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Sunday, June 30, 2013

{Our Staircase Area}

This time I want to take you downstairs and show you our staircase area. We do run up and down the stairs several times a day; keeps us healthy I guess! Do you have to climb up and down too?
Maybe you remember that I did point out the first door in our hallway, going to the staircase area. 
Okay, here we opened the door from the hallway to show you...
Railings all along. We did that for my Mom when she stayed for 6 weeks with us in 2005, together with my Dad. She had just had a knee replacement and we wanted to accommodate her as best as possible.
That's the same year we got our Infiniti FX35, so Mom could get in and out of the car effortless.
Turning around, you now look into the hallway and see the shiny tile baseboard.
In the USA, a staircase usually is a very 'lazy' one and by far not as narrow, nor steep as in Europe. 
We also have solid oak planks; Bruce Liberty Plains 5 inch natural white oak here on our treads and risers.
Downstairs are the same white tiles that came home with us in a container from Italy.
 To  the left, near the hallway door...
To the right at the top is a fully beaded South African Zulu Knobkerrie  (weapon...).
Samba Balls from Tijuana, Mexico and some Indonesian art...
Left you see straw art work form Indonesia from brother Martin and we had it framed at Irok gallery.
Our entire home is like a museum in a way!
When my dear Mother-in-law was already in her 80s she did make this petit-point work from their home that got destroyed during the war. Lots of airplanes in the air. Also a doggy; guess that meant it went to heaven.
It was a very old home from the 17th Century but it is lost due to the damage of WWII.
My Mother-in-law also did cross stitch these mushrooms.
It hung at the practical training College for Mushroom Growing, in the Netherlands where my husband was the founder and principal until he became VP Training & Development for Campbell Soup's Mushroom Division in the USA. But Pieter of course would not leave that behind!
Only a very tall person has to bend his head, going down the stairs...
The wall to the left with a special mushroom framing, it is from linen cloth.
At the top is a poster with a poem about a pear tree that did not bear fruit which we got from my brother Martin's wife Betsy.
Below to the left you see the door to the laundry room and the other one goes into the garage.
Here you can better see the solid oak risers and treads...
Those railings helped me a lot early 2010 when I became paralyzed and shortly after.
Pure Irish Linen it says...
Full with tips about mushrooms!
Our Whirlpool Water Cooler/Heater; either way! On top is the Primo interchangeable bottle.
A cat painting done by my sister Diny Van den Munckhof in 2005
A mushroom batik from Bali...
Automatic moving sensor for light on/off.
We had it framed with a pink matting that is used in the pillow's color as well.
Diny did carry this painting over when she and her significant other stayed with us for 4 weeks in October of 2007
We had these cabinets made for storing all kind of baking and kitchen items like my waffle irons, mixing bowls and French Demarle Flexipan silicone molds.
There is also a 30" Miele Convection Food Warming Drawer with dual heating system.
A bargain found on eBay as a display model for half the price; from Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center in Los Angeles, California.
Got this gem in December of 2008 and it helps me for serving dinner for larger groups.
Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center Los Angeles, CA
Husband Pieter did build me the outlet for using this and he put tile atop so that way I can place hot bowls on top of it.
That's my foot mirroring in the shiny black glass...
Now looking from the garage door towards the door to the Rose Suite hallway...
To the right the door knob is from our laundry room.
My Dutch rack for holding all my cleaning tools off the floor.
You also can see that husband Pieter did add a tile baseboard here as well.
The framing around the glass panels of the laundry room has yellowed over the years. That door is from 1990 and the one to the garage husband Pieter did build in early 2005 when he placed that wall here, to divide the garage from the staircase area. 
Yes, my worker bee has done it all; a true handy man with golden hands! I am blessed.
Next to the human door to the garage you now also see the cat door...
Only in winter time they come into the house and now they are on the driveway, in the gazebo and in the garden or wood garden.
That was another round of tile baseboard!
I use cotton mats since they're easy to launder and function well.

Related link:
Miele Warmng Drawers | Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center with newer models
{Our Hallway} | previous post by me showing you also tile baseboard
Irok gallery | link to museum quality framing and art gallery

Friday, June 28, 2013

{Tile Baseboard in Our Kitchen}

A kitchen, like a bathroom, needs easy cleaning so we went ahead and did replace the wooden baseboard with a tile baseboard. Husband Pieter did do it himself, again using Bright Snow White tiles from Home Depot. At Complete Tile Collection NYC New York they do have a 5-½" high Normandy Baseboard by Vermeere Ceramic Tile Molding. That might have worked too. Their Skirting Baseboard is almost 1" too short for replacing our wooden baseboards. We were restricted to size. 
Our floor is white tile from Italy that we did bring back home with us when moving back to the USA.
The Snow White tiles from Home Depot do go well with them.
Our window sills in the kitchen and veranda are custom made from Corian.
Calla lilies we received from dear friends; in memory of our sweet Sacha-girl. See post: {R.I.P. SACHA GIRL}
The other side of our bay window area, where the table is.
Okay, okay I lie down for you on my belly—to show you more in detail how it looks...
Very shiny and easy to clean; I am quite happy with them!
You can see the grout from the floor tiles being reflected into the baseboard tiles.
Husband Pieter has been working on his belly a lot... He even managed to screw a backer board with tiles onto the kick space that is under the Miele dishwasher. So it can be easily removed if needed.
The kick space under the cabinets is now also entirely with a tile baseboard.
Do you also have a tile baseboard in your kitchen?

