Scripture in Pictures Sunday, Candlemas

Candlemas: The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple

(You may click on the picture to bring up a larger sharper image, 

then right click and save)

A little more about Candlemas: According to Jewish Law, forty days after a woman gave birth, she would take her newborn to the temple to be presented to the Lord. And so, the Holy family took the newborn Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem. While they were at the temple, a prophet named Simeon saw the baby Jesus and proclaimed him to be the light of the world. And so Candlemas, which falls on February 2nd, became the day the Churches would bless all the Candles to be used in the Church throughout the year.  During Victorian times, Candlemas also signaled the end of the Christmas season and was the day that all Holiday decorations should be removed. Many Churches today celebrate Candlemas on the Sunday that falls between January 28th and February 2nd.
Please visit Charlotte and Ginger at  Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts. 

Birthday Blog-a-palooza!

Welcome to my first ever, stupendous, ginormous,
BIRTHDAY BLOG-A-PALOOZA!

....................................

(insert sound of crickets here)

...................................... 
OK, well maybe it's not THAT ginormous but it IS my Birthday and that is as good an excuse as any for a party! 

(A sweet PINK image!)

     What's a party without cake? When I was a child, our local bakery made the most wonderful cakes but my Mom never had to ask me what kind of Birthday Cake I wanted because it was always the same, marble cake with chocolate and white cake swirled together, white buttercream icing with a marshmallow cream snowman on top! I always thought I was so lucky to have a birthday in the Winter, because I could have that marshmallow cream snowman on top! 

(one of my Birthday gifts this year was a Brownie Scout doll 

which my sister is holding). 

And how about gifts? Well, it's my party so I get to make the rules! Everyone who leaves a comment on this post will receive a high resolution download of this little picture I painted a few years ago.

  ( the poem around the outside says: May no gift be too small to give 

nor too simple to receive which is wrapped in thoughtfulness and tied in love *L.O. Baird*)

Make sure you tell me in your comment that you would like a copy and make sure you include your email address if it is not visible in your profile.
AND...... there will be one grand prize winner! I will choose one name randomly, using the random generator thingie, from everyone who leaves a comment on this post and the winner will receive a print of this picture, to which I have added some enhanced coloring by hand and signed.

AND they will receive this cute little felt party goodie bag filled with some cute little treats! I will pick the winner next Tuesday night at 10:00PM. 

So let the party begin! Have a wonderful weekend, filled with Bubbles of JOY! xxoo Nan   
I'll be linking this plan to PINK Saturday 
at How Sweet The Sound. 
(now a little disclaimer: I have to protect my artwork so if you download, I have a few little terms of use! Please don't use it on your blog or website as others don't always play nice. You may use it to make cards and other craft items for personal use or for sale but you must give credit to me as the artist. You may not resale the artwork by itself ie: as a print or download, that's it, have fun with it and I'd love to see if you make something with it!)

Vintage Planters

     I adore vintage Planters but I only have four, something I would really like to change in the near future. I've already shown you the first two but since I have new readers, I thought I would show them again.
     First up this little RED Vintage Santa Planter. I found him at a local thrift store a few months ago.

I love the little fur trim! Here's a view from the side.

Next, this little pink squirrel Planter. I found him at an antique store over the Summer.

I love this next Planter! Two years ago I went home to Ohio for a visit. My sister and I were playing tourist in Amish country when we stumbled on this amazing junk store. They had the coolest vintage things from printer trays to Planters and really good prices on everything! I picked up this little cow for around $8.00.

 

      Last year we made our annual trip back to Amish Country and this store was tops on our list of stops but much to our disappointment, it was closed for the day. Now I could kick myself for not buying more when I had the chance. Most of the planters ranged in price from $6 - $15.
     This next Planter is very special to me because my Dad gave it to me. I think he picked it up at an auction in a box of junk. I love the sweet, innocent look on the deer's face. 

     Well that's my entire vintage Planter collection, small but hopefully growing. 
     Be sure and stop by on Friday for my Birthday Blog-a-palooza where everyone will get a gift!
I'm linking this post to:
REDnesday at It's a Very Cherry World
Alphabe Thursday for the letter P at Jenny Matlock's
and Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady

A few random thoughts for Monday

     First I have to tell you, I was blown away by all the comments on my post from last week "It's All About Me". Second, I have to confess, I've been a bad bloggy sister the last couple of weeks. So many of you have left such sweet comments and I have not been able to get caught up with replying. Please know that I have read each and every comment and will try my darnedest to get by and visit you this week! 

