The time between Christmas and the New Year is an interesting one.  I love having less cars on the road, a fluid schedule, and more time with my family. The house is a bit messy but I don’t really care. As this year closes and a new one is ready to begin, it is a good time to reflect on the last 12 months. I am guilty of sometimes thinking ahead, and not spending that necessary time to ponder on what has been.

Here are some of the highlights of 2018:

Entertaining

Most of what we do for entertaining is simple, spontaneous, come on over for drinks and nibbles.  But having scheduled, more formal events forces us to clean a bit deeper, tackle the projects we’ve postponed, and step things up a notch.

It is always such an honor to host a charitable event, where people have a wonderful time for a good cause.  In March, we had our second Afternoon Tea with New York Times Bestselling Author Rhys Bowen. We get to play dress up with our hats and nibble on civilized food, gather with friends all while helping others.

In the spring, our property is at its best.  Flowers are blooming, the trees have their spring buds and the weather is generally perfect.  Hosting Junior Prom for my daughter and her 20 friends, was as much fun for me as it was for them.

Perhaps one of my most favorite events is Valentine’s Day.  We are at an age where we don’t do much as a couple, but having a small group of good friends for a lovely sit-down dinner is just perfect. I tried something different with the table setting and the effect was magical.

Recipes

I tried some new recipes this year ~~ Key Lime Pie, Lemon Pots de Creme, Madeleines and a gingerbread house.

Before and After

As some of you requested, I posted more Before and After pictures of Bella Terra, including the master bedroom, wine cellar, kitchen, library, mudroom, my girls’ bedrooms and the exterior renovation.

Organization Projects

Each year I try and reorganize some cluttered area of the house (there are MANY), and was able to improve both the Butler’s Pantry, the kitchen pantry, and the mud/laundry room.

Personal Achievements

Yes, there were a few milestones this year~~our son’s graduation from college and the beginning of his professional career.

However, I do not miss assembling Ikea furniture at his apartment in Washington, D.C.!

My Willetta house restoration finally sold and the family kindly invited us to their holiday open house. It is such a gift to know this family loves all the hardwork and attention to detail we put into restoring this grand old dame.

All in all, 2018 was a good one for us.  Some years aren’t so gentle, but we are basking in the glow of this one.

Personally, I couldn’t have continued writing this blog without you, my subscribers.  Just when I am feeling discouraged, someone has a generous compliment or comments about a recent post.  I know in this busy world it is difficult to find time to sit down and read about life around here, but I so dearly appreciate it when you do.

As always, I look forward to your comments and criticisms.  With feedback I can only get better. As the year comes to a close, I send you my biggest hugs and lots of quiet, loving moments for your and your family. Thank you for your continuing support and friendship!

P.S. I didn’t provide links to the various blog posts mentioned above, but if you are interested in any topic you can enter it in the search bar.

With only a few minutes to spare between finalizing recipes and last minute shopping, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas!  Since we are having our big dinner tonight, here is our holiday table. Photos haven’t been edited, but hopefully you will enjoy them anyway!

I almost ALWAYS do a white table cloth, but this year I added placemats given to me last year by my friend, Connie. The design reminds me of a New England snow scene.

Once again, I am using my silver beaded chargers. The napkin ring is from Pottery Barn – a simple velvet ribbon and silver bells. Napkins are from Ballard Designs.

Since I only have 6 napkin rings and we are having dinner for 8, I used a wired red ribbon for the settings on the ends of the table.

The dishes are the Reindeer pattern from Pottery Barn.

Behind each chair has a ribboned wreath from Ballard Design (as shown in my last blog post).

I have refreshed the flowers in the silver mint julep cups with white tulips and roses.

Candles and votives complete the ambiance.

Dinner tonight will be individual beef Wellingtons, roasted root vegetables, and a salad.  For dessert, I am making a mocha and raspberry trifle from a 1998 Bon Appetite recipe.

Lastly, this is the VERY first time I have made a gingerbread house from scratch.  I used a Martha Stewart template for a log cabin and baked each of the sections.  I had such fun doing this, maybe because I love renovating homes.

