Never Forget: September 11, 2001

Never Forget: September 11, 2001 

Today marks an anniversary in American history that forever changed our nation.

We’ve come to mark today as a day of remembrance and reflection, a day we come together in thought, moments of silence, ringing of bells and prayer.

never-forget

Today marks an anniversary in American history that forever changed our nation.

We’ve come to mark today as a day of remembrance and reflection, a day we come together in thought, moments of silence, ringing of bells and prayer.

Never forget the fallen heroes, families, friends and fellow Americans whose lives were forever changed that day.

Our memories will forever be filled with the events of that horrific day in our history, and even though painful to remember we should never choose to forget.

God bless America,

Land that I love,

Stand beside her, and guide her

Through the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,

To the oceans, white with foam

God bless America, My home sweet home

God bless America, My home sweet home.

 

Never forget,

Dave and Darleen

 

 

Holiday At Home: Louisiana Christmas Traditions

As the holiday good times roll on so do the  at home favorites. From parish to parish and festival to festival, Louisiana Christmas traditions light up a festive holiday season.

Acadian Village~ photo: Meg McKinney

Holiday at home in Louisiana themed decorations, lights, treasures, treats, and reminders find their way into my holiday thoughts and decor.

From  mid November through early January, 2013 the Natchitoches, Louisiana Landmark Historic District along the Cane River is illuminated in over 300,000 Christmas lights and 100 riverbank set pieces in celebration of the Christmas Festival of Lights. Shopping, dining, antiquing, horse drawn carriage rides, live entertainment, and legendary fireworks displays each Saturday night make this one of the most anticipated traditions of the holiday season.

Sleigh Ride by the Louisiana born, raised, and swingin’  Harry Connick, Jr.

These vintage snaps are blasts from Louisiana Christmas past of my mother and brother, uncles and cousins and yours truly with the Claus.

Dave the Builder and I took a Christmas light walking tour through our neighborhood a couple of evenings ago, and this Christmas nativity display captured the essence of the season for both of us.

The large glass pine cone and Santa ornaments cast a vintage feel, taking me straight back to the country Christmases spent at my maternal grandmother’s house.

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New Orleans knows how to throw a  party and a holiday celebration! No trip to New Orleans, the French Quarter, and the French Market would be complete without a visit to Aunt Sally’s Creole Pralines Shop. Believe me, Christmas time is the perfect time for a box or two of New Orleans’ signature candy. Ca c’est bon, y’all!

My small but cherished collection of hand-painted Louisiana cypress Santas add a dash of Louisiana seasoning to the holiday scheme each year.

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Do you incorporate a touch of at home in your holiday decor and celebrations?

holiday-signature-Christmas

Historic Homes And The Beauty Of Their Architectural Elements

Architectural integrity through architectural elements is the indelible mark of historic homes and landmarks.

Longwood

It is usually the only tangible proof of bygone golden eras ruled by classic styles.

Cornstock Hotel

Restoration efforts and day to day upkeep of historic homes can be financially mind boggling.

The sheer expense of replicating these styles in today’s market can create financial hurdles difficult to clear.

Aging and changing neighborhoods coupled with a natural progression away from this style of living  places most of  these homes in the private sector on an endangered species list.

historic homes of New Orleans

The craftsmanship, detail to details, and artisan skills used to envision, shape, form, and build these homes fascinate me.

Over the years we have had the opportunity to tour, consult on, and donate antique pieces to several state and privately owned historic homes.

Bishops Palace

As much as I love antiques, I will walk right by a period piece without so much as a glance to get to the heart of the historic matter.

architectural elements

Architectural elements  grab and hold my attention.

In our city we have a block that is known as Mansion Row.

Anchoring the far left corner of the block stands the Thompson-Hargis Mansion.

Built in 1907, this Greek Revival home with characteristic Ionic columns, porte-cochère, triangle pediment, and transom entry was once a jewel in the crown of our city history.

The exterior and grounds showed the weathered look of sun and time- nothing paint and repair could not fix.

The property was structurally sound and the architectural integrity intact.

Thompson-Hargis Mansion

The furnishings were removed years ago, the windows and doors boarded, and the grand dame beautifully sat idling until this past Sunday evening when she fell victim to a senseless demise.

historical home

Neighbors who recall the elegance of what was and admirers of what could have been mourn the total loss of of property, history, and hope.

Thompson-Hargis

It is a sad turn of events and an even sadder realization that original, historic, and one of a kind architectural elements were destroyed.

Dollars do not factor into the equation, there is no replacement value for the architectural integrity of this 105 year old home.

RIP Thompson-Hargis Mansion.

historical mansion

Preserving history and restoring things runs in my family.

