Delinquent Blogger!!! and # 6!

     So, I got a bit overwhelmed and backed off the blogging...I have been subbing a lot and since there is no routine or pre-arrangement, very often I am not prepared to be running out to sub. Then it's Kindergarten or 6th or Music or Library and I am a little over-extended! Today was a half day, so I was able to recharge a bit...yes, I finally got to go to TJ Maxx for a few minutes! I applaud all of you who work full or part time and have the kids and school and meetings, etc. I think that is what did it...so may PTA and other school meetings and bake for this and that  and run and get the shirt for the concert...and the fact that none of my clothes feel right...ugh.
          I also am in the middle of my beautiful blogger and feel as if I have an unfinished homework assignment...So, here I go again!!!!  Grab a cup of tea for this one!

6. I LOVE transferware. I started when I found my first plate at a cute shop. It was brown and I fell in love.

                               It just says English Ironstone England on the back.

                                                                               
            Then I discovered Spode and Old English Castles by Johnson Brothers. First I will tell you a bit about Transferware......                                                    

 Transferware is the term given to pottery that has had a pattern applied by transferring the print from a copper plate to a specially sized paper and finally to the pottery body. While produced mostly on earthenware, transfer prints are also found on ironstone, porcelain and bone china. Most transferware, around 90%, was made in the Staffordshire county of England, but it was also made in other areas of Great Britain such as Leeds, Liverpool, Swansea and Scotland.

At first the patterns were copied in style and detail from the Chinese. As transferware became more popular it was anglicized and many patterns were copied directly from prints and etchings that were popular in the early nineteenth century.

Transferware first started appearing on the market in the late 18th century, and exploded in popularity in the 1820s and 1830s. Although the styles of the transfers changed over the years, it has been made continuously since then. It is only since the 1990s that the pottery industry has moved its production off shore and out of Great Britain.

Although more blue was produced than other colors, colored transferware became popular in America in the 1830s and was exported in red, pink, purple, cranberry, brown, black, green, yellow, gray and various combinations of these colors.

Here are a few pieces from my collection!

Old English Castle and my lilacs....ahhhh

Old British Castles and Spode

Asiatic platter  and Old British Castles plates and teacups

Old British Castles bread and butter or I use it for coins and shells and candles...

The green is Ridgway by Staffordshire. I love the OB Castles, because each one depicts a different castle in England...for example-Blannary, Dudley...

The Christmas plates are Queens (inexpensive) and the white with blue-bottom left- is

Royal Doulton (Classic Rose-LOVE) and probably not transferware-but pretty! The upper left is made by Unicorn (from TJ  Maxx <3) in Stafforshire England, and inexpensive.

You can find transferware in antique shops, flea markets, garage sales, Marshalls and TJ Maxx, on line sites, ebay, etc. Pick up a few and you may become addicted!

Next time 7! I'll try not to take so long to post again!

~Nancy

Beautiful Blogger continued!

      7 Things continued!!!

 5.T he furthest west I have ever been was Alabama. Our vacation was booked at the Marriott Hotel in the Florida Keys. The bags were packed and we were driving down the next morning. That’s when the news hit that a hurricane ( I believe it was Charley) that would not affect Florida; would. It was set for landfall in the Keys and possible north of that as well. The Keys were being evacuated and no one was going in. The bridge was one way-out! The kids were upset to say the least! After waiting all summer for the only vacation time we could take, we were desperate! Since we were lucky to be using marriot points for our stay, the Marriott was suggesting other hotels in their chain in Florida, but these would most likely be affected as well. Then, I spotted Alabama. We had never been. The drive, we thought, would be the same distance as the Keys-far, but doable. So, off we set for the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama. We had to drive a way we had never gone-no GPS -just an actual map! Instead of our usual trip down I-95, we turned off around Charlotte and took I-85 or 65? It was quite an adventure! We arrived in the middle of the night and our room was not available. What was so funny is that we fell asleep in the car in the lot waiting for morning, and when we awoke, all the tennis and golf players were arriving. When we were given our room, we knew we had made the right decision. The place was lovely and we filled our days with kayaking, biking, sunning, swimming, croquet, crafts and tea in the afternoon! It was perfectly serene. Mobile Bay was our beach.

After that, not sure what Point Clear would be like we had decided to go to Pensacola and drive home from there. We drove along the shores of Alabama and could not believe its beauty! Pensacola was a switch from Point Clear, but we were on the Gulf this time. The beach was so beautiful. We could see the fish down by our toes. No disrespect to our own beautiful Jones Beach, but this was gorgeous. We also did not have one bad day! The hurricane had turned and reeked havoc on Florida (not the Keys!) and the Eastern coast. Even at home it was pouring.

