Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from me and The Cup!  We are hoping that all your cups of coffee are hot, all your 2014 camping plans are falling into place, and you are surrounded by family and friends on Christmas Day!!

"Camping, Coffee, and Christmas Greetings . . . 

Life Is Good!"

Jessie's November Coffee

Yesterday, instead of fighting the Black Friday crowds, Becky and I toodled our way down to Fort Mill for a visit with The Hunts.  It was the perfect morning for a post-Thanksgiving road trip, to check up on Roy Boy, hug Miriam's neck, and deliver Jessie's November Coffee-Of-The-Month.

In addition to the seasonal Pumpkin Spice K-cups, I included a beautiful china coffee cup, with holly and berries, crafted into a night light.  I found it last weekend while junkin' with Becky and Trisha and knew it would be the perfect addition to Jessie's November java.

I've been looking at these coffee cup night lights at Gibson Mill for a long time and I'm kinda surprised I haven't bought MYSELF one!  

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and now we'll turn our holiday sights on Christmas.  Have a great weekend everyone and always remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

Happy, Happy Thanksgiving

With so very much to be thankful for, I send you greetings on this cold Thanksgiving morning with a hot cup of coffee in hand. May you have a wonderful day with family and friends.  

Camping and Coffee, 

Friends and Family...

Life Is Indeed Good!!

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Spiced Chai Honey

Greetings everyone on this day before Thanksgiving.  As I sit here at the computer looking out the window, I see millions of snowflakes blowing by. We've had a wide range of weather in the last few days…bitter cold, 4 inches of rain, sleet, and now snow.  All that and it's not officially winter yet!

The Coffee Cup is sitting toasty and warm in her Javaport and those warm camping days are just a memory . . . or a daydream.

One of the things on my to-do list of late, is to go through old magazines before sending them to the recycle bin.   That involves tearing out pages that have contain potential projects, cutting out recipes that I think I might like to try this winter, saving articles about places for future travel, and looking for stuff that is just plain interesting.

So I picked up the Oct-Nov issue of MaryJanesFarm and found a recipe for Spiced Chai Honey.  This infused honey sounds like the perfect treat for winter days to come.  Honey has anti-bacterial and soothing properties, plus the warming spices in this recipe are yummy when mixed with coffee, tea, drizzled over granola, yogurt, and oatmeal, or stirred into a mug of warm milk.

I have a friend whose husband is in the bee business and produces wonderful local honey, so I took a jar and mixed up the recipe.  It's good to know that something so simple and delicious is good for increasing circulation, aiding digestion, and boosting the immune system.  To help ease scratchy throats, add a spoonful or two to a cup of hot water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  Sorry, but the old Health teacher in me just couldn't resist a little lesson for you!

Here's the recipe for you on this cold, snowy NC morning . . .  

Spiced Chai Honey

16 oz. organic, raw, local honey

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1/4 teaspoon clove powder

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

1 teaspoon ginger powder

small pinch of ground black pepper

clean, dry 16-oz. glass jar

Simply mix all spices with the honey, place in a 16-oz. glass jar, and enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving my friends and always remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

Homemade Pumpkin Spice

This time of year, pumpkin spice, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin pie, pumpkin anything is all the rage.  I don't care for the taste of pumpkin at all, but I do like the spices associated with it. So today, when I saw a homemade recipe for pumpkin spice on Yahoo, my curiosity took over.

I looked at a short video about making the spice mix and decided I should share it with you since it's a coffee thing, you know.  You can make your own version of this seasonal spice for a fraction of the cost of what you pay at the grocery store.  I bet you have all the ingredients in your cupboards right this minute!  It will definitely go a long way to spicing up (pun intended) your coffee or latte.

Simply combine 2 & 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 & 1/4 teaspoon clove, 1 & 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1 & 2/3 tablespoons cinnamon. Store it in an airtight container and use a pinch at a time sprinkled on top or stirred in your favorite java beverage.

Pretty simple, huh?  Pretty yummy too I imagine!  Enjoy and always remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee With Pumpkin Spice . . . 

Life Is Good!"

Coffee-Of-The-Month

Every month last year from September to August, I crafted a set of pillowcases for my niece Jessie.   The idea was born from the single java-themed pillowcase that I bought at Tybee Island with the Sisters. 

Jess is a Junior at the University of South Carolina, shares an apartment with two friends from high school, is studying to be a teacher, and I love her to bits.  We laugh that she now has enough pillowcases to last a lifetime!

When September rolled around this year,  I told her that I didn't have a clue about how to top those pillowcases.  Then I had an epiphany!  COFFEE!!  She is a coffee hound like me and we often daydream about how cool it would be to run a coffee house together.  But that's another story.

