Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday December 13, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. For over twenty-five years I have collected various spiritual and inspirational quotes and messages. My hope is that when you read these, you will pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share this post with a friend who just so happens to be in need of reading what I am sharing today.

Memo From God

…I already gave you the Ten Commandments. Keep them. But follow these guidelines, also. 

1. Quit Worrying          Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. Put It On The List            Something needs to be done or taken care of, put it on the list. No, not your list. Pit it on MY to-do-list. Let me be the one to take care of the problem. I can’t help you until you turn it over to me. And although my –to-do-list is long, I am after all, God. I can take care of anything you put into my hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realized.

3. Trust Me          Once you’ve given your burdens to me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on my list. Problem with finances? Put it on my list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For my sake, put it on my list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. Leave It Alone          Don’t wake up one morning and say, “Well, I’m feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here.” Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It’s simple. You gave me your burdens and I’m taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don’t you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started. Leave them with me and forget about them. Just let me do my job.

5. Talk To Me          I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I’, in control. But there’s one thing I pray you never forget. Please don’t forget to talk to me- Often! I love you. I want to hear your voice. I want you to include me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with me. I want to be your dearest friend.

6. Have Faith           I see a lot of things from up here that you can’t see from where you are. Have faith in me that I know what I’m doing.  Trust me, you wouldn’t want the view from my eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. Share          You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? The rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven’t heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those who have none.

8. Be Patient          I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes me a little longer than you expect to handle something on my to-do-list? Trust in my timing, for my timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. Be Kind           Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for my sake. I crated each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please know I love each of your differences.

10. Love Yourself          As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only—to be lvoed, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes my heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Don’t ever forget that! With all my heart, I love you.  GOD

This was an email forward I received December 28, 2003. I don’t know who sent it to me nor who wrote this.  I just like it!  Blessings.  …susan

Bathroom Towel Storage Options Series Part Five-Miscellaneous

Continuing my series on bathroom towel storage options- in this post I will share scanned photos showing a miscellaneous assortment of options. One option my daughter-in-law used in her previous home, sorry I do not have a photo, was to hang a metal decorative wine bottle rack on her bathroom wall. This rack had three or four U-shaped hooks. Instead of wine bottles she put rolled up towels. Blessings.  …susan

 

Source: Great Baths Collection

^Can’t you imagine sitting on the cushioned bench in your robe drinking coffee and reading a book in front of the fireplace? 

 

^I did not run across this photo of a short chest with a drawer until after I had published the second post on storage in furniture, so, I am adding it here.

^Source Unknown-if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

Above and below are two examples of storing towels on a “ladder”. Both become a piece of “art” for the bathroom.

 

Source: Bathrooms by House Beautiful

Source: Bathrooms by House Beautiful

In the photo above are some interesting wall mounted bins for storing towels which are in keeping with the contemporary design of this bathroom.

^Source Unknown-if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

If you are short on storage space, you can always use a basket to store your towels.

^Source Unknown-if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

Attractive wall mounted towel hooks are another way to store towels and at the same time create a nice visual as shown above.

 

Source Unknown-if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

There is nothing more luxurious than a warm fluffy bath towel to wrap yourself in when stepping out of the shower or bath tub. Not only does this warming drawer serve to warm the towels but it is also a great place to store towels.

^Source Unknown-if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

^I have never been a fan of a pedestal sink in any bathroom except the powder room because there is no place to put the items used on a daily basis. However, the long counter with shelves below solves that problem. I like the rod that protrudes out of the front of the counter which is a perfect place to hang hand towels or a bath towel as shown. Note the lighted wall mounted magnifying mirror.

Source Unknown-if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

^If you run into a situation where there is no place to put a towel ring or towel bar for towels, here is a possible solution.

I plan for my next post to be my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post and then I will do one on mistakes to avoid with towel storage.

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday December 6, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. For over twenty-five years I have collected various spiritual and inspirational quotes and messages. My hope is that when you read these, you will pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share this post with a friend who just so happens to be in need of reading what I am sharing today. With all of the publicity surrounding Tiger Woods, I thought it would be appropriate to share quotes about telling the truth. Blessings.  …susan

“…if you tell the truth, your problem becomes a part of your past. If you lie, it becomes a part of your future.”  Coach Rick Pitino as he responded to his own scandal.

