Chocolates- From Pretty to Beautiful

Ferrero Chocolates are wrapped in wonderful foils in shades of gold, silver and chocolate. You can find them at every grocery store this time of year and their price is very affordable. I decided to make them even more special by adding a jeweled embellishment on the top of each one. I love the way they look with the faded roses that I am just about to throw away. Faded roses and chocolates- how beautiful for Valentine's Day!

Antiquing Around Chicago

A set of Limoges demitasse cups- perfect for a small chocolate mousse serving
an assortment of small crystal sherry glasses- perfect for a serving of salmon tartaré.





Katha's Stash- an old cigarette set, hand blown glasses, pastry server and candy jar.
The old cigarette set has 2 glass urns and 6 small plates, perfect for an amuse bouche.

A gorgeous old tea service, samovar and cut crystal champagnes.

A set of 12 Meissen salad plates- unbelievably beautiful with gilt edge.


A set of service plates from Marshall Fields in the 1940's.

Etched fern patter glasses- reminds me of the pattern from William Yeoward Crystal

36 inch tall iron hurricanes- perfect for my front porch!

Look at the stem on these lovely champagnes- to die for pretty!


Two sweet Mottahedah lambs.

A collection of gilded oven cookware- made my heart stop beating for a second!

Three sweet petite crystal compotes ready to be filled with jams for scones!

Precious orange and cream tablecloth- perfect for the porch in summer.


A closer look at this beautiful tea service.

Yesterday, Katha and I spent the day antiquing in one of our favorite spots and found some awesome things. Our mission was to find small vessels that would be perfect for serving small bites or popularly called " amuse bouche". We were searching for small glasses and plates that would showcase a beautiful one bite appetiser, as we are having a store party next weekend and all the girls are bringing one savory and one sweet bite to share. While we did find some amazing vessels for this purpose, we also found many great things. It was a wonderful day, full of surprises, great conversation and great finds. Katha found a cool floor lamp and bamboo bar for her new den and I hope to share pictures with you in the near future. We got home, unwrapped our treasures and re-lived the moment of finding them. Sorting them into three piles, Katha's, mine and the stores, we realized which pile was the biggest. Better get more into the store's!

Valentine's Roses

It is February 1st and thoughts turn to Valentine's Day. It is a wonderful reason to get a group of friends together and have a celebration during the dreary winter days. We often associate Valentine's Day with roses. But not only is there the beautiful floral rose, there are many treats made with the rose flavor. Today I am sharing two of my favorites, Vosges rose petal covered chocolates and the famous rose biscuit from the Reims region in France. Maison Fossier has been making these delectable little biscuit treats since 1691. They are delicious dipped in Champagne . They have a wonderful pink color and are beautiful used in desserts. One of the prettiest is a Rose Biscuit lined charlotte mold that is then filled with pistachio ice cream. You can find many more ideas on their website at. The rose covered chocolates are made here in Chicago by Vosges and are dark chocolate. Not overly http://www.fossier.fr/biscuits-roses-de-reims_c1.html sweet, they melt in your mouth and leave a nice sweet scent behind. You can purchase them at the Vosges stores or online at http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/. Serving these little treats in pretty vessels is an expression of thoughtfulness and love. I love seeing the little pink biscuits peek out of the cherub biscuit box. My friend Marlene gave me the beautiful pastry server for Christmas this year and it's perfect for grabbing the little darlings and placing them straight into a glass of bubbly!

Trump Tower Chicago Restaurant Sixteen is Delightful

Celebrating the birthdays of my two youngest children, Julia and Tyler, is always spent enjoying a meal at a great restaurant in Chicago. This year we surprised them with a dinner at Sixteen, the wonderful restaurant in the Trump Tower in Chicago. On a clear day the view is probably the best in the city,however it was a foggy and rainy night. But the lighting of the Wrigley building in the view, made the evening feel almost mystical. However, it was the food that was the star of the evening. From a 10 course tasting menu from the chef, to a wide selection from a la carte menu, the dining experience is superior. Beautiful signature cocktails were consumed by all of us and enjoyed immensely. Dinner was served at a leisurely pace, with the final course of desserts being spectacular. An artful presentation of delectable little sweet bites was presented to each of us and we enjoyed every single bite . I highly recommend this spot to anyone celebrating a special occasion- hats off to the chef!

Winter Whites - Why I love Chicago in the Winter!

Burn scented candles and enjoy the aroma.
Time to enjoy your favorite hot beverage in a beautiful mug!

Snuggle by the fire and ponder through all those decorating books!


Serve a roasted tomato soup in an old Paris porcelain tureen, even if it's Campbells!
Enjoy the patina of old well worn books- maybe even read them!!!!

Re- work your accessory displays. A preserved boxwood ball and a little vintage glass from Lynda are added to my living room mantel.

An antique water cooler is adorned with a shooting star hydrangea.
Grocery store roses are opened gently by hand and enjoyed in a French candelabra that's been fitted with pegged tea light holders from Hobby Lobby.

Winter- It is a dreary time of the year to live in Chicago- no flowers in the garden, no green grass, grey skies- you know what I mean?? But winter is a great time of the year to enjoy your home, nest a little, try new recipes and catch up on all those piled up magazines and books! I love to create new accessory vignettes by just moving around what I already own. Adding fresh flowers and plants brighten up the grey days, and burning scented candles of exotic florals keeps me content with winter in Chicago. I especially enjoy my white accessories in the winter- they seem to brighten up a room. It's time to re-think how your rooms are being used, organize and start those creative endeavors that you have put off since summer. And an occasional old movie while lounging on the sofa in your pajamas is the ultimate indulgence! Winter has it's benefits- if nothing else you can plan your spring garden!

Pink and Chartreuse - a Match Made in Heaven.

When I found these pink and cream rose dishes, my heart skipped a beat. What an incredible shade of deep pink, the perfect complement to chartreuse and they were a steal- they are selling for 4 times more on Replacements! And I love the square luncheon plates! Searching through the fabric books, we found a playful pink and green trellis fabric for the tablecloth. It's modern pattern updated the tablescape so that it would not look like your grandmother's floral dinner table. As new hot pink pillows and wine bags were just arriving for spring, we had a perfect new window for the store. I had just found the vintage crystal champagne glasses and they looked great with the dinnerware. Arte Italica gold rimmed salad plates echoed the gold trim on the dishes. Chartreuse voile napkins were layered around starched white napkins and tied with vintage ribbon. This table looks like a breath of spring!