A Gathered Table Scape

Hello~

Today we are celebrating clouds and 

possible rain this week....

As well as our sweet

daughter's 31st birthday.

She and her older sister and I

went on a little outing

for dinner, shopping and a movie.

We went to see Oceans 8.

Oh my... 

What a fun chic flick.

We try to celebrate the entire week.

Life passes by so quickly and I believe

in being very purposeful.

And a cloudy day?

 It's like a holiday for us around here especially considering this drought.

To clarify...

Ours and surrounding counties have been declared

a disaster area and we are on severe

restrictions. We're not even permitted 

to mow our lawns because of sparks.

No smoking outside.

Anyway...

On to happier things :) and there

are always happy things!

Like birthdays and flowers blooming

and little butterflies flitting about.

And a table that is full of color, glittery sparkles

and fun surprises for little eyes to find.

This may have the appearance of Easter but it's

actually just for spring with some things that I just 

grabbed because kids light up

when they see it all!

You can see what I used...

The vintage bottles and salt and pepper shakers

were some of my favorites.

I so enjoy using ordinary things

for something other than it's

intended use.

What about you? 

What kind of treasures do you enjoy using

when you're creating? And it doesn't 

have to be decorating your table.

I hope you're doing well and

taking some time to keep yourself grounded

and in touch with you.

I read something this morning that

got me to thinking about what

we give ourselves permission for.

Do you give yourself a lot of grace?

We all need it.

I know all too well how to put 

myself in a box and to criticize 

what I do and how I do it. 

and even what I fail to do.

 Are you allowing yourself to be you and

even embracing who you are?

I am hopelessly devoted to

getting this right. Making room for my

real self. The one who makes mistakes

and is always learning. She's creative and

messy and sometimes loses her way.

There's growing and accepting and then

when I think I have it figured out,

I change! Can you relate to any of that?

One thing that I'm learning to do is to be more
open and honest with myself and others.

I am back after taking a very long break.

The clouds were so inviting and the temperatures

so forgiving that I wandered outside to

(more like raced before the sun came back out ;)

get some more of my plants in the ground.

And to do some more rock work

on the little wall that I'm building

in the the Gypsy Camp gardens.

I will share some pictures.

I have my eye on a couple of climbing roses

 in town and the Virginia 

Creeper wintered so well through

the drought and the cold that we are going to

plant a couple more to add some greenery.

We must whenever we can as we are

surrounded by white grasses (dead) and dirt!

We do have some
Juniper and Pinon 
trees that are very gracious
 to give us shade.

 I have planted several herbs in the past couple

of days. Annual and perennial.

And I found the most adorable

Dwarf English Boxwood. So far it's doing well.

Fingers crossed!

I also had to take some time to dust and clean

and get things in order. I do so enjoy a tidy home. With the season of playing outside, it takes a little more effort to keep up.

It's time to go rest up for this evening.

As we are playing music tonight at one of our favorite places. I get to play my new pink guitar that Jeff bought me for our Anniversary in April.

Eeep!! Doesn't a 

Shabbi Gypsy girl need a pink guitar?

I will share some pictures soon.

I do hope that

you have a lovely, lovely weekend creating and

enjoying just being you right where you are

and of course

celebrating the wonderful

fathers in your life.

Here's a fun quote for summer...

"LIFE IS SHORT.

TAKE THE TRIP,

BUY THE SHOES,

EAT THE CAKE!"

Blessings and hugs to you~

Tamara 

xoxo

Homemade Whole Wheat Bread

Hello and how are you?

I hope that you had a meaningful

and super-fun holiday with your family

and friends.

It can be a good time to teach our children

and grandchildren

the true meaning of Independence Day.

A much as I enjoy the magic of fireworks,

the community parade and family gatherings

with games and food, I want the history and those that

gave and those that now give so much to be remembered.

If you've never seen the mini series, John Adams,

and you're interested in history, you may want to

watch it.

A while ago, I shared some photos of my homemade bread

with the promise of sharing the recipe...

so here it is.

