It's in the garden, amid the blooms and thistles, the soil and the stony ground, the dead seeds and lush vegetation where the story of sin and forgiveness, the Fall and Redemption, and life as one who has been engrafted into Christ can be told with real-life illustrations like no other. How fascinating it is that the place our children love to play is the same ground that can be used for discipling their eternal souls!
"Do you see that clematis? That's such a pretty vine! Jesus said that He was the True Vine. Everyone who loves Jesus has to bear fruit just like those purple flowers. Otherwise the Lord will cut off the dead branches like Mommy does so the rest can grow better."
I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. John 15:1-2
"These flowers are called a peonies. Sometimes flowers like to grow in fields of grass where the horses are, even though they'll get cut down when the farmer makes hay. If God even cares about clothing a field of grass with pretty flowers, then we certainly don't have to worry about where we will get our clothes because He cares for us even more!" Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Matthew 6:30
"This pot is made out of clay. The person who made it is called a potter. The Bible says that God is the Potter and we are His clay. He made us and can do with us whatever He wants to do. That should make us very happy because God's plan for His people is perfect - much better than any sort of plan we could think of."
But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand. Isaiah 64:8
"These pumpkin seeds are dead. They won't grow if we leave them on the driveway. But if we put them in the garden where the soil is really healthy, they will begin to grow and produce beautiful orange pumpkins! Our hearts have to be like the soil in the garden, ready to receive God's Word with joy and produce fruit. If are hearts are stony like the driveway, than we will fall away from the Lord when temptation comes."
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Matthew 13: 20, 21, 23
"What kind of plant is this? That's right, a tomato plant! How did you know? Because it has tomatoes! Jesus says of His people that by their fruits we will know them. The best way to tell if someone loves the Lord is if they want to do the things that please Him."
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. Matthew 7:16, 17
"When we're sick, we don't need to buy our medicine from the store. God tells us that the fruit from the plants He made are for food and the leaves are for medicine!"
And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine Ezekiel 47:12
The parallels here only scratch the surface. So much more could be said about Creation, the sin that enter the world by disobedience in Paradise, and what it means to be engrafted into Christ. Next time you're out pulling weeds, pause for a second and whisper these truths in to the eternal souls of your dirt-covered, sun kissed, wee ones.
Like many of you, we are a single-income, larger-than-average, (1.8 or more children), homeschooling family.
And both my husband and I come from a rich, Dutch heritage.
In other words, whether or not we need to be, we enjoy frugal living. I'm also a lover of nutritious, from-scratch, whole-food cooking. Overtime, we've found that you can have one and the other! Here's how we can enjoy a mainlywhole-food diet on a budget (we still eat take-out more often than I'd like to admit!).
Cheap foods that are good for you
1. Whole grains. Oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa are cheap! For ultimate nutritional value, choose any of these grains and soak them for a hearty breakfast that'll keep you energized all morning.
For a fabulously healthy, gluten-free, blueberry-muffin smelling breakfast, pour 1 cup of steel-cut oats, brown rice, OR quinoa in a crock-pot. Add 1 1/2 cups of almond milk, 1 1/2 cups water, 1-2 Tbsp of ground flax seed, 2-3 Tbsp butter or coconut oil, 1 cup fresh blueberries, cinnamon, sea salt, and sweetener (honey, maple syrup, stevia, or brown sugar) to taste. Stir. Cook on low overnight. Alternately, try using diced apple and a handful of walnut in place of blueberries. 2. Beans and legumes. Beans are one of the cheapest proteins available and can be used to replace meat in a meal. Given a good, over-night soak in purified water, they are a highly digestible form of fiber, complex carbohydrates, iron, and folate - ideal if you're pregnant or breast-feeding.
Our favorite way to enjoy beans are in chili, taco salad, and brownies (there's a Special Agent Brownie recipe in Trim Healthy Mama that's absolutely fabulous!).
3. Eggs. Eggs are one of the very few complete proteins available to us (they contain all 9 essential amino acids), contain only 70 calories, and are chock full of nutrition. Besides being excellent sources of protein and good cholesterol, they also contain iron, vitamins A, D, E, and B12, folate, selenium, and lutein.
