♥♥♥ Tea with Ms. C. ♥♥♥

 

 The day after I got home from helping with post-op care of my sister, with her knee replacement, my granddaughter, Ms. C. got BRACES put on. (PINK & TURQUOISE)

Poor little thing had no idea how much they were going to hurt!

She came to Nana Rett's house to spend the day, getting sympathy & comfort with a tea party.

 We tried to incorporate the colors of her braces into the table.



 Her favorite place mat has all the countries of the world labeled & we spent some time finding all the places of origin for our tea party. 
It helped to distract her from the discomfort.

The miniature vintage sugar bowl & creamer are from England, as are the intricate sugar cube tongs. 



The teapot, that she picked to use, came from Japan.

Please note the very *fancy* "Hello Kitty" plates & napkins she chose!
Those came from China.



 
 I always let her pick which teacup she wants to use & this time, she chose the pretty floral with the gold bands.




I told her it was a gift from her Great Aunt Ruthie, who now lives in Maui. 
We had a little trouble finding that island on the map...it is so tiny!

This is the closest thing to a "tablescape" that I've had time to do lately. 

I'm joining Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish meme as well as
The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays & for the first time, Artful Affirmations for her Tea Cup Tuesday & Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday.

My sister is doing MUCH better after a change in pain medication.  I hope to do a very EYE OPENING, educational post on that subject soon.

Thank for stopping by The Gazebo House today.
My sister & I so appreciated everyone's prayers for her knee replacement surgery.
I will get to stop by your blogs to visit just as soon as I can catch up on my household chores & grocery shopping.  

Walker Caddies

My older sister recently had knee replacement surgery & will be using a walker for several weeks, so I've been busy making walker caddies! 
This one I made especially for her, as it matches the quilted Bible cover I made for her a few years ago.






There are pockets on both sides, to hold a book, glasses & a pen & a notebook or her hearing aids case.
The round plastic rings are from the Baby department & are used to fasten things like toys & pacifiers to strollers & car seats.  They're flexible & just push on over the bars.
 I used a nice big button with easy loop closure for arthritic hands.  This pocket would be perfect for a portable or cell phone.
 



 
I bought her a matching insulated cup so she can carry her
coffee from the kitchen to the chair by her TV, while keeping BOTH hands on the walker.


 
I noticed that the caddy tipped a bit with the weight of a filled

cup so I added some binding ties to the top edge to help steady it

 & keep it even.




After I finished hers, I decided to make another &
used the binding across the top of the pockets as ties to keep it stable.




Same idea...one large button & easy loop closure on one pocket.  I put strips of Velcro hook & loop tape along the bottom edges of the underside area to further stabilize the caddie by keeping front & back edges together.





I found a cute HOT PINK insulated cup to go with this one!




THEN I got the brilliant idea that I could use a machine embroidery on the front pocket to make a funny statement!
Laughter IS the best medicine, ya' know.

I know SEVERAL people who could have used this caddie this year. 



This golf themed fabric was not pre-quilted, like the other two, so I got to practice my free motion quilting a bit.
 Here is a view of the back 2 pockets but you can't see the extra hidden one that I added beneath the back part. I thought it would be an extra safe spot for a wallet.






I have lots more ideas for ones I want to make.  

I think they would be great gifts to have on hand for unexpected accidents or knee replacements.  

Our friends seem to be having a LOT of those lately!

 I'd rather be...

Shopping
Biking
Jogging
Fishing
Dancing
Sky Diving
Sailing
Quilting
Sewing
Skating
Surfing
Skiing
Camping
Gardening
Hiking
Riding (Horse)
Hunting
Rowing
Hang Gliding
Flying
Kayaking
Clogging
Woodworking
Sleeping (or Napping)
Doing Yoga
Playing Tennis
Ice Skating
Antiquing
and my favorite...I'd rather be In PARIS!

Thanks for visiting The Gazebo House!  I'm going to stay at my sister's home to help care for her when she comes home from rehab, so I'll be away from my computer for a little while.  I promise to return your visits when I get back. 


I'm working on doing a tutorial on how to make these but in the meantime, I'm linking to Yvonne's StoneGable for Tutorials, Tips & Tidbits today.

♥♥♥ A Smoothie in New Stemware ♥♥♥

 First & foremost, I want to lift in prayers the people of Boston & West, TX...in fact, our whole nation, as we recover from yet another horrific incident.  *sigh*  My heart aches for the people injured & for the families who lost their loved ones.  

