Hollyhocks

Homemade Marshmallows and Hope for Plastic Garden Chairs

I have been wanting to make these for a while...but this...

...the dreaded candy thermometer...intimidated me. I don't know why, I can follow a red mark up a sequential number line as well as the next guy, but thoughts of sugar, burned into pans, stopped me. I made caramels last year and that gave me a bit of courage, so I went to Martha's website and typed in "marshmallows" under recipes and off I went...

If you follow the directions exactly...you get this...

and then some pretty great melty marshmallows. 2 tips, if you are a plain marshmallow eater, consider adding some peppermint or other flavoring. The vanilla taste comes out best when they are melting in your hot chocolate. For my European readers...we think that golden syrup is pretty close to our light corn syrup. Enjoy!!!

...and some great news...someone has finally found a good use for the plastic garden chairs that are a scourge all over the world these days...

I apologize for the photo quality. An engineer has found a way to attach the chairs to wheels and make a wheelchair for under $50!!! These chairs are then given to the poor. Bravo!!!! Please, urge your neighbors to contribute their "furniture" to this worthwhile project. Thanks for visiting Hollyhocks!!!!

Merry Christmas to All

Once upon a time, in a village called Millstream, there lived a little girl. The little girl's family had a baby Jesus doll in a cradle. The doll was placed under the Christmas tree and every time the little girl behaved well, after dinner she was allowed to add...

...a few pieces of straw to the baby Jesus' cradle to make him more comfortable. This honor was so important to the little girl that she never forgot that family tradition. One year, after she told her new husband about the tradition, the girl typed "baby Jesus doll" into the search box on Ebay and there he appeared, the doll from her childhood and reminder of many happy memories. He now resides under her grown-up Christmas Tree.

May all of you find and share peace and love this holiday season. Merry Christmas!

Forget the Praline and Sweet Tea Diet

When we got to Charleston, I scurried over to the local Target for a hotel-sized Christmas tree and a bathroom scale. Not this girl, thought I. I will not arrive back home a size larger. After a bout with bad mussels the second day, my clothes were positively hanging on me. So, I had a couple of pralines. Every time we went out for a meal, I had some nice freshly brewed sweetened ice tea...and a couple of pralines...and maybe a teeny portion of cheese and grits with dinner...and lunch...and maybe a few breakfasts of biscuits and sausage gravy. I got on the scale and miraculously, for the first 7 days there was no change. Then came 2 days of bedrest . The last day in Charleston I stepped on that magic scale...and the magic was gone. In its place was 4 pounds. I felt cheated. Shouldn't I have had a 1 pound warning? So that, gentle readers, is why I can not live in the South. Temptation!

In other news, if you've been stopping by lately, you know that I have been happily awaiting the last installment of a magazine swap I did with LiLi. Well, the slow boat pulled into port just before we left for Charleston...and here's what she brought...

LiLi sent the the SAME fabric that was used in the article, along with the magazine and article. What a really special touch.

She sent great vintage wallpaper and ribbon and wooden chips, baker's twine and old printed pages... a crafter package of joy.

...and last but not least, a lovely cotton hanky. Thank you again LiLi!

I also want to thank every sweet, warm, thoughtful person who left a comment or emailed privately to say that they were saying a prayer or had their fingers and toes crossed for me. This blogging community of ours is quite something,isn't it? Even though we aren't able to sit in each other's kitchens and talk over a cup of tea, or sew together, I think we have figured out a way to form supportive friendships. Bless every one of you...thanks for visiting Hollyhocks!

Vintage General and the Rest of Savannah

You would be so happy here. The DH walked in the door, looked around, and said "this looks like our house". I wish!!!

The owner has done a perfectly beautiful job of mixing vintage and vintage-looking new items. Everything sparkles. I was truly overwhelmed. You will find them mentioned in this month's Better Homes and Gardens, along with a link for a cardboard house pattern. That and Sarah's recipe for bleaching brush trees will send you on your way to vintage Christmas heaven.

I just bought a couple of things because I have to take everything home on the plane. I did splurge a bit here

A teeny, tiny fabric store...

with the best selection of Alexander Henry fabric ever. (how do you like my photo styling? Not too many options in a hotel...) By way of keeping the DH happy and scouting out parking spots, we ended up here...

Back in the Day Bakery. Nice red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese icing. There are all kinds of glittery vintage tchotchkes around too. Yum. I'll post more soon.

Good bye for now Savannah! Thanks for visiting Hollyhocks.

The One Where I Fight With the Laptop

I'm here guys. Really, I am. The $%&^$#@ laptop will only let me upload one photo and write one paragraph...so, here goes... We are in Charleston to do IVF (if you don't know what that means, you are lucky). My local doc retired, no great specialists where I live, yada, yada, yada...here we are...tired, sick of blood tests and appointments and the whole darn thing. I probably won't post about it again, because this isn't that kind of blog, but, if you feel like throwing a prayer or crossed fingers my way...go ahead.  In between that and stressing out, we visited a historic home to see how Charlestonians decorated for Christmas in the 1800s. This is a beautiful city and the people are especially warm and hospitable. Once I can, I have lots of pretty and vintage things to show you...

My Swap Partner's Better Than Your Swap Partner!

