Rose Water

In the New Year

Heading into the New Year with grand ideas and promises to myself, one promise is to get this kitchen remodeling finished, almost there as you can see in the first photo just some fine-tuning and we are done.

Sewing for my little shop is on hold while I await much needed fabric, in the meanwhile I started working on a few sketches and developing ideas for an illustration, my Christmas books are giving me much needed inspiration and I am happy for that.

Are you ready for Downton Abbey tonight?  I am, popcorn ready with a snuggly blanket. Am very proud of myself because when the third series began I was in England but did not watch one episode and stayed away from spoilers.  Bring on the period costumes!

PS, don't you love the colors in the above image?  Vintage blue/green, gold and cream, very warm and romantic.

Winter Cold

Looking back at the past year, yearning for Paris once again, seems I cant get there fast enough.  Work, life, responsibilities, if only I could pick up and leave tomorrow.  

My week is filled with work, reading, and knitting, weekends in the studio designing and creating more dresses and tops for spring market, kitchen remodeling work and house duties.  I so wanted to go hiking on Saturday but it is just too darn cold out, it has not been this cold in a long time, down coats are in order this winter.

Have a lovely day, must dash off to teach.

XoXo

E

Home is the heart of the holidays.

 

Sunny, blustery, snowy and cold, waking up early this Sunday morning so we could get some work done renovating the kitchen.  The sun so bright filling the house with its rays, but not warming us one bit. Hot coffee, sweaters and movement of the thermostat gave us a good start. 

 Sitting here now in the living room looking at the Christmas lights on the tree, opened presents waiting to be put in their proper place, I now realize the end of another year is upon us, my home is filled with medieval music...digitally, monks and nuns chant, singing praises, Anonymous Four singing out loud bringing goodness into our lives.  I am thoughtful, reflective and forward thinking, grateful for so much. 

Even though my little cottage is a mess. 

Festive and Frosty

Last Nights Full Moon

Don't want to let Christmas Go!

This new year we have so many projects planned for this little cottage, kitchen work, a built in living room entertainment unit, a new porch.  

First up is the kitchen, Monsieur is in there readying all the supplies to begin work, first up,  the inside of the walls, pipe replacement, electrical work, lastly the aesthetics, adding my beloved bead board to the walls and in the back entrance area.  Last night I emptied out the kitchen of all its pictures, wall plates, curtains and appliances, it looks like when we first moved in, a clean palate for me to work on once his renovation is complete. Will be some time before I can share with you photos, in time.

As for me, today I have plans to hunker down, snow is knocking on our doorsteps, so I am knitting ready with music and holiday cheer.  

Plans for the next three days are exciting, Im spending time in the sewing studio working on a new piece for my shoppe

XoXo

E

PS I am so spoiled with all this blogging time.

Cold but Cozy

2pm before the snow.

The snow storm arrived around 4pm

The best frosted window ever.

Monsieur gave me the most delicious perfume for Christmas.

Great Grand Mums basin.

My Madonna from Paris sits on Grand Mums dresser.

Everlasting Imperial Bed

Beautiful custom bed alcove Monsieur built for me.

A better view of the beadboard wall replaceing the ruined Waverly wall paper.

Our oddly shaped vintage bathroom, complete with new walls, ceiling, grouting and a frosted window to allow natural light into the bathroom while keeping privacy.  

It's snowing!  We are comfy and cozy in our little cottage.  The bedroom and bathroom renovation is now complete and everything in its proper place.  So much stuff was boxed and packed away, resolving myself to Less is Moor and Im pleased with the results.  

When I took these photos the sky began to turn gray and by the time I finished my mini photo shoot a powerful snowstorm began to hit us here on the east coast, yikes!

We will be busy over the next week, the kitchen renovation needs to be completed, and I have tons of work to do in the studio, so many projects are in the works it is taking me an excel sheet to organize all my work.  Getting ready for opening day for the outside market in Woodstock Ny in spring is not easy task. Excited to share with you some of my dresses and tops.

XoXo

E

Christmas Memories

I think one day we will look back on this holiday season and laugh, we are calling our experience The Year of the Leaks.  It all started a week before Thanksgiving when I awoke to a tap, tap, tap sound, it was water leaking onto my Grandmothers desk from the bedroom ceiling.  After all was said and done, my Waverly wallpaper was riped off the wall, the ceiling torn down and I was not a happy camper.  Then last weekend I went into my basement studio to find yet another leak that almost ruined my half scale dress bodices, fabric and sewing machine.  Before I knew it the kitchen door frame was removed to access the source of the leak, you see in this old house some of the pipes run not through the wall, rather through door frames. I found myself in the Kitchen watching as the baseboard was removed, more Waverly wall paper riped from the wall, another door frame taken apart all so the galvanized pipes could replaced.

We are now sleeping in the living room.

V sincerely promised me this little cottage will be put back together by Christmas Eve, I certainly hope so.  As a consolation and totally taking advantage of the situation I went shopping for new bedroom and kitchn odds and ends. 

While V is in work mode I am contemplating weather or not to venture out into the Holiday madness for knitting and sewing supplies, or to just stay home and sip hot tea while sewing.