WEDNESDAY MUSINGS: CHRISTMAS CRACKERS

December 13, 2017November 18, 2020nenasnotes6 Comments

By now you are well aware that I am a major Anglophile and I become totally English at Christmas (it is in my DNA, my Mom was English and German), I adore all the tradition of an English Christmas and had the opportunity, several years, ago to spend Christmas with a family in the English countryside. It was a glorious week….roasts every day and major celebrations with presents and extraordinary meals for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

I remember sitting in the parlor one evening and said out loud that the perfect end for that day would be a glass of port and Stilton….out of nowhere in came my hostess with a whole wheel of Stilton, the proper silver scoop server, crystal port glasses, and a decanter of vintage port…..talk about hospitality!!!!! My hostess adored Christmas Crackers and we had them for all three days. They were quite elaborate and, of course, we all sat around with our paper crowns and read aloud our silly messages housed inside. I don’t remember all the tokens inside but they were very special. I know she got at least one set from Harrod’s. Years later back home in the States I was entertaining for Christmas Day with the traditional standing rib roast, Yorkshire pudding, etc. and wanted to do Crackers for my guests (and me!) and thought I would order them from Harrod’s, you can’t get much more authentic than that….well they started around £200 at the time and went up from there….needless to say I found some locally!

I found these last year, obviously for the ladies in attendance got others for the gentlemen.

In past years I spent time with friends for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day and I always brought the Crackers and have found many locally, ones that I adored were from Burberry with super gifts inside, I got a beautiful red leather tape measure in mine one year. I have also found stunning ones at Costco (they are actually Tom Smith’s Crackers!!!)…yes, you heard correctly as well as by mailorder from Olde English Crackers where you can even create your own. Probably too late this year but you might try the Costco route, who knows. You might even get lucky at Randolph Street Market Holiday Event this Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 5 and find some vintage ones, wouldn’t that be perfection. You know you will find things for yourself and for gifts as well as some vintage Victorian ephemera.

Christmas Crackers covered in Liberty of London prints, charming.

You knew, of course, that I would give you a bit of background on when and where this tradition began, it is an interesting story. In mid-19th Century Victorian England, Tom Smith, who was a candy maker and baker, discovered while in Paris a version of an early Cracker, a sugared almond wrapped in decorated paper twisted at each end. He decided to wrap his sweets at home in the same way. The trend didn’t catch on. Being an entrepreneur he decided to include a trinket. The idea of the snap came from fireworks and in 1961 Smith presented this version to the public and shall we say the company has never looked back. The legacy of “Bangs of Expectations” was carried on by Tom’s sons, Thomas, Henry, and Walter. In 1906, Tom Smith’s company was granted the Royal Warrant by the Prince of Wales, which entitled the company to become a member of the Royal Warrant Holders Association.

I found this advertisement quite delightful.

Start now and you will be all set for Christmas 2018!

Covers of the boxes

Of course, a book recommendation for further research and enjoyment!

And another one for fun!

I know there isn’t time to make your own plum pudding (I do have a super recipe that I will share next year in plenty of time!) you can get really good ones from Crosse and Blackwell or you can make a mincemeat pie (my most favorite, I can eat an entire one myself, not all at one sitting….well maybe!) and serve the following hard sauce (which, by the way goes beautifully with poached pears or just by the spoonful!!! Bad Nena!) It is by far the best hard sauce ever, it was given to me by one of my Saks Store Managers, Bob Pike, along with the Plum Pudding recipe. Enjoy!!!!

FROM NENA’S RECIPE BOX

BOB PIKE’S HARD SAUCE

2/3 cup soften butter

3 cups confectioners sugar

1/4 cup Calvados (or a bit more like I add)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla

Place butter (in pieces) with sugar in a food processor add Calvados and vanilla. Process until creamy. Chill. (I use a hand mixer, I no longer have a food processor and you can lick the blades!)

All photos are from Pinterest no photo credit available

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS: THE PARIS SPY

November 7, 2017November 5, 2017nenasnotesLeave a comment

I have been a fan of Susan Elia MacNeal since her first novel featuring our heroine, Maggie Hope, Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. The Paris Spy was a bit heavier than her previous books and perhaps this wasn’t the time for me to read it. It has been very gloomy in Chicago the past couple of weeks and this did not lift my mood. That being said, it is well written, the research extensive and I greatly appreciated the addition of the books MacNeal consulted and has listed for us, for my TBR list.

