{Please Join HighHeeledLife.com & Celebrate LOVE}

• Just a couple of days ago I did quickly read dear friend Celia M. High Heeled Life & Resilientista's post from the blog: HighHeeledLife ~ Invitation to a Special Tea... 
• Due to our water problem I had to wait before using it into a post for helping her out. 
• Celia did spend some of her childhood years in Portugal and thus knows the language. 
• Naturally she is very familiar with Portuguese and this is what Celebrate LOVE is all about.

• Postmarked as late as April 1, you can send you cards to the above address in Tennessee, USA.
• They will forward them to Brazil to young girls that got abandoned and abused.
• Sending them some love from far away, make them feel special and cared for.
• To help you out with Portuguese sentences to write on your card look below:

• Trusting that you will look for cards that you maybe already have, or creating your very own, let us reach out by sending some warm thoughts across the ocean.

THANK YOU!

{Fighting the Water + Scanning Slides}

• On Friday we drove to Atlanta, early morning in heavy rain... Luckily on the way home it only was drizzling. 
• Saturday was my day for cooking a dinner for 8 people, at our home. You did see some pictures from the table setting earlier this week. 
• While entertaining our guests, husband Pieter went downstairs twice for emptying the full, 6 gallons, wet vac in his work  shop. Water was seeping in from the outside wall, where our gutters could not hold all the rain water, neither were the pipes big enough for transporting it away from the house. Maybe some burrow from a chipmunk; who knows why and how; but it found its way inside. 
• No damage, nothing as we have all tile floors. Great thing was that we have those TRINITY EcoStorage™ NSF 6-Tier Wire Shelving Racks on wheels from Costco, so we could easily wheel them off! Imagine having fixed shelves... But it is quite a challenge that Water Control!
• After serving dessert to our guests, I did scoot downstairs to empty the big bucket and to mop up some water. 
• But we had no idea it would worsen over night. It was nearly impossible to keep up with it and we could not go to sleep. 
• Pieter did lie on the bed a couple of times to stretch his back and during the in-between time, I sat at my old laptop + Epson scanner (my second) for scanning our slides. In the office upstairs I keep another Epson scanner for non-slide scanning jobs. Archiving everything...

On the left is the opening for pushing strips of negatives inside...

• Got a lot of slides done that way, because it did not stay with only one night. In fact, on Thursday night we had everything dry and could sleep in one stretch through the night without any bucket-emptying duty.
• But kudos to the inventors of those wet vacs or shop vacs. Ha-ha, shop vac it was, as it worked for us in Pieter's work shop! 

• This one, our second, came from The Home Depot and holds 6 gallons or 22.7 liter.
• It takes some muscle power for lifting them, all night long = divided by two humans!
• Also wringing out those floor cloths takes some energy...

• Soaking up some water with old raggedy floor cloths... called 'DWEILEN' in Dutch.

• This kind of work did ask for some 'Popeye' food so I sautéed some baby spinach with garlic to eat with scrambled egg, made from egg beaters. 
• That makes for a yummy and healthy heart meal! Read about how to on my FB Page: facebook.com/MariettesBaktoBasics

• Pieter got smarter as he opened up the wall, so he could attach the hose right there to suck the water up.
• He left his knee pads still on the floor...
• The noise of this 6 gallons shop vac changes when it's full, so next door in the Rose Suite's living room, I got up from my slide scanning job and took the lid off in order to empty it out.

• 6 gallons shop vac - wet/dry utility vac
• It served us very well!

• My hands sure didn't look that happy after wringing out floor cloths that many times...
• I never wear any gloves; just use my bare hands.

• My left hand with the Dupuytren's Contracture after one year...
• Still functionable and even able to perform heavy duty.

• Did any of you have to fight some water?
• We're lucky with no damage, except that the wool/silk rug in the Rose Suite living room got wet on one side, earlier on February 12 on my Mom's birthday when we also had to fight the water.
• I really feel for all those that lost valuables such as photos or whatsoever due to real flooding!

