Amy the Amaryllis has bloomed!

Beautiful!

The Master Bedroom - The Reveal

This has been an arduous, but satisfying project.  After 36+ years of marriage, I now have the bedroom of my dreams.  It is not completely finished yet, but enough has been completed that I'm excited to show you what has happened in this room!

Let's begin with the bed.  I had always wanted a 4-poster bed, however, when you are married, you have to check with your husband once in a while on decisions that might affect him, and I felt it would only be fair to get his input on this one.  His only request was that the footboard be low enough so that he could stretch out fully on the bed.  

Done!  That was his one and only ask.  He honestly was fine with all the other decisions I made in the room.  Isn't he wonderful?

I like the simplicity of a white bed.  It provides a visual break, and seems very peaceful to me.  The sides of the quilt are able to be tucked into the sides of the bed.  No more bed skirts!  Yay!  Bed skirts have always been the bane of my existence.  I don't like them, I prefer this clean look.

The curtains remind me of the linen guayaberas, the traditional Cuban shirts that my father used to wear.  These are unlined to let the light filter through.

I chose white nightstands, and in a different style to avoid a vintage matchy-matchy look.  The white also softens the room a bit and makes it a teensy bit more feminine.

It took me a long time to decide on the lamps.  Who would've thunk that there were so many things to think about?  From the height (27¼"), to color (emerald), to finish (antique brass).  Ugh!  It felt like such a commitment!

I had glass tops installed over the nightstands to protect them from scratches and moisture.  I'm afraid both, my husband and I are rough on our nightstands.  We've been known to spill water on them, and I've put several scratches on the old ones with my phone and rosary.  It's actually not that hard to scratch a surface that you use constantly.

Then we added clear hooks on the side to hold our cords.

For my birthday, my husband gave me this lovely candle with the three-dimensional gingko leaves that look like butterflies.  It's so pretty and smells wonderful!  I haven't burned it yet, but when I take off the lid, it perfumes the air in the room beautifully.

The challenge with the dresser was finding one that, even if it didn't match the bed, it resonated in style.  I prefer clean lines that can mix well with traditional, contemporary, and Spanish styles.

I didn't opt for the matching mirror that came with the dresser.  Instead, I chose this one with the silver guilt bamboo frame.  I think the guilt finish adds a bit of glamour to the bedroom.  

Now, what to do about these lamps.  I've had them for a long time, but I'm not loving them so much anymore.  Do we even need them in the room?  Should they be smaller?  Maybe all that's needed is a different shade to spruce them up.  It'll take a bit more thinking . . .

The prints bring a bit of the outdoors into the room, and will adapt well to any bedroom updates . . . 

Nowadays, I make a lot of decisions with an eye towards our future retirement home.

And they work particularly well here in winter, when everything else outside the window is covered in snow.

The silver bamboo frame was another gift for my birthday.  It relates back to the mirror.  I have to say, it's nice that nowadays decorating rules have relaxed when it comes to mixing finishes.  My mother would've been shocked to have seen a silver frame placed next to a brass lamp.  The photo was taken in Venice in October 2019.

So, there you have it.  We are still waiting for Lee's chest of drawers, which has been on back order forever because of the pandemic.  I also want to replace my ratty, but comfortable chair and ottoman.  I've had it since the kids were little, and it's a bit worse for wear.  But I'm happy with the progress!

Bed:  Hickory White, INNOVATION 4-Poster King Bed, Newport Finish

Botanical Prints:  Ballard Designs, Heines Leaf I, II, III & IV

Candle:  Michael Aram, Butterfly

Cardinal Pillow:  Frontgate

Curtains:  Pottery Barn, Belgian Flax Linen

Dresser:  Durham, Providence, Victorian Mahogany

Lamps:  Lamps Plus, Uttermost Elva Emerald Green Glaze Ceramic

Mirror:  Pottery Barn, Bamboo Silver Guilt Frame

Nightstands:  Bernhardt, East Hampton

Picture Frame:  Pottery Barn, Silver Bamboo

Quilt and Pillow Shams:  Pottery Barn, Belgian Flax Linen Floral, White

Three Kings Day Infamy

Three Kings Day, this year, and for the rest of my life, will be marred by what happened in our nation's capital.  The storming of the Capitol by a right-wing mob, with the intent of overturning the certification of our duly elected president will be recorded for posterity in the most ignominious ways.

