Doily Day No. 1

Source: Dum Spiro Spero

Are you as in love with doilies as I am? My dream home would have one under every object, but since my husband does not share my fanaticism for all things doily, I have learned to repress my enthusiasm for these little masterpieces when I'm around him...

...but that doesn't mean I can't gush to you about my doily devotion!

Since doilies cost dime a dozen at antique and thrift shops, I've not really developed my own doily-making skills beyond the basics. I'm saving that for when I'm nine months pregnant/sick with the flu/incapacitated with two broken legs.

In the meantime, how about we admire two of my vintage doilies together?

The amount of work that goes into each one of these treasures never ceases to amaze me. The example above demonstrates some meticulous tatting.

Another example of dozens of hours of effort put into a small decorative object. Whoever crocheted this doily must have had a practiced hand and infinite patience. The roses that adorn the edge are actually three-dimensional!

What side of the Doily Debate do you fall on?

What is your attitude toward decorating with doilies?
	I'm a doily devotee!
	I don't do doilies.
	Depends...

Or click here for poll.

Oh where, oh where has my little feed gone?

Source: Nosey Parker's Postcards

Dearest readers, have any of you been having trouble with posts from the Hausfrau Journal not showing up in your feed reader or on your Blogger dashboard? One person has brought this issue to my attention, and I've also noticed that Twitterfeed has been having difficulties as well.

If you are reading this, can you please leave a quick comment whether you saw this post on your Blogger dashboard, RSS reader, or on the blog page itself?

Source: Dolce Mia of Sonoma County

A visit from family

Source: My Everyday Graces

Have you all been wondering where I went? Well, some family decided to drop by for an extended stay! Between all the catching up, sightseeing, and assorted adventures, suffice it to say I had no time for posting on the Hausfrau Journal!

Source: Refining Ashley

One of the highlights was a horseback riding lesson with a fantastic local instructor. I think I'm hooked!

Source: A Vintage Cottage Home

We also biked to two castles through some stunning wilderness.

Source: Charleston Cycle Chic

And how can I forget the relaxing day at the spa, complete with muscle-melting massage?

Source: My Daily Green

As a present to my husband for kindly putting up with all the hassle, I took the whole day yesterday to clean the house thoroughly.

This is what I looked like when I started...

Source: Reflections of Yesteryear

...and when I finally finished.

Source: My Everyday Graces

A Touch of Elegance: Shelf Trim

Lovely readers, what do you know about lace edging on shelves? I've taken a recent interest in this topic, and here's why:

Ever since Caroline from Caroline's Clothing left me a comment on one of my recent posts about how she loves edging like this on vitrines and cabinets with glass doors and actually reproduced this effect on the buffet in her kitchen, I've been scouring the internet to find out more about this tradition.

(Caroline, to answer your question, this photo was taken in a local antique store. I snapped this picture to remind my future self to try this out if I ever get the right cabinet!)

From the calendar "Aus Großmutters Küche" by Christa Versley, Korsch Verlag

But it seems very little has been written on this topic! So I'm going to offer every bit of knowledge I've acquired about decorating shelf edges, and in exchange, I would love to hear anything you know about this topic! (See the end of this post for more details.)

Apparently shelf decorations can take two forms:

Happy May Day!

I hope all of you are having a lovely May Day! As I was searching online this morning for antique May Day postcards, this sweet paper doll of a raven-haired May Queen by Barbara Hale practically jumped out of the screen at me. The image originally comes from a McCall's magazine published in 1921, but Marianne Dow of Ms. Dow Antiques scanned it in for her blog 'Tique Talk. (Thank you, Ms. Dow!)

Enjoy, and happy May Day!

How to make a watering can for free

A while ago when I was browsing through Pinterest, I came across an image showing an ingenious way to make a watering can of sorts from a regular bottle with a plastic lid.

This idea intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try. Plus I figured that I could then finally retire my teapot from as my current watering can of choice. (Yes, I know…)

Here's how I did it:

1950s Children's Fashions from East Germany Part 1

I love the fashions of the 50s, and I can see by the poll on the side of my blog that many of you do, too!

So chances are you will be as fascinated with my little east German pattern booklet showing a variety of children's clothing styles.

Sundry Items

Top to Bottom:

"Weck" canning jars in the sun
...a fond summer memory

Retro-styled grocery wrapping paper
...like going back in time

Lace on shelves
...a lovely touch

"Mein grösstes Glück, mein grösste Freud' ist meine stille Häuslichkeit"

...very sweet, but I like other things, too!

 The "Swiftsure", British Vacuum Washer Co., Islington, Liverpool

...I own a handy version in blue plastic

Proud peacock

...showing off for the ladies

Ephemeral forsythia

...soon to be gone

Recipe: Cocoa Plum Millet with Marzipan

Today I want to share a very special, mouthwatering recipe with you. You can cook it up in about 15 minutes, and the preparation time is minimal. In the last few years I've had several occasions to cook up a batch for guests, and every time I am overwhelmed with compliments on the taste and texture of this dish.

Since I learned to cook using imperial measurements, that's how I continue to write all my recipes down, regardless of their origin. Someone in Germany (forgot who!) taught me how to make this dish around 10 years ago. The version below is one I settled on after many trials and tweaks. You may need to change the amounts I give according to your ingredients and preferences.

Hausfrau's Cocoa Plum Millet with Marzipan

• 1 cup millet
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 t salt (to taste)
• 1/2 cup canned plums, chopped into pieces
• 1/2 cup plum juice
• 2 teaspoons real cocoa powder (or more, depending on type and preference)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I prefer the Vietnamese kind)
• 1/3 cup marzipan, chopped into little cubes
• apple sauce
• cinnamon sugar

In a saucepan or small pot, add millet, water, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook on low heat for 10 minutes, being careful not to stir until the water starts to boil. When the water is mostly absorbed, add cocoa, cinnamon, plum juice and plum pieces. Stir gently.* Add marzipan bits. Stir gently again. Cover and let sit 5 minutes. Serve with applesauce and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

*Stirring carefully ensures that the cooked millet does not disintegrate.

Makes 2 to 3 servings

♥
Enjoy!