perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Ok- I am now longer on safari in South Africa but that doesn’t mean one can’t find some sweet inspiration a little closer to home. The other week I took a group of aspiring photographers and art lovers up to the Springfield Art Museum to see the “Ohio Perspective” exhibit. It featured landscapes from across the state by renowned Ohio artists
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food detective
My daughters and I were now halfway through our tracking safari in Sabi Sand. Our stay at Londolozi’s secluded Pioneer camp exceeded any and all expectation. At each turn our understanding of this incredible eco-structure deepened as did our appreciation and love for the amazing people we encountered. This had truly become our home in the bush.
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food detective
On Wednesday our prop plane landed in the midst of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, the oldest privately owned reserve in South Africa. Rich and Lucky, who we discovered were to be our guide and tracker for the week, greeted us in an open jeep. We loaded our gear and drove through the savannah grass to our camp at Londolozi, which in Zulu means
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food detective
Just returned from the trip of a lifetime. My daughters and I traveled to South Africa. Not only did we learn to how to track animals in the wild, we also hunted down some incredible fare along the way. Here is our journey.
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Here’s an adorable excuse for a party. Last spring when life was feeling bleak we adopted a little Norwich terrier. This loveable pup was a show dog reject (he developed a slight overbite and could no longer compete.) His minor loss was our certain gain. And there is nothing like a puppy to momentarily turn your world happily upside down. So when
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
How do you pull a party off in a matter of minutes? The answer is by planning and prepping everything weeks, months and hours ahead of time. The secret to successful entering is in the pre-work. There is actually a direct correlation between the amount of time you put into planning and the ease with which your party comes off. Knowing we wanted to
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Why is it when you want to take in every little minute the pace of life seems to ramp itself into a frenzy. In the past couple weeks my husband had what seemed like the last of an endless array of birthday celebrations, my baby graduated from college, and we held my sweet mom’s memorial service. All milestone moments. To help my youngest daughter
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Can’t believe tomorrow is July. That said it is time to get your grill on! One of the things I like best about grilling is that most things need to be marinated and that means prepped and placed in a bag hours ahead of time. Another little secret is that most grilled meats should sit for at least fifteen minutes. And if that’s the case then why not
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food detective
I’m in the midst of a summer love affair with tomatoes. Can’t tell you how excited I get when I try something new and absolutely adore it. This happened at my husband’s surprise birthday breakfast for his entire office at our home. I usually don’t hire caterers. But because this party was at 8 AM, at my house, AND a surprise I knew I needed
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
Well the last week was filled with activity. Monday night a dinner in honor of our visiting floral design presenters. Thursday morning a surprise birthday brunch at our house for my husband’s entire office. Saturday night- cocktails and a buffet for Dave’s actual 60th birthday. Three parties, three menus, three guest lists, three centerpieces...
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Wherever I find myself, I’m happiest with a full dining room table. As a former professional chef and caterer I want to share what I’ve learned over the past three decades of entertaining. On this site you’ll find tricks of the trade to help even the most harried of you pull off a seemingly seamless fête. Come join the conversation! read more →