Claudia — Page 1184

The Pantel

January 17, 2015 at 8:36 am by Claudia

No, not the Pentel, like the pen.

Not Pantone, like the colors.

No, my friends, I’ve come up with the newest trend in decorating. Magazines will come calling. Bloggers will be begging me for interviews. My work will appear in decorating books. I’ll be deluged with offers from major companies to use – for free – their appliances, their furniture, their lighting fixtures. You’ll start to see countless posts here on MHC where the tag line is something like, “Thanks to (fill in the blank) who graciously provided all of the major appliances in the kitchen.”

Bear with me. We’re constantly seeing mantels on decorating/home/DIY blogs. Right? Mantels redone for each season, or holiday. Vignettes (you know how tired of that term I am) on the mantels. Garlands draped from the mantel. Sparkly lights along the top of the mantel. Striking artwork or architectural salvage hung over the mantel.

Those of us without a fireplace or a faux mantel are left out of the loop. I didn’t grow up with a fireplace. The only time I’ve ever had a fireplace – and it was non-working – was when Don and I rented a little Craftsman cottage in San Diego. Would I like a fireplace? Yes. But, for now, there are no fireplaces at Mockingbird Hill Cottage. Nor will there be in the conceivable future.

Wait a minute. Hold on.

Pantel1

I have a piano. I decorate the top of the piano. I hang things above the piano.

Piano + mantel = Pantel.

Are you with me?

Pantel2

A beautiful McCoy vase filled with dried hydrangeas from my garden. A little white McCoy singing bird.

Pantel3

A funky sign. Two more McCoy birds in Aqua. A Bose radio/CD player topped with an antique napkin ring engraved with the name ‘Claudia.’

Pantel4

The antique lithograph of the Aquitania hanging above the pantel.

I have a Pantel.

I don’t change it out very often. I’m not one to change things up to herald a new season. Once I’ve hit upon an arrangement I like, I tend to keep it there for a while. I like this arrangement. Therefore, it’s staying.

But it’s my version of a mantel. It’s certainly as wide as many mantels. Wider, even.

It’s just as pretty as many mantels. It’s made of mahogany, for goodness sake!

It even plays music (and I’m not talking about the Bose, though that’s nice.) I was just making it play some music the other day. Take that, mantels. Where’s your music?

I find I’m liking it even more now that I’ve coined the term ‘Pantel.’

Everyone has a mantel. That’s so old school.

But a pantel, now that’s a horse of a different color.

What do you think?

Happy Saturday.

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Framed

January 16, 2015 at 9:02 am by Claudia

I escaped from the house yesterday. Suffering from a case of cabin fever, I asked Don if he wanted to take a little drive south to Target. Not all that exciting, but I had a little list of things I needed to buy and I just wanted to get out of the darned house. It was a wee bit warmer outside and sunny (lord, what a difference the sun makes in a winter day!)

We were forced to make a stop at Five Guys, forced, I tell you. So we went with it and bought an order of french fries. I’ve told you before that I think they are the best french fries ever, and they are. Oh my goodness.

That was my lunch for the day.

An addition to the corner I highlighted yesterday, courtesy of Target:

1-16 family photo

The family. Framed.

I used Shutterfly to have some copies made of three of the photos we shot that day. The ‘outtake’ is in a frame on the table next to the sofa. I’m planning on sending some copies to my sister, as well as a framed copy to my dad, who has been complaining that he doesn’t have an up-to-date photo of us. He’s right, he doesn’t. Hopefully, he’ll like this one.

Have any of you seen the British series Broadchurch? We are latecomers to this one. Several people I knew recommended it highly, so we watched it on Netflix. We watched 3 episodes the first night and last night we watched 5 episodes in a row! We couldn’t ‘put it down.’ Just like the best kind of mystery, this series was riveting. It was so well written, so well acted, full of characters that were multi-layered, highly complex; not always black and white, definitely in shades of gray. I can’t stop thinking about it today. It really got into my head and heart.

Watch it, if you can. There’s a second season that just started airing in England. I look forward to the day it’s available here.

Gotta say, the Brits just do these things better than we do. Yes, there are exceptions here that are ground-breaking and powerful, and I’m sure there are series running on British television that lean more toward average. I’ve seen them. But on the whole, there is so much more depth, so many more risks taken. There are roles that actors can sink their teeth into, roles for for older actors, roles for average-looking actors, not just pretty young things. Character actors who look real, who have wrinkles, or freckles, or graying hair, or a face that isn’t just like every other face are used again and again. Indeed, they seem to be respected and honored.

How nice to see people on screen who’ve lived a life.

Anyway, I recommend it highly. It’s unbelievably well done.

New post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page.

Happy Friday.

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Glowing

January 15, 2015 at 8:18 am by Claudia

January 13th – the day we took the Christmas Tree down.

We were ready. But we were also sad. Are sad. We miss it.

There’s something about that final step, isn’t there? For those of us in the midst of the ‘bleak midwinter’ it means all the celebrating, lights and sparkle are over for another year and we’re faced with gray skies, snow, ice, and treacherous roads. Somehow all of that is more bearable with a pretty Christmas Tree glimmering and shimmering in the den. Its piney scent, by the way, was as strong as ever.

Once I decide to take it down, I’m very efficient. Ornaments off and packed away immediately. Lights down. Tree out the front door (Don takes it up to the woods to provide shelter for the birds.) Vacuum comes out, needles (which are everywhere) are vacuumed up.

Everything back in place.

1-15 corner

You’ll notice we’ve moved the Parrish to this wall. It was hanging over the music cabinet but there’s no lamp there and this particular print looks so beautiful in the lamplight. So we’ve switched it out with the Lost Lamb print that used to hang here. So far, it’s working.

1-15 snowglobe

The Necco Snowglobe always stays on display for the winter. One year, I kept it up through the summer. I figured it might help provide some ‘cool’ in the midst of the humidity of August.

1-15 corner-lit

Here’s the corner’s early morning look. See? Lamplight. Glowing Maxfield Parrish.

This kind of photo is a no-no in the blogging/photo world, you know. No artificial light. All natural light. And that’s usually what I go for. But every once in a while it’s nice to break the rules in order to tell a story. And this story is about a corner of the den, lamplight, a snow globe, and Maxfield Parrish.

And a missing Christmas Tree.

The outdoor lights are still up on the porch. I turn them on every night.

Imagine driving down a dark country road in the bleak midwinter. You’re tired. You’ve had a long day. You’re driving somewhat cautiously (hopefully) because deer can appear without warning. Maybe it’s slushy out there. Maybe it’s a bit icy. And you see, up ahead, the glow of lights on a porch, lights that swoop from railing to railing; white, sparkling lights that provide a momentary beacon to guide you on your way.

It just might put a smile on your face.

Happy Thursday.

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The Pantel

Framed

Glowing

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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