a few finds

While my mom was here we spent a day browsing some antique stores in a small town nearby. My aunt joined us too (actually it was her idea). Mason was so good. He loved all the Christmas decorations. I found a few last minute gifts and a couple things for us.

First, I found this little red wagon for mason. I thought it would match his farm-themed room perfectly. But it hasn't spent much time in his bedroom. He likes to fill it with all his stuffed animals and pull it around the house. Then after a while he likes to get in so we can pull him all around the house.

I also found a pasta cutter. Ryan and I have been talking about making our own pasta. So, when I saw this cutter for $3 I had to get it. We made egg noodles for Christmas Eve. My mom made a yummy sauce of tomatoes, sausage, broccoli, and onion that we put over the top. It was delicious.

The noodles were actually pretty easy to make (especially since my bread machine made the dough) and the pasta cutter was fun to use. I'll be making these again for sure.

10 bucks

How many canning jars do you think you could get for 10 dollars? I stopped counting at 287. My in-laws got them at an auction in town. They called me and said they had some canning jars for me to pick up. I didn't know that I would be shoving boxes into every inch of my car! For a little while my kitchen was consumed by jars. We washed them all and had them drying on the counters:

and the kitchen table:

Now I just have to fill them (ok, maybe not all of them). I'm glad they are mostly quarts and pints because I can't seem to stop making jam so the last thing I need is more jam-sized jars. You gotta love a good deal.

an antique week

Every once in a while Ryan and I like to wander through antique stores. It's been a while since I posted my finds. Over a year ago we found these Well, we've sure been adding a few things to our house this week. Ryan and I stopped at many stores last weekend and his parents surprised me with a fun birthday gift. I didn't photo everything, but here are a few of our finds (and gifts).

My in-laws wrapped this fun old container with green checked fabric (I have a project in mind) and filled it with my birthday gifts. It now holds some lettuce pots in our greenhouse. When it gets warmer I'll plant something fun in it. Mason sure enjoyed helping me unpack it.


They got me two tall mason jars (on the left) and I found a bunch of knitting needles for $1.00 a set. The tall jars make a great holder! I also found a couple smaller mason jars. I love to use them for my crafty items. Some of these needles I already had, but check out those huge wooden ones I found. I can't wait to start a project with those. I also found two wire milk crates that I am using to stash my yarn in.

More goodies from Ryan's parents: a canning funnel (that has a screw-on attachment), an icecream scoop, a chicken cookie cutter(fun!), and a biscuit/tart/ravioli cutter.

They also found these cool garden tools that are now hanging in our greenhouse.

More finds: A couple of those mason jars I already mentioned. A fun old sewing pattern. I love that green planter box I found for $3.00. I am going to put it on a shelf in the bathroom with rolled up washcloths in it. And a few kitchen finds: a small whisk (mine broke) and a spice holder thingy (that's the technical term) for stews, soups, hot drinks and such. I feel some spiced wine coming on...without having to strain out all the good spices for each cup:)I was on the lookout for a potato masher. I've broken two so far. Is it just me or are things made more cheaply these days? This one with the cool red handle will last forever I think. So much sturdier. I have also been looking for an egg-beater. (especially after I broke my whisk:). This will be perfect for whipping up some scrambled eggs for little Mason.

See that cool contraption with the green handle? It's a doughnut cutter! I actually found two. I gave one to Hillary, since we've been working on our doughnut making skills.

Pretty neat, huh? I guess I better go put all this stuff away:)

fun finds

Ryan and I had a wonderful morning strolling through the antique stores in Florence. We weren't really searching for anything in particular, but love to just browse around. We did come home with a few good finds. We stopped for a yummy sandwich and salad at the Aspen Leaf Bakery to finish up our trip. Here are some pictures of our goods:



I found some old clothespins that I thought I would use to wrap some of my ribbons and get them a little more organized. They will take up less space this way. And we got a fun scoop for our big tin of bread flour.




I think this was my favorite find! Isn't he cute? It was handmade by a local artist. He will find a good home in our kitchen.






And lastly, check out this old nut chopper! I accidently busted our last one when I knocked if off the counter, so we are going to give this one a whirl. I love the little bits of red that we are adding to our kitchen. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your weekend.