Our friend Deb’s fabulous fifties, in the garden. Glorious day.
My favorite, hot dogs and Pimm’s ! It was a riot. Singing by the Lollipop Guild, popopera by Royalty Countess Katya Smirnoff-Skyy. Wonderful merriment & reflection.

Finally the hot weather has arrived, and I am in the mood to recreate some pleasure seating in the garden and enhance the moment of homecoming.
The orange set is fading and cobwebby. The walkway is boring and pitifully flower poor. This past weekend I decided to buy a bunch of pots and plants and create an array of potted plants. Funny thing about words and language. When I first came to America, I used to say pot plants and people thought I meant the type of plant you smoke. Now I carefully remember to say potted plants. Which makes me think of potted shrimp (terribly English & picnic in the garden)
Which makes me think how fun it is to create picnic spots in ones own yard.
On a blanket, a rug or with chairs. Much more civilized dont you think?

and this set above outside Anthropologie in Palo Alto, looks so inviting. I feel ready to sit with friends and have an ice-cream sundae.

this floor would be fab in the yard, to rest a patio set, spied this at a cool coffee shop, in a historic building on Ramona Street, Palo Alto.

Here are some other fun ideas to liven up the back yard living room, and next week I will reveal my “Transformation”

Think about how you can use your existing patio furniture and add some fun accessories,
to set up your perfect picnic hideaway – without leaving home.

A colorful rug can add so much to a concrete floor or hard dirt like this fun rug
from Patio Shoppers

What about an interesting table? like this one below found on Etsy and created by
Timothy Adams Designs

a cool light like this one below

some outdoor art
like these Reflect Spheres or Breeze pinwheels – same old stuff with a modern twist

and no garden spot would be complete without some plants, like these lush beauties

Enjoy!

Inspired by all the rioting color of Bright week, I want to add to the air merriment
so here are some colorings picked up on my travels with Camera: ORANGE influence
Even Goldie is feeling energy with bright orange lobster.

How about these fabulous cushions & cover to add some pizazz to your living quarters
lively pillows and some fabric and clever stitching on what appears to be a gray blanket.

Flowers or leaves in an interesting container is another easy way to add energy and prettiness to your home, using the penny jar. see the garden roses and cut flower mix in the watering can.
Clever tricks with paint is another cheap way to add new energy.

This photo above creates a pretty look that is easy to recreate at home, and adds style for pennies on the dollar. I spied this tray at the Biscuit Factory in Salt River.
What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday.
You can create this look with ease using stuff around the house and fill in with a visit or two to a thrift store or a garage sale.

and how about a few new tea towels, not just for trays, but you can create cushions, place mats, cover a pot – I found mine at the biscuit factory at one of my favorite bloggers stalls.
What a treat to meet Heather Moore, in person, check out her blog selling all her lovely stuff – and because I was a reader she kindly threw in a pin – I chose a bird and I love that pin- I am wearing it and it makes me smile. Check out those amazing tea towels and bags & more.
Heather was so cool, and friendly. too bad I got there when everyone was closing up, so I missed out on a slow walk through the stalls. However I did get a chance to stroll through lots of other shops and spend a lovely time in the food market.

Summer Weeds in burnt butter – teatowel

and shop for more amazing items of Heather’s.

With clever repurposing of what you have, with some judicious shopping where needed, you can turn your living space into a space that welcomes and embraces you.

Love the home you have, get started on creating that new space with old things today.

February was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the old Roman calendar. January and February were the last two months to be added to the Roman calendar, since the Romans originally considered winter a monthless period. They were added by Numa Pompilius about 700 BC.

Historical names for February include the Anglo-Saxon terms Solmonath (mud month) and Kale-monath (named for cabbage) as well as Charlemagne‘s designation Hornung. In Finnish, the month is called helmikuu, meaning “month of the pearl”; when snow melts on tree branches, it forms droplets, and as these freeze again, they are like pearls of ice.

Read more at Wikipedia

Sounds like purity and pearls are the way to go – which brings me to what I really want to talk about – the Artistic Luxury – Faberge/Tiffany/ Lalique show at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

We spent a lovely Saturday afternoon wondering around, enthralled

The workmanship is exquisite and quite wonderful. The color and designs are incredible.

I found a book that has pictures and descriptions 16 eggs – none appear at the exhibit – they do reflect the beauty and ingenuity of the pieces in the show – check out the lovelies

They are miniature works of art and I was in love! My heart was beating so fast – I could have been the Becky Broomwood(?) in Confessions of a Shopaholic. I felt the surge of adrenalin to buy. Too bad none of these Objects of desire are in my budget.

People are crazy for clothes or shoes – but jewels for body and home are my raisin d’etre.

The amazing work of Rene Lalique – is beyond compare – the jewels, the glass the “dog collars”

the enamel work that somehow goes beyond human comprehension

I thought the dog collars really were dog collars – it turns out that it is the literal translation from the french for chokers. And here I was, totally impressed by the stylish dogs of yore.

