Hello...Goodbye

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end..." Green Day

I just love that quote! Perfect for New Year's Eve, don't you think?

It's a beautiful view from where I am spending my New Year's Eve, isn't it?

How about you,

what are you doing New Year's Eve?

It's been so much fun getting to know all of you through the blog world, this year!

xxoo - Heather

Hello 2011...Goodbye 2010

Illustration Friday - Winter

Let it Snow....

Winter is here, we received a total of 21 inches

with drifts up to 30 inches last night in the first big snow storm of the season. 

The wind is still howling...

Yippee, there are lots of happy people in my house today.

How about you, did you get any snow over the Christmas holiday?

Sunday Sketches - Take a Sleigh Ride

Well, I wished for snow, and here it is! Blizzard conditions in the Northeast....I am sure we will be doing lots of sleigh riding this week! They are calling for 18-24 inches of snow!

For now though, I am leaving the sleigh riding to Madeline, the Mouse, as I am snuggled up by the fire place watching the football game....I love being tucked inside during a snowstorm, don't you?

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Thank you for your warm Christmas wishes, too!

A Merry Christmas to All...

...and to all a good night!

Merry Christmas dear friends. Thank you so much for your continued support and friendship. I have met so many wonderful people this year in blog land....You are all true gifts. A very big thank you. May your Christmas be Merry!

IF- Mail

With only one day left, Santa was still reading through his mail....

Holiday House Tour - Part 3 - My Tree

There are many different ornaments on my tree, and they each hold a special memory for me. The character

dolls are all handmade by artist, Gladys Boalt. They are magnificent in real life.  I am going to share a few from my collection with you!

Remember how beautiful Glinda the Good Witch of the North was in the Wizard of Oz?

We all need a Fairy Godmother, right?

I love this snowman, and in the background you can see one of the ornaments that we had made last year.

We each did an ornament of ourselves, that's my daughter, Summer Rose

This beautiful heart came out right after September 11, 2001. It holds a special place on my tree....

The Empire State Building

New York City is a very special place, to me. Here is one of my favorite ornaments, the Statue of Liberty.
Also by Gladys Boalt. And of course, a yellow cab!

This beautiful hand painted reminds me of my first apartment in New York City!

Every year my mom gives me a beautiful handmade ornament.

and, remember her???

oh yes, that mean old stepmother, Lady Tremaine, from Cinderella

and finally, there truly is no place like home, especially at Christmastime.
Thanks for sharing mine with me!
For more information on the Gladys Boalt handcrafted ornaments visit, The Gazebo online, formerly of NYC.

A gift from Amalia, thank you!

 Have I told you about one of my favorite artists?

Well, her work is simply beautiful. It's dreamy and soft....deep and inviting...and takes you away to another world. Her name is Amalia K. And I am the proud owner of one of her magnificent prints, In Rerum Natura, I won it in her recent give away and I was so delighted when I opened the package. For those of you that know me, you know I have 2 little girls, one with golden locks and the other with the most beautiful shade of copper hair you have ever seen, and when I saw this drawing I fell in love with it....I am so excited to hang it in my home.
Thank you Amalia, you are such an inspiration. Here are a few more pieces from Amalia,

Isn't her work stunning?

For more please visit her Etsy shop, here

and her blog, here

You will be glad you did!

Thanks Amalia!

xxoo

Sunday Sketches -

It Sunday, and it's time for Sunday Sketches, hosted by Sophia at The Blue Chair Diary. This is a sketch of an angel cat that I am working on for a Christmas gift. I hope the recipient likes her!

And a big thank you to everyone who left such sweet notes about my home, which you can see here and here. I am so glad you like it! Part 3 will come this week, with a glimpse of some of my favorite ornaments.

So, grab a hot coffee or tea, and pop on over to The Blue Chair Diary and join us. You will like what you see!

Holiday House Tour - Part deux

Ready for More of the house, tour? 

(click here, for part 1)

Here we are in the living room.

Looking into the dining room.

oh, did I mention my house was built in 1763??

 Yes, there is a hearth in my dining room, which is where they used to cook all of their meals back in the 1700s

 It is a very large fireplace, that is in working condition. I have decorated it with white lights and white branches this year. I keep a basket of my favorite holiday books there, too.  Across the top are little votive candles, I always have them going at parties there are about 30 across the top of my fireplace. They are so pretty night.