As Pieter's Dad always used to say: 'Water is like Money; there is Enough of Both but it only is Poorly Distributed...'

Related links:
{Table Setting for Friends} | previous post by me
{Our Wild Creek} | previous post by me
{Our Rose Suite Work Shop & Mariette's Back to Basics Shipping Center} | previous post by me
{My Hand and Dupuytren's Contracture} | previous post by me

{Old World Charm of Crocheted Valences}

• Just caught up on blog reading and read dear friend Karen's post: Thrift Store Treasures on her lovely blog of Beatrice Euphemie. 
• She is showing off her treasures and I spotted some very familiar Old World Charm of Crocheted Valences and did mention so in my comment.
• Lo and behold. For running the wet vac to suck up the excessive rain water that entered into husband Pieter's work shop, I just killed my waiting time in-between emptying the 6 gallon bucket, by scanning old slides. 
• I've set up my laptop with my second scanner in the Rose Suite's living room. So I can hear the sound the wet vac is making next door, when full. 
• You guess my amazement when I came across this photo that we took during one of our trips to Europe in 1985, as a writing subject for my weekly feature in our local news paper. Never used this then, but now I like to show it to you as once again crocheting has become very popular. 

• This particular home owner must LOVE flowers.
• They are hanging from above the window...
• On a shelf inside the window...
• Inside a planter box on the window sill and indoors are also plants on the window sill and hanging...
• Those crocheted lace valences got hung by interlacing a thin rod, either brass or wood, through some openings at the top. 
• Rather practical and just click on the above link in Karen's blog to see such hand crocheted lace valences.

It sure did bring back fond memories...

Do you have some Old World Charm of Crocheted Valences?

{HOW I Managed the Spam Comments so far...}

• A couple of weeks ago, I started to receive numerous anonymous spam comments and some did even end up being published. 
• It also has affected the listing of my Popular Posts, on the sidebar but that will get sorted out again over time.
• Even if they do end up in the Spam, it is rather annoying for having to delete them. So what did I do to stop this? 

Bloggingpro.com

• Just LOVED this sign from Bloggingpro.com and had to use it here!

Instead of having Anyone comment, I now changed to Registered User  and the Spam Comments have completely vanished!

• Previously I'd left this open to Anyone as there are lots of silent followers, especially relatives, that never ever comment anyway, so what's the purpose of keeping that option open?
• Maybe some of you find this helpful as well.

• So glad it worked for friend Tammy! Read her comment on {Mom's 5th Dialysis Anniversary}
• If some of you have other tips to share; more than welcome to leave a comment!

Wishing you a great week; wherever you are!

Related link: {Word Verification is Time WASTE!} | previous post by me

{Table Setting for Friends}

Saturday evening, we had a dinner for six friends at our home. Just like to share with you my table setting. From husband Pieter, I had a dozen white roses and in our garden we just found enough Fragrant double Obdam narcissus for putting in the individual Delft white picture frames, as a place setting. We had heavy rain on Saturday but inside it was cozy.

• Real Wax Carved Rose tea lights (battery operated Flameless Candles) in white, when lit they look yellowish.
• White ceramic roses as center piece, together with the Baccarat Harcourt pitcher with real white roses.
• You can see this Baccarat Harcourt pitcher in a previous post, see link below.

• Gumbo Soup spoon is Bridal Rose by Alvin and other flatware is my Gero Zilmeta 528 Menuet.
• Baccarat Piccadilly stemware.
• French Pillivuyt charger...
• Le Jacquard Français tablecloth. 

• Table got set for 8 of us.
• Before I placed a fork to the left of this plate, I took the photo... 
• Don't you like to have cozy dinners with friends when the weather is cold, windy and rainy?