We find Maggie in Paris waiting to start her assignment, as an undercover agent, from the British. We are in the midst of the Nazi occupation of France. Maggie has gone to France to find an operative, who hasn’t been heard from, and her half-sister, having bought her way out of a concentration camp, has gone missing. She, of course, is on assignment to gather as much intelligence as possible and report back to London. Her cover is that of an Irish socialite (Ireland was neutral during WWII) in Paris for her trousseau for her upcoming wedding and when “her” Louis Vuitton trunk arrives, at her safe house, she changes into her Chanel Couture (of course she does!) and goes to the Ritz, which, as we all know, is a Nazi stronghold. As she is registering at the Hotel she encounters none other than Gabrielle, Coco, Chanel who takes her under her wing. (It seems that the last few books I have read and reviewed have referenced either Christian Dior or Chanel.) Chanel takes Maggie, aka Paige Kelly, under her wing and actually to the ballet that evening where two of Maggie’s friends, Hugh, a former lover and his new amour, Sabine, are performing. After the performance, they go to Maxim’s and the plot thickens. During the evening Chanel discusses her feeling for the Nazis among other things, quite shocking (read Sleeping with The Enemy: Coco Chanel, Nazi Agent by Hal Vaughan and come to your own conclusions!) I am making it sound very glamorous, it is anything but. The story is brutal not only in the devastating occupation of France and the humiliation of the Parisians but in the actual brutality of the captors with their “guests” thankfully we are spared the worst of it, but still hard to read.

Will Maggie/Paige find who she is looking for, will we learn who the double agent is (he sides with the Germans because he “prefers Fascism to Communism” what a choice, who would want either!!!!) The heroes of the story are the women who see things are not what they seem in transcriptions and report them only to be ignored…seriously…and they are very strong women to be sure, some things don’t change do they!.

Two passages I wanted to comment on…the first is Chanel’s remarks on page 204 Maggie has attended the Nina Ricci Couture show and encounters Chanel as both are coming back to the Ritz. Chanel asks Maggie how she enjoyed the presentation to which Maggie responds: “I liked the red especially, but someone with my coloring (she is a redhead) really can’t wear that color.” Chanel: “Yes, I heard there was a lot of red—and sable. And the wedding dress?” Maggie: “Beautiful. But it might be a bit much for me. Perhaps an ivory silk suit might be better for these times.” Chanel: “Nonsense! We must embrace excess—especially these days! We’re dancing on the edge of a volcano, after all…..” Interesting ñ’est pas!

The second refers to using actors, decorators, and designer, all in the US Army, to build “fake” tanks and other equipment to fool the Nazis into thinking the Allies were where they weren’t…see pages 206-207. This is what Bill Blass did during the war. He told me about it and said it was a great pleasure to be able to divert the German army by creating “stage sets”. See his autobiography Bare Blass for further details on this operation.

This book gave me more information on the British spy system used during WWII than I knew or suspected and I must say I definitely didn’t expect the ending…obviously there is more to Maggie’s story to be told! Let’s see what MacNeal has in store in book 8, I for one will be eagerly awaiting it.

COLLECTIONS: HALLOWEEN

October 26, 2017October 27, 2017nenasnotes6 Comments

PLEASE CORRECT STEPHANINE LAKE’S WEBSITE THE CORRECT INFORMATION IS www.stephanielakedesign.com MY APOLOGIES FOR THE ERROR!

Grab your candy corn this is going to be a long post and I hope a fun one, we all love Halloween don’t we!!!! It seems that everyone now decorates for this spooky holiday and spend over 9 million dollars on it, oh my, that is scary!!!! I wonder how much of that is spent on Pumpkin Spice items…..or maybe that would be another several million!!!

CORRECTION SHOULD READ 9 BILLION $$$$$$$$

The holiday began in ancient times, the Celtics had the festival of Samhain to celebrate their New Year began on November 1. All Hallows Eve became Halloween sometime in the late 1800’s a time to go trick-or-treating, carve pumpkins, get dressed up in costumes and all in all come to the end of a season and get ready for winter. There is so much to learn about ALL the traditions that I encourage you to do a bit of research on your own and, of course, be sure to watch the Giant Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, a yearly tradition…he will appear one of these years!

