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1. Le Rouge est ma couleur preferee!, 2. Onions at a French market, 3. Oxford French Market Day, 4. Oxford French Market Day, 5. Sausage with FIG, French Market, Parker's Piece, 6. Florist at the French Market, 7. French market spices, 8. French market in Edinburgh 22, 9. French market bread, 10. french market carrots, 11. French market in Edinburgh 11, 12. colourful spices in a french market
Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them. Louisa May Alcott
Had a rough day yesterday but trying to remind myself of all my many blessings. Hope changes everything. Hope you have a happy weekend.
What is it about white that makes us feel so calm and serene? When my last child grows up just a little more, I have promised myself an all white house with just a little gilt for good measure. But I'll need to add a dose of pink. And perhaps just a little blue. Oh, who am I kidding? Maybe all-white interiors are for people who don't dream in color.
British Homes & Gardens
At Home with White/Atlanta Bartlett
White on White/Stephanie Hoppen
Easy Elegance/Atlanta Bartlett
Chandeliers/Elizabeth Hilliard
Chandeliers/Elizabeth Hilliard
House Beautiful
House Beautiful
Glamour:
1. the quality of fascinating, alluring, or attracting, esp. by combination of charm and good looks
2. excitement, adventure, unusual activity
3. magic or enchantment; spell; witchery
Haven't we all aspired to be just a little bit glamorous? Haven't we all experienced those times when we long to try a different hairstyle, a new shade of lipstick, a push-up for that extra oomph or wearing those killer heels even though we know we'll pay the devil for it later? It's that idea of trying something--anything--that will help us get excited over ourselves once again and the hope for a new, shinier, more improved version. Of course, it doesn't help that almost every magazine reinforces the idea that we should be carbon copies of the wafer thin, soulless, airbrushed beauties that fill their pages. Harper's Bazaar recently did a feature on several models sans makeup. Despite the fact that these are gorgeous women anyway, I think it's a move in a positive direction. I especially love it when high profile celebrities admit that they have cellulite. It makes their beauty all the more accessible. And while cellulite is definitely not glamorous, confidence is. There is something very alluring about a woman who is comfortable with herself.
But it's really not about whether we wear makeup or not. I love old movies and how well-groomed the characters inevitably appear to be. I love the idea of dressing for dinner, the observance of some formality, and the insistence of etiquette. When I was living in Italy, the women were keen on dressing like women. It didn't matter if they were out for a morning espresso or an evening passeggiata, care was taken to look one's best. To me, the most glamorous women revel in the power of their femininity. What's wrong with a little witchery?
What's your idea of glamour? Take the short survey linked below and stay tuned for the results.
1. Treasured Books, 2. Shabby french chic, 3. Shabby Chic Furniture, 4. Cosy Posy - Ponytail hairband. Shabby chic from Japan., 5. New Shabby Chic bedding, 6. Shabby chic, 7. Shabby Chic Amour Tags x 6, 8. Ribbons..., 9. Paper Mache Dress Form, 10. Vintage White buttons on wool heart, 11. Vintage Floral China Bouquets, 12. Vintage Jeweled frame with Marie Antoinette
A drink precedes a story. Irish proverb
Hope this weekend finds you with libation in hand and friends gathered round--good spirits on both counts.
Cote Sud
Cote Sud
A Place for Everything/Peri Wolfman and Charles Gold
You've gathered all the tools of the trade and now it's time to mix. Well, it all depends on what you and your guests like to drink and how often. You'll have to decide on the liquor, liqueurs, mixers and garnishes.
My personal idea of a well-stocked bar consists of the following:
Liquors: Vodka (various flavored), Rum (light white; aged), Tequila (blanco;anejo), Cognac, Armagnac
Keeping vodka in the freezer will assure a perfectly chilled martini. I did not list gin, bourbon, or whisky because I generally do not drink them, but if you do they should be included.
Liqueurs: Amaretto, Anisette, Triple Sec, Coffee, Creme de Cassis, Framboise, Cointreau, Campari, Schnapps, Vermouth (French; Italian), Sambuca
The list of available liqueurs is much more extensive than mine and this is where creative preferences, cocktail knowledge and skills apply.
Mixers: Club Soda, Tonic Water, Cola, Cream, Juice (orange; cranberry, tomato), Ginger Ale
Buy these in smaller serving sizes to maintain freshness and carbonation.
Garnishes: Cocktail olives, cocktail onions, limes, lemons, fresh fruit if appropriate, coarse salt, sugar, angostura bitters, orange bitters
Your home bar should also be stocked with a small range of white and red wines. And it's hard to go wrong with a bottle of champagne in the fridge--my favorite is Veuve Cliquot. I also think it's important to have the appropriate glass for the drink you'll be serving. I like to keep a supply of nuts, olives, tapenades and a selection of cheeses on hand for quick and easy entertaining.
