HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!!

Happy Birthday to my sweet husband.  We love you honey!

THE BIRTHDAY CAKE!

My husband's birthday is tomorrow but we are celebrating with our family today.  I baked this very gorgeous cake I saw online and it turned out pretty good.  Layers of chocolate cake with chocolate whip cream in the middle.  Chocolate ganache piled with cherries.   There will be a good chunk gone by tomorrow so I wanted to show you all today.
Have a lovely day!

THE KEY TO MY HEART!!!

Heart shapes are not just for Valentine's Day.  The heart is an very popular form used in many different mediums.  Throughout history the heart has been utiilized for a variety of objects.

Door locks are very popular.  These beauties just melt my heart.  I would love to have one on my front door.

And speaking of front doors look at these!  Absolutely gorgeous and not just a heart shape in the door an actual heart shaped window.  Love it!

Heart shaped wooden molds are popular.  Whether for butter or bisuits they are just so sweet.  The top one sold on Ebay for over $300!  Wow I will take better care of the couple I have.

Choppers , cutting boards and hanging boxes and shelves are also quite popular.  Love those choppers and I think I have found my nexe project making myself that wood box.

Lovely tin locks and even heart shaped nails, I have to find those!  Cute little wooden heart shaped boxes probably made by a gentleman for his true love.

The last one and the most unique heart shape thing I have ever seen is this weight scale I saw on PRETTY THINGS BLOG.  What a way to cushion the blow every time you hop on the scale.

 I will be posting some of my antique heart shaped things this week I did not realize how many I had.  I would love to hear about yours too.  If you want to send me a picture or a couple with a link I will do a post on everyones HEART SHAPED THINGS.  Just send me you stuff by next Thursday and spread the word.

VALENTINE DAY BREAKFAST....YUMMMM!!!!!

I adore Valentine's Day Breakfast.  It is the one time you can go a little over the top with heart shapes, red and pink colour and you can eat something sweet and yummy instead of the regular good for you breakfast.  Induldge yourself!

Like these delicious PINK CINAMMON ROLLS from LOVE FROM THE OVEN BLOG.
They look so yummy and as my grandbaby would say "PINK"!

These RASPBERRY YOGOURT TARTS from THE COOKIE ROOKIE are sweet, simple and good for you.

 CHERRY ENVELOPES from LIZ BUSHONG BLOG are so simple.  Made with frozen puff pastry dough, I am making these for Valentine Brunch this year.

You can be a little good and a little bad for breakfast with these cute heart shaped toasts and follow it with these sinfully delicious Mascapone Stuffed Strawberries,  they look so amazing and really easy.

Whether you go all out with something homemade of just decorate some store bought donuts make your Valentine Day Breakfast a little special, even it is just for you, you deserve it!

WHEN IS A TOOLBOX NOT A TOOLBOX????

For a while now my husband and I have picked up old toolboxes when we have seen unusual ones.  I have one like the top tool chest box and I have several like the green one.  We have a couple similar to the last one as well.  The thing we love about antique toolboxes is that we have never found two the same.  Most are handmade by whoever needed them for their specific needs.

I have seen them repurposed as shelves, flower holders and many other things.  My husband collects them for his workshop to go with his antique tools, I on the other hand, repurpose them for the house, so when we find one we both like it can be a battle of wills.

Last year we found this beauty in an Antique Fair.  It has been in my husband's shop since then.  Last week I was out in the shop and it caught my eye.  Today I lovingly brought him tea and cookies in the shop and stole it right out from under him.  He struggled at first but he gave in and he really loves it on our utility storage cupboard.  It is perfect for my oils and vinegars and it holds the antique measuring cups I received from my Grandmother perfectly.

I filled them with coffee cups and the other hold the tea utensils.  My little vintage Big Ben clock looks smashing with the dark green wood.

Hanging above is a chimney pipe rack which I hung my new pots and pans from.  Above is a Couscousier.  I watched Nigella Lawson's cooking program and she has one just like it which her sister brought her from Turkey.  She uses it for everything.  I never dreamed I would find one but amazingly I picked this one up in Value Village for $9.00 I could not believe it.  I just adore it shape and it fit perfect on top of the rack.

This is my newest aquisition.  I found her in HomeSense.  She is Kuan Yin the goddess of Mercy and Friend to Mankind.  She is very large, over 19" high and she looks gorgeous in my Hippie Bohemian bathroom.  I fell in love with the colour of her lips and the overall tone and shape.

Well, that is the news for today.  I am going down now to feed the pups it has been warm outside today and they have been running around enjoying the sun so they are extra hungry.

blessings & bliss

VINTAGE VALENTINE'S IN PICTURES

I came across these adorable vintage Valentine photos today.  I do not know if they were taken just for family Valentines or for sale purposes but they are adorable.

Love this one, I would like to wear this cute outfit for Valentine's Day, adore the hat!

How cut are these.  Sweethearts getting their photos done to express their love.

What better way to ask your honey to Be Your Valentine.

The little cupid photos were very popular.  I really like they way they coloured the black and white photos back then.

Oh how cute!  I just love those chubby little hands and that sweetie dressed all grown up with that huge bouquet of flowers.

Even celebrity kids got in the act.  Remember Spanky and Our Gang.  Before my time but I have seen the reruns.

I just adore this one I think it is my favourite.  Those balloons.  I am thinking of dressing my babies up as little cherubs....well, we'll see how that goes!