This was the first Christmas celebrated in our newly renovated home...
The kitchen has now become the hub of activity and center of entertaining....this past week it proved it's worth, and then some! I still have one more little gathering scheduled this Friday....
I love to host a gathering at my house...growing up our home was always open to family and friends, and my Mom could feed 4 or 20 at a moments notice...fresh pasta, sauce and other homemade specialties were at the ready...our home hummed with activity..that is what I want to happen here...
With the two islands, it has become so convenient to prep and then serve a variety of dishes...casual or more fancy....
The adjoining dining/garden room can take an overflow of guests from the kitchen...but it seems, everyone loves the kitchen best...
Ricotta cakes, iced with cream cheese frosting with edible gold leaf, a raspberry lemon mascarpone torte and other Christmas favourites stood waiting to be sampled....
Small reindeer moss in cups, embellished with moss stars were my gifts for the ladies this year....
This new take on a dining room has fulfilled all of my expectations....
......sipping my morning coffee in the wicker chairs in this room....watching the snow fall.....
....and some mornings, the view is magical!
Because I love Nature, and am inspired by my surroundings, I kept our decorations to a minimum, and very simple.....but mostly due to the fact that they are still stacked up somewhere in the garage :/
I added a few of my doll ornaments to the kitchen....still a child at heart!
I crafted them from tissue paper and bits of vintage lace and other findings....
A vintage tea cart, paired with the extra dining chairs, warms up a window nook.....and the coffee center holds all the necessities for a cappuccino on your way to the wicker chairs!!
I hope you enjoyed the tour of my kitchen this New Year's Day, 2014... It has been a year full of twists and turns, unexpected setbacks with the flooding this summer, and unexpected developments because of it....we installed a gas generator...our quirky, capricious climate almost dictated it....it has been an unsettling, disorganized year....but I am full of hope and promise...surrounded by our beautiful woodland, family and friends, and the newest addition, Bella.
....nestled in an evergreen wreath, on the front porch....what a little beauty.....!!
I wish all of my readers the very best the New Year holds, love, health and happiness, and a quiet and gentle heart to embrace all that life holds in store.....Happy, happy New Year.....N..xo
Nella, Happy New Year,
ReplyDeleteGolly, I am in love with your kitchen, it is gorgeous.
That tea cart is darling. wishing you many happy years in this pretty home.
yvonne
NELLA! How thrilled I am to see your new post! Thank you for sharing your wonderful home with us, finally! I know you have been working on it for a long time, and now, we can "enter" in! I know what you mean about growing up with an open home; my parents not so much, but my beloved aunt and uncle who are no longer with us literally kept their door wide open (in hot and sunny California) during the weekends for friends and family to just walk in. How my auntie had Mexican food on the ready as well, I don't know!
ReplyDeleteYour white world is magnificent. That garden dining space is lush and perfect to allow you to observe nature (the deer, oh DEAR!) and every season will put on a show for you!
Your newly renovated kitchen is the heart and hearth of your home and I wish you many happy moments there. You are creating great memories for the younger generation who frequents your home because now me and my cousins, we are all that are left of my immediate family. We have fond memories of how our past elders entertained, especially for the holidays, and now WE create the magic for the younger ones.
Peace and MANY gatherings in this HOME of yours for many years to come dearest Nella! Anita
Nella, This is so you - an oasis of calm. I love the white and green, it's full of hope and peace. Your house is truly lovely and it must be wonderful to have so much space (we live in a really teeny weeny cottage!) and light. Now that it is finished you can just relax and enjoy this! Happy New Year to you + yours. x
ReplyDeleteHello Nella,
ReplyDeleteIt has been quite a while since my last visit... I had stopped blogging, and then discovered that I missed it so much that I wandered back in Dec.
Your home is gorgeous...LOVE all the Christmas touches and especially little Bella! No wonder everyone loves getting together at your house! :)
Happy New Year!
Lin
Nella , Your kitchen turned out beautifully … The surroundings are exquisite, so lovely to enjoy from your garden room windows, and Bella, so precious nestled in the greenery! Wishing you and your family a wonderful New Year!
ReplyDeleteXO Mary
Your kitchen is just stunning. I love your furniture and those topiary are just so pretty. Love your chandelier and table. Great accessories. Happy New Year!!! Pop over to Cloches and Lavender and see what exciting things are happening. I would love for you to follow back!!
ReplyDeleteCynthia
A new subscriber...and I agree...everything is absolutely beautiful, including the wild and domestic animals! Do you sell your doll ornaments? So adorable.
ReplyDeleteNella,
ReplyDeleteThe kitchen looks beautiful set for the holidays. I had the pleasure of enjoying time with you there in the summer and I remember sitting thinking how pretty it would be when the snow came this winter. You bring magic to everything you touch, it looks gorgeous.
I'm glad you had a healthy gathering of family/friends to entertain over the holidays - I know this is what you love best {and you do it so well}.
Wishing you a New Year that is filled with fun, happiness, adventure and most of all - good health.
Hugs
Katherine
My Hannah is enthralled with Bella as I am, but she's running neck and neck with your kitchen :D
ReplyDeleteBelle et Heureuse année 2014 Nella !!!
ReplyDeleteWishing you and your family the best ...
Bises
Wow - stunning kitchen! And Bella looks so sweet in her chosen 'napping-spot'!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the delights of your new kitchen - I had a new one fitted just before Christmas, fist time in 33 years of marriage I had a kitchen designed from scratch rather than making-do with what previous owners left behind! I intend to make the most of it and cook up a storm! :-)
SueH at
The Knitting Assassin!
What a fabulous kitchen! I can only dream of something like that sadly. Love that final photo - Bella is just gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteWhat a dreamy kitchen! I write for a kitchen magazine and always enjoy seeing how homeowners transform their old kitchens into beautiful new spaces, and yours is truly inspiring! Love the photo of Bella. She's precious.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat! Thank you for this full tour of your beautiful kitchen and breakfast room. It's wonderful to see it decorated for the holidays. I love it all, Nella!! Hugs to you and the little pup :)
ReplyDeletexo
Loi
Your kitchen is absolutely gorgeous!!!
ReplyDeleteI love every little detail you thought of in your house. It is absolutely breath taking. I would hire you on the spot as my decorator and landscaper.
ReplyDelete