Let’s begin with pumpkins…having a very talented artist as a Father I had amazingly glorious carved pumpkins and I could carve my own acorn squash, I don’t remember having the charming small pumpkins and other decorative gourds back in the day. We always had several, one was never enough and I got to help scoop out the pulp and seeds anytime I could spend with my Daddy I did so and I very happy to say he always had lots of time for me…only great memories. I now see painted pumpkins, glittered pumpkins, gilded pumpkins, and on and on…love them all. Here are some photos of some of the thousands you can find on Pinterest and Instagram…enjoy…

Do come to Randolph Street Market www.randolphstreetmarket.com this weekend, October 28 and 29 from 10 to 5 where you will find lots of vintage Halloween items. I had a huge Halloween party every year from grade school through high school. Everyone, of course, came in costume, mine, for several years, was a white fringed cowgirl outfit that Mom fashioned each year worn with handtooled white leather boots that we got each year when we spent the summer in Midland, Texas (yes, you heard that correctly!), cowgirl hat and gloves….I thought I was Dale Evans (I was crazy about Roy Rogers and the Lone Ranger, what can I say!) Mom decorated every inch of our homes with crepe paper and traditional Halloween paper goods (see what you can find at RSM, I can assure you lots….) We always had a sit down meal also themed as well as games. We went trick-or-treating on Beggar’s Night as well as Halloween alternating different neighborhoods…it was the best time ever!

A couple of books on collecting Halloween items….

Here are some of the decorations we had when I was a child….

I had all of these…aren’t they super and now very collectible, see what RSM has…

We would often have these to go trick-or-treating….hard to find now but great fun to fill with goodies.

Absolutely love this, I want to go to this party…a great way to display all the collectibles you will find at Randolph Street Market.

When you are in the South Bend area please make a stop at Council Oak Antiques at 50981 S.R. 933 N. as you can see the vendors are ready not only for Halloween but for the rest of the Fall celebrations. They are open daily and I am mad for the Owner’s Instagram account patricia_mcmahon_smith, do check it out. Photo courtesy of Council Oak Antiques.

There are a zillion haunted houses to visit, parties to go to or host your own, my favorites are at The Peninsula Chicago, hurry home from the Randolph Street Market on Saturday don you costume and attend this year’s extragranza…here are the details…

And for the children, the party is Saturday morning, also at The Peninsula Chicago www.chicago.peninsula.com….Party invitation graphics courtesy of The Peninsula Chicago.

Here is our precious Odette modeling her butterfly costume exclusively for nenasnotes photo by Stephanie Lake….

Just perfection…..

Working on Halloween Haunted House….

TheFinished Halloween House…scary!!!!

The above seven photos courtesy of Stephaine Lake, www.lake@stephanielakedesign.com go to the nenasnotes archives for the week of December 12th for the series of profiles I did on Stephanie…you wont’t be disappointed!!!

After the festivities I am ready for my treats…and you!!!!!

On my way home…….

All photos from Pinterest, credits unknown, unless otherwise noted.

WEDNESDAY MUSINGS: CORK

October 24, 2017nenasnotes6 Comments

By now you know my brain wanders all over the place…take cork for an example, today’s subject! I was at one of my new most favorite restaurants, MARISOL www.marisolhicago.com at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. The Museum is celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary, more on that in a future post. Back to Marisol….I have been waiting for it to open for months and anticipated a new neighborhood place to hang out and I have definitely found it! Love the atmosphere, the staff, headed by General Manager, Sarah Martins, is amazing, they are courteous, remember your name after one visit (what??????) and smile, what a concept, and the food, yes. the food is beyond yummy. More on this new place in yet another post, fingers crossed that Chef Jason Hammel will share a recipe or two with us. Wait, isn’t this post about cork, you ask, yes it is! Here is why.

My wine buddies joined me one evening and we were having our wine when Jason, our server extraordinaire, asked if we didn’t want a bottle with our dinner, we, of course, agreed, why not…it was a lovely Gamay. Jason opened the bottle, presented me with the cork and the first sip to taste. Looking at the cork, I decided that I needed to do a post on cork…of course, I did. I explained to Jason and my dinner friends that is how my crazy mind works. It brought to my mind the reason you are handed the cork, most certainly not to sniff it unless you want to have the smell of “cork”! It is to let you know that the cork has the name of the winemaker/vineyard on it ad that it matches what you have ordered. In years long gone, labels became illegible but the cork with its brand endured. There is a great article on the website VinePair in their Wine Geekly posts on “What To Do With The Cork When Your Server Presents It!” Go to their site if you want to learn more, www.vinepair.com

I then, of course, started researching cork and where it comes from, actually from the cork oak from Southwest Europe and Northwest Africa, the bark is harvested, the trees are not cut down. Cork is used in approximately 60% of all wine corks, you now can find synthetic corks and screw tops. It is also used in musical instruments, flooring, wall covering, the interior cores of baseballs (who knew!!!) etc. etc. etc. In my life, my Father’s drawing board was topped with cork as was his inspiration wall (great for tacking bits and pieces) in his at-home studio.

