Gallery Wall - Vintage Windows

 Vintage windows are a favorite architectural design element of mine.  I have collected  a whole lot of them over the years.  

Mostly, I have had them tucked here and there in corners around our house and occasionally use them in different ways.

Lately, I have been on a "need to simplify my collections" kick.  

I love stuff, so this has been a challenge, to say the least - ha!

One way to get the clutter out of the corners of our living room, was to move the old windows.  I did not want to part with them, but wanted to display them more prominently.

 I decided to create a so called "gallery wall of vintage windows".

To achieve an eye pleasing layout, I made templates out of newspaper.  I gathered the whole family together and we taped up the templates in different arrays until we decided together what we felt looked best.

We love how it turned out!

I appreciate the design of each window so much more now that they are not hiding in the corners of our living room.

Girl Scout Thin Mints Mini Cheesecakes

There is good and bad this time of the year.  

Good that Girl Scout cookies become available for a short time and bad that Girl Scout cookies become available for a short time.  Ha!

I happen to be the troop "cookie mom" for one of my daughters.  

It's a busy time keeping everything organized with all the sales etc..

I don't know about you, but I get tired of the plain old cookies. 

So... I like to try to incorporate the cookies in to various treats.

I had some time to play today, so I made mini cheesecakes.

If you're a fan of the Thin Mints, I think you'll really enjoy these!

Thin Mints Mini Cheesecakes

makes 12

1 box of Girl Scout Thin Mints cookies

12 oz cream cheese

1/2 C sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1/16 tsp peppermint extract 

1 egg

2 drops green food coloring

5-6 Thin Mints crushed

Beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, peppermint extract, egg and food coloring together.  Line a cupcake pan with 12 paper liners.  Add a Thin Mint cookie to the bottom of each each paper liner.  Evenly distribute cream cheese mixture between the 12 cups.  Bake at 350 for 15-18 minute or until set.  Cool mini cheesecakes for a couple hours in the refrigerator.  To serve, top with fresh sweetened whipped cream, drizzle with chocolate syrup and top with 1/2 of a Thin Mint.

Enjoy!