Jessie has a Keurig in her kitchen, but being on a student budget, doesn't have a lot of extra cash for K-cups.  Enter the Coffee-of-the-Month!  In September, I sent her a box full of coffee happies with the K-cup flavor-of-the-month being Cinnamon Pastry.

Tomorrow I'm on my way to Columbia to spend the weekend with friends and I'm making a special stop in Fort Mill for a quick visit with Jess, who is home on fall break.  I'll be able to hand October coffee goodies to her in person and that will be a sweet treat for me.

For the rest of the month, she'll get to sip Kahlua Coffee before heading out to class in the morning.

I hope everyone has a good weekend and while I'm off in South Carolina, just remember . . . 

"Camping and the Coffee-of-the-Month . . . 

Life Is Good!"

Vintage Marshmallow Tin

Over the weekend, Sister Becky and I enjoyed a spectacular autumn Saturday in the mountains of western North Carolina. When we pulled onto I-40 heading west after breakfast, we had no idea where we were going.  Our plan was to let the day unfold into full-blown serendipity.

Because of our decision to take Exit 44 off the interstate and travel through the communities of Canton and Clyde, we came upon a nondescript antique mall.  We almost missed it because of a huge flea market across the street.  One u-turn later, we were in for a treat . . . one of the best antique malls we have ever been to!

We saw LOTS of interesting items that fell into the categories that we love . . . spun-cotton Christmas ornaments and Putz houses for Becky and camping and coffee items for me.  When the proprietor asked if we were looking for anything in particular, I said "Girl and Boy Scout items."  I'm currently searching for the round patches that were sewn onto sashes and uniforms.

What I spied among the items she located for me was totally different though . . . a small, round, vintage tin for marshmallows!!   

Not knowing anything about its age or history, I hesitated on the purchase.  Plus, the price was a bit steep too.  Becky kept saying things like "You need this!" and "If you don't get it you'll regret it!" and "You HAVE to buy this!"  Inwardly I was agreeing with everything she said.

The owner pulled out a calculator, did some number crunching, and said she could take 20% off the price.  DONE AND DONE!! 

This little 1920's-era tin will pair nicely with the bigger Campfire Marshmallow tin that I found during the 2012 Blue Ridge Rally and will look equally cool in The Coffee Cup or SplashT@B.

Thanks for coming around today, have a wonderful autumn week and always remember . . . 

"Camping, Coffee and Vintage Tins . . .

Life Is Good"

Did You Get A Card?

I have a Guest Book for The Coffee Cup (thanks again Rebecca) that sits on my outdoor table and right behind it is a very cool card holder with two Scotties, one black and one white.  I found this precious cast iron piece while junkin' with Becky and Judy in Maryville, TN during the Blue Ridge Rally.

There's a requirement for getting a tour of The Cup . . . you have to sign the Guest Book.  I'm also hoping that folks pick up a card at the same time.  I gave out quite a few this past week on Jekyll Island to folks that dropped by.

The next time I'm out in The Coffee Cup and I see you, I'll make a point of saying to you, "Did you get a card?"  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

The Perfect Cup For The Cup

Michele and Tammy, our Shrimp & Grits Festival hostesses, gave each of us a darling gift basket full of goodies when we arrived at the campground last week.  As I went through all the happies in it, I spied one that stood out above all others . . . a coffee cup!

On one side it said "Shrimp and Grits Festival 2013 and on the other side it had my name and Sister number!  I'm sure that everyone there was tickled to get the coffee cup, but none more than me!!

I'd like to send a big THANK YOU to Michele and Tammy for many things, but this one is right at the top of my list.

"Camping, Coffee, & A New Cup . . . 

Life Is Good!"

Shrimp & Grits Festival

The Coffee Cup's first official Sister on the Fly outing is now in the camping history books.  The Shrimp & Grits Festival, organized by Tammy Sanders and Michele Gable, was a tremendous success and so worth the long trip to the Georgia coast.

All week long, I chronicled the trip over on Postcards with photos and stories.  What I'd like to do here on The Coffee Cup's blog is to share little snippets of my week.  I'll start that by sharing my camping collage with you that contains some of my favorite photos.

I appreciate you dropping by from time to time to see if there's anything new here and I promise to share some photos and stories about The Cup's big trip to Jekyll Island.

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

Scotty Lights, Take Two

Last Spring, I made a set of coffee-themed lights for the Scotty using a pattern I snitched off Pinterest.  I chronicled the endeavor HERE back in June.  When I strung them up for the first time at Rob's R-pod and Friends Rally, I wasn't too happy with the result. There were a couple of issues . . . I hadn't noticed that the plugs on the lights weren't end-to-end, they didn't hang particularly well, and they didn't give off much light.  