Related links:
{Our Guest Bathroom} | previous post by me showing you also tile baseboard
{Our Hallway} | previous post by me showing you also tile baseboard
{Our New Shower with Dreamline Frameless Sliding Shower Door} | previous post by me showing tile baseboard

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

{My Jessica McClintock Hat Again}

On Pentecost Sunday, May 19, I did wear some red and with that came my Jessica McClintock Hat Again. You can find a link to the first post with my Jessica McClintock Hat below.
Jessica McClintock hat with rose too and also black roses on my silk blouse from Escada. Knitted cotton/wool skirt from Escada and purse and shoes; all from the outlet. Wolford pantyhose; also from the Wolford outlet.
  •  There also is a Wolford Outlet at Orlando Premium Outlets at Vineland Ave. 
  • Also at Sawgrass Mills Outlets - 1700 Sawgrass Mills Circle -  33323 Sunrise, FL 
Husband Pieter in his charcoal gray Zegna suit from the Ermenegildo Zegna Outlet Store in Orlando, Florida and Zegna shirt.
Silk tie is from Last Call by Neiman Marcus.
Last Call by Neiman Marcus is for SUPER deals. Check the above mentioned hyperlink!
Watch for their July 4th specials.
Next to my hand you see the clips where the outdoor shutters normally are fastened.
They're off here before the painting. 
Have a lovely summer week; or winter week for the southern hemisphere.

Related links:
{Hats & Me} | previous post by me
{My Jessica McClintock Hat & Christian Dior Suit} | previous post by me
Life is better with a hat | previous post by blogger friend Bea from Modern Country Lady
My Life in Hats | previous post by blogger friend Marie-Thérèse from The French Touch
{Do YOU all know Our Nations Oldest City - St. Augustine, Florida?} | previous post by me wearing a hat
Mad Women and Their Hats | previous post by blogger friend Marie-Thérèse from the French Touch

Monday, June 24, 2013

{FRESH Made Pasta Sauce}

Already on February 2, 2013, I came across one of my favorite blogs: Frugal Ain't Cheap where Italian born Daniela always presents remarkable tips and often recipes. She wrote: Pasta Sauce in 5 Minutes on that particular day and I saved it as it was so easy and healthy with FRESH ingredients. You can click the above hyperlink for Daniela's recipe! The bell peppers and cherry tomatoes we got at Costco's Wholesale.
Several times I made Daniela's yummy and quick Pasta Sauce, but only on May 23, I finally made some photos...
Using Trader Joe's Organic Whole Wheat Fusilli Pasta for a healthy diet.
Since we are shopping at Trader Joe's we also take the Pecorino Romano & Parmesan blend grated cheese with only 2% cholesterol and fat. Sodium is low too with only 3%.
Following Daniela's recipe above, you have a very quick and healthy vegetarian meal and I also do add Trader Joe's Beef-less Ground Beef to this FRESH Made Pasta Sauce.
Topped with the above mentioned grated cheese, served in a French Pillivuyt Sancerre, heated pasta bowl...
To the right of my plate is this French Baccarat crystal glass with 'AMOUR' engraved into it.
I also do have the 'LOVE' version from Baccarat.
With my supper, I do drink the freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (also from Costco).

Sharing some Blogger LOVE and thanks again Daniela for your worthwhile recipe!

Saturday, June 22, 2013

{TUTORIAL on how to Move your Google Reader to Bloglovin'}

THANK YOU so much for all the support over the past difficult days when we lost our feline SACHA GIRL!
♥♥
I feel like I ought to do something in return for my dear and loyal readers:

Most of you for sure have read the news that by July 1st, Google Reader will retire. So you better take care of it now; even though you will have a three month sunset period for finding an alternative feed-reading solution.
Importing your favorite blogs from Google Reader is just a snap and I will walk you through, so you don't have to worry about it any more. Feel free to pass this on to others as well!
On March 13, 2013 the announcement was made on Google Reader Blog.
You also best retain your Reader data through Google Takeout:
Okay, you start here: Google Takeout - just click this link.
That will land you here...
Click on CREATE ARCHIVE
Next, Click on Download...
You will have to sign in to your Google account...
Your zip folder will be created...
If you click on it, your Reader will show...
Clicking on Reader will show you all the data you just did Takeout.
Keep it safe on your PC!
If you want to export your Google Reader to e.g. Feedly, for those using WordPress or Gravatar you can do so via Feedly. I have done this also for you never know.
Now, let's go to the BLOGLOVIN'...
You need first to set up your BLOGLOVIN' account of course.
This originated in Sweden and I've been using it since January 22, 2011 and I also have their widget on my side bar. The French Eiffel Tower...
Log in to BLOGLOVIN' just click this link.
Next click Join Bloglovin
For those of you that already have a Facebook account; easy to sign in.
Or else, you sign up with email...
Follow the steps and you created your Bloglovin account.
You will receive an email verification and once you clicked that link; you are done!
Store your password and the login link in a document with password so nobody can hack your info.
NOW you are ready to Move your Google Reader to BLOGLOVIN'
Click: Import your favorite blogs from Google Reader. Use this hyperlink to get started!
You just log in and GO!
On my Google Plus About page I do list my Bloglovin' under my 'Other profiles, see yellow marked above.
Now you're all set and I hope this was clear enough for securing your Google Reader as data on your PC and for importing your favorite blogs from Google Reader to Bloglovin'.
You might want to go through your list again and place your 'blogger-following' in appropriate groups.
Just click on the drop down window at the top...
That's how you create groups and you can create a new group as you need to...
GOOD LUCK and enjoy BLOGLOVIN'
If you wish to keep me current in your BLOGLOVIN' Reader; just click on my Eiffel Tower.
Like that BLOGLOVIN' Eiffel Tower widget; click on hyperlink to install your own.
That's the ultimate Swedish French Touch!

Had to remove their widget on November 8, 2022—as it was causing lots of problems.
See image at bottom of this post: {Is BLOGLOVIN' Stealing Your Page Views}