Shop 24/7 - Gifts for Him or Her!

Some handpicked gifts for him or her! Shop 24/7 at Donna's Stuff & More on Addoway!
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Homemade Apple Pie - There's Nothing Better!

Over the years I've made a lot of apple pies, but my favorite is from my daughter. She got it from an Amish community cookbook. My family likes a tart pie, so we use Granny Smith for this one.

Apple Crumb Pie

6 tart apples                                  3/4 cup of flour
1 cup of sugar                               1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter                               Pastry for one 9 inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Pare apples and cut into eigths.
Mix 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over apples. Mix.
Put apple mixture into unbaked pie shell.

Combine remaining sugar and flour. Add butter and rub together until crumbs are formed. Sprinkle crumbs over apples.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes and then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 35 minutes longer.

Reheat just before serving if desired. Delicious served with a sharp cheese (I often do this for breakfast!) or with ice cream.

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I Love Fall Weather!

What a welcome relief from summer - clear blue skies, no humidity! And really cool nights - going down to the 50's here in Virginia. Coffee on the deck in the morning!

The squirrels are busy gathering nuts for the winter. Canadian Geese fly in their V formations to their winter havens. The leaves haven't turned yet, but will soon!

Lawn chores - fall fertilizing, overseeding. Making sure everything is ready for whatever winter may bring - checking gutters, enough wood for the fireplace? Do any of the shovels need replacing?

We still go to the beach in the Fall. No crowds and the ocean is still warm. Fall is like the calm before all the craziness of the holidays!

Enjoy this time of year - take a walk, play with your pets. Do something for you!

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The Colors - Things I Love About Fall

I love the colors of Fall. The bright oranges, golds, muted reds, browns, olives - all abound in Nature this time of year. This is my season - not only was I born in the Fall, my personal color pallette is an Autumn.

Soon the leaves will be turning. I think they will be early this year because we have been so dry. But here in Virginia the leaves aren't as brilliant as in New England. I grew up in Northern NY - about an hour south of Montreal. Autumn was wonderful there! Indian Summer was common - and a good thing too because the winters were brutal back then.

Don't forget your wardrobe. It will soon be time to add layers: jackets & sweaters. Wear your favorite Fall colors! 

Look for dried leaves, or silk ones, to change your decor to an Autumn theme. Small things like the votive set pictured above can make a beautiful fall statement on your table, especially surrounded by autumn leaves. You may want to display some plates in Fall colors on your counter or mantel if you have a fireplace.

Pumpkins and gourds can be found at your local farmer's markets and are great items to add to your Autumn theme now through Halloween and Thanksgiving.
Have fun and enjoy the colors of Autumn!


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Dawn Isn't Just For Dishes!

Last Thanksgiving we had our children, their spouses and children for the holiday - 9 extra people! The first evening everyone was here, the toilet off the rec room clogged. David plunged and plunged, but it wouldn't unclog.

Now it wasn't a total disaster - I grew up with one toilet in the house - that would have been a real problem, but we had three other toilets here. But not wanting to wait until the holiday was over to call a plumber, I went online to see if there was a solution.

I came across this thread that discussed using Dawn dishwashing liquid. It sounded really bizarre. As I kept reading the thread, more and more people raved about how it worked for them. So I took the information to my husband and he said give it a try. We were both kind of doubtful, but what the heck! At least the bowl would be really clean!

It worked! I couldn't believe it!

Here's what I did -

Be sure most of the water is out of the bowl. If you have plunged to no avail, it should be pretty empty.
Pour in 1/2 to 1 cup of Dawn.
Let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes.
Pour 1/2 gallon of really hot tap water into the bowl. You should see results immediately!
(the original directions said boiling water, but some people in the thread were concerned about cracking the porcelain).

You may have to repeat this - I didn't!

A few weeks ago, a friend on Facebook, posted the cartoon above and asked for help in unclogging her kitchen sink. I told her about the Dawn solution and she tried it (using boiling water) and it worked.
So save your money and try this before calling that plumber!

Do you have any unusual uses for Dawn? Please share them in the comments below.

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McCoy's Grand Theater

A few weeks ago we drove to the small town of Moorefield, WV, to attend "Fiddler on the Roof" at McCoy's Grand Theatre in Moorefield, WV. What a joy to watch! "Fiddler" has always been one of my favorite musicals, evoking both joy and tears. And this performance was no difference.

I am writing this to urge you to visit Moorefield next weekend and spend an enjoyable evening or afternoon with this talented group of people. "Fiddler on the Roof" was directed by Keith Miller, Choreographed by Kirsten Barr, and the Music Director was Heather Thorne. It is a very powerful story of Tevye and his attempts to maintain his family and Jewish traditions, in spite of his oldest daughters' strong wills and the edict of the tsar to leave their village. I love how Tevye is constantly talking to God! The castmembers, lead by Heath Hershberger as Tevye,were a delight! Heath's voice and acting talent set the tone for the show! There are so many talented people in this show - I could go on and on. The scenes of Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava as they go against their father's wishes brought tears to my eyes.

McCoys is an easy 2 hour drive from the DC Metro area. There are three more performances of this timeless play: July 27th and 28th at 7pm and July 29th at 2pm. You will not be disappointed. If you plan on going to one of the evening shows and would like to stay overnight, we always stay at the Southbranch Inn in Moorefield.

By the way, you can find McCoy's on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/368602345067/.
And their website can be found at http://mccoysgrand.com/

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Trends in T Shirts

T-shirts were originally worn as underwear but they now have evolved into a fashionable wardrobe staple,especially after Don Johnson wore it with an Armani suit in "Miami Vice".

T-shirts have become a great medium of self-expression and advertising, combining words, art and even photographs. Variations on the original T-shirt have developed - tank tops, crew necks, muscle shirts, scoop neck, and V-neck. Hip hop fashion calls for 'tall-T"s which may extend down to the knees. In the 1990's women wore tight fitting cropped T-shirts. Layering - wearing a short sleeved T-shirt over a long-sleeved is also popular.

In the early 1950's several companies based in Miami started to decorate T-shirts with different resort names and characters. The first was Tropix Togs, the original license for Walt Disney characters. 
In the 1960's the ringer T-shirt with it's signature contrast neckline became a staple for teenagers and rock-n-rollers. Tie die and protest T's were popular.

The most common form of T-shirt printing is screen-printing. Relatively inexpensive, it uses plastisol inks that are applied through a mesh screen. Designs can also be applied with airbrush, applique, embroidery and embossing techniques. In the 1980's thermochromatic dyes were used to make shirts that changed colors when subjected to heat. Direct to Garment printing was introduced at the beginning of the 21st century allowing customers to design their own T-shirts online with no minimum orders.

The T-shirt pictured to the left is a great example of screenprinting that expresses a lifestyle - in this case skateboarding.

You will find an ever-changing assortment of T-shirts in my Addoway store. Most of the time I will only have one of a particular design and style, so order early to avoid disappointment.


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