Rabbit Hill Primitives and Vintage 
New beginnings
Hello!....it's been a long time. In 2 years, Lydia will be graduating from high school. I am now already thinking about how different life will be as an empty nester. I started this little business when she started kindergarten and here we are thinking about college. To fill the void, I want to expand my business a little. I am starting with baby steps. I will continue to make primitives but so enjoy using little found and salvaged materials to make one of a kind textile art pieces. I love the idea of giving the simplest of ordinary tired and faded things a new importance and meaning. I have changed my website name slightly to Rabbit Hill, Handmades by Jenn Tavoletti and you can find me here: jenntavolettidesign.com I am hoping soon, I will find a way to have the rabbithillprimitives.com redirected there also. New spring doll on work table for update coming soon. Everything will be on one page: blog post, items for sale, and ideas to create plus flowers and recipes too!....because I LOVE flowers and food! I truly hope you will come and visit me there. As always, wishing you a happy day full of blessings. Jenn xo jenntavolettidesign.com
It's been a whirlwind around here. I saw this posted today on Facebook "Summer vacation is our reward for surviving May." I think it was pertaining to teachers, but it's relatable for all of us. I can't wait to lose the schedules, slow down, and recharge. We've been busy....and it seems like so is everyone else! It has taken me two weeks to post these pictures from the spring show at 1824 Walker Farmhouse. This was their 20th year in business and I am not surprised. When you visit David and Audrey, you feel like you are on a mini-vacation. Their shop and property is a calming little place for your soul, and they are the most kind, caring, and generous people you will ever meet. It was a beautiful day filled with the most beautiful people. A little note....I was hurriedly taking these pictures while people were filling in the buildings behind me. Plus it was really sunny, so my pictures are not the best. Not that I am complaining about all that gorgeous sunshine!! Sweet Henry was there to greet everyone Open for business! Denise's lovely area in the shop was filled with treasures and all of the pretty signs that she creates. ....I did not see that geranium sign back there until just now or it would have been mine. JoLee always has such beautiful antiques...it's so hard to control myself here! I'm still thinking about this pansy painting. Melinda's displays are just lovely. She had these pretty terra cotta bird houses, and smaller ones that hang. I am in love with mine. Janice contributes to my spring fever every year with her gorgeous arrangements. I already had a pussy willow wreath from a few years ago so.... I bought this one for my front door. Bobbette visited us from Bell Buckle, TN. She gave a lovely presentation on a women's role on the farm in the 1800's. She made pretty aprons, and brought the best soap made from her own goats. She made me the sweetest little gift too. I will treasure it always. I also received this pretty flower pot (in my favorite shade of blue) from a kind, faraway friend who lives in Wisconsin. She's a beautiful lady inside and out. Her and her husband made a special side trip just for the show. Thank you Mary & Kent! In my hast to take pictures, I forgot to take a few of my own things. Here are a couple that I posted earlier on Facebook that came to the show. I am so happy with everything from that day. We had so much fun!! I sold tons but still have a few things left. I will be adding them to an update that I am working on now. Thanks to everyone who came, and to all of you too for reading this long post! xoxo Jenn
Happy St. Paddy's Day! Also an update on Rabbit Hill .....what??
