The Official Alford Cookie

Welcome to Scrappy Jessi's Cookie Swap! Please make sure you go over to check it out. There are 40 participants so there's gonna be some yummy cookies to make.

I learned how to make this recipe from my mother in law. It is an absolute favorite in the family. Also, I've learned you don't mess with the recipe, EVER. One time I made it with No Trans Fat Crisco, they tasted the same, but they didn't rise. They looked like crisps. Another time I was being lazy & used the food processor to mix the batter. My hubby hated it. The chips no longer existed. Those Alford men take these cookies seriously & you better have them for all major holidays including birthdays.

Here's the recipe:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup
packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups
(12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ®
TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts, we don't do the nuts in our family, but it's part of the original recipe.

Directions:PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Or until husband's nose says they are done.

Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Or hand directly to waiting husband, sons, brothers in law, & father in law. (I love you guys!)

Show & Tell Sunday ~ Vintage Bits

My internet is spotty so I'm making this post short & sweet before I lose it. There are quite a few pictures on my flickr account. I went to an estate sale on Saturday & could have bought half of the place. I found some jewelry bits & this tiny Channel perfume bottle. I found the jewelry a little too late. I probably would have come home with more. I got to the room & another lady had 2 baggies of jewels. I told my hubby I should have body checked her. Hee hee!

My big score were these metal "thingys" in a baggie. I had no idea what they were. I just knew I liked them. I didn't even open the bag to figure it out. They were scrolly rusty things & I was sold. These are going to be great jewelry components. I've already bent one of the pieces, inked it up & put a clear finishing coat on it. Hopefully, I'll finish it later on today & photograph it.

Make sure to go visit the Show & Tell group on flickr. It's total eye candy. Special thanks to our hostesses with the mostestes, Cerri & Cindy.

It's A Dress Form Party

Thank you to our wonderful hosts Tiffany, Nadia, & Kitty for having a wonderful party. Make sure you go visit Tiffany's blog to look at all the participants.
Here are a few pics of my forms. I apologize for the pictures. Most everything is packed from our move & I didn't have any new pics.

I bought the full size form (Her name is Princessa) when I was a design student at FSU. She's followed me around ever since. I haven't really done anything to decorate her but she is used. I've draped a few patterns off her for myself & more recently Princessa comes to all my jewelry shows as a display.

My computer is in the shop & hubby is asking me to get off the desk so he can do his homework, the nerve of some people! (Hee hee :) He's actually standing over my shoulder & reminding me he now subscribes to my RSS feed.
I guess I'm gonna have to finish blogging in the AM at some time. I also unpacked another wire frame I have. My mom made it for me some time ago & she's such a beauty.

EDITED: Here's the other form. Sorry the picture is so crappy. I'm short on photography space around here. As a matter of fact, I had to creatively stage this shot so boxes weren't showing.I found another picture! I entered a jewelry design contest a few years ago when I started getting "serious" about a business. I was messing around & tossed all my jewelry on the form neck. This is a serious mess!

Show & Tell Sunday ~ Favorite Flea Market Find

Here she is, my flea market love. It almost sounds like I'm cheating. I bought this at Lucketts May Fair. I posted about the fair just this week, but I haven't posted this pin to the group yet. I love her because it's a crown, she's vintage & oh so girlie.

I'm posting a picture of my finds from yesterday. I bought a couple of baggies from someone at Spence’s Auction & Flea Market selling some vintage & fixer upper jewelry. I'm really going to miss this place when we leave. I have my faves that I go straight to & hand over some money! I'm gonna miss the food, too. Yummy!

The last picture is a ring I made from some flea market junking. It was a shoe clip in it's former life now she's a beautiful cocktail ring.

If you want to see more flea market finds, go over to the flickr group & take a look. Thank you to Heidi for hosting this week. Go over to her blog to look at other blog participants.

Show & Tell Sunday ~ Creative Storage

I'm soooo excited about this week. I LOVE to look at how everyone else is creative in their work environments. Cerri is hosting this week. So go over to take a peek at everyone who is participating. Cerri is doing her post in two instalments so we can go back tomorrow for more!!

This is my storage shelf of swaps & RAK's I've received. I keep them near for inspiration.

I've really just started to get a "studio" together & can you believe I'll be moving in July! Tis the life of a military spouse! Anyways, I don't have tons of creative storage yet, but I'm working on it. I seem to be trying to use what I have, or use stuff that I can alter or use in a way that is unexpected. The dollar bin at Target is a fave of mine!

These are some vintage glasses I own. The wide mouthed one on the left has my acrylic rhinestones. The blue Ball jar is empty at the moment. My dogs just like to hang out & guard the old stuff.