Even though I loved the brown cord and country look of the bulbs themselves, they just didn't turn out as well as I had hoped.  Last week I opened up the train case I've had them stored in and found that they were all stuck together.  For some reason, the Mod Podge they were sealed with had broken down and caused a mess. When I tried to separate them, the fabric pulled apart and for all intents and purposes, they were ruined.

Last week Becky and I made an impromptu trip to Camping World and I spied a set of patio lights that I immediately liked. They were the right color, the perfect size, and even though the theme was a leaf and not a coffee cup, I bought them!

They actually fit in the train case better than the homemade ones. Because they plug in end-to-end, they will look very neat strung around The Cup's awning.  I'll be sure to snap a photo or two of them one night next week so you can get the full effect.

I hope you have a marvelous weekend. I'll see some of you in person next week on Jekyll Island and I hope the rest of you will pick up your POSTCARD each evening.  Until then, always remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

Salted Caramel Coffee Creamer

Even though I'm checking items off my Shrimp & Grits to-do list, I seem to adding just as many . . . LOL.  I've been hard at work all morning and just took a break for lunch and a quick peek at Pinterest.  That's where I saw this recipe for Salted Caramel Coffee Creamer.  I love the flavor of salted caramel and I love coffee . . . seems like a no-brainer for me!!

The ingredient list is short and sweet (pun intended).

  Sweetened Condensed Milk
 
  Caramel Ice Cream Topping

  Salt

  2% Milk

Here's what you do:

1)  add 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk to a  Mason jar
2)  add 4 tablespoons caramel sauce
3)  add 1 teaspoon salt
4)  stir or shake to mix well before adding milk
5)  add 1 1/2 cups milk and shake gently

I'm not sure I'll have time to make this before heading off to Jekyll Island, but rest assured, I'll save the recipe to make at a later date!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  It's back to the sewing machine for me.  Have a great day and always remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

Checking Things Off My List

Even though I have camped in The Coffee Cup, this will be our first official Sisters on the Fly outing together.  Because of that, I want to make sure that everything is perfect when I give the first tour and show her off all week.  That means the list-maker in me is hard at work!  Since I'll be gone all week, I gotta make sure that I take everything I need to.

One of the smaller items on my to-do list has been to find an indoor/outdoor thermometer like I have in SplashT@B.  I couldn't remember exactly where I bought that one, but knew it was the kind I wanted inside The Cup.  Several weeks ago while in Black Mountain, I found it at Town Hardware!

I like it because it's small and the portable outdoor unit sends an accurate wireless temperature reading to the one inside.  I took a piece of industrial Velcro and mounted it above the door beside the hook that holds my Life Is Good ball cap.

OK, two down and a bunch more to go!!  Thanks for dropping by this evening as I prepare for the Shrimp & Grits Festival and remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

Getting Ready For Her Debut

It's been a long time coming, but The Coffee Cup will be making her Sisters on the Fly debut one week from today down at Jekyll Island, GA.  We'll be down there the whole week, taking advantage of seeing an area of the country we've never visited before and attending the Shrimp & Grits Festival.

I cannot wait to show her off to all my Sister Friends who have said, "When will we get to see The Coffee Cup?"  I'll have my Guest Book ready (thanks Rebecca), along with my Folgers pen with ink that smells like coffee . . . LOL.

We'll be in site H8, so come by and get the official tour.  Just look for the blinking COFFEE light!!

One More Little Thermos

Last Thursday while wrapping up our Midland Trail journey, Becky and I stopped at Black Dog Salvage in Roanoke, VA.  Some of you might recognize the place because you watch the TV show "Salvage Dawgs" on the DIY network.  It's one of my favorite shows, so I was tickled that we were able to work it into our schedule before heading back home to North Carolina.

I saw so many items that have been featured on the TV episodes and it was a fun stop.  They also have an area called the Marketplace, where vendors have booths with more cool items for sale.  Way, way back in the far corner of the building I spied a small brown Thermos and knew immediately that it was one I did not have.  So I scooped it up to add to my collection.

Over on Postcards From The Road, I'll be featuring Black Dog Salvage (probably on Thursday) and will be showing you lots of photos from our visit there.  I'd love for you to scoot over there and check it out.

I hope your week is off to a grand start and remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

A Special Find On The Midland Trail

Sister Becky and I spent this past Monday through Wednesday traveling the Midland Trail in West Virginia.  In many of the small towns we visited, we ran across antique malls and neat shops full of collectibles (and some junk too . . . LOL).  We went into as many of them as time allowed, never looking for anything in particular.

One such place was in the small town of South Charleston, just west of the Capitol.  We had climbed to the top of Adena Indian Mound where we had a grand view down D Street, full of places to eat and shop.

