Rochambeau

Magnolia Blossom

Here is a Magnolia blossom for you.  The scent is subtle and sublime, as if part gardenia and part lemon.  So fresh and lovely,  so fragile and pure.  I delight in these days of the May Magnolia and hope you do too.

 

xox

Constance

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

~From our house to yours~

Love,
Constance 

Celebrating the Season!

American Girl Book Club of Jefferson Texas, smiling during the Christmas Parade. It really was fun!

Third grade American Girls wearing St. Lucia crowns and holding the yarn dolls that they created.

The Enchanted Forest in Lion's Park lit up at night, where one hundred trees are decorated by local organizations and create a magical wonderland for children of all ages.

By day, here is the American Girl Book Club Tree.

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We went out of town for our friends Surprise Wedding and it was a most lovely and gorgous celebration!

The next day, I snapped a few photos in the historic downtown of area of Natchitoches, La.  (pronounced Nacatish) 

This is the Cane River and usually is all festive with decorated and lit up boats for a Historic Christmas celebration, but this is the first year that no boats are allowed in the river as it is too low because of severe drought. 

Hope you continue to enjoy the season!

 

xox

Constance

 

How to become a Reindeer

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a little Imagination

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xox

Constance

 

 

 

 

Welcome December!

How can it possibly be that we've turned the corner of 2011 and find ourselves at December's doorsteps? Time passes by so swiftly, don't you think?   To kick off the holiday season, my mom and I hosted our Book Club luncheon celebrating Jan's birthday, earlier this week.

 Here is the tale of how this unexpected centerpiece came to be:

Flashback:

Last October my mother was on a mission, trying to locate a particular paint color in her files, which by the way she found as she is the most excellent and organized records keeper I know!  Meanwhile, she came across this magazine clipping that she had been saving for years and showed it to me.  It was something she liked and hoped to own one day, but since she hadn't seen anything like it, she threw the picture away that afternoon.

The Following Day:

Synchronicity!

It's hard to believe, but the next morning I visited my favorite once a year flea market, in our tiny town of Jefferson and scored this set featured above for my mother.  It was complete except for the four little urns which I added and surprised my mother, big time!!   It's very much like the one featured in the magazine clipping, don't you think?  AND it was a steal!   We pulled the photo back out to have a look and it was simply amazing!!  Talk about beaming it in!!  

We googled and googled trying to find out what something like this is called, to no avail.  Finally,  I emailed Melenié of Le Petit Cabinet de Curiosites and she knew precisely what it was and has even sold exact sets in her shop.  She explained that it is a copy of XVIII th century Niderviller China and called " surtout de table ".  She also thinks it looks great on a table!

The flora we used to fill the miniature topiary are things that grow in our garden, Boxwood and Holly.  My mom had the idea to use pillars with Jan's birthday cake and place it in the center of the table, repeating the idea of the surtout de table.  I found inspiration for the roses for the cake via my friend Samantha, here. 

After lunch, my mother gave her presentation on Truman Copote's story A Christmas Memory.  If you have never read this, it's a must read!  She had us all giggling and smiling and since part of the story revolves around baking fruitcakes, she offered each of the book club members a tiny fruitcake after her presentation.  Later that night, I finished the story (the part she didn't read) and had myself a good cry.  This story always touches me and is worth the tears, one hundred percent.

Anyway, sometimes life is filled with surprise like finding this surtout de table!  And,  It's fun to see where inspiration is born and follow along the trail, don't you think?  That is why I share these thoughts.  I hope today you too, will find something you've been looking for either for yourself, or someone you love!

xox

Constance

 

One last thing!!

Theses stunning Shagreen Earrings are created by jewelry designer, Daidra Carsman.  If you live on the East Coast, my talented friend, will be selling her work at a Artisan Gift Market, Saturday, December 4th, 10 -4, at Glen Ridge Church, located at 195 Ridgewood Ave, Glen Ridge, New Jersey.

