My Spring Planting Goals
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My Spring Planting Goals

Now that the freezing temperatures are behind us, it is time to start planting the Spring garden. The evenings are still cool and the days are nice and warm (but not too hot). I am often asked if it takes a great deal of time to garden. The answer is no. Some planting attention is…

A Royal Novel Surprise
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A Royal Novel Surprise

My very first blog post in September 2016 was about a charitable English tea we had here at Bella Terra with New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author, Rhys Bowen. Not only was the event a wonderful fundraiser for Family to Family, (they provides scholarships to students in rural El Salvador)…

Valentine’s Day Table Inspiration
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Valentine’s Day Table Inspiration

For many years, we would host our annual Valentine formal dinner party for 12 people. So why not this year? It took me all of January to recover from the holidays! And before I knew it, it’s February. Lack of good planning on my part. Instead, this Valentine’s Day table inspiration is a romantic setting…

Learning to Paint
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Learning to Paint

Learning something new later in life can be a bit of a challenge. After my 2nd child went off to college, I decided to try my hand at painting. A dear gardening friend/art teacher began giving classes rather close to my home and I thought, “Why not try this?” My first art classes involved acrylic…

A Few of my Favorite Things
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A Few of my Favorite Things

Do you have a favorite item or part of your home that brings a smile to your face or a boost to your spirit? These are the things that if you had to move, you would definitely take them with you. I suppose organizing guru, Marie Kondo would say these items “spark joy”. In the…