{My White Schwinn Bike}

For Mother's Day, Pieter did buy me this nice white 7 speed Schwinn Bike. It works so much better than our heavy old 3 speed Dutch bikes. Georgia is hilly and those hills kill you when going uphill... In The Netherlands it is real easy as the country is as flat as a pancake, except for a little part in the very deep south.

November 4, nice and sunny, like today.

Next to our magnolia tree on the driveway.

Perfect weather for a spin on the bike...

Come up partner...

Let's roll!

Pieter often goes by bike to the store; his way of exercising.

Together we bike in our Holly Hills area...

{French Vintage Emile Monier Angels Brooch Plated Bronze}

For YOU I found a rare French Vintage Emile Monier (1883-1970) Angels Brooch in Plated Bronze. It is rather large with 3.2 cm or 1.3 inch and it does have the cornucopia hallmark in the back, next to the letters BR, indicating that it is silver over bronze. The perfectly working pin has a unique safety catch. As usual, this piece is available at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics. 

Lovely Angels!

Emile Monier (1883-1970) was a great artist.

His signature on top of the Angels' heads and next to their wings...

Perfect working order pin with unique safety catch.

French Cornucopia (horn of plenty) hallmark with letters BR meaning it is silver over bronze.

Below I show you an identical French vintage silver plated bronze medal from a different artist.

Just came across this one, when doing some research on mine...

Ruby Lane.com
Just click on the above hyperlink for checking out the exact same cornucopia hallmark.
They do list it as being from 1930.

Sorry Sold out...

Does any of you have some silver plated bronze brooches?

{Our Japanese Diospyros Kaki Persimmon}

Have to share with you our once delicious Japanese Diospyros Kaki Persimmon... We did plant an exotic tree and it was November 8, 1999 that we took these photos of an abundant harvest. They were so sweet and firm like an apple. Sure, Diospyros is Greek and meaning Food of the Gods. We had a total of no less than 105 fruits, so many that we took them also with us to work in Indonesia. Funny, nobody there had ever seen or tasted them. The second year we only harvested a good 30; WHY? Because all the critters in the area, like raccoons, or THE BANDITS as they also go by, had discovered them too. Pieter became 'smart' the third year and put plastic bags around the little fruits and stapled them. So they could not get to the fruits. Guess what? The neighbor's yards were full of plastic bags with branches. They had chewed them off regardless. We felt embarrassed so the Japanese Diospyros Kaki tree is no more... We gave up on it. But it was sad for having to do so. 

Still on the tree... perfect orange fruit!

They don't have a long stem and are not that easy for harvesting.

At least not for humans; a raccoon seems very apt in removing them or chewing off part of the branches.

Part of the harvest. To the right you see another persimmon variety we had behind our greenhouse.

LOVED the Japanese Diospyros Kaki Persimmon which you see to the left!

Now we only do have: Our Diospyros virginiana L - Eastern Persimmon and we leave them ALL to our  Wild Life... You can click the hyperlink.

Do any of you have a Japanese Diospyros Kaki Persimmon tree?

{Edible Marzipan Rose | Wedding Anniversary}

It is this time of the year that you want to hibernate and snuggle up warmly with a good read and be lazy. A good read would be the book that husband Pieter finished, about his life and his Parents, Grandparents and above all his daughter Liz. It was daughter Liz who gifted this book for her Daddy's birthday. Writing it, was a labour of love of four months dedication. Searching slides and old photos, scanning them and then composing a story. First writing it on a note bloc, later with fountain pen onto the glossy pages in the big hard cover book. It will become a family treasure. Wish I had such a huge book with stories about my Grandparents and such. So far I have read it half way. 

Autumn is a special season for Family time.

However, our Family is far away, living over three continents; Europe (daughter Liz), Asia (daughter Anita) and Australia...

We at times do receive a nice parcel in the mail.

Like the above Edible Marzipan Rose that came from our German 'son' and his family.

Can you believe this traveled over 7,000 km and arrived nearly perfect?

It did not LIVE very long though. Husband Pieter has a sweet tooth and he enjoyed this delicious treat. Glad I got to make this photo before it vanished into his tummy...

