Country House Hotel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Of all the great things that the English have invented and made part of the credit of the national character, the most perfect, the most characteristic, the only one they have mastered completely in all its details, so that it becomes a compendious illustration of their social genius and their manners, is the well-appointed, well-administered, well-filled country house."

 

Henry James, via 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Outfit

 

Vintage Black Velvet Off The Shoulder Dress: from Ebay

Silk Skirt: inherited from Granny Penny

Silver & Black Lace Peep Toe Heels: from New Look


Handmade Gold & Amethyst Earrings & Bracelet: a Christmas present from Mr Eve 4 years ago

 

The Soundtrack

Gotan Project: La Revancha Del Tango

 

 

Photographs taken during a special Christmas lunch out at the restaurant of the magical Combe House Hotel, Gittisham, Devon.

For more information about the place click here for their website.

 

Wishing you all a very happy New Year!
With warm wishes and high hopes for a wonderful 2013!



I'm delighted to be a part of Visible Monday, hosted by the lovely Patti from www.notdeadyetstyle.blogspot.co.uk, click on the website link to see her outfit and those of many others.

 

Dreaming Of A White Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Outfit

Vintage Faux Leopard Fur Coat: bought in Afflecks Palace, Manchester about 17 years ago

Faux Fur Hat: gift from an ex boyfriend about 13 years ago

Vintage Mink Fur Muff: inherited from granny Kiki 

 

Suede Boots: gift from my darling Mr Eve, from Aldo about 10 years ago

Red dress, just seen: inherited from granny Penny

The Soundtrack

Handel: Messiah

 

 

 

 

Extract from In The Bleak Midwinter, my favourite Christmas carol,

words from the poem by Christina Rossetti

via 1

 

 

 

Photographs of our garden in the snow taken a few Christmases ago.

 Photographs of me in the rain, wishing for snow, taken today. I'd been planning on wearing a long pale blue silk skirt, but decided against it to protect the silk from trailing in the water....

 

 

Wishing all you lovely people a very merry and well dressed Christmas!

 

 

I'm delighted to be a part of Visible Monday, hosted by the lovely Patti from www.notdeadyetstyle.blogspot.co.uk, click on the website link to see her outfit and those of many others.

 

 

The Tree's The Thing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Tree Lots

 

Christmas trees lined like war refugees,

a fallen army made to stand in their greens.

Cut down at the foot, on their last leg,

they pull themselves up, arms raised.

We drop them like wood;

tied, they are driven through the streets,

dragged through the door, cornered

in a room, given a single blanket,

only water to drink, surrounded by joy.

Forced to wear a gaudy gold star,

to surrender their pride,

they do their best to look alive.

 

 

by Chris Green

via 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Apologies for the blurry impressionistic images, my grotty little camera seems increasingly unable to cope with any photography taken indoors at this darkling time of year, and my aversion to using the flash continues. Fingers crossed I'll find myself a better camera in 2013...

 

 

 

The Outfit

Red & Blue Striped Jumper: about 10 years old from H&M

 

Red Crepe High Waisted Vintage Flares: my mother's in the 70s, she thinks they could be Biba but there's no label inside to indicate the designer

 

Leopard print pumps: about 8 years old from office 

 

Silver Drop Earrings: present from my mother-out-of-law

 

 

The Soundtrack

 

 

Ella Fitzgerald: Baby, it's cold outside

 

 

I'm delighted to be a part of Visible Monday, hosted by the lovely Patti from www.notdeadyetstyle.blogspot.co.uk, click on the website link to see her outfit and those of many others.

 

 

Flirting 30s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"At first she beckoned and lured one into her world; then she blurred the passageways, confused all the images, as if to elude detection."

 Anais Nin, A Spy In The House Of Love

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Outfit

 

Grey Backless Dress: from Topshop, in the years I still shopped there

 

Blue Indian Quilted Jacket: vintage from the 70s, from my granny Penny

 

Silver & Black Lace Peep Toe High Heels: 6 years old, from New Look

 

Turquoise headband: vintage necklace, from my granny Penny

 

Turquoise necklace: a present from my friend Caroline

 

Assorted bracelets: presents from my mother and keepsakes from granny Penny

 

 

The Soundtrack

George Gershwin, Los Angeles Philarmonic directed by Leonard Bernstein: Rhapsody In Blue

 

 

I'm delighted to be a part of Visible Monday, hosted by the lovely Patti from www.notdeadyetstyle.blogspot.co.uk, click on the website link to see her outfit and those of many others.

In The Winter Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I heard a bird sing

 In the dark of December

A Magical Thing

And sweet to remember.

 

"We are nearer to Spring

Than we were in September,"

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December.

 

Oliver Herford, I Heard A Bird Sing

via 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Outfit

Vintage Leopard Print Ponyskin Coat: made by my granny Kiki in the 1930s

Grey Ribbed Dress: from New Look a few years ago

Vintage Beige Wool Skirt: from my granny Penny

 

Vintage faux snakeskin belt with gold clasp: from my granny Penny

 

Teal Wool Cloche Hat: from a local market

 

Black Boots: very old, from Aldo

 

 

The Cat

Our girl Nico

The Soundtrack

Kate Bush: 50 Words For Snow

 

Photographs taken by our fruit cages and herb garden, which though slumbering at present will hopefully come to abundant life again in the Spring.


I'm delighted to be a part of Visible Monday, hosted by the lovely Patti from www.notdeadyetstyle.blogspot.co.uk, click on the website link to see her outfit and those of many others.