“If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.” Marcus Aurelius

“A half truth is a whole lie.”  Yiddish proverb

“When you stretch the truth, watch out for the snapback.”  Bill Copeland

“Who lies for you will lie against you.”  Bosnian proverb

“If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.”  Mark Twain

No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.” Abraham Lincoln

“Truth is generally the best vindication against slander.”  Abraham Lincoln

“The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off.”  Gloria Steinem

“Humility is nothing but truth; pride is nothing but lying.” Vincent de Paul

“The ability to lie is a liability.”  Unknown

Bathroom Towel Storage Options Series Part Four-Cabinets

Welcome back to my bathroom towel storage option series. This time the focus is on storing options for towels in cabinets/closets. Enjoy the variety of cabinet/closet designs shown in the photos below. Glass shelves with a glass door, wooden shelves with a wooden framed cabinet door with glass, pair of doors with mirrored fronts, solid wooden doors, and double closet doors with glass mirrors mounted on the door.  What are  your thoughts?  Blessings.  …susan

 

 Source Unknown- if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

^Glass shelves behind glass doors.

Source Unknown- if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

^Wooden cabinet with glass door.

Source Unknown- if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

^Glass window panes on cabinet doors.

Source: Great Bath Collections

^Solid wood cabinet doors.

Source: Bathroom Book by House Beautiful

^Double door linen type closet with full mirrors on front.

Bathroom Towel Storage Options Series Part Three-Open Shelves

Welcome back to my Bathroom Towel Storage Option Series! This time we will look at various options for storing towels on open shelves in a bathroom.  Enjoy the very diverse designs shown in the photos below.  Blessings.  …susan

Source: Bathrooms by Chris Casson Madden

^The built-in shelves seen in the photo above serves many functions including a shelf for a television, audio controls, books, towel storage, and toiletries. I like how they used different colors of towels to enhance the shelves. I am not sure how functional and safe it is to have a lamp on the vanity counter. I do like the wall mount of the faucet instead of it being mounted on the vanity counter.

Source: Timber Homes Illustrated

^I am assuming on the opposite end of the vanity which is not seen is the same medicine cabinet with open shelf for towels as shown above. This will provide a generous amount of space for towel storage. Note on the left side of the photo is the bath tub and there is a basket with wash cloths.

 

Source: The Bathroom Idea Book by Andrew Wormer

^I like the thickness of the glass shelves shown above though I tend to shy away from glass shelves due to the fact the dust they collect is usually quite noticeable.

^Source Unknown-if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

I like these cubby holes created in the stone. Also not the side wall above the vanity is on an angle.  I like the long hardware handles used on the cabinets.

Source: The Bathroom Idea Book by Andrew Wormer

^An interesting design using an aquarium instead of a fireplace. Note there are more towels in the chest on the shelf above the aquarium which I assume are the wash cloths and hand towels.

 

Source: Bathrooms by Chris Casson Madden

^The glass shelves filled with floral printed towels shown above is a bit too busy for my taste though it offers another option for bathroom towel storage.

Source:  Bathrooms by House Beautiful

^An interesting and different kind of bathroom design that on first look appeared to me to be a his and her side with the towels and seated area dividing the two sides. Upon further inspection the wall behind the seated make-up area is a mirror. Note how the drawers are on an upward diagonal. Those look like some powerful lights mounted on the mirror above the make-up table.

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday November 29, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. For over twenty-five years I have collected various spiritual and inspirational quotes and messages. My hope is that when you read these, you will pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share this post with a friend who just so happens to be in need of reading what I am sharing today. Going through my keepsake drawer I ran across an email forward I printed and kept dated 1999, It was from a friend named Darby. There is no source noted- so unfortunately I cannot give credit to the person who wrote this.  Lots and lots of wisdom in what this person has learned and shared with us. Blessings.  …susan

I’ve Learned-

I’ve learned- that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is be someone who can be loved.  The rest is up to them.

I’ve learned- that no matter how much you care, some people just don’t care back.

I’ve learned – that it takes years to build up trust, and only seconds to destroy it.

I’ve learned- that it’s not what you have in your life but who you have in your life that counts.

I’ve learned- that you can get by on charm for about fifteen minutes. After that you’d better know something.

I’ve learned- that you shouldn’t compare yourself to the best others can do.

I’ve learned- that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I’ve learned- that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I’ve learned- that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I’ve learned that you can keep going long after you can’t.

