~Eureka !!~

Springs, that is. Eureka Springs, Arkansas. A wonderful little jewel of a town, nestled into the very hills, deep in the Ozarks.

This gem has been a favorite of best friend and I for years. We never get tired of the place. We have been on countless girlfriends weekends here, staying at various bed and breakfasts, and other times we jut take day trips.

This particular excursion was one of those day trips. I tagged along with best friend and her parents and her aunt, for a lovely day of shopping and lunching and soaking up the laid back atmosphere.

Eureka Springs is a haven for weddings, and honeymoons, and great escapes.There is something for everyone..... art and architecture on every corner.

Notice the beautiful detail work and the stained glass on this building.

 The buildings of the past housing the trendy and eclectic items of  today.

There is always entertainment in the park.

I'm awed by the beautiful bluff surrounding this little park

 And then there are the parades for any reason at all.

Eureka Springs is pet friendly too. Good thing, since BFF's parents take their 'babies' everywhere.

Meet Star

And Cagney

Best friend and I have stayed at the famous Crescent Hotel on the top of a hill overlooking the valley below. Breathtaking views.

The hotel built in 1886, is made of beautiful brown Arkansas stone, surrounded by lush gardens , a charming chapel

...........and GHOSTS.  But of course.  If you were a ghost, this is exactly where you would want to be. The TV show "Ghost Hunters" even filmed an episode here, but BFF and I didn't run into any on our stay, though we looked.  Well wait a minute, what's this????

The tiny winding streets take you through tree lined neighborhoods full of Bed & Breakfasts. Houses and cottages perched precariously on the hillsides, all dressed up in their rainbow of colors.  Each one trying to outdo the one before.
Here is one we stayed at 'Sinclair House'

And here is our favorite , 'The Arbor Glen'. We have stayed here 3 times, although it's been several years now, so I cannot vouch for the current establishment.

But we loved having breakfast out on this beautiful porch which felt like you were in a tree house.

Time for lunch. And we opt for one of our all time favorites. The Mud Street Cafe

It's a darling little town, and I am happy to come back again and again. 

If you come, bring your appetite for a good time ( and don't forget your walking shoes) and let Eureka Springs whisper to you.

You have got to love a place where the staff wears T-Shirts that say:

"Our servers are heavily medicated for your protection."

Oh yeah, the food is great too. Ha ha

~Jack, Come back~

I have always been fascinated by the story of the sinking of the Titanic, April 1912.

The sadness of all these people who were heading somewhere .......full of hope,and excitement, or looking forward to new beginnings.
 Many with loved ones waiting on the other side.
all lost in a moment. 

The movie captured so  much of what I imagine the night to have been like.

Lives just being lived in the moment, dancing and dining the night away in their elegant surroundings, unaware that this will be the LAST night for many of them.

actual photograph of one of the dining rooms

I was thrilled to find out that James Cameron's " Titanic "was being re-released this month for the 

100 year anniversary of the tragedy. In IMAX and 3D, no less.

So after much anticipation
 we are off for our 3 hour adventure.

Tickets in hand

Snacks at the ready

Erin, ever the fashionista modeling the latest in 3D eye wear.

It was more spectacular than I imagined.  

And getting such an up close view of all the gorgeous clothing was a real treat.

Did you forget just how adorable Leonardo di Caprio was?

And it was also more traumatic, seeing it........larger than life.

I actually hoped that this time, Jack might be saved. In fact I was sure of it.  I was almost able to reach out and touch him.

but alas..............No.
It was not meant to be.


There were sniffles of course, and a tear or two discreetly brushed from a cheek
but my girlfriends and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie
 ( and highly recommend seeing it at an IMAX theatre in 3D)
But all in all it's still.... just a movie. It ends, and we go home to our lives.

For for the real passengers the horror was beyond belief.

