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Folktale Winery Lunch in the Wine Garden
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Our lunch at Folktale Winery’s Wine Garden on September 6, 2025, was nothing short of magical. From the moment we walked in, the space wrapped us in that signature Carmel charm—equal parts relaxed, elegant, and wonderfully indulgent. It truly felt like the perfect blend of delicious food, beautiful surroundings, and thoughtful service. We started…
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Refuge Day Spa in Carmel
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A Tranquil Thermal Escape on the Monterey Coast If you’re looking for the ultimate “ahhhh” moment on the Monterey Peninsula, then let me introduce you to Refuge Day Spa in Carmel. Tucked into the quiet Carmel Valley hills, this spa skips the traditional massages and facials and instead leans fully into the magic of…
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Our favorite Amazon find this Halloween season
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Water feature fog creator – uses only water This ultra sonic fogger mister is truly amazing! We loved it so much we bought three! The largest size is in our pond and hot tub, and the smallest size in the waterfall inside of our home bar. The fogger mister comes with two floats to…
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Crown Royal Jacket
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The Crown Royal Jacket in All Its Glory Here it is—the Crown Royal Jacket, fully finished and ready to shine! To add a fun detail, I altered a Crown Royal bag and transformed it into a breast pocket. Thankfully, I managed to complete the entire jacket just in time for Mardi Gras. As you…
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Neuschwanstein Castle – Walt Disney’s inspiration
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Long before learning about Neuschwanstein in Bavaria I was introduced to Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Walt Disney’s Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It was the first castle I ever visited and the icon that I associate with fairy tales and happily ever afters. Walt Disney walking through Sleepy Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland Photo Credit Different…
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Hohenschwangau Castle – King Ludwig II’s Childhood home
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Today we awoke in the town of Schwangau at the Landhotel Guglhupf bed and breakfast and set off to visit two of King Ludwig II’s castles. Hohenschwangau translated literally is “High Swan County Palace” and was built by King Ludwig II father, King Maximilian II in the 19th century as a vacation home. This area…
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Easy Irish Cream Recipe
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I love Irish Cream – more commonly known as Bailey’s! I love it in my coffee, on the rocks, by itself, or in mixed drinks. We made Limoncello in 2012 and gave bottles as Christmas gifts and I wanted to make a different liquor to continue the tradition. I came across this recipe on…
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Christmas time is here
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Merry Christmas! The Christmas tree at my parents house is a patriotic tree with ornaments from the White House and other red, white and blue baubles. We gathered at my parents house last night for our annual Christmas Eve traditions. Santa even paid us a visit Christmas carols sung by Kirk and Mladen We…
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Linderhof Palace – Castles of King Ludwig II in Bavaria
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King Ludwig II Rococo palace in the Bavaria mountains – Linderhoff Linderhof Palace is the only building project that King Ludwig II saw to completion. His life was cut short mysteriously when he was found dead, floating in a lake at 40 years old. “Mad” King Ludwig most likely was not mad but quite…
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Gift ideas for the Wire Fox Terrier lover
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Christmas shopping is upon us…and I am way behind. As I was unpacking our decorations I came across a cute book that reminds me of Belle, our female Wire Fox Terrier. Olive, The Other Reindeer looks like a Wire Fox Terrier but she might be a Jack Russell, either way she is super cute.…