Dave the Builder and I preserve antique and architectural pieces.

My brother purchased, moved, and restored his circa 1903 Victorian home – his second property to restore.

I am currently in the process of photographing his home to feature in a future post.

Stay tuned.

 

 

 

images:  Preservation in Mississippi, New Orleans Homes and Neighborhoods, Galveston History, History of a House Museum,  NOLA, Old Houses, Frenchtowner,  Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation, Perpetual Renovator, We Saw That

Let Your Lights Shine!

Christmas lights from around the world brought to you by holiday spirit, magnificent talent, skill and style extraordinaire, and historical architectural wonders of the world as seen through the lens of talented photographers.

Fifth Avenue~ New York, New York

Mann’s Grauman Chinese Theater~ Hollywood, California

Jackson Square~ New Orleans, Louisiana

Empire State Building~ New York, New York

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele~ Milan, Italy

Shops in Seiffen, Germany

U.S. Capital~ Washington, DC

Sydney, Australia

Caesars Palace~ Las Vegas, Nevada

Auckland, New Zealand

Rockefeller Center~ New York, New York

Melksham, United Kingdom

calle de Alcala~ Madrid, Spain

Champs-Élysées~ Paris, France

Buckingham Palace~ London, England

 La Grande Place~ Brussels, Belgium

 

Photo sources:

Fifth Avenue: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images

Mann’s Grauman Chinese Theater: Stephen Shugerman/Getty Images

Jackson Square: Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Empire State Building: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Seiffen, Germany: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

U.S. Capital: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Sydney, Australia: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Caesars Palace: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Auckland, New Zealand: Sandra Mu/Getty Images

Rockefeller Center: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

Melksham, UK: Matt Cordy/Getty Images

calle de Alcala: Liesa Johannssen/Getty Images

Champs-Élysée: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Buckingham Palace: Steve Finn/Getty Images

La Grande Place: Mark Renders/Getty Images

 

Stepping Back To The Nineteenth Century Through Design And Decor By Way Of A Converted Presbytery

The nineteenth century lives on through character, color and design in the converted presbytery home of Muriel Dana. Featured in Campagne Decoration, the decor of this Normandy coast home reflects the fascination of a time gone by.

A self proclaimed decorator and bargain hunter, Muriel’s passion for furniture and objects of the nineteenth century swathe her home in a magnificent interpretation of romance, lace, and femininity.  Shades of pink frame the space flattering brown accents, and the French settee done ooh la la lovely in complementing aubergine.

Repairs were made to cracking walls, doors, and windows, allowing detail to authenticity in the ground floor reception rooms. The greens of both the Louis XVI cane chair with gold accents and velvet curtains draw the eye to the finish of the golden brown mud walls beneath the wainscot.  Two-tone walls, such as in this case, enrich the color palette.

A former upstairs Sunday school room was effortlessly converted to a  dressing room and bathroom.  A pine armoire serves two purposes,  practical storage and perfect complement to the hardwood floors. The six light gold gilt and crystal chandelier pales in beauty only to the claw foot tub and gold gilt drapery crown.

The undeniable hallmarks of French decor- gray(or is it grey), blue, white- Très bien!  The patina of the original mud walls allows an antique finish to be created summed up by two words, perfect imperfection.

Should I begin with the distressed beauty of the copper pot lined cupboard, the silverware cabinet door hardware and napkin holder, the embroidered sheets doing cuisine duty, or the gourmet feeling that French design and decor defines?It’s all so wonderfully French and so wonderfully good!

The upstairs master bedroom became the room Muriel had always dreamed of. Isn’t that exactly what a master bedroom should be?  Baroque influenced accents from whitewashed walls, golden cherubs, and lace panels exemplify the new meaning of the three r’s ~ romantic, refined, restful.

Like mother, like daughter~ a dream room is the wish Muriel granted her daughter Sophie. Decor choices of framed vintage prints, pink as far as the eye can see, a bed crown befitting a sleeping princess, and toile de Jouy are perfect for child’s play.

Taking a meal in the intimate dining room overlooking the gardens would certainly be a dining and visual treat. The deep patina of the gray(grey) wall showcases the rosewood decorative wall clock as a focal point. The chicken wire doors of the china cupboard, the highly decorative appliques and crown, and toile lined shelves epitomize European charm.

Home design and decor should express and reflect the essence of its owners. The homeowner’s passion for the furniture and accessories, reminiscent of the nineteenth century,  is uniquely displayed throughout the home.  Character and charm are two elements of great design, and are the calling card of this stunning home.

Love your style!

 

 

 

 

 

 

images: Christophe Rouffio