Chaletmomma

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!

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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.

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.