I had this post ready to go before I left to care for my sister.
It seems so frivolous to be *playing with dishes* now but if 
we don't carry on with our lives, then we've given in to them,
and I refuse!      

I bought some pretty pink *bubble* stemmed glasses recently.
Just to have a reason to show them off, I made one of my 
favorite fruit smoothies...Blueberry Banana!! 

 1 small container of fat free blueberry yogurt
1/2 of a small banana..(DH gets the other half on his cereal)
a large handful of frozen blueberries (from my sister's bushes)

Blend it all together with just a splash of skim milk so it mixes well.  For the photo, I added a dollop of whipped cream but I 
don't usually do that.  I just wanted to make it pretty for YOU!

I went outside, looking for some mint sprigs to use, but they are not up yet.  
That was when I decided to cut some of my hyacinths to add to the tray.  Brilliant idea...now I need to go find my antihistamines again!  ACHOO!!!  I must be allergic to them.   

 Aren't the stems pretty?  They remind me of champagne bubbles....hey, I wonder what THAT would taste like in it??  Hmmmmm...I may create a new 'breakfast of champions'  
Just kidding!

Thank you for all your prayers & good thoughts this week.
My sister Fritzie is doing quite well after her knee surgery. 
So well, in fact, that she chased me home.

She is doing much better than my husband did after his, but she is a full decade younger than he was when he had his knee replacement done.
I sure hope I never need one!!  Ugh!

I'm linking to Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish party &
The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sunday, too.

Praying

My older sister, Fritzie, is having a

knee replacement surgery Monday.

I'll be away from my blog for awhile,

as I'm going to be her private duty nurse

 for the first few days, post-op.

If you're so inclined, I'd appreciate your

*knee-mails* that she has an 

uneventful procedure.

 I'd also be grateful for any good thoughts & prayers

  towards keeping my DH safe at home while I'm gone.

He can manage for a few days alone,

although he hates it.

I've made lots of meals in advance for him.

We figured out how to help him do his

own eye drops!

If you keep the bottle in the refrigerator,

you can better tell if the drop 

has entered the eye properly.

Also, he has learned to balance the bottle

on the bridge of his nose so that the tip

is directly over his blind eye.

Since he can't SEE it, it has been difficult

for him to get it positioned just right.

Maybe these tips will help someone else 

do their own eye drops &

be able to maintain their

            independence a little longer.     

Thanks for stopping by.

I'll be back soon, I hope!

 

If I can find some free Wi-Fi access,

I'll link this post to Yvonne' StoneGable

  Tidbits, Tips & Tutorials.

EDIT:  I'm adding to my prayers the people of

Boston & West, TX too,

 

Please Lord, give them your Peace &

the strength to

cope with such terrible losses?

          

Something is making me SNEEZE!!!

  

 You can sure tell it is Spring here in Ohio!
 
My eyes are itchy & watering, my nose is running & I'm sneezing all day long!

At first, I suspected it was because of this beautiful PURPLE Hyacinth
(does it remind you of Sarah's blog?) 
that I have displayed in my new-to-me hobnail milkglass pitcher.
 

 Aren't the candle sticks just precious?
My older sister...you know, the one
who puts the cake on the upside down Cool Whip container lid...found these for me. 

I just LOVE them!  Thank Fritz…my collection continues to grow, with your help!











I've hung my Spring wreath on the front door...I know THOSE
flowers aren't making me sneeze.
 


 However, if you look OUT the glass, through the door to the ouside...




 These might also be the culprits! 
Gorgeous white hyacinths are blooming.




 Several clusters of crocus, both PURPLE & YELLOW are also wide open
 


 along side of some more hyacinths in various shades, too.



I could be sneezing from these primroses that are also inside
one of my milkglass containers in the sunroom.




However, I highly suspect it is the Christmas Cactus that is in our bedroom & blooming AGAIN, that might be the source of
offending pollen.




They are ALL going OUTSIDE just as soon as I'm sure we won't have another frost!

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get another tissue. ~~sniff~~

I hope Cuisine Kathleen thinks I have enough of my milkglass dishes in this post to add it to her "Let's Dish" party tonight. 
Hop on over there & see what other's have brought to the party. 
This post is also perfect for The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays, so I'm hopping over to that party as well. 

Remembrance Pendant

    


This has got to be the most perfect "metamorphosis" transformation I have ever linked to Susan's Between Naps on the Porch "Metamorphosis Monday" party!

My baby sister commissioned this "Remembrance Pendant" to be made from her recently deceased husband's wedding ring and her own, as well.  He passed away on April 20th of last year.