As the bark looks before it is harvested.

The look of the pressed cork that would have been on my Father’s drawing board and wall.

Let’s look at a few decorative ways to use corks, I love to collect them on trips (use to do match boxes but who has those anymore!!!!) here are some ways you can use them in your home.

Champagne corks for this chandelier.

Of course a book on the subject, you know me and books, To Cork or Not to Cork by George M. Faber.

A couple of games…

And in fashion…

The Nike LeBron 12 EXT “King’s Cork” shoe from the Nike website.

The iconic Salvatore Ferragamo cork and suede wedge made for Judy Garland in 1938. It is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Collections.

Dutch designer, Jan Taminian cork platform boots worn by Lady Gaga

Two exquisite headpieces by Philip Treacy for Alexander McQueen worn by Isabella Blow.

This movie has very little to do with cork but it is one of my favorites and I adored Alan Rickman in anything and he is superb in this film, I highly recommend it if you haven’t seen it or see it again!

I could easily go on for pages, which I usually do, there are so many images on Pinterest and online that it is hard to stop but stop I shall. Look for yourselves who knows you might get inspired to do a cork craft after you have opened your own bottle of wine, looked at the brand on the cork and enjoyed a glass or two!

All photos, unless otherwise noted, from Pinterest photo credits unknown.

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS: THE ADDRESS

September 5, 2017September 4, 2017nenasnotes3 Comments

I have been waiting for this book to come out for months, having enjoyed Fiona Davis’ first book The Dollhouse and anticipated a good read, I wasn’t disappointed! I usually don’t like plots that go from one time to another, this one begins in 1884 and then travels to 1985, this is done in different chapters. In this case, it works extremely well and brings the story to contemporary times.

We begin at a luxury hotel in England where our protagonist, Sara Smythe, is head housekeeper and sees a little girl balancing on a window ledge, rushes to save her (which she does), the father of the little girl, Theodore Camden, is so grateful he offers Sara a position at the soon to be opened Dakota, in New York where he is one of the architects and project manager. She thinks the offer is not sincere but because she saved his daughter. Shortly after Camden, his wife and children return to New York, Sara receives a ticket and travel expenses to join them. Without much hesitation, she boards her ship and sails for New York and her new life….by the way, all this is in the first few pages of the book!

When she arrives at the Dakota she is stunned by the size, the beauty of the structure and the location, in the middle of nowhere, remember this is 1884. Sara finds herself as managerette (don’t you love this title!) and totally in charge of basically everything. She is very much up to the task and the new apartment dwelling opens beautifully. Naturally, she lives in the building as does Theo and his family.

We then meet our other protagonist, Bailey Camden, a modern young woman who is an interior decorator and has just been released from rehab where she was treated for alcoholism and drug addiction. Her boss has taken care of her rehab expenses and promptly fires her. Her “cousin” (are they really cousins!!!!???) and friend Melinda, is rehabbing an apartment in the Dakota with the idea of making it very modern much to Bailey’s chagrin. As part of their agreement, Melinda allows Bailey to live in the apartment during the renovation along with the promise of her fee when Melinda turns 30 in a few weeks and receives her substantial inheritance. If you have ever been in the building you know it is tradition personified and still considered a prestigious building, it is a stunner.

Both stories have lives of their own but, of course, mesh together as well. We meet many characters along the way, learn about New York as it begins to become the City we all know and love by learning about its architecture, go inside an insane asylum (not my favorite part of the story, I felt it was a bit long), the glamour of the Gilded Age and the excess of the 1980’s New York scene. My take away was how talented women, in any age, with the drive, the know how, skills and willingness to succeed do so. A feminist story, perhaps, but more one of human nature, self-worth and lots and lots of intrigue along the way, romance, yes that too!. Did I like the book, yes, indeed I did!

From the last paragraph on the fly leaf of the book….”A century apart, Sara and Bailey are both tempted and struggled against the golden excess of their respective ages—for Sara, the opulence of a world ruled by the Astors and Vanderbilts; for Bailey, the nightlife’s free-flowing drinks and cocaine—and take refuge in the Upper West Side’s gilded fortress.”

