Lindsey Coral Harper Jazzes It Up

Sometimes I come across the work of a decorator that hits the nail on the head.  Melissa Rufty's work does that for me. Ruthie Sommers is in the same league.  Well, I am adding Lindsey Coral Harper to my short list.  Her recent work in a somewhat plain (but large) house in Charlotte, NC (in the new House Beautiful), well, I could just move right in! I love her use of bold colors. You can see the article here:

http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/house-pictures/color-decorating-ideas-0212

There are no white walls in this house.  And she takes a house that does not appear to have great character (at least from what I can tell in the magazine) and just makes it stand out. 

They put her kitchen on the cover! 



I also like the living room.



Here is another peak at the bright kitchen. Gotta love to cook a meal in here!



She is from Georgia.  No wonder she loves color so much!  She is a true Southerner like the rest of us!



Quote for the Day

"A canter is the cure for all evils."

- Benjamin Disraeli

The Queen Still Rocks (I Mean Rides)

At 86, the Queen is looking pretty good, on a horse that is.

She decided to take a hack while at Sandringham over the holiday.  The horse looks well groomed as you would expect.  A dapper looking groom followed her on her midday trek.



I hope I look this good on a horse when I am 86, if I make it that long. You go girl!



War of the Wellies

photo/News Scotland/Rex Features

Are wellies back?  The Duchess of Cambridge (aka Kate) was spotted wearing a pair of £300 “Vierzonord” Le Chameau boots to watch her husband play in a football match before Christmas. Commentators have pointed out that she used to wear the cheaper Hunter boots and that this switch in loyalties is “typical of a more sophisticated angle to the Duchess’s style”. They also picked up on the fashion faux pas of Prince Harry watching his brother in the same make of boots as his sister-in-law.  So can we expect to see the “Kate effect” hit the wellie market?

Where did wellies come from anyway? 

In the early 19th century the dapper first Duke of Wellington, anxious to accessorise his novelty full-length trousers with a versatile boot capable of being worn into battle as well as into drawing rooms, commissioned a low-heeled calf boot of soft leather. It caught on, adopted by the gentry, the police and the Armed Forces. After the Second World War, during which they were standard army issue, the ill-fitting “Argyll” black wellington boot became de rigueur for labourers.

For those of us who live in the country, well, wellies have been a part of our wardrobe for years.  Guess the rest of humanity is finally catching on.  Here is Harry and Kate in the same boot (gasp!):



Here is a closer shot of the wellies in question.  Let's see if they start flying off the shelf.  In the UK, maybe.  In the US where most of Americans live in subdivisions, not so likely.



You Know It's Winter When......

Here in the country, winter brings all kinds of challenges that you don't have to worry about with city life.  We spent much of the day Monday getting ready for our first really cold burst.  We've been lucky in that we have not had to worry much about the weather until now in early January.

But here are a few clues, that you know it's winter.

The Cartharts come out of the closet and stay in the mud room until April.  These are just the warmest. Forget Gortex.

The blade is ready for the John Deere.

The heated buckets go out in the barn.

The beet pulp comes out.  My horses don't drink as much water as they should in cold weather. This insures that they get more water every day. 

The Carmex is used several times a day.

The hand warmers are bought in bulk.

The extension cords come out for the old Dodge diesel.  The older trucks have a block heater that needs to be plugged in so they will start in cold weather.  The newer truck starts right up. 



We make sure we have enough extra hay, just in case of snow. 



We keep buckets of extra water in the feed room.  If the power goes out, the well goes dry so we keep extra water in case of a power outage. Worse things have happened.


Smart wool socks get used every day.  These are just the very best.

The horses live in their Rambos.

We go to bed much earlier.  This winter weather makes life much more difficult. So much for farm living!  At least we don't live in Canada.   BRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's cold outside!

Warbirds



On New Year's Eve we went to the airport near where we live.  It was an unseasonably warm day for December and hubby took the plane up for a spin.  It was a bit too cold for me, but I went along to watch.  The skies were amazing.



These photos are a bit dark but you get the general idea.  The plane is a 1943 Stearman, made to train WW II pilots. It is a piece of history, a bear to fly, but fun to ride in the open cockpit.  The rider goes in the front! 

These planes are disappearing,  but there is nothing better than to hear that radial engine start up. Enjoy the new year. Welcome 2012. 

Happy New Year

Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year.  May your 2012 be chic, in the country, and full of horses and hounds!