Closure

Well, we've almost made it through another year and what better way to see the old year out and the new year in than with a full moon...and not just any full moon, but a blue moon.  I'm really looking forward to howling at it on Thurs night!

Just wanted to thank you for all your encouragement and helpful suggestions with getting the Burning River Boutique up and running and for your continued visits back.

Keep those cards and letters coming!

VFW Craft Show

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the table!  I met a lot of interesting people and had such a good time talking with everyone. 

Karen, who had the table next to me was a hoot!  She taught me how to knit and I worked on a scarf during the "down time" on Saturday.

And this is funny-ish to me ~ the items that sold were boy items like the picture of the NASCAR haulers and the pilot's flight map decoupage paperweight.  I try to have something that will appeal to everyone, so I guess I did okay.

And I signed up for next year's show, but don't you worry your pretty little head about trying to remember that....I'll remind you.

Orange Ya Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

Orange beach glass is a rare find, but Gary managed to pluck this gem during our walk on Saturday.

It was a wee bit chilly around the edges and some of the treasures we found were frozen into the sand, but that didn't stop us from using rocks and sticks to chip away the frozen bits to free the objects of our desires.  Although, there was a trick to it ~ one beautiful mother of pearl shell ended up right back in the lake.  It shot out like a tiddly wink piece, which was pretty entertaining (it doesn't take much to amuse me).

I found a small piece of a muddy yellow colored beach glass, which we haven't seen before either.

Gary tested his shoes to see if they really were waterproof, while I remained a safe distance back on the beach...kinda like Marlin Perkins being in the cushy office while Jim was out with the wild boar. 

We found quite a bit of beach glass in all shapes and sizes.  Lots of white, green, and brown glass, but we also came back with some aqua pieces that are very nice.

Now I just have to figure out what to do with them....

The Cold Moon

That's the name for December's full moon.  Even though it's official-like full tonight, it was absolutely breath taking yesterday. 

We took a stroll along the beach for some treasures and some lake therapy while there was still some daylight left.  The moon was already up, but when the sun was just starting to set, the blues and pinks of the sunset were all over the horizon.  It looked like the sun was setting directly under the moon.  With that being the backdrop of the waves rolling in, it just stopped us in our tracks. 

And of course I left my camera in the house to miss a most perfect photo opportunity...it's always something.

This month we'll have a blue moon on the 31st.  What a great way to welcome in a new year!

The Ringing Of The Shells

I called this "the ringing of the shells" because the shells with the pearls look like bells to me.

When I was making this necklace, I happened to look up from my work and out to the lake to find it quite serendipitous that the water was the light blue grey and the waves the stark white of the shells.

Friday the 13th

So, did everyone survive Friday the 13th? 

Some quirky things happened to me, but quirky things happen to me all the time.  I've got to believe it had nothing to do with the dreaded day. 

I even ventured out of the house.  No black cats crossed my path, no mirrors broke, no ladders to walk under...pretty uneventful.

The sun is shining and it's looking promising to be able to spend some time outside today, so I guess I'd better get to it.

Have a lovely weekend.

Veterans Day

Thank you all who have served and who are serving our country.

Change is Good....Right???

Is anyone else out there still having trouble with the time change?  I know it's been a few days, but I just can't seem to get it together.  Up before the butt crack of dawn, but either too tired or too wound to be creative.  Oh, well....it's always something.

Needed some comfort yesterday from all the "behind the scenes" stuff, so I dug into the shells that we brought back from our FL trip and got a few ideas for some new necklaces. 

Well, I can finally see the sun coming up.  It's shining through the trees and burning my eyeballs, so I guess that means I should get crackin' on my day (either that or stop looking at the sun!).

Snap the Magic Dragon

Taken today, November 3rd....clearly my flowers are on their own blooming schedule.

Roll Into November

Okay, one more recipe involving pumpkin.  Pumpkin rolls are way easier to make than they seem.  Honest.