Related link:

{Fragrant Double Narcissus Obdam} | previous post by me

{Lady Alexander Rose by Queen Anne & Obdam Narcissus} | previous post by me
{Delft White Picture Frame Vase} | previous post by me
{6 Gorgeous Bridal Gown Peonies in Baccarat Harcourt Pitcher} | previous post by me
{Our Royal Bonica Rose} | previous post by me

{Our Wild Creek}

Due to enormous amounts of rain over the past couple of days, we have a full and wild creek running through our property. The bridges had been elevated, as we learned from previous raging waters. So far, so good. Pieter took some photos with the iPhone.

 Let's have a look at our wild creek...

• This is our newest bridge, close to the road as you see. Husband Pieter finished it just before Valentine's Day in 2012.

• It looks more like a lake now and over the years this has grown in diameter a lot by raging water swirls.

• Branches and all kind of things get to travel down the creek.

• Looking from across the bridge towards the house...

• Showing our center bridge as well...

• This shows the two bridges.

• In the end you also see the first bridge; we got three in total. 
• Lots of rain but it would be far better if it came over several weeks instead of a couple of days.

Are you getting a lot of rainfall in your neck of the woods as well?

Related links:

{Our New 3rd Bridge} | previous post by me

{Our Damage from Tornado spin off of Hurricane Earl, 2003} | previous post by me

{205 Winfield Road Then and Now} | previous post by me

{Our Backyard Wildlife HABITAT Certificate from August 1997} | previous post by me

Rainy July Day in Georgia II - iPhone upload | showing how it looks like...

{Wearing Shades of Gray for Winter}

On December 14 of 2011, I did wear this newly purchased cotton coat from Costco, together with my linen plaid skirt. Again this year on February 10, I was wearing shades of gray for winter... Pantyhose from the Wolford Outlet: Wolford  @ Woodbury Commons Premium Outlets, Central Valley, NY 1-845-928-5818 for a great discount!

 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

With the weather going up and down from warm to cold(er) and from sunny to rain, we often need to switch coats. Just wanted to show this outfit. 

NO, I am not wearing a HALO but that is the mirror in our hallway...

Shoes are from Bruno Magli from Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5th Outlet.

December 14, 2011 outside in front of our Southern Magnolia.

My hair was shorter than.

Outside light in Georgia is most of the times too harsh...

Now you get to see a glimpse of our staircase area too...

Longer hair; but all in shades of gray!

Love this coat, wore it on Friday to Atlanta again... it was cold.

It has a long (way too long in fact...) belt that can be worn in the back.

It gives me a tail...

Sure, husband Pieter comes in his own shades of gray...

That was it  for today!

Are you also being bothered by spammers on Blogger; anonymous comments?

Related link:

Wolford Fashion | FB Page

{Our Pearl Bush - Exochorda racemosa}

• However frail, our Pearlbush is showing some flowers again. We had such damage after the hot and dry summer of 2011, that we are glad some shrubs did even survive. 
• Our Pearl Bush Exochorda racemosa is one of them. In a previous post by me from March 2011, you can see lovely photos with more blossoms, together with real pearls. Just click on the link below this post. The above link goes to Woodlanders where it is still available for sale.

• Photo taken on Wednesday, February 20. 
• Look at the beautiful blue sky as a stark contrast with this lovely Pearl Bush blossom and buds. 
• Those buds do resemble pearls! 

• Another blossom almost completely opened up.
• Leaves also start to come...

• Love the special sunlight playing inside this perfect tip with buds...
• Does any of you have a Pearl Bush?

Related link:
{Pearlbush Makes the Heart Beat Faster} |  previous post by me

{Lady Alexander Rose by Queen Anne & Obdam Narcissus}

• In one of my very first blog posts, see link below, I did show these Lady Alexander Rose by Queen Anne cup & saucers with some fragrant Obdam Narcissus. 
• Since those highly fragrant daffodils bloom again, the few that we have..., I want to show you these photos again. 
• The first cup & saucers in this pattern we did find while vacationing in Canada. 
• They came from Bank Street in Ottawa and also found them at Replacements Ltd. see above link.