After absorbing it all, we then enjoyed the view from the grounds,

before stopping in Clement st to check out Jane Consignment 2249 Clement St San Francisco CA (good mix )

Did you catch the Oscars ?(dont know why the prizes are always males – do you? )

so for us women lets call it Oscarina’s and be done.

You know chokers are best when worn at a young age. I bring that up because I thought the choker that Sophia Loren wore made her look bad – and I hated that. Sophia Loren has always been a dazzling beauty with style, but that choker did choke her. It appears however that dog collars are in again.

I prefer to remember my fair lady in her finery at the ball – that elongated neck with the fabulous pearls -not. I guess that would have been too perfect – its something glittery – glass or rhinestones or perhaps diamonds.

I leave you to dream of pearls to fill a girls heart and diamonds to fill her treasure chest.

How can you turn these ideas into rooms? Translating treasures takes elbow grease, but the rewards are sweet.

Vanity mirror sets or even to frame a large mirror.

How about a curtain of pearls?

Which reminds me when I was a child, I was fascinated by the Pearly King and Queen, and here they are in all their glory : more images to look at and check out the Royal Pearlies history

what a room these outfits would make….

“Forgive early, kiss slowly, love wholeheartedly, laugh loudly,” said Yael Raz, “Because life may not be the party we all hope for.”

SO, I am thinking the holidays are nigh and what about throwing a Scottish Tea Party? Life may not be the party we hope for, but we can definitely make more parties & improve our chances.

I have my tartan wrap that I love – it makes me think about celtic jewelery, white blouses edged with crochet & lace, shiny black boots with button hooks, velvet – I am translating this feeling into the perfect tea party.

Domino Magazine December 08 shows a sofa tarted up for the winter, using a couple of plaid throws, and the resident floor zebra with campaign tables.

Doing some research, I discovered that tartans were decorative cloth that were limited by color and design in different areas, using coarse wools. This then led to the creation of clan tartans. Check out this fabulous site all about Tartans.- the Tartans of Scotland. This sounds like the perfect title for one of those science fiction stories.

Did you know there are at least 2800 known Tartans? documented on the site, and all gorgeous.
Here are a couple to wet your appetite- they certainly make me dizzy with delight:

Abercrombie (Wilson’s No. 64) Family Tartan WR1043

Scottish Tartans World Register: Galloway
Galloway District Tartan WR1469

Scottish Tartans World Register: Jahore
Jahore District Tartan WR1309

What clan does the tartan you adore belong to ? or head over to a tasty Scottish Food Site to order some figge pudding? Who knew Scot tea is something particular.

For our tea – all you need is a tartan throw or a couple of yards of fabric from your local haberdashery or fabric store thrown over the tea table. I love to serve tea at the sofa, piled high
with pillows :

Underneath the tartan have six to eight inches of lace showing. Here you can get inventive.
Old family tablecloths or lace curtains will do the trick. Velvet and or black ribbons. White crocheted blankets ( afghans) Lift up the plaid and attach a brooch in silver – thistles or flowers or animals.
I am thinking that black and white cushions in a bold check or using a cameo inspiration or the silhouette. these ideas can also be used to decorate. A garland of silhouettes with black paper, silver and pearl chains. Black and white botanical prints and drawings.

Check out these fab ornaments and the chance to create your own silhouette pillows, plus buy super prints at Simply Silhouettes or check out the blog http://www.simplysilhouettes.blogspot.com/ perfect to round out your Scott cheer.

ebay cup and saucer

A silver tea service or at least a large tray with handles, a big teapot, cream and sugar containers that echo the feel of “olde worlde charme” , bone china cups.
Mix and match -to your style and your budget. Napkins edged in lace, plates or baskets lined with doilies or delicate odd napkins -found at thrift stores, a garage sale or granny’s cupboard, piled high with raisin toast and butter, scones & jam and clotted cream, home made shortbread or the ones in the tartan boxes, a pretty vase crammed with purple heather or some wild looking flowers, orchids or african violets. Handkerchiefs dampened with lavender water. Candied violets. Loose leaf tea. Lots of lovely hot water. Sugar cubes and dainty spoons, and a hot water jug with lid.

Martha Stewart Sugar Cookie Stacks

Crystal real (or just the appearance of decanters) with good scotch whisky and some cut glass glasses. or heavy bottomed ones (funny how you only want heavy bottoms on glasses)

You can pile on the rich but ratty look or even the eccentric charm to emphasize the to the manor born feel.

Go wild – indulge the highlander or the lowlander within. Dress the part and take your guests back to a new world.

Keep a big book of poetry on hand to read out loud.(or to look intellectual)

THE PRIMROSE, BEING AT MONTGOMERY CASTLE
UPON THE HILL, ON WHICH IT IS SITUATE.
by John Donne

UPON this Primrose hill,
Where, if heaven would distil
A shower of rain, each several drop might go
To his own primrose, and grow manna so ;
And where their form, and their infinity
Make a terrestrial galaxy,
As the small stars do in the sky ;
I walk to find a true love ; and I see
That ’tis not a mere woman, that is she,
But must or more or less than woman be.

happy tea drinking… a wee dram of scotch is supposed to improve the tea…