      Next, I have to thank Joyce at Scrap for Joy, because I am the lucky winner of her most wonderful Birthday Giveaway! If you have never visited Joyce's blog, she creates the most wonderful banners. Stop by and tell Joyce HI!   
     Youngest DD informed me last week that she, along with 5 of her roommates are planning on coming to Charleston for Spring Break! They are all looking to go "cheap" this year and figured they could save a lot of $$$ staying at our house. 

Of course I said yes and then pulled out the calender to figure out when they have Spring break. As I was looking at the calender, I noticed that Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday) is not until March 8th this year! 

If Mardi Gras is that late, Easter must really be late!

So I flipped the calender over to April, sure enough, Easter is not until April 24th! You know what that means? 

Lots of extra time to create all those cute Easter and Spring crafts! So those of you like me, that are tired of dreary, cold weather, just think of all the cuteness that will soon start appearing on blogs and in stores! 
xxoo Nan

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

Good morning readers!
First I would like to give you a little update on my neighbor's Granddaughter, Rachel. She had her surgery on Tuesday and they discovered the mass was quite invasive. They ended up removing the lower lobe of her left lung and "peeled" away more of the growth in another area. The doctors were pretty certain it was Cancer however; I have not heard if the pathology reports have come back yet. She was still in the hospital as of Thursday. I will call my neighbor today to get an update. Please continue to pray for this child.

As always, you can click on the picture to bring up a larger, sharper image,

then right click and save.

I posted a companion print to this back on August 8th if you would like to have a matching set. Please note, if you saved this earlier, I have changed the font so that it is easier to read.
Please Stop by and visit with Charlotte and Ginger our hosts for  Spiritual Sundays where you will find many more inspiring posts.

PINK Shrimp for a PINK Saturday!

Happy PINK Saturday everyone!
Today I want to share a recipe that is a staple in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, Shrimp and Grits. There are as many variations of this recipe as there are Bullfrogs on a hot summer night but they all have two things in common, Shrimp and Grits. 

You will find it on the menus of the swankiest restaurants and hand written on the chalkboards of the lowliest diners. You will find it served at lunch and dinner but it is also a very popular breakfast and brunch item as well.  This week I tried a new recipe and I have to tell you, it was FABULOUS! I found the original recipe HERE and it is the recipe of Mike Lata who is the head chef at one of Charleston's wonderful restaurants, FIG. Shrimp and Grits is not hard to make but it is a little time consuming because it takes awhile to cook the grits. At the end of the recipe, I will share a few of my own tips, so make sure you check those out! 

Mike Lata’s Shrimp and Grits

GRITS:
2 cups milk
1 cup fresh white grits
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
 SHRIMP:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons finely diced onion
3 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
2 ounces diced country ham
½ cup shrimp stock or milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
6 dashes of hot sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the grits: Bring the milk just up to a tiny boil around the edge of a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Add the grits and stir for 1 minute. Turn the heat to low. If there are any hulls, skim and remove them now using a slotted spoon. Add the butter, and stir frequently for the first 10 minutes, then stir every 10 minutes to grits are done, about 1 to 1 ½ hrs. Add more liquid if the grits are absorbing the milk. Cover between stirrings. When cream, add salt and pepper to taste.

For the shrimp: Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottom fry pan or enamel skillet. Add the onion and red pepper, cooking till translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the ham and sauté briefly. Stir in the milk or stock, scraping the sides and bottom of the skillet to deglaze the pan. Bring to a boil, and cook till the liquid is reduced by half. Add the cream, bring to a boil, and reduce the liquid making a loose sauce. Add the shrimp, stir, and cook till the shrimp turn pink. Add the chives and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide the grits among four plates, top with the shrimp and some of the sauce. Serve immediately. If you are cooking for less than two, this dish reheats well the next day, just use separate dishes to reheat separately.
Here is a picture of MY Shrimp and Grits

