Christmas Past

Wrapping and packing snowflakes and stars.

I was late, but just by a day. Twelfth Night and Epiphany passed by but I didn't take down my decorations until yesterday. No excuses other than too cold, too busy, a dental appointment, an H1N1 'flu shot in the arm.

One little star was not hidden away in the big green box. Instead it will remain, perhaps moving from place to place throughout the year, a memory, an inspiration.

Starlight, star bright,

The first star I see tonight;

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have the wish I wish tonight.

~19th Century English Nursery Rhyme~

*****

A Winter's Tale

A few mornings ago, after the deep freeze arrived here in central North Carolina, I found myself wide awake at 5 AM. After switching on the coffee pot and opening the blinds, I saw the huge white moon still hanging in the darkened sky to the West. Pulling my fleece robe tight around me, and slipping into thick socks, I stepped outside on the porch with a camera and took some shots, this one being the best. A frigid but beautiful clear morning.

Black-capped Chickadee

I sat at the computer for a while and, after the sun came up, it wasn't long before several chickadees and a lone titmouse flew onto the frozen fountain in search of a morning drink. Knowing the temps. were stuck below freezing for the coming days and water would remain solid ice, I boiled a tea kettle and poured on the hot water........for at least on hour or so the birds could drink.

Despite the biting cold, our skies are cloudless and sunny. I love this weather so much. This afternoon I looked skyward at a group of crows chasing a red-tailed hawk across the expanse of brilliant Carolina blue...............but this may change, tonight we may have snow.

Delightful Dining

Besides the irresistible Shabby Chic Couture white linen napkins with the silver crowns....................

..............I also purchased the soft natural linen ones with a small French blue fleur-de-lis embroidered on the corner.

For now they are piled on the hutch along with my vintage French dish towels purchased at La Madone in Provence.............but they will be used, definitely not hidden away in a drawer. I do love cloth napkins for the evening meal but usually resort to paper for breakfast and lunch. But, if YOU come join me for lunch or afternoon tea some day, we'll use these and I promise you'll get to choose ~ a crown or a fleur-de-lis.

Talking of napkins/serviettes..............what do you use to dab your mouth or wipe your sticky fingers, paper or cloth?

Rachel's Shabby Chic Couture

As promised, more from my recent visit to Rachel Ashwell's New York shop Shabby Chic Couture which opened last Fall. On entering, one feels surrounded by a peaceful calm. Most of the furniture, sofas and chairs, are dressed in white or pale natural linen upholstery or slipcovers, illuminated by fabulous overhead chandeliers and wall sconces. While my DH relaxed in a comfy chair, Jasmin and I wandered through the shop and, after getting permission from the very nice staff, took photos of all the beautiful things we would have liked to bring back to North Carolina!

I really fell for this amazingly pretty ruffled linen table cover. Rachel finds vintage linens and dyes them in pale, washed shades ~ still a lot of shabby chic white, her original look, but now some gentle colors added making a lovely mix.

Very pretty china and of course I had to buy a few of these washed linen napkins with embroidered silver crowns ~ knew they would fit in a corner of the rapidly bulging suitcase!

Plenty of plush pillows and lamp shades displayed.

Another exquisite dyed linen cloth ~ besides being used as a table cover I could see it across a pretty bed. Perfect white mugs with crowns.

The wall of Shabby Chic Couture linens wasn't exactly shabby either! These are gorgeous sets of sheets, duvet covers, bed skirts etc., much more high end (and higher priced) than the Simply Shabby Chic line found at Target ~ although they too are fabulous and I use them on my beds. I liked how Rachel has these packaged in pretty matching fabric bags rather than plastic.

It hardly seems possible that Rachel Ashwell, a London gal, came into our lives and homes via Southern California, with her original Shabby Chic style, 20 years ago! Those of us who shared her love of practical slip covered sofas, vintage lighting fixtures and painted flea market finds, embraced her vintage style through her books and television series. We have used her products and ideas in our own homes, mixing in those items of comfort, practicality and prettiness. Personally, I love her respect for old and imperfect items with a history..........and the romantic, comfortable way of making a room easy on the eye and very welcoming.

Loose white and washable slip covers, paintings of English roses, vintage crystal chandeliers, rumpled yet beautiful beds, painted flea market finds, the comfy cottage and farmhouse feeling, and a touch of French..................I feel these are the things that Rachel Ashwell brought to us here in the USA.

And the surprise? Opening soon in London, Rachel's hometown, her first British shop located at 202 Kensington Park Road in the Notting Hill district. Good luck Rachel ~ we are so glad you are back and sharing your beautiful finds and designs for our homes.

Rachel's newest book Shabby Chic Interiors ~ My Rooms, Treasures and Trinkets is a must to add to your decorating library. I guarantee you will love it! You can visit Rachel on her blog here.

New York's Finest

Takashimaya New York..................the small, exquisite Japanese department store on Fifth Avenue has to be my favorite place to browse and wish I was well-heeled with a few thousand bucks to spare! Their merchandise is so beautiful, I wanted to purchase several items for gifts........and something for myself to remind me of my visit. Fabulous clothing from creative designers in far off lands such as Norway. Household items so beautifully crafted. Quality luggage and travel accessories. Toiletries and cosmetics from the best manufacturers around the world. Baby clothes that make one wish for a little one to spoil. A floral department full of perfumed flowers and wonderful arrangements, and in the basement, the Tea Box Cafe and shop where perfumed teas are blended from elegant boxes lining the sleek wooden shelves.

No photography permitted in the store unfortunately but you can visit their website here to see some of their online offerings.

Takashimaya's signature cream boxes and bags with black silk cords and tassels.

If you enjoy wrapping gifts you will appreciate the way the sales clerks at Takashimaya put their hearts into making your purchases so elegant.........you don't ever want to unwrap them! They take your items, disappear for several minutes, then present you with simple, but beautifully shaped, folded boxes and bags containing your purchases. Inside the boxes lovely tissue papers are pleated and folded................I think that the packaging often costs more than the item inside!

My treasured bar of Cote Bastide soap from Provence, wrapped in a simple cream triangular box with bronze pleated tissue paper.

If you take a trip to New York City be sure to visit here. Takashimaya is quite different from the hustle and bustle of the usual department store..........an elegant, peaceful oasis you will really enjoy.

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.

Holiday Dress Up

I remember those days so well...............searching for glamorous outfits to wear over the holidays. Of course those were the days when our mothers and others did most of the cooking.........wearing freshly ironed Christmas aprons and comfy slippers, wiping their brows after opening the oven to check on "the bird" with one hand, stirring the bubbling gravy with the other.

I still love high fashion but realize it's mostly for the young, slim, rich..........with enough stamina to spend hours trolling the crowded department stores, survive the heat of tiny fitting rooms while pulling on and tugging off a ton of clothing, and still have legs strong enough to stride out in 5 inch heels!

Hey, guess what..............I've somehow become that woman in the kitchen enjoying stirring something delicious on the hot stove in my apron and flats!

Dressing up for Christmas..............New York style.

Images from Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's, Anthropologie, United Colors of Benetton and Aldo.