More Pink from New York City

......................The Holidays wind down.

...............................Take a deep breath.

......................................You're glad they're over, right?

That hopefully restful period of late Winter is setting in where we can kick back on chilly days and freezing nights, stoke the fireplace logs, read some good books, watch old movies, knit something soft and cuddly (I'm working on a scarf), perhaps plan decorating and gardening projects, and maybe vacation travel for this New Year.

Pink satin toe shoes and vintage prom dresses, part of the delicate pinks used for display at Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Couture shop in NYC.

Rachel's new book Shabby Chic Interiors ~ My Rooms, Treasures and Trinkets, wrapped and tied with pink vintage fabric.

The ballerina in pink - window decorations at Macy's Herald Square, NYC flagship store.

More pink in Macy's windows - their decor is always very traditional. Visions of sugar plums etc., always lovely at Christmas.

Happy Pink Saturday....................and a very happy New Year to each of you. Visit Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for the list of Pink Saturday participants.

New Year Greetings

To all my dear friends around the world, some from home and childhood days in England, others I've made here during many years in the USA...............and all the many delightful and caring friends I've made and met from the past three years of blogging.

To each and every one of you, my very best wishes for this New Year. May you and your loved ones have good health, all the happiness you so deserve, and prosperity! Thank you for being a friend to me, you have brightened my days in more ways than I can express, and I hope to keep in touch through another year, sharing little bits of life from the cottage.

~~~ HAPPY NEW YEAR ~~~

A new day......a sad day

The huge double-trunked, dangerously leaning oak, on the side of our property was taken down on Monday..............................our neighbor is sighing with relief no doubt!

.....................followed by the three large trees on each side of the driveway whose giant roots have undermined and cracked the concrete (new driveway next Spring!). These I'll truly miss because the birds loved perching in them...........but our cars sitting under them suffered! The front porch will have no shade now so I'm hoping to have a large dogwood planted later. The birds will then have somewhere to perch again when they visit the birdbath and feeders, and we won't feel exposed when enjoying a glass of wine on the porch on a cool Spring evening.

Then they trimmed branches from several trees in the back garden......which mean squirrels' nests will need to be built closer to heaven!

Anyone want to send me some trees?????????

Jasmin's self-portrait taken as the trees came down.

Granddaughter Jasmin, like me, had mixed feelings about felling our trees - she looked much prettier than me Monday as we sadly snapped away with our cameras.......so you get to see her!

Photos from Monday morning by Jasmin and yours truly.

Carrying On

Bet you've seen this saying a lot recently. It's popular as a framed poster in many colors. I was thrilled to receive this mug for Christmas - there's even a red crown on the bottom inside - from my wonderful friend Elinor. I've been adding a few touches of red to brighten up my kitchen as all my dishes are white or cream now, so I love this mug!

BUT.......do you know the story behind this saying?

It was 1939 and Britain was on the brink of war. In anticipation of this the British Government's Ministry of Information commissioned a series of propaganda posters to reassure the population they would be defended at all costs.

The posters were to be displayed all over the country once war was declared. Using only the crown of King GeorgeVI this particular posted simply read "KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON". It never actually made it onto the walls of Britain and was never officially issued.

A crumpled copy of the poster was however rediscovered by chance many years later amongst a pile of dusty old books in a book store in Northumberland, England.

This simple poster with its simple message is just as relevant today as it was back in the 1930's.

I'm definitely trying to keep calm and carry on this chilly morning. I'm sitting here with the mug filled to the brim with cafe au lait as I await the "tree guys". Any minute now their arrival, accompanied by a crane, bucket truck, stump grinder and mulcher, could turn the cottage garden into a chaotic mess. We are having to take down three large trees and have a lot of trimming done. Hate doing this but we have a dangerous situation. Thoughts of an ice storm with falling trees and branches this Winter have become scary.

KEEPING CALM.........kind of!!!!!

Not So Shabby

HAPPY BOXING DAY. This is my favorite day of the year ~ and if I can't be home in England having real Boxing Day fun, I'll do the best I can here and share some more NYC fun.

Shabby Chic Couture - 117 Mercer Street, New York

Many of you, like me, were thrilled to learn that Rachel Ashwell is back. Rachel brought the 'shabby chic' look to decorating some 20 years ago. Following difficult times with her brand a year or so ago, she closed all her retail shops (her 'Simply Shabby Chic' linens have continued to be available at Target ~ I use them on all my beds and love them). Rachel has now opened two new shops in the USA, one in Santa Monica, CA the other in New York City. Although many of us have her beautiful books to get us through decorating dilemmas, and can cozy up in a favorite reading nook, turning the pages and dreaming, actually visiting the new shop was at the top of my list for the NYC visit last week. Despite my adoration of all things French, my English roots still require some roses, shabby slipcovers, faded chintz, royal crowns and pretty lampshades thrown into the mix!

Rachel's Christmas decorations in this breathtakingly beautiful shop were quite simple but lovely.

More of the shop next time with a glimpse of what I brought home ~ and a surprise.

Christmas Day

WISHING YOU A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS

High Flying.......

View from our hotel room.

Life at the top can be dizzy.......................freezing, windy, but oh so fabulous seeing New York City from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building after the first snowfall.

Flatiron Building - snowy streets.

Even your tootsies would be red and frozen living up here!

We're home safely after five wonderful pre-Christmas days in the city. Off to tie up all the loose ends and then sit back, relax in the warmth of home and enjoy the real meaning of Christmas.

A very blessed and happy Christmas to you all.