LA DOLFINA

Presents wrapped and under the tree? That's right!  I'm way ahead of the game this year. I thinks it's a combination of emptynesthood and light Christmas decorating, at any rate I'm thrilled to be heading up to Lake Tahoe tomorrow for a long weekend.   What's on the agenda?   Our son and his friend are due to arrive any minute and will be joining us for a weekend of snow boarding and bonding. This year we are bringing supplies to bake Christmas cookies, Nigella Lawson's Union Square Cafe's Bar Nuts and my Grandmother's famous Doo Dads!  There's a knock at the door!!! They're here!  I'll see you in Tahoe... XO  

A Prelude I thought that before I formally introduced you to my newest sponsor, Laura & Kiran and their fabulous line of fabrics and home textiles, I would begin by showing you photos of the dizzying array of incredible scarfs they bring back from their trips to India and sell in their Berkeley, California shop.   I was so smitten by them and thought I'd better show them to you first in case you might want to purchase one as a Christmas gift. They are quite large measuring approx. 30" by 74" They come in silk, silk & wool blend, raw silk and boiled wool. Prices range from $59 up to $98   They really are quite beautiful. Just ask my mom... She loved them all!     I love the one she finally chose.   She has a great eye, that mom of mine! Laura & Kiran 1425 Fourth Street Berkeley, Ca. 94710 For those of you who aren't in the SF Bay Area, you may call Rachel at 510-559-3300 who will be happy to assist you.   You ...

I did some rearranging in this room just before the Christmas Holiday. I replaced the concrete faux bois demi-lune console table with this vintage bamboo screen I've had for over 20 years stored in our attic.   As you can see, it needs fabric panels but I'm loving how it looks on this wall. I found some wonderful silk last week at the most fabulous shop. I look forward to introducing you to Laura & Kirin, my newest sponsor, in my next post. Some of you might remember several months ago when I bought this pair of Ginger Jars at auction . I originally intended them for my mantel which is where they've been until I moved them over to this dresser and placed them in front of the large Henredon mirror. Now I realize they belonged here from the start. They are absolutely perfect in size and scale and have made this part of the room come alive! This vignette will definitely be staying long after the Christmas Season! Sans the festive touches of course! S...

  What better place to start than in the kitchen! Ooops! (I didn't notice that I had jotted down the name of a movie I've been meaning to rent on the chalkboard which I now think is probably better come January!) What JOY might you be cooking up for the holidays? Communicate JOY simply, with a smile, a kind gesture, a little help or a gesture of forgiveness, and the JOY you give will certainly come back to you.  After all, the spirit of Christmas is contagious! 

Welcome!     Please come in! I'm so glad you could take a minute to drop by today... I'd love to show you our Christmas mantle this year. It is the simplest mantle I've ever created. You should see our tree! Talk about simple! It is white, with white lights, crystal icicles, and several white glittery vintage birds that sit upon the Christmas bulb and glow. It's quite beautiful in person but does not photograph very well. It seems I'm not the only one who has embraced a simple Christmas this year. A dear friend emailed me telling me that she too used a much lighter touch in her Christmas decor this year and has found it to be very calming and serene. I look forward to lighting the fire and all the  candles and coming in here each evening to just be still and reflect. It is a ritual during the Christmas season for my husband and I to come in here each evening, lay down on our couches and gaze at the fire while we recount the past year's...

I did a post earlier this year on my youngest brother Stephen and his wife Wendy and their amazing wedding in Rome at the Vatican a few years ago... Well, this mystery is about their cat Heidi. (Heidi)   You see, several years ago, their previous cat, Kiki, was found dead and believed to have been poisoned. (Kiki, Rest in Peace)      About a year or so later they located a litter and picked out 2 sisters, a tiger cat they named Heidi and her orange sister they named Ginger.  (Ginger) They were teeny tiny when they brought them home and were lavished with lots of love and attention. They were once again a happy family... Until, earlier this year Heidi, the adventurous one who loves to roam the neighborhood starting losing her collars.     Not only that but she would stay away for several days at a time. The first time it happened they were extremely worried until she reappeared 3 days later.  From that time it beca...