Luxurious Retreat Tips

The Pink of Perfection

I decided to skip winter and go right to spring. Care to join me? I’m dreaming about Paris parties… and rain… pretty  umbrellas carnival tents flowers back-yard picnics and lots and lots of pink! pink fish & pink peppercorns… pink cakes… and pink salt with crushed rosepetals photographs by Melissa Placzek so I can make…

Repurposing Ideas

Here are some re-purposing ideas that I illustrated… ~a recycled tin can and twigs as vase~ photographs and illustrations by Melissa Placzek ~a large vintage dish towel as a cafe curtain~ ~coffee cans as bread pans~ Happy repurposing! ~Melissa

The Mysteries of Tea ~ Assam

photograph by Melissa Placzek :: Tea of the Week :: Harmutty Second Flush Assam Other than Keemun, this  is the kind of black tea I drink most often. Sometimes I mix the two. But I drink so much of this that I keep mine in a paint can-sized tin instead of a dainty tea tin.…

Repurposing Ideas

little glass bottle or perfume bottle as ~Hanging Bud Vase~ wine corks and a secondhand frame as ~Rustic Cork Board~ stacked teacups and saucers as ~Whimsical Jewelry Display~ photographs by Melissa Placzek Have you turned a recycled find into a repurposed treasure lately? I’d love to hear your ideas! ~Melissa  

The Mysteries of Tea ~ English Breakfast

photograph by Melissa Placzek “Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors.”  ~Alice Walker :: Tea of the Week :: English Breakfast English Breakfast tea is not just one kind of tea, but a tea “blend.” There are some tea blends that have been created over centuries according to the personal and collective preference…

Repurposing Ideas

~Vintage Suitcase as Correspondence Center~ I loved turning one of my vintage suitcases into a correspondence center! The perfect vessel for holding stationery, writing pens, stamps, stickers, envelopes, cards and books on letter writing…my favorite is The Gift of a Letter by Alexandra Stoddard. The top part of the suitcase can be turned into a…

Thrift Store & Antique Treasures

I went thrift store shopping with my daughter Andrea today and found sooooo many good things! pretty plates… a platter decorated with sweet peas… a cool china teacup, saucer and dessert plate… silver and silver plate hidden under layers of tarnish… after using a little elbow grease, it shined up beautifully! some gorgeous vintage runners…

The Mysteries of Tea ~ Rooibos

  “Each cup of tea represents an imaginary voyage.” ~Catherine Douzel photograph by Melissa Placzek :: Tea of the Week :: Rooibos This tea is produced only in the Western Cape province of South Africa and is also known as rositea, red tea and red bush. It is believed to aid longevity and is called…

The Mysteries of Tea~ Silver Needle White Fur

photograph by Melissa Placzek :: Tea of the Week :: Silver Needle White Fur (Baihao Yinzhen) White tea was originally only produced in China from two varieties of tea plant, but now some types are produced in other parts of the world. My favorite white tea is less common than White Peony (which is also…

Six Senses Saturday

~Tasting~ Maple Bacon doughnuts from Red Wing’s  Hanisch Bakery mmmmmm…. photograph by Melissa Placzek ~Hearing~ Mindy Gledhill’s sweet voice over the iPod dock… This music is just my cup of tea. Take a listen for yourself… Anchor Hourglass All About Your Heart ~Smelling~ French press brewing… ~Seeing~ These beautiful, inspiring books by Amanda Blake Soule-…