A Tree (no longer) Grows in Toronto

When I was a preteen my two all-time favourite books were 'A Tree Grows In Brooklyn' and 'The Secret Garden'. Thinking of them now, makes me think about reading them again, to see what my younger self was so very interested in. Have you read those books?

That is an aside to the real purpose for this post though! I wanted to show you a series of photographs I took throughout last week, but before doing so, I want to revisit a photograph that I posted exactly two weeks ago.

It's a good thing that I took that picture when I did, because this is what happened to this tree last week. It took these guys an entire week, from morning to evening, to cut it down and the last of the wood was just hauled away yesterday.

Vintage Valentine Cats

ass="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5396" title="cat-valentine-with-flowers" src="http://www.loulou.to/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/cat-valentine-with-flowers.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="426">Since Saturday is Caturday around here and it's just before Valentine's Day, I thought you might like to take a look at my vintage valentines with cats on them.I think the first one above is my favourite. I just love that turquoise eyeshadow!The next 4 photos are from a book of valentines dated 1947.

Food Friday : Chocolate Crepe Dessert

I remember my high school French teacher telling me this little trick about how to spell dessert, as in a sweet treat, versus desert, as in a dry hot expanse. Dessert has an extra 's' in it, therefore you want more of it!

So, would you like to know how to make this dessert? It's a Chocolate Crepe, with ice-cream, fruit and chocolate sauce. It's not too sweet and easy to make.

This is a good one to make during the winter months when frozen fruit is more available than fresh. Just thaw out your favourite fruit and put some of it, along with some vanilla ice-cream (sorry, mine melted quickly for these pictures), into a warm crepe, and fold the ends up and over. Then drizzle on the warm chocolate sauce. Of course, fresh fruit when it is in season is delicious in this too.

I made it up today in advance of a friend coming over for dinner tomorrow, so my work in the dessert department is done. All I'll have to do tomorrow is assemble.

Themed Thursday : Heart Shaped Trinkets

It's near Valentine's, so for this Themed Thursday I'll show you some little heart things. The first ones are old treaures that I recently came upon in a forgotten jewellery box.

Sending Love Across the Miles : Valentines 2012

I mentioned when I packaged up some gifts to mail at Christmas, that all of the young children in our lives live very far away. This is sad because we so rarely get to see them, but fun because we can send them things in the mail.

Last week we received a package from Nick's sister which included sweet thank you cards from two little nieces for the Christmas gifts we sent, a handmade work of art, a note and a gift card to go to the movies! Oh yes, and very importantly some school pictures and in the case of our nephew who is only 1, a picture of him being held up for the camera by my beautiful sister in law. All this elicited a warm and fuzzy feeling, for sure.

So this week I got busy on my reply, in the form of some easy little letters enclosed with Valentines. Those who have been visiting me for a while will know that I collect vintage paper goods, including some wonderful Valentines. But I didn't want to mail any of these because they are too young yet to appreciate the vintage aspect. However, I got the pleasure of sending the little girls vintage 'look' valentines this year, as I found (on ebay) two copies of a reproduction valentine book that was manufactured in 2006 but include prints of valentines that were first produced in the 50s and 60s. In fact, I have some of the exact same envelopes, that you cut out and glue together, in their true vintage form in my collection.