Our favorite Chess Pie recipe
This was my favorite pie growing up. My grandmother made it – anytime I asked. And I wonder why I’m so fluffy. Ha! When I grew up and had kids, I made it for them. Turns out it became their favorite pie, too. It’s still a family favorite. And so easy!
A vintage chess pie recipe from Just Vintage.
You’ll need an unbaked pie shell. I use the store bought kind. They’re better than any I can make.
Chess Pie
1-1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (one stick) butter
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix all ingredients. Beat slightly (that’s important). It will have a slightly lumpy texture. Pour into the unbaked pie shell and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. I usually bake it a bit longer than 45 minutes.
What could be easier than that? And yes, the crust should crack. It rises as it’s cooking, then falls when it’s cooling.
A sweet, sweet gift
I had a birthday recently. It’s fine with me to totally ignore my birthdays. I don’t like the numbers, but at the same time I sure am glad to have all those numbers! And hope to have nearly that many more. But the junkin’ gal pals always have a girls’ night out when one of us has a birthday.
One of my presents was this wonderful, old print:
Guess I should’a moved the plant before taking the picture, huh? Melanie and Tiffany went in together and got it for me. Aren’t they the BBFFE? (Best best friends forever ever) Either of them could have used it in their homes and I think they each would have loved to have it, but since they were together when they found it, they decided to pass it on to me. That was so sweet! They knew too, that she needed to be with my other little girls with birds.
I got some other fun things too, and will show them later.
So where are my Christmas decor pictures? Um, there aren’t any. Before Thanksgiving, I was gung ho. Couldn’t wait to get Christmas stuff out and actually would have started before Thanksgiving if I’d had the time. After T-Day? The enthusiasm left. Vamooshed. And hasn’t reappeared. I’d wanted to try to make some of the things I pinned on Pinterest. After the first little attempt, that desire left, too. I’d even planned on joining in some of the Christmas blog parties. Sigh. Too much trouble. We’re not hosting anything this year unless it’s something spur of the moment and nobody’s going to see it anyway. Oh, I’ve got a couple of things out, and I will try to get some pics before Christmas. I might even see if I can make a few things I pinned. (Should “pinned” be capitalized?) But as far as dragging out the whole shebang, not gonna happen. Am I just getting old and cranky? Lawd, I hope not! This is the last year we’ll be able to get away with it, though. Next year with babies around, we’ll have to pull out all the stops.
Trash to treasure chest & hutch
These two pieces were done several weeks ago, but I’m just now getting around to sharing. Remember, I did nothing. I play a very small role in painting and redoing furniture. Miss Mustard Seed, I’m not. No, my hubby has the talent for furniture transformation.
First the little yellow chest. Before:
He didn’t quite understand why I said to get this little chest with the missing drawer. But in the end, he understood. And I guess I lied. I did have a little to do with the transformation of this chest. I did make the baskets. As if you couldn’t tell be looking at the bows. One’s perky, the other droopy. LOL And OMG! I’ve only just now noticed that the fabric is going in different directions!! I didn’t even realize it could! Groan. So what’s going to hurt the sale most? The droopy bow or the fabric pattern? As many times as I’ve looked at it, you’d think….
Next is this china cabinet/hutch. I believe it originally had doors at the top. It was in pretty sad shape when we got it. It hung around under the carport for a long, long time before getting it’s makeover.
Not sure what that tape is holding on at the bottom. LOL
But it had some pretty details. The trim on the doors, however, wasn’t totally intact and had to be replaced.
Ta-da!
The color’s a little off because the picture was taken with my phone. But it’s a salmon color and a dark coffee color.
Both these pieces are at Longleaf Antique Mall in Alexander City, Alabama. Or were last weekend.
Can’t wait to get pics of the stuff we found today! But the way it’s pushed up under the carport, you wouldn’t be able to make “hide ner hair” of it.
G’bye big booth. It was nice knowin’ ya
So where have I been the past couple of weeks? Oh, here and there, but busy, busy, busy. And the biggest job that kept me busy was downsizing my booth at the Pickle Patch. Remember when I first moved in? I picked out the largest booth, actually a room, in the building. It was great. Very well lit and… well, just great.
