common ground

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Can you?...

I've been "Fallifying" my sunporch and that means tweaking the vintage "Seed" box that I keep on my bakers rack. I love old promotional recipe pamphlets and cookbooks and wanted to share this great little canning book from Atlas Jars dated 1952.

So, have you ever "canned"?

(google images)

My mother-in-law (not her picture, above) had a big garden each year and did lots of canning. We always looked forward to her yummy green beans, relishes, refrigerator pickles, jams and jellies. But somehow I just never got in on the ~~hard work~~ fun.

Recently we've had to go to a low salt diet due to some inner ear problems and vertigo my hubby has had. So many health issues are brought on by a high salt diet. I'm not just talking about taking the salt shaker off the table, but actually drastically cutting out salt by researching food nutrition labels. You just will not believe all the salt that's in our foods. Boxed and canned foods are just crazy. So I've had to rethink all our food choices. It's not been fun, but when you think that the average American eats 4500-5000mg of salt a day, when we should only be having 1000-1500mg a day, you can see why we have some tricky health problems brought on by high blood pressure. Anyway, don't want to get "preachy" here, just a "Public Service Announcement" with a happy face. All this has made me realize the importance of natural and organic foods and preparation for staying healthy. I don't know about you, but I need all the help I can get!

So am I canning?

well....

no, not this year, but seeing all your gardens out there has made me realize a raised bed of green beans and tomatoes might be a good idea for next year. At least that way I could control the amount of salt in our tomato and spaghetti sauces, and then hubby's nightly green beans.

How many of you can on a regular basis, and what are your favorites?

And don't forget to enter the Tattered Goods

Give Away going on here

ends Sat. September 1.

I'll be joining in on these parties this week:

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Very Merry Vintage Style

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson

From My Front Porch to Yours

Hope you're having a great week,

and saying prayers for all you in Issac's path

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Let's Shop Monday Marketplace #27

Happy Monday Everyone, today I want to share with you a new blog and Online Shopping Boutique. Debi Ward Kennedy is not new to the blogging scene as she is a writer, designer, and creative spirit behind "Retreat" based in the Pacific Northwest. Debi has now started a new direction with her new blog, Homeward Found, where she is featuring her new "Sweet Sweater Pumpkins". You'll want to buy the whole crop!

Deb's Original Sweet Sweater Pumpkins

from Deb at Homeward Found

Here are more great items from last week's link-up:

Set of 2 wonderful grain sack lavender sachets

from Ann at On Sutton Place

Antique wooden string holder

from Upscale Downhome

Vintage Dovetailed Box

from Vintage Chateau Chic

Tattered Rose Pin

from Cotton Ridge Emporium

Vintage Star Brooch from

Karen at Brayton Cottage

This week's Sponsor Spotlight is on Becky from Timewashed. She has a wonderful blog and Etsy Shop that you'll want to keep on "speed dial". Here are just a few of her fun vintage items:

Vintage Wood Tote

Vintage White Jars-Cannisters

Vintage Ink Bottle

And if you haven't yet entered the Give Away from Tattered Goods,
then you'll want to click here

Also I want to invite you over to a sweet friend's new blog.

Solange of Shaggy Sheep Home is having her first Give Away

and I'd love you to give her a warm welcome to blogging.

Time to link up (to three) of your items that are for sale in your Etsy Shops or Online Boutiques and Stores. Please try to link to the individual item if possible. And if you have a blog I'd love you to grab the button on the sidebar to help spread the word about Monday Marketplace. Also, be sure and check back during the week, as this link is open all week for lots of shopping fun! Thanks so much for joining in each week, I always love seeing what great things are out there!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Around the house...

I've had a few things I wanted to share with you, just little things around the house. Some small additions and changes, so I thought I'd lump them all together in one post. I found this wonderful pillow last month in Ozark at one of my favorite stores, The Feathered Nest. It was made by one of the owners; hand painted in a wonderful Old World calligraphy style. I use this in the Master Bedroom, but I brought it into the Dining Room for better light, then paired it up with a couple of my flea find pillows, that I use on the sunporch.

Can you see "Paris" on the bottom?

Loved the back closure with raw edged ties.

While Anne was here we did a little shopping downtown and I found this great wicker trunk. It's really a nice size for some storage. (just as long as I don't put something in here, then forget where it is...I've been known to do that once or twice.) It was just $30. I see these frequently, new and used, for about $75, so it felt like a good buy.

I wanted to give it a French Gray wash, so I used a little spray paint,

but that wasn't doing it for me, so I did a dry brush of antique white and gray latex.

I think I'd like to try a French stencil on top or the front...

not sure, but I'm thinking about it.

AND, finally some photos of the new floral pillows I made for the Living Room sofas. They're pretty plain, no fancy schmancy stuff, but just what I wanted to bring in a little different feel for Fall.

We're having a little rain this weekend; we are still so far below normal. But here in Missouri, September is a rainy month. You won't believe this, but with the cooler weather, look what I have in the back yard...