RAIN!!!

We had to go to Madison to see it but it is exactly as I remember it!

Been busy starting Tea Room at the Stillman Inn but will be back on line shortly. Visiting nephew Joe at his restaurant, Diggitys, when storm came in. Trying to bottle some of it to take back to Galena!


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Tea Room Tour 2011

Well we did it!  Mom and I set a goal to visit six Tea Rooms in Tampa in six days and we did it!

"You gotta have a dream to have a dream come true"

That's how it  started during one of Moms visits with me last summer.  I was looking through a "Tea Room" magazine and noticed that Tampa FL has several Tea Rooms in or close by Tampa. 

So, this November we flew to Tampa, stayed at a lovely condo at Sailport, rented a black Crown Victoria, turned on the Garmin and began a terrific adventure!

The first to visit was "The Royal Tea Room"

What a great way to start.  Each Tea Room had it's own style and their own specialty tea sandwiches and finger pastries.  Even the scones were different at each Tea Room. 

Prices ranged from $16.95/guest to $20.95

Each room had a variety of hats to use, because of course you have to wear a fancy hate while taking tea.




A List of the Tea Rooms we visited:
The Royal Tea Room & Gift Shoppe, Tampa, FL
Tea Rose Cottage, Ybor, FL
Camellia Rose Tea Room and boutique, Plant City, FL
Simply Country Gifts & Southern Belles Tea Room, Plant City, FL
Milk N Honey Tea room, Tampa, FL
The Empress Tea Room & Bistro, Tampa, FL

Each Tea Room was unique.  They had their special finger sandwiches, scones and pastries.  We love the presentation. When they set the 3 tier tray on the table they get to go over all their specialties.  It's great.

Most served a variety of teas, some served the "tea of the day" which was fine as well.  I mean, after all, that is how they do it in England...right?!

This was a lovely tea room.  Can you see the swan cream puffs on the top tier of the tray?  Simply beautiful.

Of course we couldn't resist the cabana on the beach after all that hard work.  Lucky for me they were selling soft pretzels.  Love those soft pretzels!

Plan a Tea Room visit with someone you love!  You will love it.  Bring a hat!

Being Domestic

Wow! It has been some time since I've posted. We have been so busy getting the harvest in, canning, freezing, spinning, crafting for the various Fall Festivals and craft shows, is it any wonder we have not had time to sit and write?
I recently dyed and spun some Llama. I decided to go with a three-ply so purchased an extra Lazy Kate to ply from - it worked like a dream! Then, I dyed it the colors my sister wanted since I was planning to crochet her a scarf. I used Rit dye and placed the dye in three deep bowls and put a section of the yarn skene in each so there were three colors, with some color bleeding up into the edges of the new color - sage green, light purple and blue. Then, I paired the Llama with a creamy silk yarn I had spun some time ago, to give a sheen to it. It turned out so well. I'll try to get that picture, too.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, I've been getting recipes together - some traditional, some new. A friend has a recipe for stuffing a small pumpkin with a variety of fruits - I think that will be yummy. Lots of family coming this year! Trying to decide what game to play at the end of the day - always a fun time with lots of laughter and good natured competition while we eat our pie - pumpkin, sweet potato and pecan.
We have so much to thank God for, it is hard to know where to begin but I think having an amazing family is at the top of the list, with good friends a close second! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Fall Colors have Started!

The Color is Coming, The Color is Coming!

It's not often that we have time enough to go for a walk this time of the year.  But I did and I enjoyed it greatly. 

First I stopped by the civil war encampment going on at the bottom of our hill.  I just love the smell of a campfire.

I continued on my way to Grant's park and saw this beautiful tree.

I stopped in the park and knitted for a while and in the meantime I had the joy of seeing a train go by, bikers, walkers and canoers!  What fun. There was also a busload of screaming kid sin the park on some kind of day trip.  They were cute but they sure yell a lot!

I continued on my merry way to the Farmers Market.  The market house there had quilts on display so that was an extra plus I did not expect.

I AM IN SEARCH OF PINK LADY APPLES.  If you know where I can get one, please tell me.   They sound so yummy.  I'm planning on canning some Apple pie filling this year.  It's been fun canning.  My favorite book in that arena is "You Can Can".  Love it. 

Then back to the park to knit another couple of rows. 

What a glorious day it was!

Fall 2011 - The Final Harvest???

The cool air as arrived.  The Zinnias are still fabulous. Note to self: Plant more next year. 

Cara and I have thoroughly enjoyed the Lady Jane swing this summer and Mom has been going crazy with the leaf blower keeping the courtyards clear of debris. 

The new Cabana was a huge hit with guests and locals as it seemed everyone I talked to in town mentioned it.  "Bernadine, what took you so long?" 

