Tulips and Tulipiere
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Tulips and Tulipiere

The first stop on our Baltic Sea tour (in 2007) was Amsterdam. Though it was not tulip season, we quickly learned about the importance of the tulip in their history. During many palace tours, I would spot one gorgeous tulipiere after another. What is a tulipiere? A tulipiere or tulip-holder is an ornate vessel in which to grow…

Finally, a CLEAN basement!
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Finally, a CLEAN basement!

I am officially embarrassed to say that this was the condition of the middle room of the basement. I cleaned it 18 months ago, but it’s an easy dumping spot for, well, just about everything. I know the intention was to “put it away later”, but things just kept accumulating. After taking donating three carloads…

Storing things
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Storing things

Someone recently asked me where I put everything. The challenge with having a large property is to not fill it to the brim with stuff. I tend to organize by categories. Some people organize alphabetically or by color or project. But it’s easier for me to focus on the object~~looking for scissors? Go to the…

Reflecting on 2018
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Reflecting on 2018

The time between Christmas and the New Year is an interesting one.  I love having less cars on the road, a fluid schedule, and more time with my family. The house is a bit messy but I don’t really care. As this year closes and a new one is ready to begin, it is a…

Merry Christmas Eve!
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Merry Christmas Eve!

With only a few minutes to spare between finalizing recipes and last minute shopping, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas!  Since we are having our big dinner tonight, here is our holiday table. Photos haven’t been edited, but hopefully you will enjoy them anyway! I almost ALWAYS do a white table cloth,…