A while ago I left a comment on LiLi's blog, offering to swap magazines. She emailed back and we began to correspond about what we'd like from each other's countries. I have to confess that I secretly printed a map to see where exactly The Netherlands is located...oh, like you knew. I, like some? many? Americans think tulips, not longitude and latitude when I think of The Netherlands. Well, long story short, LiLi turns out to be a delightful person and off I sent 4 of the finest in US magazine eye candy... 2 Home Companion, 1 Romantic Homes and 1 Somerset Vintage. I gasped when I heard that the shipping cost was over $20, but off they went... LiLi, who is smarter than I am...

 

sent her package Parcel Post, or as she puts it, on a slow boat across the ocean. My magazines arrive in the Netherlands...right next to Germany (showing off my geographic knowledge now) and LiLi blogs that she feels terrible that hers won't arrive for a while...then she promptly dispatches a package...Priority Mail...that contains the contents of the 2 photos above. Today I arrived home to find what I thought was the "slow boat package"

Boy, I thought, LiLi must be psychic. She knew that I would love red and white (especially polka dots) this Christmas before I even knew it.  Look how her package matches my fabric... But, alas, this was not the "slow boat package". It is a SECOND bonus package while I wait for the original one. Can I tell you how glad I am that the others are on the slow boat!?

 

A French magazine this time, and a lovely card and handmade notepad with attached pen...and I still have the slow boat package to look forward to! Thank you LiLi...You shouldn't have...but of course I can't wait to sit down with a soy nog (115 calories) and savor that French magazine! I'm so glad that we swapped!

I have been sewing gifts...

2 more pencil rolls. These are addictive... and, this photo is for Sarah, who wants to get some ideas for her scotty fabric...

It's a bald-faced copy of one made in my tote bag class, but I thought the black kept the scotties from looking too cutesy, so I copied away...

I did diverge from sewgarizing when I lined the tote and little zippered bags with red and white polka dots.

Now, faithful readers...a little yuletide gift from me to you...a recipe for one of the yummiest, festivest holiday drinks you'll find this time of year...

Whip the whole thing up in the blender and pour. Some folks like almond extract instead of coconut, but I like the subtle coconut nuance. Let me know if you make some and heed this advice from the DH... "Not the Jamesons! You did not pour half a bottle of good Irish whiskey into the blender!" Whatever!

The only time I open a bottle of liquor is to pour it into cookies, truffles or Chicken a la King (sherry). So...bust out the blender and the good, not great, whiskey and give everybody on your list a bit of homemade cheer. Thanks for visiting Hollyhocks! See you from Charleston!

Santa and the Gurley Men

Allow me to introduce Da Boyz (too much time with teenagers I guess). I picked up #1 about 5 years ago and add one or 2 every year. I LOVE CHRISTMAS KITSCH! Maybe you'd like to meet the Gurley Men...

These folks, called Tavern Candles, were made by the Gurley Company right here in Western NY. All I need now is Mary, Joseph and a baby Jesus. They have them on Ebay, but the bidding gets crazy.

Santas are pretty easy to find.

Angels and choir members are out there too...

Reindeer are a bit harder to find, due to the delicate nature of their skinny wax legs, I think.

Lots of vintage Christmas hankies and a silver tree from Ebay a few years ago. The red ornaments are Martha Stewart from Kmart. By the By...I used MS Kmart tea towels to make sewing machine covers for work. They are the perfect size with twill tape to tie the ends closed.

A vintage linen towel for the guest bed...

Vintage holiday aprons...

...and Crate and Barrel tea towels...I'll post more as I get it out, dust it off and display it. Stay tuned for a post from...

...Never fear, Cadbury has never seen the inside of a kennel. We are blessed with family members who move in when we're away so he can remain in his own familiar... territory ...um...sofa.

Thanks for visiting Hollyhocks!

Baby It's Cold Outside!

If you live where I do, you have to love snow. We get lots of it! I woke up this morning to fluffy flakes floating by my windows. It's currently 20 degrees and sunny.

It's a good thing I collect these. I have about a dozen, only buy wool and never pay more than $5. I can't think of a prettier way to warm up. Unless it's a Starbucks Eggnog Latte. Until last night that creamy hot $4 beverage was the highlight of the holiday season so far...that is, until I asked them how it is made...I thought, maybe I can buy some eggnog syrup or something and duplicate this wonderful taste at home...oh, I can duplicate it at home all right, but it probably has about 800 calories... It is made with 2 shots of (in my case decaf) espresso and about 1/2 cup of nonfat milk...good so far...and about 8 ounces of actual eggnog! So that's why it's so creamy-yummy. It's full of cream. Darn. I was telling myself that it was an alternative to dessert. It IS dessert.

I went estate saling this morning...

got some buttons...and if you have any German blood, your mother, like mine, may have described someone as "screaming like a fishwife".

I think these 2 ladies, Made in Germany, are actual fishwives...

This sheet and pillow cover laundered so nicely. I can't wait to put them on the guest bed.

A tin, some cards and a Tailor Clapper. I have been wanting one of these for so long. You steam fabric and place this on top of it to sharpen creases as the fabric dries. Sharp creases here I come.

 

Some books from the estate of a LRR collector...

Interesting children's books...

...and books with amazing illustrations...should I frame them? Scan them?

A sweet pin, pot holder and hankie...

...and vintage angel hair...

Thanks for visiting Hollyhocks. We're decorating the tree today. Stepdad is in rehab but very weak. I am all better and it's amazing what a good night's sleep can do for a person... If you are out blogging around...stop by and see the Christmas Extravaganza of decorating at Fred and Hayley's. Oh, and take a look at Handmade Holidays for great gift ideas...and have an eggnog latte for me!