Right now another parcel is on its way but it takes forever with the mail nowadays.

We also got some lovely messages from daughter Anita for our Wedding Anniversary. 

It was in 2008, that our two German 'sons' and their family did treat us at a special restaurant in Cologne around our Wedding Anniversary. Daughter Anita (3rd from right) was part of that as well. Very fond memories!

Wishing you all a lovely day.

{186 Countries Visited - Welcome Burkina Faso}

It is a pleasure to welcome another new visiting country to my blog; Burkina Faso from West Africa. There has been one more in-between but I missed it... Sorry for that!

This will not be a long post as I am in a grieving mood. The 30 year old son of my dear friend went to heaven today. They are close like family and in June, Pieter and I said our fare-well as we knew he would go to heaven soon. This brave young man lost the battle of brain cancer with his lovely wife and family at his side. 

Welcome Burkina Faso!

Don't forget my Worldwide GIVEAWAY, you find it to the right on my sidebar at the top... Just click it.

Good luck.

{Our Rose Suite Living Room}

On October 12, I did show you Our Rose Suite Bedroom and now I like to show you our Rose Suite Living Room. 

So please come in and make yourself at home... It is rainy outside so let's be cozy indoors. For those that missed the previous posts about Our Rose Suite, you find them listed below this post.

Welcome to our Rose Suite Living Room!

'Versailles Rouge' Rug, 5'6" x 8' from Horchow.com in 80% wool and 20% silk.

Chairs are in imitation suede, from Canada.

Same Spanish Volcano beige tile floor with pearl grout, as throughout the entire Rose Suite.

Coffee table is in solid oak, in a cherry stain.

This is the bay window area, under our kitchen.

Antique French oak beveled glass mirror. 

That is the bedroom door...

Antique beveled glass French oak mirror from European Estate Sellers, Utah.

French Country Style Maison de Florette pendulum clock.

Our hand painted vintage French Country Style 'Literature' chest for magazines.

In the corner you see a French tiger oak dresser with beveled mirror that came from Vancouver, Canada.

This French Country Style tiger oak two piece dresser was shipped via Grey Hound by Sugar Barrel Antiques from Vancouver, Canada via Seatle, Chicago to Atlanta and on to Dublin.  For only $ 150.00 shipping. Incredible service and they did transport it first from Vancouver to Seatle... Highly recommendable company with great pieces of furniture. 

A retired Dutch lady who also volunteers at the Lace Museum in Horst, my birth town, did crochet this fine table runner in a number 20 DMC thread. 

The vase is Cranberry glass, or Gold Ruby (Rubino Oro) glass as it is called in Europe and it is made from molten glass with gold.

My first cousin Gon Van den Munckhof, did crochet this dachshund in memory of my dachshund Mauzie, even though she was a black and tan miniature.

Frame, received from colleague Luis Astier, a Basque from San Sebastian in Spain.

To the right is my younger sister Diny and me to the left...

Another gift from Luis Astier, given to us while working as consultants in Mexico.

Luis and I were elected best dressed man and woman during one of the Campbell Seminars, that Pieter gave in 1993 in Texas.

Luis and his wife Isabel used to live in Mexico but went back to Spain.

Antique French oak table with two chairs we bought in Macon, Georgia at Second Hand Rose Antiques Etc.

Overview from this corner...

Rose painting was a birthday gift from our extended family...

A Delft blue village from miniature homes given by KLM to their business class passengers and on their annual birthday of Royal Dutch Airlines another one gets added.

They neatly nest on this antique French tiger oak shelf.

Detail of our two-piece French tiger oak dresser with beveled mirror.

The hand crocheted filet lace is done by me...

Sweet angel, given by our German son and his wife.

It clings to a candle that is in a Royal Selangor pewter candle holder with French glass bobêche.

Royal Selangor is established in 1885 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We bought our candleholders in Singapore and gave some as a gift to friends and a vase to sister Diny.

Of course ROSES everywhere! 

Silver stationery holder, letter opener/ruler and page marker in repoussé silver roses.