 How lucky we were! We walked on the famous pier at Pensacola and ate at restaurants on the beach. Very sadly, after we were back at home, and September started, another storm was brewing. This was Ivan….the terrible! It tore apart Pensacola (and its famous pier) and Gulf Shores and ran on through Alabama, practically destroying The Marriot Grand Hotel. What was also sad was that Hotel was quite historic, having been a Hospital in WWII. We actually called the hotel a few weekes later, afraid to hear just a dial tone, and they were repairing and reopening soon after. Not everyone was so lucky after Ivan.

 After 5 years of repair, the pier in Pensacola has been reopened.

So, that was my furthest trip west, I have been to Canada-just on the other side of the falls, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, all the way down to North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.-east and west coast. I have only flown to the Bahamas, Bermuda (honeymoon) and Puerto Rico; we have driven everwhere else! So for our trip this summer, if you have suggestions, I would love to visit the Gulf Coast again! Or if you have another place, let me know-please comment!

Beautiful Blogger Award

Beautiful Blogger Award

        I received and award from Nita  at a Mod Vintage Life.  Her blog is beautiful, glamorous, mod and..vintage! Wait till you see her storybook home and what she did with her fireplace is near amazing! She has great style and unique tastes!
        It was so nice of her to include me in her list of beautiful blogs! I am at this almost a year and still struggle! She seems to have it down. Check out her list and then see mine below.
       I'm to choose 15 other blogs to receive the award so I will  share the following bloggers with you. Please visit their blogs, read their posts and you will see why!  You can just click on their blog titles to go to  their sites. If you look at my blog roll those are also the blogs I visit all the time. And there are plenty more on my reader, which is why I never get to post!!  

Designs by Gollum

Coastal Charm  

Cottage Charm and Family Inspiration

The Treat Girl 

Remodelaholic

Bella Rustica

Mammabellarte

Fiona and Twig

Pure Style Home

Miss Mustard Seed

The Feathered Nest

Beneath my Heart

Bake at 350

a beach cottage

Knock Off Wood
Blondies Journals

and so many more!

      "7 Things You (may not) Don't Know About Me"
1.   I love to feed people....

2.   I love magazines like Country Living and Better Homes and Pottery Barn,Restoration Hardware  Ballard and Art and Artifact catalogs. I can't throw them away. I am in search of  Flea Market Style. I very painfully got rid of some Country Living mags dating back to their first year. Ok, Ok...I kept some Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. 

3. Strawberry ice cream and lemon ices are my choice when not sharing someone else's fav (which I usually like to do)!

4. I am a substitute teacher. I taught 10 years and when my #2 came along I took maternity and never went back. Then, I had #3. I liked being home for the kids everyday and my husband was happy with it, too. I sporadically subbed while the children were little, but sub a lot more now.

I am stopping here and will come back to finish! I spend so much time reading all of your beautiful blogs, that I don't leave my self time to post!

Milk Money $30 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Milk Money $30 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Easter Tree and How to Make It

    I saw an Easter Tree in a mag a few years ago and had it stuck in my mind to try-with a little hubby help. Here is how I made it. I won't say tutorial because all of you are so clever and know how to write them up properly!!

   You will need 2 1/2 inch dowels  and a 2" by 1" piece of wood about 16" long. All dimensions can be changed to your liking. You will also need a base of scrap wood. Mine is 4" x 6". Sand all edges. Add ons-ribbon, grass, eggs, paint, etc.

Limbs-Cut the dowels to 3 lengths-I did 12", 14" , 16".

Trunk-Cut the 1" x 2" to length that you like-I used 16". Drill 3  1/2" holes through the side all the way through. ( I guess you could also half the dowels and use gorilla glue.) Sand hole cuts. 

I painted all with white craft paint and lightly wiped it off, leaving a white tint.

Screw base to trunk. Slide dowels through.

I picked up these hanging wood eggs at Pier 1 last year, but I habve seen them around. You can use any hanging eggs, or make your own.

Add Easter grass or moss.

I had my hubby cut this bunny from a pattern I drew, but you can decorate in any way using fun wood things that you can find at Hobby Lobby-but I can't because we don't have one!!

Done!
In case I am not blogging-(blog neglect-I know)-

Have a very Happy Easter!!!