I’ve learned- that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I’ve learned- that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I’ve learned- that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I’ve learned- that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I’ve learned- that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I’ve learned- that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I’ve learned- that sometimes the people you expect to kick when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I’ve learned- that sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

I’ve learned- that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I’ve learned that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

I’ve learned- that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I’ve learned- that your family won’t always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren’t related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren’t biological.

I’ve learned- that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in awhile and you must forgive them for that.

I’ve learned- that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.

I’ve learned- that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I’ve learned- that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I’ve learned- that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other and just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

I’ve learned- that we don’t have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I’ve learned- that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I’ve learned- that two people can look at the  exact same thing and see something totally different.

I’ve learned- that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I’ve learned- that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don’t even know you.

I’ve learned- that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I’ve learned- that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I’ve learned- that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I’ve learned- that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings and standing up for what you believe.  

Source unknown- if you know the source and contact me, I will note it.

Bathroom Towel Storage Options Series Part Two-Furniture

Continuing my Bathroom Towel Storage Options Series, this post will focus on storing towels in a piece of furniture in your bathroom. I hope the photos shown below give you ideas for your bathroom.  Blessings.  …susan

^Source: Great Baths Collection

^Source: Villa Decor by Betty Lou Phillips

 

^Source: Villa Decor by Betty Lou Phillips

 

^Source Unknown- if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

^Source: Beautiful Baths 2009

More posts to come so please check back!

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday Post November 22, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. For over twenty-five years I have collected various spiritual and  inspirational quotes and messages. My hope is that when you read these, you will pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share this post with a friend who just so happens to be in need of reading what I am sharing today.

Back in the 80’s, I wrote down 10 Steps to a richer, fuller life. I am not sure where I read these but do remember making them a daily part of my life. At some point I got away from doing these- so I am thrilled to begin again.

10 Steps to a Richer, Fuller Life

1. Pray the last thing at night before going to sleep.  This simple act will give you a better nights sleep.

2. Pray the first thing in the morning. I like to say “Good Morning God” when I awake and then pray for my day asking God to accompany me throughout my day.

3. Pray for the world. Think about the issues facing our world and pray for a leaders to make right and just decisions. Don’t forget to pray for our soldiers.

4. Pray for others. Family, friends, co-workers- even those you hear about on the news.

5. Pray for our enemies. Separate the sin from the sinner. Hate the sin but forgive the sinner.

6. Ask yourself daily what you truly desire? I like to take this a step further and write down what I truly desire. When I speak it and write it down it helps me to bring my true desires to the surface.

7. Each and every day try at some point to be alone with self and God. Have a conversation with God and reveal to him what is in your heart and mind.

8. Each day try at least once to be consciously with people or a person and listen to their needs. It can be as simple as eye contact and a chat with the checkout person or to sit with a friend and listen intently to what they have to say.

9. Determine daily in one specific area to affect your environment. There are an infinite number of ways to positvely affect your environment. When I walk in the park,  I like to pick up at least one piece of trash. When I am in a store, I like to pick up an item off the floor back on the shelf.  When driving I like to let a car merge in my lane or pull out in front of me. At the grocery store, I like to grab a shopping cart from the parking lot and take it into the store.  (Do you have something you do that is gratifying? If so, please comment and share it.)

10. Each day say a definite NO to some activity and a definite YES to another.  When I first tried doing this it was much more difficult than I would have imagined. I find there are many opportunities to say no- but less to say yes. I can say no to a food, no to buying something, no to listening to gossip, etc.  My yes’s tend to be to take care of something I might want to put off until tomorrow and to give myself permission to do something for myself. (To what might you say a definite no and a definite yes? Please share with a comment.)

Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving!  …susan

Bathroom Towel Storage Option Series Part One-Vanity

Welcome to my Bathroom Towel Storage Option Series. Over the next two weeks I will publish several posts showing options for bathroom towel storage. This first post will give you ideas for storing your bathroom towels in the bathroom vanity.  You will find some towels are folded while others are rolled. Enjoy! 

Source: Beautiful Baths 2008

^The white towels perfectly folded in the photo above add to the elegance of this vanity.  I think they would also look elegant if rolled.  Another option would have been a glass cabinet door.

Source Unknown-if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

^Don’t you think these open shelves add to the design of this vanity?

Source: Villa Decor by Betty Lou Phillips

^The blue towels stored in the open shelves above serve as an accent color for this blue and white bathroom. 