Now here are my personal notes. I prefer a little more sauce, so I would add a little more heavy cream, maybe 1/2 cup and a little more hot sauce. Also, I prefer my sauce a little thicker, so I would cook the sauce a little longer before adding the shrimp. I like serving Shrimp and Grits in a bowl so you can get every last drop of that yummy sauce. I know, it's not as elegant as serving it on a plate but who cares! Now for my tip on cooking the grits. You can make the grits a day ahead and when they are finished cooking, pour them into lined cupcake pans, allow to cool and then refrigerate over night. The next day as`you are cooking the shrimp, remove the grits "cakes", peel off the paper liner, add a little butter to a skillet, add the grits cakes and brown on both sides. Place the cakes on a plate (or bowl) and top with the shrimp. YUMMO! Please stop by How Sweet The Sound for more PINK inspiration and have a wonderful weekend, filled with Bubbles of JOY! xxoo Nan

Vintage Red Oil Paintings

Back in August I shared this Oil painting I painted when I was about 12. 

You can read the story of these OIL paintings and the original post HERE.
Well I thought I would finally show the other two OIL paintings in the set. First, this little Scottie, which is my least favorite of the three.

And then there is this little Boston Terrier.

I'm linking this post to REDnesday at It's A Very Cherry World
Vintage Thingie Thursday at Colorado Lady
and Alphabe Thursday for the letter O at Jenny Matlock's

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

I have a special Prayer request this week. My neighbor called this morning and I could tell from the sound of her voice that something was wrong. Her Grand Daughter has been battling cancer for what seems like the majority of her young life. Every time they think she is in remission, the cancer shows up somewhere else, this time they found a mass in her lung. She goes in for surgery this Tuesday. Please keep Rachel and her family in your prayers, they have been through so much. 
Please visit Spiritual Sundays for more inspiring posts!

TA DA! I have my words!

Happy PINK Saturday everyone! This is my first PINK Saturday in several weeks, the Holidays just got so busy. Anywho, I've been trying to think of MY word for this year, a word that would say exactly what I want to strive for. Well, I couldn't come up with one word so I came up with two! One word that applies to everyday life: home, work, family etc.. You see, I am the World's worst procrastinator. I can come up with more excuses for NOT DOING the things I need to DO! Have you guessed what my word is? 

Yep, DO, simple, uncomplicated, JUST DO!

The second word is for my art. Many times I see another artist's work and think "Gee, I can do that!". But I have to tell you, there are just as many times that I look at an artist work and think "gosh, I wish I could paint like that!". I realize, I HAVE to BELIEVE in myself, BELIEVE that I can DO anything if I set my mind to it and work at it. Is it obvious enough? 

My second word is BELIEVE!

So there you have it, my two words for this year! I'm going to print these out and hang up one set at work, one set in my studio and one set in my sun room. I almost forgot to mention, the adorable tags (minus the words) are from the fabulous blog Free Pretty Things For You. She has the sweetest vintage tags and images! Now go check out all the other PINK inspiration at How Sweet the Sound and have a wonderful weekend filled with Bubbles of JOY!

It's all about ME!

N is for Nan!
Well, since we are on the letter N and since this IS my Birthday month, I thought I would use the opportunity to share some fabulous, fun facts about ME! LOL!

 (don't we look happy, lol!)

I'm the youngest of three girls and yes, I was always the one acting goofy and doing silly things! 

(I don't know why, but I have always loved this picture!)

Everyone always assumes Nan is short for Nancy but actually, my real name is Nanette. I shortened it to Nan some time in Junior High because I thought it was so much cooler.

My screen name NanE, is actually a little play on words, so to speak. My last initial is E and Mr Bubble (giggle) calls me Nannie, so I combined the two and came up with NanE. 

 (That's me, standing up!)

I am ambidextrous. There are some things I only do with my Right hand: cut with scissors, throw a ball. There are some things I only do with my Left hand: draw, color with markers. And there are many things I do with both hands: eat, although not at the same time, lol, brush my teeth, paint. I can write with both hands, I can even write with both hands at the same time but I use my Left hand most of the time. 

 (love the bangs, WHY did my mom always cut them so short?)

I have two degrees, one in Architectural Drafting and a Bachelor of Science.
I was once the lead singer in a band but I really don't sing anymore. 

