thankful for the written word 2017

everyone knows what a collector i am - if you've visited the blog before or for those that follow on IG @chaletmomma you've seen some of the many volumes around the chalet. but, it's not just about glossy pretty titles -  i love books - i love them so much i volunteer on my local library foundation. even though i do listen to books on my phone through Hoopla while working out. i'm a purist - i don't own a reader. i love everything about books - the weight, the smell, the typography. i love finding old books - well worn from years of handling.

my to read list is always growing. i have so many kinds of books - they are all not coffee table editions- i mean of course i have a bunch of those and they are gorgeous but, i enjoy many topics. there are stacks in almost every room - with the exception of the kitchen and bath but, believe me if there was room - people - they'd be there too!

sitting on the living room end table are two wonderful Eric Hodgins books my hubby gifted me a few christmas's ago. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House and Blandings' Way.  if you are not familiar with the titles - the first was made into a fabulous movie in 1948 starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy (click above to watch a scene) which is absolutely our favorite movie. the second title a follow up. i also have my father's 1930's childhood copy of Robin Hood.

you can see the console table is chock-full!

      the desk stack explores my love of history, architecture and favorite sports. don't tell anyone but, i'm passionate about both nascar and baseball ha!

when designing the porch it was important to incorporate more book storage. i really love the lines of this console table.  

in the master bedroom group you'll find interior decorator Sister Parish - whose work is so inviting; she assisted Jackie Kennedy with the White House private quarters. my collection wouldn't be complete without several works on Jackie: Mrs. Kennedy,  Jackie The Clothes of Camelot  and  Jackie Her Life In Pictures. the book The Way We Lived Then by the late Dominick Dunne about his life, contains lovely images from the original black and white ball he and his wife Lenny threw in 1964, prior to the 1966 Truman Capote event.

East of Eden by John Steinbeck is my most beloved edition.

 the list of books i adore is long - here are just a few: F. Scott Fitzgerald's the Great Gatsby, Jack Finney's Time and Again, E.L. Doctorow's The Waterworks, Caleb Carr's The Alienist, Kate Morton's The Distant Hours, The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Sue Monk Kidd's The Invention of Wings is such a powerful read! an especially fun one is Phaedra Patrick's The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper. 

a peek at my 6 year old's growing collection. he loves the library and can't wait to review the latest scholastic order forms from school. i can't wait for him to read Harry Potter so we can discuss!

are few recent additions:

COLLECTED Living with The Things You Love. well all i can say is Fritz Karach and Rebecca Robertson have put out a volume that so speaks to me - the stunning images cover a wide array of collections. if you're a collector you need this book!

That's Not English by Erin Moore is an amusing take on how different the same language can be!

Perfect English Cottage is an anglophiles dream - filled with scrumptious dwellings. Theatres is bursting with superb images from all over the world.

holy cow!!! Slim Aarons' glorious images in A Place in the Sun makes us all wish for buckets and buckets of money to summer and winter in high style.

i'm absolutely in love with Paris in Bloom this gorgeous book by Georgianna Lane will make you swoon.

i'm such a total #bookjunkie i could just keep sharing more titles and get into my to read list but,  i'll save all that for another post. although there is no way i could close without mentioning the book that started it all.  

The Christmas Mouse by Miss Read i received when i was 5!  

please leave a comment - about what you're currently reading and your favorite book.

til next time.

friday fun!

my son had a few days off and we were trying to decide what to do. we like museums and luckily he does too. he is particularly fond of the gift shops (ha!) he is his mother's son after all!.

recently we've visited some local museums as well as the American Museum of Natural History to enjoy the Egyptian exhibit and we visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art regularly.

my brother-in-law suggested The Met Cloisters it was a quick trip on route 80 and over the George Washington Bridge to Tryon Park. if you're not familiar with the Cloisters it's a branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art which focuses on the art, architecture and gardens of the middle ages.

i love boxes especially old wooden ones.

this example of a painted chest is extraordinary. it shows scenes of the Capture of Orange. it was made in France 1220-1225. look at the way the metal supports are holding it together. i could stare at this for hours.

this door handle is remarkable - not to mention the carving on the door itself. i'd love this for the chalet!

old stuff is definitely my jam!

it's hard to believe just how old these pieces are and remember the tools they had when these were fabricated in the 1200's.

the interior of the chapel had a number of stone coffins. i think this one is especially lovely with all it's details. thinking of the time it took to carve is staggering.

these lovely ladies are in fact reliquaries. i learned the containers often reflect the contents. so these busts may have contained skulls. while arm bones were held in the golden statue. you can see openings where glass was - allowing the viewer a look inside at the bones.

