Merry Christmas

Pie - R - Shared

There's just something about Fall that instills in me the overwhelming desire to bake something!

We went apple picking last weekend at a local organic apple farm that offered the widest variety of apples I've ever seen at any one orchard.  The apples were spotty and we had to pass many of them by due to numerous worm holes, but the ones we brought home were juicy and just perfect for pie-making. Ah, the sweet, irresistible smell of baking apples!  We waited with anticipation for the pie to reach perfection in the oven, and when it was done baking I served it steaming hot with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.  Delicious! 

* Floral pottery plate, in the 'Pansy Blue' pattern, handmade by Greig Pottery Ltd., Gagetown, New Brunswick.  For more information visit www.greigpottery.com  

Just Monkeying Around

I was having fun today playing with www.picmonkey.com  If you haven't tried it before it's a great simple program for creating collages, banners, headers, adding text to photos, etc.  It's user-friendly and very useful for Blogger, Etsy, and Facebook.  The basic version is free and there are more options available if you upgrade, but I'm not sure of the cost.   

Goodwill Hunting

These are some of my most recent scores from the local Goodwill store.  They may show up in my Etsy store or on EBAY, or they may hang around for a while.  Sometimes they have a mind of their own and choose to become presents for friends and family members. Shopping at Goodwill and other vintage sellers is a great way to recycle and keep vintage items from ending up in landfill.  Plus, I like knowing that I have saved a little piece of history.    

A Light in the Forest

My husband and I have been working hard to make our backyard into a restful retreat and felt a Japanese lantern would complete this corner.  However, when researching the prices of traditional lanterns I learned they can cost thousands of dollars.  My husband decided to create his own lantern and this is the final result.  I think he did a wonderful job!  Plus, utilizing stones we had in our yard is a green alternative to purchasing a carved lantern.  Placing a candle holder in the open section in the middle casts a relaxing glow and creates a soothing ambiance. 

Lady(ies) Who Lunch

Today's delicious lunch....Baja Shrimp Quesadillas and Gazpacho.  Very easy to make and perfect for a hot summer afternoon. 

A Rose by Yet Another Name

A photo of one of my Graham Thomas roses.  I bought the rose bush last year and it bloomed beautifully.  This year, all of the growth above the graft seems to have died.  However, there are several branches below the graft that are growing like crazy, and are covered in dark red blooms.  They're beautiful, but don't have the amazing scent of the Graham Thomas blooms. According to everything I've read about roses, the shoots below the graft should be cut off to encourage growth above the graft, but I can't bear to cut off the red roses, because they're so pretty.  



A Rose by Any Other Name

A beautiful rose in my garden.  Unfortunately I've forgotten what type of rose this is, but it's very hardy and returns every year despite it's location beside the road and the heavy amount of road salt dumped on it by the snowplow. 

Welcome!

 

Welcome...

to Mona Rose Vintage, a blog dedicated to all things vintage, cottage-style, farmhouse, shabby-chic, flea market, and handmade.

Free rose/envelope image courtesy of http://www.photojewelrymaking.com