Pumpkin Rolls

Grease & line a jelly roll pan with wax paper.  Leave about 2" on each end (long ends).  This makes it easier to get the cake out of the pan.

Mix:

3 eggs

2/3C pumpkin

1C sugar

1t baking soda

1/2t cinnamon

3/4C flour

Pour onto wax paper lined pan.  Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.  Bake in 375 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle tea towel with powdered sugar.  Turn cake out onto towel to cool.  Remove wax paper. 

Frosting:

2T butter

1C powdered sugar

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese

3/4 t vanilla

Mix all ingredients together, spread over cooled cake.  Sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

Using the towel to help, roll up cake from short end.  Wrap in saran wrap.  Roll can be frozen.

~ I've found that the cake won't crack when you roll it after frosting, if you roll it in the towel while it's still warm, let it cool, and then unroll it to spread with frosting.

~ Also it's easier to remove the wax paper from the cake if you do it while the cake is still warm. 

1 small can of pumpkin will yield 2 rolls.

Pumpkin roll is a nice alternative to pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving or just a yummy treat at any time.

Fall Sail (I mean Sale)

Use coupon code BRB1028 to recieve 10% off your next purchase.

The BRB Meets The Phone Company

The Burning River Boutique finally has its very own phone number!  I feel so official-like.

440-941-1BRB (1272)

Pretty clever, huh?

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

Perfect weather ~ not too cold, not too hot!

Yesterday, I went for a walk along the beach and gathered some more treasures....lots of green beach glass, a few aqua pieces and some neat-o-peato shells.  

I contemplated walking along the shore to get back to our very own section of beach, but that would have meant doing "horizontal rock climbing" and I figured that with my lack-o-coordination, I'd trip and fall and lie there unconscious while the buzzards pecked out my eyeballs.  That just didn't sound like a fun way to spend the day, so I passed.

After I made my way back home, I built some new items for the shop, which will be appearing soon.

Hope your Autumn is shaping up nicely. 

Thanks for checking in!

The Great Pumpkin

With the leaves on the trees turning colors and the ones on the ground crunching underfoot, it takes me back to skipping up the sidewalk to our house where the aroma of after school treats would greet me. 

This treat is among my favorites and it's yummy any time of year ~

Pumpkin Nut Bars

1/2C all vegetable shortening (pretty sure mom used Crisco)

1C brown sugar, firmly packed

1C sifted all purpose flour

1/2t soda

1/2t baking powder

1t cinnamon

1/4t ginger

1/4t nutmeg

2/3C pumpkin

2 eggs

1t vanilla

1/2C chopped nuts

Combine all ingredients except nuts in a large mixing bowl.  Beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer at medium speed.  Fold in nuts.

Spread evenly in 13x9x2 pan.  Bake in preheated 350 deg oven for 20 to 25 minutes.  Cool.

Spread with frosting.

Orange Frosting:

Blend until smooth 2T solid vegetable shortening (again with the Crisco), 1-1/2C sifted powdered sugar, 1T grated orange peel and 2T orange juice.  Makes about 1C frosting.

Auntie Em! Auntie Em!

Or, it could be Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day....man-o-jiminy-Christmas balls, is it windy!  

The waves have just been crashing in from all this wind and I'm thinkin' that there actually could be surf in Cleveland, USA...  anyway, the waves churning up the lake like they have been should make for great beach glass hunting, but maybe later...it's still way too windy and too moist (it's raining) and I have more coffee to drink to think about heading down there right now.  Pretty sure that covers most of the excuses to be a big old lazy butt.

Perhaps I'll hunker in and make a bracelet or a necklace or both.  I did finish that sun catcher that I was telling you about, but there's been no sun for it to catch so that I can take a picture of it and put it in the shop.  It'll come back....I'm not scared.

