Helping at the Holidays

If you’ve been reading Pigtown*Design for a while, you might know that my “real” job is as the Director of Development for the Woodbourne Center. We are one of the oldest charities in the United States and were founded in 1798, after the American Revolution. We care for children who have behavioural and mental health issues and who have suffered from severe traumatic events, including abuse, neglect, addictions and poverty.

This year has been one of the most difficult years in memory for raising money. Foundations, corporations and individuals are all cutting back on their giving. The state has cut their funds drastically and has even asked us to give 2% back!!

As economic conditions worsen, it is often children who suffer. Their parents are more stressed than ever and their frustration is sometimes taken out on their children, who then act out and get into trouble at home and at school. They are often the unseen casualties in the economic climate.

But, through wars and depressions, in good times and bad, Woodbourne has been a refuge for these children, providing them with a safe place to recover from the traumatic events which have scarred their young lives.

My friends at Houpla! volunteered to make a short video asking people to help our children at the holidays. I hope that you will take a few minutes to watch our video and then make a contribution to either Woodbourne or a similar program where you live. I hope that you will also share this video with friends who might also be interested in what we do.

Thank you so much from me and from all of the children in our care here at Woodbourne.

Holiday Shopping, Part VIII: Other Bloggers’ Lists

It has been such fun reading the lists that other bloggers are putting together. Some have items on them that are quite swish, and others have a range between $25 and $100.

Southern gentleman and co-creator of April Food Day, Easy & Elegant Life has asked several bloggers to provide a list of luxuries at the $25, $50 and $100 price point.  He’s found a 50 x 60 inch cashmere blanket for just under $100. It’s shown here in a lush chocolate brown. Summer is a Verb has some great ideas on her blog, including a gorgeous Hermès belt and some Claus Porto soaps. I saw some of these at Halcyon House the other day and they’re just beautiful!

My friend Coterie always has the best finds on her blog and she hunts up great ideas all year round. But at the holidays, she’s working overtime to share her secrets. Nothing reminds me of France like these Pierre Deux sachets, especially when they’re filled with lavender. Courtney at Style Court is a font of knowledge about all things artistic and elegant, and at the holidays, she really shines! In addition to great suggestions for presents, she’s a whiz at wrappings that aren’t your basic ribbons and paper. If you know of any great bloggers’ lists that you want to share, please put them in the comments!

Holiday Quiz

I posted this quiz in 2007… My answers are a little different two years later, but not much.  Feel free to post it and answer it yourself!1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?  Egg nog is just too thick. Although I did have some delicious home-made eggnog the other day. So, it's hot chocolate with big marshmallows...and a shot! 

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?  He wraps them in coordinated paper for different family members.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?  White, non-flashing, non-moving.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?  No. I am not tall enough

5. When do you put your decorations up?  About the second or third week of December.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?  Cranberry and orange relish. Spiced pecans.

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?  Being old enough to go to the big caroling party downtown with my parents and their friends.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?  What truth?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?  We didn't used to, but we do some now.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?  Minimally. All I have this year is a small disco ball sparkling in the sunlight.

11. Snow: love it or hate it?  Love it, as long as it doesn’t make things difficult on the road. Ice, though, is evil.

12. Can you ice skate?  Yep. I used to ice skate after work at a rink overlooking Baltimore’s Inner Harbour.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?  A trip to the Costwolds for the entire family. It took two years of planning, but all 15 of us went for from two to six weeks.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?  The planning. Writing cards to friends scattered across the globe. Seeing family and friends at parties. The cheer and good will. This year, it's also making sure all of the kids at our residential centers have presents.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?  Mince pie with a sharp cheddar cheese.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?  It used to be caroling downtown with the family and friends, but now it's the Monument Lighting on First Thursday. Kitchenography said it better than I could ever... read it here. I also never miss the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from Kings College Cambridge that is played on Christmas Eve. I hope one day to attend in person

17. What tops your tree?  It varies.

18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?  Giving... I love finding the perfect present. This year, I am trying to buy a house and so my presents are going to be inexpensive but chic!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?  Some of the old English/Latin carols like Personent Hodie or Gaudete.

20. Candy canes:  Only red and white peppermint ones.

21. Favorite Christmas movie?   Don't have one, although I love watching the Nutcracker ballet.

22. What do you leave for Santa?  Whatever I leave out, dog usually snags before Santa comes!

Holiday Shopping, Part VII: DIY

The current economic situation has decreed that flashy expensive gifts to everyone on your list may be in bad taste, especially if you’re giving something to someone who is not in the same financial position as you are. Gifts that you make yourself are always appreciated, both for the thought and the effort you’ve put into them. A box of hand-made truffles shows a lot more attention and love than a gift card from Best Buy.