 Source Unknown-if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

^The double row of open shelves in the photo above is very spacious and provides many options for towel storage as well as other storage. There is plenty of space for folded or rolled towels. The baskets actually replace drawers. They could hold hand and wash cloths. The rest of the baskets could hold hair products, with another one holding make up, another hair dryers/curling irons/ flattening irons, etc. 

Source: Bathrooms by House Beautiful

^A large open shelf as shown above gives you lots of towel storage options. They have rolled the large bath sheets, made a stack of bath towels with wash cloths on top, and then made a stack of hand towels. One could add a small basket and put rolled wash cloths in it to offset the basket of bath brushes. Another interesting detail in the photo above is the towel bar located under what appears to be a medicine cabinet. Take a moment and think about how you would store towels on this vanity shelf.

Source Unknown- if you know the source and contact me I will note it.

^When I was looking for photos for this post, I ran across this one showing four cubby holes to store folded or rolled towels. An attractive option for storing towels. As I was studying this photo for this post, what caught my attention were the interesting sconces, the three-way mounted magnifying mirror and the shutter to cover the windows. Sometimes I find interesting elements in a photo I have chosen to support my post!

Source: Bathrooms by House Beautiful

Above is another option- this time it is storing towels on a rounded corner shelf.  The monogram adds a design element.

Source: Dream Baths

^Storing towels on an opens shelf under the sink in this photo is a great way to hide the plumbing. Additionally, I am wild about the drawer under the towels!

Of course you can always store towels behind a vanity cabinet door or in a vanity drawer.  Check back for Part Two of this series.  Blessings.  …susan

A One Day Offer-

My friend, Paula Owens, is the author of a book titled The Power of 4. Paula’s book is full of information that will motivate and educate you in your quest for optimal or better health.

Don’t we all talk to ourselves or our friends about doing better with our diet and exercise. Almost always on the first day of each month I will make a commitment in my mind that I am going to treat my body as a temple and only allow nutritionally sound foods to enter. Some months I make it the entire month other months I don’t do so well. With the holidays upon us, we will all be tempted to reach for unhealthy foods. Some of us will just give in and think I will start a diet the first of the year; others will be mindful of our choices. Either way, Paula’s book will help you now or in the new year.

Paula is offering through Amazon.com a one day event today (November 20, 2009) where you can buy her book for $11.33.  Click here to link to that offer.  You can check out her website as well.  http://www.paulaowens.com/  

Blessings and good health!  …susan

PS  My next post will begin tomorrow- a series on storing towels in your bathroom. 

Storing Wine In Your Kitchen: Mistakes to Avoid

As a follow up to my Storing Wine In Your Kitchen Series, I want to share with you some mistakes to avoid.

1. Make sure the openings for storing wine is deep enough so that the wine bottle doesn’t stick out too far.

2. Don’t make the opening so tight it only fits the standard size wine bottle (750 ml). The 1.5 liter size wine bottle (magnum) is also very popular and I recommend that your openings be able to fit both sizes.

3. Pay attention to the location of the kitchen windows and make sure sunshine will not shine directly on your bottles of wine.

4. If you store wine behind a cabinet door and want to be able to lock that cabinet, inform your builder/cabinet maker before the cabinets are made.

5. Consider any physical restrictions you might have that would prevent you from stooping over to retrieve wine stored below the kitchen counter or reaching high to retrieve wine stored above the kitchen counter.

6. If you have young children, make sure wine stored below the counter is located behind a door which can be locked with a key or childproof locks can be applied.

7. Though in the series I showed some photos of wine stored above the refrigerator, it is important to make sure the heat generated from the refrigerator motor does not reach that area as it can dry out the cork and spoil the wine.

Source of photo unknown

8. Avoid storing wine above an oven due to the heat that escapes when the oven door is open.

9. Ice makers generate a lot of heat so make sure if you are storing wine near an ice maker it will not be affected by the heat.

10. Spend time calculating how many bottles of wine you will be storing so you do not end up not having enough storage or you end up wasting space with too much storage.  In the photo below over 100 bottles of wine can be stored under the island. If you do not have that much wine, a better use for some of the space would be to add  cabinets, drawers, or shelves for cookbooks.

Source: The New Smart Approach to Kitchen Design by Susan Maney

11. Make sure if you use decide to have individual storage using the criss-crossed design that the wood is substantial enough so it will not split or break.

Source: Kitchen Ideas That Work by Beth Veillette

My hope is that you enjoyed this series- giving you ideas and preventing mistakes!  Blessings.  …susan

PS I forgot my laptop at home when I left town this past weekend so I skipped my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday Post.

