Spring at Graceful Cottage

It's been a long time since I posted about the cottage.  Things are moving from winter to spring. We have been working in the yard.  I can't wait to plant flowers, but I'm afraid there is still some cold nights to come here in Kentucky.  My hubby is going into remodeling mode again and the auction is slowing down. It always slows down a little in the warmer weather. We don't mind, though, it gives us a break and time to do things around the house.  I am planning on a laundry room re-do and will share the pics as I go. I'm still working on my art studio but so far, just using it as it is. Hopefully I can make some good progress this spring and summer.  I hope to share pictures of my progress with you all. Thank you for visiting.

How was your Christmas?

Wow, Christmas is over and this is the week that is so quiet and there is no rushing around, presents are unwrapped, but the tree is still lit and I am thankful for another wonderful Christmas. I spent Christmas Eve with my mom and spent Christmas day with my 2 daughters, SILs and my 8 grandchildren.  It was a wonderful day. We started out all going to a beautiful church service and it was truly a blessing to have all of us together in church.  Then back to my daughter's for dinner and opening presents. Both of my daughters worked hard but my older daughter, Jen, spent all of Christmas Eve day cooking wonderful desserts and ham and all the trimmings for us.  She worked so hard to make it a special Christmas.  I hated to leave to come home but was glad to get back home.  When the kids were little, they all used to come to my house and it was always a total disaster when they left.  I reminded them of how they used to leave even the children with me for a week or so after Christmas.  Alas they are all too big now to stay with Grandma as they are in school and Tyler, who is now 20, is working and getting ready to go back to school.  I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful family.  I hope you had a wonderful Christmas too.  What did you do?  Do you have big plans for New Years?  Have you made some resolutions? I have. I resolve to lose weight, which I know I can do because I already lost some before Christmas. I am going to keep a journal. I have never done that but want to start that this year.  I vow to myself to paint paintings.  That is my passion and since I started my business, Graceful Rose, I hardly have any time to paint paintings as I am always painting things.  I love painting things but they get sold and are gone but a painting you can make prints from and keep.  I have an oil painting that I have been working on for more than a  year.  I vow to finish that painting very soon!  I have many paintings in my soul that need to come out.  I have decided the 3rd Tuesday of every month, no matter what I will paint those paintings.  I would love to hear from you and see what you have planned for the new year.  Here are a few pictures from this Christmas.  I wish you all a very happy and healthy  New Year!

A few of my favorite ornaments

My big Christmas Tree

A little vignette on my bookcase. Love the blue color!

The only Christmas painting I have ever done, many, many years ago.

Living Room Mantle

Another little vignette. 



The entire fireplace



Me with my 5 granddaughters.  I thought only 3 were coming but I got a surprise and all 5 of them came. They came last weekend to help me make cookies. We had a blast!





Merry Christmas from Graceful Rose

Merry Christmas from Graceful Rose

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Merry Christmas everyone!  I have been decorating here and there but toned down a little from last year.  A few chest pains and a stress test have forced me to slow down a little.  So I thought I would share with you this scrumptious recipe for pumpkin pie cake.  It is a cake that tastes like pumpkin pie and very easy to make.  It has to be easy for me or I won't do it.  Years ago I was into baking big time and sold my baked goods at Christmas time.  I loved it, but I was younger then.  So here  is my recipe.

PUMPKIN PIE CAKE
1- 29 ounce can of pumpkin puree
1 - 12 fluid oz can of evaporated milk.
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.
1 (18.5 oz package of yellow cake mix.
3/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease one 9 x 13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture. Melt the butter or margarine and drizzle it over the cake mix. Sprinkle walnuts over the top.
Bake for 55-60 minutes or until done.
NOTE: Pumpkin pie spice is very expensive. You can make you own by using 1/2 teaspoon cinammon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon allspice.

 I forgot to take a picture of it cut up, but trust me, it's good,  The pumpkin pie part is on the bottom!  Yum!

My daughter and 3 granddaughters are coming this weekend to bake Christmas cookies. I hope to take pictures so I can share with you all. 

 

Christmas Decorating Contest

Hello everyone! Hope you are all well.  I have been under the weather already this season. Hope you all don't get this flu, it's awful.  I must confess that I am way far behind as I have a special lady who has been buying all of my items for her gift shop. That is a good thing and a bad thing because I am way far behind on everything for Christmas.  Anyway I am participating in the Shabby Lane Shops Site Decorating Contest and I desperately need your votes.  Please take a minute and vote for me if you can. 

I sure appreciate it and thanks for stopping by.

Labor Day Sale at Graceful Rose

Labor Day Sale at Graceful Rose

Sadness at the Auction

We have been in the auction business now for about 8-9 years and I find that regular auction goers become like family. We met the most wonderful friends, Ron and Debra through renting an auction building a few years ago and though we no longer rent from them we have remained great friends.  It saddens me to learn that our friend Ron has cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy. He mustered all the strength he could last night and came to the auction for the first time in many months. It broke my heart to see him so thin and you know that the chemo is making him so sick.  Debra is very worried even though the tests are showing good results.  I am keeping them in my prayers daily.

On an even sadder note, there was couple who have been coming to our auction for years and the wife even helped me when I needed help, very sweet people. Well 2 Saturdays ago she was killed in a tragic car accident.  It was such a shock and we were all saddened by her loss.  We have missed several people who have passed away since becoming part of our auction family. We miss them dearly.

Our good friends Kathy and Ray have been missing also because of illness and we miss them too.

Our prayers go up for our friends daily.