Choosing life.....

Yesterday, I was asked, if I had to choose one word to define the past year, what would it be ?

......a feeling of gratitude is what comes to mind.....

Last night, I watched, like so many of you, the opening episode of season four of Downton Abbey...it was wonderful....but the scene that resonated the most with me was when Lady Violet, in a poignant and endearing moment, told Mary to choose life, over death, after the loss of her husband Matthew. It touched me, as only a great actress like Maggie Smith, can touch us. She is a master at bringing her character to life, in all it's fabulous glory. Her wit, but best of all her intelligence and wisdom that only comes from age and maturity.

As I age, this time of year brings about a fair amount of contemplation. Where I have been and where I want to go...never one to make resolutions, I just charge ahead with all the " to do " things on my list...

....the things of life...living. What we as women do every day...looking after our families, friends, and if there is any time left, ourselves. I have tried over the last several years, to rid myself of negativity, and instead focus on a more simplistic approach to living...listening to my inner voice...as well.

Karen Tran

 

So....the prospect of new projects which life has brought my way, are exciting and inspiring....I look forward to creating the most beautiful weddings this summer....living up to my own expectations and more importantly, my clients...

 

" live the life you imagine"

 

How many times have you heard the phrase? I imagine a life full of challenges...that is inevitable...but also a life full of the rewards of honest hard work...of aspirations to create a beautiful and inspiring home..to give a small part of who we are to the world and those in it..

...whether growing a garden....

...creating whimsy.....

Or...just living in a simple, happy moment...

 

Like Mary, choosing to live our lives with purpose and meaning, and in the moment, is the best reward...

 

 

 

I really believe that! N.xo

 

The Holiday Kitchen

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

 

Christmas Night..

Just a few more minutes, and it will be all over...

...the wonderful feelings, sights and sounds that accompany this most beautiful of all holidays....holy days...

I have been busy hosting my family for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day......at last with five minutes to midnight...all alone in the serenity of a quiet, candlelit kitchen, I am finally posting my wishes to all of you...

May you be filled with love, gratitude and everything that makes your heart happy....

My son Marty, with his new puppy, Bella...a pure bred malamute. She has taken over our home and our hearts, as you can see! The best Christmas present....

Merry, merry Christmas ! N.xo

 

Playing with Paper

Many of you may be familiar with Coty Farquhar, the beautiful mind behind the Styling, on line magazine and beautiful blog of the same name which originates in Australia. A few years ago, Coty shared some Christmas dolls which she had created from paper and assorted collected vintage finds....she inspired me to fashion some of my own...here is what I have been playing with! Please excuse the poor quality images...I quickly snapped them with my iPad this morning.

 

 

Felted Christmas balls, torn vintage tulle and recycled tissue paper and foil embellish them....

Bits of vintage lace are finding their way into the mix...

They are keeping my mind off the drilling, pounding and hammering going on downstairs...

I think they would look lovely as a tree topper, or sitting on a vintage hatbox or fresh green wreath as a holiday decoration....

I thinking I would like to make a more primitive looking one....

The house is a clean palette for fresh greens and a more simple Christmas this year...My mantra for the holidays...less is more...who would have thought....coming from the Queen of Embellishment!! N.xo

 

Week Two.....One Room Challenge

It has been a full and busy week....still waiting for the men in my life to move out the damaged bed and move in possible furniture choices from the carriage house....the colour board below is what I have in mind for possible fabric choices and colours...

I replaced the damaged shelves in the bookcase and painted them....

More colour inspiration for this room, my refuge, escape, creative outlet....

...a softened palette, with shabby Chanel.....( I know what you're thinking!! ) Really?

...carpet is creamy wool, sisal look....staying...possibly will add another area rug to layer...looking for roses on leopard background...very muted though....

Well, all I have for now.....this Saturday after my baking for our Thanksgiving dinner is done....I will begin to gently nudge the men into getting into the action....after I feed them some pumpkin pie!!

I hope I have peaked your interest a little to follow along....be sure to visit Calling it Home blog for updates on the other bloggers who have joined in...

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers....it promises to be a beautiful weekend..N.xo

One Room Challenge...studio/guest room

I might be a bit late for this...I seem to have a severe mental block when it comes to linking and copy and paste.....I am going to give it a go, and see what happens....

....small upstairs bedroom....

This is a spare, main floor bedroom, where my youngest son slept...during the renovation, we enlarged it...slightly, borrowing about two feet from the adjacent bedroom..

Since a guest room with a full ensuite bath is on the lower level, I felt two guest rooms might be a wasted space, but you never now, when a bit too much wine on a Friday night might necessitate unexpected lodging for one or more !! Seriously, I think the space should be used, and it would make a great studio.

My goal is to shop from the carriage house, our outbuilding, which has become the repository for furniture and accessories I couldn't part with from my now closed shop and vintage finds....this challenge has prompted, and inspired me to get the room decorated and functioning...thank you, Linda, from Calling it Home blog for nudging me on this.....

The painted French bed was from the shop, but if you look closely, you will see a large crack in the headboard developed in storage...so I can either upholster the headboard, or replace it....

The carved flower basket relief is so lovely, I have decided to remove it, salvage it and reuse it over the window frame, serving as a valance....currently, a linen roller shade covers the window...

The open storage to the right, houses extra quilts and linens, which I just have stacked there currently to hide the wires for a flat screen TV...if it is ever installed here....the closet to the right has an overhead light in it...I think this will be where my sewing machine will reside, as well as storage for my stash of vintage linens and fabric...

 

I hope to fit a vintage piece, desk, table or small buffet in the space, and extra shelving, using the existing clothes rod for hanging fabric...the light is concealed in the ceiling of the closet...

 

The chandelier is vintage, and will remain....as well as the wall colour, just painted BM Cake Batter in the renovation....

A vintage bookcase from my shop.....waiting to be used to organize my collection of home decor books, magazines and pretty collectibles....I really want this room to be for me...pretty, but functional..my refuge..a place to create...and feel inspired....I really want to get rid of the bed, but my hubby thinks we need an extra bedroom....??

 

I am thinking of a blush, cream, white colour palette....with a touch of black and leopard...

Inspiration from uncredited Pinterest source....

I will need a table to serve as a desk/work table which will be placed under the chandelier, at the foot of the bed...currently in the room...maybe to be removed!!

So many ideas.....Challenging...Fun.....I hope you will follow along....so many bloggers have accepted the challenge...six weeks of inspiration and ideas.....now, off to link up....wish me luck...N.xo