Downton Abbey Inspiration, Holiday table and a little help for my friend

LE ROUGE ET LE NOIR…. red and black

Downton Abbey influence
Downton Abbey influence
Rouge
Mixed patterns, gold and silver working together in this tablescape I created for a friend

Yesterday I was playing around with  tablescape designs, preparing ideas for a friend who asked me for help with a Christmas dinner party she was having at home.  She was a little nervous, it was going to be a semi-formal event and she couldn’t afford the time or the expenses to go shopping just for that. Even though I had to put together something with the few things I had, it shows once again that we can do a lot with what we have at hand, an example of that is the throw I brought from the livingroom to use as a tablecloth, at the moment I had red apples and that is what I used in addition to a leaf pulled from the mantel wreath. I know it’s not perfect or ideal, but I was trying to show her how to put together something pretty with a little imagination. The napkin was actually a hand towel….

Gold, red and silver, and the living room throw!
Gold, red and silver, and the living room throw!

It is amazing the way we can communicate with each other nowadays, instantaneously, with images and sound that rival those of cinema! We can even add enhancements or erase blemishes if we choose to do so, all this in the comfort of our homes and in our pajamas!

My friend was really happy with the results. We “toured”, or to use the interior design lingo, we “shopped” her house and put things together in a way she never had imagine possible, now I am sure, next time she’ll be able to do it by herself.

It is hard to know if all is good about this mind blowing technology but it sure has some unbelievable advantages. I don’t want to go into that now and talk about the problems associated with it either… Overall I believe it is like a dream come true, it brings us all together, makes the world even smaller, show us how alike we are, broaden our markets without limits, keep us connected to our families, helps us create new ones and rediscover old friends.   To me it is like if the Harry Potter’s books I used to read to my children at bedtime, had come to life, it appears that magic has sipped through the books’ pages and became one with reality…  just fascinating…

As always I talk and talk about everything!   Ok then! I was only going to share the first tablescape inspiration I made for my friend and I did. Tomorrow I might have another one if necessary. In the mean time I’ll include some gorgeous images that always inspire me and I hope they inspire you to have some fun and create one of your own.   Have a great friday night!

We can do the same thing in different scale, still keeping the beauty of it
We can do the same thing in different scale while keeping the beauty of it
How beautiful can this be? I almost never wear read anymore but I can appreciate it in other people
How beautiful can this be? I almost never wear red anymore but I can appreciate it in other people
I wish I had all this beautiful stuff to work with...
I wish I had all this beautiful stuff to work with…
Or this ...
My love for candles….
Baccarat
Baccarat
More inspiration..
More inspiration..
Le Rouge
Le Rouge
...
… Exquisite!
scrumptious!
Scrumptious!
Napoleon's Dining Room, Le Louvre
Napoleon’s Dining Room, Le Louvre
Sinful temptation
Sinful temptation, liquid inspiration
Valentino, beyond beautiful
Valentino, beyond beautiful
Wow...
Wow…
So elegant..
A little Downton Abbey to put us in the mood!  So elegant..
reception
Le Rouge et le Noir
THE VICTORIAN TABLE! THEY NEEDED ALL THAT...
THE VICTORIAN TABLE! THEY ACTUALLY NEEDED ALL THAT INDEED.
A princess dress
Lady in red, a princess dress
I wonder if one day we'll be able to travel in time...
I wonder if one day we’ll be able to travel in time…
HISTORY... WHAT CAN I SAY! IT ALWAYS SHOWS US WHERE WE CAME FROM AND HOW FAR WE HAVE GONE.... OR NOT
HISTORY… WHAT CAN I SAY! IT ALWAYS SHOWS US WHERE WE CAME FROM AND HOW FAR WE HAVE GONE…. OR NOT
THIS COLORS ARE SO RICH THAT MAKE THE TABLESCAPE FEEL REALLY WARM AND WELCOMING
THE COLORS ARE SO RICH THAT MAKE THE TABLESCAPE FEEL WARM AND WELCOMING
HOW ROMANTIC!
HOW ROMANTIC! 1904  NOW WE KNOW WHY THEY ALWAYS PUT THAT WEIRD LOOKING FISH FORK! THEY NEEDED ALL THOSE FORKS AND KNIVES FOR ALL THE COURSES THEY SERVED, OF COURSE THAT WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE ARMY OF MAIDS AND BUTLERS THEY USE TO HAVE…
Cristal Room, Baccarat. Paris
Cristal Room, Baccarat. Paris
Remarcable
The Butlers… the wizards of all ! (That was good!)
What a table!
What a table! Cristal Room, Baccarat, Paris
The table
The table
The ladies
The ladies
more Downton Abbey
More Downton Abbey! Majestic..
R.M.S MAJESTIC MENU
R.M.S MAJESTIC MENU – SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 20TH 1890.   Broiled Kidney?!!!! Calves Liver?!!!! Somebody help me please! Disgusting.
The contrasts inevitably...
The contrasts inevitably…