I use to make bread by hand but as our family grew

to 11 members, I decided to buy a Bosch Universal Machine.

That was more than 20 years ago and I still enjoy making bread

and so I still use it to mix and knead my bread.

A warm slice of homemade bread spread with butter

and dripping with molasses is near the top of 

my favorite things list.

The recipe is as follows and makes 4 loaves.

Add to the machine mixing bowl

or a large stainless bowl.

If you're mixing by hand, you will 

probably want to cut the recipe in half.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 C milk (heated for 1min 45 secs)

2 C hot water (not too!)

2 T yeast

2 T dough enhancer (totally optional)

I never used this back in the day ;)

1 T salt

mix well

Then add:

1/2 C honey/sugar/ or molasses

1/2 C melted butter

2 C unbleached flour

and then slowly begin to add whole wheat flour

until the bowl sides begin to mix clean or until your dough isn't too sticky. You want it just a little sticky or 

it will be too dry!

(I grind my own wheat so whatever brand you like)

After you're done kneading, divide dough and 

shape into loaves and drop into 

generously greased loaf pans..

I let my dough rise until it's close to 
being double is size... or for about 20 minutes, covered 

with a tea towel atop a stove with the oven 

pre-heated. That extra added warmth helps 

it to rise. 

After it's risen to double it's size, place in a 

325-350 degree oven.

My oven is a bit hot so I bake my bread at 325.

You can have some fun with your dough. 

You can twist it or make pull apart bread or make 

tiny loaves for the kids or grandkids! 

The giggles were here the last time I 

baked so they filled some heart pans

 to take home to their mommy.

Now comes the anticipation of smelling 

that deliciousness

as it comes floating out from the

 oven door and into the kitchen!

MMMmm....

Oh, I have happy memories of when my mom used to 

make homemade rolls to go with

the big pot of beans that she made!

I think that was my dad's favorite meal.

He was raised down on the farm in the hollows of 

West Virginia. He was the 6th of seven children

and they ate very simply.

I don't have photos of any sliced..

 Bad blogger! AAgghh!

But the next time I bake bread, 

I will take some and post them.

When the bread comes out, it cools for a few minutes

and then gets brushed with butter!

So delicious.

I hope you get a chance to bake some

happiness and share it with someone.

_____________

There are so many other things happening.

I'll save that for another time.

But I will say that this crazy plant lady

FINALLY finished the last 

(we'll see... are we ever done? I think not! ;)

of her planting this morning!

It has been such a joy and lots of work too.

Perennials... herbs.. vegetables....annuals, 

Virginia Creeper and a new bush. 

Photos to come! 

The Gypsy Camp is growing and going through

all kinds of changes.

And then off I go tomorrow

 to the city with three of my daughters

to play. We're going to get a tattoo,

 dress up and go out to eat,

swim, shop and who knows what else!

I can hear the laughing now and of 

course we'll have some 

serious heart to heart talks, too.

I wish you a joyous rest of the week.

And thank you ever so much for coming by.

Tamara XO

of feathers..lace and French sheet music

Happy greetings from the Az. mountains!

The weather has been sunny and so warm.

I have been secretly wishing and praying for snow but I'm getting past that point.

It may still come. 

The mountains are like that. 

We are just in such desperate need of moisture.

But these days have been beautiful and I've been getting outside more. As so many of you have, I've been working on getting my flower beds and herb garden cleaned up. Since we have the possibility of getting very cold

weather again, I try not to clean too deeply. 

The plants still need warmth and protection.

***

Here's some little pieces that I'm very fond of

 and so I put them together for our table centerpiece.

My favorite way to create a focal point is by 

using what I have. These are usually

 found and thrifted treasures.

I found this lovely piece at a thrift store. 

The shape, tones and details caught my eye.

I turned it over and this was on the bottom.

I covered some plastic eggs with some French sheet music..

Part of the joy is letting some of the beautiful details show.

