Daffodil Days

The kitchen is waiting for me to pick a big bunch of daffodils from the yard.  The daffodil place mats, tea pot, tea cups and pitcher for the vase ( where the daffodils will be) are all out.  Even though it's not fully Spring yet, this is one of my favorite times of year.  ...when the yards are decorated with pops of bright yellow, every where you go.  It's " Daffodil Days"!!!!!

Kitchen Built-ins

TA DA!!!  two built in book cases ....for more than just books. 

All my blue/white dishes

My two blue/white blackberry plates

1930's high chair 

All the work is done and everything has it's place on the two new book cases in the kitchen.  It is so nice to have so much space for everything.  Plus....it looks pretty!  I had all my blue/white dishes stacked in cabinets and never even used half of them because I forgot what I had.  Now, I see it all and want to use every piece of it.  I had to make room for the 1930's high chair since I didn't want it blocking the one book case.  Out came the extra little table at the end of the island and the space is perfect for the high chair.  ...all ready for Miss Vivi to come use it.  I am in love with my " new kitchen".

Let's Party!!!!!

Invitation....

Homemade Bee cookies...

After one year.....

Presents!!!!!!

Her very own cake!

Yep....the icing is the BEST!



Since Vivi's Daddy was away for her real birthday, they had her party a week later.   Michelle/Craig's friends, Kerri and Adam hosted the party at their house in Mt Juliet, TN.   We loaded the Honda up with cookies and presents and left in the morning to get there by 1:00 pm.   Michelle had made wonderful decorations, food, cup cakes and Vivi a cute Birthday outfit to wear.   There were six of the cutest toddlers and their parents at the party.  After eating, playing, opening presents and watching Vivi enjoy her very own cake, it was time for the three hour trip back to Sweet Home Alabama.    Happy birthday, two weeks in a row,  Giggle box.....Vivi! 

Happy 1st Birthday......

Miss Vivienne Pieper wearing '
her Mama's dress.  

Is this how you want me to pose..?????

Ready for her first birthday tea party

Tea was served......

The theme......Daffodils

Eating her 1st birthday...cup cake. 

Miss Vivienne Pieper spent her first birthday at Brambly Pines with Mama, Grand Daddy and Grandma.  Daddy was in California with Sam Hunt for the Grammy's.  Her birthday started with us all singing " Happy Birthday" to her at 6:35 am.  Yep, we sang that early....that was the time she came into the world last year.  A whole year has flown by.  It seems fast but on the other hand, it seems like Vivi has been in our lives forever.  She is a funny little giggle box and makes our lives so happy.  I can't wait to see what the next year brings with our little " Peeper".

Mr Wise Old Owl

In the past couple of weeks, we have seen one of the we think, three owls that live at Brambly Pines.  There has been at least two of them living here way before we moved up here.  We hear them " hooting" to each other all the time but until lately, we haven't seen them much.  Chuck went out the back door to go down and put the chickens to bed just a few minutes ago and there he was.....sitting on the top of the bird feeder in the back yard.  I grabbed the camera and walked slowly towards him.  He really wasn't too afraid of me.  He did fly to a tree when I got pretty close.   I walked right under the tree he was on and he stayed.  Then, another owl " hooted" and at that instant, our owl took off flying low, through the woods towards the other owl.  We're not sure why they have been hanging out near the house lately.  It sure is fun seeing them though. Until next time Mr. Wise Old Owl. .........

Another Vision

Gingerbread work 

Little blue hat rack I found to hold my aprons

When I said I've been busy.....so has Chuck.  One day I was sitting at the kitchen table, watching a cooking show on the little TV while I ate my lunch.  On this show there was a white book case behind the person that was cooking and it was loaded with cook books.  That is when the " vision" came to me for our kitchen.  If I took the black wrought iron bakers rack out of the kitchen where I had all my cook books/ radio and stuff and had Chuck build us a floor to ceiling book case, it would give me a lot more room.   We measured the tallest book, space for the wine bottles, and divided up the rest of the space for the different shelves.   Chuck went off to town to get the wood.  Then, the weather turned cold.  Too cold to work in the barn.  Since the cold weather didn't last long, Chuck was able to make the book case and bring it to the house for me to paint.  For about four days, we had to walk around, eat around and walk on plastic in the kitchen, while I put three coats of paint on the whole book case.  Meantime, Chuck cut and painted the bead board backing down at the barn.  All in one day, the backing was on the book case and it was attached to the wall.  Bing! Bam!  all my books, radio and stuff was on the pretty new book case.  I love it!!! My mind seems to come up with more " visions".  Poor Chuck.  I had bought two wooden pieces of ginger bread work and wasn't sure where I was going to use them.  It finally came to me....the kitchen!!!  ( actually Gene and George have gingerbread work in the same door way of their kitchen)  So, Chuck painted the two pieces and screwed them to the door way.  Perfect!  .....well, not so fast........As I sat in the little rocker looking at the new book case, it looked like something was missing.  Yep, you got it.....another matching book case on the other side of the door way to hold all my blue/white dishes.  Chuck agreed with me, that it would complete that whole wall in the kitchen.  The tallest dish has been measured and the plans drawn up.  A trip to town for the wood should be in the near future and here's to hoping that we have warm weather soon, so the work on the other book case can begin, in the barn.

Happy Birthday

Big pretty snow flakes

I know....I'm almost a month behind in posting.  All I can say is " I've been busy".  Chuck's birthday ( January 22) came and went.  We didn't do anything special but stay home and watch the snow come down. That was special to us.   It seemed like there was going to be a lot but in fact we only got about a 1/2 inch.
   As I grew up my Auntie Barbara would always make me a GIANT Angel Food Cake for my birthdays since  I was always in Ramsey in the summer.  We would go out to her friend's farm and get two dozen fresh eggs for my cake.  It would take 18 egg whites.  I have no idea what she did with all the yolks.  I wish I knew.  Some times the cake would be so high that it would be lop sided and she would put a half a piece of bread under the one side to prop it up, before she iced it with the 7 minute frosting.  I have pictures of me holding all my cakes through out the years.  When it came time to go to Ramsey to clean out her house, I was the lucky one to get the angel food cake pan.  Not the recipe though. All the years since, I have just used a box mix to make my angel food cakes.  Not near as pretty but the thought of Auntie making my cakes was there.
   While I was visiting Debbie in TN last month, she made an angel food cake from scratch but using only 12 egg whites.  The same taste was there from Auntie's cakes but it just wasn't as big.  Debbie copied the recipe for me and when I got home, I sat down and figured out the recipe if I used the 18 egg whites.  On Chuck's birthday, I decided to make my first from scratch angel food cake, like Auntie's.  Let me tell you!  Now I appreciate all the time and effort that Auntie took to make all my cakes.  Plus, the time to make the 7 minute frosting, which I didn't put on Chuck's cake.  My cake turned out good for my first one.  It wasn't quite as tall as Auntie's but taller than Debbie's.  I will take the time to make all my angel food cakes ( with 18 egg whites) from scratch from now on and the whole time, I will be thinking of my dear, sweet Auntie Barbara! ( yes I was named after her)