Clean style with wit and a Scottish sensibility
Cheese, wine, savories, chocolates-all of my weaknesses, but oh so good when you find all of the best of it at South End Formaggio. This is one of my favorite spots and everyone is so friendly and helpful which makes the whole experience so enjoyable. The ride home is pretty great too if I sneak a little something in a bag to nibble on the way
On a recent early spring day I was drawn to visit Annisquam by a dear friend who has found just the right balance of part-time living there in a charming, antique cottage within walking distance to the water, the yacht club, the library and the beach. It was the perfect elixir for weekday motivational blues. We wandered through the quiet village just awakening from its sleepy off season with painters, carpenters and landscapers prepping for the arrival of the seasonal residents.
Steeped in history and character I could easily see myself living there as it has just the right blend of architectural interest, cultural activities and seaside living, but still a manageable commute to downtown Boston. Although if you lived there, you probably won’t want to leave, or as they say “I don’t like to go over the bridge”.
I really like to visit places off season- I don’t handle crowds very well and feel refreshed when I putter around while there is still a hush of inactivity.
Annisquam Yacht Club
Annisquam River
View from Annisquam Yacht Club deck
Annisquam Lighthouse
Annisquam Village house
Annisquam Village house gated garden
Annisquam pink and green house
Annisquam Village view from the footbridge
It’s the time for giving gorgeous fresh cut flowers to a dear friend and to enjoy yourself at your desk, near the kitchen sink or best of all, on your bedside table. So, it is only fitting that you have a vase that gives your lovely blossoms their due. I have found just that perfect vase. Actually, I found several all from the same designer, the eponymous Frances Palmer. I am completely smitten with her work and I am not alone. Much has been written about her including extensive pieces by Martha Stewart, Design Sponge and Dominique Browning’s Slow Love Life blog among several others.
Frances’ is not only an amazing designer with a keen eye for just enough ornamentation, form and style, she is also sensitive to her customer’s needs making the shopping experience easy and enjoyable. Treat yourself, treat your friend…and oh so pretty.
Bud vase with rim beads
I knew that this was coming for quite some time and tried to prepare myself, but I honestly wasn’t ready when my 12 year old, English Cocker Spaniel, Kelty went to wherever good dogs go after this life. I feel as though a piece of my heart has been pulled out of my chest and went with her. She was elderly, not spry, and had a great deal of difficulty getting around for the past few years. So, I carried her in and out, picked up her back end hundreds of times as she struggled to do it on her own and tried to make her comfortable for the last several months.
She has been my constant companion and her absence is palpable. I know quite well that there is far more trouble in the world about which to grieve, but at this moment, I am so mindful of this loss.
If you love dogs, or any animal for that matter, you know how I feel and if you don’t love any animals, I think you may be missing out on one of life’s finest emotional gifts.
Farewell my sweet girl.
Kelty as a young dog
Kelty relaxing
Kelty at work with me
On the whole I prefer very little artwork hanging on the walls in dining rooms, bedrooms and kitchens. I find that it takes away from a sense of calm. So, it leaves a fair amount of accumulated pieces that need a place to hang. I have taken to curating mini-galleries in hallways to exhibit work and still offer the respite that I need in other rooms.
Daily ablutions should be enjoyable and almost a luxury. Light a few soy candles, dim the lights, lather with unscented, organic shea butter soap and massage dry with lovely chemical free, linen towels.
Scrub up, be kind to yourself and feel clean bliss. Hint, hint-available at our shop.
In updating a 1960′s kitchen I found a void in the wall where the kitchen hearth backs up to the living room fireplace. I knocked out a hole in the wall and designed a built in Shaker style cupboard with 18″ deep upper tableware storage and 24″ deep rolling lower drawers serving as the perfect larder.
The garage style door hides the microwave and toaster with separate switched outlets to conserve power when not in use. The wall sconces are Artemide’s Tolomeo which are completely adjustable and add just a bit of aluminum to keep the room from going a bit too Shaker. I installed dimmers on the fixtures so that when pointed upwards they provide soft ambient lighting to complement candle light on the table.
I removed the upper wall cabinets over the counter top to give the room a bit more contemporary, Scottish country house feel akin to my favorite, Plain English kitchens.
So much to do to ready for spring, but the ground isn’t warm enough to dig in the beds, the grass is still a bit fragile waking up from a long dormancy and the house needs cleaning, but that really wasn’t what I had in mind.
I like to shut off the heat once the temperature creeps up above 55 degrees F. Then out come the throws. I am completely smitten with textiles and in particular, soft tartan throws. For a short nap or as an extra layer to ward off the chill at night while sleeping with the windows open.
We have a nice selection from Scotland and Wales in shop just perfect to add a little bit of color. Ready for spring. Digging and cleaning can be done next month.
Thinking about spring with the hope that it will come early this year. Such a time for renewal and change. I am in love with pretty much anything in Belgian linen. Transitioning from winter to spring and making a simple change of pillow covers brings a bit of freshness at home.
Highlighting a few winners in our Libeco Belgian Linen Collection. Here are my current favorites.
Libeco Belgian linen pillow cover
Changing the guest hand towels to linen hand towels-super luxe and eco-friendly, made without chemicals.
Libeco flax linen guest towel
Dreams are truly sweet with pure linen pillowcases. Really! I am so persnickety about sleeping conditions and find that a linen pillowcase is soft, cool, comfortable and gentle to the touch.
Libeco linen santiago pillowcases
In the kitchen, a sturdy, functional linen apron is essential. Easy wash and dry-lasts forever.
Libeco bistro apron
One of the favorite collections in the shop are the Welsh woolens. Made in Wales, of course, a country steeped in a long storied tradition of woolens manufacturing in subtle, modern colorways.
dotty bunnies
great baby gift
soft dotty slippers
mondo gold tote bag
Welsh plaid blanket
coin purse
stripey woolen throw