The outer ring is his wedding band in its original state & her bands were melted down into the wave formation with the diamonds added to the crests of the waves.  To me, they mimic the white foam in the caps of the wave.  The center wave swings freely with any movement.

What a wonderfully creative way to be able to wear the symbols of their love every day!  If my husband passes away before me, I am sooooo going to have this done with our rings.

She is doing well, having rented out her big, beautiful home in AZ & taken a full time job on Maui!  She is lovin' it!   For someone who spent her entire adult life living in the desert, she sure has an affinity for the water.

I am joining Yvonne's Tutorials, Tips & Tidbits party because this is a just a GREAT idea.
I'm also linking this post to Marty's (A Stroll Thru Life) for her newly named meme, "Inspire Me Tuesday".

She has changed the parameters of her party to include lots more things than just tabletops.  I think this particular post fits right in...it sure inspired me!

"You can link up anything, crafts, DIY, projects, food, sewing, painting, gardening, tablescapes, vignettes, anything you have been up to and creating." 

I Never throw away a Rubber band!

 This post comes under the heading of helpful tips I've been wanting to share.

I, truly, never throw away a rubber band!
 

 I use them to keep lids in place on items, especially glass ones, when I put them away for storage.  I also use them to secure lids for transport, such as in this triple slowcooker that I intended to use for Easter.


 

  It works best if you loop one over EACH handle & then around the top knob.  That way, it is balanced & still secure, even if one breaks.




I also use them to keep my tongs closed when in the drawer.
I don't have the new fangled kind, with the push-handle closure that keeps them shut.  
This works just fine & they aren't all tangled
up with other utensils in the drawer.

   
 

The heavy duty rubber bands from lobster claws work great for this...they are very sturdy & don't break easily.  Just be sure to wash them well!

Of course, I also use rubber bands to keep boxes of Equal & Spenda closed till I need them.  Also the Cream of Wheat box, with that stupid cardboard pour spout?  The cereal sticks to tape if you try to use that to keep it closed.  A rubber band works great, especially if it gets knocked around in the cupboard.  I'm ALL about prevention of messes!



 Now, aren't you curious as to WHY I have this Cool Whip container sitting upside down????




Ta-Da!!!  This was how my brilliant ( & older ~snicker) sister suggested we transport our piece of cake back home, in the car!  You use the lid of the container as the plate & put the top of the clean, empty carton OVER the lid, snapping it closed.  

Sure beats losing all that yummy icing to plastic wrap or trying to stick toothpicks in so it won't touch!!

Sorry for the dark photos...I made it to 10 pm before it was calling my name & I wanted to dig into it, but I knew I had to share this with you before I did.  It was DELICIOUS!

Wish I could share a piece with you.
Thanks for popping by The Gazebo House.
I'm linking this to Cuisine Kathleen's Let's Dish meme &
 Yvonne's Tutorials, Tips & Tidbits  
The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays
   

 

HE is RISEN!!

This Easter,

may your hearts be filled with love,

Peace & Joy.

May it remain with you forever &

may you spread the word of Christ

wherever you go.

Happy Easter!

Rice Krispie Easter Eggs

Remember my Valentines Day apothecary jar, 
full of JUMBO ♥ shaped marshmallows?



 Well, I used 40 of them, like the back of the Rice Krispie box says...20 PINK & 20 WHITE.  BUT, since they are over sized marshmallows, I added an extra Tablespoon of butter & did 4 Tablespoons instead of just the 3 that the recipe calls for & 6 cups of Rice Krispie cereal to make



PINK EGGS!

I sprayed the inside of a plastic egg with PAM & stuffed both sides with the warm gooey cereal & melted marshmallow mixture.
I could barely hang onto it, it was so slippery & then I could
barely get it open, as it stuck so tightly.   

I got exactly ONE egg done & gave up!!  Smooshed the rest of the mix into PAM coated non-stick pans.  Love these Farberware pans for stuff like this!!

You just have to be careful not to scratch them when cutting.
I use my plastic lettuce knife so it doesn't scratch them.
That's my tip for today.
 



 



The Rice Krispie Treats taste good though...just a hint of strawberry to them, from the pink marshmallows. 

Well, back to the drawing board...it was a cute idea but I didn't have the patience to do any more eggs.  I had too much else to prepare for the Easter feast on Sunday.

Thanks for stopping by, though.

I'm linking to Michael Lee's Foodie Friday,
The Tablescapers Seasonal Sunday &
Yvonne's On the Menu Monday.