Storing Wine In Your Kitchen Series Part Five-

Welcome to the final post of my Storing Wine In Your Kitchen Series. To view the previous posts, click here for post one, here for post two, here for post three, and here for post four.

During the time that I have been working on my Storing Wine In Your Kitchen Series, I happened to have dinner at Giovanni’s- which happens to be my favorite restaurant in Nashville. With wine storage options on my mind, I was drawn to the enormous wine bottles on display in the bar (see photo below-note in front are regular size bottles of wine to give you a visual comparison). I asked Giovanni if I could take a photo as he rattled off the names of the bottles and told me there are some that are even larger. I had seen a Jerobaum which is 4.5 liters and assumed that was the largest size. Little did I know. What about you, did you know there is a size called a Sovereign which is 25 liters and it pours 125 glasses of wine?  I could barely lift the largest one in the photo below and in comparison it is half the size of the Sovereign.  I cannot imagine anyone trying to lift and pour the Sovereign. I will ask Giovanni if it is used purely for display and if not, how is it poured and report back with the answer.

From the back row right-to-left is Nebuchadnezzar, Balthazar, Salmanazar, and the last two on the left are both Methuselah. It appears the second to last is larger due to the height but both are 6 liters. The diameter of the bottle on the left is extends higher to counter for the height. I placed standard bottles of wine in front of these monsters to give you an idea of the size of these bottles of wine.

Giovanni’s is located close to Vanderbilt University and Music Row.

Giovanni came to the United States from Northern Italy in the mid-seventies making New York City his new home.  He learned to speak English and in 1982, he opened his first restaurant in New York City. In 1994, he moved to 55th between 5th and 6th in 1994 and remained at that location until closing the doors this year. He opened Giovanni’s in Nashville in November 2008. Many Nashvillians were customers in his New York restaurant and became friends of Giovanni and his lovely wife, Nieda. In fact, he and Nieda, have had an apartment in Nashville for sixteen years. They now call Nashville their home.

Below is a list of 19 bottle sizes which gives you the name of the bottle, size, and number of glasses it will pour.

Bottle
Size
Number of Glasses
Comments

Mignonette
5cl to 25cl
-
Is used as a sample

Piccolo
20cl
1
1/4 of a standard bottle

Chopine
25cl
1.25
1/3 of a standard bottle

Half bottle (or demi)
37.5cl
1.875
Also known as Split or Tenth

Fillette
37.5cl
1.875
Same as Half
In Loire Valley only

Bottle
75cl
3.75
Standard bottle

Magnum
1.5l
7.5
2 standard bottles

Marie-Jeanne or Dame-Jeanne
2.25l
11.25
In some areas it can contain 3l

Double Magnum
3l
15
4 standard bottles

Jeroboam
4.5l
22.5
In Bordeaux
In Burgundy and Champagne, Jeroboam is 3l
First king of Israel

Rehoboam
4.5l
22.5
In Burgundy and Champagne
Son of Solomon and King of Judah

Imperial
6l
30
In Bordeaux
8 standard bottles

Methuselah or Mathusalem
6l
30
In Burgundy and Champagne
Patriarch in the Bible

Salmanazar
9l
45
12 standard bottles
King of Assyria

Balthazar
12l
60
16 standard bottles
Regent of Babylon

Nebuchadnezzar or Nabuchodonosor
15l
75
In Burgundy and Champagne
20 standard bottles
King of Babylon

Melchior
18l
90
In Burgundy and Champagne
24 standard bottles

Solomon
20l
100
Very rare

Sovereign
25l
125
In Champagne, rare

A glass is 20cl of wine (0.21 US quart / 0.42 pint / 6.75 oz)

Liquid measurements
1 liter = 0.26 US gallon / 1.05 US quart / 2.11 pint / 33.8 oz
1 standard bottle (75cl) = 0.2 US gallon / 0.8 US quart / 1.58 pint / 25.35 oz

Source:: Terrior-France website

Thank you for visiting my blog. I would love to hear from you in a comment!  Blessings. …susan

Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday Post November 8, 2009

Welcome to my Spiritual & Inspirational Sunday post. For over twenty-five years I have collected various spiritual and  inspirational quotes and messages. My hope is that when you read these, you will pause and reflect. Perhaps you will share this post with a friend who just so happens to be in need of reading what I am sharing today.

