Monthly Archives: January 2012

Time to keep on voting for the Duane Purvis Burger.

We have a local sandwich in the news because of a contest and a special ingredient – peanut butter. My husband and I sampled the sandwich, as our way of joining in on the hype, and loved it. Follow the link to read a bit more. Please join the fun and vote for our local burger!

Thank you for spreading the news, Blog Lafayette.

A recent candle fire has made an impression on me, so I want to pass along a safety tip.

I saw a jar candle actually burst into flames while visiting in someone’s home over the weekend. The fire became large enough to do some minor damage to other items in the seconds that it took for me to cross the room. Luckily, no major damage was done and nobody was hurt.

The cause was a mystery until I picked up the blackened jar after it cooled. There were about two dozen matches in the bottom.  Mystery solved. The matches were used to light the candle each time it was used, then dropped inside. They accumulated in the bottom as the wax burned down. When the wax got low the flames ignited the matches…and an unbelievably large flame was created. The jar became hot enough to melt a hole through the place mat underneath and scorch papers that were not in direct contact.

Please, never drop your matches into jar candles. Those little bits of paper add up and become kindling – not something you want in your home decor. Stay safe!

Smashed Peas and Carrots: Crockpot Hot Chocolate-RECIPE.

This is at the top of my list of recipes to try this winter. If you like chocolate you will want to try it, too. I love the idea of having hot cocoa ready to drink when coming in from the cold! Thank you, Smashed Peas and Carrots

Another interesting puzzle for my drafting table – lets hope it is complete. This is the last  jigsaw puzzle from the stack of open ones.  So far we have had 2 complete and 1 incomplete.

Josephine Wall is one of my favorite artists, so it will be a disappointment if there are any missing pieces.  I have my doubts because the pieces were not in a bag. Wish me luck!

This event is on my calendar every year. For some reason it always turns bitter cold for this sale, which makes me so very glad everything is under one roof. This month was unseasonably warm here in Indiana – until yesterday. Now it will be below freezing for the weekend.

You can find just about anything at this sale. One year I came across a candy vendor that had bags of the (at the time) rare Inside Out Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  I bought all that he had and shipped most of the them to my daughter-in-law. Another year I found a favorite perfume that isn’t made anymore. And of course, I always find what I hope are good resale items.

This year I am on the lookout for fun children’s books, postcards, and some lids for some of my vintage Pyrex.

Maybe I will see you at the State Fairgrounds Saturday 9-6. This is a Garage Sale that you don’t want to miss! They are open Sunday 10-4, too.

You can find more info here at the Family Events site. I hope you can make it. Just be prepared to shop all day. I hear there will be over 600 vendors this year. Park close and wear your walking shoes!

You may remember that I bought three vintage Springbok puzzles in neat old round boxes. The first two, Alice in Wonderland and a horse image, were complete and are already in their new homes, but the third puzzle is missing some edge pieces. I do not sell incomplete jigsaw puzzles, so this one will not be listed. I will be using the pieces for some type of interesting cards or tags as I am fascinated by the faces in the artwork. The box is a conversation piece for a shelf in my office. I just had to share!

I haven’t been very consistent with my penny starting bid auctions for quite some time, but will do much better in 2012.  New year, fresh starts!

This Crystals & Candlelight jigsaw puzzle has glitter highlights and many fun details. Josephine Wall is a wonderful fantasy and fairy artist. 

I like to offer opened boxes at bargain prices. I don’t offer puzzles unless I have reason to think they are complete. (I almost always sell factory sealed boxes.) These puzzle pieces are still in the sealed bag, so it is complete. Maybe one of you will enjoy putting this puzzle together this winter!

Call of the Sea

The new year is a great time to take stock and start fresh. Kind of like beginning a diet on Monday, there seems to be a mental advantage to putting a new plan into action at a solid jumping off point.

I will be doing the obvious, such as cleaning off my desk, reorganizing my home office, and calling my mother more often – but I want this year to be more. My resolutions involve both family and business, but none of my major goals are crystal clear yet.  I read a cartoon in today’s paper that pretty much sums up my mental state as I mull over the possibilities for this brand new 365 days that has already begun: “…this year I’m really gonna accomplish something. What should it be?”