• The table cloth is hand crocheted by me. 
• LOOK what I managed to find with those lovely Lady Alexander Rose by Queen Anne cups & saucers? 
• A handkerchief that matches the china exactly and it works great as a little doily to use with this set. 
• Do you also put four cups like this together? It saves space in the china cabinet!

• Those highly fragrant Obdam Narcissus are heavenly too... Makes one happy. 
• For me, SPRING is the best time of the year.
• This is inside our kitchen.

• Different angle...

• You can read the QUEEN ANNE China markings under the cups.

• Does any of you also have this Queen Anne Lady Alexander Rose china ?

Related link:
{Fragrant Double Narcissus Obdam} | previous post by me
{Our Fragrant Double Narcissus bloom!} | previous post by me

{Have you tried this NEW Large SUMO Mandarin?}

• On our usual health food shopping trip to Whole Foods Market Ponce de Leon in Atlanta last week we found these Large SUMO Mandarins. So they had to come home with us. 
• Have you already tried those Easy to peel and Sweet, Juicy SUMO Mandarins? 
• You ought to; this is something yummy from Japan. You can read about this super fruit here: SUMO Citrus. Just click on it. 
• Their claim: Enormously good to eat is TRUE! 

• It looks wrinkly and has a funny crown, it is also Large!

• Two of them came home with us...

• Coming from Japan and now being cultivated in California...

• Peeling them was VERY easy... No seeds and VERY SWEET AND JUICY!

SUMO CITRUS - sumo story

• Their claim is TRUE: enormously good to eat!
• Have you tried one?

{Our Rose Suite Work Shop & Mariette's Back to Basics Shipping Center}

Today I will show you the final room of our Rose Suite; husband Pieter's Work Shop. A handyman like him, needs such a place! It is also my shipping center for any sales from my Zen Cart powered on line boutique Mariette's Back to Basics. So have a look with me and then we're done with the entire tour of Our Rose Suite. Previous posts you will find below. 

• Yes, it is written on the door...

At first, husband Pieter left this floor just as it was; concrete without tiles. 

Finally after one-and-a-half year he did go ahead and put in the very same Spanish Volcano beige tiles as for the entire Rose Suite's flooring. 

• Easy to clean now and it is a very neat room!
• My Dad, together with Pieter did lay these tiles! That was in October of 2005, when we'd given Mom & Dad airline tickets to come to the USA with us. It was the last time that they visited us, since Mom is on dialysis we can no longer invite them over as she is not able to 
•  travel. 
• Boxes are also being stored here for world wide shipping of any sales from my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics. 
• This is also my shipping center and husband Pieter does take care of that part.
• All my loyal customers worldwide now know where it is being packed for shipping.
• Yes, here too we do have the same TRINITY EcoStorage™ NSF 6-Tier Wire Shelving Racks on wheels from Costco, as in our Pantry (see link below). They are super and make the room very light as they are not solid.

Also for the time being I keep my photo albums here till I get them all digitalized.

Scanning the slides and than checking off the photos... Quite a task but one day it will be done!

Do you have a work shop in your home? Or is it outside of the home in a separate building?

Related links:
{Our Rose Suite Pantry & TRINITY EcoStorage™ NSF 6-Tier Wire Shelving Racks} | previous post by me
{Our Rose Suite's Little Room} | previous post by me
{Our Rose Suit Hallway} | previous post by me
{Welcome to Our Rose Suite - Entrance} | previous post by me
{Our Rose Suite Kitchenette} | previous post by me

{Our Rose Suite Living Room} | previous post by me
{Our Rose Suite Bedroom} | previous post by me
{The Construction of Our Rose Suite - Part II} | previous post by me
{The Construction of Our Rose Suite - Part I} | previous post by me
{Our Rose Suite with Angels + a REQUEST} | previous post by me