MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS

Saturday, December 3, 2011

{TIP New Purpose for Cigarette Holder}

Having quite some china and also different sets of teaspoons, demitasse spoons, pastry forks and such, made me start using Cigarette Holders for keeping those different spoons/forks. Smoking is almost extinct here in the U.S. but we certainly can give a NEW PURPOSE to CIGARETTE HOLDERS...

Shown here is a Mason Mandalay Chartreuse Cigarette Holder, to the left and a silver plate one to the right with demitasse spoons.

Oval Mason Mandalay Chartreuse Cigarette Holder close up with some gold plated teaspoons.

Silver plated Cigarette Holder with demitasse spoons.

From Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color I got three Cigarette Holders for different pastry forks and teaspoons.

One for the gold plated pastry forks...

I learned now that for my Rosenthal Sanssouci Rose-Ivory there even is a matching Cigarette Holder!

Another Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color is holding silver plated teaspoons.

This Wedgwood Cream Color on Cream Color holds gold plated teaspoons and coffeespoons.

Do you have already such a Cigarette Holder?

Weekly Finds № 22 (Haute Design by Sarah Klassen):

Learn from Mariette my website for classes

Friday, December 2, 2011

{Cuddle up to stay warm}

December creates the urge to cuddle up and stay warm. Be it on the couch, or in bed with a book or a DVD... Even for nursing a cold one can fill a hot-water bottle and just cuddle up inside a soft woolen blanket. Sipping a hot tea or a hot chocolate. I do love both and they are so soothing! That's the good part of this month, and the following months. Are you feeling the same urge?

Luckily I'm not that cold natured any more. But I've used this hot-water bottle quite often for feeling warm, especially my feet.

This Italian wool throw from Cecchi e Cecchi is my favorite for winter time. To wrap around knees and legs or just to cuddle up in it on the sofa. The matelassé coverlet is French Yves Delorme Outlet in a rose pattern. We are fortunate to live only 4 hours away from an Outlet Store in Chattanooga, Tennessee. On line they don't always have all the items, but it is worthwhile trying!

Pillow sham is also French Yves Delorme in a rose pattern matelassé in 100% cotton. We always prefer natural fibers!

The hot-water bottles are from SIGG Switzerland.

Below you will see a surprise hot-water bottle image from my childhood...

100% wool throw is from Cecchi e Cecchi, Italy.

Pottery Barn shows this Entry Bench with a vintage hot-water bottle.

The very same I was cuddled with as a baby! It had a brass screw-on top and this is still at my parents' home. Fond memories.

Mom would fill it up whenever we had a cold, wrap a towel around it and tuck it behind our backs or feet. We had two of those bottles.

How such an add can trigger fond childhood memories...

These are almost antique hot-water bottles from SIGG Switzerland, from the link I've used under the 2nd photo.

Do you still have any of those old hot-water bottles?

Or any fond childhood memories to share?

Thursday, December 1, 2011

{French Country Style at Mariette's Back to Basics}

Today I was in for a surprise. Having had the first good night sleep in weeks, due to a nasty cold and coughing at night, we had breakfast and went to an organ concert at noon time. Followed by a box lunch and that was fun. So it was quite late when I finally managed to read some blogs e.g. by Celia of High Heeled Life and the Country and found in both blogs her mention of Wonderful Boutiques in BlogLand... with also my Zen Cart powered on line boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics listed. Thanks a million sweet friend Celia; it means the world to me!

Let me show you part of my Zen Cart powered Boutique on line.