Welcome, Autumn

When I think of the Fall it always brings to mind specific scents like cinnamon, cloves, and bonfires and of course the sound of rustling leaves and the taste of apples (pies, cider, apple butter, candy or caramel apples).  

I can't do much about bringing you any cider to sip while you stroll through the leaves on your way to a bonfire, but I can share Beverly Nye's recipe for spicy pumpkin loaf. 

My mom made this quite often in the fall and winter months.  One year, I adapted it to mini loaf pans and gave them as treats for Christmas.

Spicy Pumpkin Loaf

Combine:

3-3/4C flour

2t soda

2t cinnamon

1t salt

1t nutmeg

1/2t ginger

1/2t ground cloves

Cream:

2 sticks butter or margarine

Gradually add:

2C sugar - cream well.

Blend in and beat well:

4 eggs

At low speed, add dry ingredients alternately with 1-1/2C canned or cooked pumpkin, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.

Stir in 12oz pkg chocolate chips and 1C chopped nuts.

Turn into two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans.  Bake at 350 deg. for 1 hour.  Cool, then drizzle with the delicious spice glaze (below).  Slices better after a day.

Spice glaze

Combine:

1C powdered sugar

1/4t nutmeg

1/4t cinnamon

dash of cloves

Blend in:

3-4T hot water until the consistency of a glaze.

This recipe is taken directly from Bevery Nye's cookbook, but once again I pretty much mix everything together as I go (such a rebel) and this bread also freezes well.

Something Shiny

I'm always getting distracted by something shiny, but this time I decided to put it to good use ~ a sun catcher made with mirrors (no smoke) and beach glass. 

So far, I'm kinda diggin' it. 

I'll let you know when I actually finish it and put it in the shop....so many shiny things to choose from.

International Talk Like A Pirate Day

Aaaaarrrr...

In honor of Int'l Talk Like A Pirate Day, we decided to "string up" Jolly Roger in the back yaaaaarrrrd.  Notice that his edges are a wee bit tattaaaaaarrrrrred.

And we did this in the morning.  It's only taken me haaarrrrs to post this...stupid, stupid, stupid technolaaaarrrrgy (of course, it cant' be me!).

Thought For The Day

Got some great comments back on the thought for the day today that I wanted to share.
(why should I be the only one laughing today?)

Here's the thought ~

If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?

And here are the comments ~

Joani's comment:  yes.........no........yes...........no.......yes......"shut up before I kill you"

Greg's comment:  Depends on which personality you ask.

I'm still chuckling warmly.  Hope you are too!

It's Buckeye Season

My friend, Teresa gave me the idea for buckeye bottle stoppers and I took it and ran with it.  Oh, look ~ I made a football reference! 

Anyway....there are 3 new bottle stoppers in the Seasonal section (they can also be found in the Gift Ideas for sports fans). 

Today, I added a new plate item embellished with buckeyes (also found in the Seasonal section and Gift Ideas for sports fans and for the gourmet).  How clever would it be to use the buckeye embellished plate to serve up the yummy buckeye treats?

I'll save you the trouble of looking up the recipe ~

BUCKEYES

1-1/2C peanut butter

1 stick butter or margarine

1lb powdered sugar

1t vanilla

Mix together.  Roll in 1" balls and refrigerate until cold and set.

Dip:  12 oz. pkg chocolate chips

          1/4 stick paraffin wax

Melt wax and chips in double boiler.  Insert toothpick in each ball and dip in chocolate mixture.  Place on wax paper to cool.

P.S. you can find paraffin wax in the canning section

Yummy Treat

With the aroma of freshly baked cookies still in the air, I have to share this with you ~

I used the Nestlé’s original toll house cookie recipe, but I substituted white choc chips for the semi-sweet choc chips and used craisins (sweetened, dried cranberries) in place of the nuts.

And let me tell ya, they are most dee-lish!

Just Catching Up

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend.  We were battling summer colds and plumbing problems (the house's, not ours).  But, here it is the middle of a new week and things are looking up!

