Week in Review! And Swap Package! And a recipe!

This has been such a busy week, but I love to keep busy!

Monday we caught up on laundry, things around the house and had ribs on the grill. However, I decided to try out this recipe 5-Minute Individual Potato Gratin. I love this recipe, but for some reason mine were slightly soupy. I may have used to much cream. I highly recommend them though, we LOVED them. Sweetnicks is one of my FAVORITE blogs, she always has wonderful recipes, writes great reviews and her photos make me drool.

The rest of the week has been a blur. A volunteer shift, a wine event, which ended with a bite to eat on the beautiful patio at WA Frost on a wonderful late summer evening with old friends as well as some new.
Thursday the boy and I had the day off. We both have some time that we need to use, my mom was a vendor at the Junk Bonanza so we decided to sleep in and then head out to see what was in store this year. This was the fourth year that I attended, last year they had moved into a new space at Medina Ballroom, I thought that was big, this year they moved to Canterbury Park where the horses race and it was HUGE! We spent five hours walking around, looking at things, checking out some new ideas and just getting inspiration. I will share some photos from the show at another time, but here are some of the items that I picked up.

A pewter metal Restoration Hardware charger -$3. I am planning on doing something fun in my fall decor with this.
A silver mercury candlestick -$4 (I will also be reinventing this later on!)
This is what is called a sugar cane mold. I have been looking for one of these for a while. I found one back in the beginning of August, VERY pricey and I was still thinking my dad could make me something similar. Then I came across this one yesterday TWELVE DOLLARS, total steal and the woman that I purchased it from, turned out to not only know my friend K, of J & K from out East, but she also is a friend of my mom's. SMALL world. Anyway, I LOVE this and I cannot wait to show you what I wind up doing with it.
These are called small insulators ($2 a piece), they were used for the tops of telephone poles. You will have to wait to see what I do with these. . .
This vintage tablecloth I just love, my outdoor table is round and with the fringe and the flowers it was just to die for and for $7! Could NOT pass this up!
This great little vintage red straw purse with bamboo handles was made in Italy and for $6 it found a new home with me. While I will have to put it away until next summer, I am looking forward to finding a great little red cotton dress to go with it.
The little boy and girl planter just pulled at me at $4. I thought it would be cute in the guestroom with some color in it of some sort. When it finds it home I will take another picture!

Last but not least this great framed nursery rhyme of Jack and Jill for the guest room as well. I thought it would go perfectly with my Jack and Jill lamp and I love nursery rhymes and anything Jack and Jill. For $20, the framing alone was worth it!
I did get one other really fun item, but it is a bit bigger and the boy wants to work on it a bit, so you will have to wait for that one.

Last but not least, my SWAP partner, Preppy in Pink sent me the most fabulous and incredible SWAP packages, I just loved everything! We took part in Kappa Preps Fall Swap. SO much fun, and I have really enjoyed finding a new blog friend who I seem to have so much in common with. Just look at all of the fabulous stuff!


Preppy in Pink really seemed to take the time to find out my likes and dislikes and I just loved everything. I have been WANTING the Lilly playing cards SO badly, I was SO excited to see them! The pink journal is just supple and gorgeous and I love to have books like this to capture thoughts, dreams and ideas in. I LOVE books on CD, the boy and I listen to them on a regular basis and this one takes place in NC which we have both been saying how we really would like to get back there and soon!

Coming back from the Junk Bonanza last night, the boy and I decided we would try to take in a movie for $5 opposed to $10 since it was just before 5. We got lucky and the "Time Travelers Wife" was starting at 4:40 and it was 4:30, PERFECT. So we popped in, caught the flick, VERY good, and the headed to Maggianos for dinner, NUM!

Today, working from home, the boy is off, we are off to have lunch, get to the boys, mow his lawn and then back to get ready for a night out! Hope you all have a great weekend!