I love...

I love unmade beds.

I love when people are drunk and crying and cannot be anything but honest in that moment.

I love the look in people’s eyes when they realize they’re in love.

I love the way people look when they first wake up and they’ve forgotten their surroundings.

I love the gasp people take when their favorite character dies.

I love when people close their eyes and drift to somewhere in the clouds.

I fall in love with people and their honest moments all the time.

I fall in love with their breakdowns and their smeared makeup and their daydreams. Honesty is just too beautiful to ever put into words.
— Unknown author

*•.¸♥♥¸.•*

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What every little girl needs

“Now, think of the happiest things. It’s the same as having wings.” 

~Peter Pan

 

Acrylics on Multi-media paper - Maree©

What every girl needs - big or small - a beautiful dreamy dress in the closet, waiting for that special occasion ...

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Little girls are made of daisies and butterflies and soft kitty cat purrs 

And all the precious memories of times that once were. 

Little girls are made of angel's wings and giggles and a firefly's glow 

And all the happy feelings, deep inside, that we all know. 

Little girls are made of cinnamon and bubbles and fancy white pearls 

And snowflakes and rainbows and ballerina twirls. 

Little girls are made of sunshine and cupcakes and fresh morning dew, 

And these are the reasons, little one, why everyone loves you. 

Author: Karen Barnes 

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Vintages - Simple bath pleasures

"Solitude is not a luxury - it's a right and a necessity."

When last did you spend time in the bath? No, I don't mean bathing to clean yourself - I mean spending time in the bath with flower petals, floating candles (because who can wash while candles are floating around?), candles on the side of the bath and soaking in a luxurious bath crème or bath salts. Even just listening to some soothing music or reading a couple of chapters of a good book.

Spending time by and with ourselves is essential for a healthy mind and outlook on life. It brings things into perspective and allows us to connect with our inner strength that gets scattered by everyday life pressures.



Whenever I use an exquisite flower... whether it's roses, lavender or violas, I simply toss the entire contents into my bath and sit back to watch the gossamer petals float by.



Then I have another question: when last did you look at your bathroom - really look to see what you're surrounding yourself with? Has your bathroom become a sterile room of necessities? Towels (maybe a bit old and frayed because the good linen is for visitors), facecloths and toothbrushes?

Making your bathroom a pleasurable place to visit takes just a little bit of imagination and not much effort. Buy beautiful soaps in stead of the everyday bars. A small vase with some fresh flowers, candles and a beautiful bottle of perfume displayed on the wash basin or vanity goes a long way towards perking yourself up after washing your hands and splashing on some cool cologne. Display your best towels in a basket and have some luxurious scatter pillows nestling in a corner. Hand and body lotions can also be displayed within easy reach.



Hang out your best nightgown, ready to use as you step out of your luxury bathing session, wrapping yourself in soft white towelling or silky satin if you're getting ready for an evening of romance!



Spotless white towels and linens and some white roses make this small bath a pleasure to walk into.

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'n Duifie het vir my gefluister...

om …
vanoggend by die venster uit te kyk.
buite te loop en die son op my gesig te voel.
iemand ’n lief-drukkie te gee.
te glimlag vir ’n vreemdeling.
iets gaafs en onverwags te doen.
te luister.
diep asem te haal.
geduldig te wees.
in die donker te sit en die stilte te geniet..
om meer te gee.

Nie geskenke nie, liefde

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Green tip #6 - Garlic

To fight pimples apply fresh garlic juice and lemon juice for quick relief. It will pinch but will show results.

Process the garlic cloves in a food processor or blender until pureed. In the absence of a food processor, you can simply crush with a garlic press, over a small bowl.

Pour garlic puree through the mesh strainer into a small bowl. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula to retrieve all juices. Press the garlic through the strainer with the spatula. Discard pulp left in the strainer.

Refrigerate your homemade garlic juice in a glass container.

Mix some garlic juice with a couple of drops of lemon and apply to affected areas.

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Eggs-traordinary ways with eggs

What's more perfect than an egg? These versatile packages of goodness are the magic ingredient in the kitchen.

