Vintage Thanksgiving Postcards

Thanksgiving is almost upon us..... I'm sure most of you are busy making cranberries, cutting the bread for stuffing, pulling out your dishes and generally just going crazy. I am not hosting Thanksgiving this year but I'm still cooking my own turkey and making the Broome half of this blog's favorite things. Yes, my blogging partner and darling daughter Andrea is coming home from the big city!!!!!!!!! 

Luckily there is not a lot of decorating that needs to be done for Thanksgiving but I love to pull out my vintage postcards. These cards from long ago make me smile with their greetings from Thanksgivings of old.

This one is a fan favorite!

I love to read the messages from the past, I thought this one was strange, no city listed, just City Hospital. Then I looked at the post mark and it is from Charlevoix, home of the Cottage! I really had no idea this card was from our little town. Check out the post mark, 1929. 

And how sweet is the message.... Hope you have a pleasant day and enjoy your first Thanksgiving dinner. So to Richard Leroy Edwards, Happy Birthday he would be 83 this year!

Vintage turkey vase, love this guy.

These turkeys look like they are standing at attention and ready to salute you! So, as they might say gobble, gobble...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, enjoy the time with your families.

Linking to this week:

Knick of Time Tuesday

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

White Wednesday

Whatever Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Give Me a Beet!

Hee hee, I'm so clever with my titles and puns. So this past Sunday was a lovely fall day and since I love me some beets almost as much as I love me some Miss Jackson (hence my title - Nasty - check it), I decided to make a lovely fall soup. Apple and beet with horseradish cream soup, specifically. And since my efforts to make an actual meal complete with the chopping, boiling and processing of ingredients is somewhat of a rarity, I decided to document to whole thing and share it with you fine folks (I hope you're interested in it). 

The recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens via one my besties, whose awesomely adorned arms are featured prominently below. No, I did not make this special soup all by my lonesome. It was a joint project that yielded some pretty delicious results, if I might brag.

We began first, with bestie chopping the the main ingredient, whole beets, down below. 

So pretty and fuchsia. We loved the color of the beets so much we decided not wear gloves and stain our hands like the poor-woman's version henna...not really, it just didn't occur to us to wear gloves. Again, we're not frequent chefs.

Chop- chop for the beets, dice-dice for the yellow onion and lone potato.

Add some cayanne pepper, salt and regular pepper; dump into the stock pot to boil; then simma (not be confused with simmer) for about 25 minutes. 

Set cool for five minutes then halve, and unload into the blender to process, courtesy of bestie's bejeweled arm once again. And no, that's not the blender shaking, that's my hand while snapping this photo, hence it's slightly blurry image. Sorry! 

The good part: low or full fat sour cream and a bottle of horseradish. Maybe less than a bottle, but we like it spicy. Add a dollop on top or stir into the beet mixture and voila! Apple and beet soup with horseradish cream!

It looks less bloody and more beautifully fuchsia in real life. 

Serve with your choice of fancy-looking loaf of bread. We choose a whole wheat, multi-seed carb concoction to be healthy and proceeded to eat an entire half. Though it did compliment the soup wonderfully. If you're interested in making the soup yourself, I highly recommend it. You can find the recipe here at Better Homes and Gardens website: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/soups/beet-and-apple-soup-with-horseradish-cream/.  Yes, their photos are a bit prettier but mine had more love in it.

Now, what should I make next? Recommendations anyone?

Linking to this week:

Wow Us Wednesday

Time Travel Thursday
Potpourri Friday

Fabulous Fall Dishes

Some women like jewelry and clothes, but me? I like dishes...

Now that fall is in full swing the pastel dishes are packed away and the subtle colors of autumn come out. This is a mismatched set; I found the plates years ago. The bowls came from a thrift shop and the bread and butter plates I found a few weeks ago.

Don't you just love these guys? They are hand carved and painted by local Michigan woodcarver and folk artist Marlene Dusbiber. Marlene carves beautiful birds, santas and other folk items. I have had these wonderful guys for several years and they are fall favorites.

The glass on left is Fostoria, a gift from my Godmother. They were the glasses she picked out when she got married in the late 1940's. I can't tell you how much it means to me that she gifted them to me.

  These guys are ready to eat....

Does anyone else change out their dishes seasonally, or am I the only crazy one???

Linking to this week:

White Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesday
Tablescape Thursday
Time Travel Thursday
Feathered Nest Friday
Potpourri Friday
Vintage Inspiration Friday

Henry's Fall Makeover

Does everyone feel more rested from that extra hour of sleep you got last night? I know I do!

Do you remember Henry? He was vacationing this summer in my garden at the Cottage . I loved his blue lobelia hair and patriotic flair. Well for his protection he has moved to the porch and received a new fall look.

He is now sporting feathers and eucalyptus.

Still wearing his necklace.

Now he is surrounded by birdhouses with Michigan license plates rather than flowers.

Not sure where he will be wintering yet.....

Linking to this week:
Debbie's Newbie Party
Show Off Your Cottage Monday
Mod Mix Monday
Abundant Thanks Linky Party
Metamorphosis Monday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
It's A Party

Dia de los Muertos!

Yesterday marked the day souls of the deceased were welcomed home. This Mexican celebration (not to be confused with Halloween) is known for it's festive adornments and intriguing shrines consisting of candy, colored skulls and candles upon candles. Staunch observers prepare for the holiday weeks in advance. Night two of Day of the Dead is a beautiful and fascinating celebration. Fortunately for me, it's also rife with photo ops. Check out some of the shots below taken at outdoors in courtyard of the Church of St. Marks in the East Village in NYC. 

One of my favorite shots - the Virgin Mary and a loco skull with rotting teeth. 

Notes left for the returning souls.  

Below are a few shots from a Mexican folk art shop in the East Village, called La Sirena. It is awesome, but I only got a few snaps in and the owner is apparently very spiritual and photos disrupt the spirits and/or the sanctity of the shop(?). So I acquiesced. 

Some of the traditional Day of the Dead skeleton figurines. My mom collects them and used to display them in our family room when I lived at home. They marginally freaked out my friends. We loved them regardless.

Day of the Dead to-go. Pin on your shirt and keep the skels and spirits with you at all times.

La Sirena

I hope the spirits of loved ones came back to all who wished! Feliz Dia de los Muertos!

Linking to this week:
Time Travel Thursday
Wow US Wednesday
Share the Joy Thursday
Potpourri Friday
Stuff and Nonsense