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Memoir

Hope you all had very happy holidays!

Here's what happened in our neck of the woods.  Before Christmas Eve mass, we sang Christmas carols.

In the morning Santa brought me a cat puppet!  I know, I know!!  I'm fifty~three, but somehow he knew exactly what would delight me!  Makes me smile.  If you have a good name for a very fat cat, please advise. 

We invited our friends for Christmas dinner, ones who don't have family near.  We kept our Russian themed table setting from last week, but added clementine's and holly for the centerpiece and created a menu of:

 

 Chicken Kiev, Mashed Potatoes with butter, cream and horseradish, and sauteed broccoli crowns and grape tomatoes.  The dessert was Pashka (above) & gingersnaps and other Christmas cookies.

We asked guests to bring White Elephants (something you own that you no longer want or need or something OR you buy a gift for ten dollars or under).  My mom surrendered her fishing poll (wrapped like a gigantic candy cane). She also ended up opening the gift I concocted.

A Christmas damsel chapeau! And I can assure you, it was completely hilarious!

It made the rounds being traded~

Until it found it's rightful owner!

We each recounted a happy Christmas memory, then the grand finale was opening beautifully wrapped gifts from Santa (which Yvonne kindly delivered).

Mine was a beautiful hand blown Santa ornament.

Yesterday was a lazy day, but I did reorganizing some beads and stuff into a candy box. 

Now, my husband and I are packing to go to New Orleans for our Christmas gift to each other. 

A Happy Bonus:

*We will have the great pleasure of meeting Dutchbaby (a blogging sister) as she will be in Nola at the same time for a family reunion!

 

 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas !

from our house

to yours!

 

Love,

Constance

 

 

A Beautiful Float!

These joyful photographs were captured before and during our Christmas Parade in Jefferson.  This event is part of the charm of a small town.

The American Girl Book Club met a few nights ago as the sun set.  Each was given a Santa hat to don, before they jumped on their float!

 

It was exciting!

The girls were cozy with blankets and had candy to throw to parade goers!

We ALL had Big Fun!

 

Here's another gold star float that might make you smile! 

 

Dear Friends,   I've left to be with my friend Noelle, who is having an operation.  Besides helping her, I'm glad to spend time with my Goddaughter Jacqueline and her brother William.  We'll have a chance to do some fun stuff together and it means much, as Noelle and her family are preparing to move to Mumbai, India for two years at the beginning of 2011.  Guess I'm finally going to learn to Skype!

Hope all's well in your world today and will be for the days to come!

See you again soon!

xox

Constance

Embracing the Spirit of Christmas

To kick off the holiday season my husband and I worked as docents at our friends Karen and Bill's home during the annual Christmas Tour.  While smiling at the guests and wishing them a "Merry Christmas",  I could hardly believe it, but it's true!  We really have zoomed through another year & here we are celebrating the holidays again, so swiftly time flies, don't you think?

A Wonderful Play!

We saw the first performance of Miracle of 34th Street at the Jefferson Play House. Two of the leading stars were first time actors, one I know. It was fabulous to see the cast who worked so hard, beam with happiness and pride upon receiving a standing ovation!

Remembering the Past

When discovered this ravioli stamp in the back of a drawer, it reminded me of Mr. Hamilton my 5th grade teacher.  About how he changed my life by discussing recipes with me, while other students were playing sports.  As a gift I once brought him homemade ravioli's.

 

Enjoying looking through the holiday catalogs!

AND

Discovering a charming New Yorker cover, from 1939 ~

The tree is trimmed ........

And candle lights, light up our front windows at night..

Yesterday, I found a mini rose bouquet, a holiday gift from Mother Nature.  Today we will place one larger red rose at my fathers tree, where his ashes are buried, as we remember the anniversary of his birth in 1924~

Enter December!

 

 

 

All Dolled Up

& Ready for the Annual Christmas Tour!

The doorways of Jefferson, Texas.