{Our Oak Tree after 22 Years}

When we did purchase our lot to build the home we live in, there were several trees we wanted to preserve. Just like to show you what a difference time and space can mean for a solitary tree. This is Our Oak Tree after 22 Years...

Strong, solitary and HAPPY. It is a semi-evergreen variety and gives us pleasure year round.

Our Oak Tree's humble beginnings... Home not yet finished and the pond got dug already.

This in order to fill in other areas where it was too wet, taking soil from the pond digging.

You see all those black drain pipes? Those are dug in, for draining into the pond area.

To the left, the little tree with the green leaves on, is Our Oak Tree. Just a baby then.

All others around it have been cut down to give it space to grow up solitary.

To the left it is, ten years later and heavy from snow and ice... but growing!

YES, we can have winter time, if only for a day.

Reaching for the skies, to the left again. The willow opposite the pond died meanwhile...

Five years ago a photo taken from our balcony and Our Oak Tree looks majestic.

Still reaching up to the heavens it is HUGE and HAPPY.

What a joy it is to witness a hardwood tree grow up!

Lovely to sit on the bench, beneath Our Oak Tree.

Do you have any similar experiences with a favorite tree in your garden?

{The Winner of the Lanarte Cross Stitch Kit IS...}

Okay, by midnight the final for my Worldwide GIVEAWAY of the Lanarte Cross Stitch Kit was over with. There were 20 valid entries and using Random.org the number selected was: 9. The lucky winner gets this Lanarte Cross Stitch Kit...

And here comes...

Number 9 = Claudia from NuNu's Garn-und Stofflabor in Germany... Congratulations!

Please let me know your address so I can send this kit your way.

Thanks to all that participated!

{Keeping My Giovanni Raspini Clients HAPPY}

We all know the feeling of being some place in another city, country or even continent and looking at a desired object. Only to find the shop or boutique being CLOSED. My husband Pieter and I had that numerous times, all over the world and during our vacation through Spain and Portugal... Strange is that those memories never leave your mind. Do you have a similar experience?

Feeling fortunate for offering my clients help in still obtaining a special gift, which they saw and admired in the window at one of Giovanni Raspini's Boutiques in Rome, Italy. This is a new and special line with Cabochon Pendants on a long silver chain. The flower they fell in love with is a NINFEA, which is Italian for Water Lily and it is a green stone, set in silver. The silver chain it comes with is 90 cm long. Gorgeous indeed and I was lucky for holding it in my hands before mailing it out to the new owner. It made my day as well. 

Any jewelry coming from Giovanni Raspini in Italy is looking gorgeous! For my clients I can always obtain any desired piece they want, if I don't have it on my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics. 

One can only admire the silver masters of Giovanni Raspini Charms & Co in the heart of Tuscany, Italy. 

Not easy to capture the light in this green Water Lily Cabochon Pendant...

But you clearly can read: Giovanni Raspini on the lock. It is also on the back of the NINFEA Cabochon Pendant.

Both pieces are in 925 silver.

Gorgeous length of the silver chain...

Sorry Sold out...

Have you had any similar experiences with window shopping?