Winthrop House 1852

I FEEL SICK JUST READING THE MENU… I’M SO GLAD I WASN’T BORN DURING THE VICTORIAN ERA…

And with that I say good bye!  xx

The Ghost of Christmas Past

Christmas is the most beautiful holiday of the year and even though we have managed to commercialize it to a point of no return it stills holds a profound meaning to me and to millions of people around the world … I believe all Christmases are happening at the same time, just like in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”  We are all connected, we are all the same….  I wanted to share with you the Christmas images I’ve been having lately in my mind and heart. I hope that you enjoy them and that they touch your heart as much as they did mine!

ITALIAN CHRISTMAS...
CHRISTMAS IN ITALY
YEP! WHAT HE SAID!
YEP! WHAT HE SAID!
My husband at Piazza San Marco in Venice, a long, long time ago... As I like to say: He was born the first half of last century! Sounds impressive, doesn't it?! (at the very end, 1949)
My husband at Piazza San Marco in Venice, a long, long time ago… As I like to say: He was born the first half of last century! Sounds impressive, doesn’t it?! (at the very end, 1949)
MORGAN WEISTLING
MORGAN WEISTLING IN A PERFECT INSPIRATION OF A PORTRAIT OF LOVE

“FOR IT IS GOOD TO BE CHILDREN SOMETIMES, AND NEVER BETTER THAN AT CHRISTMAS, WHEN ITS MIGHTY FOUNDER WAS A CHILD HIMSELF.” 
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

two elegant dogs

PURE LOVE
PURE LOVE

WHAT KIND OF LOVE?! PURE AND UNCONDITIONAL!

0c3b07b2d80314f03e69881e1247bb37

HOLLYWOOD WHAT?

PONT ALEXANDRE - LES PONTS DE PARIS...
PONT ALEXANDRE – LES PONTS DE PARIS…

06f16693beb7d7a0fb6b3a06ad6cb159

INNOCENT PERFECTION

0fc492eb2ff3aaeefeb042eff84d6d83

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS… IS YOU!

3776b6c9ae76e9266ae9bf10170630d8

STILL REMEMBER….NOT ONLY FOR DECORATION…

a7233ae9952bdf84d39579435355e042

I LOVE YOU… I REALLY DO…

63d2cfb116e2933dd239d86c98e4926b

EVERYTHING WENT QUIET …TIME STOOD STILL… I’LL ALWAYS HAVE, MY FATHER AND MY LITTLE BROTHER IN MY DREAMS…

d5d8e2afc9bb1f6584adc22f4050322b

IS THAT YOU MY GUARDIAN ANGEL?! YOU LOOK EXACTLY LIKE HIM!