Eggs can be cooked quickly in a variety of ways (hard or soft-boiled, fried, poached, scrambled) and provide great structure and texture when added to baked goods.
We enjoy them on their own and in omelettes, crepes, breakfasts bakes, and pizza crust.
Foods worth paying more for
No matter how tight our budget, there are certain foods I don't cheap out on as we feel the extra dollars are insignificant compared to the health benefits. We'd rather "pay the farmer than the pharmacy," as the saying goes.
1. Oil. It's a safe bet that anything you can get in a big plastic jug for $4 is not good for you. Vegetable oils and margarine derived from cheaply grown or genetically modified plants like sunflower, corn, soybean, canola, safflower have little nutrition to begin with and are chemically altered and deodorized in order to make them palatable. Our bodies were not meant to consume them.
Opt instead for healthy saturated fats that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. These include butter (preferably organic), coconut, olive, and red palm oil. 2. Fresh, local, organic produce. We can't afford to purchase all of our produce this way, but we try our best to grow or purchase the infamous "Dirty Dozen" organically as these fruits and vegetables contain the highest pesticide residue otherwise:
Peaches
Apples
Celery
Peppers
Nectarines
Strawberries
Pears
Cherries
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes
Grapes
12 fruits and vegetables that contain the contain the least contamination we don't worry about paying the organic price-tag for:
onions
avocado
sweet corn
pineapples
mango
asparagus
bananas
cabbage
broccoli
papaya
kiwi
3. Dairy products and alternative beverages. Although we use several cultured forms of dairy, we don't drink animal milk products as they are difficult for the body digest. If it was legal to purchase raw cow's milk, we would certainly give it a try!
Instead, we use coconut or almond milk. They contain high levels of vitamins A & D and are lactose free. They cost slightly more than pasteurized, hormone enhanced cow's milk, but since we rarely use it for more than our morning smoothie, we don't notice a difference in our grocery bill.
As our budget allows, we try to purchase higher quality dairy products like kefir, greek yogurt, cream and cottage cheese. 4. Meat. Cheaper cuts of meat are usually that way because they come from animals that are pumped full of genetically modified grain products, growth hormones, and antibiotics - the sole purpose of which is to fatten an animal up as quickly as possible for slaughter. Food Inc. is a fascinating documentary that explains how the food industry is making us sicker, fatter, and poorer through this process.
Although more expensive, grass-fed, locally raised, organic beef and chicken is a far more nutritious alternative and of much less consequence to your health. 5. Sweeteners. Sugar is cheap, appeals to our pallet, and is easy to come by. Consequently, diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart failure, and a host of other health concerns are also the norm. We stay away from refined sugar as much as possible and use raw honey, pure maple syrup, and stevia instead.
While they should still be used in small quantities, these sweeteners contain healthy enzymes and minerals which are difficult to get from other foods. They also have a healthier Glycemic Index which means they don't mess with your blood sugar levels in the same way refined sugar does.
Where to get healthy food for less
1. Garden. Anyone can grow their own produce, even a little bit. Be it a pot on the balcony of your apartment or a 3 acre market garden, all you need is some seed, soil, water, and sun and you're in business.
We put in a large raise bed last year for free - my husband made a tarp in exchange for a truckload of triple-mix and I used the gift cards I got for my birthday to purchase our seeds and plants. 2. Farmer's Market. Farmer's markets are great places to find local, seasonal produce, cure meats, eggs, honey and maple syrup at a fraction of the price you find in the store. Plus, farmers generally care about individual relationships with their customers and often offer a faithful buyer further discounts and "throw in a little extra." 3. Local Farmer. In the fall, we often purchase 1/4-1/2 a cow from a Christian farmer who grows his beef organically. We get to choose how we'd like it butchered and our freezer is well stocked for several months. We estimate purchasing our meat this way saves us 30% of the store price.
If we had the space for it, we'd love to keep our own chickens. We go through plenty of eggs around here! Thankfully, they are cheap to come by! We buy them from Brad's co-worker whose family keeps organically raised laying hens as a sideline business.