Mom was here for a week and we made our first homemade spaghetti sauce using tomatoes from her garden and mine.  An assortment of herbs were added that a friend in town gave to me.  Delicious!  We also made truffles together for the first time.  Mom enjoyed that and was a huge help.  And let's not forget the batch of Strawberry Jam.  What would I do without her?  She is like my best friend!  I love you Mom! We also bought our "first" pasta from the new Pasta store downtown.  They have pasta shaped like all kinds of things.  The ribbon pasta is the prettiest.  Trying the spinach basil garlic fettuccine!

Guests will be enjoying Strawberry Pie and Brownies this weekend.

In November we go to Tampa for a vacation.  Can't wait.  Just me and Mom and my sister will come down for the weekend.  Our goal is to visit all of the Tea Rooms in Tampa.  Gotta have a dream.  I believe there are 8.  We are targeting 6 of the Tea Rooms.

I've been working on the "Master Knitters Program".  I have to do a report on blocking.  I was nervous about this because I've always avoided blocking unless it was lace.  In any case the first item went so well I started blocking all of my knitting projects that I was always too afraid to.  I guess I worried about shrinkage, damaging the fiber, colors running, etc.  All of these items look much better now.

The Teddy Bear Sunflowers were fantastic but only lasted a few weeks.  It was fun watching the Yellow Finches eating from them.

I will definitely do them again next year just for the Finches. 

God bless and have a Blessed Fall!

"Bernadine the Garden Queen"

Quilting Shop and Hop

My friend Susan and I recently took on the daunting task of the largest Quilt Shop and Hop either of us has ever been on.  Twenty-two stores took us 3 days which we combined into 2 trips as we stayed overnight once.  It was a blast and you know, it actually had it's exhausting moments.  We traveled from Galena all the way East to Arlington Heights together, stopping along the way....Gotta Have A Dream To Make A Dream Come True!

What treasures we found!  And so many quilt stores we never would have known of.  They were so excellent I am going to share the list here!  It's a three month shop and hop ending September 30, 2011.  You can still do it!

http://www.northernillinoisqiltfest.com/

We are both hoping we win a prize from one of the stores.  What a moment when we realized that IF we do win something we have to drive back to the store to pick it up.  Yikes!

No problem though.  Susan told me about a fiber store in St. Charles called "A Fine Line".  They were closed when we were in town but it sounds fascinating.  Check out http://www.afineline.org/.  Sounds like they have a very interesting Holiday program.

Pieceful Gathering Quilt Shop - Fox River Grove
Quilt in Joy, Huntley
Sewing concepts, Woodstock
Hopscotch Square, Woodstock
Material Girl Fabric Shop, Crystal Lake
Sunshine & Shadow Quilt Shoppe, McHenry
Acorn Quilts, Rockford
Lucky 2B Quilting, Rockford
It's for Quilting, Rockford
Quilter's General Store, Rockford
Quilter's Haven, Rockford
Phat Quarters, Galena
Quilter's Destination, Arlington Heights
Prairie Shop Quilts, Batavia
Sewwing Concepts, Carpentersville
Basketcases Unlimited, Clare
Judy's Quilt N Sew, Hampshire
Leaf River Quilt Company, Leaf River
Thimbles, Lockport
Prairie Stitches Quilt Shoppe, Oswego
Harvest House Quilting, Plainfield
Sew Generously, St. Charles
Sawdust & Stitches, Elkhorn, WI

Just received dresses for my granddaughters from my friend Tanya.  Want to check out more?  Google "Palmo Originals".  Great fabrics and reversible!!!!!!

 20 Months old now!  What a charmer.
Standing in front of the Zinnia Garden that is beautiful this year.

Fiber Day With Liliana

Look what we did at Fiber Day.  Poor little Liliana, my new granddaughter.  I just couldn't wait to get there and set her inside Sherryl's basket of yarns.  I'm thrilled that my grandkids will know what a spinning wheel is.  Wonder if they'll ever be interested in knitting, spinning, crocheting....

We'll see!

And I have to enter an updated pic of Cara!  She is just as sweet as pie.  They are both very calm and happy children...so far.

We recently had 15" of rain in less than 12 hours in Galena.  I've included some flood pics as well. We just had a little water in the restaurant and about 2" in the movie room.  Nothing compared to the rest of Galena.  Desoto Hotel had over 4' of water in their kitchen.

Made a lemon cake from scratch for the guests.  I think the box mixes are better than a scratch cake.  Or I'm doing something wrong. 

By the way...those online hotel finder sites - everyone that has used it to book at the Stillman inn has paid more than what we charge.  Think twice before using them.