Christmas Open House Tour Part 2 – Festive.

Welcome to the second and final part of the Presbytère house tour.

In the library the tree is finally decorated and the dining room table is looking festive.

I began with a pair of table runners overlaid with silver and gold chargers.
The china is Rosenthal "Classic Rose".

The red napkins were a TJ Maxx purchase the last time we visited Hilton Head, SC. and the white napkins are from the Spode Christmas Tree range, as are the coasters beneath the stemware.

The stemware is vintage Baccarat, bought at auction in Bayeux several years ago. I think the pattern is Harcourt.

The green English pressed glass dishes are vintage too, I’ll serve one of our favourite appetizers in these; avocado prawn cocktails with Marie Rose sauce, very 1970’s!

I kept the centrepiece simple, a large white candle inside a plain glass hurricane surrounded by a faux wreath embellished with faux white poinsettias and gold accents.

I love Christmas Carols, singing along to them when playing CD's at home or, even better, going to a Carol concert and lending my voice (not good!) to all the others, an opportunity that I rarely have living as we do in deepest rural Normandy.

When our house & pet sitter called to let me know that she was available for a few days due to a cancellation, the Senior Partner and I quickly agreed that a long weekend back in the U.K. was just the pick me up we both needed.
Herefordshire is a favourite place of ours to visit and so we decided to head back there and experience it during the festive season.
I saw on line that the Goodrich Village Choir the “Roaring Megs” would be appearing at the Hostellerie in Goodrich on Friday evening. There was mention of open braziers, hot chestnuts, mulled wine, sausage rolls and mince pies whilst the lovely choir entertain us and bring the whole spirit of Christmas to our doorstep.
I booked a room and dinner for two, tout suite.
Then I read in the December issue of "Herefordshire Life" magazine that an Advent market and Carols for Shoppers would be taking place Saturday morning in the grounds of Hereford Cathedral, and that the Ledbury Community Choir would be performing at a Carol Concert in Ledbury on Saturday evening.
After a few minutes spent on google I'd found a lovely apartment for two in the centre of Ledbury, a beautiful little town steeped in history, and booked it for Saturday and Sunday.
So, there will be carols, shopping, good food and wine, carols, a seasonal client meeting for the Senior Partner, did I mention carols, and a rare opportunity for retail therapy with a friend for me.
As we’ll be on the overnight ferry back to Normandy late Monday, a cosy cabin to ensure a good night’s sleep in case of a choppy Channel crossing has also been reserved!

Isn't that enough to make anyone feel Festive?

Joining Jenny @ off on my tangent

for Alphabe-Thursday

I'm sure there will be lots of festivity happening this week in blogland

 as we celebrate the letter "F"!

Christmas Open House - Part One.



Bienvenue!

Welcome to the first of my Christmas Open House posts.

As you enter through the double front doors 

Colonial Williamsburg

Byers Choice Carolers

 are waiting to welcome you

with a ballad or two, a cup of grog and a choice of seasonal fare.

This year the mantlepiece in the library has a new look,

but still traditional!

Meanwhile, in the dining room,

Bavarian Santa presides this year over Spode "Christmas Tree" china tea things.

He has his eye on those mincepies, I can tell.

The other Santas can only watch from on top of the mantlepiece.

In the window,
The Byers Choice Salvation Army Brass Band and Choir

sing Christmas Carols to entice

Shopping Carolers.

However, the Shopping Carolers seem to have been waylaid

decorating their own tree.

Maybe they think they're in the Rockwell painting of

Stockbridge, Massachusetts?

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of  my favourite Christmas vignettes

and will stop by again to see more displays soon.

Joining the Tablescaper

for

Seasonal Sundays.

Click on the link to take a look at

more seasonal delights.

A Pause in Advent: week three.

Our Pause in Advent this week came courtesy of Mother Nature who bestowed milder weather on us so that we could get out into the garden for the "end of year" clear up.



2010 leaf pile
2011 leaf mulch
2012 compost for the potager!

This task had been delayed due to the unsually heavy snow fall we experienced recently and so we were glad to have the opportunity to gather up the leaves, conkers and twigs that lay all around.

Mr B was also able to see to the broken apple tree bough that had been brought down by the mistletoe.
My Adventkranz has been travelling, once again this week, as more and more seasonal decorating is accomplished.
It is residing at present on one of my favourite pieces of furniture, what we have always referred to as "the military chest" although I'm not sure why we do.

The simple vignette, beside the kranz, is of four Byers Choice Carolers from the Colonial Williamsburg series.
TheTavern Keeper and his wife and two Balladeers with their musical instruments.
Although I stopped collecting Carolers a few years back if I ever began again I would certainly look for more from this series as I think they are charming.

I added a HR Quimper cheese dish, it has a snake for the handle, and my Normandy lady plate which I bought at the recent QCI faience sale in Savannah.
Then I placed one of my favourite clocks, usually found in the dining room, on an HRQ trivet to add a little height and a focal point to the Carolers and to offset the kranz.
I'm heading over to see Floss now, at Troc, Broc & Recup to see how she and the other partcipants in A Pause in Advent have slowed things down this week.

We wish you a Merry Christmas...............Carolers.

The days are flying by and like me I guess you are all short of time and it's a bit of a hassle trying to get everything done?

On top of that yesterday I was feeling a little under the weather and so missed Mosaic Monday at Mary's for the first time in I don't know how long.

So, today I'm joining Tam @The Gypsy's Corner for 3 or More Tuesday and popping in on Susan's Deck the Halls meme @ Thoughts From Over The Rainbow.

I started collecting Byers Choice Carolers many years ago after admiring them in the home of an American friend who I met whilst living in Bavaria, Germany.

I began by assembling my Salvation Army Band which I discovered in a beautiful Christmas shop in Windsor, Berkshire.

Then whenever I came across the Carolers, whilst on vacation in the States, I would always buy "a couple" from the Victorian shoppers range.

Family and friends soon caught on and before long I was receiving Carolers as Christmas gifts,. One year I received the flickering lamp post, under which the Salvation Army gathers every year.

On a trip to Colonial Williamsburg I found the Carolers which represent colonial times and so began another collection. Tavern keeper, his wench (!) and a pair of travelling musicians, where will it all end?