In the summer, we pick our own berries, freeze most of them, and turn some into sauce or jam. A relative of ours keeps a bountiful raspberry patch where we can come and go as we please.
It didn't work out last year because of pregnancy complications, but this summer, my mom, sisters, and I plan on putting up other produce from local farms that we don't grow ourselves: peaches, pears, carrots, pickles, etc.
4. Bulk Stores. I buy most of our grain from The Bulk Barn. We often receive coupons for $3.00 off a purchase of $10.00 or more (which I can easily spend in one visit!). I blend whole kernels with my Wondermill and the stuff I purchase pre-ground (flax), I purchase in small quantities as it goes rancid quickly. I purchase my organice herbs, teas, sea salt, and spices from The Bulk Herb Store.
I also purchase soap and other dried goods here like coconut, almonds, walnuts, and cranberries. 5. Grocery Store. You can save money at the grocery store by using coupons, ad-matching, checking the clearance shelf, and purchasing store-brand non-perishables like brown rice and tomato paste.
The clearance shelf where everything is ripe and ready, is a wonderful place to get greatly discounted produce. If you have a juicer, freeze your juice into Popsicles for a healthy summer treat or into ice cubes for slushies. Peppers and onions can be cut up and bagged for pizza toppings, apples turned into sauce, and mushrooms sauteed in butter for a fine steak topping. 6. Online. I must admit to rarely purchasing groceries online. I prefer to see the product myself. The exception to this is the extra virgin coconut oil I get from Tropical Traditions. The quality is truly remarkable. We use it a lot, especially in desserts like Chunky Cream Pops, Skinny Chocolate, and Peppermint Patties. I'm thankful it regularly goes on sale for 40-50% off.
In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Growing Home. I humbly thank you for your support! Linking to: Mind Body Sole, Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Frugally Sustainable, Natural Living Raising Arrows, Time Warp Wife, Far Above Rubies, Homestead Barn Hop, The Better Mom,
These recipes are reprinted with permission from the authors.
Just Like Wheat Thins Crackers | Trim Healthy Mama, I had my doubts about this recipe. "Just Like Wheat Thins?!" Yeah, right. You need refined flour and sugar to achieve that kind of deliciousness, don't you? Apparently not. These crackers are amazing and taste like the real thing I can't seem to keep our house stocked though - they disappear quickly!
3/4 cup flax meal
3/4 cup almond flour
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp. parmeasan cheese
1/4 tsp sea salt
dash of black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder
1 Tbsp olive or coconut oil
1/2 tsp baking soda
Combine ingredients well and work into a dough ball with your hands. Place ball on parchment lined cookie sheet. Place another piece of parchment paper on top of dough ball and roll out into a slab the thickness of a cracker. Take off top piece and score into small squares. Bakes at 350 for 15-20 minutes.
Fooled Ya Pizza |Trim Healthy Mama, I've always felt bad for Brad who used to eat cardboard-like gluten-free pizza crusts while we enjoyed the gluten packed version! I had heard rave reviews about this cauliflower crust from other mamas on the Trim Healthy Mama plan and decided to give it a try even though it sounded pretty gross. Boy, was I wrong! Our entire family enjoys it just as much as the real thing! You'd never know cauliflower was the magic ingredient!
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen cauliflower (I used fresh)
3/4 cup egg whites
2 cups skim mozzarella cheese
sea salt and other seasonings (I used Epicure's Pizza seasoning blend)
pizza sauce and other pizza toppings (I used pepperoni, green pepper, red onion, cheddar and mozzarella cheese)
Lightly steam cauliflower and squeeze out all the excess water otherwise your crust won't get crispy (I skipped this step and used raw cauliflower with great results!). Put cauliflower in food processor and pulse a few times until you end up with rice sized pieces.
Add egg whites and pulse again. Add cheese and other seasonings (sea salt, Italian seasoning, onion and garlic powder). Mix ingredients together well with a spatula. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and grease well. Spread crust mixture evenly across cookie sheet. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes. Cool. Add pizza sauce and toppings and broil until toppings are done (I baked it at 400 for 8-10 minutes).