Last week, I ran across of piece of paper in the drawer where I keep quotes or words of wisdom that resonate with me and thought I would use it in my Sunday post. I do not know when I read this or where it came from- just that I had jotted down the following on a piece of paper:

Being happy does not mean everything needs to be perfect. It just means you’ve decided to see beyond the imperfection. So don’t say you are happy because everything’s alright. Be happy because everything sucks and your are still doing just fine. 

Earlier this week  I received two Abraham & Hicks daily email quotes from a friend. They seemed to relate to the above quote so I decided to include them. 

Everything exists for joy. There is not one other reason for life than joy. We've got nothing to prove to anyone, because nobody other than All-That-Is is watching. In other words, we're not trying to get brownie points from some other galaxy. We're not trying to get someplace else; we're not trying to get it done, because there is no ending--we cannot get it done. Everything exists for the purpose of joy in the moment.  November 3, 2009

A happy life is just a string of happy moments. But most people don't allow the happy moment, because they're so busy trying to get a happy life. November 4, 2009

These serve as a reminder to me to stay in the moment- to chose to be happy- and to choose to be joyful. I don’t need to feel like I have to wait to have fun until everything is in order- the laundry is done, the dishwasher is unloaded, the house is clean, my next post is ready, etc.  I am learning to embrace life today- to enjoy the moment and not put off having a joyful experience.  Hopefully you will choose to be happy and joyful in the moment!  Blessings.  …susan

Storing Wine In Your Kitchen Series Part Four

Welcome to Part Four of my Storing Wine In Your Kitchen Series. To see Parts One, Two, and Three, click here, here, and here.

In Part Four, I am featuring walls of cabinets that serve as bars/coffee bars that are part of the kitchen area.

Source: Kitchen Ideas That Work by Beth Veillette

^The generous amount of counter space in the wall of cabinets shown above creates many uses. I could see the counter below the stained glass window being the beverage center for a buffet dinner or other gathering. Another option would be to use it for serving coffee and desserts. If having a smaller gathering, a buffet dinner could be set up there.  Of course, the entire unit could function as a bar. When entertaining you could place a tray of wine and cocktail glasses on the counter. Did you notice the wine glasses hanging under the left upper cabinet?

Source unknown. If you know the source of this photo please contact me so I can note it.

^I find the wall of cabinets in the photo above to be very functional and very attractive.  It is a combination of a butler’s pantry, a bar, and a coffee bar.  I love the symmetry in the upper cabinets. I am a fan of the appliance garage holding the coffee maker with the coffee cups stored conveniently in the cabinet above.  It appears to have dishwasher drawers or perhaps they are refrigerator drawer (bottom right side of photo). To the left of those it appears to be an ice maker. I am thinking the vertical pull out cabinet in the bottom center of the photo is for trash or it could hold whiskey bottles.

Source unknown- if you know the source of this photo please contact me so I can note it.

^I found this wall unit to be quite interesting. Instead of storing wine, this homeowner chose to store bottled water.

My hope is that the photos in this post have given you ideas for your dream home. Blessings.  …susan

Storing Wine In Your Kitchen Series Part Three

Welcome to Part Three of my Storing Wine In Your Kitchen Series. This post will focus on storing wine below the kitchen counter. To see Part One, click here. For Part Two, click here.

 

Source of photo unknown.

Above and below are two ideas for under cabinet wine storage.  As noted in the first post of this series, when storing wine beneath the counter you need to take into account the stooping that is required as well as not being able to childproof when there is no cabinet door. 

Source of photo: Kitchens by Chris Casson Madden

^In the photo above, creating the wine storage was a nice use of narrow space that would have otherwise been wasted.

Source of photo: The New Smart Approach to Kitchen Design by Susan Maney

^I like the wine storage idea shown in the photo above. It appears to hold five bottles of wine deep and six bottles of wine vertically which totals 30 bottles.  Though in this particular photo the pullout cabinet is not below a kitchen counter, I included it because it could easily be made to fit below the counter. One concern I have which I cannot tell if it is addressed in this photo is if the bottles move when the cabinet is pulled out. That could be an easy remedy working with your cabinet maker.

The next three photos were in Part One of this series. I included them again because they can be used below an island or below a kitchen counter.

Source of photo unknown.

Source of photo: Kitchens by Chris Casson Madden

Source of photo unknown.

I hope you have enjoyed the series so far. There is still more to come!  Check back for Part Four which will focus on storing wine in the kitchen bar counter or coffee bar counter. Blessings. …susan