Hopefully, like the Epiphany that revealed the light of God to the Magi, perhaps the character of the outgoing president has finally been revealed to those that follow him.  We hope and pray, anyway.

I'd like to believe that the Three Kings saved us, and, even though we are still sheltering in our homes, and avoiding large gatherings because of this awful pandemic, I needed to celebrate and give thanks, so I baked a cake and buried a “bean” in the batter, so that the finder could be declared “King for the Day.”

Let's all pray a little extra hard tonight.

So long, farewell, au revoir, auf wiedersehen

What a year!  

Let's celebrate the end with a heartfelt wish that next year we'll be together with our loved ones!

I prepared a late supper consisting of appetizers . . .

Shrimp cocktails . . .

Ham spread sandwiches on pretzel buns . . .

Deviled eggs with bacon and red pepper bruschetta . . .

Hummus with Naan Dippers . . .

Crab cakes . . .

The perfect spread to watch the weird show in Times Square without people . . . and to blog . . .

I didn't forget my grapes, two skewers holding twelve grapes each, our Cuban Tradition for New Year's Eve.

Wishing and praying for health, for ourselves and the entire world.  Happy New Year!

The Amaryllis Progress Report

Amy continues to grow, but slowly, as our impatience mounts to discover what color her flower will be.  Now that Christmas is past, I'm hoping for an Epiphany bloom.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if it bloomed on Three Kings Day?

A Gingerbread Kind of Day

My husband's pancakes are legendary within our family.  Everyone loves them, and, when the kids are home one of the first things they ask for is Dad's pancakes.  When I walked by this bottle of maple syrup at Williams-Sonoma, it just fell into my basket!  Can you believe it?  Mr. Gingerbread Man must have heard about my husband's pancakes, too!

I had planned a cute breakfast for Christmas morning, and, although my son, John, was not able to come, I decided to proceed with it all.  I'm telling myself that this is a dry run, and I'll do it all over again next year.

Well, if we are going to bring Mr. Gingerbread to the table, he's going to need some gingerbread company, so these little Mug Toppers were "needed" to make Mr. Gingerbread feel welcome!  To tell you the truth, they proved a challenge.  They refused to stay straight in the mug!  So I called on my house engineer/tech/geek expert, my husband, Lee, who promptly straightened it with little wads of Scotch tape.  Ah!  The technical mind boggles!  Some friends have suggested chocolate next time.  I'll have to try that next year.  See?  Dry run.

With a few added gingerbread people, the breakfast table was set.  I used last night's red tablecloth.  Isn't it a fabulous red?

This was my husband's Gingerbread Man.  The guy that never notices details asked me why his man had four eyes.  I explained that two dots were for the eyes, and the other two for dimples.  He remains unconvinced.

Miss Peppermint had ruffles on her arms and legs.

The Gingerbread Salt and Pepper shakers insisted on being invited.  The lady held the pepper.  She's also a little "caliente," like me.

The Wedgwood Nantucket Basket Coffee Pot is no longer being produced.  I had been looking for one for a while, and put in a request at Replacements.com to notify me if one was ever found — and it was, and it's now mine!  Bwahaha!  Happiness!

I placed these absolutely delicious gingersnaps on the table to nibble on, as I got the rest of the breakfast ready.  The Villeroy & Boch Winter Bakery Delight Bowl depicts . . . you guessed it, gingerbread!  This Christmas porcelain collection is truly a delight, and I plan to add a few more pieces for next year.  Sigh!  A dish collector is never done!

I really felt very efficient this year, reusing the tablecloth, the rattan chargers and the salad plates from last night.  It was such fun to play with all these favorite pieces!  Breakfast table is set, now let's talk about the food.

I prepared a breakfast strata.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 pkg. frozen hash brown potatoes, defrosted

8 eggs, beaten

1 pound bulk sausage, crumbled and cooked

¼ onion, chopped

½ red bell pepper, chopped

½ green bell pepper, chopped

2 cups of any cheddar, or combination of cheddar cheeses, divided

1 can evaporated milk

Salt and pepper to taste

• Butter the casserole dish.  Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix all ingredients, but only 1 cup of the cheese.
• Pour into the casserole dish.  Scatter the remaining cheese on top.
• Bake at 350º F for 55 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.

