BLOOMS

 

After the rotten dirty email Travel started my weekend off with yesterday...I had to go find some pretty and therapy to get the email out of my mind. It has been a glorious weekend weather wise...sun, nice warm temps, no gales, and today was spent getting the gardens empty of leaves, felled branches, and dead debris. Loosen the tanbark away from plants. The sun felt wonderful on the skin. I was happy to see many of the plants are all breaking the ground with little stems...peonies, bleeding hearts, spring bulbs, columbines, lavenders, dianthus and the herbs and delphiniums. I also can't wait to get more wildflower seeds in, especially since the garden will be expanded since the burning bush was removed. Yesterday I went to the Dame's lovely shop to place an order of some more daffodils, and to place an order for my arrangement for the upcoming Easter dinner, and another arrangement to be sent to the good folks at the dental oral surgeon and staff for their welcome, friendly and great process they assisted me with, and making me feel at ease, not to mention making me gorgeous again. I got myself a small nose gay. As always, his shop never disappoints. I hadn't been in since we did the windows.

I stayed and went out for dinner with the Dame and his hubby which was delicious. Of course his home was also looking like spring and Easter.

It has been another glorious weekend. Much to look forward too in the next few weeks. But glad the garden is now cleaned out and ready to go. My day even started out with a homemade breakfast burrito and potatoes this morning, along with a pot of coffee.

A treat I haven't enjoyed in three months!

HOLIDAY SPIRITS

I don't know if it's just me or not, but because of the state of the country and this lousy administration, people seem to yearn for some relief and seems to be in the spirit of the holiday more than usual. I have seen more homes with lights out then then last few years. I don't know. But it was good to finally get out and enjoy some time with friends. I departed Thursday as I and the clan got together for a bit of a jolly in NYC which didn't disappoint. We took in some of the sights, a trip to the lovely John Derian shop, and even enjoyed my first cocktails since the surgery... just enjoyed time being away, with no schedule. As always, the city didn't disappoint, but being visual, I did return last night very mentally spent. We even beat the crowds, planning out times at places smartly. But the getting up early could have killed me. 

Rockefeller Plaza! It's been a minute since I've been there.

Of all things, my favorite thing to see is the Public Library lions with their wreaths on. And the tree outside of Aster Hall inside was stunning.

Byrant Park

St Patrick's Cathedral

Inside Bergdorf Goodman. 

You can see the windows I posted early in the week here.

Meanwhile over at my old Alma mater of 18 years, Bloomingdales, I thought their windows were pretty clever. Knights Before Christmas. 

Christian Dior window.

Hudson Yards.

A trip to John Derian's is always a treat for me.

 I came out of there with four more bird clip ornaments.

Before heading back on the train, our little clan concluded with some "holiday spirits" at the Algonquin Hotel this year at the fabled Blue Bar...and spotted the hotel cat, Hamlet, who gets free reign of the hotel. It's quite funny and part of the hotel's charm. He must be the 8th in the line of Hamlets.

It's been ages since we enjoyed drinks there, But I always love it. A stop at the Blur Bar is an opportunity to sip where history was made and sit in the very space that helped shape New York's literary and theatrical scene. Everyone from Dorothy Parker to James Dean, to Alan Jay Lerner and Fredrick Loewe who composed over days the music to My Fair Lady in the hotel, to the likes of Harold Ross, founder of the New Yorker, Robert Benchley, artist and illustrator Neysa McMein,  playwright and humorist, George S Kaufman, Harpo Marx, Tallulah Bankhead, and later, wasn't uncommon to see the likes of Maya Angelou, a young Harry Connick Jr, Liza Minelli and everyone's favorite booze hound, Elaine Stritch, among a long list of others. After Prohibition, the bar reopened with a unique touch- John Barrymore, a frequent guest, convinced the hotel to install blue lighting gels above the bars' fixtures, believing the cooler hues were more flattering to everyone's, but mostly his, complexion. Today, the same lighting still reflects off the cocktail glasses held by guest and patrons, who knowingly or not are partaking in a timeless tradition, and are in a place graced once by so many colorful camp characters. For over a hundred years they have been serving cock-a-tails, it tickles me to be just a small piece of scrap in it's overall fabric.

It was a good time and an even better lie in today.

EIGHT HANDS FARM & BEE CO.

 

With more and more chains and corporate stores getting greedier, and heavens forbid offer any customer service, I have no problem paying a bit more and support more and more local shops and business. Between all the locales I often go to, I now have a nice plethora of shops to go to now to get things for myself or as gifts and support the local little shops.  The last time in New Hope I was finally able to go visit a good neighbor's new shop, Eight Hands Farm & Bee Co. which started out on their farm with cows and goats, and beehives. Tom and his wife make all the candles sold in the shop, along with all their beeswax products, and honey. I'm here to tell you, the candles are among some of the best I have ever smelled. Other items in the shop range from kitchen wares, dishes and pottery. gourmet concessions, candies, and sauces, linens, bath and skincare products and all kinds of little treasures to be found. The good thing: everything in the shop is handmade by other artisans or small businesses to sell in the shop. I can get lost in shops like this. While the shop is fairly new, it fits right in with quaint New Hope. I made a trip down yesterday and had lunch with a friend and got back late evening. I'm well supplied with candles now, what can I say I'm a huge candle whore... and many of the great smelling soaps, not to mention all four of the only gifts I had to get for the holiday. But how charming is the shop?

I'm a major sucker when it comes to kitchen things!

I also couldn't resist this honey bear honey pot with dipper.

 Yes... it came home with me too.