Lunch and Crafting with Friends~Shaker Dolls!

I have the sweetest friends in Bainbridge Island and Poulsbo! Angie and Clarice are always willing to open their homes and cook for me and whoever I might invite to come along! This trip, LaVonne was my guest and these lovely ladies once again were there to spoil us. We met at Angie's lovely home. I love the peacefulness of her place and never want to leave. So pretty and warm.

Clarice always brings something to add to the feast! Here's Angie in her kitchen sharing all the goodies and telling us what we will be dining on. Thanks so much to both of you for being so kind to share another yummy meal with us.

So after lunch, it was time to start making our SHAKER DOLLS. So what is a SHAKER DOLL?
LaVonne found the idea a few years ago and had me looking for salt and pepper shakers. The shakers become the body of the doll. You need doll heads or half dolls for the top of the shakers. If everyone plans ahead, each guest can bring a charm that symbolizes her in some way to be swapped. You can fill the shakers with beads and charms or tie them onto the ribbons that are attached to the metal salt or pepper top.  The shaker is actually upside down so it forms the doll. It was such a great project and everyone just jumped in and created their doll. Each one is different and each one is a masterpiece!

Serious crafters having so much fun. Isn't it wonderful to have a group of friends who enjoy doing what you love to do?

This is the very beginning of my SHAKER DOLL. You have to used a special epoxy putty to attach the doll to the glass shaker.

You just have to have lots of beads, ribbons, lace, charms, shakers, doll heads and of course, some cookies and some more tea! Do you think we had enough supplies?

We all went outside for a little photo shoot. Looks like a happy bunch of crafters!

This is LaVonne's dolly. She added the arms and in the next picture, you will see that she also added little legs. I think it was really a great addition.

Her finished dolly who now lives in Montana. Thanks for sending me your picture LaVonne. It isn't easy to photo these gals.

Thanks Clarice for letting me use your picture! I love her little crown with the tiny seashells. Your salt shaker is really cool. I think it looks great without the ribbons. All so individual.

Thanks also for letting me use Auberne's doll. I like all the color she added to her's and the fan. Very sweet!

Here is Angie's little dolly. Here's was smaller and just so sweet. Notice how she used pearls and ribbons on the botton. I really liked the way she looped her ribbon.

This is my lady. She was quite a good sized half doll. I had a ball making her and hope to make another one this spring with another group of crafter friends.

Here she is all finished. I used little tea pot charms in pastel colors on the bottom of my ribbons. She lives in my tea room.

Thank you LaVonne for finding this great project and encouraging us to make it really happen.

Our Trip to Poulsbo and Bainbridge Island

When Jimmy asked me what I wanted for my birthday earlier in December, I quickly answered....a trip to Poulsbo and Bainsbridge Island to see our friends and to do some Christmas shopping. We usually go up several times a year, but with the baby this year, we hadn't made it up at all! Before the year slips by, I wanted to post pictures of our trip as it was so wonderful. The first night, we did go to visit Linda Fox and her lovely home. She had tea and cookies and it was just such a sweet evening. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures.

This is my dear friend Angie...in front of her most wonderful and welcoming home on Bainbridge Island. The farm house is a family home with lots of history. It's one of those places that you never want to leave...a combination of the setting and the lovely family that lives there!

Angie has a large garden in the summer and here are her sheep! She has chickens too and fruit trees. It''s so fun to sit on her patio in the summer.

Her advent wreath...in true Tasha Tudor style. Yes, she makes her own beeswax candles and I received a pair as a gift! I love beeswax candles.

This is a very cool old radio that works. Angie is tuning it so I could hear it. Just so fun.

Angie is a marvelous cook and she always spoils us with a fine dinner. Her kids are delightful. John has become quite the fisherman this year, so Jimmy and him had fun chatting about that. Elizabeth is just a sweetie and so helpful to her mother in the kitchen.

Ralph and Jimmy always have fun talking about vintage stuff. Ralph is one lucky man to have such a nice family. Thanks to the whole family for making our visit perfect. You are a great family.

When we travel north in December, we have to visit the CHRISTMAS HOUSE. Lots of fun vintage items and Christmas goodies. Bob, your fudge is the best!

I really liked this twiggy wreath with fresh greens. A bit different and charming.

Jimmy was checking out a little out building for more treasures.

We scooted out to Port Gamble for shopping, the tree lighting and we had tickets for the play! Lots of afternoon activities.

They have a darling little tea shop and we actually had dinner after the tree lighting. It's a fun place to visit and yes....yummy tuffles.

It was starting to get dark....

This is the theater building and you can see the tree after the lighting. So pretty and a good turn out.
We had dinner and then it was time for the play. Local theater, well done and very Christmasy. We sure had a fun filled and very full day!

After a good night's sleep, here Jimmy is sitting outside in Poulsbo. He just loves the town and being by the water.

Love the boats, even when it's overcast.

After finishing up our shopping, it was time to head home. My good friend Clarice and her family were so kind to have us over for dinner before we traveled south. Clarice has been redoing her kitchen with the help of her sweet hubby. She is soooo happy in her kitchen and it is really neat.

This is her new stove and her husband did all the tile work. It is beautiful.

