Turkey day

 It's Turkey time in the USA.  Today is the day we gather to give thanks and share a turkey and lots of good side dishes. We give thanks.  It is indeed a day to celebrate with gratitude.  If you host this holiday, you know it involves lots of preparation and hard work.  There is something humbling when I think of the sheer work involved at that first Thanksgiving feast and now all the modern day conveniences we have at our fingertips deserve many thanks.

Just a little glimpse at the grown-ups table.

The homespun linen napkins are from Heather Ross In House. It's a good thing I do not live nearby her shop, she has a great eye for wonderful home goods.  

Let me tell you that these napkins are scrumptiously soft and generous in size.

Everything else was gifted or collected over the years, our wedding Audubon Silver from Tiffany's, White Royal Copenhagen Porcelain dinner plates, Limoge Candlesticks, White Reindeer from an Antique shop in the city and the chestnuts were bought at Stop and Shop.  

The chargers appear yellow in this photo but in fact are gold from a nearby shop and the dark chocolate  linen tablecloth I bought years ago at Conran's in the city.

I am so very Thankful for each of you who pop in to visit or to leave me a comment.

Happy Turkey Day to you.

I am off to make the place cards and my thankful tree.

More pictures to follow.

stripes

How I wish we were born with stripes.  

If you were a stripe - what colors would you be?

Enjoy the long weekend.  We have a three-day weekend in the USA.

Thank-you Dr.Martin Luther King for our holiday in your honor on Monday.
We all need to hold fast to our dreams.
Do you have a dream?

palm sunday

Today is palm sunday. Yesterday my son and I drove to a University for an accepted students day and in fact it is today on Palm Sunday. My son said, "Mom- time for a face-palm" meaning I messed up! Wishing each of you a calm and happy palm Sunday.

dreams

Do you have a dream?

Of course you do. We all need to have dreams.

Dreams help lead us along.

Dreams live on, long after...

My dream is a resplendent blend of respect for the past and hope for a bright future.

Do you have dreams for the future?

above image from here.

Take a moment of silence today in honor of Martin Luther King.

checking it twice

Checking my list....my nice list has suddenly gone naughty on me and is in need of some attention. Please pardon my blog absence for a bit while I take a time-out to tame my out of control to do list. How is your list, naughty or nice?

in the black

deck the halls in black for black friday

cape from Gryphon-NY

Don we now our black apparel

tis the season to proceed with

Caution.

Double Black diamond experts will be hitting the stores

while I dream of a black magic tub.

or a quiet black corner

or to ponder the leftovers

or to get someone's goat?

Burberry leather gloves

who are we kidding?

red bowl from heath ceramics

Coupons and commercials try to bowl us over~and beckon us to shop

anticipating bundles to drop

and to put us all

"in the red."

red currant from benjamin moore

Well in the mood for red anyway, right?

A bucket of red seems fun right now.

What inspires you today, on black friday?

weekend of red white and blue

I cannot help but feel a sense of pride, when I start to see flags hung in preparation for the Memorial Day Weekend. Hearing marching bands, seeing those who have fought for our country wearing uniforms, riding in convertibles or on fire-trucks make me feel all emotional.

Seeing red poppies bursting against the blue of the ocean, make me smile.

Red geraniums, metal watering cans and moments in the garden to reflect and to remember those who so bravely served and to those who continue to do so for the red, white, and blue.

Happy Memorial day weekend to each of you.

all images, artwork of Childe Hassam

retreat

pve design photo of little red cabin - upstate ny

Taking a little break from the blog to relax, to ski, to rest, to spend time with family and friends. Wishing each of you great tidings of comfort and joy. Take time to look around you and listen to the sounds, see the beauty and give your senses a treat.

Not to worry, I will be back in the New Year full of good things to share, to illustrate and to give thanks for.

trick-or-treat

1950's vintage Halloween robots

Wishing each of you a Happy Halloween full of treats! Love these "bots" made of boxes.

hors d'oeuvres

illustration by pve design, "the holiday hors d'oeuvres platter"

Ever since I was a little child, "hors d'oeuvres" have always been one of my favorite things about a party.  Perhaps I just like the way the word itself sounds, very international or perhaps because it sounds very grown up. During the holidays, my Mom and Dad would host an at home Holiday party which usually consisted of my Aunts and Uncles.  I remember my Mom making lots of goodies to pass around on a large platter saying "hors d'oeuvres" in her lovely Kentucky accent.

I would be instructed to get ready for "beddie-bye", I would usually have to change into my pajamas with padded footies and then come and say goodnight.  My Uncle Don loved teasing me.  He would bring these animal shaped erasers with the jiggly eyes and then slip them into my pajamas and I would run and laugh.  I would sneak an hors d'oeuvre and a good night kiss before I would go to bed.  I hated to have to go to bed, knowing that everyone was still there having hors d'oeuvres and laughing.   Do you have any funny childhood memories of the holidays that make you laugh or perhaps make you hungry?

Thankful

Today, I am thankful for you.  I am grateful for the tall oak trees "giving us nature, beauty, strength, life and wisdom"- the above oak leaf and acorns bring Joy to my table.  They set the "Perfect-Beginning" for this day full of grace.  Joy sent these to me.

Here is my table that I had so much fun setting.  

For the place cards, I cut oak leaf, and leaf shapes and painted gold on the edge, then tied them to small pumpkins with bias binding.

Today we have two tables set for a bountiful feast, Turkey and all the trimmings!

This table is for the "grown-ups" but truth be told, I will never grow up!

Outside on my back porch, the beverages are chilling and ready for a thirsty bunch.  Cheers to each of you who brighten my day with your comments, your e-mails and your energy!  Break bread, say grace and raise your glass to one another and give thanks!  Chin Chin!  I have some very special desserts which I shall share with you friday.   To those of you that are unable to be with family, I will think of you too.  Happy Thanksgiving today.

  

Happy Halloween

David Lloyd painting, the Headless Horsemen

From the land of the Headless Horseman 

Happy Halloween.

entrepreneurial spirit

Today is a holiday, "Columbus Day" and there are many parades in honor of Christopher Columbus.  One of my roles as a parent is to teach my children to never lose sight of what they might explore.  Can you imagine leaving on a boat, one of three boats, with enough provisions to last a year and then doing it again several times?  Some people refer to Columbus as a Captain or an Admiral and I simply think he had an "entrepreneurial spirit."

In New York City, there is a marvelous statue of Columbus - namely standing over Columbus Circle.  For those of you that are planning a trip to New York, you may want to explore the Shops at Columbus Circle, at the Time Warner Building.  

There are some fabulous shops and food should you not have packed such provisions.   A coveted circle of tastes such as Bouchon Bakery, Per se, Masa and Landmarc.

The Time Warner building is full of entrepreneurial spirit.

Celebrate the explorer in you today and venture out on your own maiden voyage.  Journey to discover something that excites you, be it in nature or in something that will give you a "vision" to take a chance and accept the responsibility of a plan, even if it is to make "reservations."

Feel the adventurer in you and take a moment to honor Christopher Columbus today. Celebrate the spirit of Columbus today with vision and tell me what you find!