QUICK AND EASY:

 • Fry eggs in a little good quality olive oil for a different taste sensation

 • Chop a few green olives and fresh dill into scrambled eggs for a great taste and texture comibination

 • To make tartar sauce, stir chopped Italian parsley, spring onions, gherkins, hard-boiled eggs and capers into home-made mayonnaise

 • Simmer hard-boiled eggs in a little green curry paste and add coconut milk. Serve with fragrant rice.

 • Fry some onions in butter and balsamic vinegar until slightly caramelised. Use as a filling for omelettes.

 • Heat cream in a pan with chopped chives and garlic and cool. Break an egg each in small ovenproof dishes. Pour over the cream and bake for 6 minutes at 180 degrees C.

 • A pinch of nutmeg makes delicious scrambled eggs

 • Fry some drained butter beans and sliced chorizo before pouring on your eggs for a great omelette.

 • Add a dollop of wholegrain mustard to creamy scrambled eggs and serve with hot, buttered toast.

 • Next time you fancy egg on toast, pop a cookie cutter into a nonstick frying pan. Heat up and gently creack an egg inside. Cook over low heat until just right.

 • For Spanish picnic eggs, shell 4 large boiled eggs and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Slice the chorizo in diagonal slices and serve with the boiled eggs, black olive pesto and breadsticks.

 • Make the best-ever egg roll by mixing 1/3 cup of mayonnaise with 4 hard-boiled eggs, grated, and spoon onto a buttered fresh roll with some rocket. Top with a dollop of mango chutney

Info from Woolworths TasteMag

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Green Tip #5 - Make a frozen flower block

Winter is setting in here in South Africa now, but for my Northern Hemisphere friends who are just going into summer, here's a lovely idea of how to keep cool in the heat of summer.

Fill an ice tray halfway with cold water. Place a flower, slice of lemon/orange, a small block of chocolate or herb of your choice in the centre of the container and fill to the top. Place in the freezer and serve the ice cubes with sodas, iced coffee and fruit juices.

 

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Preserve the taste of summer

Winter is on our doorstep here in South Africa and although most perennial herbs will go through Winter, their growth slows down, which means that you may not have enough of the fresh stuff to meet both your culinary and medicinal needs. This is particularly true of herbs like, Thyme, Sage and Peppermint that are particularly good for relieving coughs, colds and sore throats.

There are other herbs like Oregano and Bay that are better when dried. Bay leaf is much more palatable and less bitter in the dried form. The stronger and sharper flavour derived from drying Oregano is well-suited to Italian dishes, marinades and roasts.

Sweet Basil and the various Mints are also coming to the end of their season and they need to be preserved if you want to keep the taste of Summer going through Winter. Because they lose most of their flavour when dried, it is better to chop the leaves, put them in ice trays with water and freeze. The ice cubes are then stored in a plastic bag and used when cooking.

DRYING HERBS
Drying your own herbs is very easy and there is simply no comparison between home-dried herbs and those bought from a supermarket.

You will need a sharp pair of pruning shears, a sharp knife or a sharp pair of small scissors and a basket or similar container to carry your harvest in.

DRYING METHODS
The main aim of the drying process is to remove the moisture as quickly as possible, while losing as little colour, taste and aroma as possible.

Air drying is the most satisfactory method and a dark, dry place is best for this. Drying the herbs in sunlight will cause the colour, taste and aroma to face.

The herbs can be formed into small bunches, tied with a piece of string and hung up in a cool place. Alternately you can use a table or other flat surface and lay them out on an oven rack, a looking rock or something similar to dry.

Drying times can range from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the drying method and moisture content of the herbs at the time of harvesting. the easiest way to check whether the herbs are dried, is to rub them between your fingers. If the herbs crumble and break, they are dry enough.

Microwave drying is not suited to large quantities and aroma and taste of herbs dried in this manner is not as good as those that are air dried. Most herbs should dry within 2 to 3 minutes in a microwave. Test your herbs every 30 seconds.

