Various inspiration

Source: nickelcobalt.tumblr.com via Christina on Pinterest

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A whirlwind

We finally got home Tuesday night, after midnight, from visiting my family! The trip kept getting extended and it was a lot of fun! My husband was able to come up at the end of the trip and drive back with us.

So yesterday morning back at home, I opened up a new coffee grinder and a can of whole bean coffee, mmmm. Even though my blog has coffee in the title, I didn't have a working coffee grinder! I had gotten one years ago at my bridal shower(7 years ago!) and it died probably 3-4 years ago. And I didn't get myself a new one. Why? I don't know!! So I noted how delicious the freshly ground coffee tasted and smelled at my parents' house, so my sister bought me a new one. How sweet, right? And I bought a can of whole bean coffee from Whole Foods, and it didn't cost a million dollars! $4.99, that's all! :) For "Three Beans Coffee" brand, dark roast.
Yesterday me and Kavi were stuck at home all day because my husband had to use the car to go to work. He had driven his car down to Tampa to park it for his one way flight up to AL a few days ago. So we had to go get his car last night. It was tiring to have a drive an hour away after getting home late the night before, but we ate at a fun restaurant and made it a little outing.

Now I have my car to use, and maybe we will go to Target in a little while.

I have even more I could write, but need to go finish some things now.

Scone obsession

I am still visiting family in Alabama! My trip is longer than planned. ;) And it's just been a wonderful time. My husband will be coming up for a short visit at the end of our trip here and then ride home with us. So I won't have to be the only driver! He has been missing us a lot and we miss him!

I may not be posting as much over the next few days because we are keeping busy, but I will be around!

But let me tell you about my ongoing obsession: baking scones.

I have tried three different recipes now, and I think for now my favorite is from the Joy of Cooking. I used this recipe, with added chocolate chips. (And no vanilla extract.) The cool thing is there is first a recipe demonstration you can watch to see how the consistency of it should be. Now, there may not be authentic compared to the ones in the U.K., but they are also not like the typical scones sold in coffee shops. These are more authentic. (Although, like I said, probably do not compare to U.K. real, real, real homemade scones! But I don't really know.)

Here are some I baked a few days ago. Round, as they should be!
I highly suggest watching the video tutorial if you try to make these. The woman in the video makes it look a little easier than how it sounds while reading the directions!

Here is a look at the recipe:

Cream Scone Recipe:

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (75 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces (if using salted butter, then don't add the 1/4 tsp salt)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (120 ml) milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream

Glaze:

Cream or Milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place the rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (I just sprayed cooking oil on the pan, they didn't stick)

In a large bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, two knives, or with your fingertips. (The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.) In a small measuring cup whisk together the milk or cream, beaten egg and vanilla. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir just until combined. Do not over mix.

Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently four or five times and then pat into a 7 inch (18 cm) round. Then, using a lightly floured 2 1/2 inch (6.5 cm) round cookie cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Place the rounds on the prepared cookie sheet, spacing a few inches apart. Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream. (This helps to brown the tops of the scones during baking.)

Bake for about 15 - 18 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve with Devon cream or softly whipped cream and your favorite jam. These scones are best the day they are made but can be covered and stored for a few days. They also freeze very well.

Makes about 10 - 2 1/2 inch (6.5 cm) round scones.

+I added 1/2 cup or so semi sweet chocolate chips.

Inspiration

Something for when you need to be a little dressed up yet casual.

Source: frocksandfroufrou.com via Christina on Pinterest

For when you need something fancy yet not extravagant. It says wedding dress but I say other occasions too.

Source: thevintageweddingdresscompany.com via Christina on Pinterest

More Loot & Yellow Watermelon

The World's Longest Yardsale ended last Sunday, but yesterday and today the town here has been having a sidewalk sale. There wasn't actually a lot set up yesterday when me, my mom, and Kavi walked around the downtown.

But I still got some goodies. And my mom bought them all for me, very nice of her!

Set of four teacups and saucers. $12 for set.
Each cup has a different bird on it.
I only got picture of these two birds though, oops.