PROFILE: THE AMAZING UNIVERSE

August 21, 2017August 16, 2017nenasnotesLeave a comment

I’m not doing an official “profile” post today because I am in Southern Illinois to see the total eclipse….I am totally beyond excited for this once in a lifetime experience!

I thought you might enjoy the following article from The Guardian from August 15, 2017, we are taking turns reading it aloud (not the driver) in the car on our five hour drive (oh my!) Be sure to use your special glasses and enjoy the total eclipse of the sun!

“‘Most spectacular thing I’ve ever seen in my life’: US readies for total eclipse

By Amanda Holpuch In New York, www.theguardian.com
View Original
August 15th, 2017

Tyler Nordgren, a physics and astronomy professor at the University of Redlands says eclipse watchers should be prepared for a multi-sensory experience

Millions of Americans will look up toward the sky on Monday 21 August and watch stars shine in the afternoon, feel the day’s heat swapped for an evening chill and hear the sounds of confused birds and animals during the first total eclipse seen in the continental US in 38 years.

The spectacular event in six days’ time will cross a strip of the country occupied by 12.2 million people, with millions more expected to travel to the 70-mile-wide eclipse path, aiming to catch a glimpse of a sight that has captured the imaginations of people for millennia.

“I’ve spent my entire life looking at the sky as an astronomer – at the Milky Way, the stars, meteor showers – and this is the most spectacular thing I’ve ever seen in my life with my own eyes,” Tyler Nordgren, a physics and astronomy professor at the University of Redlands, told the Guardian.

Nordgren, who saw the total eclipse in Europe in 1999, said nothing compares to the multisensory experience a solar eclipse offers.

“The shadow of the moon moves over you, day turns to night for half an hour, the stars become visible in the middle of the day, the sun turns black and the most incredible thing – the sun’s corona: that million degree atmosphere that is invisible at all other times – suddenly you see the enormous crown, its rays of pale white spreading outward from the sun,” he said.

Map

The corona is only visible during an eclipse and will be watched closely by an army of scientists eager to take advantage of the opportunity to study the sun’s energy. Researchers will monitor the eclipse from the ground, air and space, and Nasa has invited casual observers to track temperature and cloud data on their phone to create a citizens’ scientific map of the eclipse.

The rare event is also bringing a torrent of visitors to cities located in the eclipse path. There are 200 million people who live a day’s drive away from prime viewing spots, and the US Federal Highway Administration has warned: “This isn’t your average travel weekend.”

That influx has inspired travel companies to take advantage of the demand on hotels and transport.

The travel company HipMunk found that compared to the same period in 2016, there was a 29% average increase in booking prices at seven cities in the eclipse’s path including Omaha, Nebraska; St Louis, Missouri; and Columbia, South Carolina.

Last week, car rental searches on Kayak.com for Portland, Oregon, which is an hour’s drive from a main eclipse viewing site, showed an “unusually high demand” in the city, with a 1,469% increase in car rental searches and no cars available.

eclipse science

Though solar eclipses are extraordinary and rare, scientists have been able to predict them since ancient times.

Babylonian astrologers recorded eclipses on clay tablets between at least 518 and 465 BCE and were eventually able to predict them.

Then for centuries, solar eclipses were regarded with terror. In May 1716, a London pamphlet warned that a predicted eclipse was “The Black Day, or the prospect of Doomsday”.

That shifted by the 20th century, when a journalist wrote in the Hartford (Connecticut) Courant: “Although the frequency with which solar totality occurs, and the scientific knowledge which has robbed it of the mystery and even the terror which formerly accompanied it, great value in astronomical circles is given to its recurrence.”

Nordgren, who wrote a book on the history of eclipses, plans to watch it with his family and friends.

He was a child when the last US total eclipse occurred in 1979, but missed it because he was hiding in his Portland home with the curtains drawn, afraid his eyes would be burned from watching the event. Nordgren said he realized afterwards that he had been “cheated out of a life experience”.

When he saw the eclipse in 1999, he was surrounded by scientists who were attending a conference in Budapest. He said he was excited this year to finally share the experience with his loved ones.

Nordgren said: “My hope is I have not oversold this to my wife.”

Read more comment and opinion from The Guardian, the world’s leading liberal voice”

Nordgren’s book on the history of solar eclipses…I for one will be getting it!

