Take Care of Your Car

This may seem too simple, but I'm a simple gal.  I've always thought it was important to take care of the things I've been given.  

It is a privilege to own a car, no matter how humble.  My husband and I are firm believers in the "good used car."  We bought a new car once, and after that we found out there are always nice used ones out there that are great values.  No matter the age of the car, it feels really good to ride in one that is clean, neat, and well maintained.  

We change the oil regularly according to the manufacturer's recommendations.  And we take care of the basics when our reputable mechanic lets us know of the need.

Now that the weather is finally warm, it's a great excuse to get outside on a nice morning and REALLY clean the car! Pennsylvania winters are very hard on vehicles, so I make it a priority to "de-winter" my car.  Here's my checklist:

1 - Throw out all garbage from seats and floors.
2 - Remove floor carpets and scrub them with soap and water.

3 - Wash the outside and undercarriage really well.  Wash the tires and use some Bug and Tar Remover where it's needed.
4 - Vacuum the inside seats and floors.  If you need to, sprinkle some carpet deodorizer or spray Febreze before you vacuum.  Winter sludge can leave a car smelling funky!
5 - Wipe down all dashboard surfaces, steering wheel, handles, knobs and cup holders.
6 - Polish all mirrors and windows, inside and out.  I just started using a product called "Invisible Glass" and I really like it - no streaks or smudges on the glass!
7 - Touch up any chipped paint spots with touch up paint.
8 - If you have any energy left - wax!  I use NuFinish because it's fast and easy.

Just look at that shine!!

You could pay someone $60 - $100 to do all this for you, or you could take a couple of hours on a beautiful day and do it yourself!!

You'll be so glad you did it...so GO clean your car!!!

Antique Shopping in Adamstown, PA

One of our favorite places to shop for antiques is Adamstown, PA, just off the Denver exit of the Turnpike.  If you ever go don't miss Stoudt's Black Angus Market that opens every Sunday morning at 7:30 am.  When you enter the building at the upper level of Stoudt's, the first thing to welcome you is the "Wonderful Good Market" with lots of homemade breads and baked goods, sandwiches to go and homemade cheeses. 

We take a scone and some hot coffee with us as we stroll down the aisles of wonderful items for sale.  You can find everything from period furniture to stained glass windows, pottery, artwork, baskets, vintage clothes and jewelry.  It's really something to experience.

The outside vendors are under a roof.  They are usually willing to haggle with buyers a little over the prices of their wares.  They get started before daybreak, if you're brave enough for that sort of thing. 

Here are two of my favorite dealers' booths.  We have found in the antique business that most dealers are really nice people.  It's good to have so many relationships that build up over time where we know that items we purchase are good quality.

There are lots of shops along the "strip" where you can spend the day browsing.  We never miss going to Adams Antiques and Adamstown Antique Mall.  Black Angus and Renningers' Antique  Market have outdoor vendors that start selling at the crack of dawn.  Here's a view of the fields behind Renningers.  On a good Sunday morning there are more than a hundred dealers set up and selling!

I end this little tour with a shout-out to our favorite restaurant while away from home!

They cook incredible German food and craft their own beers and cheeses.  If you like dark beer, you must try a Fat Dog sometime.  Their burgers, wraps, and desserts are wonderful!!

Some Favorite Shade-Loving Plants

I have several shady spots in my yard, and even more areas that get morning sun and afternoon shade.  That's a perfect place for these shade-loving beauties - Astilbes!!  They thrive next to my garage where they are shaded from the hot afternoon sun.  They grow in a clump and bloom throughout July with lovely spikes of color.

Here are some more in a fuchsia color!

This is called Corydalis.  It loves the shade so I have several of them underneath trees.  It has feathery foliage and delicate yellow flowers that just keep coming all spring and summer.  It seeds itself and spreads so I get more and more plants.

Another favorite is Astrantia.  I love the leaves and the pretty pink flower bursts that bloom throughout the summer.  It loves to be under trees and will slowly reproduce by sending out shoots.

Some other plants in these "morning sun, afternoon shade" spots are hydrangeas, Japanese painted ferns, and campanula.

I hope this gives you some ideas for shady areas!

Roasted Garlic

If you're a garlic lover, like our Versace family and all Italians, you probably know how versatile and wonderful garlic is in so many dishes.  Raw garlic is very potent, but when you roast it the flavors mellow and take on a sweetness that is remarkable.  Here's an easy way to roast a whole head of garlic.  You can store it in the fridge for days once it's roasted, or freeze it to have on hand.

Cut the top off of a head of garlic, leaving the tips of the cloves exposed.  Wrap it in some foil.

Then pour some good extra virgin olive oil over the tops of all the cloves.  At least 2-3 teaspoons is good.

Close the foil over the top and roast it in a 350 degree oven for 30 - 45 minutes until it's nicely browned.