I'm fairly obsessed with and inspired by

 many kinds of music. I collect as many of the lovely aged books and sheets of it as I can.

{Here's "la musique" 

that my daughter is working at on the piano..

It's written by Patrick Doyle and 

is from the movie Sense and Sensibility.

It's very beautiful and listening

 to her play delights my heart.}

Sweet found feathers~

He will cover you with His feathers and His

faithfulness will be your shield~

Psalm 91:4

Let me be as a feather.

Strong of purpose but light at heart~

ABLE to bend.

~Anita Sams~ 

Best wishes for enjoying whatever season is 

knocking at your door. 

 And may your cup be filled to overflowing 

with hope and inspiration.

Thank you so much for coming by!

I appreciate you. 

Tamara xo

Linking up at 
Simply Neutrals

Thrifted Lampshade: Reloved in Burlap

Hello and happy March!

This spring-like weather is really coming on fast here in

the AZ mountains.

Our Apricot tree is beginning to bloom

and this morning when I went out to water,

I heard the lovely sound of buzzing bees.

I'm normally excited about this but this year

it's too early and I'm a little concerned.

This morning I cut up a bag of crisp,

juicy apples and threw them in my

large crockpot on high.

I'm making applesauce and already the yummy 

aroma of roasted apples is floating through the house!

I do love the domestic life.

I've been working on my rosette project. 

Oh! It has been so fun and I'll be ready to share

it later this week. 

 I love it so far.

I have also begun the online course,

 Elements of Clay, with Alissa Millsap.

We will be working on some Bohemian- 

styled projects. I've never worked with

paper clay so I'm excited and thankful 

for the chance to learn.

I know me so I'm sure it will be slow going.

But that's ok :)

***********

 Today, I thought I'd 

share this little re-do project with you.

It was so easy and pretty quick!

I'm pleased with how it turned out.

I found a set of lamps at our local

pregnancy center, thrift store.

I really liked the pretty details and

thought maybe I could do something with the dirty shades.

If nothing else, they could be replaced.

I decided to give a try at re-covering them in burlap.

I didn't know how. I'd never 

done anything like this before. 

The shade has a bit of a curve to it and

I didn't really know how to measure the pieces.

So I just held the burlap up against the shade and judged

about how big the pieces needed to be.

I used hot glue to attach one edge and then 

pulled the remainder of the piece

as taut as I could...but also being careful at the same time

to not distort the weave and over all shape.

Keeping it as even as I could, it was glued in place.

I wanted to be sure that the lines were symmetrical.

I am not a fan of symmetry but in this case,

the lines needed to be close to perfect.

If you've never worked with burlap, it is easily pulled

out of shape.

 Once my pieces were secured, I trimmed the excess off

as closely as I could.

I then added the lace to cover the seams.

Again, being careful with the lines. 

A lamp with lovely details..

Embellished with a burlap rose.

 Here, you can see how I finished the underside.

Just trimming the burlap as evenly as possible.

I do enjoy the look of burlap. It's often used in a more

rustic manner. Here with the lace and burlap rose

do you think it has a bit of shabby country charm?
I enjoy beautifying my home and especially if I can 
re-love something that has had a previous history.

What's been happening with you? 

I hope that life is treating you well.

Thank you for stopping by!

Tamara xo

Partying at:
Wicked Awesome Wednesday

Share Your Cup Thursday

Vintage Charm

Steaming, Apple Blueberry Crisp For a Cold Winter's Day

Hello everyone.

I hope you're safe and warm on this winter's day.

I know that there's been a lot of weather 

in the mid-west and east.  

I'd like to start sharing some of my

favorite recipes and ideas about food.

I do love to cook and bake.

And isn't there something so satisfying when

your hands and heart are at work to create  

 delicious, lovely to look at and good for you food.

When I was married, I had no idea that there was

 so much more to serving what we eat

 than just prepping it and getting it on the table! 

Our four boys and five girls gave me 

LOTS of opportunities

to learn creativity, grace and skill. 