But we still remember their story all these years later. We are still talking about them,  looking for bits and pieces of information, trying to piece together that night of nights.
We are fascinated to find a bit of china, insignia from an officers' uniform, a childs' toy....that help to bring the stark,  dry historical  facts into clearer focus,

actual Titanic china pattern being re-released for the anniversary

two authentic White Star Line china cups and saucers from the collection of historian Russ Upholster Jr, match examples salvaged from Titanic. (courtesy Tea Time Magazine)

Passenger category	Number aboard	Number saved	Number lost	Percentage saved	Percentage lost
Children, First Class	6	5	1	83.4%	16.6%
Children, Second Class	24	24	0	100%	0%
Children, Third Class	79	27	52	34%	66%
Women, First Class	144	140	4	97%	3%
Women, Second Class	93	80	13	86%	14%
Women, Third Class	165	76	89	46%	54%
Women, Crew	23	20	3	87%	13%
Men, First Class	175	57	118	33%	67%
Men, Second Class	168	14	154	8%	92%
Men, Third Class	462	75	387	16%	84%
Men, Crew	865	192	693	22%	78%
Total	2224	710	1514	32%	68

(figures from Wikipedia)

these were not just 1514  victims, they were real people and we wish to know something about them.........we want to touch their lives in some way. 

Not far from my little corner of the world, we are lucky to have a wonderful 'Titanic Museum' that really does a fine job of weaving the story with the artifacts on display.  
It's very well done.  And if you are intrigued by this particular event in history it's worth checking it out.

Titanic Museum in Branson, MO

click here

Good bye Jack.

~Happy Easter~

Happy Easter Everyone

While celebrating the joy of this Spring Holiday
 In the midst of chocolate bunnies



And peeps

Let us not forget the true meaning of Easter

and offer our heartfelt Thank You.

~April Showers.....~

You know how the rest of it goes.....

But one of my favorite plants BLOOMS in April
Meet Guernsey Cream , a lovely Clematis

I even love her name......Guernsey Cream.
I love her big creamy petals.

Isn't she lovely?

She is very happy where she lives and wears this little bird house as a crown.

She puts on quite a show in early April
And since she's the only one blooming this time of year, she gets all the attention.
So,  a big round of applause......thank you Guernsey Cream for your beautiful April Show. !!!

~Let Them Eat Cake~

From my first attempts with little fingers at patting out mud pies

to my first easy bake oven, where I stood guard over my little treasure as it baked happily away under a light bulb

to my graduation to a 'real stove'

"Let's bake a cake" has always been a happy refrain.

My hands down favorite cake has always been the 'classic white wedding cake'

Why, I've been know to go to weddings of people I don't even know, just to sample the cake.

(.....well, not really, but don't think I haven't thought about it. Ha ha)

This a pretty good little recipe, for such an easy cake. Very moist, very light.

(recipe to follow)

Since The Dressed Up Cottage is an empty nest with just me and Mr. Wonderful, I cut the recipe in half. One layer is perfect for the two of us.

It's amazing just how many shots Miss Lizzie wriggles herself into.

Hmmmm..... cakes come out so much better when not baked under a light bulb!!

Now let's just see how this tastes, shall we?

......YUM

the only thing missing now is a Bride & Groom.

Recipe found online at Recipe Girl.com

White Wedding Cake

1 Box white cake mix (Duncan Hines Moist)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/3 cup water

2 TBS vegetable or canola oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

4 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour your desired pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt.

Add remaining ingredients and beat for 2 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Be sure to fill them 3/4 to 1 inch below the rim. Bake for about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Tips:

Add 1 tsp of almond extract in addition to the vanilla for a different flavor

Cupcakes take about 18 mins to bake.

Wedding Cake Buttercream

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup butter ( room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 to 2 TBS whipping cream ( as needed)

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar on low speed. Mix until blended then increase speed to medium for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream ( start with just one TBS) for  1 minute adding more cream if needed to reach desired spreading consistency.

Enjoy