COLLECTIONS: ART POTTERY

August 17, 2017August 16, 2017nenasnotes3 Comments

Photo was taken from the Pottery Boys website.

I have been posting about the Pottery Boys www.potteryboys.com this week and their open house this Saturday, August 19th. The piece above is from their vast collection, each piece I feel is extraordinary. I wanted to share a few more of their pieces, a glimpse into the creativity of David Erpenbach, another skilled artist, and delve into a collection at the Chicago History Museum www.chicagohistory.org

One of the Pottery Boys pieces and an up close photo of the special top. The details look like jewelry. Both photos were taken by me in their Studio.

Another from their website.

Another photo I took in the Studio.

From Tom Mantel and Tom Hawley’s Collection, I featured the grouping of three pieces in another post here is the very large piece close up and then the exquisite detail of the top of the sculpture and the intricate almost lace like work of the body of the piece.

While I was preparing this post my thoughts wandered back in time to the apartment of a dear friend and colleague at Columbia College Chicago, Dianne Erpenbach and her husband, Jon, and their collection of their son, David’s unique, and wonderful art pottery. Why don’t ask me, I haven’t thought about it in years. I contacted Dianne who in turn let David know I was interested in seeing his current work. I asked him to share his thoughts as well…you know I will do that!

Here are those thoughts and some of his special pieces:

“I use traditional wheel thrown and hand built techniques to begin all of my pieces. My vision is to take traditional pottery forms and make them more unique by cutting, altering and adding several thrown and hand built pieces to create one final form. Some of my pieces may use up to ten or more thrown or hand built pieces to create one piece. I do not use molds so all of my pieces are original and one of a kind. My experience with firing includes High Fire reduction, High and Low Fire oxidation, Soda Fire, Salt Fire, Pit Fire and Raku. I have five years of learning and experimentation during my undergraduate study at Northern Michigan University where I completed my Bachelor of Fine Arts with a studio concentration in ceramics.”

David Erpenbach at his wheel.

My favorites of David’s work…as you know I am a green girl, but these really drew me into them. All above photos courtesy of David Erpenbach.

The Midwest is known for its pottery, think Ohio for an example, McCoy, Hall, Shawnee, USA, actually a mark not a brand, (all of which I collect in white, you have seen some of that collection, and some green pieces). Roseville, Rookwood, and Weller, of course, and all the Arts and Crafts designers and Mid-Century artists. The subject is huge and I will probably do future posts on it but I wanted to do a short photo essay on Teco which was/is done locally. “The American Terra Cotta Tile and Ceramic Company was founded in 1881 in Terra Cotta, Illinois between Crystal Lake and McHenry. It became the first American manufacturer of architectural terra cotta (I did a post on terra cotta a few weeks ago in my Thursday Collections series). The founder William Day Gates began experimenting with clays and glazes for art pottery which introduced TECO Pottery (TErra COtta) in 1899. It is known for it’s Teco Green glaze, a smooth, microcrystalline, matte.” (Source Wikipedia). I like to credit as much as I can to local resources for nenasnotes and I found several pieces housed in our Chicago History Museum Collections www.chicagohistory.org all from around l905.

The three pieces above are in the Chicago History Museum Decorative Arts Collection.

This piece found on Pinterest photo credit unknown. I think it is stunning.

An out of print book….if you are interested I would suggest an internet search.

Of course, you will find many, many art pottery pieces to add to or start your collection at the Randolph Street Market www.randolphstreetmarket.com Saturday and Sunday, August 26 and 27 from 10 to 5.

BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS: THE FORBIDDEN GARDEN

August 15, 2017August 13, 2017nenasnotes4 Comments

I must admit I was drawn to The Forbidden Garden by its cover, I am a sucker for a floral book jacket and the garden in the title intrigued me and since this week’s posts are dealing with earth, particularly clay, why not do a book about a garden as my book review. I have not read The Sparrow Sisters, which probably would have been a good idea since the Sparrow Sisters history is often referred to in this book. But not to worry you can get the idea of the first book and read it in the future if you enjoy this one, which by the way I did!

