I'm not sure what it is about demo day that is so exciting? Is it the act of demolishing things or the fact that you are left with a beautiful clean slate at the end? Nonetheless demo day at the Victorian on Van Buren was exciting, history was to be found in every corner we demoed! Personally I think demo day is super fun, I love cleaning, so naturally taking something ugly and making it beautiful again is fun in my eyes. There were several areas that needed demo work. I'm going to break down each area and explain a little more about why the demo was needed and necessary. Main Floor Kitchen The main floor kitchen was in pretty rough shape. Layers of various paint colors, VERY ...
Victorian on Van Buren Demo Day
Retro Recipes – Strawberry Loaf
Who doesn't love a little J-E-L-L-O? Its colorful, its sweet, and most importantly its got a great jiggle! I was so surprised to learn that Jello has been around since 1897! This sweet little cookbook titled" Today....what salad...what dessert? JELLO brings DOZENS of answers....." is from 1928. Let me tell you, there are some interesting recipes in this little paper cookbook! The best one (and most disgusting) was Tuna Fish Salad - just the thought of Jello and Tuna - yuck! Thankfully this recipe has all the right ingredients - sugar, cream, jello, marshmallows and strawberries! It was super easy and I would highly recommend for any beginner jello chef. It was also super ...
Retro Recipes – Creole Shrimp in Rice Ring
I looooove cookbooks, like I have way too many for any one person. I have recently started collecting vintage cookbooks too and I thought it would be fun to start sharing a few retro recipes from the tattered pages of these cookbooks. It is so very interesting to see all the unique combinations that were the norm back in the day. Even the type of ingredients used is very fascinating. I will be sharing lots of interesting tidbits with each recipe too. This first recipe hails from the Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook. It is located on page 174 in the casserole and one dish meals tab. The interesting note that I took from this specific chapter is that back in the day everything ...
Sledding Party
Do you remember those days, those days when you listened to the radio to determine if school was canceled because of the copious amount of snow on the ground? Once you determined is was a SNOW DAY, you made plans to build the best snow fort, make snow angels, have a snowball fight and most importantly SLED! I do remember these days and they were glorious! No matter how cold it was, we would head out to sled down our driveway or clean a path among the many pine trees so we could get the most speed. Once you were done sledding, nothing was better than a warm meal and toasty drink of hot cocoa. This sledding party is just that - a hearty lunch after a full day of sledding. I decided to ...
The Vintage Hunt – January Edition
I met a follower this Fall that literally said to me, "I'm hunting here at this flea market asking myself what would Courtney buy!" So I thought it would be fun to put together a list each month of items that you may want to add to your hunt list as you venture out to garage sales, flea markets, estate sales, and antique shops. This month's list centers around winter decor - winter greens, bright whites, and cozy textures. After the holidays it can be a little disheartening to put away all the Christmas charm, so these pieces are critical to keeping our spirits bright in January. 1. Sleds I'm starting with my favorite of the entire list! I love to pick up vintage sleds ...
How to Fix Broken Glassware
I can honestly say this is the first piece of jadeite that I have ever broken. I bought this Fireking grill plate at an antique stop in Illinois. When I purchased the plate it had a hairline crack that I didn't think anything of, until I got home. Upon opening the box, my heart sank when I saw the shattered piece of jadeite. Typically chips and cracks do not scare me, especially with more rare pieces of jadeite. This plate typically retails for $35-40, so it truly is worth fixing and Krazy Glue was the perfect solution! Krazy Glue has been a household staple for over 45 years, so I truly trust this brand to help me fix my broken valuables. I chose the Krazy Glue All Purpose with the ...
Homemade Apple Juice
It's September, the start to one of my favorite seasons of all - FALL! We are back in the swing of school and I've got to say we are BUSY! But never too busy to make a batch of homemade apple juice! I am so lucky that I have access to the BEST apple tree in all of North Dakota. It sits in the yard of my brother-in-law's old house. Thank goodness our good friends moved into the house, because I don't know what I would do without these apples every fall! How can you not love Fall, the cool, crisp fall temps, apples, pumpkin spice, fall colors, leaves, and Halloween just around the corner, I couldn’t ask for anything more amazing. This recipe for apple juice embodies all of those ...
My Favorite Jadeite Reproductions
Don't get me wrong I looooove me some vintage and I especially love me some vintage jadeite. But I often get a little anxiety when I use my vintage jadeite in the kitchen. Behold the magic of reproduction jadeite! There are so many great options for reproduction jadeite that have that same minty green color and are super affordable. Notables like Martha Stewart, Ree Drummond from the Pioneer Woman and the fixer upper guru herself, Joanna Gaines have all dabbled in the jadeite reproduction field. Pioneer Woman Let's start with The Pioneer Woman timeless jade collection. This collection is available at Walmart and I have to say it is truly beautiful. All of the patterns have a ...
15 Back to School Freezer Meals
It's that time of year again, where we all head back to school and things get a little more crazy. This year seems to be a little extra crazy as schools around the country make decisions about how students will attend school this year. No matter what school will look like for your kiddos this year, I can guarantee these 15 freezer meals are going to come in handy! I chose recipes that are our family favorites, recipes that are tried and true! I also tried to use a variety of different types of recipes - soups, casseroles, sandwiches, etc. The entire list for all 15 freezer meals is all compiled in this handy master list. Just print and go! Click the link ...
How to Hang A Plate Wall
I have dreamt about a jadeite plate wall for many years, but all I could see was shattered green glass on the floor. I have been inspired by so many gorgeous plate walls in the past few years, that I figured I needed to face my fears and get some pretty green plates up on the wall! Finding the right hanger was key to facing my fears. When I first started researching hangers, I learned that people often use three different methods: 1) Command Strips - I just don't trust them enough! Even though they really do hang vintage signs nicely. These are my favorite. These would be good if you can not nail holes in your wall, but I would only recommend with lighter, smaller style plates. 2) ...
