Todays Theme...is Bread

It's raining today, so I figured it was a sign from above that I should just stay home. Who am I to argue? The weather has been so glorious lately that I've been putting off my household chores. Who wants to stay inside and mop or do laundry when the skies are blue and the sun is shining? Not me, that's who! I figured that if I was going to be here all day, I might as well try out a Cinnamon Swirl Bread recipe that I found not too long ago. It's pretty simple to make, but HOLY COW does it take some serious time! (That's why I haven't tried it before.) I am a sucker for cinnamon bread, but I don't buy it very often because for some crazy reason, bakers seem to think that you also want raisins in it. I'm not a big fan of raisins. Neither are the rest of my family. I started on the cinnamon bread (sans raisins) and got to the part where it had to sit and rise for...two hours. This led me to something else that I've been putting off... Waxing my antique bread boards. I bought this in December of 2009. I bought the wax not long after that. Can anyone say "procrastination"? My bad. My excuse is that it looked fantastic without the wax, so what's the hurry? The great news is that it looks even more awesome with it. (And I haven't even buffed it off yet.) By tomorrow morning, it will be dried, buffed, and back in the corner of my dining room in all it's glory. Another job checked off of my "to do" list. On to more chores. I have to keep busy, because if I don't... I'll end up back at the antique store and spending more...bread. Aren't these trunks fantastic? Wouldn't that bottom one make the most interesting coffee table or end table (with storage) in the world? *sigh* Must keep busy. Must keep busy. Must keep busy. Hey, I think the rain is lightening up. Could that be a sign?

If I Ever Own A Castle...

It was a lovely day in Belgium to go out Antique shopping with friends, so of course, who am I to refuse such an opportunity? Off we went. I love this place. Each time I go, they have new and wonderful items to examine, as well as some old friends who are simply biding their time until they find their new home. This table falls into the second category. It's been there since my first visit. It's quite possible that there isn't much call for a dining room table that seats 22 people. I have no idea why. This is #1 on my "If I Ever Own A Castle" shopping list. The first thing I'll do is pick this baby up. Just think of the dinner parties! (I imagine that if I can afford the castle, surely I can afford a cook as well. If not, I'll just bug Erika until she folds and bakes me all sorts of her Pampered Chef goodies.) This beauty is on the list, too. I love all of the intricate carvings on it. I didn't even glance at the price tag. After all, if you own a castle, you don't have to ask. I'm just saying...I don't know where these beauties will fit in the castle, but I'll take them just the same. Again, the attention to detail is amazing. Oh, well. Until I get my castle, I will just get items that fit in here. I've been on the prowl for a coat rack for the entry way since I moved in, and today...score! It's wooden, so it doesn't weight nearly as much as the metal ones, and it's in excellent shape.
This item is one that I've been eyeing since I first started going to this store. It's an old tiered bread board stand. I can't believe it was still there! We'll call it fate. Thanks to my enablers (Erika, Melissa and Denise), it found it's way into my van today and is now relaxing in a quiet corner of the dining room. I'm sure it will be very happy there.

In case you were wondering about the trog that I picked up the last time, here it is in all of it's Christmas finery. Russ calls it the holiday trough. I had pumpkins in it for Thanksgiving, and now it is all decked out for Christmas. We'll call it a new tradition. I'm sure the animals won't mind.