The story is multi layered but primarily concentrates on the history of an English garden that is in total shambles, actually, it has been dead for years, and a young gardener from the States who has been hired, because of her reputation, to bring it back to life with her unusual skills. Sorrel Sparrow and her sisters have almost magical powers when it comes to gardens and making them extraordinary. Sorrel is met at the airport by the brother of the Lady of the Manor, Andrew, and we really know from the onset that this will be a romance, how much of one I will let you read for yourself. Andrew has been put in charge of taking Sorrel around London before they drive to the Estate, this, of course, includes some of London’s magnificent gardens. I must say this and actually, most of the book made me very “homesick” for England, I truly love the UK, but by now you, my readers, know that! The story is quite layered just like the garden and holds many hidden and forbidden stories. They, of course, all come together for the climax. We have hidden rooms, secrets held for decades, families almost destroyed by the past but the main story is of a living entity, the garden and how love can make it and the people around it come back to life. To some extent, it did remind me of A Secret Garden, which we have all read, just a more “grown up version”. It seems the decayed, once magnificent, garden doesn’t wish to come back to life until Sorrel works her magic but does it spring back into bloom….perhaps! Through the years the Kirkwood women have become ill after being in the space and what does this have to do with the hideous family tapestries, one of which is missing, does the missing piece solve this puzzle, perhaps! The original garden was based on a Shakespeare Garden. I love the one I have often visited in Stratford, Canada, when I go to the Stratford Festival, and have had guided tours of the garden, not only is the layout of the garden described but each plant has meaning and is discussed. This is done in great detail in the book and Sorrel keeps a diary of each planting and does a sketch of her plans which is charmingly featured at the beginning of the book.

Did I enjoy the book, yes, very much, who won’t find a romance of a space and people delightful, would I read another Sorrel Sparrow story, absolutely. The author, Ellen Herrick, writes well, makes us like the characters, has thoroughly done her research and takes us on a most interesting journey. Please leave your comments when you have read the book, (I would highly recommend it for your book club) or have you already read it!?

From the book jacket:

“When Sorrel Sparrow is hired to restore the walled Shakespeare Garden at Kirkwood Hall—the ancestral home of Sir Graham Kirkwood and his wife, Stella—she finds desolation and shadows. According to family lore, generations have tried to return the garden to its former glory, but every attempt has failed. Determined, Sorrel vows to save the garden as only a Sparrow Sister can.

But as soon as Sorrel enters the garden, she feels a sense of heartbreak, betrayal . . . and perhaps even a dark enchantment. Intrigued by Kirkwood Hall’s history—and also by the haunting tapestries that tell its story—Sorrel, increasingly drawn to Stella’s enigmatic brother, sets to work. She slowly unravels the ancient garden’s secrets, only to learn that its destiny is irrevocably entwined with her own.”

For more on the author, Ellen Herrick go to her website www.ellenherrick.com

FASHION FLASHBACK: BETH LEVINE SHOES PART 2

July 28, 2017July 28, 2017nenasnotes8 Comments

Long before Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo, Brian Atwood, Patrick Cox, Prada and Miu Miu (let alone Chanel, Dior, etc.) there was Salvatore Ferragamo, Roger Vivier, Andrea Pfister, Maud Frizon, and the list goes on…and, of course, Herbert and Beth Levine. Beth Levine and Beth’s Bootery are the subjects of today’s post. I have always loved shoes and have worn heels since I was 13 years old, of course, heels then were 3-4 inches, not the stilettos of today (which, by the way, I wore for many, many years!) This post came about when I read about the Michael Kors buy of Jimmy Choo for 1.2 billion dollars!

I had the opportunity, at Saks Fifth Avenue, Chicago, to work with Fiamma Ferragamo, Roger Vivier and Andrea Pfister (who did a last of my foot to fashion special shoes just for me…do I have any of them, the answer, unfortunately, is no!!!) All were delightful to work with and extremely talented. Each with their unique style creating works of art and at different times in my SFA tenure. Vivier was the first shoe creator that I worked with, he was the hot designer of the time and did an exclusive line for SFA (actually, all those I worked with did exclusives for us, and they were extraordinary). He could not have been more charming, a true French gentleman with the utmost creativity. I worked with Fiamma and Andrea often and sometimes did fun fashion events with them. A few times I did vignettes using picture frames and had the model’s feet and legs outside the frames (that is all you saw) showing the most exciting of the shoe collections. The designers, as well as the clients really had fun with those events.

Now on to the Levines….I wore Herbert Levine shoes when I was in high school. We had the most wonderful shoe stores in Chicago (the Chicago store was next door to Saks on Michigan Avenue) and in Evanston called Joseph’s and they carried all the “of the moment styles”, one new “invention” was the “Springolator”. The Springolator shoe features an elastic insole that is designed to create tension between the shoe and the bottom of the foot to stay on the foot, without slipping off or go clack-clack when you walk. It was “invented” by Herbert Levine and his designer wife, Beth. It is in actuality a mule or slide but stayed on your foot because of the tension.

