Recipes- Card Making Brunch

While the husbands are away.....the wives will.....






craft?




Seems to be our tradition that whenever our hubbies are out of town on business or otherwise, we use that time to get together to scrap or stamp.  If I'm given consecutive DAYS, I'll possibly get something done but these one day-ers mean I will leave not finishing anything LOL.  Thats OK with me because the conversation is a form of therapy....though a lot cheaper ;) My friend Heather hosted today and -besides the company- the best part is getting to eat!!!

Since I had to wait for the littlest to wake up, I was later to Heather's than I was hoping but when I got there, I was treated to coffee, muffins and candy (OH!  Orange Slices remind me of my late Grandpa Hawkins!).

For lunch, we started off with a yummy, yummy salad with our choice of dressings.  Then Heather dished up some deli potato soup and served with a side bread warmed in the oven.

Card Making Brunch Menu

Fall Pumpkin Muffins
Follow the directions for any muffin mix (pumpkin in this case) but when filling muffin cups, add a dollop of cream cheese then bake as directed.

Heather's Salad

Spinach

Lettuce

Tomatoes- sliced into thin wedges

Carrots- shredded

Craisins

Walnuts- chopped

Hard Boiled Eggs- sliced

Toss all together and serve with your choice of dressing

Bread and soup were a total delicious cheat...which is the best way!  Make sure to get items fresh from the grocery deli and warm using the stove instead of a microwave for a home-baked taste.

Thank you Heather!!!

Afternoon in Orting, WA

Though I've lived in this area for almost ten years, I've only been to Orting a couple of times to eat at Los Pino's (YUM).  So when my friend Dawn suggested we hop over there to check out a couple of shops, I was glad to get out of the house for a couple hours to see somewhere new.


The first store we hit was The Wild Rose Quilt Shop and Retreat Center.  Though neither one of us quilt (it's on my to-do....for someday!), we enjoyed looking at the material and ended up buying a couple of apron patterns.  What we were MOST interested in though, was their "Retreat Center".  For $155 per person for three days, you and up to nine friends can rent out the space upstairs.  We didn't check out upstairs since they were doing a "Murder Mystery Quilt Retreat" (how fun!) but they said it's really nice.  Though they prefer quilters (you'll get a discount at the store during your stay), other groups like scrap-bookers can stay there, too, but you could get bumped if you book too far in advance.  You can get more info from their site at www.thewildrosequiltshop.com

The Wild Rose Quilt Shop And Retreat Center 125 Van Scoyoc Avenue East Orting, WA 98360

Dawn had heard from an antique shop in Sumner that they had a sister store in Orting so we asked for directions and decided to go over to the Orting Bakery for coffee beforehand.  It's a cutely decorated place and the yummies behind the display case are ALL tempting!  Dawn chose a Red Velvet Cupcake (which she said was good with the frosting being the best) while I went for the simple- yet overly large- Cinnamon Twist and a cup of large ice coffee.  Please note- they only take debit if your total is over $5.  My doughnut was really soft and my coffee was perfect.  Everything looked SO good and the special of the day was a steal- a large "hamburger" cake for just $12.95.  It was a tad cool inside so we decided to eat out where they have a couple of umbrella covered tables.  It's very close to the street so I don't advise sitting out there if you have kids and the cars going past were LOUD but we didn't mind.  The Bakery doesn't have a web-site but you can find them on Facebook and/or sign up for their email.

Orting Bakery at 212 Washington Ave South Orting, WA 98360

Fresh bread made daily

Loved the walls!

What to get?!

The Burger Cake was their special for $12.95 and the cupcakes in front is what Dawn ordered.

They had two of these flanking the doors

I adore the wall decorations!  

After our treats, we walked the two blocks to the First Love Antiques & Collectibles at 120 Corrin Ave NW.  Note:  they are hidden away -sharing a parking lot with the Outdoors Store.   A cute little dog comes out to greet you, and the shop is way bigger inside than we thought.  It's full of furniture, knick-knacks and all that you'd expect in an antique shop.  Personally, I thought quite a few of the items were over-priced but in the back left side, there is a 50% area.  Here, I found a charming clothes-pin holder which is perfect for The Hungry Housewives, and a few antique model airplanes.  The shop owner said I could have them for $5.00 each but he agreed to $8.00 for two.  Think of antique shops as upscale garage sales and don't be afraid to ask for a deal!  I'm thrilled about the planes (am planning on putting them on the wall) but was worried my husband would be irritated since we just purged pretty much all our possessions!  

Clothes-Pin Holder for The Hungry Housewives to use as decorations for events

My living room is kind of a travel theme so I think I'll like this white plane with my "close-to-cocoa" colored walls

BUT....with so much of my house being brown neutrals, Dawn suggested this one would add a pop of color.  Bummer thing is that it's more fragile than the white one.  BTW- like the Star Wars guy flying it?  My son thought it added a nice touch ;)