I know, it's been forever! I have a few finished pieces that I will be adding to my website today but first have to make dinner. Once the bread is in the oven, I'll get started posting things. I have a few bunnies, and some pincushions too! If you miss it, there is more I have to finish, and will list them as they get done. If you're on my mailing list, I will be sending out a little reminder. Next week, I hope to be listing some pretty vintage things also. We have kind of a traditional St. Patrick Day meal. This year it will be corned beef sliders (the only day of the year I eat red meat, it's that good), colcannon potatoes, and soda bread. Also we will be making Sea Salted Sunshine's yummy green smoothies (link for her blog and recipe is on the right). Keeping with the tradition, we will definitely be watching "The Quiet Man". I can't wait. I have been pining pretty Irish houses lately, (inspiration for the little pincushion above). Thought you all might enjoy. Today is beautiful. xo Jenn "May your troubles be less, and your blessings be more, and nothing but happiness come through your door"
Little birds
In the garden... or on my sewing table.... I love little birds. Have a happy day! xo Jenn *all items are sold **source unknown for top 2 bird pictures found via pinterest
Moving into February with Blue Valentines
I've posted a few new items this month on Early Work Mercantile. You will find a bunny, a few conversation hearts, and a little mouser pincushion set. For more information, and to visit the many other lovely, talented artists, please click the link here, Thanks always friends! xo Jenn
Tour of My Little Garden Shed Studio
I have the best commute to work ever. A few years ago we found a great deal on a small potting shed. I wanted to move my organized mess of a studio out of our house so that we would have more space for company. This is what my little studio looked like this morning peaking out from behind a sparkleberry bush in the snow... and this is the day it arrived on a big flat bed truck. It was very exciting, but stressful, seeing that building backing down our tiny alleyway. I wasn't sure how it was going to fit. ( Here is a blog post that I wrote about the day it arrived.) It's not very big inside, only 10' by 12'. Most of my pictures are from earlier in the year. I have two little parakeets living inside and it is just too cold and dreary to take pictures today. The outside is still not finished. I want to add a little porch, a tin roof, and I definitely need a french door for more lighting. (That's my practical side talking, my decorating side is saying "YES! A pretty french door!!) The garden out front and around the side are always works in progress. I am trying to create a little cottage garden that looks like its been here for years. It's planted up with roses, flowers, berries, and herbs and has a potager garden on one side with veggies. It's contained by a small boxwood hedge. When we first moved in, my husband insulated, paneled, and painted the inside. I hurriedly moved everything I had from the house so that I could get to work. It was not very workable. I had too many things and it was scattered everywhere. Last year my friend Jessica helped me completely reorganize it. Now everything is well-ordered and has a place. We did this on a very low budget. On the right is my desk area. I bought the desk for $5.00 in the basement of an old house! Beside that is a skinny cabinet that holds many books, my patterns, and lots of old sewing pieces. You can see Iris's bed on top. My sister-in-law, Anne, painted that pretty flower picture on an old cabinet door. The happy little McCoy elephant planter was found in my grandfather's basement after he passed away. It's special to me. On the right is my sewing table. I bought this and the white wicker swivel chair at IKEA. I now have a matching swivel chair that sits at the end of the table for when Jessica comes over and helps me get ready for a show. It's all very businessy. She's a GREAT friend! Sunny and Daisy, doing their thing. On the back wall is a long work bench. Lots of baskets and jars for storing. and more treasures too! Underneath, behind the curtain is where most of my fabric is located, although I still have a "little" in the house. Stored in the colored cubes are antique fabrics, homespuns, wools, florals etc. and the flat drawers hold all antique reproduction fabrics by color. It's amazing how a little organization can work to make such a small space feel bigger. That's it! Thanks for visiting me. It was fun to finally share my garden studio with you. Have a lovely day my friends. xoxo Jenn Big Snowfall Big Spring Blooms
Easy Bread Making
There is no better smell in the world then homemade bread baking, and there is no better taste than warm, fresh-baked bread just out of the oven. At the beginning of every new year I do this mini-nesting thing where I have the urge to make the home cozier. Rearranging the rooms, painting things, knit more, and bake a lot. One year I made so much focaccia, that our basement freezer was filled with it! This year seems to be no different. Plus I want good memories of home for Lydia now that she is getting older and will probably be going to college in a few years. My husband has told me numerous times how he would love to come home from school on bread making day. His mom would have 20-30 loaves all over the kitchen covered in tea towels. He couldn't wait to dig in. I have had this yearning to find a recipe that is tasty AND easy. A recipe that will not discourage me AND be consistently good so that my family will have those yummy delightful bread days too! The recipe I used was found on pinterest here, and called "Best Bread Ever". That sounded good enough to me. This month I have made it twice so far.The recipe below is exactly how I did it and didn't change it much. She had a few other options. It makes two large loaves, which is perfect for us for the week. I made the bread pictured here last night, started it around 8:30 pm and had fresh bread cooling on racks before 11:00 pm. Prep time was about 15-20 minutes. Very simple to make, amazingly satisfying! I'm happy. Cinnamon Toast is my favorite ~ scrumptious! Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups HOT water 1/3 cup oil ~ I used sunflower oil 1/3 cup honey {I fill my cup with oil first, empty it, and then fill it with honey so it doesn’t stick to the cup} 1 TBSP salt 3/4 cup flour and about 7 cups all purpose flour (Total flour used will be 3/4 cup plus the 7 cups. I used 6 cups first and then added more as needed.) 