  Reliquary: a receptacle or repository for relics, especially relics of saints. www.dictionary.com

it was a stunning day - though windy. we plan to return in the summer to view the spectacular gardens in all their splendor and enjoy the cafe which is now closed for the season.

my son is thrilled with his gift shop purchase! here he is with his trusty companion sir jackson. he asked if the next place we visit could be the Moma - not bad for a 6 yr old!

thanks to my hubby and sister for sharing some images with me for this post.

please leave a comment - what is your favorite museum?

til next time.

say no to empty walls!

i doubt anyone is unaware of my love of art! in my world anything and everything is art. loving art means hanging it up and i have always hung stuff on the walls. in childhood it was posters of puppies and bulletin boards. i remember my styrofoam frog shaped bulletin board... it was sooo neat. (i searched the interweb looking for one to show you - but, no luck) my insta account @saynotoemptywalls is all about showcasing great spaces and encouraging people to #saynotoemptywalls my mom Rita was very laid back. not only did she not care if i moved the furniture around my bedroom, she didn't care if i taped up loads of stuff on my walls and later when i grabbed the hammer. (she was also unfazed when as a kiddo i cut my own hair - myself!)

i was so pleased that my hubby shared my love of a fully decorated space. my mother-in-law is crazy creative and she was always redoing things around their home. he is always ready to grab the level and lend a hand.

art/mirrors/clocks/letters/plates/baskets - are all part of the jewelry of your space.

you wouldn't leave the house without lipstick - right?!? it makes me a bit sad when i visit a home with blank walls.

i love these antique baskets my mother-in-law lovingly gave us from her personal collection. i think the look is so warm and textural. paired with the chalet painting  a christmas gift from my sister and brother-in-law and this enchanting floral watercolor by Erisha of a thing created i love how it's come together and evolved.

i love gallery walls. we had one - on the paneled wall of our family room growing up.

i know i inherited my love of framing bits from my mom.

one of my most treasured belongings is a framed pen and ink of an Edinburgh street my mom brought back to me from her travels. it rests against books on the custom shelf my husband built for me in our master bedroom.

the images have a British theme. i do like the art to have a point of view. don't we all do that? if we're collectors?

i'm sure everyone is aware you don't need to spend a ton to achieve a finished look. the print of St. Paul's Cathedral purchased during our London honeymoon in 1998 was only a few pounds because its actually a card. the same goes for the Montreal row-houses - below- it too is a card. both were framed professionally- so i did spend a little bit finishing the pieces.

this gallery wall is from our first house. we've certainly added to it over the years.

master bedroom hall.

have you noticed the theme?  i love architecture. i recently acquired an image from 100yrs ago of the original estate that encompassed my neighborhood and its on the list-  the to-be-framed list. haha!

you can see a piece of original art Sunset Fog by Leigh Viner in the mix here. i have several pieces by Leigh. you should check out her work!

i went with beach towns we love in our only bathroom. chatham ma. and ocean city nj.

art in a kitchen is a must. i have some metal trivets hanging up but, the pears over the stove really completed the space.

years ago i found the site  20x200  i gave my husband Joseph O. Holmes piece Milling Machine Shelves shown here on the stairwall.

how great is the oil on canvas of Rembrandt's The Man with The Golden Helmet - my dad received this in the 1960's for opening a bank account at the local savings and loan. this dude used to scare the heck out of me as a kiddo!  you can see an amazing papyrus brought back to me by my cousin from his trip to Egypt and some of my own art.

check out this corner of the diningroom. the small round antique frame holds an old black and white image of the chalet. i love to hang things in unexpected ways.

in my post becoming the chaletmomma i shared an image of artwork propped against the wall on the porch - it's still there and may be for a while - i've never shied away from leaning and layering. and please don't think art is only for the walls around the chalet there is plenty of stuff on tabletops too!

look around and you can find so many resources for art. cards, postcards, wrapping paper, images from books or magazines. when we were doing up our sons room we bought a ton from allposters

a wonderful source for art from the artists who created it can be found through sites 20x200, and esty as i mentioned above and you can always find fun things at your local michaels, homegoods and target.  

i beg you please say no to empty walls!!!

til next time.