A Sweet Blessing and Clue 6

Tomorrow will mark the occasion in which a teeny baby arrived a bit too early into our lives. It is hard to image that we will celebrate his 9th birthday. I still picture him as a sweet boy sandwich. 


He was christened at the church of St. Michael and All Angels in the village of Pirbright, (Surrey) England,  which is also where Mr. Decor’s Aunt Bette and Uncle David live.


A church has stood on these same grounds for over 800 years. There are records dating back to a chapel built in 1210~1214 AD. The current church was built in the Georgian style in the late 18th century after a fire destroyed the previous church.


Alongside the church is an accompanying cemetery. Its most famous occupant is Sir Henry Morton Stanley a Welsh journalist and explorer who most famously found Dr. Livingston. “Dr. Livingston, I presume?”


Sweet boy was christened on December 9, 2001, which also happened to be his father’s birthday. Our boy was 2 months old and weighed in at just under 7 pounds. He wore his grandfather's christening gown.
 

Relatives and friends came from far and wide.  Eric’s dear family hosted a luncheon afterwards that I still dream about. Here you can see the beautiful stained glass located behind the altar. Sweet Boy is held by our good friend Patrick and joined by his darling wife Nicola and their 2 children. Patrick is a wonderful chef who owns the famous Sweetings restaurant, a London institution.


Here is the 6th and final clue in the Decor To Adore Grandest Giveaway ever.


Come back on Friday to see what all the fuss is about.
Happy Birthday Sweet Boy,
Mom

A Step Back In Time

The Parc Brasserie is a charming bistro and cafe located on Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia.

Parc recalls a lovely time in turn of the century Paris. Indeed restaurateur, Stephen Starr, spent a few years trolling the French countryside to locate each of the antique design elements which give the cafe its truly authentic Parisian feel.

For Americans this is probably the closest thing to Le Grand Colbert~ the bistro made famous by Diane Keaton in “Something’s Gotta Give”.

It has many of the same elements: beautiful wood paneling, cozy booths and of course the traditional French cafe chairs and tables.

All of the bread is baked fresh daily on the premises.

I am sure that a few rendezvous have occurred underneath this old bar clock.

The powder room features marble, subway tile and ultra glamorous Parisian dancers on the wallpaper.

Even the smallest detail was not overlooked. I adored the Deco period lighting.

The tile work in the main dining area was also lovely but had more of an art nouveau feel.

Of course some things are just better in color.

We arrived for brunch. My cousin and I both opted for the Pain Perdu (French toast). Sweet boy selected pancakes with blueberry compote.

 

I wouldn’t hesitate to go back and perhaps try the pommes frites for lunch.

Or perhaps a lovely dinner for two.

I hope you have enjoyed this culinary tour.

 

As August comes to a close, so too ends the Decor To Adore month long travel series. Come back on Wednesday for an Amish buggy ride through the Pennsylvania countryside and see what I found (squeal!) in a very old house. 

Laura

For anyone who is searching for a way to observe the 5th anniversary of Katrina and its devastating impact on New Orleans I wanted to remind you of the Decor To Adore “Make It Right” Foundation.

 

The Jersey Shore

No, this is NOT a post about Pauly D, Snookie or J Woww. I will however shamefully admit to having viewed an episode (or three) of this indescribable phenomenon and justifying it as research for this trip.

Here’s Laurie G. going incognito in her favorite beach hat and juicy sunglasses. Given that it is early in the day and you can already see a slight tone of pink I think there might be another type of  “Situation” occurring.

We began our beach trip by checking into the The Chalfonte, a Cape May hotel that dates back to 1876. It was heavy on the charm and light on the air conditioning. But there was a sweet porch.

The room we stayed in can only be described as quaint. It lost some of its charm when the fire alarm went off not once, but twice in the middle of the night.

The dining room was pretty and featured artwork by local artists.

You could also choose to dine outside.

I think the best part of the hotel was the view from the third floor cupola.

Sweet girl and Sweet Boy were eager to hit the beach.

