The official name of these squares is really Chocolate Chip Blonde Brownies but we never call them that, I made these on September 12, 1988, the day my son Darcy was born, from that day, they were called Darcy's Squares!
I've been making these squares since the 70's - I don't even know where the recipe ever came from but everyone always seems to like them! They're easy, they're quick to mix up, they don't use many ingredients and they're good! Of course, anything tastes better in Pyrex too!
Click on the recipe to make it big!
If you don't care for the nuts, you could just put twice as many chocolate chips on them, they would be just as good!!!
These little melmac plates come in handy for just a little bit!!
I'm linking this recipe with Junkin Joe - check out the posts, there's always such an interesting variety of thrifty finds, crafts and recipes!
It's time to get crafty and that's just what I did yesterday - for the better part of the afternoon. I thought about starting my wreath but I wanted to do something that was easy and this craft was, I did one and then just kept right on going, it was that much fun. Everything I used was from the dollar store or vintage things that I had thrifted. I shared one last night on Instagram, some people wanted to see the five others that I made, so here it goes - my shadowbox creations!
This is the first one I made, I filled it up! I used thrifted vintage wrapping paper for the background.
I used a page from a vintage Christmas carol book for the background on this one. The next one, my first green box, is back to the wrapping paper background.
When we came home through the US this fall, I bought a never used booklet of children's Christmas cards, just like the Valentines we used to have, the kind that you would cut out and make the envelope. This background is one of those cards.
I knew that book of cards would come in handy for something!
My only one with a white frame, done with the wrapping paper.
I really enjoyed making them, so much so that I went back to the dollar store this afternoon and bought two more three packs of frames!! I'm on a roll!! This would be a great Christmas craft for any age - I had a bag of little bits and pieces that I had thrifted last year, I hope I can find some more when I go out later in the week!!
I don't think I can pick a favorite, I like them all!!!
Every so often I go on a spree of checking out library books, I've been doing it lately, I don't like buying new books unless they're discounted and discounted deeply, they're just too expensive. I live in a small town so it's not a big library but I've had them order a few books in for me lately, which didn't take long at all. The last three books I've read have been very interesting reads, each book a bit different than the other, two were non-fiction, one was fiction.
I had already read two books by J. Courtney Sullivan - "The Engagements" and "Maine", the latest one was "Commencement", which was the first novel she wrote. It tells the tale of college friendships, first loves and the life of these three woman after college. Each of these books rated 3 stars or more on Good Reads, I agree, I really enjoyed each of these books. Sadly, there are no more, isn't that often the way, you find a new author, read all the books and then wait patiently for another one to come out!
I had heard of "Orange is the New Black" it's a memoir by Piper Kerman, who spent 13 months in an American prison for carrying drug money. I won't go into any more particulars of the book, just in case you're interested in reading it. I know it's a Best Seller and the book has been made into a series on Netflix, but, of these three books, this one was my least favorite. It was interesting enough but I found myself just wanting to get it finished.
My favorite book of the three was "Coming Clean" by Kimberly Rae Miller, also a memoir. Ms. Miller tells of her life as the only child of hoarder parents and it is fascinating. I know we just laugh and think those people must be able to help themselves, but, really it is a serious disorder and so very sad! It was a heartbreaking story, she loved her parents but she lived in shame of what her home had become, she tried so many times to help them as they moved to different homes. Give this one a try!
I keep track of all the books I read on Pinterest, so far this year I've read twenty six books, last year I read twenty seven, so I think I can surpass that! I really enjoy reading but I find I don't do as much as I used to because I am reading blogs, following Instagram, pinning on Pinterest - I want to read more!!!
We went to an auction again on Sunday, on the way there we spotted some blow molds... that's such a great Santa face, we have one but it's not nearly that big.
We didn't go with anything in mind, it was just an afternoon out, it's fun! There were more people there than the other week when we bought the bed - that was such a great deal. It started out and things were going too high for us, we didn't figure that any purchases would be made. We really wanted the sleigh bells but they went way too high, we didn't even bid!
A few weeks back we went to another auction and I bought the Fire King Tulip bowl - I said then that I wasn't collecting Fire King and I'm not but I bought another Fire King bowl on Sunday - I won the auction at $12 - when I was checking out the cashier told me that was a real deal, that one had sold another time for $35 - I think it was - I wouldn't have gone much higher though. I think it was a deal too!
It's the largest bowl in the set, just like the Tulip one - it's in perfect shape - I like a little apples and cherries! I'll say it again, I'm not collecting Fire King - this is going above the cupboards after Christmas - it's just a decorative piece for me.
For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you've already seen these pictures. If you have Instagram, we should follow each other here - it's a lot of fun!!
Dawn's link up party - We Call It Olde is underway again , check out what's "olde" this week.
I'm sharing one of my thrifted magazines with you again today - it's the December 1966 issue of Woman's Day - the magazine was 92 pages back then and did you know that was the thirtieth year that it was published? It's the Christmas issue so you know what that means - toys, food and fashions.