(here I am with the truck and horse trailer 

I received that Christmas)

I have always wanted to live on a farm and I've always wanted a miniature goat. One year for Christmas, Santa brought me this little stuffed goat. I named him Jingle Bell and I STILL have him! Sigh, maybe one day!

 (here I am with Jingle Bell)

Thanks for indulging me and now that you are all thoroughly bored enlightened, I will send you off to Jenny Matlocks and Alphabe Thursday for the Letter N. And since I posted all these great vintage pictures, I'm going to join Colorado Lady for Vintage Thingie Thursday!  

Mirror, Mirror

M is for Mirror
This Mirror once belonged to my Great Grandmother and then was given to my Mother. When my Mom passed away, my sisters and I took turns choosing the items we wanted to keep. When my turn came, both of my girls begged me to take this old Mirror. They were 8 and 10 at the time and I have no idea why they wanted me to choose the Mirror but I did. 

I love how the metal has taken on this beautiful patina. 
There are a few spots where the silvering is missing and a small place where the graphic is scratched but other than that, it's in pretty good condition. 

In this closeup, you can see the sweet PINK roses and little blue Forget Me Nots. 

I don't have any idea how old this Mirror is or any details about the manufacturer but I'm happy to have it. 
I'll be linking this post to Alphabe Thursday for the Letter M 
at Jenny Matlocks
and 
Vintage Thingie Thursdays at Colorado Lady. 

A Few Random Thoughts

Hi Bloggy Friends! I'm still trying to play catch-up from the Holidays so I have just a few random thoughts for today.
First, I've redecorated my Blog for the Winter. Well, at least the month of January. I hate cold weather but I love looking at snow and snowmen and snowflakes. In fact, as soon as I get all the Christmas decorations put away, I'll be putting out a few flakey friends. I've even added a new playlist with Wintry songs! I had so much fun decorating my kitchen window with the vintage store theme, I'm thinking about creating a wintry scene. I'll post pictures when I'm finished. I have a set of dishes with snowflakes and snowmen that I bought a few years ago on clearance and this year I added these cute bowls and cups I bought at Kohls for 60% off.

(few RED accents: tablecloth, hats, buttons and scarves)

I love these bowls because they are BIG and are perfect for soup and salads!
     I have this little thing I do to Mr Bubble (giggle) every couple of years for Christmas. LOL, ok, remove your brain from the gutter, 
he he. No, I hide his Christmas gift! This year I bought him this little green house.

Obviously it was too big to hide at home, so I hid it at our neighbor's house and he had to find it. To start the hunt, I wrote a little clue and attached it to the caboose of the train under the tree in the sunroom.

Christmas morning I started the train up and when it came around I said "oh look, there's a note for you!"
Here's what the clue said:

Engine, engine #9, coming down Chicago line

If it's gifts you had in mind

then this present you must find!

Engine, engine #9, coming down Chicago line

John and Cile good friends of mine

Have kept your gift safe all this time!

I actually did this long after the gifts had all been opened and he was kind of pouting because he didn't get his greenhouse. I'm so bad, lol!

     I've noticed that many of you are choosing a special word for the year. I really like this idea but the problem is, I can't think of a word. I know what I would like to do.... stop procrastinating about my artwork but what is a positive word that means the opposite of procrastinate? I have been plagued by this my entire life. Here's a painting I started about 4 years ago. 

 (Some RED Flowers)

I showed y'all this back when I participated in Where Bloggers Create and guess what? She's still sitting there, staring back at me unfinished! Yesterday I received my new catalog of classes for the
John C Campbell Folk School. Every year I say "THIS year, I'm going to take one of these classes!" but I always procrastinate and run out of time or money.  

Look at the classes, everything from Gourd art, to doll making, felting, painting, everything you can imagine! Sigh .... maybe THIS will be the year! If anyone has any ideas for MY word for the year, I would love to hear. That's it for my random thoughts today, have a wonderful day, filled with Bubbles of JOY! xxoo Nan 
I know I'm stretching it a little BUT ... I'll be linking this post to REDnesday at It's a Very Cherry World!

Scripture in Pictures Sunday

The Epiphany, January 6 

The Manifestation of Christ to the World

 Click on the picture to bring up a larger, sharper image,

then right click and save.

Happy New Year Everyone!
I'll be linking this post to Spiritual  Sundays