Like new sandals, in my size(not the easiest to find, I have big feet :p). $3

Picnic basket marked $2, got it for $1.

And this morning my dad came back from going to a flea market with a yellow watermelon. I have never heard of yellow watermelon until today. And it was nice and sweet!! Still green on the outside but honey yellow on the inside.

A Favorite Shop

A favorite local shop of mine here when I visit in Alabama is The Cozy Nest. I have talked about it in the past, but I don't remember how long ago! (hey remember, that's also one of my shop names on Etsy) ;)

Adorable window display, on the right.

And on the left side, there were children's items and this adorable truck shelf. Well, I bought that shelf for Kavi!

Scenes throughout the store:

I just love the items and the way they are displayed. And for painted/distressed/vintage furniture pieces, all cleaned, painted and ready to place in your home, you can find some good prices. A bunch of us went there on Sunday and we all walked out with items! Some large and some small. My sister bought a nightstand with drawers, my friend bought a desk/vanity set and a chair, another friend bought a bench, I bought the shelf, my mom bought a kid's chair for Kavi (and toy cars!), and there were a few other small things purchased.

Pictures- mostly food!

Pictures of some of the things I have eaten while visiting my family, coffee, and shoes. Phone pictures...ehh.

California rolls, mmm.

Sitting on the curb during the city's First Friday during the evening, finishing a Philly cheese steak ;)

Using their Tampa mug, in Alabama.

Ooh tacos! I think these are the real kind. Shredded beef, onions, and cilantro in doubled up corn tortillas.
Shoes I bought at Target because they were cute but also very comfortable!

I love the handle on this mug. And my mom has such cute house decor.

My cute shelf

I finally took pictures of the shelf I bought at The World's Longest Yard Sale! I love it. It was $6. My mom thought it was a good price. My dad thought I could have haggled it down. But I am not good at haggling yet and I just wanted that shelf! $6 sounds good to me. ;)



I am still away visiting my family of course, so I will have to wait until I am back home to put it up somewhere. It reminds me of being in a cozy mountain lodge like Timberline Lodge in Oregon or Lake Guntersville Lodge here in Alabama.

I will paint it white or maybe aqua or some other fun color.

What color would you paint it? :)

What a Thursday!

Thursday was a very good day!
But first let me go back a couple of days...

Kavi and I drove up to AL on Tuesday and we made it fine! I drove all the way, we didn't make a million stops, and it went well. Kavi is a very good traveling buddy! It took us 10 hours total including stops, which isn't fabulous, but it always takes us about 9.5-10 hours.

Wednesday we went out for Thai food for lunch, and mostly relaxed around the house. I got to say hi to a bunch of our friends who live there.

Yesterday, Thursday, was the first official day of The World's Longest Yard Sale! And also, me and my mom planned to meet our blog friend Angela! Her husband Aubrey also came, and they had driven over from MS to follow some of the world's longest yard sale route from here and north.

We invited them to my parents' house early in the morning, and so they also got to meet my dad, sister, and our friend. We all had a wonderful time! We talked for a long time, waiting while there was on and off rain for hours. We felt like we had already known them (in real life) for years! Eventually my sister Jenny and friend Rachel had to go to work, and my dad left for work too but was back after a little while because of the rain.

Aubrey took this picture of us talking around the table!

My dad took this one of us three on my cell phone:

So then all of us(except Jenny and Rachel) headed to the beginning of the yard sale even though it was still drizzling and lightly raining on and off. But we had umbrellas and some bought ponchos!
Angela, in her poncho (hehe), is checking out items in what looked a little like a gypsy wagon.

Full of old goodies.

Pictures from our last stop (well Angela and Aubrey continued but we went back home with Kavi after this stop so he could play with his toys).

We survived the hair ruining rain, my mom's umbrella falling apart, and a little mud. If Aubrey and Angela pass by here again on their way home, we will probably get to see them again!

I bought myself only one thing at the yard sale. A really cute shelf that I need to take a picture of still! And I bought Kavi a Thomas the Train building, where the trains go to "sleep". Me and my mom might stop by the yard sale again sometime over the weekend since it's not far from here.