Peanut Squares | Trim Healthy Mama, These squares are so yummy! A combination of sweet and salty, we enjoy them as a snack and a dessert. They're gerat to give along with a meal to a new mom too.
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tsp Truvia
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
10 tsp Truvia
2/3 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup whipping cream
Mix almond flour, peanuts, melted butter, and 2 teaspoons of Truvia together in a bowl. Press into 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.
While crust is baking, beat cream cheese and second measurement of Truvia together until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter and beat some more.
In a separate bowl, beat whipped cream. Fold into cream cheese mixture and spread over cooled crust.
Place in refrigerator to chill until set.
Cheeseburger Pie | Trim Healthy Mama, This is probably our #1 favorite supper on the plan. It's all the goodness of a cheeseburger without the bun. You would never miss it! This is so satisfying and delicious. I make once a week in place of burgers on the barbie.
2 lbs of ground beef
3 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. sea salt
6 oz. grated cheddar cheese
pickles, tomatoes, red onion
2 eggs
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup heavy cream
sea salt
ground pepper
6 oz. grated cheddar cheese
Brown ground beef and drain fat. Stir in onion powder, sea salt, and 6 oz. of grated cheese. Place beef mixture in casserole dish. Layer on any of your favorite burger toppings. Our family loves a combination of red onion, tomatoes, and pickles. In another bowl, beat eggs, mayo, cream, sea salt, and black pepper together. Pour on top of casserole and sprinkle on the remaining 6 oz. of cheese. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. We like it serve on a bed of chopped iceberg lettuce and drizzled with mustard and ketchup.
Chunky Cream Pops | Trim Healthy Mama, This frozen dessert reminds me of my favorite ice cream, President's Choice Chocolate Fudge Crackle... except it's waaaay healthier, made with good fats and no sugar. We love this treat. It's Brad's favorite of all the desserts I've made from Trim Healthy Mama so far.
1 batch of Skinny Chocolate
2 8oz. blocks of cream cheese
10 tsp. Truvia
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 heaped Tbsp. peanut butter
Make up a batch of Skinny Chocolate and put in the freezer to harden. Beat cream cheese, Truvia, and vanilla together. Cut up Skinny Chocolate into little bits and stir into cream cheese mixture along with peanut butter. Place wax paper on cookie sheet. Dump bite-sized spoonfuls of mixture onto paper. Insert a toothpick into center of cream pop and transfer to freezer. After an hour, pull pops off wax paper and transfer to a Ziploc bag for easy access. Here's a few more pictures of other Trim Healthy Mama recipes to satisfy the foodie in you:
Spicy Chicken Wings, pg. 323
Taco Salad, pg. 347
Special Agent Brownies, pg. 383
Trim Healthy Pancakes, pg. 223
In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in this post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Growing Home. I humbly thank you for your support.
Until about a month ago I'd never ventured into the warm and cozy world of Skara restaurant.
I don't exactly know why this is.
Maybe it was Skara's former life as a middle-of-the-road family restaurant that kept me away -- it's hard for a restaurant to reinvent, after all.
Or maybe it was the fact that until quite recently I lived and worked downtown. A jaunt to South Albert Street wasn't as routine a thing as it is these days.
Maybe I just didn't like Skara's red-and-black colour scheme. Or its aura. OK, kidding about that last part.
Whatever my reasons, I've come to realize they were wrong. All wrong. I've now been to Skara twice with plans to go back for more.
The first thing that struck me about Skara was the size of the place -- a lot bigger than I'd imagined. The restaurant houses a moderately sized dining room with plenty of comfortable booths; a lounge with more booths, several tables and TVs for watching sports; and a private dining room large enough to seat 30 or 40 guests. Even the bathrooms are roomy at Skara (truth be told, I can only speak for the men on that point). The best part of Skara's decor? There's plenty of deep, dark wood and dim lighting. It's like an old-school steakhouse without all the velvet. And it's very relaxing.
Now, as for the food? On both of my visits it has been delicious. The appetizers and a number of the entrees have a Greek/Mediterranean flair to them -- the restaurant is under Greek ownership, so it figures. And of the ones I've sampled, everything has been pretty much perfect. The Calamari is crispy without being too chewy; the Shrimp Ouzeri (tiger prawns and cherry tomatoes sauteed in ouzo) was absolutely delicious, striking just the right blend of sweet and savoury.