That picture is my very first arrangement and shows just the left side of the booth. Not quite half. Plus, there was a wall behind on each side. (I couldn’t find a picture showing the whole booth.) Soooo much room! I did so love it, but frankly, it was hard to keep full, hard to find the time to rearrange and hard to make much money over the rent. I had said that when the right opportunity arose, I’d like to move to a “normal size” booth. That opportunity came last week. Someone came in and wanted a large booth. I was called – “Are you serious about wanting a smaller booth?” I took a deep, shuddering breath and said I was. The wheels were immediately in motion.
It took me two days to clear out the big booth and move as much as I could in the smaller booth and another half day to haul off the 2 truck loads and 1 car load that wouldn’t fit! The new booth is about 1/4 the size of the old one. This is how it looks at the moment (Apologies for the crummy pictures. They were taken with my phone. Could be worse, I suppose.):
It’s not how I’d like it to be, but pretty good for being bone tired, mind befuddled and in a hurry. The plan was to pack it with furniture, which I did. Sorta. So, of course now, I worry that I don’t have enough smalls in there. Sure wish I knew the right formula. AND what would sell well in my area. I find my taste is a bit eccentric/odd/funky in general for the folks around here. So I try to tone it down. It also looks like I need to get into more new items. One thing about this business, it’s a constant learning process.
Some fresh ornaments and – Do you know what your talents are?
My love/hate relationship with Pinterest has had me thinking. And thinking hard! Yeah, yeah. I hear the giggling and snickering out there. Once you get over the thought of me thinking hard, this is what I’m talking about.
One day with Pinterest, I’m all inspired. I want to make every crafty thing I see, I want to make my house pin worthy. And really believe I can. The next day I believe I only had pipe dreams. Foolish ideas. Who am I kidding? I’m not talented the way those people are. I can’t make things look that good. Then I get over that pity party and start to dream big again. Do you do this, too?
Here’s what prompted the latest pity party. Erin and I spent some time Friday crafting Christmas ornaments. She’s a natural. Most of the things she makes are cute. Most of the things I make cause much giggling or out and out guffawing. That’s when I start wondering just what my talents are and if I’ll ever find them.
Ok. So that’s not exactly terrible, but someone else with more talent than I could have taken the same idea and made everyone who saw it want to do one for themselves.
Now. Just what are my natural talents? After much thinking…..well….. I can play the piano and it came naturally to me. It was easy to learn. But there are definitely limitations. Short fingers for one. Odd inability to memorize for another. And it seemed like I got to a level and could never get any further. And that was a looooooooong way from a concert pianist. Enough to satisfy me and enjoy playing, though. But I rarely play any more. Can’t see and it hurts my wrists. So, what else?
Um…. I can sew… Read that not as “I can SEW!” but more like, “Welllll… I can sew….” I’m not what you’d call a talented seamstress like my friend Melanie. I know that she has to pick out seams along with everybody else, but I’ve never seen anything she made that didn’t look professionally done. I’m more of a “capable” seamstress. Still I think there’s a natural talent there. When I hear someone say they can’t sew, I wonder why not? Sewing’s easy! Nothing to it! So maybe I should start to sew more to sate my creative urges and have a satisfied feeling at completion.
Those are the only natural talents I can think of. Not much, huh? Oh, there is another. I sure can shop! LOL
I don’t think I’ll ever squelch the other crafting urges, though. Here are some other ornaments I made Friday.
The bottom left is just silver tinsel garland stuffed into a clear ball. The center right is Epsom Salt in a ball with glitter on the outside. But the other turned out to be a happy mistake:
I know you can’t tell too much about it, but it’s little plastic snowflakes from Hobby Lobby. Trouble was, they just laid there flat on top of each other. I put some Epsom Salt in there to see if that would help. Enh. Not much. Then for some really strange reason, I sprayed glue in there. I’m not sure what I thought it would do, but it made everything clump together. Horrors! So I started shaking. And it actually ended up OK! I kinda like it!
Just glitter on a little plastic trophy. Anybody should be able to spray something with glue and cover it in glitter, but oops. I see where I missed a few spots. See? I can’t even get something as simple as that right! LOL
And one more picture of the salt shaker angel Erin thought was so funny. Sigh. In retrospect, I think it would have been cuter in all silver. If I had a little ball for the head, I’d go ahead and do that, but I don’t. At least not today.
So what about you? Do you find it easy to create and do it well or are you like me, occasionally have an accidental happy? Have you found your natural talents? Do you stick with that or do you continually try to put a square peg in a round hole and try to do things you know are not your talent?