I finally added a Seasonal item to the shop, even though I started with Christmas.  Perhaps I'll get a fall-like item up before winter hits.  One of my grade school teachers told me that I always go around the barn and come in the back door.  Well, you get to see a lot more that way and you lesson the chances of stepping in any "pies".  So, anyway...I'll certainly let you know when I've added something for Autumn.

Today is a history making day for the BRB ~ my first custom order request!!!!  Guess it would get done faster if I actually got busy making it rather than sitting in here rambling on about it... 

Friday's Finds

I HIT THE MOTHER LOAD! 

Just got back from a beach treasure hunt where I collected tons of beach glass, more shells, and a neato-peato rock.  

During my search I encountered Bridget, a 2 year old, purebred boxer.  When I came upon Bridget and her person, she came bounding up to greet me with the tree trunk she just hauled in from the lake and of course had to shake right in front of me...

Her person asked me if I was finding any gold and when I told him no, but I was finding a lot of beach glass he said, "oh, yeah...that colored glass...there used to be a lot of that around here, but you just can't find it any more".  Really??? was all I could manage to say as my bag-o-beach glass was hanging heavy on my hip,  Just goes to show you ~ boys are dumb.  No offence, boys (but you really are).

That's it for now.  I just had to share.

Thursday's Ramblings

Just added new items to the Home and Kitchen and a couple new pictures to the Gallery! 

During the years as I've daydreamed of having my own shop, the one thing that remained constant was the back of the shop.  I always envisioned it being a place where people could sit and relax, have a cup of tea or coffee and a muffin. 

Well...since the shop is on line, you'll have to provide the chair to get comfy in and the coffee or tea.  The closest I can come to providing muffins is to give you my mom's recipe.  It's simple as can be, even more so if you incorporate my little shortcuts:  just mix the egg, milk and oil together and then dump in the dry ingredients on top of each other and mix it all together.  Always works for me.  And I use a 9 x 9 (or could be 8 x 8) pan.  I've always thought that making individual muffins was way too tedious.  The only drawback to making them in a pan is that you don't get the muffin tops (Elaine). 

So here ya go, mom's muffin recipe as written ~

Muffins

2C sifted flour (oh yeah, I don't sift either...just round the cups)

2t baking powder

1/2t salt

2T sugar

1 egg, beaten

1C milk

1/4C melted shortening or oil

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

Combine egg, milk, and shortening.  Add to the dry ingredients all at once, stirring only enough to moisten.

Fill greased muffin pans two-thirds full.

Bake at 400 deg F (hot oven) about 20 minutes.

Makes about 12 medium-sized muffins.

Oatmeal muffins ~ Use 1C quick-cooking rolled oats in place of 1C of the flour.

Blueberry or cranberry muffins ~ Use 1C uncooked berries.  Reduce milk to 3/4C and increase sugar to 1/4C.  Mix berries with dry ingredients.

If you have a recipe that you'd like to share, feel free.

See you soon,

L.

Opening Day

This morning, as I was adding the finishing touches to some pieces I realized how blessed I am to have such a wonderful work environment…right on the lake (Lake Erie). Hearing my glass wind chimes tinkling and the wood ones softly clunking along with the seagulls’ (or lake gulls in this case) “songs” and the sound of the crashing waves is pure delight.


Just a few days ago it was a wee bit too rainy to be working outside, so I opted for the next best thing ~ sitting at the table in front of an open window, with the breeze blowing in and swirling around, incorporating itself into each item.
 
I'm so excited about this new adventure in my life and I hope that you'll find something that interests you during your visit.
 
Thanks to all the girlies for your support through this, but mostly thanks to my sweet man, Gary (a.k.a. Mudcat) for literally making this a reality.
 
More ramblings as thougths and ideas filter through the cobwebs (the ones in my brain, not the ones in the house).
 
L.