{Happy 2013 Pentecost Weekend!}

May this 2013 Pentecost Weekend be a very sunny and happy one for everyone. In Europe most people enjoy also a so-called Second Pentecost Day as an official holiday. Not so here in the USA. But whatever your region and lifestyle is; may it be a sunny and happy weekend. 

Just like to show you these photos that got taken last Sunday after Church, wearing another Escada outfit. This time a jacket with a beautiful rose corsage in silk and wool on a white Escada jeans. 

Shoes are Charles Jourdan in a taupe color, matching my taupe Chanel bag.

Silk top is by I. Magnin, San Francisco.

Sunny Sunday...

Alongside driveway in front of our Italian cypress.

In front of our garage door... 

Okay, let´s get inside for our coffee and chat with Mom & Dad in The Netherlands, on the iPhone... Our Sunday routine!

Tiggy-Tiger girl had to be cuddled first. She is our tiny feline...

This photo I had to make lighter due to the harsh sunlight through the curtain...

Tiggy-Tiger

Have a Happy Weekend worldwide!

{Our Exotic Epiphyllum 'Antique Gown' Blooms}

It was March of 1990, when we both did consulting for Pond's India Ltd. We stayed at one of the TAJ Hotels in Ooty; the Savoy Hotel. With very nice colonial style cottages that were built between 1834-1865. The India Hotels and Resorts describes that the building once was a school for European children. From its garden we did bring home a tiny starter of this beautiful 'Antique Gown' Exotic Epiphyllum...

From the book Epiphyllum: The Splendor of Leaf Cacti by Marga Leue (see link below post) I did find its name. To my knowledge it resembles the 'Antique Gown'.

Husband Pieter in the garden of the TAJ Hotel Savoy in Ooty, India. We both fell in love with this exotic bloom!

Photo that we took from the Savoy Hotel in Ooty.

This is situated in the Nilgiri district of Karnataka state in India.

The dining room has rosewood paneling... 

We always have been pampered by the companies we worked for!

You can find a great photo from the Savoy hotel, Ooty on line, just click this link.

So this is the history of our great 'Antique Gown' Epiphyllum.

On April 18, the day before we traveled by plane to Miami, on our way to Curaçao on the 20th, we spotted these buds! We were hoping that we would not miss  them... Photo taken at 9:00 o'clock.

Our return was on May 1, and this photo is taken on May 3.

We made it back in time! Due to very cool weather I guess... and lots of rain.

There were now three buds, one on top and two hanging down...

Our Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) Orchid Cactus is sitting on the same plateau to the left... They both were inside the greenhouse till spring.

On May 5, I could make this photo from the first bloom!

Majestic is this 'Antique Gown'; don't you think so?

Highly fragrant too; it can't come any better than this.

On May 6, the second bloom at the bottom opened up!

May 6, the second bloom with the third one budding out...

This photo I took at 18:30 o'clock.

Detail of 'Antique Gown' on May 6.

On May 11, at 16:00 o'clock I finally could capture the baby of those three 'Antique Gown' Epiphyllum blooms! Quite a show. 

It's sister from May 6, already hanging her 'Antique Gown' down... 

So for about one week we could enjoy this splendor. 

Hope you enjoyed them with us! 

 To my best knowledge, after consulting our book by Marga Leue, we thought this to be the 'Antique Gown'.

Color varies between sunny days and clouded ones and even the time of the day gives a different hue to those blooms.

By the way, I nearly fainted when I spotted the pricing on Amazon.com for this 1987 book.

Guess we paid about $ 40.00 for it... New  one is now $ 479.77! 

One never knows how certain things go up in value...

Related links:
Epiphyllum: The Splendor of Leaf Cacti [Hardcover] book by Marga Leue 1987
{Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) Orchid Cactus} | previous post by me
{Did YOU Ever Touch Baby Elephants?} | previous post by me
{Silk and Wool Birds as Gift from Pond's India} | previous post by me
{Birds as Artwork, we bought in India} | previous post by me
{White Indian Jasmine the Queen of Flowers} | previous post by me

{Curaçao Vacation was also about Going Back in Time}

For my husband Pieter it was the 5th time that he went to the Island of Curaçao in the Caribbean. For daughter Liz it was the 3rd time (in December 1973 and again in 1978 from July 3–24)). Also for me the 3rd time and 1st time for Liz's husband Hans. Husband Pieter gifted them both with a flight from Amsterdam, The Netherlands to Curaçao.

