From the monthly archives:

December 2009

And to All a Good Night

December 23, 2009

Unless the urge to post overwhelms, I’m taking a break until after the New Year. May your days be merry, your nests bright, and your stomachs full with good food.  Read on for a look at our house this time of year. Take a peek at my Christmas decorations . . .

Tagged as: birds, christmas, christmas table, christmas tree, decorations, mercury glass, ornaments

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Chocolate-Malt Stump de Noël

December 23, 2009 Food

I cannot get Food and Wine’s Chocolate-Malt Stump de Noël out of my head.  The addition of malt balls and malt powder is downright rakish, not to mention the construction allows one to have the bûche de Noël tradition whilst upending it.  Talk about having your cake and eating it too. So, despite a distinct [...]

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Holiday Gift For: The Host(ess)

December 18, 2009 Flotsam

My favorite hostess gifts are handy and frivolous. While there’s nothing wrong with toting a bottle of wine to a party or weekend stay, less-traveled routes beckon.  A potted orchid or herb plant always goes over well; they’re easy to care for, beautiful and useful.  I love this egg timer from Anthropologie.  Yes, they have [...]

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Holiday Gift For: The Salt Fiend

December 17, 2009 Food

If you’re buying for a salt fiend this holiday season, this post’s for you. Here are my favorites from two knock-out sources, Salt Traders and The Meadow.  Besides offering hundred of salts, both purveyors maintain handy blogs for the salt-addled brain: The Salty Dog’s Blog and Salt News respectively. Danish Viking Smoked Salt, available at [...]

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We Were Talking About Wardrobe Workhorses, Right?

December 15, 2009 Fashion

Oh my. I stumbled on these via Ill Seen, lll Said. Sigerson Morrison always nails the staple pieces. They aren’t moto or cowboy, they’re just exquisitely simple and cool. Lined in SHEARLING, people!

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Reinventing Your Jewelry: Statement Necklace Edition

December 14, 2009 Fashion

These days, even buying costume jewelry can feel lurid. For me, it’s typically a cheap impulse buy without the thought (or quality) behind it of a true wardrobe workhorse.  And right now I’m not buying much that doesn’t fall into the workhorse category. In search of a novel party necklace, I started layering on several [...]

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Inspiration: Argentina

December 11, 2009 Travel

We learned about wine (some), drank it (daily, red), ate steak (amazing), saw art (good), scoured antique stores (leather overnight bag!), and refilled the inspiration wells (brimming).  If you’re headed to Buenos Aires, make a reservation at Casa Felix, a private and shockingly pescatarian restaurant run in a young couple’s home.  A lovely break from [...]

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Color of 2010: Turquoise

December 9, 2009 Fashion

Well, c’mon, Iris is a fan. Pantone says turquoise is particularly well-positioned to reign in 2010 because many cultures consider it “a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky.” Basically it makes us feel like we’re safe and on vacation.  We [...]

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Inspiration: Shanghai

December 8, 2009 Travel

Thank you to the two commentators who missed the posts during the past month’s hiatus.  You are too kind, and the fact that I am related to one of you is neither here nor there. So what the devil have I been up to?  Partly scratching the travel itch.  Here are some images from Shanghai.  [...]

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Iris Apfel: Have Great Fun and Make a Splash

December 7, 2009 Fashion

After a month’s hiatus, what better way to dig in than with images from the Peabody Essex Museum’s exhibit on Iris Apfel (“Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel”) and quotes from the Great Dame herself?  Iris spoke about her style in a casual question and answer format.  She’s 88.  She looks like herself, [...]

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