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Welcome to The Morning Star Update!
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Greetings!
If one wants to start conversation in Kansas, the weather is usually a pretty good place to begin. Once again, this past month, we had a wide range of conditions. Despite today's cold temperatures, the snow from last week's blizzard is nearly melted ... and if one is to believe the forecast, next week we will once again be able to enjoy warmer days.
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Sunny Irish Cream Coffee
Traditionally, Irish Coffee is made with a shot of Irish Whiskey and a dallop of whipped cream. This lighter tasting version is made with Bailey's Irish Cream and Orange Liqueur. per serving: 4oz. coffee, hot 1 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream 1/2 oz. orange liqueur dallop of whipped cream orange peel, for garnish Stir liqueurs into coffee. Top with whipped cream and garnish with orange peel. Serve right away. Happy St. Patrick's Day! |
Rock Garden Flower Arrangement
This bouquet was originally going to be gerbera daisies and colored eggs for Easter. I had come across a photo of such an arrangement and decided that I was going to make one too. However, I couldn't find a vase large enough to accommodate both the eggs and another vase - one that was itself large enough to hold enough flowers to make the outer vase look full. So then I was going to use jelly beans as filler, but I decided that just wasn't the look I wanted. After some contemplation, I decided upon river rock for filler ... and it turns out that I am quite happy with this option. The arrangement, of which the photo at left is a close-up, is 26" tall. To create a similar piece, you will need a large heavy-weight vase (mine is 10" tall and 6.5" wide), a small vase to go inside it (mine is 8" tall and 3.5" wide), 9 lbs. of polished small river rocks, clear plastic and your flowers. I used 5 golden orange sunflowers, white wax flowers, and a few stems of greenery. Wrap the smaller vase in several layers of plastic (I used clear plastic bags) to prevent it from getting scratched by the rocks. Fill the smaller vase with water then arrange your flowers in it. Place the smaller vase in the larger one, being sure to center it. Carefully place the rocks around the smaller vase, working your way around rather than filling one side at a time. This will help keep the vase centered. Viola! What a cheerful sight! |
Designing Your Perfect House by William J. Hirsch Jr, AIA
Designing Your Perfect Home is a departure from the type of books that I usually write about for The Update, but anyone who knows me well knows that I love interesting houses. I designed our kitchen remodel a few years ago, and just love the design process. So this book appealed to me when I saw it. It, of course, has lovely photos of beautiful homes with interesting architectural details. However, this isn't just a coffee table book. It is full of practical advice on topics such as how to situate a house on a site, creating focal points, unifying the home's design, common mistakes to avoid such as dreary hallways and misplaced bathrooms. (View Hirsch's designs.) More than just looking at the pictures, I enjoyed reading the book. Do you have any books on residential architecture and design, or any other topic, that you would like to recommend?
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Once again, I hope that you have enjoyed this issue of
The Morning Star Update! Have a great March!
Sincerely,
Laurie Pieper
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Ladies' Weekend
at The Morning Star
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May 10th and 11th, we are hosting a special weekend for ladies ... friends, mothers and daughters, sisters. Come and enjoy a relaxing weekend including a Gift Basket, Afternoon Tea, a Wine Tasting and Flower Arranging Session. $400 single occupancy, $450 double occupancy, plus taxes, for two nights accommodations. Optional spa treatments additional. Reservations.
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International Women's Day
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Friday March 8th is International Women's Day. Started in the early 1900's, International Women's Day was created to promote equality for women and awareness of women's causes. In 2013, the date means different things in different parts of the world. In some countries, it is recognized as an official holiday ... an occasion for men to honor the various women in their lives. In other countries, such as the US, the date is used as an occasion to recognize the accomplishments of women and to
inspire future generations.
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Dates to Remember
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through March 3rd:
The House of Blue Leaves, MAC
March 1st: Poetry on Poyntz, Strecker-Nelson Gallery
March 1st - 3rd: Spring Book Sale, Manhattan Public Library
March 7th - 9th: The Marriage of Figaro, McCain Auditorium
March 12th: Mumenshanz, McCain Auditorium
March 16th: Celtic Tenors, McCain Auditorium
March 18th - 22nd: K-State Spring Break
March 21st - April 21st: Greater Prairie Chicken Viewing, Konza Prairie
March 27th: Wine Club at Della Voce (Austrian and German Wines)
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