THE 'PEPINIERE' PARK IN VILLERS-LES-NANCY, FRANCE
THE ‘PEPINIERE’ PARK IN VILLERS-LES-NANCY, FRANCE

my dog and I

FAMILY WILL HOLD YOU FOREVER, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE NOT HERE ANYMORE..

IT'S STILL CHRISTMAS, EVEN IN THE STREETS... STILL CHRISTMAS…EVEN IN THE STREETS…

VENICE STREETS ...
VENICE STREETS …
MAGIC
YOU CAN’T APPRECIATE SUMMERS WITHOUT WINTERS… YOU CAN’T APPRECIATE WINTERS WITHOUT SUMMERS!
I REMEMBER
MEMORIES OF MY FATHER
SIMPLY CHRISTMAS..
SIMPLY… IT’S CHRISTMAS!
CHRISTMAS JOY...
AMAZING GRACE!
COLMAR, FRANCE...
COLMAR, FRANCE…
OH MY, HE IS REAL!
OH MY, IT’S REALLY YOU SANTA!
REALLY?
I KNOW, I KNOW… I’M MISSING MY RED NOSE! I WAS IN A HURRY…
DADDY IS HOME
DADDY IS HOME! PLEASE HOLD ME!
WHAT MATTERS IS TO BE TOGETHER
THERE IS NOBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD I’D RATHER BE WITH…
OH BOY!
OH BOY! I’M BEAUTIFUL…
DO YOU WANT A LITTLE GIRL FOR CHRISTMAS?… I COME WITH A TEDDY BEAR…
WE HAVE TOO MUCH... YES, WE DO.
WE HAVE TOO MUCH… YES, WE DO.
THE CHRISTMAS SOCK... I RATHER BE COLD THAN WITHOUT DREAMS
THE CHRISTMAS SOCK… SHE’D RATHER BE COLD THAN WITHOUT DREAMS
MILK AND COOKIES
MILK AND COOKIES, FOR SANTA AND ME!
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS, YES INDEED!
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS, YES INDEED!
NORMAN ROCKWELL
NORMAN ROCKWELL … AMERICAN GENIUS !
THE PRETTIEST TREE IN THE WORLD
THE PRETTIEST TREE IN THE WORLD

christmas car

42b18229944166418a9ec733e077acd8

WHEN MOTHERS RULED THE WORLD!

WHEN ANYTHING WAS ENOUGH!
REMEMBER WHEN?
1936 A CHRISTMAS DINNER
1936 A CHRISTMAS DINNER
THE HEART OF A CHILD...
THE HEART OF A CHILD…
WINTER WONDERLAND
WINTER WONDERLAND
LOVE
EN UNAS MÍSERAS PAJAS… APOYADO SUAVEMENTE, DESCANSA SU PURA FRENTE… (MEMORIES OF MY MOTHER SINGING CHRISTMAS CAROLS WHEN I WAS A CHILD)

red barn christmas

I HOPE!
I HOPE! I BELIEVE!
RED MIRACLE
DUTCH MIRACLE
THE RABBITS CHRISTMAS
THE RABBITS’ CHRISTMAS
YES, WE HAVE ENOUGH TOYS...
LET’S TELL EVERYBODY THAT YES, WE HAVE ENOUGH TOYS…
NEW SHOES!  JOY!
NEW SHOES!! AUSTRIAN BOY DURING WWII
AND ENOUGH DECORATIONS...
THE SKINNY BOY WITH THE SKINNY TREE, NO, IT’S NOT ABOUT A SIZE “0”
THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Harry
Harry, are you still there waiting dear?  No child should have to wait in christmas!  It still hurts when I see you there like that, after so many years…
PICASSO
PICASSO
CONTEMPLATION
CONTEMPLATION
WHEN ALL WAS WELL IN THE WORLD
WHEN ALL WAS WELL IN THE WORLD
WONDER!
WONDER

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!”
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

CHRISTMAS IN COLMAR, ALSACE...
CHRISTMAS IN COLMAR, ALSACE… FRANCE