1 1/2 TBSP yeast Spray oil 1. Whisk together in large bowl: Water, oil, honey, and salt. 2. Add: 3/4 cup flour and whisk for 30 seconds, then add the yeast and whisk for 30 seconds more. 3. Add 2-3 cups of flour and mix together with a spoon. If using a mixer (Kitchen Aid or Bosch), add the rest of the flour and mix for about 5 minutes with the dough hook. I used my Kitchen Aid for about three minutes and then kneaded by hand for 6 minutes If mixing by hand, add the rest of the flour and mix until shaggy looking and hard to work with a spoon. Knead in the bowl a few times and then turn the dough out onto a floured counter. It will be floury at first, if it isn't, add more flour and keep another cup in reserves off to the side if you need to add more while kneading. Knead for 7-8 minutes to get a nice elastic dough.The dough should be soft and a little tacky but not sticky. 4. Let rise in a clean, greased, covered bowl for about 30 minutes or until doubled. I covered my bowl with plastic wrap that I sprayed also, and then put a clean tea towel on top of that. Also, I like to turn my oven on low to get it warm, turn it off, and place my bowl in there until the dough rises. You want it to double in size but not more than that. 5. When the dough has doubled, remove from the oven and preheat it to 175 degrees. 6. Grease your bread pans with spray oil. Divide the dough. 7. Grease your counter top with more spray oil. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin into a long oblong shape. You should hear air popping out of the dough as you roll it. Roll all the way to the edges and roll it out until all air bubbles are gone. You want to try and get your dough to roll out to the width of your pan. You can narrow the dough by squishing the sides in as you roll it out if you need to. 8. Roll the dough up like you would a jelly roll or pumpkin roll. If your dough roll is too long for your pan, tuck the ends under a little. 9. Place loaves in warm 175 degree oven for about a 1/2 hour or until the dough has risen to fill the pans (almost doubled) 10. Turn the oven up to 350 degrees and cook for about 30 minutes. The bread is done when you hit the top and it sounds hollow. If the crust is getting too brown, cover it lightly with a piece of foil. The bread isn’t done until you hear the hollow sound. 11. Turn loaves out on a wire rack. I liked to melt butter on top while still warm to look prettier. Let bread cool before slicing, if you can! Enjoy!
December is here!
Where did November go? I hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving. It could have been a little colder here (with a few snowflakes maybe) but we had a great holiday with lots of fun and family. I have just a few offerings on Early Work Mercantile this month. The sheep above, and an Olde Shepherd with his sheep below. If interested, click HERE for more info. I'm getting really excited for "Christmas in the Country" at 1824 Walker Farmhouse this weekend. I've still got so much that I want to finish. It's always a great time with good friends and customers. Thank you always for stopping by. I know my posts can sometimes be few and far between, so I truly appreciate it. xoxo Jenn
Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Glaze
I like to get up early and bake before the sun rises on chilly fall mornings. It makes the quiet house feel so homey and warm. The scent of spices from these pumpkiny scones makes the kitchen even more cozy. I can hardly wait to put on a pot of tea! If I start the day right, the rest of the day seems to follow with the same happy feelings. Enjoy and have a lovely day!! Jenn xo Pumpkin Scones Ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour7 TBSP sugar1 TBSP baking powder1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp cinnamon1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice6 TBSP cold butter, cubed1/2 cup canned pumpkin3 TBSP heavy cream or half-n-half1 large egg Cinnamon Glaze: 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 1/2 TBSP milk 1/8 - 1/4 tsp cinnamon Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Quickly, while still cold, cut in the butter, using a pastry blender, or a fork, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, combine pumpkin, heavy cream and egg. Whisk until mixed together. Fold this into the dry ingredients. Form dough into ball and pat into a 9" circle, about 3/4" thick. Cut the circle into 8 wedges. Place on parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes, until tops are lightly browned.Combine ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over warm scones. Serve warm or at room temperature. Freeze right away if not eating that day. Makes 8 scones.
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds ....or whatever kind of squash you have
October is here and it sure feels like it. Hazy skies and gusty winds that keep knocking my sunflowers over on the back porch table. I just keep filling them back up with water and putting them back out there like a stupid head. This kind of weather makes me want live in my kitchen all day long. A few weeks ago, I was reading my cousin's blog (Sea Salted Sunshine), and was inspired to buy a few kabocha squashes for great recipe she had posted. Today I'm experimenting with the last one for a soup, which actually seems to be turning out all right. I'll post more on that next week, when I'm sure. (Yep, I'm trying to keep this blog current!) "Don't throw away those seeds" (my mind is saying). I really don't like how salty the shells are when you roast pumpkin seeds. After a little searching online, I found this lovely recipe for roasting them. Still a little salty but on the inside not out. I love to eat them, shells and all. Enjoy the recipe, and have a great weekend! Roasted Pumpkin Seeds After you've rinse and separated your seeds from all the pumpkin strings, measure what you have. With my little kabocha squash I had 1/2 cup of seeds. Place those in a small saucepan and add 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of regular salt. (Use these measurements for every 1/2 cup seeds.) Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let drain. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat the bottom of a baking sheet with olive oil, about a teaspoon. Spread the seeds and toss them to coat them with the oil on the pan making a single layer of seeds. Bake on the top rack until the seeds begin to brown, 5-20 minutes, depending on the size of the seeds. When lightly browned, remove the pan from the oven and let cool before eating. *recipe found here *kabocha squash image found here
October is here and you know what that means...
