There is something satisfying about a stunning dinner table. It makes your guests feel special and honors the meal soon to be presented. Unfortunately, in our household we don’t do it enough. We can rarely get our senior in high school to be hungry at standard meal times. I love setting a proper table, and…
Historians credit Marie Antoinette with the invention of the pocket handkerchief. She was so broken up at leaving her home in Austria that she cried all the way to France and wiped her eyes with bits of lace torn from her dress and lingerie. Anticipating future tears, she made it a point always to have…
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…
Three things you probably don’t know about me. 1) I have Royal Worcester soup bowls I love and have never used (after hunting for them for 10 years!); 2) I have always wanted to host a sophisticated lunch with friends; 3) I am design-challenged. I can pick out tile and do a massive restoration project,…
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…