These are stockings are new to my collection this year. These are hand made by wonderful Aunt Wendy. She hand makes ornaments for us every year. I'll show you those later in Part Three of the tour. But this is what she cross-stitched for us this year. Oh, I just love them!

 Ok, more sparkling reindeer, can be found on my dining room table. Also, these gorgeous black iron Christmas trees, I fell in love with them when I saw them at a local shop, and knew they would be perfect on my white table.

 I love filling bowls with sparkling pine cones. Very simple. And more candle light can be found in these oversized pillar holders.

and last but not least....

I am sharing a few of my ornaments. 

Part 3 of the tour will consist of some of favorite tree ornaments.

Here is a sneak peek of just a few....

I am a NYC girl at heart, can you tell???

Do you have a favorite ornament?

Hope you enjoyed Part Deux....

Illustration Friday - Phenomenon

The first snow was always a phenomenon to Madeline, the mouse

Holiday House Tour...Just a Peek

Living Room

Here is just a peek of my home, as I continue to decorate for Christmas.

This is my living room, home to one of our three fireplaces.

Can you spot the tree, hiding in the background?

Sparkling pine cones and ornaments fill apothecary jars in the living room.

Glitter trees dress the tables,

and silver reindeer adorned all in glitter,

dance right at my front door.

 I love SPARKLE!

Tune in all week for sneak peeks inside my home, I hope you enjoy it!

Christmas isn't a season. It's a feeling.

(Edna Ferber)

Heather

Sunday Sketches - Not Bare for Long

It's time for holiday decorating and Sunday Sketches.

This little lady is  ready to "dress" this tree to the nines!

LOOK OUT, she's a lady on a mission....

How about you...

Do you have your Christmas tree up yet?

Is it decorated?

We will be decorating ours today!

(in the rain...boo hoo)

Do pop over and say hello to Sophia and my friends over here, at Sunday Sketches!

Creative Tuesdays - Holidays

BELIEVE

in the magic of the HOLIDAYS

This week's theme over at Creative Tuesday's is Holidays

My litte Percy Peroo, believes, do you?

Gingerbread?

Ahoy, mateys, yes, this is actually a 2 lb lobster dinner....

Made out of gingerbread!

How neat, and oh so very creative! Just one of the many gingerbread creations we saw this past weekend on my trip to Massachusetts. I am not very good with gingerbread, my last creation fell apart....I work my magic better on paper, than creating houses out of sugar! So this was a delight for me to see!

I am taking a little R&R today, after a fabulous time yesterday at Mr. Toast's Tea, I am quite exhausted. It was great fun spending the afternoon with you all, over at my dear friend, Mr. Toast's. 

Hope you enjoyed your weekend. Did you do anything special?

Mr. Toast's Christmas Tea

via Elle

Good Morning my bloggy friends,

I am here...at Mr. Toast's Christmas Tea....

just wandering around the grounds, admiring the lovely scenery at the Torosay Castle in Scotland.

I arrived late last night after a wonderful visit with Mr. Claus, and a few too many candy canes...

I do believe we arrived just in the nick of time, as Santa was kind enough to

give my sailboat some extra Claus power to make it to

The Isle of Mull for Mr. Toast's 2nd Annual Christmas Tea.

 Wow, what a beautiful location for a Tea.

I am truly enjoying this magnificent spot.

Oh, and as for my adorable date, I sent him out to find a Starbucks

....hope he doesn't get lost out there...

I can't wait to visit with you all and share a cup of tea, this afternoon!

XO

Heather

Sequins, Scotland....and Tea!

 September Vogue 2010
I've decided upon this glamorous sequined gown

from yes, one my favorite designers, Marc Jacobs, to wear to

 Mr. Toast's Tea this Sunday.

I can't wait to visit with all of my blog friends

over at The Isle of Mull, in Scotland.

I may be a scoche late,

as I will be coming from here,  

delightful, isn't it? Yes, I am being pampered!

It's one of my favorite places, nestled along the the rocky east coast of the U.S.,
just a short hop across the Atlantic from Scotland...Yes, there is a Starbucks, here, too!

It's a tradition with my family to visit with Santa here, every year, to kick off the holiday season. 
So after my visit,
with The Claus Family, I will be off to The Isle of Mull...

hmmm, now for transportation....

"No dear Will, we can't take a cab across the ocean..."

Isn't my date the cutest?

I love a man who believes in Christmas....

See You Sunday at The Tea

xxoo heather & Will ( AKA...Elf)