Our house is built in an "H" shape with a front courtyard surrounded by a gallery hallway on the left and the dining room on the right. In the back is our master bedroom and a breakfast room that both overlook a pond filled with wildlife all year long.
I love the courtyard for lots of reasons, but one of my favorites is when we put up lighted Christmas trees and we look out at twinkling lights during the dark part of the year. Over the past three years we've trained an ivy trellis on the north facing wall of the courtyard. It is pretty in the winter, cool in the summer and we're known in the neighborhood as "the house with the trellis".
Speaking of the pond out back, here's what we looked out at earlier this week when winter dusted the ground over night:
One of my favorite reading spots - These french blue chairs sit at the perfect angle for reading or watching the beautiful water fowl that call our pond home.
And the pretty sunset reflections late afternoon. You can see our new fire-pit in the center of the seating, but it was a little too chilly even for a roaring fire!
Please, come in the front door --
Our antique French vineyard table is the perfect size for displaying all the cards we love to receive from friends and family. For cards that are single sided, I used the branches of a small tree to hold them. It's a beautiful reminder each day of how lucky we are to have so many wonderful people to love!
Our three polar bears have made us smile for several years now. They came from the most wonderful Brenham, TX store called Beadboard UpCountry and its amazing proprietress Mary Ann Flaherty. She had them in her store window one Christmas and they just had to come back to Delaware with us. They are handsome pieces - the largest standing about 18" tall. They are all you need on a table!
Our pretty mantle is done in monochromatic metals this year. The mantle came from a 1700's tavern that was being "modernized"! Yikes, can you imagine parting with it? Anyhow, our friend and designer Janet Davis found out it would be available and she procured it for us, with a good deal of effort since every other designer wanted it too. I got the bottle brushes from World Market and they remind me of something my mother would have used in the 60's.
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| Our tree is a beautiful 12 foot beauty from NDI. It looks so real, but no falling branches, needles or allergies! |
And here is a perfect little "chippy" bowl stand that we understand came out of an old dentist's office. It is the perfect container for a perfect white poinsetta
This little beauty came from a tiny glass store in Bellagio, Italy. It's a Christmas tree ornament, but it is so beautiful I like to leave it by itself. Can you imagine glass blowing such a piece?
Above our family room doors and windows is a transom just pefect for displaying my Santa
collection. Each has it own little frame.
I'm looking forward to adding one special new addition this year - antique store here I come.
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| Here is our very "girly" sofa all wrapped up with sparkle. The pillows are actually comfortable! |
You can get a peek at the dining room from this angle.
Sorry the lighting is bad on this picture, but the lights and greenery look so pretty atop our pumpkin pine blanket chest with antique botanical prints above. The mats for each of the prints was hand painted in France!
This special Santa has graced out home for many years. he is a very special gent indeed.
Here is an antique window from London. Our seaside village often has the beautiful Kalmyr Nyckel tall ship in port and this window reminds us of the Kalmyr.
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| My folk art painting of our village Lewes |
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| One of my favorite Santa paintings - it sold at a charity auction to help homeless folks. But I still miss him and enjoy this print! |
This is my wish for the happiest holiday season and healthy new year!
Resolution #1: blog more often - it's fun!
