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These simple apple recipes are absolute hits with my husband, family, and the office. Apple pie, apple sauce, and apple cider are simple to make and are perfect for autumn celebrations. Is there anything better than apple picking in the autumn? (Spoiler alert: There’s not.) Nothing beats the cooler fresh air and that first bite into a crisp freshly-picked apple. We have a small orchard on our property, but our apple trees have been absolutely ravaged by the wasps this year. If anyone has suggestions on how to deal with those, let me know. Luckily, my husband…
If you’ve been around here for any period of time, you know I swoon over blue and white everything. This blue and white table setting is totally a reflection of my personal style, and I loved putting this table setting together. In case you’re doubting my blue and white love, I’ve never seen a blue and white dress I didn’t like, and we tore out the kitchen in the cottage and installed a blue island with white quartz countertops. And I’ve had to make a concerted effort to stop buying clothes in navy…
There is no place more enchanting than a quaint English village. My mom is over from the states to visit, and we were able to get out while the weather was nice this week to explore our village and take a few photos. Our village is dotted with some absolutely beautiful homes, a cricket club, public footpaths, and a 14th century Saxon church. Around every corner is something new to discover, and with just over 1000 people living in the village, it’s the sort of place where you’ll meet a neighbor out in their garden and…
At last, I’ve found time to sit down to write and update you all on our move. We’ve been pedal to the metal checking items off the list, like picking up my Biometrics Residence Permit, applying for a National Insurance Number, overseeing a kitchen extension and renovation, and learning to drive and gathering some independence here. The dogs have been adjusting well. We’re currently staying at my in-laws’ home while we wait on the shipping container with our belongings to be delivered. They have a good bit of land and several…
My favorite holiday – hands down – is Christmas, and I’ve been day-dreaming about what Christmas at Holly Tree Cottage will look like. If it’s anything like what’s in my brain, I may never leave that home for the holiday! This year, we all once again traveled down to St. Petersburg, Florida to celebrate the holiday season in the sun. My parents drive down from Indiana with their dog; Martin’s parents, grandmother, and “Uncle Slap” fly over; and we pack up our dogs and the trailer and drive the…
One of my favorite Christmas traditions is decorating the Christmas tree. For years, I had a cheap $20 tree from Target, and while it did it’s best, that little tree didn’t hold up to our peaked ceilings! This year, Martin and I got our first live tree! I rarely decorate for Christmas because we used to travel so much during the holiday season, but we decided that we just had to decorate for our last Christmas in this house. I mean, come on. Doesn’t that fireplace just beg for a Christmas…
