their little personalities that don't quite become fully evolved until that last eye is squarely (or not squarely, as mine often are) in place. Or, maybe it's the story that tickles my fancy- "Run, run as fast as you can, you'll never catch me- I'm the Gingerbread Man!" But something about these cute little confections just makes me smile!


It's obvious, one would think, by the title of my blog that I fancy dandelions. Like Pyrex ware, they play a significant role in my childhood. A weed, go figure. I really am a simple girl! But wait- allow me to explain! I grew up in a house that was surrounded by an endless stretch of grass. When I see dandelions, I am immediately drawn back to the start of summer, when my Grandma K and I would dig them out (the green leafy part) by the root and cook them. She would flavor them with cider vinegar and bacon. With a glass of ice cold sassafras tea, nothing else can quite compare! Stay tuned, I will be adding these recipes to this site soon!


I'm not done smiling yet. But my poor husband frowns upon my love for Longaberger baskets. Several years ago I was invited to a basket party, and I had never heard of Longaberger before. Not realizing the expense, but falling in love with a trio of carefully-crafted beauties, I committed to buying them. It was a pricey venture, but to this day my baskets bring a warm feeling to my soul. I've since learned to scour the thrift stores for Longaberger's, but in the event I'm at another party, I may not be able to control myself.


Occasionally, instead of staring mindlessly off into space, I like to focus my eyes on something slightly more educational. Like cookbooks!

I particularly like Gooseberry Patch books. I think it's the quirky artwork. These are the type of pictures I wish I could live in! This white farm house looks so much like my Grandma and Pap's house in the western Pennsylvania countryside- it's practically an exact duplicate! (Must have been that scent of dandelions cooking in the kitchen that led this artist there for inspiration!)

Oh, and the recipes are great to. Recipes that sway towards farmhouse cuisine, which is just fine with me!

Well, for my first blog entry, I'm well on my way. These are just a few of the simple, but pretty, things that I'd like to share. More to come later... what, may I ask, makes YOU smile?