The other night I opted to try something from the entree menu. It was a tough choice between the Skara Stuffed Chicken (recommended by our waiter), the Greek Chicken, or the Tomato Feta Garlic Prawns. In the end, the prawns won out. Mr. K, my pal and tablemate, went for the Stuffed Rainbow Trout.
Neither of us were disappointed. The food was brought to the table in good time by our excellent waiter. My prawns were artfully presented in a mound, next to pan-friend veggies and a stuffed potato. Yes, there are many stuffed things at Skara. This isn't a bad thing, in my books.
I guess my only complaint about my dish was that there wasn't quite enough of it to eat. It wasn't exactly small, but then it wasn't huge either. And I have a bit of a reputation for being a "big eater". Or so I'm told.
On the other hand, I definitely didn't go home hungry.
As I hinted above, the service at Skara has been good-to-excellent on both of my visits, particularly the last one on a Friday night. Staff seem to genuinely want to make sure that diners are happy and enjoying their meals -- not always the case in other eateries.
All in all, Skara, you have a new friend. A hungry one. See you again soon.
If I'm in a pinch for time, this is one of my favorite recipes to pull out. It's quick, easy, tasty, and half decently healthy. Everyone loves it - Charity calls it "Pizza Chicken", which should give you a good indicator of its flavor! Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce (homemade is best!)
6 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese, divided
6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups Mozzarella, shredded
Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Pour sauce into a 9x13 pan and sprinkle with 4 Tbsp of Parmesan. Add chicken, turning to coat both sides of the breast. Add remaining cheeses and bake, covered, at for 30 min. Remove covering and broil for 2 minutes until Mozzarella is turns golden and bubbly. Serve on a bed of rice or pasta, or with a salad.
This recipe comes from Trim Healthy Mama and is reposted with permission fro the authors.
This is probably our #1 favorite supper on the Trim Healthy Mama plan. It's all the goodness of a cheeseburger without the bun. You would never miss it! This is so satisfying and delicious. I make once a week in place of burgers on the barbie. Ingredients:
2 lbs of ground beef
3 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. sea salt
6 oz. grated cheddar cheese
pickles, tomatoes, red onion
2 eggs
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup heavy cream
sea salt
ground pepper
6 oz. grated cheddar cheese
Directions: Brown ground beef and drain fat. Stir in onion powder, sea salt, and 6 oz. of grated cheese. Place beef mixture in casserole dish. Layer on any of your favorite burger toppings. Our family loves a combination of red onion, tomatoes, and pickles. In another bowl, beat eggs, mayo, cream, sea salt, and black pepper together. Pour on top of casserole and sprinkle on the remaining 6 oz. of cheese. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. We like it serve on a bed of chopped iceberg lettuce and drizzled with mustard and ketchup.
$25-40 for supper, per person. Open seven days per week for supper, lunch served Tuesdays through Saturdays.
3000 Wascana Drive, Regina, SK. 306-585-3663
________________________________________________ January has been full of calm nights and above-average temperatures. 2010, I like you already.