And I'm still learning! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, I'd like to share this very easy and delicious

crisp recipe with you.

It's perfect for a last minute throw-together dish

and is easily adjusted to different kinds of fruit.

Fresh or frozen.

Apple Blueberry Crisp

4 C. fresh blueberries

4 C. apples sliced thin

2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice

 1 & 1/3 C. packed brown sugar

1 C. wheat flour*

1 C. old-fashioned oats*

2/3 C. butter, softened 

2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

*In baking and cooking, I try to use the healthiest 

ingredients possible. You could use white flour and quick

oats if desired.

Heat oven to 375.

Mix apples and blueberries together.

Arrange fruit in an un-greased, 13 by 9 baking dish.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the top.

Mix brown sugar, flour, oats, butter, cinnamon and salt. 

Sprinkle over the top.

Bake until topping is light brown and apples are tender. 

About 30-40 minutes.

You can serve this with ice cream as a dessert or 

topped with whipped cream.

We also eat it for breakfast as a fruit, topped with

vanilla yogurt and sliced almonds.

 I like mine with sliced almonds ANYTIME!

This really is such a quick, simple and delicious dessert!

The crumble on top just melts in your mouth. 

And it's so pretty! All the bubbling blueberry juice.

My husband noticed that the apples had taken on 

a lovely purplish- blue color as 

they baked in the  juice.

He loved this crisp. He complimented it by saying

it just might be the best dessert he'd ever eaten.

Wow.. I was surprised.

It was perfect for a cold winter's afternoon. 

We sat by the wood stove and relished 

in the warmth of hearth and home. 

I hope you've enjoyed coming by today.

I always appreciate your visits and comments.

Thank you and have a wonderful day

Tamara xo

linking up at 

Julie's Lifestyle... Cooking and Crafting with J and J

The Common Chive...Simple Elegance in the Garden: My Country Life

~Happy Monday~

 My chives have caught my

eye so many times this spring

and I've taken extra care in 

watering them to keep

them lush and flowering.

They have thanked me ever so much 

with their lasting, cheerful blooms.

Simple elegance.

Delicate, fragrant stems

and lovely, purple blooms of

the Common Chive.

They are very easy to grow

and care for but add such beauty

and joy to my garden.

 Such delicious flavor

when used to 

compliment my food.

I am grateful for this simple pleasure.

Best wishes for your day.

Tamara

XO

Chic Handmade Pumpkins

Hi everyone.

It's that wonderful time of year again when 

many families are completing their 

Thanksgiving plans and working on 

putting everything in place for the big day when

family and friends come together

to celebrate the abundance

of blessings. 

Today, I wanted to share this 
fun project with you. 
It is:

Fabric Pumpkins. 
I realize 

that they aren't a new "thing". 

I've seen so many of them around and
was inspired by Becky at Timewashed.
She had a pumpkin give away. 
Her pumpkins were so pretty that I wanted to 
try making some for myself!
Thank you for the inspiration, Becky!

I wanted to share them 

because they were a real pleasure to make,
I liked the way they turned out
and the attached sentiment is
particularly meaningful. 

Gratitude has been my 
"word" this year. 
There's so much to be
grateful for and it's
the time of year that most people 
are counting their blessings.
_______________________________

The pumpkins are all made from 
thrift store fabric and the embellishments
are vintage, jewelry pieces
salvaged from there as well. 
Some of the pumpkins have crocheted, 
vintage lace around the stems which were
 found treasures also.

The cream fabric 
came from a thrift store shirt and the
black and tan fabric with roses,
used to be a vest that I
disassembled. I've had the pieces for years and
was waiting to use it for something special.

They are super-easy to make and would 
make a great craft for kids just learning to
sew by hand. 

"It's not happiness that makes 

us grateful, but gratefulness 

that makes us happy." 

Brother David Steindl-Rast

I hope you like them.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Blessings,
Tamara

Linking up at
Your Whims Wednesday
Vintage Inspiration Party