Look what I bought for $10.00!
Have you noticed I haven’t been posting any finds lately? Like pretty much all summer long? And into the fall? I don’t know what’s up, but I just haven’t been into the scavenging this year. Don’t know if it’s because I’ve been going out the majority of the weekends since 1975 or if I’ve got too much stuff packed away waiting to be put out for sale and the need for more stock isn’t there right now or if I just plain ol’ got lazy. Yeah. That’s probably it. I’ve been enjoying sleeping in on the weekends. Oh, another reason probably is because now that Ricky’s retired and we’re depending on junk to help with the finances it’s become more of a have to and less of a hey-this-is-fun kind of thing. I’m sure I’ll be raring to go again come spring, though.
I did get out last weekend. Bought a few tooky things and as I was editing the pictures to share, even I thought how boring the stuff was, so I scrapped that idea. It was just some jewelry pieces, some crocheted hangers, two wooden shoe forms with the price forever written on the bottom in permanent marker… Sigh. Why do they do that? But there was one thing that wasn’t boring. This set of vintage Samsonite luggage. At least I think it’s vintage… right??
Don’t you love the tray for the make-up case?
We had gone to a thrift store and I spotted it when I first walked in. How could I have missed it? It was in the front, center, all alone with a sign saying All $10.00. There were only a couple of other people in the store, so I looked the store over good before loading them up. Ricky had made the run through, saw nothing of interest to him – oddly there wasn’t a stick of furniture in the entire store – and had already gone out to the truck. I was going to be short a few bucks and had to call him back in. But while I was waiting on him, I changed my mind on the luggage. It’s kinda dirty, I wasn’t sure I could get it clean, and the large one has a dent.
I was already putting it back when Ricky walked back in. He said he thought I (who me?) could get it clean and convinced me to go ahead and buy it. I don’t know why I second guessed it anyway. Guess it was Lazy Girl popping up. That personality lives very close to the surface.
On the way out he asked: Are you selling it?
Me: Wellll…. that was my first thought.
Him: They are a good size, aren’t they?
Me: Yeah…. they are.
And we do need some “new” luggage. Not to take on planes, I’d never to that to a set like this these days, but for car trips? Sure! So it stays with me. If it doesn’t come completely clean, no biggie. I can get it as clean as I can on the outside and generously spray Lysol on the inside. Happy Girl personality is out now. 
Gratitude
Gratitude. I haven’t been doing the whole “today I’m grateful for…” thing on Facebook or the blog, but that doesn’t mean I’m not. No, no, no! I could bore a preacher to tears with my list of “thankful fors”. There are the usual, noble things like health, family, friends, pet, home…. then it gets into clean water, clothes to wear, enough food to make me fat…. But it can also include things like getting to buy a Silhouette Cameo a few months ago and my new blade coming yesterday.
I love the Silhouette! I don’t use it as much as many, if not most, owners, but I’m so happy to have it. I didn’t get one for free just for reviewing it like it seems a lot of bloggers did. Who wants a blog with the name Excuse Me While I Buy This Junk to review your wonderful, new product? And hint, that’s one the changes I’m working on.
This might be my first real project. I’ve done other things, enough to dull the blade, but nothing worth crowing about.
I downloaded the 99¢ design by Samantha Walker directly from the Silhouette store. Cut it from brown vinyl and stuck it to orange construction paper, of all things. I had this old leaf cross frame and they seemed destined to be together.
Did you notice I put it in the basket from last month?
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I’ve decided I’ve got to blitz the booth and Etsy for the rest of this month and next. Should have already done this. I still have so much stored that needs to be out for sale. It’s not doing anybody any good packed away like it is. Most of my time will be doing this. I’ll still try to get around to read your blogs, but know that it’s a slow go and only when I get the chance to sit at the computer without working.
A Rafter of Turkeys
Did you know that’s what a flock of turkeys are called? A rafter. I didn’t. Had to look it up. A gang is also acceptable, apparently. Anyway, that’s what the mantle has now. A rafter of turkeys. No one is outstanding. Their appeal is in the group.
You can click on the picture to see a larger view.
The group includes a paper plate turkey one of the kids made in grammar school and a pine cone turkey the other made. I don’t remember offhand who made what. There are turkey shakers, Gurley candles, planters and candle holders. But the star is the large turkey painting in the middle.