Beth Levine as I remember her, joyful and beyond talented!

I had several pairs especially for all my dance dresses…we wore a lot of party dresses in the 1950’s and I made most of them myself…I never wanted anything anyone else had. My prom dress (I was already working at Saks when I graduated high school) was made of unbleached muslin, strapless, of course, and I fashioned rosettes of the muslin to applique on the skirt (with petticoats underneath as was the fashion at the time!) and tied an apricot velvet ribbon at the waist, on my feet, Herbert Levine Springolator shoes in ecru with bows in the same apricot velvet! Actually, they looked a lot like the pump on the cover of the book at the beginning of the post but they were open toe…you get the idea. Quite chic if I say so myself….

Two examples of Herbert Levine Springolators.

I had this exact shoe except in pink (me in pink!!??, interesting) the ornament was Dresden china. I loved those shoes.

I mentioned in yesterday’s post, Beth’s collection of wooden shoe snuff boxes and the shoe she designed in their honor. Here are a couple of other “themed” shoes that I found amusing…

The racing car flat.

Very Mod and certainly the late 1960’s.

Beth’s boot revival “were made for walking” as Nancy Sinatra’s 1966 song tells us https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbyAZQ45uww They started a craze that has survived to current fashion and just get higher and higher up the leg and in heel height.

Adore this shoe and it came on many color combinations.

I am mad for this shoe the lace embellishment, the shape of the heel, a true masterpiece (could also be a Vivier!)

I think this is a particularly beautiful heel….just like the back of our ready-to-wear garments are seen by all so are the back of our shoes. Wouldn’t you love to see these with a LBD for a fabulous cocktail party….please!!!!!

Portrait by Philip Pearlstein, 1980’s which was on loan for the Beth Levine: The First Lady of Shoes exhibition at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in 2015. Go to their blog at npg.si.edu

All images from Pinterest photo credits unknown.

WEDNESDAY MUSINGS: FAVORITE PINS THIS WEEK: GREEN

July 26, 2017July 24, 2017nenasnotesLeave a comment

I became addicted to Pinterest this weekend and found all manner of wondrous images of my all time favorite color…..green! So why not do a post on all things green. Few words just glorious images like the above collage I prepared for the blog! I will identify my own photos, some may be repeats (sorry!) but mostly they are pins I have saved and don’t have photo credits

I adore color samples, here one of Pantone’s green palettes, these are the greens that are the most attractive to me, however, I do love all greens!

The following quote is attributed to the book, Green: The History of a Color by Michael Pastoureau published by Princeton University Press (one of his series of books on color, I ordered mine immediately from www.amazon.com!!!!) “The color green is fickle, mutable, variously the color of love, youth, irresponsibility, but also madness, debauchery, and the underworld”.

From Carolyne Roehm www.carolyneroehm.com using an Ikat textile for her table setting, her “eye” is brilliant in all things, whether flowers, gardens or interiors.

Another tablescape from Carolyne Roehm

I not only love this photo but want everything in it!!!! It is so me!

I could live in any of these rooms and take inspiration for not only the color and the weathered look of the rooms but all the details large and small.

Beautifully detailed tiles.

A magnificent garden path leading to a secluded nook.

The entrance to Monet’s home in Giverny

A fantastically beautiful solarium….

Ivy on a brick wall from a weekend in Harbor Country my photo

A wood in Indiana my photo

I am mad for this capture….an exquisite bird sitting on a fern frond

Ferns in a Blue Island garden my photo

I know I have posted this but it is a beauty with the gold embellished embossed leather binding, you might find something similar at the Newberry Library www.newberry.org Book Sale this week, Thursday through Sunday, July 27 through 30 or at this weekend’s RandolphStreet Market www.randolphstreetmarket.com Saturday and Sunday.

My all time favorite tree, a weeping redbud in full leaf, also in a Blue Island garden my photo

Can you believe this is a cabbage! It is amazing and HUGE, the shades of an almost metallic green are extraordinary, another shot from my Harbor Country weekend.

I know I did this in another post but had to feature it again, John Galliano for Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall 2006 (the Collection I was fortunate to witness!!!!) Vogue photograph

A truly spectacular conifer in Harbor Country, my photo.