Happy Christmas

Best wishes for a happy Christmas to you and yours!

Carolyne's Christmas

CR has updated her site with holiday bedazzlements. The "golden girls"entry was a warming appreciation of female family members.

I am admiring the small ice bucket, a minute version of one found at Tiffany's. I would easily pass on the Weatherstone cipher, nonetheless.

Ms. Roehm suggests seasonal togs for dogs, to include a green acorn dog scarf and an alpine dog coat.

The photography found on her site is alluring. The woman has elegant and polished taste.

simplify to enjoy....

Having read a number of blogger's pleas for a simplified holiday season, I am convinced organization is essential for enjoyment during this busy time of the year. This countdown list provided by the Washington Post may serve as a guide for your holiday preparations. Perhaps setting up a wrapping station in your home may seem excessive, however the mention may serve to remind that you will need papers, scissors, tape, ribbons and assorted garnishments for gifts. Ridding the refrigerator of aged foods to make room for leftovers was my favorite suggestion.

photo credit: www.englishcountryliving.com

Silent Night

A visit to Decorative Country Living

will put a "twinkle" in your holiday spirit.

Make sure your volume is adjusted so it is audible.

photo credit: www.englishcountryliving.com

a fruitcake?

You Are a Fruitcake!

You taste like nothing else in this world. And get ready, you're about to get tossed!

What Crappy Christmas Gift are you?

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, the subject of fruitcake came up. What exactly is it made of? Why do people call others a "fruitcake"? Does anyone really eat a fruitcake? What to do with a fruitcake if you receive one over the holidays. Interesting.
Seems I am one!

Christmas curiosities

Here I feature a fun little interactive quiz

to get you into the Christmas spirit

as seen on the blog, Pigtown Design.

Enjoy!

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
Hot chocolate, no doubt...made with real milk. Egg nog contains raw eggs. Ew.



2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Gifts are wrapped and placed under the tree. Santa was "exposed" many years ago...lol.


3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Clear lights that do not sparkle are the best and closely resemble the original, traditional lighting for Christmas trees, the candle.


4. Do you hang mistletoe?
No, but it sounds like fun!


5. When do you put your decorations up?
I begin directly after Thanksgiving. It takes many days to complete, however. The Christmas tree is purchased first, then placed in a bucket of water in the back yard until I get around to placing it indoors adding the embellishments.


6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Stuffing made with apples and raisins. It just tastes so great with the sweet addition.



7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Santa Claus flying outside the house awaiting all children to fall asleep and make his deliveries. All that tacky tinsel that was popular in the 50's and 60's.


8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Truth about Santa??

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
No.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? This year, my family and I will be in Florida for Christmas and a big tree is not an option. I do have a small version to display, however. When decorating the tree usually, I use white lights and lots of them, many small wooden, wax and pewter ornaments collected from my years of living in Germany.


11. Snow: love it or hate it?
I love a freshly fallen blanket of snow. I love to turn on the back spotlights and watch it fall from the sky at night so very quietly.


12. Can you ice skate?
I love to ice skate. I own my own blades.


13. Do you remember your favorite gift? hmmm.no, cannot recall an especially fave gift.


14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Happy times with friends and family.


15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Pumpkin anything...pie, cheesecake, bread

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? tree, Christmas music, live greenery everywhere, amaryllis and paperwhites, boxwood wreaths, pomanders

17. What tops your tree?
A straw angel purchased in Germany where the Christmas tree (tannenbaum) originated .

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
Giving.


19. What is your favorite Christmas song? God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan

20. Candy canes:
Red and white striped in the shape of a cane.


21. Favorite Christmas movie? The Polar Express

22. What do you leave for Santa? Cookies and milk accompanied by a carrot for the reindeer. In the morning, the cookies are gone and the carrot has been nibbled upon.

photo credit: Matthew Mead

CR's updated website

Carolyne Roehm presents gorgeous table settings,

recipes and assorted other treats for you to view.

Are you a wine snob?

Do you feel compelled to purchase a more expensive bottle of wine in order to have the best? Back in 2001, Frederic Brochet duped a panel of wine experts in this experiment.

This Thanksgiving, which wine will you be choosing to accompany your meal?

Remember those who have served and those who are serving...

Happy Halloween

eenie, meenie, miney, mo...

Available from the WQAD website, this interactive quiz

will reveal the candidate least likely to disappoint you down the road.

Good grief... today at the local strip mall, workers were putting up artificial holiday wreaths and wrapping the light poles with fake garland along with flocked red ribbon bows. Yea, you know the ones. Hmm.

If you'll be my bodyguard,

my latest mix of tunes...

Everyday Phil Collins

I Love Being Here With You Queen Latifah

Comin' to Your City Big & Rich

America Simon & Garfunkel

Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters Elton John

Club at the End of the Street Elton John

That's the Way Love Is Marvin Gaye

Too Busy Thinking about My Baby Marvin Gaye

Got to Give It Up Marvin Gaye

Dance Tonight Paul McCartney

Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five Paul McCartney & Wings

Poetry Man Queen Latifah

You Can Call Me Al Paul Simon

April Come She Will Simon & Garfunkel

...more cottages

Matthew Mead

Matthew Mead has updated his website

with autumn inspirations, recipes and assorted whimsical goodies.

rows of tiny cottages

While traveling in the UK back in the 70's, I collected these cute and quaint, diminutive porcelain cottages. Each is an individual home, pub, church or other structure; some famous others are not. Many are manufactured by the Mudlen End Studios. Some are John Putnam's Heritage Houses. Beautifully detailed renditions of architecture in the UK, they serve as reminders of my travels.

Boston Legal

90 MINUTE SEASON PREMIERE!

September 25 @ 9:30/8:30c

Momma's got a brand new bag...

The dau and I are thrilled with these bags (Le Pliage) by Longchamp.

They come in many sizes and beau-coup colors for use in every season. Available at Nordstroms and at a number of online sites.

Bunny's Point of View

Today, I pre-ordered this lovely book at Amazon. Delivery will be soon.

Martha my dear....

If you can never get enough of Martha Stewart, try these...


http://marthamoments.com/



http://marthamoments.blogspot.com/

off to the Sunshine State

Returning soon!

Hungarian Point, Encroaching Upright Gobelin and Old Florentine

For years, I have been stitching these gorgeous samplers; each one unique as the color of the yarns are varied. Inspiration for my work is the book, Book of Needlepoint by Elaine Slater. Originally published in 1973, this book presents easy to understand text, drawings and photos that assist. I have seen it offered on ebay recently.
I finish the projects as either pillows or framed pictures for the wall.
No painted canvas is necessary. Blank canvas which is blocked off with a pencil, needle,scissors, a selection of five colors for the persian yarns and another choice for the background is all that is needed.
Makes a fabulous and well-appreciated gift for special friends and family members.

latest tunes

Turn Down Day Cyrkle
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard Paul Simon
I Can’t Get You Off of my Mind Bob Dylan
Days Like This Van Morrison
Blue Money Van Morrison
Delta Lady Joe Cocker
Roundabout (acoustical version) Yes
The Henney Buggy Band Sufjan Stevens
Black Horse and a Cherry Tree KT Tunstall
Cry Me a River Joe Cocker
Everything Michael Buble
Tusk Fleetwood Mac
Suddenly I See KT Tunstall

Painted canvas, persian yarn and belt buckles

In the past few years, needlepoint has been a renewed interest for me. Here are two belts I stitched for the Colonel.

The bottom belt depicts scenes from The Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, where he has played a number of times.


After completing all stitching on the canvas, I send them off to be finished as belts, making fabulous personally-appointed gifts for special people in my life. Palm trees and hammocks between with a little boy reading a book was made for the dau, beer bottle labels for the son.

all decked out

Lately, photos of and commentary on my diminutive, yet functional deck have appeared on the teaorwine blog. Paradise Found: Gardening in Unlikely Places, by Rebecca Cole supplies insight for those designing this sort of outdoor space. My deck would be sophomoric in contrast to those outdoor spaces created by Ms. Cole. Even so, I enjoy strolling through the pages of this book from time to time.

Fabulous, full-color photos shot by Helen Norman of garden and architectural ornaments, roof-top terraces, outdoor furnishings, watering cans, container plantings, pots made of clay, concrete, galvanized metal filled with lush perennials, shrubs and vines, pergolas, porches, lighting, decks, fences, birdbaths, stone walls, steps and stairways are evidence of Ms. Cole’s ventures, more often than not in Manhattan.

Beneficial lists offer valuable information to practicing gardeners. These include preparing containers, a formula for arranging the most pleasing number of plants placed in groups, pointers for designing plantings in containers, laying a stone walkway, how to ready plants and containers for frosty temperatures (She suggests using bubble wrap around the containers as an insulator!).

I am partial to the way RC juxtaposes aged flea market finds (aka antiques, in some circles) and plant life to create harmonious surroundings. A glass of iced tea or wine, and a heap of reading material and I may well be comfortable and content at any of her locations!

It would be worth checking this book out while the temperatures remain warm outside.

Summertime on the deck (part three)

Amaryllis bulbs growing long strappy leaves before taking a nap in the basement for most of the winter. In the spring, I place them in a sunny location and begin watering again for a new set of blooms.

Rosemary and cast-iron fleur-de-lis.

"Summer afternoon... the two most beautiful words in the English language. "

~Henry James~

Summertime on the deck (part two)

Ivy topiary and Boston fern which come back every year to look gorgeous.

Notice the rosemary in a clay pot . I love to run my hands over this to release the fabulous aroma! Assorted herbs (oregano, flat-leafed and curly-leafed parsley, thyme and basil) thrive in an old wash tub.