It was delicious!  We cut the leftovers in individual servings, and saved them for upcoming breakfasts.

That was accompanied by a stack of hubby's pancakes, and some fresh berries — and real maple syrup drizzled on top.  The taste of real maple syrup is incomparable.  Aunt Jemima doesn't stand a chance in our house.

We had a sunny day, which had me moving things around on the table so I could get good pictures.  Actually, it was a nice problem to have at this time of year.

When the table was cleared we witnessed a gingerbread spat!  These lovers quarreled and it was a duel at twenty paces between Mr. Salt and Ms. Pepper.  Nothing would dissuade them!  Each of them brought their seconds as witnesses.  Doctors stood by in case of casualties, and a bunch of gossips waited nearby to hear the outcome.  Limbs were lost, death ensued, and crumbs were scattered everywhere.  The lovers survived, as did the doctors.  The rest have all gone to their reward.

When breakfast was over, we lit a fire in the fireplace, and didn't budge from our chairs for the rest of the day.  I'm already planning for next year's breakfast.

An Interrupted Carol

There were no Christmas concerts this year.  No Christmas Afternoon Tea at the Drake Hotel with wondering carolers stopping by the table to wish us a Merry Christmas . . .

I wasn't enthused about setting a Christmas Eve table this year — my son wasn't able to fly in to be with us, and for the first time in our lives, my brother and I could not be together.  Out of an abundance of caution, my husband and I decided that it was best to cancel the celebrations, and spend it quietly at home, just the two of us.  Covid-19 has a lot to answer for!

At the last minute, I rallied, and remembered that old saying that my father quoted often:  "Al mal tiempo, buena cara" (“To bad times, a good face”) — the English aren't the only ones with a stiff upper lip.

I pulled out the red tablecloth that I had planned on using for Christmas Day breakfast, and a few other things and set a table that, while not particularly Christmasy, it hinted of it.

The plaid napkins matched the tablecloth perfectly, and I dug out the Dollar Tree black dinner plates that I've used here, here and here.

I decided to use my wedding crystal, Chartres by Atlantis.  After all these years, I'm still in love with these glasses, which reflect the pattern of a rose window at Chartres, when light shines through it.  

The table was set, so I turned my attention to what to put on the plates.  Unfortunately, food stubbornly refuses to simply appear on our plates, so I needed to head to the kitchen and whip up a few things.  Naturally, I thought of dessert first.

This is a tart recipe given to me by a dear friend, and I've wanted to try it for a while now.  It consists of layers of marzipan, vanilla custard, sliced pears, scattered cranberries, dotted with cubes of butter, and sprinkled with crushed Amaretti.  Then baked until the cranberries pop and the pears are tender.

My husband asked for the “Filet Dinner,” one of the standard meals in my repertoire, and that always starts with a Waldorf Salad, one of my favorite salads, actually — made with Romaine lettuce, Honeycrisp apple, Blue cheese crumbles, lightly toasted walnuts and and a dressing made with olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, herbs and spices.

Followed by Roasted Filet of Beef with Mushroom Sauce, Cauliflower Au Gratin, and Steamed Asparagus.  I must say, for someone that was only half trying it all turned out rather well.

My son had promised to bring us several bottles of his favorite wine from one of the wineries in Virginia for our Christmas Eve dinner, he's become quite the wine aficionado.  Alas! No John, no wine, so we picked this one up at Costco, which turned out to be a complete delight!  

Here's how the tart turned out — a very photogenic dessert!

Then we topped it, as if it really needed the extra calories, with some whipped cream.

The best part of our night was when we gathered on a Zoom call, and I got to see all these beloved faces.  Even David, my youngest, got up at 2:00 A.M. Abu Dhabi time to be on the call with us.  It was a total surprise and brought tears to my eyes.

Although a bit melancholic, I went to bed grateful and at peace.  We will make it up next year.  We will sing our carol in full, and we will sing it Allegro.