The chimney is covered in pecans, while the roof tiles are mini Hershey chocolates and York Peppermint patties. Gingersnaps make up the border fence and walkway.  Hershey kisses top the roofline.

Graham crackers mimic shutters on the yellow cellophane window panes.  My snowman is made up of 3 snowball cookies.

He even has a carrot for a nose!

My husband added lights and the control box is tucked in the back of the house.

I’m dashing off to do some last minute shopping! Have a glorious day!

Thank you so much for the feedback on my last post.  Based on consensus, I went with the silver beaded charger~~still surprised I hadn’t thought of it before.  A bit of thistle is stuck into the napkin for color and texture.

I was so excited when I made the decision to go silver, but then panicked because most of my stemware is rimmed with gold.  However, I was able to find enough plain glasses to use.

The centerpiece is a combination of potted plants from Whitfill Nursery (my favorite here in town) and fresh flowers.  Ornamental cabbages, alyssum, and dichodra were replanted in various size containers.  I used pot de creme vessels, cereal bowls and smaller bowls (that I purchased from West Elm and use for everything!).

The fresh cut flowers were purchased from Safeway.  I was a bit surprised they had protea, which has a fun shape and is a lovely shade of rose.  Coupled with roses and mums, the colors of the plate are well represented. Four silver candlesticks are staggered for height and dimension.

I added a few white pumpkins and a combination of real and artificial leaves.

One of my followers requested more room shots vs. close up photos, so here is a larger view of the dining room. My apologies for some of the darker photos.  Our dining room faces east and between the front porch and the porte cochere, the natural light is very limited. One of these days I need to invest in professional lighting.

On one side of the dining room is a fireplace.  Here on the mantle, the individual mercury glass votives spell GIVE THANKS.

The sideboard has our Pilgrim family (a Costco find several years ago) and a painting by the late California artist, Lynn Winans.

Wishing you and yours a blessed, loving Thanksgiving.  I am so thankful for your continued support and readership of my blog. We have so much to be grateful for~~our prayers are with those who have lost their homes to fire and hurricanes. To our service men and women who are away from their families this holiday, thank you for your service.

Sending big holiday hugs to you,

Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week?  I’ve been enjoying my lolly-gagging November and just like that, turkey day is around the corner! I ordered my fresh turkey this a.m. and have begun meal planning.  The good news is that I will have my foodie son home from Washington, DC. I will be so grateful to have his cooking expertise in the kitchen.

Today, I am sharing some place setting thoughts with you.  I typically use the same dishes (Johnson Brothers Windsor Ware) for Thanksgiving because they represent the colors of the season. This was last year’s table. See post here.

Once I decide on a place setting then I can start creating the centerpiece. Here are some centerpiece inspiration photos that I like.  Below is from Casa de Perrin:

From Birch Lane:

I have several different chargers.  I tend to do the same one every year, but maybe it’s time to mix it up a bit. Today, I spent some time playing around with two different plates styles and various chargers.

Here is what I typically do…dark wood scalloped charger with my Johnson Brothers plate. For this photo shoot, I used some vintage muslin sheets as a tablecloth because they are more cream than white.

Same plate on a silver beaded charger.  I didn’t think these would go together, but what do you think?

This brass charger seems a bit too small.

Larger brushed gold one-a bit better.

Here is the largest of the chargers. Designed by Leslie Roy, the underside of the scalloped glass is gold leaf.

The white with gold trim place setting is from Pottery Barn~~ on the dark wood charger.  I think if I were to use this, I would jazz up the tablecloth with a pattern or color. Not sure I like the cream napkin against the white plate.

I don’t know which combination I like the best, however, I will probably do my napkin on the plate or to the side with a sprig of rosemary or thistle.

I have these wood chargers on order from Home Depot (on sale), however, they might be too rustic or too yellow? Decisions…..decisions!

Do you have a favorite?

What makes your Thanksgiving table special?

Our master bathroom is my sanctuary.  It is hard to even remember the original layout. Bathrooms have come a long way since the early 1900s.

