Crystal Cove - A Thanksgiving Weekend Interlude, Part One

We made no plans for Thanksgiving this year

because of our very sick boy cat who was causing us big worries.

All the medicines and a hospital stay seemed to have helped him.  

He's pulled through and is miraculously eating and getting around to all his favorite places.

So Thanksgiving Day arrived and we had plenty to be thankful for.  And instead 

of crashing someone's turkey dinner, we went to Crystal Cove.

Sometimes I have to pinch myself.  It's hard to believe that places like this still exist

in the world.  And in America.

Of course we picked one of the very best days to visit it.  Because everyone else was

around their Thanksgiving tables and watching football.

It also felt like a blessing and a miracle.

We might have to make it our new Thanksgiving tradition.

Collioure - For Color

Famous for making Matisse a Fauve.......

Collioure is a sweet, slightly touristy small town

originally famous for it's sardines.

Now it's possible to find there...wines of the terroir

oysters, too, at the market......

artisanal cider

but mostly, quiet streets

arty moments (no lace curtains?  paint your own!  L-O-V-E-L-Y)

story book views

and

color

COLOR

C O L O R.

Collioure could possibly

change your perspective

on life.  You could withdraw from the world

  to Collioure, to spend your moments praying on the greater ideas that shape our lives.

Or contemplating and practicing the beauty that surrounds you.  And the making 

of it.  By your hands, or another's.

Or you could just plump for the sweet life.

Hanging out with your good buddies from morning to night.

Then eventually and ultimately..... tuck into some safe haven.  Just to do the same tomorrow.

Collioure says "Yes" to life.  And to the little bit of FAUVE in us all.

(Hope it was a good Thanksgiving!  For those of you who had turkey.  xoxo)

London Tasting - Liberty Prints

I still have France photos....of Collioure at least.

But for now, a little taste

of the London week that followed our September French idyll.

So, photos of my orgy of Liberty

"leches-vitrines".

A girlfriend once made me a dress of Liberty fabric.

But these days I feel that I should be much younger, slimmer, richer.......

in order to get away with wearing these delightful, filmy prints.

I especially loved this blue paisley: a little more "grown up" - and blue is so of-the-moment now.

I do already have fabric and plans to make my own lounge-bathrobe.  (Admission:  I often blog in my bathrobe - and garden.....so you know it should be a pretty one.)

Should I set all those plans aside and start afresh with Liberty prints?  What would you do?????

Decorating in Bleu, Blanc, Rouge - Dominic West's House via Lonny

Actually I found these on Home and Garden  (see the blogroll) but they were on Lonny

This is the Shepherd's Bush, London home of Dominic West and his (very cute I think) and creative 

(and apparently quite posh) wife, landscape designer Catherine FitzGerald.

Can we agree that she is most probably the one to credit for this lovely English

arty mix

of (turquoise) blues, creamy and bright whites,

 

and red (peeking out of the corner next to the frig).  LOVE this fresh unpretentious mix.

HOPE IT'S A BETTER WEEKEND.

 (We are still thinking of  those of you with broken hearts, for whom this week has been too long and too short and too cruel. ) 

Abiding. Paris. And a Cat. C'est Comme Ca, La Vie

"Je suis en terrasse" via the Guardian

Top and 4th pic came via shares on Facebook.  Sorry can't do better than that at the moment.

These two, tweeted by Agnes Poirier and LolaMisfits - see both first link

It has not been a good month for many close to me in so many ways.  Don't know about you.  Not to trivialize at all what happened in Paris.  (See my previous post.) 

But I also received news last nite that my oldest and beautiful boy cat is probably not long for this world.  In almost exactly the moment that I received that news this young lady was brought into the same Dr.'s office.  She looks exactly like him except for a slightly cuter girly face.  Now she's home with us.  We don't know if she'll stay yet - if everyone will make her welcome. 

 But it's hard not to love this face and the spirit behind it.

  Loss is best healed by new life.  Sad but true.

So I'm saying yes to life and wearing bleu, blanc rouge.  See you on the terrasse......

Milles bises.