{newsy bits: media & press}

. . . many wonderfully exciting things recently, and between projects and appointments, christmas-y things and dashing off to holiday festivities, had nearly forgotten:

* a fun mention: jewelry designer pamela tuohy-novinsky's vivanista high five favorite blogs
* a guest post: from early last week for at home in arkansas magazine, complete with a perfectly lovely introduction . . .



. . . and most of all, a very special thank you to style at home magazine for including {this is glamorous} as one of the top 10 tastemakers of 2010 in their january trends issue! such a wonderful honour to be included in such esteemed company {click here to read the feature}

hope you're having a beautiful week,
xo

{christmas time in the city}

. . . late, late november and soon it will be time for pretty bed linens in cozy guest bedrooms, warm slants of sunlight and extra blankets, and best of all, tables set with gold-rimmed glasses for elegantly festive dinner parties . . .{this is glamorous}

{p.s.} holiday decorating ideas:
* freshly chopped wood
* artful arrangements
* mahogany & gold

{images:1 - victoria magazine via papillon linens; living at home via neu4bauer; anson smart; flickr}

{colour inspiration: mahogany + gold}

. . . always fresh whites in springtime, and after that, warm whites in winter, but lately and always at this time of year, drawn to deep and cozy hues of mocha and mahogany, especially when paired with gold and the golden flickers of candlelight and firelight . . .

{1 - four walls and a roof; 2 - ralph lauren home via a previous post; 3 - anson smart}

Christmas Fabulousness....

So Christmas Eve is almost here....

I have written my lists and checked them twice....

just a couple of gifts to collect tomorrow locally and I am done!

Phew!

The candles around the house are lit and it's all feeling very cosy....I'm off to sit by the Christmas tree and watch some Christmas TV and movies....

Christmas for us is about simple pleasures....early mornings with the children jumping out of bed with excitement, opening all our stockings in our big bed together, chocolate and clementines from the stockings for a pre-breakfast treat (I've done that since I was little!)....phone calls to friends and family....delicious food....visiting family in London....and snuggling together early evening watching Christmas films.....good times!

I hope you all have the most wonderful Christmas wherever you are and whoever you are sharing it with xxxx

PS My children loved watching the Santa Norad Tracker last year....tracking his progress across the world. As I type, my son is perched on the kitchen table waiting for Father Christmas to leave the North Pole on his journey across the world :)

 

The Man in Red with the Apple Cheeks....

Caroline is a fascinating writer and I have been reading her blog for some time now....

She writes today about believing in Father Christmas/Santa....I really loved what she wrote and how she wrote it - it made me smile and brought tears to my eyes.....I think she captured perfectly a child's point of view.....read it here

Merry Christmas!!

My favourite "Elf" moment!

Christmas Fabulousness....

Steps and white lights.....gorgeous!

Snowy London.....it certainly has been this week!


Merry Christmas Hermes style.....stunning....

I watched "Love Actually" when it came out and enjoyed it.....I caught about 10 minutes of it on TV the other night and loved it! Perfect for Christmas....this is a really touching - and funny - scene....

"It's A Wonderful Life"....starring the fantastic James Stewart, just a really great heartwarming movie....I plan to watch this tonight....

No Christmas is complete without it....."White Christmas"....I have never yet made it through it without crying....a lovely film....

The Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, New York City....I have stood in front of this many times and each time is as magical as the last....

.....memories of trying to stay awake to see Father Christmas, checking my stocking during the night....then that feeling of waking up in the dark and finding a full stocking...."he's been!!"....

Winter in NYC....

So, only 2 more sleeps!! All my shopping is done and my gifts are wrapped....I think I am ready :) Much of London is still white with snow....it's been beautiful....although one of my closest friends who flew to her parents in Germany last week with her husband planning to follow yesterday is not enjoying it quite as much since he is stuck here in the snow without a flight, fingers crossed he makes it!

We will be spending Christmas Day with family, my children are full of excitement and cannot wait, my 4 year old son especially.....we have lost several family and friends this year and I know that our thoughts will be with them during the day, we will miss my father-in-law and my aunt especially....

Merry Christmas to you all, I wish you love and happiness wherever you are and whoever you are with.....may all your Christmas wishes come true....xoxo