Have you used used oilcloth to decorate?? It's a long time since I've even heard that word!
How about some grapes hanging on the banister?
The decorations were shiny and bright, weren't they?
This is called the "trim-the tree supper" - assorted cold cuts, coleslaw and radishes, hearty seafood chowder, rye and pumpernickel bread, sweet and savory butter, coconut-grenandine trife. It's quite a spread!!
Molasses Sugar Cookies - I must say, they sound good!!
Nothing but Black Diamond for the fruitcakes!
This is a very elaborate plate - using Miracle Whip and cling peaches - served hot!!
You could send away for the stocking patterns.
This was actually the only toy advertisement in the magazine - look at the music box iron on the lower part of the page - that's a neat old toy!!
General Electric had some nifty items, like the new Automatic Clothes Brush, His and Her pocket Cigarette Lighters, GE Shoe Polisher...
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is spread across four pages - it says to watch for the Grinch on CBS's 30 minute animated musical color special on Sunday, December 18 - and it's still playing, after all these years.
Use Breck for beautiful hair!
Holiday Hairstyles - use hairpieces, if you have to!
All you had to do was buy the Simplicity pattern and sew this golden beauty up, cost to make a size 12 dress, about $36.00
Oh, the velveteen dress - Mom would make me a new one every year for the Christmas concert...
And, here I am in all my velveteen glory - there are a few pictures of me with these dresses on, a different color every year - I don't know how old I am in this picture - but I do know one thing, I have quite the hair do going on there!
Can't you tell by the look of this book that I've been making this recipe for a while? I've had this book since 1992 and to be truthful, this recipe and the bottom one on the same page might be the only things I've ever tried in it. I'm sure there are lots more great recipes, it's a cookbook from Prince Edward Island, good food and good cooks abound there!!
This page looks even worse than the cover! It's a great recipe for anytime but might be nice for Christmas since it does have some cherries in it. Just click on the recipe and you'll be able to see what you need!
It's so good! Just in case you're interested, here's the link to the banana bread recipe that I posted back in April. Enjoy!! These are two great loaves!!
It was a Christmas thrifting day yesterday, it really was! That's all I bought, I went to five thrift stores, I spent around $10 for everything! Not bad - not bad at all!!!
So, the vintage Christmas is coming out, slowly but it's here!! Sometimes you have to look really hard though - I didn't buy one thing at the Salvation Army, so hope things pick up there! I noticed two changes in the displays this year, at one shop, they used to just throw all the ornaments on tables, this year they are bagging them up, which is much better, because there were a lot of broken ornaments on that table! Another shop has plastic containers with drawers, which is a really good idea!
My main focus is picking up things to make my wreath, I don't know if I'm going to do one with all Shiny Brites, part Shiny Brites and part little decorations or all other decorations, I haven't taken my inventory yet, so I guess it will all depend on what I have packed away.
Nice Shiny Brites - some of these were made in the United States, some in Japan, the pink ones in the middle were all made in Poland - I have quite a few of the Polish ones from the day that I hit the Shiny Brite jackpot last year - here is that post, if you're interested!
This is soft plastic, I think it would look so cute on a wreath!
These little boots are in perfect shape, Made in Japan.
I already have a vintage angel tree topper for my little tree so I'm going to pick this apart and use the angel - for the wreath!
This was such a hard picture to take - it's not easy to arrange a group like this! I've never found anything like those little Santa's before, they're sweet! See those two guys in the front - I already have a set of three of those, that belonged to my grandmother - mine is the only set I've ever seen of those!
I didn't buy this for the lights, I bought it for the box!
This little snowman tray was made in Japan and has the stamp Cameron, with a large "C" on the back.
Alvin, Theodore and Simon look so familiar to me - I'm sure the kids had them, maybe they're packed away in the bottom of a container.... Doesn't just seeing them make you think of the Chipmunk Christmas song??
The sound of Burl Ives singing Christmas songs never gets old...
Some Christmas books for my collection..
Last year I didn't find any pop up books, this is my second one this year. Of course, I'd buy it - it's the Peanuts gang!
It's a Hallmark book - pop up Peanuts!!
I bought this I Spy book for SMASHing - the pictures in it are going to be great for that. I think the kids had this one too and it is still packed away. I remember having some Dover booklets in the 80's, they're still out but this is an older stencil book, good for SMASHing, I thought.
I picked this up for the same purpose but then I started looking at it when I got home, I'm not cutting it up anymore! This book came from Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Michigan, we went there four years ago, it is such a magical place, we want to go back. The book is signed by the author too, so I'm keeping it!
I think I found some neat things, what do you think? It was a great day and I did some Christmas shopping too - I have to take my wreath inventory real soon and get organized! Melissa over at Andromeda Vintage made a beautiful one, check it out - if only mine can look half as nice!!!