Please visit all the lovely artists over at Early Work Mercantile to see what is being offered this month. Thanks and have a joyous day! Jenn xo
Threshing Season Celebration at 1824 Walker Farmhouse
A little bit of rain didn't stop the fun we always have at 1824 Walker Farmhouse. Mostly drizzle in the morning, clearing to gray skies. It actually made the day feel like fall after the two weeks we've had of 90 degree heat. Welcome! I can't tell you how lucky I am to be a part of this little group of hard working talented people. I wish I had a picture with all of them...next time. Many friends and good people I've meet through this wonderful place. As I look back at each picture, I see things that I wish I would have bought. I'm too anxious to look around during the show. I would have loved this early needlework stand. and some freeze-dried pumpkins... I did manage to buy a few of these. My favorite scent for Fall. My pictures are a mix of what we all had to offer. You can find us here: 1824 Walker Farmhouse Cabin Goods Rabbit Hill Primitives Sisters Three and Me The Garden Shed Feeling thankful and very blessed today. Jenn xo Your threshing season will overlap with the grape harvest, and your grape harvest will overlap with the season of planting grain. You will eat your fill and live securely in your own land. ~Leviticus 26:5
Happy July! New Early Work Mercantile Offerings
It's July! Fly on over to visit Early Work Mercantile and see all the lovely offerings this wonderful group has to offer. I have a few more offerings there as well! xo Jenn
June so far....and finally the Granola Bar Recipe
We all have such busy lives, its amazing how fast time flies by and you don't even realize it. Next thing you know, it is June and you have another birthday. What's that?? Dino, being busier than any of us (me and Lydi), threw a little last minute party. I just love that guy. I am blessed with so many good people in my life. birthday surprises So, I always have this crazy dream that once the school year ends, we will have long lazy summer days. Ha! Those long days go fast. There are many grand plans to “get things done”. Gardens to maintain, closets to organize, repainting the front porch, etc... Lots of little projects around the house to finish and check off the "list". If you're like me, there is a steady balance of checking off and adding on to that list. my big june "kitchen makeover on a budget until I can have my dream kitchen" project. its almost finished, here's a peek June also brings us many reasons to celebrate …graduations, birthdays, and lets not forget Father's Day. All those days that make life truly special. Wishing you are all well. I hope you have been enjoying your summer. xo Jenn ~~~~~*~~~~~ Here's a little recipe I've been working on since April and have been trying to post since May. We are all addicted around here. Rabbit Hill Granola Bars 1 Cup Oats 1/2 Cup Flour 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1/8 tsp Salt 1/2 Cup Coconut Flakes (sweetened or unsweetened - your preference) 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar 1/2 Cup Butter 1 TBSP Honey 1/4 Cup Flax (optional) 1/4 dried fruit or almonds (optional) Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan melt the butter and honey. Add butter mixture into dry ingredients. Press into 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper (or sprayed). Bake 15-18 minutes until golden. Cut immediately and let cool in pan. Then cool further on baking rack. I wrap them with wax paper and tie off with twine. *I've also made these gluten free using Trader Joes gf flour and their gf rolled oats. They cook a little faster so check them around 14 minutes. Yum!
June Update on Early Work Mercantile
Hello! The months are now starting to go by fast. So much to do with the end of school/dance year; planting up the garden; and sewing when I can. I have also added another project to my list....The "My Kitchen Makeover on a budget until I can have my Dream Kitchen" project. I just finished chalk painting my cabinets and this week will tackle painting the wall and adding a tile backsplash? Should be very interesting because I've never tiled before! Also a new recipe is coming. I will be sharing in the next few days. Many friends and family have tested it and say they like it, so we shall post and see what you all think! As for now, I have 5 new offerings on Early Work Mercantile for June. I don't know which is my favorite, they are all so near and dear to my heart. For more info and to see the other talented offerings, click here. Have a lovely week my friends. xoxo Jenn p.s. Big shout out to my sister who is turning XX today! Happy Birthday Tracy!!!