Oven drying is also a popular method, but once again the quality is not as good as air drying. the exception to this is cut roots, which dry very well in the oven

STORING DRIED HERBS
As soon as the herbs are dry, store them in air tight containers in a cool, dark spot. rub the leaves off the ranches, but try not to crumble them unnecessarily. It is better to crumble the herbs just before you use them

Remember to label the container with the name of the herb and the date they were dried.

WHEN TO HARVEST
Herbs for drying or other processing should be harvested early in the morning, once the dew has evaporated.

Never harvest more than you can process quickly. Try to avoid harvesting many different herbs in one basket. Discard any leaves that are diseased or yellowing.

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Summer! Home-made Iced teas

Forget Lipton's in the tin - how about making your own iced tea this summer? There is nothing more refreshing than a glass of ice cold tea prepared the old-fashioned way.

First of all, here's the BASIC RECIPE for iced tea :

- Brew your tea in the teacup so that it is slightly stronger than what you usually drink.
- Add sugar or honey if you prefer a sweet tea.
- Pour the tea into the glass of ice and stir it with a spoon until it is chilled.
- Add more ice if the cubes melt completely.
- Add a slice of lemon or sprig of mint to the glass.

APPLE & HONEY ICED TEA
Ingredients:
• 3 cups water, boiling
• 4 tea bags
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 cups apple juice
Preparation:
Steep tea bags in hot water for 5 minutes. Strain out tea bags, and stir in honey and juice. Mix until honey is dissolved. Chill and serve over ice.
Serves 6-8



Iced tea with lemon

BOSTON ICED TEA
Ingredients:
• 4 quarts water
• 1 cup sugar
• 15 tea bags
• 12 oz frozen cranberry juice concentrate
Preparation:
Heat water to boiling, and add sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add tea bags, remove from heat and let steep for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, and add cranberry juice concentrate.
Stir until melted and mixed, then allow to cool to room temperate before refrigerating. Serve over ice.
Serves 14

And just to add a bit of spice to life, here's a

COGNAC ICED TEA
Ingredients:
• 4 oz cold tea
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 dashes aromatic bitters
• 1 tsp sugar syrup (see below for recipe)
• 1 1/2 oz cognac
Preparation:
Mix ingredients and serve over ice, with a lemon slice.

And for those Latté lovers amongst us.... !

ICED CAFFE LATTÉ
Ingredients:
• 2 1/4 cups coffee, cold
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups crushed ice
Preparation:
Blend all ingredients until frothy. Serve over ice.




Lipton Iced Tea from the liquid kitchen mini book of Lipton

What you'll need:

(Makes 1.5 L or approximately 8 drinks)
4 bags of Lipton Quality Black Tea
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
4 tablespoons sugar
1 lime, juice
2L boiling hot water

What to do:
1. Add dry ingredients to jug.
2. Poor in hot water and allow ingredients to infuse for five to ten minutes. Stir occasionally to help dissolve sugar.
3. Remove tea bags and lime wheels before chilling.
4. Before serving add ice and garnish with fresh lemon wheels.

And for something really special -

ICED TEA LATTÉ
What you'll need:

(Serves 1)
3 quality Tea bags
6 ice cubes
Fresh boiling water
100ml cold milk
2 teaspoons raw sugar
Cinnamon sugar

What to do:
1. Place tea bags in a heatproof measuring jug and pour
in fresh boiling water to measure 75mL. Allow to infuse
for 2 minutes. Remove tea bags.
2. Add sugar. Sit until sugar is dissolved.
3. Add ice cubes and the milk. Strain tea into a glass and
sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
4. ENJOY!

Hint: Leave ice cubes in the tea for a really icy drink.

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Coffee prayer

Coffee prayer

W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm watercolour paper

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Caffeine is my shepherd;
I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures,
It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.
It restoreth my buzz,
It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness
for it's name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of addiction,
I will fear no Equal
for thou art with me;
Thy cream and thy sugar
they comfort me.
Thou preparest a carafe before me
in the presence of Thy Starbucks,
Thou anointest my day with pep;
My cup runneth over.
Surely richness and taste
shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of Mocha forever.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
- Author Unknown

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