With Google it is great for looking up former places where you have been. When I did scan old slides I did come across this one from December 1973, where Liz is sitting on the terras of the bungalow where she stayed with her Parents. It was than called Arthur Frommer and the crew from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines used it as well. Close to the airport and along Piscadera Bay. When we did rent a car and Liz driving us around the island, we literally did go back in time. It no longer is under the same name, but now it is the Floris Suite Hotel and it is designed by the famous Dutch designer Jan des Bouvrie. We did visit and had a cup of coffee near the pool. Liz could remember by the smell that it was the very same place where she stayed twice before. Indeed, we could hear a plane on the runway nearby and we also did pass on the way over the former Shell Oil Refinery that now belongs to a Venezuelan company since 1985. The very first trip Pieter made to Curaçao was on behalf of the local government. They asked him to do a feasibility study for growing mushrooms on the island of Curaçao. For that he also went by boat to Venezuela where they would have to purchase the straw. Long story short; it was not feasible mainly because of lack on ingredients. Pieter and his family did go back one more time on vacation, together with his best friend Harry and wife Suzette. Harry passed away at the age of 59 and his wife Suzette is suffering from cancer. Just talked to her and shared some fond memories...

Here Liz(zy) is sitting on the patio of the bungalow. The house number looks like 51 when enlarged...

Typical Agave and other tropical Curaçao vegetation.

From the staff we learned that still a few of those bungalows were there... So we did snap these photos and the one on the left has house number 52. So probably the one to the right was the 'old' one with number 51!

It looked like not much had changed! 

On the car parked next to number 52 is written: bluehelicopters and we had no idea you could have such fabulous helicopter tours over the island!

Have you ever gone back in time during a favorite vacation with loved ones?

Related links:
{Comment about Killer Legs - Daring to Pose in my Escada Hot Pants} | previous post with photos taken in Curaçao
{Curaçao Airport on Coronation Day King Willem-Alexander} | previous post by me
Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort Curaçao | Where we were last year and again this year (formerly Hyatt)
{Flora from our Curaçao Vacation} | previous post by me
{Our Curaçao Vacation II} | previous post by me
{Back Home from Curaçao} | previous post by me
{Our Curaçao Vacation} | previous post by me
{Hyatt Regency - Santa Barbara Plantation Curaçao} | previous post by me
{Trupial or Orange Breasted Oriole - National Bird of Curaçao} | previous post by me

{Amaryllis Stargazer Blooms in Our Wood Garden}

Coming home from tropical Curaçao we found several exotics blooming in our own garden. Across the creek, in our wood garden the Amaryllis Stargazer was showing off some great blooms. Just click the hyperlink to go to White Flower Farm, where we purchased it from, some 15 years ago as an indoor bulb. After it bloomed, we did plant it into the garden. Come join me for a Mariette's Back to Basics Garden Tour...

• They are HUGE! But appear very happy and healthy.

• Don't they look majestic...?

• Four blossoms in this photo from two different plants...

Do you have any Amaryllis; either as a forced bulb or out in the garden?

Related link:
{Amaryllis White Nymph in Our Garden} | previous post by me

{Comment about Killer Legs - Daring to Pose in my Escada Hot Pants}

It was Zosia from Polonica: Home Again, who did comment on my March 13, 2013 blog post: {My Green Sewing Creation}, saying that I had Killer Legs... Just scroll down by clicking on this hyperlink and you find her comment at the bottom, as the last one. Well, Zosia sure did encourage me to take my Escada Moc Croc Hot Pants with me to Curaçao and daring to pose in them!

Posing in Paradise at the Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort Curaçao with the Dutch Caribbean Sea behind me, only 35 miles north of Venezuela...

Two days before departure. We enjoyed our 10 days of great relaxing.

Our free trip on American Airlines miles... one of the perks of having been consultants!

Zosia from Polonica: Home Again, did write on March 14: What a nice spring outfit. You look lovely in green and, may I say, you have killer legs and look fantastic in shorter skirts.

Thanks for the compliment Zosia! You did encourage me to wear my Escada Moc Croc Hot Pants!

The cotton t-shirt is also from Escada.

We had a very happy time together as a family in this tropical paradise!

Marc Cain sandals.

Holding on to this Caribbean dream...

This was a day before husband Pieter's birthday. The reason of our get-together as a family.

Pieter gifted his adopted daughter Liz and her husband Hans with a ticket and a stay at this resort.