It wasn’t long before they were making friends with a few sea creatures.

They insisted on being photographed with this rescue boat.

I thought my camera might be broken so I took a second shot just to make sure. Phew, it’s working.

We also drove over and saw the Cape May Lighthouse.

Early the next morning we were back on the beach.

The sky was overcast and the day felt perfect. The kids set out to build a huge fortress.

Sweet Girl was nice and didn’t dump the icy water on Sweet Boy’s head. :)

Star spangled sand digger.

It wasn’t long before some new friends were made.

A collective sand creature.

All in all it was a good day save for two little “situations”. My cousin wore a tankini suit and applied lots of sunscreen, but somehow her top crept up, thus earning her the nickname “Burnt Muffin Top”. She declined an offer to be photographed.
I too also applied sunscreen lavishly but somehow missed the area of my hips and saddlebags, earning me the apt moniker of “Hotpockets”. I also declined an offer to be photographed. (Hee hee) Trying to get dressed the next day was an experience.  It brought to mind a favorite episode where Lucy had to put on a tweed suit after being fried.

But we soldiered on and met another fabulous Lucy.

Lucy the Elephant is a six story example of novelty architecture. She was originally constructed of wood and tin sheeting in 1882 by James V. Lafferty in an attempt to help sell real estate.

Over the years Lucy has been a restaurant, a business office, a tavern and even a home. She became a national historic landmark in 1976.

You can take tours inside Lucy. The two circular windows are her “eyes”.

Here is Sweet Boy taking in the view from Lucy’s howdah (carriage mount) which was recently repaired after it was struck by lighting in 2006.

We love Lucy!

Thanks for coming to the Jersey Shore with us!
Laura

The Charms of Cape May

At the very southern tip of New Jersey lies the lovely community of Cape May.

Cape May has been recognized as America’s oldest seaside resort. It has been hosting vacationers since the mid 1700’s. Charm abounds in every little nook, cranny and fence post.

 

Cape May is world famous for its beaches and is second only to San Francisco for its fabulous collection of Victorian homes.

 

After a five day fire in 1876 destroyed 30 acres of the town center most of the homes were rebuilt in various forms of Victorian splendor.

The entire city was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976. It is the only city in the nation that possesses this designation. Even the new building that occurs has old time appeal. 

 

Many of the homes are now beautiful bed and breakfast inns such as the Queen Victoria.

Another charmer is the Angel of the Sea. It has won numerous awards all of which I am sure are well deserved.

In Cape May large welcoming porches provide a glimpse of a poetic past that sadly much of America is now missing.

 

A few of the older colonial homes also remain.

I just adore the pale French blue shutters on this gem.

While many of you may be thinking “What a tiny garage!” this charmer is actually a former carriage house.

The gingerbread accents are no less than spectacular.

 

Here is a stunning close up. Look at the trompe l'oeil ceiling!

The are vast grounds surrounding many of the homes.

We found the locals to be very friendly and welcoming.

My heart swelled with pride at the patriotism displayed within this wonderful community.

Beautiful, secret gardens appeared to grow lushly in many of the homes. 

What do I love more~ the wrought iron fencing, the hanging baskets or the gingerbread trim? I can’t choose as it is all equally magnificent.

Who knew a pink and purple home could be SO pretty?

Even the streetlights were decked out in summertime splendor.

The downtown shopping area is the perfect slice of Americana.

Quaint independent shops featured fun store displays.

When I saw a church called “Lady Star of the Sea” I had to stop in.

There were two niches on either side of the main altar. The cross barrel vaulted ceilings were painted an ethereal blue.

I had never seen votives quite like this. They were LED “candles” you turned on. It was a beautiful effect and a smart choice that avoids the risk of fire.

Perfectly peaceful.

Lovely stained glass.

We ended our tour of downtown at Dellas 5 and 10 old time soda fountain.

 

Come back on Wednesday for some beach photos that include hunky lifeguards, gratuitous swimsuit shots, sand castles and creatures, as well as the revelation of the origin of my newfound nickname: “Hotpockets”.

Laura