Wrapping Gifts

This weekend I will be attending my cousin's wedding.  I will also be making her wedding cake so watch for a post on that in the future.  The cake will be my gift to them so there is no need for wrapping paper, but it made me start thinking about the different papers you find in your local store.  There is never any that truly appeals to me and it's usually very cheap, thin paper that tears easily.  Well, this morning I see a post in my facebook feed linking to a company manufacturing and selling vintage/retro wrapping paper and cards.  I immediately had to check this out.  Can you say, Adorable?!

The company is Sweet Vintage Wrapping Paper and they produce their own line of retro/vintage cards and stationary for many different occasions.  All of their designs are actual reproductions of a private vintage collection.  Their products are American made, high quality and reasonably priced.  I am tickled pink with this discovery and I'm placing an order now.  I cant wait to wrap a gift!

Sunday Dinner at Grandma's

Sunday is the day that my kids and grandkids come a visiting so I am always trying to cook something for dinner that both the adults and kids will enjoy.  Today I made one of their favorites, Pizza Pasta.  It’s a very easy recipe and it’s customizable for different tastes.  Today’s version was going to be eaten by more adults than children so I threw in a few extras like onions and green peppers, but if you have picky eaters like I had, you can leave those out.  It also makes a larger quantity because I’m always feeding an army, so if you have a smaller group, you will need to adjust the amounts.

Pizza Pasta

1 box rotini pasta

3 jars pizza sauce

1 bag pepperoni slices

1 lb of ground Italian sausage

1 green pepper – diced

1 onion – diced

2 cups shredded Italian cheese

Prepare pasta as directed and brown sausage.  I usually put the peppers and onions in the pan with sausage while it’s browning.  Drain both pasta and sausage mixture and place into a 9x13 casserole dish.  Add pepperoni and then stir in the pizza sauce.  Top with the shredded cheese.  Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Online Shopping

For some time now I have been obsessed with all things vintage, but living in a small rural southern town doesn't allow one many options in the way of shopping, antiquing or thrifting.  Thank goodness for Ebay and Etsy!  Because of the limited shopping options in my area, I like to utilize online shopping.  The one complaint I have though is that you don't have the opportunity to touch and feel the item, nor try it on for fit and comfort.  A few times I have purchased an item online and absolutely loved it, until I received it.  Not that the item was misrepresented by the seller, but it just wasn't what I had expected, it didn't fit just right or flatter my figure.  This isn't always the case as I have purchased items online that I love and wear often.  But a lot of time I will see a cute little dress that catches my eye, or the perfect accessory or handbag, and I will hesitate to buy them for fear of being dissatisfied with my purchase.  I'm sure I have missed out on a lot of great things this way.


Here are a few things that I currently have my eye on.  Do you guys have a wish list too?

Join Me

I just celebrated my 48th birthday last month.  Wow!  When did that happen?!  Between raising 6 children and working full-time, I lost track of my life.  There was always some school function, sporting event, church activity, play group, or project to put together.  Not to mention, laundry to be done, dinners to be made, trips to the doctor, trips to the veterinarian, coupons to be clipped, groceries, groceries, groceries.  Time was never my own, to do with as I wanted.  These days, my kids are all grown and having kids of their own, so I have started focusing more on what I want.    I am spending more time learning new things, developing new hobbies and honing old ones, traveling to new places, and delving into vintage style.  I thought it would be fun to share my experiences, good or bad, success or failure, with you.