With that in mind, I’ve put together a small list of simple handmade gifts that won’t take very much time to make or much effort to put together.

Spiced nuts are always a nice and easy present for a hostess or a colleague. They’re very simple, with just pecans, a few spices and some sugar, and an egg white. Here’s the recipe. If you put them into a pretty jar or a bowl and wrap a big bow around them, they make a great presentation. If you’re a knitter, I know that time is winding down to make things, but I love this big cowl that you can knit on circular needles and whip up fairly easily. At Purl Soho, they knit it up in cashmere, but you could use any soft yarn on big needles to make this quickly. I mentioned truffles which are a little bit of work, and you have to get your hands all chocolatey, but some people don’t mind that. You can add a variety of flavours including coffee or rum, and have an elegant little gift. If you can buy the little ruffled cups and a small box and roll the truffles in cocoa, it really ups the wow factor!One of the things that I make is gift tags. I collect interesting papers and especially love the ones I’ve gotten at Paperchase in London. I have a template for making hang-tags and have glued the paper to a piece of card-stock and made simple gift-tags. Someone mentioned making gift tags out of paint sample cards where they’d added plain paper to the back. It’s a good way to be green! Of course, one of the most thoughtful things to give is the gift of your time. You can make a little certificate or card with an evening of child care, a dinner delivery or an afternoon of running errands for someone. If you have a special talent like photography or sketching, you could give a gift certificate for a session. As children, many of us did this for our parents, but it’s still a great idea for someone who needs a hand. You can download certificates and fill them in with your own wording. Remember, a gift from the heart always trumps a gift from the mall!

Halcyon for the Holidays

Saturday was one of those fun days, with lots of running around, stopping by favourite shops for a cup of home-made eggnog laced with bourbon and scouring for presents for friends and family.

Last spring I wrote about stylish Stiles Colwill’s shop, Halcyon House Antiques, and declared it one of my favourite spots in Baltimore. Of course, I am not the only one awed by Stiles’ great taste, he’s been the subject of several stories in Southern Accents magazine (RIP) over the years. I knew that Halcyon House would be dressed for Christmas and I couldn’t wait to see it! Come along with me and we’ll take a tour of the house.

 We were greeted in the front hallway by a tray with festive ruby glassware and a faux ivory ice bucket, and a table filled with paper white narcissus. I loved this mantelpiece with a variety of miniature trees as a subtle nod to the upcoming holidays. What was even better was warmth of the fires in some of the fireplaces. Just perfect on a chilly winter afternoon. The dining room table was set with bamboo cutlery, loads of crystal candlesticks with beautiful red candles, gorgeous linens, and sparkling glassware. There were more containers full of flowering paper-white narcissus in the sunroom. Their spicy scent always reminds me of the holidays. As we headed upstairs, we discovered the bedroom filled with stunning John Robshaw linens and fabrics. As I mentioned yesterday, I also found the chair that I fell in love with earlier this week. The fireplace mantel in this room was topped by a brilliant collection of blue and white pieces, which I adore. The little Billy Baldwin-inspired sitting room was filled with fun and funky plates from John Derian & Co. and a great selection of handbags. The second bedroom was a treasure trove of my favourite things: bags, beads and cashmere! Stiles has had some carry-all bags made from old Hudson’s Bay blankets. Once the bags are made up, they’re sent to a saddle and bridle shop which adds the handles. From there, the bags go to another workshop which affixes the decorative fasteners. How cute is that hound? {Answer: Not as cute as Connor!}

I loved these beads in a deep oxblood colour. The turquoise ones remind me of the chic Mrs. Blandings.There was a small selection of cashmere scarves. Stiles said they’d sold the other colours to go along with the other wool carry bags they had. What a great idea.

After we finished examining every single thing in the shop, we caught our breath and spent a few moments looking out over the beautiful property where the store is located. Thanks to Stiles and Eric for letting me take their time and for being so patient as I took dozens of photographs!

I’ll Take This: Chair

The other day, I was visiting the upholstery shop with my friend, Christopher, who had to pick up a few pillows that they were making for him. I saw a set of four chairs that literally stopped me in my tracks. They were scattered around the workshop in various states of finish. I am not sure of the style, but they had the most elegant lines, with beautiful gilded wood and a stunning spiral design on the arms. Their backs were high and graceful. I was enchanted and took lots of pictures of the chairs, never expecting to see them again.