This Escada set also comes with a jeans jacket in moc croc...

Here we are at the other side of the hotel...

Turning around for you.

Natural hair; never ever had any dye... Not bad for 62+ I guess.

How I miss those palm trees...

That jacket is really not needed out there!

Those legs did lots of walking around the resort... very healthy lifestyle we followed.

Yes, we ate a lot too! Step-daughter Liz could not believe how much I actually ate...

Not that we ought to turn away from that lifestyle, but at home it is different...

You need to prepare all the healthy food yourself!

At least climbing stairs we also do a lot here at home!

This is inside the hotel, going down to the MIDI or to the Bella Italia restaurants...

Yes, seriously...

In the lobby there was JUN'S SUSHI BAR where we also ate one night.

Already miss the sea wind blowing through my hair...

It is VERY hard to turn your back to PARADISE...

Okay, here is the real runway model from Escada...

Have any of you worn, or are wearing hot pants?

As of August 1, 2024 11,756 views

For those that celebrate Mother's Day (not the entire world); I wish you a very Happy Mother's Day!

{My Powder Blue Escada Jeans Suit}

Just love to share this photo from last Sunday, wearing my powder blue Escada jeans suit and standing under the golden live oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold.'

The mock neck sleeveless top is part viscose with cotton and also from Escada.

The belt, shoes and Eluna bag are also Escada.

Our Spicy girl made me laugh as she wanted to get in the picture with me!

More of our golden live oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold'...

You can see it in my previous post.

♥

Yes, Outlet shopping does pay off!

Related links where this stunning Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold, can be seen:
Wow...I think this deserves a thread! Golden live oak! | GardenWeb discussion...
{Lush Green Garden} |previous post by me
{# 1111 - Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' changing color} | previous post by me
{Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' in Sunshine at its BEST} | previous post by me
{Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' with Catkins} | Previous post by me
{Our Mrs. G. G. GERBING Azaleas} | previous post by me
{Our Patio Tiles in the Front} | previous post by me
{RARE Icicles in Our Garden} | previous post by me
{Energy Efficient GREEN Roofing Arrived} | previous post by me
{Our Lovely Lilac Clematis 'Silver Moon'} | previous post by me showing young Grand View Gold

{Cloudy Day versus Sunny Day}| Previous post by me
{Blooms on our Windmill Palm - Trachycarpus fortunei} | previoius post by me 

{Our Golden Live Oak has LOTS of Acorns!} | previous post by me

{Our Different Oaks} | previous post by me

{My Silk Quilted Vest Creation and YOUR Opinion Requested...} | previous post by me showing golden oak

{Our Live Oak got a Haircut}| previous post by me

{Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' in Sunshine at its BEST}

From the comments on my previous posting about our rare Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' I also did receive some questions about its golden color. Let me tell you that right now it probably will be at its BEST and in the Sunshine it looks spectacular. That true gold color will fade away partly during late summer. But no matter what season, we always enjoy this tree! Hope you also will enjoy these pictures that I share with you today. May your spring or autumn be equally rewarding; depending on which hemisphere you are living!

Picture is taken on Wednesday, May 8 in mid afternoon...

It is quite a show case!

Related links where this stunning Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold, can be seen:

Wow...I think this deserves a thread! Golden live oak! | GardenWeb discussion...

{Lush Green Garden} |previous post by me

{# 1111 - Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' changing color} | previous post by me

{Our Golden Live Oak 'Quercus Virginiana Grand View Gold' with Catkins} | Previous post by me

{Our Mrs. G. G. GERBING Azaleas} | previous post by me

{Our Patio Tiles in the Front} | previous post by me

{RARE Icicles in Our Garden} | previous post by me

{Energy Efficient GREEN Roofing Arrived} | previous post by me

{My Powder Blue Escada Jeans Suit} | previous post by me showing me in front of Grand View Gold

{Our Lovely Lilac Clematis 'Silver Moon'} | previous post by me showing young Grand View Gold

{Cloudy Day versus Sunny Day}| Previous post by me
{Blooms on our Windmill Palm - Trachycarpus fortunei} | previoius post by me 

{Our Golden Live Oak has LOTS of Acorns!} | previous post by me

{Our Different Oaks} | previous post by me

{My Silk Quilted Vest Creation and YOUR Opinion Requested...} | previous post by me showing golden oak

{Our Live Oak got a Haircut}| previous post by me