After lunch at the Happy Days Cafe, we headed to the South Charleston Antique Mall.  We saw lots and lots of really neat stuff, but when I spied a raffiaware beverage pitcher, I knew it was the perfect match for the ice bucket I recently found!

If you find yourself traveling Highway 60 just west of Charleston, take time for a little detour to D Street and you might find some treasures too!

I hope you are having an excellent weekend.  Thanks for dropping by to check on The Coffee Cup and always remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

Java Joints

I love to visit coffee shops when I travel and I'm sure that comes as no surprise to you.  My niece Jessie and I have this fantasy of owning a coffee shop together, serving a cup of joe and spining groovy tunes and you probably didn't know that.  I also love to make scrapbooks, especially of my times on the road.

Combine those two loves and it made perfect sense to create a book for The Coffee Cup called Java Joints.  I printed out several photos of the coffee shops I've stopped at during my road trips, found an interesting-shaped ledger book at an office supply, and the fun began.  I still need to make some labels to go on each page to identify the names and locations . . . it's a work in progress.

Early Monday morning, Becky will be picking me up and we'll head north to West Virginia for the Midland Trail.  We've talked about doing this road trip for a year or so now and we're finally hitting the road in search of adventure.

In the little town of Ansted, WV there is a place offering gourmet coffee and pastries and guess what it's called?!  The Coffee Cup!! Stay tuned one evening next week for a full report . . . tee hee.

Have a great weekend everyone, enjoy your own special cup 'o joe, and always remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

A Petit Collection

I have started a small collection for The Coffee Cup . . . brown Thermoses.  They are small, easily displayed, and go well with my java-themed Scotty.  Luckily, the ones I've found so far have been pretty cheap.  I have no idea how many brown-colored ones are out there, but so far, I've found five.  

I think the reason they are kinda cheap is that at some point in time, they got separated from their lunch boxes and that dropped their value considerably.  Good news for me, I'd say!  The weekend is approaching and I hope there's a camping trip in your future.  At the very least, I hope there's a good cup of coffee in your plans. Have a great weekend and always remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

Ready For The Next Picnic

I have a love/hate relationship with Walmart.  I hate that 99% of the merchandise comes from China, but I love the fact that I can find bargains there.  See what I mean?  I'm sure some of you share my quandary.

Several weeks ago we were in Wally World for a few items when I spied a display of tablecloths on sale for $4.00.  Big, long, vinyl tablecloths with cloth backs just perfect for campground picnic tables!

In looking through the pile, guess what I found?  Yep, a coffee-themed one.  A good glamper has only one choice in a situation like that . . . throw it in the cart and head to the check-out!

I spread it out on the patio table last evening to get a good look at it and it's going to rock The Cup . . . 

Even though it looks like it's round, it's actually very long and will be a perfect fit!  So now I'm ready for the next Java Journey so I can actually use it!  Have a great week all you campers and glampers and always remember . . . 

"Camping, Coffee & Super Cool Tablecloths . . . 

Life Is Good!"

Rainy Day Sewing

Greetings everyone from a very rainy, stormy, sunny, humid, soggy, steamy day after the Fourth!  Those of you here in the Carolinas understand exactly what I'm talking about and how we have been experiencing all of these weather conditions hour after hour, day after day since last weekend.

I was just about to walk out the door to head to C.O.R.E. Fitness this morning when the bottom fell out yet again!  So I turned right around and headed into the studio to finish a pillow project I've been working on for The Cup.

If you enjoy making pillows but need some inspiration from time to time, let me recommend a good book to you . . . 

While thumbing through the book in the fabric store, I saw several pillows that would be fun to make using my Coffee Cup fabric scraps.  The directions were easy to follow and here's the one I chose to work on first . . . 

  

Using leftover fabric from my curtains and cozies, plus some other patterns I had on hand, here's what the pillow top looked like after stitching the pieces together according to directions . . . 

So while it was pouring down rain outside, I took a seat at the sewing machine and finished this project.  The finished size is 18 x 18 and I think it looks pretty sweet sitting among all the other pillows on the bed!

I already have another pillow picked out to start work on and since our weather pattern doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon, it looks like a second java-themed project will commence shortly.

Have a good weekend everyone, stay high and dry if you are here in the South and remember . . . 

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"

Happy Fourth of July

Happy 4th of July everyone!  Since The Coffee Cup doesn't look very patriotic, I've snitched a photo from Facebook to share with you that fits today's celebrations perfectly.

This is a painting by Paige Bridges entitled "Vintage Patriot" and features a Holiday Rambler.  Paige will be featuring this sweet old red, white, and blue gal in her new 2014 Vintage Travels Calendar!

Happy 4th of July to all my camper and glamper buddies and always remember . . .

"Camping and Coffee . . . Life Is Good!"