Today, Christopher and I went to Halcyon House, the antiques shop owned by Baltimore’s incredibly stylish Stiles Colwill (more pix of this fabulous place soon). As we wandered through one of the bedrooms, which was filled with John Robshaw textiles and furnishings, I spotted THE CHAIR in the corner of the room! Seriously, isn’t this just the most gorgeous chair? I love that it’s not covered in a traditional plain linen or velvet fabric, but the fun John Robshaw linen and cotton print, Madura Lapis! The trims on the chair are extraordinary, too. The pale blue that follows the gilt wood is perfection and the white and two blues piping that outlines the cushions is fabulous! The chair’s gilt wood detailing is amazing. The spiral with dots, topped by an acanthus leaf is sublime. The set of four chairs that I saw at the upholstery shop are apparently older than this version, but they echo each other perfectly.

As you can probably tell, I am just madly in love with this special chair. And as soon as I save up the $4,500 asking price, I am adding it to my collection!

The Hallway, Part XII

The painters have been at this project for two weeks now, and they’re just coming into the home stretch. Since we had a wee bit of money left in the budget, we have asked them to paint a small hallway outside the CEO’s office.

One of the hardest part of the job is painting all of the balusters. All 102 of them! Plus the large newel post at the bottom of the stairs. We asked them to also paint the trim on the stairs. Lest you think we’re painting over good old wood, we aren’t. We’re painting over a ghastly flat dark brown paint that didn’t show any of the detail of the trim or the spindles. The dark paint made the staircase seem a lot darker than it really is, and the difference that just the first coat of white base paint has made is amazing.

Because the spindles are turned and the angle of the stairs is steep, the job is difficult and the paint can’t be sprayed. Our painters, Sherwin and Craig at ProDec Finishes, have been a treat to work with. They have been super accommodating to everyone who is going up and down the stairs dozens times a day and are ultra-pleasant have around the house! Thanks guys.

An Ever Green Evening

I’ve written about Evergreen House several times, and been to some great events there, including a lecture on Maison Jansen and another on Billy Baldwin.

Tomorrow evening will be another special trip to this historic house.  The event’s billing is as follows:

Welcome the holiday season at Evergreen Museum & Library—bedecked with festive splendor including trees artfully trimmed by some of Baltimore’s leading artisans, designers, and architects, including an Aesthetic Movement dazzler by decorative arts authority Andrew Van Styn; a minimalist, Origami non-tree by architect Jonathan McIntyre; and a giant tree entirely handmade of paper created by George Rickles, owner of Swoon Creative Group. Participate in a silent auction of one-of-a-kind, professionally decorated children’s playhouses, and celebrate the opening of the second annual Johns Hopkins student photography show, Evergreen as Muse. Mulled cider and seasonal refreshments will warm all, a festooned period sleigh will serve as the perfect backdrop for your own photographic memories, and the museum shop will be filled with unique gift ideas.

Wow! I wonder if this means I can take pictures in the house without sneaking!

Enveloped

I found Christmas cards I liked today, but then realized that the envelopes were not lined and needed a bit of heft to make them a little nicer.

I remembered that my clever blog friend, Courtney from Style Court has shown examples of how she has lined envelopes with interesting papers to make a more elegant presentation. So I took a page (or really, a piece of paper) from her book and embellished my own envelopes.Since the cards that I selected have silver on them, I thought about using some of the joss paper I had on hand to line the envelopes. When I am in New York, I frequently stop by Pearl River Mart and pick up a packet or two of joss paper, which is traditional Chinese paper. Each square of paper has either a thin piece of square foil glued to its center or it may be endorsed with a red ink seal from a traditional Chinese character. The foil is either silver or gold, and both are equally beautiful and spare.

I made a template and cut it out of card-stock, and then traced the outline on the back of the joss paper and then cut it out. I placed the paper inside the envelope, and then glued the top of it onto the flap. I tried gluing the entire sheet, but it wouldn’t go into the envelope. As Courtney shows in her post, you can use almost any decorative paper that complements the envelope’s colour for a nice custom envelope!

Holiday Shopping, Part VI: The Worst

Haha! I was reading the Guardian and they had a feature on the worst presents this year and some of them just cracked me up! Others were just plain tasteless. One has to wonder who thinks these things up, and even worse, who buys them!

Like this one… It’s a ball with a moustache attached, so when your dog’s holding the ball, he looks like he’s got a moustache. That’s even funnier than the baby pacifier with a stache attached! Or this… a Michael Jackson rubber ducky. It even glows in the dark! Why? How about inflatable hair? I can see this at Halloween, but I’d have to punch anyone who gave this as a Christmas Present.I think that you’d have to know someone realllly well in order to give them a belly button lint brush.

What’s the worst present you’ve gotten? Someone once gave me a toaster, and I hate toast!!!