Just to get you started...let's drink to summer!
Honey Deuce Delight
Add 1 1/4 parts Grey Goose Vodka to highball glass filled with crushed ice. Top with lemonade below the rim and add 1/2 part Chambord raspberry liqueur. Garnish with honeydew melon balls.
A la votre!
Whether we like it shaken or stirred, cocktail culture is here to stay. In fact, so passionate is the dedication to the art of the mix that the bartender has now been elevated to "mixologist." Not only does he tend the bar, but at his best, he creates memorable concoctions with equally enthralling names. There is a cocktail for almost every occasion and deciding what spirits to stock in your home bar without breaking the bank can be overwhelming.
But before you can mix the perfect drink, there are also some basic tools and supplies that are necessary for serving spirits with ease.
1. Cocktail shaker - I like the traditional Cobbler 3-piece stainless steel shaker because the larger cap eliminates the need for a separate strainer and the smaller cap prevents spills and doubles as a jigger. The metal keeps your drinks cooler. (Depending on the drinks you most often prefer, you might also need to purchase a separate strain.)
2. Ice bucket and tongs - The bucket should be double insulated with a lid to keep your ice frozen and clean accompanied with a nice set of tongs. (This looks so much better than popping cubes out of a freezer tray when serving drinks.)
3. Jigger - Critical for making cocktails with exactly the right measurements.
4. Zester/Reamer - This tool enables you to finish the drink with a flourish adding the twists and garnishes that make it look professional.
5. Corkscrew/bottle opener - It is important to choose a good one--one that does not require a lot of force and does not break the cork. As a matter of personal taste there are many to choose from. The screwpull with a foil cutter is nice but I still rely on the Italian style double lever corkscrew.
Additionally, you'll want to have on hand lint-free bar towels, cocktail napkins and picks. You most likely already have a blender and it's necessary if you like mixing larger quantities of frozen ice mixes like margaritas. An ice crusher is handy for the convenience of crushed ice at any time. Having the essential bar accessories will make entertaining much easier.
British Homes and Gardens
Vogue Living
I have always had an affinity for flowers. I was once married to a landscape designer whose specialty was English gardens. It was then that I cultivated a taste for old-fashioned heirlooms--roses, delphiniums, hollyhocks, foxglove and flowers with romantic names like forget-me-not and Queen Anne's lace. Later in another life with an artist, I discovered the joy of spring in Idaho found in the blooming faces of fragrant peonies. The thought of my garden and the list of hopeful plantings carried me through the long desolate winters. And when the relationship ended, my love affair with peonies did not.
Over the years, the gardens I've grown are those where the only thing meant to partake of is beauty. I've never experienced the satisfaction that surely must come from working the earth to reap the benefit of sustenance. While the requisite herbs were planted and found use in my kitchen, their primary purpose was to serve as a foil against the pink of a petal or the blue of a blossom. Neat little rows of lettuce and dangling vines did not excite me. The lure of a flower bud was always much too seductive.
Hopefully this summer, tomatoes hung heavily from the vines in your garden awaiting their inclusion in a savory dish. Maybe you were lucky enough to pull a bundle of juicy lemons from your own tree. I'm personally salivating for a private booty of avocados. Or perhaps you are more like me and your rooms were filled with swathes of color from fresh cut flowers. In any case, the bounty of summer is nearing to an end. Late summer is the perfect time to give thought to preparing your garden for fall's respite.
1. Remove spent annuals and vegetables of the season.
2. Compost the refuse from your garden from discarded leaves and clippings. Be sure to use only healthy, pest-free cuttings!
3. Cut back and thin out the perennials. You can do this by digging up your plants, dividing them into sections and replanting in other areas of the garden.
4. Remove the weeds from your garden that might rob it of vital nutrients needed for next season's planting.
5. Add mulch to your beds, trees and shrubs. They need a winter coat like you do.
6. Choose your bulbs for spring planting. This is the best part because it means...more flowers!
1. Clivedon French garden, 2. DK_Glorup_02_Svindinge, 3. Queluz Palace and Gardens, 4. Fleur de Lis, 5. Jardin des Tuilleries, 6. Cuxa Cloister Garth Garden, 7. Cuxa Cloister Garth Garden, 8. Closeup of the statue in the French Parterre Garden, 9. French Parterre Garden, 10. French garden on the grounds of the Castle of Ravel, 11. French gardens at Villandry, 12. The French Garden at Kimpton House in Hampshire
