England Round Trip!

arriving.. the rolling hills of England! coming home.. the deep green of upstate NY!

I have no good excuses... I have neglected my blog terribly!!! And so, it's time to make up for um, lost time! 

I have been a busy bee, jumping here, there, and everywhere for the past month! But all of that later! As promised, I shall start off with my trip to England!

It was a great week (although a week wasn't really long enough!!) and although I was exhausted from running up and down England (and in need of another holiday to relax from the holiday!!) it was worth it!!

So a few quick pics.. first off, my Family, from left to right, my Mum's Brother and my Uncle David, My Mum, my Sister Kathryn and my Brother Daniel. I'm actually standing in my Uncles boat (which was obviously on land at the moment for maintenance!). On the way back to my Mum's house, we stopped for a classic Cream Tea... scones, jam and clotted cream, and of course, Tea!! My mission while in England was to eat everything completely and classically British! And I did pretty well too! Fish and Chips, Toad in the Hole, Proper Breakfast Fry-up!!

I also went up to see my good friend Sarah, in Shropshire, who has just been spending the last two years renovating her house! Finally, it is near completion! And it was a delight for me to see it after hearing so much about it!! I did fall in love with her bathroom, which has turned out beautifully - I wish I had the before pictures to show you!! Just think avocado green.. ew!!!

In this huge room, she created a huge shower, and a deep and welcoming tub, with Grohe fixtures. But best of all, I loved the way she used her slate tiles!! (which needed a whole sealing process also). The artist in her came shining through to create an original and striking design which, I think, makes the bathroom so special. One of the best things was, is that with this design, there was hardly any wastage of tile at all! Every sliver of slate was used!! I'm in love with this! Definitely one to keep in the inspiration folder! I can't wait to see the bathroom, and house completely finished and accessorized!! 

My Dad!!

Chair Ladder, South Cornwall, UK

So I decided I'm going to do a lil shout out to my Dad!

Even though we're only an hour or so away from each other by plane, I wish we were closer, and I could see him more often than I do (the next time will be the beginning of March! I can't wait!)

My Dad is a great rock climber, and he loves it! He travels all over the US and England with his friends on climbing trips, hitting one rock after another, with Rufus in tow when possible!

Dad used to climb before he met my Mum, and I'm so happy he's gotten back into it so much - it really makes him happy!

This year I'm hoping he'll be making a climbing trip to The Gunks, so he'll be close for a NYC visit!!! Fingers crossed!!

       

Ripple, Enchanted Rock, Texas High Exposure, The Gunks, New York

        

Brinton's Buttress, Devil's Lake, Wisconsin The Gunks, New York

Tea!!

Jean Simeon Chardin's 'Lady Taking Tea', 1735

It's time to warm it up a little. And what's a better way to start than with a gorgeous painting by the 18th Century French painter Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin (1699-1779). Louis XV had granted him a studio and living quarters in the Louvre in 1757. Chardin was especially good and well known for his still life paintings.
In 1723 Chardin entered into a marriage contact with Marguerite Saintard, although it was not until 1731 when they married. It is believed that the above work, 'Lady Taking Tea' depicts Marguerite, who died two months after this painting was completed.

My boss just recently came back from England, and although I was jealous of her going (and I told her so!) she was amazing in bringing me back some proper British goodies!! Now, I know that you can get an awful lot of British foods and things over here now (much more than when I was younger in the 80's!! We used to take road trips to Canada and stock up!!), but trust me when I say they don't taste the same!
I had a craving for delicious McVities Rich Tea Biscuits, and she brought me back three packs! And like a total Brit, I've been devouring these with many cups of tea. Hence the inspiration to post Chardin's 'Lady Taking Tea'. There's a pack in the office too, and even though everyone says 'Only a Brit could like these, they're bland' I still have them visit my desk to nab one here and there!
Funny how a little biscuit can bring back so many memories. 'Rich Tea' remind me of my Mum's parents, and having a cuppa in the afternoon. And watching them dunk these biscuits in their tea!...sitting there, studying them do it...trying it myself, and loving the taste!
You see, the thing with dunking, it's all about the timing...dunk too long, and you'll loose your biscuit in your tea! Not dunk long enough and the biscuit hasn't got that yummy tea flavor and it's still too crunchy.... it's a fine art, one passed on through the generations, a tried and tested process, a British tradition....it's a part of my history, fit into one little biscuit! Perfection...


a McVitie's Rich Tea Biscuit!

And to warm things up a little more, courtesy of Flickr, here's a few beautiful photos of some tealight candles!

Simple, Beautiful, White..

It seems I have a little obsession right now...perhaps you can see the theme?!

I love this cool, simple white, with the oh-so beautiful powder pink.... floods of light and simplicity... 

Cool Grey...

It's getting colder in NY, the skies are still blue, and the sun still shines, but there's a chill in the air now....

I found these images of a house in London, relaxing and like a sanctuary, these cool grey shades with white and soft creams are beautiful. I love the architectural details in this house, the crown moldings, tiled entryway, old staircase, the painted wood floors and the large windows which let in huge amounts of light. And the antique mirrors, french bed, roll top bath, the worn woods and the fabrics are just my cup of tea...I just adore them!

Personally, I'm not sure I could live in a completely grey home, but I like that this house shows off just how beautiful grey can be, and even how it can be feminine....

Notting Hill, London....

So I've been wandering through real estate again! This time, I'm on the other side of the pond, and on the gorgeous Kensington Park Road in Notting Hill, London....

This is a stunning newly refurbished period house, with three reception rooms, a family room, an impressive kitchen and dining room, six bedrooms, en suite bathroom, two shower rooms, bathroom, utility room, garden and a balcony...this house also grants access to the prestigious Ladbroke Square private communal gardens with its vast open spaces and tennis courts.
Not bad right?!

But then, we are talking Notting Hill here!!...I love that roll top bath in the master en suite!! (of course!) The wood floors and the architectural features like the old fireplaces, crown moulding, base boards, window frames and the banister on the main stairs (although a shame the other part of it doesn't match!!) are just amazing in this house, and along with the fresh white walls, the big windows and all of their natural light, this is a wonderfully kept and tastefully refurbished house...a little slice of classy London living....

Bristol Memories...

On one typically British damp and overcast afternoon, back in 2004, my friends and I went to visit a field... a field filled with 831 fluorescent light tubes sticking out of the ground! I was still living in Bristol, England, back then when I had heard about Richard Box (a Bristol Installation Artist) and his lights, and I was intrigued enough to trudge up there through the mud to see it all for myself. My friends and I were fortunate enough to meet Richard himself, who was at his caravan with a friend drinking beer in the corner of this, no so typically, British field... Richard told us that every single one of the fluorescent tubes was recycled, and just like your average strip light at work - each one lit up only by the electromagnetic field which surrounds the overhead power lines - and I mean nothing touches the tubes but mud! There really is something magical and slightly scary about it all, but I can tell you from experience, walking in between these lights is nothing like I have ever experienced - out there in the middle of a field at sunset, these tubes glow around me, as I get closer to one it's light fades as my own body absorbs the electricity surrounding it. Crazy and scary to think the electromagnetic field was so strong to do this... So magical to see it....