French Tarragon Chicken

And here is yet another yummy recipe from Susan to try with fresh tarragon.....

http://myfrenchcountryhome.blogspot.com/2013/02/french-tarragon-chicken-family-favourite.html

Yummy French Snacks

I have found another fantastic French blog - an English lady living in France with her French husband and children. This is another recipe (the almond cakes) that I want to try.

http://myfrenchcountryhome.blogspot.com/2010/05/french-like-to-snack-too.html

Rubber Stamps Galore

Last Saturday, I went to an estate auction in the government seat of a rural county. It was great :) I only wished I could have been in two places at once as they were selling furniture at the same time as "box lots." As there was nothing in the furniture area I just had to have, I followed the box lot auctioneer. This was after I had purchased mostly Austrian, German, American (Pope Gosser and Homer Laughlin) and a few pieces of 1940s Japanese.

Amongst those boxes of "junk" was a sweet container filled with looked over (by me and just about everyone else) rubber stamps, embossing powder, ink pads, card stock.....you get the picture. Although I've never been a big fan of scrapbooking, I do like to use the stamps for gift tags. I only had one medium-sized stamp before the auction, because they were always too expensive for this bargain hunter. But not this day....

Now, I just have to read up on how to emboss and use some of my goodies.

Tomorrow, I am attending another estate auction and hopefully I will be able to have a marathon photo shoot / listing session for Etsy on Sunday. (I've only managed to put about a fourth of last weekend's booty on.)

Part of my problem is that I have discovered several French blogs written by English and American folks living in rural France. I can't peel myself away from them once I get started. But I am even more inspired for the master bath makeover this summer....you guessed it French / American farmhouse decor (whatever that means). Well, time to order pizza for Amelie's #1 associate and employee of the month.....

Basque Farmhouse in France

I have discovered an inspiring blog called Basque Farmhouse in France this weekend. As I was telling hubs about it, of course he knew exactly where it was and all about it (Basque, that is). He pulled up a map of France and showed me its location and to the spots he had been "whilst" camping with his boys. I have decided that is the spot in France I am visiting when we get ourselves over the pond summer, 2014.

Here is a lovely recipe for French onion soup posted on the blog. I haven't tried it yet, but I plan on it this week.
http://www.basquefarmhouseinfrance.com/2011_12_01_archive.html
And, I went to a country auction yesterday and bought some Pope Gosser china, Homer Laughlin serving bowls, along with lots of other china and goodies. The buy of the day was not china, though. It was a box of 20+ rubber stamps, inks, cleaner, and a little bit of card stock!! I am not into scrapbooking, but I love using the stamps for gift tags, cards, and anything else that has paper on it. Pics coming soon......

Etsy 100th Sale!

Amelie's Farmhouse made its 100th sale on Etsy today! What started out as an idea my daughter planted in my brain became a reality 10/12/12. I absolutely love auctioning and sharing my goodies on Etsy. I plan on expanding into soapmaking this spring along with the other hundreds of soapmakers out there. I want to sell locally as well as pair up my soap with vintage dishes and glassware that can be repurposed as soap dishes. No pics today, but I have a little story. Today, I went to an auction about 20 miles from here. Now normally I find a few good things from this auctioneer's sales, but today I tore up my bidder's number and walked out. One of the "employees" that holds up merchandise while the auctioneer calls continues to bid against the audience buyers. This is the fourth sale that it has upset me little and not because he outbids me......I would have no problem with an actual customer/buyer outbidding me because that's the whole idea behind an auction. But I really have a problem with the employees being buyers while they are holding up the merchandise. There, I've vented, but I will not return to this company's sales unless they are through the week in the summer. I believe this "gentleman" has a real job through the week.

Raymond Loewy Industrial Design

Auctions season is upon us! During the winter holidays, there usually is not too much going on in the way of estate sales. There are some and there are other types of auctions, but they usually do not have too much "Amelie" types of goodies. Well, yesterday I went to a local sale and picked up a few items including some newer (late 20th century) Johnson Brothers ironstone dinnerware and something that Amelie normally would not like.....mid-century industrial designed dinnerware. I had the opportunity to purchase 53 pieces of never-used, Raymond Loewy designed, 1950s dinnerware! It is classic rhythm shaped with untouched platinum banding....I think it is beautiful. It would go well in today's dining room as well as a minimalist's. I love it and thought about keeping it for myself......but as a friend of mine always says, "You can't keep it all!" Sneak peak photos.....

More Snow and Cold

What a crazy week of weather we've had here in Ohio. On Tuesday and Wednesday it was in the 60s, on Thursday the temperature began to drop drastically, by Friday morning we had a two-hour snow/cold delay at school because it was 5 degrees with a wind chill of -11! Overnight, the snow began again and continues as I type.....up to 4" some say. It is supposed to snow again tomorrow and Monday. BUT, it is Ohio, and that may change even before I am finished with this post. Below is a pic of Farmhand Bob as he wheels more wood up to the house for the dining room fire. This is our second winter with the magnificent Vermont Castings insert in place....money well spent. We have several fireplaces in the house, gas and decorative (for now anyway), but nothing beats the warmth (heats half the house)or ambiance of wood. We had to put the insert in the dining room fireplace as it had the largest opening to accommodate a large insert. It is also one of the two chimneys that had been outfitted with a new stainless steel liner by the previous owner. If you are a clean freak, wood is not for you....some ash tends to escape when you open the doors to add more wood. I stopped trying to "dust" every night and just give the room a good clean every weekend.

Below is a pic of me over Christmas break during a "big chill" with all my gear in the dining room Estying on the dining room table with dogs in tow in front of the fire.