It makes a person want to get out a bit more often. So, The Mom and I decided to take our appetites to The Willow on Wascana the other day. OK, it wasn't just the warm weather that lured us to the shores of Wascana Lake. It was the $20 off lunch or dinner promo that The Willow ran for just two days this month. The Willow opened in August 2004 and has carved out a niche for itself ever since. It's almost definitely the only menu in town that sources all of its meat, fish and poultry from Saskatchewan sources. It wasn't too busy for a Wednesday night so we chose a corner table in the warm and cozy dining room. As far as atmosphere goes, The Willow has it made. In winter, the wood ceiling and earthy tones make you forget the sub-zero chill outside. On the other hand, summer is all about the great outdoors as you dine on The Willow's gigantic patio overlooking Wascana Lake. Now what about thefood? It's safe to say that The Willow doesn't shy away from taking risks. The new winter menu features Free-Range Elk Tartare, Coffee-Infused Short Ribs, and a Wild Boar Ragout. The Mom was feeling adventurous so she went with the wild boar. Boar sounded a little too Lord of the Flies for me, on the other hand, and I can rarely say no to a good homemade sausage. So, I chose the Chorizo Chicken Roulade. Our plates arrived in no time and I was in love with the chicken dish at first sight. The juicy morsels of chicken wrapped around a chicken chorizo sausage disappeared from my plate quickly, as did the southwest-style corn salsa served on the side. Now you're probably wondering what on earth wild boar tastes like? So were we. Our waiter told us it was like pork with a bit more fat. He didn't lie about that last part, for sure. The tender slab of boar was served on top of homemade pappardelle noodles with a tiny Saskatchewan-grown tomato on top. The noodles were great. The boar was... well, it was kind of like eating sushi for the first time. You're a little bit curious and a little bit scared, especially when a few bites of the meat were more fat than flesh. As for the service, it was good but not great. Our friendly waiter took the time to joke with us a little, but had trouble recommending dishes and explaining some of the ingredients. For a fine-dining restaurant that charges top dollar that just doesn't cut it. Servers should know each menu item inside and out. That being said, The Willow scores big points for showing Regina that the food we grow and harvest right in our own backyards is as good or better than anything we truck in from a thousand miles away. www.willowonwascana.ca
It's time for another week of FLEA... MARKET... FINDS! I only have a few things to share as I've been running around like crazy trying to get my Christmas act together... Hasn't happened yet! *winks* Are all of you ready for Christmas? Or did you procrastinate like I did? Next year (God willing) I'm going to start a month in advance like the smart folks! So I haven't had much time for antiquing but I did manage to sneak in one trip to the Goodwill and one to a local antique mall where I found my first (and favorite) find... This crazy quilt/patchwork robe. I picked it up and put it down a couple of times not really knowing what it was and yet intrigued by it... So I studied it a little more closely and noticed that it was entirely sewn by hand and had two banners with the names of ships along the front. Well I love a little mystery (Don't you?) so home with me it went. I tried to find out more, and did manage to find that both ships were war ships existing at the same time in the 1920's so I'd guess this robe was from around that time period. Must have belonged to the wife of a navy man. This was the 1920's -30's version of being green. No scraps were wasted! I wonder if groups of ladies gathered together with all their scrap fabric and quilted while talking about their men still at sea?
Chock-a-block full of different fabrics.
The ships...
I love the old florals. The silks aren't faring so well and a few of them are tattered.
From the back
And another feature that really makes this robe interesting is that it's completely reversible! The other side has the most luscious tomato red silk satin! Having been protected from the light it's in amazingly good condition.
I had a hard time finding many of these pieces to get an idea of value? I did find this robe/coat from 1914 housed in a museum in Norway. But no price attached alas.
And this coat is from the 1930's. That was pretty much it, leading me to believe that these pieces must be a little uncommon. Whatever the case I really enjoyed the learning process with this one, completely outside my areas of expertise... If indeed I even have any *winks*
OK moving on to what turned out to be my industrial style finds... the large rusty suitcase/toolbox was a freebie roadside (full of rusty crusty tools) as well as the galvanized case. The tool box also had a few of the old folding rulers. and the 1920's light fixture was $25 at the Goodwill. As well as the metal cloche with butterflies for 99 cents.
This grate cover was $22 at the antique mall. I really love it, but have no idea what I'm going to do with it.
Do you think this could be a milk case? I have no idea what this was actually used for.
Interior. If you have any idea I'd love to hear! *winks*
One of the freebie folding rulers.
This 1950's ice bucket with lucite handle was $3.50 at the Goodwill.
This brush featuring a ship was also in the large rusty case so FREE!... My favorite price! *winks* Hmmmm another naval-ish find! It does seem to go like that from week to week, a theme seems to appear.
And lastly this old rattan magazine holder ($5) that's as rough as can be, but I really liked the paintings of flowers on each side.
Tattered roses.
That's all for this week. Not some of my best I admit... But thanks for stopping by anyway! I hope you'll leave me a comment. I LOVE to hear from you! Vanna I'm joining my friends Paula and Patti of Ivy and Elephants for:
