Getting Back To Basics

Floral design is what I did for about 18 yrs. I haven't worked as a desiger for about 7 yrs and must admit, I haven't missed it. You might wonder how that is possible, seeing as tho I was around beautiful flowers all day, wonderful scents at my fingertips. I must confess, it's very hard work.....standing on your feet for hours at a time, working with your hands. After a while you don't smell anything anymore and you really don't appreciate the flowers like you once used to. It's a job, and therefore becomes......work. But...........

Last year I was vacationing in New Bern, North Carolina when I went into an antique store and saw a lovely hand-painted tea cup and saucer. My first thought was this would make a beautiful topiary, so that is what I did! I have it listed for sale, but it is hard to part with. I think the one thing I learned from creating this is that I need to incorporate some of my floral experience into my cottage home decor designs, and that is just what I am going to do. Please be watching for a little transformation, I have some great ideas coming your way.

The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe Ever

While I was visiting a very good friend of mine in Albuquerque, she was making sugar cookies. Now I know everyone has a recipe for sugar cookies, but trust me, these are very good. The picture on your left is not these cookies, but instead are faux cookies that I am selling on etsy. The recipe I am giving you are for actual delicious eating, calorie counting, great tasting, mouth watering sugar cookies.

2 cups Butter or margarine, softened

1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Butter Cream Frosting

3 1/2 cups Confectioner's sugar divided

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 Tablespoon shortening

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 to 4 Tablespoons milk, divided

food coloring which is optional

Cookie:

Cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.

Add sugar, egg yolks and vanilla: mix well.

Add flour a little at a time and mix until blended.

Cover and chill 2 hours or until firm.

Roll out onto floured surface to 1/4" thickness.

Cut into 3" shapes: place 1" apart on greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until set, not browned.

Cool 5 minutes: remove to wire racks to cool.

Frosting:

Combine 1 1/2 cups of sugar, butter, shortening, vanilla and 3 Tablespoons mile in mixing bowl: beat until smooth.

Gradually add remaining sugar, beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add enough remaining milk for desired consistency.

Frost cookies.

Yield: approximately 7 dozen

This is my favorite sugar cookie of all time. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I would love to hear what you think.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY~Love it OR Hate it??

To understand my feelings about this holiday, you first have to understand that I am a child of the 1950's". As far back as I can remember, I never liked this holiday, it has always been one that I have not looked forward to and glad when it was over. I still feel the same today.

I think it all started back in school. I remember the brown lunch sacks that we all had to decorate, put our names on and then hang in the front of the classroom. This was done a few days before, so we were able to enjoy each others art work before the big day. The night before, we had to purchase our Valentines, sign them, address them and put them in the appropriate bags the next morning. Some children received more cards than their bags could hold, others didn't fair as well. I think maybe today, there are rules in place that if you give a card to one, then you give to all. I was never on the receiving end of too many or too few, but just in the middle. I hated the whole process of buying, addressing and stressing about the question, would I receive any?! Knowing what I know now, and if it were possible to go back, I would make sure the unpopular children had more than their share of Valentine Cards. I wonder if any of this haunts them today. I hope not.

My husband was in the military and so we moved every 3 to 4 yrs, sometimes overseas. When our children were in school I got a job as a floral designer. It was a good choice for me because it was a job I could continue no matter where we were stationed. I never realized the hard work florists have during the holidays. AND guess what? Karma bit me in the fanny every year for the 15 years I worked this profession. You guessed it......Valentines Day!! It wasn't uncommon to work an 80 hour week during that time of year. It starts about 5 days before the actual day, hundreds of flowers come in, they have to be cleaned and put in buckets of water. Now, we are talking hundreds of roses, all colors and on top of that, hundreds of assorted flowers, fillers and greenery. Your work days are pretty much the same hours as a normal day. The two days before is when the actual designing starts. You need to remember that this is above and beyond any other work that comes in. Your feet ache and your hands swell, you are tired and can't think. Your body is definitely on auto pilot. You keep reminding yourself you are doing this to spread the love of the day to all the happy people out there wanting to make someone else feel loved. To all the girlfriends, wives and mothers. I let my husband off the hook for the past 36 years that we have been married. I told him please, no candy, no cards and by no means, no flowers. I can say that I at least make one man on this earth very happy on Feb. 14th!!! No obligations at all.