What a year! I hit a blogging milestone of 1000 posts and also turned 45. There were several projects completed this year and it was hard to pick favorites but I narrowed it down to a baker’s dozen. We began the New Year in 2013 with three posts that featured glorious party food, a happy tablescape, and party hats that are still pinned approximately 25 times a day. The first home project of 2013 was transforming my office for under $30. Part 1 was the room itself and decorating the ... View the Post

I still can remember the first time I ever had a similar bowl of Mediterranean Stew. It was at Christo’s restaurant on the island of Crete near the cove where a scene from Zorba the Greek was filmed.  It was a bit of warm healthy heaven in my mouth. The soup base is fairly simple to make. You will need: 1 tablespoon of good olive oil 2 tablespoons of butter 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 large shallot, finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (you can add more or less to your ... View the Post

Did you have a happy and safe Halloween? We enjoyed a lovely evening with our friends and neighbors. Today I am thinking about St. Francis de Sales ~ the patron Saint of writers.   After several weeks of class essays, thesis papers, time consuming projects and research heavy posts I have decided to take the next few days off. Until then, let’s play a game. My daughter, the Fashionista, is also quite crafty. Yesterday evening she channeled her inner (and favorite) rock star goddess. ... View the Post

Our wonderful neighbors host an annual Halloween costume party. The amazing themes change every year. This years theme was Shelley’s Frankenstein. A central island was set up like a lab where you could mix drinks. Shaken, not skulled. The food buffet was completely enticing. Everyone brought a delicious dish to share. Our contribution was Frankenweenie’s. (It was nice knowing Franz. :) I absolutely loved the simple curtain sheer that was cut out and hung over a mirror ... View the Post

I wrote a total of eight posts for DTA this week. Most featured heavy research and large projects. This next week I am happily facing more of the same so today, I am taking a day of rest. A few of my new readers were surprised that I celebrate Halloween so I thought it was a perfect time to once again feature a well loved post from two years ago. “Celebrating Halloween As A Christian” first ran on October 23, 2011 I was recently posed the question from another blogger of how could I, as a ... View the Post

Make 18th Century Lace Sleeve Ruffles or Engageantes This post will provide a tutorial on how to Make 18th Century Lace Sleeve Ruffles or Engageantes. In the 18th century doing a load of laundry required a cauldron of boiling water, lye soap, a clothesline, and a dry environment. No wonder the process took all day. For this reason items of clothing and other fabric items were not often laundered. The fashion of the day for ladies was to have elaborately long sleeve ruffles (known as ... View the Post