The original master bath looked like this~~love the dizzying wallpaper. The unique cast iron tub was moved to our daughter’s bathroom. We completely refigured and enlarged the space.

Here is the same perspective today. We replaced the window with two larger casement ones and added a Kohler soaking tub. We designed the tub enclosure so one of the raised panels in front can be removed if the plumbing needs attention.

There are two doors leading from the master bedroom into the bath/closet area. Perfect for privacy when the bathroom is needed for early morning use.

My sister, who is a master at sewing, made me a set of Bella Terra towels~~such a wonderful gift! The candle was another gift (lucky me!) from my friend, Lisa.

The tub has a wide marble shelf on all sides that is perfect for displaying my shell collection and providing easy access to candles, bath salts and towels. The large glass jars/containers are made by Simon Pearce.

My husband and I have separate sinks (yay!). The framed mirror is a medicine cabinet from Robern.

My cabinet was designed to have a make up table, but I never use it.  Instead, I covered the opening where a seat would have been, with a curtain.  This has become a great place for storing toilet paper and other supplies.  The curtain is changed out with the seasons, as are the towels and bath mats.

Everyday make up supplies are kept in French glasses on a small cake pedestal.  The older I get the less makeup I wear, so having a few things handy is very convenient.  Raised and off the counter, keeps things looking neat. A large brass tray holds everything from hairspray to mouthwash.

Sorry for the shift in light, but the natural light changed during these photos.  Begrudgingly I had to use overhead lights for some of these shots. 🙁

Cubbies were built into the wall for towels, bottles of water and more of my shells! The framed sheet music, “Oh! What A Pal Was Mary” was a gift from my dear friend, Gwen.

The walk-in closet is tucked beyond the pocket door.  A separate room houses the toilet and bidet.

Near the tub, behind the art, is a hidden television. I used acrylic vs. glass in the picture frame (for a lighter weight and to prevent any glass hazard). With a piano hinge on one side, the frame easily opens to expose a small  t.v. on an articulating arm.

Most older homes have small bathrooms and limited closet space. By reimagining this space, we were able to create an indulgent spot just for us. The tub is a perfect place for my weary bones after hours of gardening.  Separate sinks, a large shower with 2 shower heads and a private water closet provides all the niceties one needs when beginning or ending the day.

Large glass jars/container made in the USA:  Simon Pearce

Soaking bathtub, sinks, toilet, bidet and faucets by Kohler

Cabinets were custom made

Paint color (walls):  Cochise by Dunn Edwards SP2560 in eggshell

Paint color (trim): Dunn Edwards Cottage White SP 113 in semi-gloss

Medicine cabinets by Robern

Windows by Marvin

Window sheer by Pottery Barn

Since my visit last weekend to Patina Farm for the book signing by French Country Cottage, I’ve been pondering the concept of home. Brooke and Steve Giannetti spent countless hours planning and designing their home, making it unique and special to them. Courtney Allison’s home is filled with romance in the French country style.

It’s hard not to return to Phoenix and look at our home with a more critical eye. What does home mean to you? I posted a part of this on Instagram earlier this week.

Home ~~For me, it is a soft place for our children to land. Where they can be themselves under any and all circumstances.  Where their friends are always welcomed. Where they know they are unconditionally loved.

A home that is filled with animals that wag their tails and greet you happily at the door.

Where warm and wonderful smells pour out of the kitchen.

A place you can wear decades old sweat pants with holes and no one is judging.  (No picture here, folks!)

A creative outlet for expressing my own style, collecting cherished items and finding comfort in the every day routine.

Where tears are wiped and boo-boos are kissed.

Where I can find solitude when I need it…..

and the company of family and friends at all other times.

Home is where things grow and change, sometimes successfully and sometimes not. Where learning and living is one big experiment.

Is our home perfect? No.

Is it magazine ready? Definitely no!

But life here is genuine and real with a goal to find the sunny side of life.

A sanctuary from the madness in the world.  Where simple, lovely, sincere, and elegant feed my soul.

Life at Bella Terra is our treasure chest of memories~~a place we call Home.  

What about your home? How is it special and unique to you?