Garden Pals

A couple of garden pals stopped by

this weekend to help me in the garden.

Anne Estelle paper doll, HOME COMPANION, April/May 1997

Gracie paper doll, HOME COMPANION, April/May 2000

Sweet little Ann Estelle and her friend, Gracie,

came over to dig in the dirt and water the plants.

Ann Estelle reminded me that I had this cute "Pals" frame that one of my students gave me long ago. It's dated 1995. I've had it stored in a box that holds the things that sat on my desk when I taught. Now this cute frame sits on my computer desk. Thanks for the reminder, Ann Estelle.

Look what's blooming in the garden!

Click on the following links to join others who have something to share.

M. E. Monday @ The Cherry Chick

Mosaic Monday @ Little Red House

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

Outdoor Wednesday @ A Southern Daydreamer

Flying the Green

A little note if you are here for

M. E. Monday, 3-21-2011.

Hope everyone celebrated the green on St. Patrick's Day. Ann Estelle has been enjoying the windy days and doing a little cooking. She has some shamrock cookies left and would love to share.

It's a windy March day.

Ann Estelle has been

at the park flying the green.

Though St. Patrick's Day

is right around the corner, March 15th is

Cuisine Kathleen's

St. Patrick's Day Blog Hop.

So come on in and join the party.

Ann Estelle is waiting for you.

She's set a special table 

just for you and her.

A vintage ironstone jardiniere is

filled with delicate white hydrangeas.

The table is scattered with lucky

gold coins and glittery shamrocks.

Each Place Setting 

Honors the Green.

Shamrock Green Linens

Vintage Flatware

Layers of 

Green and White

Wedgwood Nantucket Basket

Alternates with Cabbage Leaf Plates

8" Salads 

by Olfaire, Portugal

Chargers by 

Sur La Table, Portugal

Ceramic Cup Cakes Offer 

Good Luck and . . .

Happy St. Patrick's Day 

Wishes

Heather Goldminc's artistic talents

are produced by Blue Sky Clayworks.

Ann Estelle made these

shamrock cookies just for you!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Ann Estelle paper doll, HOME COMPANION,

FEBRUARY / MARCH 1997

ME image from

Mary Engelbreit 2011 Desk Calendar

Click the links below to join the fun.

Joining Cuisine Kathleen's

St. Patrick's Day Party

St. Patrick's Day Party @

Holiday Haven

Jan Mary's St. Patrick's Day Blogging Carnival

Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Through Life

Wow Us Wednesday @ Savvy Southern Style

Whassup Wednesday @ Elements Interiors

Tablescape Thursday @ BNOTP

Open House Party @ No Minimalist Here

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Home Sweet Home @ The Charm of Home

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Friday Favorites @ Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

M. E. Monday @ The Cherry Chick

Your Special Valentine

Ann Estelle Paper Doll ~ HOME COMPANION, April May 2001

Ann Estelle is still in her robe and slippers because she slept-in this morning. She has had a busy weekend with all the Chinese New Year festivities. Click here if you missed her Chinese New Year Party.

1997 by Charpénte

Valentine's Day 
is just a week away.

1988 - Midwest Importers of Cannon Falls, Hong Kong

Do you have something 
special in mind for your valentine?

1986 - Midwest Importers of Cannon Falls, Hong Kong

Perhaps you plan 
to bake a special pie.

Not Dated - Midwest Importers of Cannon Falls, Hong Kong

Or spend some time together, 
just the two of you.

1988 - Midwest Importers of Cannon Falls, Hong Kong

I'd go to the end of the Earth 
for my special valentine.

Sharing my small collection of Mary Engelbreit valentine tins at the following blogs. Click the links below to see what others have to share this week.

M. E. Monday @ The Cherry Chick

Holiday Haven's Ongoing Valentine Party

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

Three or More Tuesday @ The Gypsy Corner

REDnesday @ It's A Very Cherry World!

The Year of the Rabbit

Ann Estelle has been waiting for you

to come visit for Chinese New Year.

She has lots of favorite things to share today.

(Click here if you missed Ann Estelle's M. E. Monday post.)

The Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year began on February 3 this year. This celebration is a time of family, friends, food, and fun. Red, an auspicious color, is the predominant color for the New Year celebration because it is a symbol of joy, virtue, truth, and sincerity.

It is customary for family and friends to visit each other during the celebration of the Chinese New Year. Meals are shared and gifts of fruit or sweets are given when friends and family visit each other's homes. Mandarin oranges are one of the most popular fruits during this celebration.

They represent luck and good fortune, which is why Ann Estelle has brought gifts of mandarin oranges especially for your visit.

Red envelopes called "Ang Pow" are given to children during the New Year celebrations.

It is customary for the red envelopes to contain money in even amounts with the number eight considered to be very lucky. You can imagine Ann Estelle's excitement when eight gold covered chocolate coins tumbled out of her red envelope. She squealed and clapped with glee.

2011 is 

"The Year of the Rabbit"

Those born in the "Year of the Rabbit"

are said to be ambitious, articulate, and talented.

Ann Estelle has prepared a little tasting plate.

~Chinese Orange Chicken and Fried Rice~

It's both sweet and spicy.

A nice compliment to a bowl of steaming Egg Drop Soup. Traditionally this soup is served at the end of the fifteen day celebration. The ribbons of eggs in this tasty soup will warm you on this cold winter day.

Go ahead, pick up your 

chop sticks and have a bite.

And don't forget to take along 

an orange and a fortune cookie.

Looks like Ann Estelle has 

already opened her fortune cookie.

Gung Hay Fat Choy

Congratulations and be prosperous

in the Year of the Rabbit!

Click here for a look back at

last year's celebration for "The Year of the Tiger"

You can read about the Chinese New Year celebration in detail here at Wikipedia.

Joining

How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday

Beverly always said PINK is derived from RED

Hope she doesn't mind if join in today.

Bargain Hunting & Chatting w/ Laurie for

A Few of My Favorite Things

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays

Ann Estelle Ready to Ring in The Year of the Rabbit

With cold winter days and evenings, I find myself wanting to curl up under a quilt with a cup of hot tea and a good magazine. Sadly one of my favorite magazines, Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion, is no longer in publication. Fortunately I'm a pack rat who saves back issues of favorite magazines.

As a child of the 50s, I spent many an hour with paper dolls. My sister and I would spread a quilt out on the lawn, open up our paper doll collections, and disappear into a fantasy world all our own. Betsy McCall, the paper doll of magazine fame, was one of our favorites. When Mary Engelbreit introduced her own Ann Estelle paper doll series, it brought back a rush of sweet memories. I've left the paper doll pages in tack within my archives of HOME COMPANION, but recently while reading HOME COMPANION, February & March 2003, I decided it was time to take out the scissors and let Ann Estelle come to life. In honor of M. E. Monday and the upcoming Chinese New Year which begins February 3, here's Ann Estelle in her best Chinese dress ready to twirl her pretty little parasol.

In addition to the paper doll feature in each issue of HOME COMPANION, Mary offered readers the opportunity to purchase limited edition lithographs of exclusive illustrations that she created for each month's issue of HOME COMPANION. Each issue also included the illustration in a smaller version printed on card stock with a perforated edge so one could carefully remove it and pop it into a frame all its own.

Entitled "Chinese New Year", the February March 2003 lithograph featured two sisters ready to ring in the Year of the Sheep. Notice Ann Estelle, dressed in her best Chinese dress, has her own parasol ready to join in the celebration. I think this charming illustration looks beautiful in its mother of pearl frame and is the perfect touch for my desk as I bring in 2011 Year of the Rabbit. "Thank you, M. E."

Mandarin oranges represent luck and good fortune. They are often given to friends and family who visit during the New Year celebration. Ann Estelle has a mandarin orange just for you and "thanks you from the bottom of her heart" for your visit today.

Click here to see a list of others who are sharing for M. E. Monday this week.

Celebrating the Year of the Rabbit later in the week.

Click here for a look back at HFTS's celebration of The Year of the Tiger, 2010.

Also joining

Mosaic Monday @ Little Red House

Masterpiece Monday @ Boogieboard Cottage

REDnesday @ It's a Very Cherry World!