Use this garlic in lots of ways:

-mash in with potatoes
-chop it and add to your cooked vegetables
-rub it on corn on the cob or on toast
-add slices to a meat and cheese sandwich
-add slices onto pizza dough with more olive oil and then cheese and toppings for a super white pizza

How do you use garlic??

Some Favorite Sun Perennials

I've made so many gardening mistakes.  I seem to learn most landscaping lessons the hard way.  I've planted invasive groundcovers only to spend countless hours digging out roots that tried to eat up my beds.  I've nurtured and watered weeds thinking they were plants.  I've put sun-loving plants in the shade, shade-loving plants in the sun...

But over the years, slowly but surely, I got things just where I want them.  I have some very happy plants now that are getting the right sunlight and are thriving.

I want to encourage any of you who feel like you can't get it right.  Believe me, if I can do it, so can you!  Just take it one spot at a time.  Read the labels on all plants and pay attention to their growth habits, sun requirements, and blooming patterns.

Here are a few of my favorite sun-lovers:

You just can't go wrong with roses.  I love all kinds, bushes, climbers, mini roses and blankets!  My mother's name was Rose, so maybe that's why!  Roses love, love, love the sun and just keep blooming through the heat of July and August.  This climber is near my front porch.  I tie the limbs to the trellis once a year.  I chop off any branches I don't like whenever I feel like it.  There's no "bad" time to trim a rose.  I dead-head this one with my bare hands occasionally.  My "Knock-Out" roses don't need dead-heading and they just keep blooming!

This is a thread-leaf Coreopsis.  It was a small quart-sized plant years ago.  Now it has covered a 6 foot circle area.  I just love the sea of yellow.  It is a low maintenance plant that makes me happy when I see it!

This purple beauty is Veronica.  I love this plant because it stays in a clump, no spreading!  It blooms all summer on long spikes.  In the background you can see another red rose and a purple bee balm.  

This is a pink variety of Veronica.  The bees love these flowers.  The bright blue plant behind it is a dwarf delphinium.

Another favorite is Salvia.  It stays in clump, but it does get BIG!  It will start new plants around itself that you can move to other places.  I've gotten many starters from this beautiful Salvia.  Bees and butterflies are attracted to it.

If you're looking for some great sun-loving plants, try some of these.  You won't be disappointed!

Make Your Own Notecards

Call me old fashioned, I take that as a compliment.  I think it's nice if a man holds a door for a lady, and I sing along with the national anthem when I hear it!  Even amidst this explosion of digital technology I LOVE to get a letter or card in the mail.  There's nothing like a hand-written paper note with an envelope and a stamp.  An email will never ever come close to snail mail for me!

I write my friends cards and notes often.  I realized a while ago that I had a treasure trove of lovely photos in my magazines that could be used for making notecards.  I subscribe to "Country Living" and "Better Homes and Gardens" because I really enjoy the decorating and cooking ideas.  I also read "Garden Gate" from cover to cover which was a gift from my dear friend.  All these magazines have beautiful photos that can be repurposed.  Old National Geographics are loaded with stunning photographs.

I purchase invitation-sized envelopes from Joanne Fabrics or Staples and cut my own paper to size.  If you're a scrapbooker you probably have card stock that can be cut down to notecard size, slightly smaller than the envelopes. 

Then I use some of the magazine photos and cut them slightly smaller than the front of the notecard.  I'm pretty good at eye-balling the paper, holding it straight and cutting free-hand.  It's not perfect, but then again, neither am I!  I use rubber cement to glue the pictures to the card stock but a glue stick should work just as well.

My husband uses some of these to write notes because he really likes the pictures of antique cupboards, landscapes and bookshelves.  In fact, he encouraged me to write this particular blog when he saw this "batch" of cards on our table!

Window Cleaning Tips

Well, it's the middle of summer and I finally decided to start cleaning some windows.  Since I have 36 windows I never do more than a few at a time - I just don't feel like it!  So I just cleaned the 3 big windows in my dining room.  It took me less than 20 minutes and that included wiping down the mini-blinds.  I have tilt-in replacement windows so I make sure I have everything I need before I start.

Here's what I do:

First I wipe down the outside panes with a wet rag to get the worst of the winter dirt.  I get most of the black grunge off the window that way.

Then I use this wonderful window cleaning cloth that my sister gave me years ago.

It lives up to its name - it is a Remarkable Cloth!!  It is a microfiber that resembles a chamois.  I simply dampen with water and wipe over the window, inside and out - THAT'S IT!!  No spray cleaners, no paper towels, no nothing.



Here's what it looks like out of the bag:







After multiple uses and washings: 







After I was done with it today:  



When I'm done wiping there are the tiniest water droplets on the window but I don't care because I know they will evaporate and leave my windows clean.

I'll throw my Remarkable Cloth in the washer with other rags and towels.  You can't use fabric softener on it or dry it in the dryer.

If you're looking for a nice easy way to clean windows I highly recommend this cloth.  You'll want more than one - so order several!  I paid $5 each for mine years ago.  I'm not sure about the current price but it can't be much more.