Christmas Beadboard Style

Here she is our "Pixie Fairie" the good luck charm for the shop. Robes named her "Marais".

So now she is ours..........Happily adorning the window perched on the gorgeous Arte Italica Lucia candlelabra......She's happy...

She's in good company with the "Merletto Antique" lace adorned dinnerware from Arte Italica and the Veronica Flatware with the beads......Stemware is new Vittoria offered in Silver or Gold.

Christmas without Arte Pura????? NO Way! The little Portaoggetti Piccolo with Swarovski Crystal.


Candles from Pointe a la Ligne, France, in Eiffel Tower shapes and tapers in silver and pearl.

Bella Bianca dinnerware from Arte with the Giglio Flatware and a little white glass amaryllis vase.

Merletto Antique Pitcher, kind of reminds me of Astier.......

Mercury Glass finials with a ruffled Vapor bowl by Maureen Whelton a Vancouver designer.

Very Laliquish?

My whimsical table setting with the paint can votive holders and the paintbrush candles.... Dinnerware is Juliska Octavia with their new adorable "Boxwood and Bows" cocktail and salad plates... I love these for the xmas season and all year round.........Flatware is stainless by Ercuis France, in their Bali Pattern. Ercuis is not that well known in this country but they are silversmiths going back to the 1800's. Word has it their stainless will be on the new Cunard Ship the Normandie.

And of course there is no better party or hostess gift than a Bloem Box. Whatever bulb flower is depicted on top of the beautiful hatbox is the bulb, white pot and soil inside.... They grow beautifully we have carried for three years and have several happy customers that have emailed us pictures of theirs in full bloom.

This is the Stargazer Amaryllis red and white.

And the best good luck charm of all our Beadboard Gazing sheep with his Christmas red ribbon "bow tie". He's graced many a buffet table is this area..... A great addition to a country house......OR any house.

Country Homes for the Holidays in Chappell Hill

For two days each year the village of Chappell Hill, Texas opens up it's doors so that people can come through and see beautiful "country" homes. It is sponsored by the Chappel Hill Historical Society..

This year the homes on the "Country Homes of Chappell Hill Holiday Home Tour" did not disappoint. They are WOW, GO SEE THEM.

Seven properties are spotlighted this year from a quaint German Style home from the 1800's, to a ballroom on a ranch featuring gorgeous art and a catering kitchen.


First Up the Diamond 9 Ranch, A Tuscan style Villa with wonderful hosts that like to cook and entertain family and friends.

The spectacular outdoor kitchen all decked out with....






Nutcrackers! Of course! Also a great view.

Even in the cold this beautiful outdoor kitchen was warm and toasty.

Next was the Living Springs Ranch. One of the owners have a design background and she chose sophisticated copper colors mixed with white throughout the house. I love the backlighting behind the reindeer in the bookcases.

The copper tree with the cinnamon poinsettias were gorgeous.

My favorite the outdoor living area with the wrapped garlands.....Just beautiful...I also have to say the designer/ owner had an "over the top" chandelier that was a decorated xmas tree in the gold copper and white... I got a picture of it but it didn't show the detail....It was extroardinary.

This is the wall of the Knolle-Schroeder 1868 House. It's unique feature was the stenciling on the wood of the original two room house done in the 1800's.

How cute and cozy is this???????

I love the chamber pot under the bed.

There is always one home that takes xmas decorations very seriously... That would be the Kenjura's Sen Dom ("Dream Home"in Polish)

The kitchen is cozy and christmasy with little red cushions on the barchairs and great Gingerbread stencils on the refrigerator. Now THIS looks like a great place to hang out for the holidays.

This is entrance to the Halo House on Golden Heart Ranch. The Halo House is a Ballroom /Gallery on the on the beautiful property. I took this picture from the guest bedroom on the upper level and you can see the bedroom reflection here. The entrance features a copper angel in a fountain with marvelous limestone pavers. Note the stained glass windows...

The inside view of the entryway that was the first shot in this blog with the raised Carrera marble floor flanked by a knotty pine facade.

The central seating area in the ballroom. The fireplace had Chinese vases mixed with nutcrackers......

MY favorite room in this place the very functioning catering kitchen. Black and white tile flooring with Carrera marble countertops and delicious delacacies from our own

Brenham Old Town Bakery.

An overhead shot of the ballroom. with two of three chandeliers and

gigantic ornaments hanging from each one.

Who made all of this happen? The home Tour Diva, Dale Raimey with the help of Shannon Webb and the wonderful docents who volunteered to staff the homes. All proceeds go to the Historical Society of Chappell Hill. Dale Raimey also runs a great country boutique in Chappell Hill called The Bluebonnet House. The tour will continue Sunday Dec 13th from Noon to 5 Pm. Tickets available at the Rock Store, Main St Chappell Hill.