Holiday Classics
One of my favorite aspects of the holiday season is the decorating. Decorating for the holidays can be so fun and easy; I often find that the small things can make a big impact. My go-to's include fresh garland and paper whites, perhaps a nod to my Mother's own holiday favorites. My all-time favorite holiday dining room is the above, designed by Mary McDonald and equipped with gorgeous garland and potted paperwhites amidst a traditional design scheme. Coincidentally, it looks like a carbon copy of the dining room in my childhood home - right down to the layout, moldings, chandelier and antique buffet.
Paperwhites not only make a beautiful (and fragrant) centerpiece, but a lovely holiday gift. They are typically grown from bulbs in a bed of soil or rocks and are fun to nurture and watch grow. Visit here to buy your own!
Side Note: As soon as I finished this post, I was greeted by a package from my Mother. Inside: a Ziploc bag full of dirt, two clay pots and amaryllis bulbs for holiday planting. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree...
The Power of Penmanship
Hand written notes and letters are some of my most prized possessions. There is something about a cherished friend, family member or lover taking the time to put a pen to paper to convey their thoughts to you - it is so wonderfully romantic, respectful and tender. Over the years, I've collected all of the heartfelt letters I've received and will often re-read and reflect on them. They remind me of certain events in life, whether sad times, moments of accomplishment, or simply someone reminding you why you're special to them. The collection is kept in an old wooden box of my Mother's that once housed sea shells from her honeymoon in Greece, and a letter from my Grandfather congratulating her on her engagement to my Father.
Every Christmas, my parents would gift my sister and I with a new box of personalized stationery. We usually groaned because we knew it was only a nudge to get started on our post-Christmas thank you notes. In retrospect, it was one of the best lessons my parents have instilled in us. Now, I truly believe stationary is one of the best investments one can make.
I think we can all take more time in life to write to those we care about. When was the last time you did?
Carrots, Cottontails & Creativity....
Out this month is a book by American landscape designer Marta McDowell, who lends a snapshot into Beatrix Potter's inspiration for her imaginative children's books. An interview with the New York Times reveals that McDowell's trip to Hill Top Farm (Beatrix Potter's home in England) was a moment of a creative awakening for the book, as she meandered through an overgrown yet fragrant sea of summer roses, sunshine and gooseberries. You can buy Beatrix Potter's Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Classic Children's Tales here. How lovely!
Explore Beatrix Potter's 17th-century Hill Top Farm, here.
WSJ House of the Day
It takes a lot for me to get excited about a house, and when I do, there is no turning back. Part of my morning routine includes scouring the WSJ House of the Day section and I was pleasantly pleased to see the Ocean State get some love. The home above, is currently on the market in the lovely town of Little Compton, Rhode Island. I've spent a great deal of time in this particular neighborhood, having grown up just a town over. The ease, stillness and beauty of the area is inexplicable to articulate, it's simply a very special part of our country. The home would make a wonderful summer home, I hope someone scoops her up soon!
Mott & Chace of Sotheby's International Realty has the listing.
I Mean.....
Jessica Chastain just landed her first VOGUE cover this December and my jaw just about dropped when I saw this photograph. Although this isn't the cover, I am perpetually taken by how Jessica epitomizes true Hollywood glamour. It takes a rare breed these days and she sure as hell nails it, over and over again. Looking forward to reading the full article.
The Gift That Never Fails...
My Father is the King of practicality, particularly when it comes to gift giving. One Christmas, he gave my boyfriend at the time a jug of windshield wiper fluid for "driving in the cold New England weather". I was horrified.
Growing up, we had both a fireplace and woodstove in our home. The woodstove provided significantly more heat to our house and was also the inspiration for a rather interesting maple syrup making experiment (which may or may not have involved tapping our neighbors' trees). Every late Fall, my family and I would spend hours stacking firewood for the season. I quickly learned the value of quality firewood and especially, kindling.
One of my favorite "never fail" seasonal gifts is L.L.Bean's Fatwood Sack. The kindling comes in a burlap sack and is the perfect practical component to a warm winter fire. It's a great gift to bring to friends that have fires in their home, or if you're headed north to Vermont and other snowy states for a ski weekend, you'll make instant friends after a cold day on the slopes. Dress the bag up with a fun ribbon and voilà!
Just One More Day...
What if we had one more lazy, hazy day attached to our weekend? Just one more day to savor that morning coffee for as long as we like and romance ourselves with a day full of adventure outdoors? Some will get to enjoy the holiday today, however I'm coming out of my wine coma and slipping back into reality...
Fall In Napa
This weekend I'm headed to Napa for some adventures in wine country. Time in Napa is always carefree and the epitome of R&R. There's nothing better than an escape from the city with your best friend only to drink copious amounts of wine in a beautiful landscape.
I've always loved this photo of Claiborne Swanson Frank taken near her home in Napa on the shores of Lake Hennessy. It is among a collection of portrait photographs in her book, American Beauty.
12 Years & Many Many Tears
Well, the reviews are true. The Best Picture frontrunner is an extremely raw deep dive into the business and psychopathology of the American slavery system and without question, full of many powerful moments, sober beauty and horrific realities of what was a part of history we cannot avoid.
It's a tough one to watch but a brilliant film unquestionably deserving of the acclaim it has received thus far. You can find the trailer for "12 Years a Slave" here.