Cup & Saucer was a gift from a dear elderly lady friend and role model.

Sure, memories from old friends and new friends. 

Again a beautiful hand crocheted filet lace table runner by the same Dutch lady.

They were precious gifts from hearts friend Ellie who came to stay with her husband at our Rose Suite.

You recognize the Train Case, painted by Rebecca from the blog: A Gathering Place? 

Detail...

Hope you liked the tour of our Rose Suite Living Room.

Next time I will show you the Rose Suite Kitchenette corner and some more details.

Related links from my previous posts:
{Our Rose Suite Bedroom}
{Welcome to Our Rose Suite - Entrance}
{The Construction of Our Rose Suite - Part II}
{The Construction of Our Rose Suite - Part I}
{Our Rose Suite with Angels + a REQUEST}

{Vintage Sterling Rose Pendant Brooch on Silk Tiffany Cord}

Are you looking for an utterly romantic and affordable sterling silver gift? This rare vintage 925 sterling silver rose pendant brooch on a black silk Tiffany loop and button cord from Japan is IT! Again, uniquely available at my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics. 

Just a lovely Rose in 925 Sterling on a Japanese silk loop and button cord from Tiffany.

Japanese silk loop and button cord comes in signature blue Tiffany box.

Silk cord inside the Tiffany & Co blue pouch with cord.

Being a silversmith is also an art... don't you think so?

Beautiful silk loop and button cord from Japan by Tiffany & Co.

Sterling Silver Hallmarks on back of pendant brooch.

Sales slip from Tiffany & Co for the Black Loop and Button Thick Silk Cord, 18  Inches long.

Made in Japan.

Someone will get lucky...!

Sorry Sold out...

{Worldwide FABRIC GIVEAWAY}

For all loyal readers in 184 countries, as a Thank You, I offer here another Worldwide GIVEAWAY. This time I got some French print burlap style fabric for you. One yard (or 91.44 cm) of this 88% cotton 12% rayon fabric from Ballard Design. It is 55 inch wide or  139.7 cm and enough for a pillow or whatever you want to use it for. That's up to the happy winner.

French Document style being printed all over. A very nice burlap look and feel.

How to enter:

* Make sure you follow me and leave a comment.

(Those that currently follow; please leave a comment that you are already following.)

* To double your chances, put the 250 pixel wide GIVEAWAY BUTTON below, as a picture in your sidebar as well and leave a comment telling me you did so. 

* Another chance, put the 500 pixel wide GIVEAWAY BUTTON below, as a picture in your blog and post about it. When posting about it, please do put a hyperlink of this very post: Click on the blog subject line and copy that link for putting it into your blog. But let me know about it in your comment so I can verify if it indeed is a working link.

* Another chance you get if you start following me on Twitter AngelsnRosebuds; let me know you did  so and give me your Twitter name in the comment section.

* Another chance if you Tweet about this giveaway and letting me know. This is also valid for those that follow me already on Twitter.

* One more chance you get if you clik the Like button on my Facebook Page Mariette's Back to Basics LLC; again let me know if you did so! Posting about my giveaway on FB, counts as another chance, this also counts for those that already Like my FB Page.

* Additional chance for those of you that use Google+ just add me to your Circles. You find my Google+ link below this post. If you mention this giveaway on Google+ that's another chance!

Good luck. Giveaway ends by midnight on November 16.

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<center> <a href="http://mariettesbacktobasics.blogspot.com/2012/11/worldwide-fabric-giveaway.html"><img border="0" src="http://i955.photobucket.com/albums/ae37/MariettesBacktoBasics/FabricGiveawayMariettesBacktoBasics250pixel.jpg"/></a></center> 250 PIXEL BUTTON TO TAKE FROM MY BLOG TO YOURS FOR ON SIDE BAR: CLICK ON ▼ AND SCROLL DOWN FOR COPYING ENTIRE TEXT. CLICK ON DESIGN; ADD A GADGET AND PASTE INTO HTML/JavaScript Related links: Giveaway hos Mariette | ASTRIDS HANDARBETEN blog Rainy Day | Tammy@ T's Daily Treasures blog