I’ve had it for several years, but would forget to put it out because it wasn’t with the little guys or just not decorate that year. This is it’s first year on display. I do so love it.
I know the mantle isn’t very imaginative, but that’s OK. At least it’s out there. Besides, if my new Silhouette blade will hurry up and get here, I’ve got a quick project I want to do. My old blade is tearing up the paper. Can’t wait to do that little project.
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I’m ready to start making Christmas decorations! Are you? I’m feeling so creative and crafty right now. I for sure don’t want to be working. Don’t want to be working the booths or Etsy. Just at the time I need to most. But that’s always the way it is with me. I’m never in the mood to do what needs doing the most.
I’ve also got some changes rolling around in my mind. Changes for the blog and the booths and maybe….. maybe even the b&m shop that is now the warehouse. I want to jump on these, but am scared to at the same time. Plus the timing isn’t right. But more about those later.
See y’all ’bout Wednesday.
Dresser re-do from dated flowers to pale blue and brown
We found this dresser curbside while visiting our son and daughter-in-law in Florida. It was made in China, but had those good bones we look for, was very well made and H E A V Y !! I was of absolutely no help putting it on the back of the truck in the misting rain. (I don’t remember where our son was that night.) There were words exchanged between my husband and me and they were not words of endearment, I can assure you. But in the end, it was so worth the trouble.
Naturally, this is me remember, I didn’t get a good before picture. By the time I got up the morning after we got home and got outside with the camera, he’d already started the re-do. So I did the best I could.
This is how the drawers looked. Floral paper covering the drawer fronts, some handles missing and plenty of scratches and nicks and tears.
The dresser itself:
If this picture looks funny to you, if it feels “off”, you’re right on. It was actually standing up on its side and I flipped the picture. But see the nice shape? And see those pretty adornments?
Yeah. They disintegrated. They were plastic and Ricky put paint remover on them. But that was OK. It didn’t affect the finished piece at all.
Again, I only got pictures of it under the carport. I forgot to take any once it was in the booth and it only lasted there 4 days before going to its new home.
We replaced missing knobs with Hobby Lobby knobs that coordinated nicely. Someone asked me how I pick out colors. (I suppose I should say here that my only hand in painting furniture is finding some of the pieces and making most of the executive decisions like color and hardware.) So. I really like using HGTV’s color charts from Sherwin Williams. They have booklets of colors that all go perfectly together. It’s hard to make a mistake when they’ve laid it out for you and you can be assured that the colors are “in”. That’s not the way we pick colors every time, but it’s my favorite.
An organizing app for your smart phone
An epiphany, I had. Maybe I’m the last person to think of this, but I’d bet not. I apologize for the horrid pictures in advance.
Are you like me? I’ll go into a thrift store or a craft store and my mind goes absolutely blank. I can’t remember what I was supposed to remember to look for. Or maybe I do remember that I was supposed to look for purple suspenders, but why in the world would I need purple suspenders? Is that a project I still want to do? What project could it have been? (No, in case your wondering, I’ve had no need for purple suspenders. It just seemed like a good example.)
I’ll jot things down on pieces of paper and lose the paper, or the project I want to do will be in a magazine or on Pinterest. I even started keeping the things I need written in a little notebook, but I wasn’t diligent in writing them down and besides, that notebook was never with me. Then I got the bright idea to put all this on my phone. The phone, an Android, is almost always where I am.
So I found a free notes app, Notes Lite, that allowed folders and images and I was off and running.
1. The view of folders
2. Go to a folder and see the list of notes
3. Tap one and see the supplies you need as well as a picture of the project.
4. Picture too tiny? Maybe not if you’re 25, but when your… uh… a bit older than that… the pic is way too small. Touch it and enlarge. This picture was taken off my computer screen. I could probably have sent it directly to my phone for a better picture, but this was quicker and easier and really, I don’t usually need that great of a picture. Just one that reminds me what the project is all about.
Then I can say, “Oh yeah!” “That’s what I can do with those pretty sweaters!”
I’m sure I’ll refine this as I go. Maybe even find a better app, but for now, I’m rather pleased with myself.
Hope you find this helpful, or tell us your system! We all find what’s comfortable for us. And it’s a lot about what we get used to. I’m all ears.
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I have a similar app called Evernote. I have yet to put it to use. I am bad that way.