The expert is giving Jimmy instructions on buying good knives and keeping them sharp. She is the pro!

David and Auberne' sharing some hunting stories with Jimmy. He is quite the hunter! He sure loves his girls. It's a treat to watch the four of them all together. Another great family. Thanks for dinner and for opening your home to us once again. Dinner was great and the company was even better!

Every year, Clarice and her daughters pick a different Christmas theme and decorate a small tree.
It was a Russian theme this year.

Every year, they set up their Christmas village. They have the most perfect place for it. I just love looking at it.

It was a magical trip. I had so much fun with my friends! Thanks for the memories my Tasha friends!
I hope to see you soon.

December 14th

Brunch at the Bickerton's this morning. What a lovely family! Will post more when I return home. Thanks  so much Angie. Rapgh, Elizabeth and the great fisherman

 John. 

PS....A BIG Thank You To My Jimmy!

I have to thank my sweet Jimmy for driving me up to be with my friends for the weekend. He's so giving and always makes sure I never miss a fun time with my girlfriends. He was just getting over a cold so just stayed in on Saturday. We did make a "few" stops at his favorite places on Sunday before driving back home. Here he is in a few of those favorite shoppes...he really likes the bakery!.
Thanks again to my Jimmy! I love you. 

Teacup Thursday # 66 and Friends Up North

I'm beginning to feel a bit like myself again. Dealing with sadness is hard and yet I think the difficult things make you focus on what's important and what's really just meaningless. I know that the trials are
ways we are drawn closer to God even when we can't understand the reason behind what has happened. I also know that my problems are pretty small compared to what some people are dealing with on a daily basis, things that aren't going to get better.
I'm featuring this beautiful teacup today for Miss Spenser's Teacup Thursday. I just got it last week at a big garage sale event for $1.00! I adore the pattern and this is one I will keep. I'm also showing it  as I share my story about another friend who just turned the big 50. She loves cottages...can you see the cottage tucked into the roses? That's what I love about this cup and saucer.

The set is a Queens by Rosina China Co Ltd. I have several made by them and I just always like the patterns. I think the roses are so pretty and love the colors....perfect to live in my tearoom.

Even the handle is pretty! The cup has a rose inside, which always draws me to a pattern, and even the back has another lovely rose. You can tell I REALLY like this teacup.

So, on with my story. My friend Clarice who lives near Poulsbo WA turned 50 last Friday. She has been fussing about it all year! I have been telling her I loved my 50's and I think it's a great time for a woman. Well, she didn't buy it. So, I plotted with my other friend Angie, who is Clarice's dear friend. to see if I could come up to surprise her. Angie and Clarice are some of my Tasha Tudor friends who have become very special to me. As Jim was going to be out of town, I drove up by myself on Monday. Angie had me over for dinner and we plotted away! Angie is a fabulous cook and so giving.
She made lamb chops (I've only had them a few times and these were the best I've ever tasted), beets from her garden cooked in coconut oil, rice and a great bean salad. Delicious. I love her family and they are so kind to welcome me. We picked raspberries, looked over her garden, saw the sheep, and gathered a few eggs from the chickens. I just love being at their home...there's a peace that hugs you when you're there.

So the plan was to show up at a deli in Bainbridge Island around noon on Tuesday. She was going to take Clarice there to pick out yummy things for a lunch...a birthday lunch. I got there early, parked far away and found a fabric store! Charming! Good thing I didn't stay there much longer. I went into the deli and had the gal make me an iced coffee and was just telling her that I was the surprise for my friend's birthday and if she heard a scream, not to be alarmed. I felt someone's hand on my shoulder, looked around and it was Angie. I was trying to register it all in my head when I turned and saw the surprised look on Clarice's face. Of course we hugged and hugged and then she cried! I didn't expect that! Mission accomplished! So we went back to Angie's and called her mom Linda to bring her other daughter Auberne over as I wanted to see them all!

Here's Angie slaving away in her kitchen again. This is Clarice and her mom Linda looking over the goodies! What a feast we had!

This is Angie's cheese she made. It was wonderful. She is always experimenting with food. She introduced me to several new things and coconut oil and products. Clarice and Angie are foodies and I bet the benefit of it! YUMMY!

We loaded up our plates and took the party outside. Angie had set the table and the weather was perfect
to spend the afternoon in the fresh summer air.

Linda and Angie discussing some serious food issues. I got lost somewhere along the way! And a happy mom with her daughter Auberne. I'm sorry I didn't get all the other kids in the photos. They were just having so much fun running around playing on such a nice summer day.

Time for the birthday girl to have her cake! She had store bought and a homemade raspberry delight.

Angie the good hostess...always busy making things nice for others! She really outdid herself for her dear friend Clarice. Thank you Angie for making this a very special day for us all!

I don't know if you saw the teacup on the table with the cake. Angie has a few that her grandmother gave her. She would love to have some more, so we are on the hunt! I think someone featured one recently on Teacup Thursday.

As you can see, the day was just lovely and good medicine for the soul. The only thing really missing was our friend LaVonne. We did give her a call, but we wish she could have been with us! Come out west LaVonne~soon.