The plate rack & plates are Target finds. The plate rack is metal & allows me to store round metal containers with magnets on them (on the right side). The plates house all sorts of jewelry junk: vintage components, beads, findings. The crown on top of the plate rack was the one I received for the Crown & Tiara Swap hosted by Holly Doodle. When I'm home I keep all my jewelry tools in the tall pink paisley mug. I have a tool roll when I travel.

The green wire basket was one I received eons ago with some Bath & Body works spa products. I kept the basket for years knowing it would come in handy one day. In front of it are vintage bottles. I plan to decorate them as it was shown in Somerset Life. I'd like to hang some jewelry from the necks of the bottles.

One day, when we finally settle down (Is that even possible?) I'd like to keep my jewelry displayed around my studio. I have this cute hand my mom gave me to display all the fun rings that are currently my new obsession. I got this iron piece from Target for only $10. I plan on using it for shows & loading it up with bracelets. Right now it's in my studio on my floor with a few pieces. It just doesn't have a home.

The last thing I'd love to have is my form filled to the hilt with jewelry.

EDITED: Just had a conversation with hubby. We're leaving in 48 days. I have 3 weeks to pack. EEKKK! I'm a little stressed out. I don't let the packers have my beads & I don't think I want them with my vintage stuff too. I don't technically pack, but it's the sorting.

Show & Tell Sunday ~ Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all moms out there. I'm so blessed as I write this post. I am a mom to my 2 irreplaceable boys. I'm continually inspired by my wonderful mom. I have a supportive mother-in-law that I've been lucky to grow close to. My sister is celebrating her first mother's day with her little one. I'm surrounded by love. To these special moms, I LOVE you & you are my heroes.

As a matter of fact, my business name, Kate Vee & Me has significant meaning. Kate is my Lola (my mom's mom), Vee is my mom & well, I'm me. (I'm always asked about how I got that name. There's the story). That's where I get the creative juju from. I know my Lola is still watching down on me. I was lucky enough to have parents that encouraged my creativity. My mom just comes out of left field with these ideas that I am constantly blown away by.
These are the cards I made for the special moms in my life. I've decided I'm going to stop buying cards. After all, I've got all this stuff I keep buying (I am a paper freak!)

This necklace was one I made for my mom 3 years ago. It's one of the few pieces I photographed (very badly) before I gave it away. This was before I learned how to stage semi-good photos & learned that photo editing existed!

Thank you again to Analise & Cerri for being our hostesses for Show & Tell Sunday. Analise will blog about the participants & have links to all those who are participating so go visit or take a look at the flickr group. Again, Happy Mothers Day to all of you out there! You deserve it :)

Show & Tell Sunday

Thanks again to Cerri & Analise for hosting this week. Make sure to take a look at the flickr group too for all the participants.

I'm showing pictures of Lucketts, VA. It's the sweetest place to visit. My in-laws live in the "sitcks" but it's just a short ferry boat ride over to Lucketts.

If you are in the area the Old Lucketts Store is having their annual Spring Antique Market. I originally posted about my shopping day here & here. I'm adding a few pictures here that weren't on the original post, but I have put all of them on my flickr account.My new favorite local place is Spence's Bazzar here in Dover, DE. I featured it last Show & Tell Sunday & went again yesterday. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the outdoor market. I have a few pics of the antiques indoors & some of the food. I bought some more bling from the sweetest lady yesterday. I told her I take vintage pieces & rework them into new bracelets & necklaces. She gave me a price break just because I love all this vintage stuff. Here's something new I made with all the new old stuff I've acquired. I'm really excited about where my new creations are going. I've been so inspired lately. I'll post more tomorrow. I'm working on a deadline to get some jewelry into a contest.

Show & Tell Sunday

This is the first time I'm participating in Cerri & Analise's Show & Share Sundays. Go take a look at this awesome flickr group.

These are a few of my vintage bling friends. I bought these (the yellow background) yesterday at Spence's Bazaar here in Dover. I LOVE this place. It's an outdoor & indoor flea market. The best part of this place is the Amish food market. Everything is fresh, homemade & delicious. It was so hard to pick 1 thing for lunch. For desert, we had homemade ice cream. Yum!

I bought these beauties from a local vendor in the outdoor market. She even let me pick out a few extra freebies. I think it's because of my cute kids. I played with my new chandelier stamp & some glass glitter on the background paper.

The pic with the pink floral background has vintage buttons & clasps. Most of them were given to me by my mom. I've had them for quite a few years & have never used them in my jewelry because of my hoarding issues. I am finally getting over that!
The last few pics are from my first flea market excursion in Gaithersburg, MD. An entire bag of goodies for $25! I didn't post all my pictures here, so go take a look at the group or my flickr site.