The Many Faces of Tour Eiffel

We have visited Paris in springtime and summer. The Eiffel Tower looks different in many places, especially in the summer when everything is green.

In March, we were across the bridge in the Trocandero area....shooting into the morning light.

Very few blooms on the trees......

A great deal of brown limbs.....

What a difference with the green trees, the French trim them square......This was taken in June.

It's always nice to see blue skies in Paris!

She looks great with the pink roses.....don't you think? This garden of roses is over past the crepes. We were walking along the river. You have to squat down to get the top in the photo.....thanks to Michelle....I did not have my camera that day......

Thanks for stopping by! More Paris adventures to come....

~Lynda~

Retirement Party

The end of the school year is usually dotted with retirement parties. This year we celebrated the careers of two amazing nurses. They will enjoy this summer....and in August......exceptional freedom! I wanted to share a few pictures of the event, and a recipe for Meringue cookies.

1/2 cup granulated sugar                1/2 cup of chocolate chips
2 egg whites                                  1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of salt
(Use a stand up mixer if available)
Beat egg whites until stiff. Add cream of tartar and pinch of salt. Continue to mix and add  1 TBSP of sugar at a time. Fold in 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/2 cup of chocolate chips/1/2 cup of chopped pecans. Place by teaspoon fulls on parchment covered baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375*. Place cookies in the oven and TURN THE OVEN OFF~remove in the morning. Put a note on the oven in case someone forgets you have something in the oven.




 

The meringues are on a Pottery Barn server I have used for many events.

Ruth did a marvelous job with the decorations. She drew the center piece and had matching plates and serving dishes. The banner and table cloths all coordinated with the color scheme. Check out the slippers made using two loaves of bread and royal icing....looks like slippers!

The strawberry cake was wonderful so I'll check with Ruth to post the recipe later!

Jamie serves up the green punch that matches the decor.....

Several folks brought goodies to add to the dessert bar....oh my! We will have to diet tomorrow.....

This funny sign covered the window so we could keep the decorations a secret....

Our ladies of honor we placed in the front of the room to receive special gifts that were given out while reading the retirement poem. It was cute and had useful gifts.....

The funniest thing we did was tape the nurses and staff singing and doing motions to the Sound of Music's song: So Long, Farewell. Ruth and Holle did an incredible job filming and editing to put it together. My photos didn't turn out too well but you get the idea. It was absolutely hilarious!

I wasn't very good at singing, and doing the motions.....haha...don't put me on stage!

The party was a huge success. These gifted nurses will be missed tremendously! Carrie and Jessica, enjoy your retirement! 

Y'all have a safe and productive summer....get those homes cleaned and closets de-junked quickly....August comes before you can get your list done!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Lynda~

Paris 2013

Bon jour Peeps!
     The gals had a grand time in Paris! It was a special "sisters" trip that included two nieces. The apartment had character.....which included an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower from the upstairs bed/bathroom skylight.

The 7th district is a great place to rent an apartment for the week.

Close to the best street in Paris....Rue Cler....thanks to Rick Steve's suggestions in his book....get one and read it before you go! Fantastic locals, shopping and cafes....

You must purchase roses for your table the first day in Paris.....they last longer here ....guess it's the cooler weather......

After a vaca in Paris.....you are ready to take on the world!

Enjoy your summer!

I'll be back with more Paris adventures....I need to unpack, burn some cd's with copies of the 

1900 +pics I took....oh my, I need to learn to condense...

~Lynda~

Linking with parties below:

St. Pete Beach

My sister and I went to the beach the other day ~It has been several years since we visited the beach my dad took us to for many years near his home in St. Petersburg, FL.

The domes in St. Pete don't exactly look like they are suffering from mold issues.

The Don Cesar, or the Pink Palace as dad would call it......looms large against the blue sky.

Take a left and drive a few blocks to Pass-a-grille beach which requires a parking fee.

There was a craft show going on....live music.....

This guy jumped into my pic as I was snapping....

We enjoyed a shaved ice.....to cool off......I had Mango....I think my sister ordered banana.....

Paradise Grille is an oasis with ATM, bathrooms and food.....

You can see the umbrellas....peeking out from behind the sand dunes.....

Above you can see the bay to the east......

turning your head to the west....the Gulf of Mexico......

It was a glorious day of sunshine.

We did not stay for the sunset. In these temperatures.....you have to take the sun a little at a time. Even only 3 hours with sunscreen 30 my shoulders were pink.....

Summer has arrived in Florida.....get your tan on!

~Lynda~

Luggage tags

Bonjour Peeps! Summer is just 3 weeks away and we are already in packing mode here....so I thought I would share a very special craft that I learned years ago from my artsy niece Jana. Luggage tags that are personalized have been around for a while, but this paper jumped off the shelf and into my arms before I knew what hit me! Graphic 45 French Country line was an immediate draw when I spotted the thatched roof....Marie Antoinette's cottages at Versailles came to mind. I selected several sheets of this line of  paper that I thought would be perfect for a scrapbook and 2 sheets of the A La Carte that would make the perfect set of luggage tags.



Gather your supplies: scissors, hole punch(crop-a-dile), laminating pouches and machine(available at Walmart/craft stores), sharpie, paper for tags, gromment and tool for setting, hammer.





Begin by typing address on cardstock and adhere with adhesive. The A-La-Carte tags are really journaling boxes that are 2-sided. Double sided paper works best for laminating.
Once you have laminated the tags, the most difficult part is setting the gromments. These are sometimes found in the sewing section at craft stores because they are really for fabric. This part of the craft is the most difficult.

Above: draw a small circle where you want to place the gromment. The picture does not have the sheet laminated, because I had already finished the tags when I thought about showing you this step......so remember, your tags will be laminated FIRST before you draw the circle. Cut out area with punch. Don't get the hole too large....just big enough so the shank of the gromment fits.

Above: hole punch-after you laminate the paper.......

place the gromment through hole, then see below, place the other fitting ring on top and set it.

The above tool kit came with the package. They may be labeled "gromments" or "fasteners"

Place the gromment in the circle and the tool on top and POUND with the hammer HARD ON CONCRETE , WOOD OR OTHER HARD SURFACE OUTSIDE. Please do not do this in the home or you will leave dings in your floor.

Once you have set the gromment, the final step is easy.....

Embellish with ribbons, foo-foo, string, rope, raffia, thread, or your hearts desire!

This is one side, the other side has all the names and address on them. I chose ribbon that matched the paper. Make some long so you have enough length to tie onto the suitcase and knot several times.

TIE TO YOUR LUGGAGE>>>>several knots actually.......

They look great on the red suitcase eh?

Photo below is a tag made two years ago that survived two trips to Paris, a trip to the Bahamas and Alaska!

These have made great gifts for bridesmaids, friends and family. Last year we made them for the end of the year party and place a tag with just the name on a dollar plastic sand bucket and filled it with goodies. You can even make them, and have the folks write on them with a sharpie after they are laminated........

If you have questions, please feel free to leave me a comment and your email address.

Happy Crafting......Happy Summer! ~Lynda

Linking up with parties below: