Yard Sale Season!

The weather has been great and the flowers are blooming. I haven't blogged for so long. I finally took the time to sit down and write.

We've been so busy the last few months with work, projects around the house and my stepson's college graduation. However, we did get in some good yard sales and flea markets. We were down at the New Jersey shore for Memorial Day weekend and there were sales all over the place. Too bad we didn't have more room in the car or we would have bought more. There was a huge community yard sale two weeks ago and a big flea market this Saturday. Below are just a few of things we got.

On the left is a really cute box with a drawer we picked up for $2. The little coffee pot with the prim house was 50 cents. And we have been looking for a good deal on a rolling pin. This one is in great shape and was only $1.

I absolutely love to watch the birds out of our back window. I got this Noah's ark birdhouse for $1! Next to it is a great little food grinder that will look awesome in my kitchen. I think we got this for $1 too.

Of course while I was outside taking pictures, a little ham wanted to get in the shot... Here is one of our felines... Leo. :-)

We are putting the finishing touches on 3 more labels sets. We hope to have them ready this week. They are "Sheep/Woolens", "Jams/Jellies/Preserves", and "Cornbread Fixin's".

Take care and have a great week!

Blessings,

Natalie and Kenn

Jars and Craft Fair Finds

Hi All!

The past week has had its ups and downs. We had some hard drive problems with our business computer and that has slowed us down a bit, especially with selling the labels in e-bay. It looks like the PC should be able to be restored. Thank goodness, we also have the laptop and most of our important files backed up.

We are currently working on 2 new label sets. A 24 label set called "sheep/woolens" and a 28 label set called "corn bread fixin's". The new sets and our current sets should be back on E-bay within a week. We will also be putting a slideshow on the blog of all the sets. There will be a special price for our blogger friends.

Above you will see just a few of our labels and how we like to display them. I made the toppers on Sunday. They were real easy and I just love the way they turned out.

On Saturday we went to a local craft show. I am so glad the weather held out, because 80% of the stands were outside. Below are a couple of cute finds I picked up.

This is an adorbale box I found. Not sure what I am going to use it for yet, but it will look great in my kitchen.

Here are two more items. I love the farm animals stacked on top of each other. I know its not a handmade craft, but it was only a couple dollars and it is so cute. Next to the animals is a little red tin wall hanger with spring flowers. Isn't is pretty?

Hope you all have a great week!

Blessings,

Natalie

Sunday Cookin' - Crockpot style

Hi Ladies!

What a great weekend it was. When the weather is warm, it is such a motivator to get things done. Saturday morning I spent house cleaning. Not my favorite task, but I like to have neat house. My DH got a lot of clean up done in his "man space", the workshop in the garage and the shed. Today I went horseback riding with my good friend, Jen. It was beautiful 3-hour ride through a game preserved mountain with trails for hiking, biking, and horse riding.

So that brings me to my main topic, using the crock pot. When we are busy, it great to have a hassle free dinner. One of my favorite recipes is baked lima beans. Yummmm... Listed below is the recipe, hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Baked Lima Beans

Makes 10 servings (5-quart slow cooker works best)

1 1/2 lbs. dried lima beans

6 cups water

2 1/4 cups chopped onions

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups ketchup

13 drops Tabasco sauce

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 Tbs. salt

4 slices lean turkey bacon, diced

Soak washed beans in large soup pot in water overnight. Do not drain.

Add onions. Bring to boil. Simmer 30-60 minutes, or until beans are tender. Drain beans, reserve liquid.

Combine all ingredients except bean liquid, in slow cooker. Mix well. Pour in enough liquid so that beans are barely covered.

Cover. Cook on low 10 hours or on high 4-6 hours. Stir occasionally.

If the beans are too soupy as they near end of their cooking time, remove the lid the last hour or so of cooking.

Per serving: 490 calories (20 calories from fat), 2 g total fat, 1270 mg sodium, 15 g fiber, 51 g sugar, 16 g protein

For my WW friends, this is 7 points... make this the main part of your meal.

Enjoy!

Blessings... Natalie

Good Evening Ladies!

Here is a picture of the school desk I was telling you about. It is in great condition. The desk may have a few minor scratches or marks, but they only give the desk character. I picked up this beauty at shop in Dennisville, NJ. When I saw the price tag for $40, I snatched it up. Since I got this desk, anything I have seen has not been as nice or has cost a lot more.

Sitting on my desk are just a few of my many Raggedy Anns. I just adore pretty faced Anns. I think they remind me of my childhood and the fun times we had playing with our dolls. Does anyone remember Baby Tender Love? I think I had her in the early 70's. She was my favorite doll. I sure wish I had the handmade cradle that I had for her. It was make a nice piece to display my Raggedy Anns.

I hope all is well in your "neck of the woods".

Have a great evening and a better tomorrow. :-)

Natalie

Warm Welcome!

Hi All!

Thank you all so much for the great comments about our labels and the very warm welcome. My husband and I are pleased to meet you.

I’m sitting down after a busy day with a hot cup of peach oolong tea. Tasty! I work full time for a medical device manufacturer in the Quality Department for the last 24 years. I was thinking about that this morning. I have been there over half my life! As you can probably guess, I love my job.

Like so many of you, I loved the warm weather we had this weekend. It sure gives my husband and I spring fever. We have a little “home away from home” at a campground in south New Jersey. It opens up April 1st and closes October 31st. It’s nice to get away for a long weekend or whole weeks during the summer. One of the great things to do in South Jersey, when you had enough of the sun, is to visit the many antique shops. From the Sea Isle City area to Cape May, there are some awesome shops. A couple years ago I was looking for an old child’s desk with the seat on the front. I found one in great condition and picked it up for a fantastic bargain of about $40. I have it set up with some of my Raggedy Ann dolls on it. When we start going down again this year, we will share some pictures of our great finds.

Thanks again for the fantastic reception! Have a wonderful week!

Blessings,
Natalie

Our First Post !

Hi all!

My name is Natalie and this is my first ever blog and posting. After viewing so many other cool and interesting blogs, my husband Kenn and I thought we would give it a shot.

We have been selling our vintage labels on Ebay for about a year. We have gotten some great feedback. You can see some of the pictures on our blog. We will be coming out with a new set of 33 labels called "Corn Bread Fixin's". If you interested our Ebay seller name is blue*cupboard*primitives or simply email us directly with questions or requests for pictures. bluecupboardprimitives@yahoo.com

Although its cloudy out today, it has been a great weekend. The
temperature is in the low to mid 60s all weekend. Awesome for early March! Yesterday I went with my girlfriend to the ferrier to have her horse, Jake, shoed. He's a big 4 yr old Paint. We were supposed to go riding today, but it has been raining off and on. The warm weather is on the way, so there will be plenty of riding in the coming weeks.

Hope all is well in your "neck of the woods".
Blessings,
Natalie