Christmas Mantle

This year I have been in love with all the blues & silvers out there.  I have really never been a “blue” person-but that has changed in these past few months.  I now currently have 5 rooms in my home shades of blue ranging from bluish-grey to greenish-blue.  So this year my holiday décor is reflecting that. 

I kept the mantle very simple.  Creamy white stockings, silver accents, greenery and pops of turquoise blue. 

The large blue vase and white urn are there year round- I just change out the greenery to reflect the season.

These white deer are from a yard sale and were dingy brass.  A coat of white gloss spray paint and they now look like something from ZGallerie. 

 

My apothecary jar filled with moss balls and silver ornaments.

Im linking up to The Lettered Cottage holiday mantle party.  Go check it out there are hundreds of amazing mantles out there!  Enjoy!

December 1

It is a great shame,

that in this street no one knows my name.

I can hear children playing in the snow,

here in side, I'm making gingerbread dough.

In the evenings I like to drink a glass of cherry.

You see, it makes me gay and merry!

That, in my old age I need,

so very much indeed.

The postman calls me old Mrs Cat.

Take it back! I shout, silly man in that stupid hat!

Now to be honest I am felling quite rotten,

when my own name I have completely forgotten...

December 1

This is how it works; every day we open up the doors to todays house. And you tell us what he or she is planning to give to her/ his partner or friend or relative ( from the Isak shop ) for Christmas and why. You can even throw in a little christmas rhyme if you like!

Send us an e-mail or post a comment here on the blog - or simply buy something in the shop, and you will take part in todays draw. A box of Isak goodies is leaving the house to find a new home every day until Christmas!

What's New in Downtown Bellevue?

Wow - we turned our back for a few moments for the snowstorm and Thanksgiving, and look at all the new stores and restaurants that opened in Downtown Bellevue while we weren't looking!

photo courtesy of http://www.bellevue.com/

Microsoft Store, Bellevue Square -- Ok, we heard about this one, but you would have to be under a rock to miss it. Grand opening events included a Miley Cyrus show, a Dave Matthews show and an appearance by Apolo Ohno. Why such a big deal? Because while this isn't the first Microsoft Store in the country, it's the first one in their hometown.

Din Tai Fung, Lincoln Square - Into dumplings? This new upscale Taiwanese dumpling restaurant just opened this weekend. Aside from Los Angeles, they have 21 locations across Asia. It's funny to read the Yelp reviews complaining about a three-hour wait and terrible service when they visited on opening day, which happened to be Black Friday at the mall. Uh, really?

Bill the Butcher, Main Street - This one opened in late September, but it's worth a mention and worth a try because this new neighbor is just down the block from One Main Street, and it's a real, old fashioned, locally owned butcher shop.

Buns on Wheels, Food Truck - Finally a food truck that's Eastside-focused! This truck serves up all natural burgers with locally sourced ingredients. They make a stop at the Downtown Bellevue Barnes & Noble every Tuesday at lunchtime. Check their website for more Eastside locations.

Via Vita Cafe and Wine Bar, Belcarra Building - Coffee, pastries, gelato, wine. What more could you need in life? Really, it sounds like the ideal place to get away from the mall during the holiday madness. Cheers to that!

If you know of other new Downtown Bellevue businesses or business news we should blog about, send us an e-mail at info@onemainstreet.com.

What's New in Downtown Bellevue?

Wow - we turned our back for a few moments for the snowstorm and Thanksgiving, and look at all the new stores and restaurants that opened in Downtown Bellevue while we weren't looking!

photo courtesy of http://www.bellevue.com/

Microsoft Store, Bellevue Square -- Ok, we heard about this one, but you would have to be under a rock to miss it. Grand opening events included a Miley Cyrus show, a Dave Matthews show and an appearance by Apolo Ohno. Why such a big deal? Because while this isn't the first Microsoft Store in the country, it's the first one in their hometown.

Din Tai Fung, Lincoln Square - Into dumplings? This new upscale Taiwanese dumpling restaurant just opened this weekend. Aside from Los Angeles, they have 21 locations across Asia. It's funny to read the Yelp reviews complaining about a three-hour wait and terrible service when they visited on opening day, which happened to be Black Friday at the mall. Uh, really?

Bill the Butcher, Main Street - This one opened in late September, but it's worth a mention and worth a try because this new neighbor is just down the block from One Main Street, and it's a real, old fashioned, locally owned butcher shop.

Buns on Wheels, Food Truck - Finally a food truck that's Eastside-focused! This truck serves up all natural burgers with locally sourced ingredients. They make a stop at the Downtown Bellevue Barnes & Noble every Tuesday at lunchtime. Check their website for more Eastside locations.

Via Vita Cafe and Wine Bar, Belcarra Building - Coffee, pastries, gelato, wine. What more could you need in life? Really, it sounds like the ideal place to get away from the mall during the holiday madness. Cheers to that!

If you know of other new Downtown Bellevue businesses or business news we should blog about, send us an e-mail at info@onemainstreet.com.

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Back from a short break : Hyderabad

Hyderabad;

The view of the city
 from our room at Taj Banjara

Hyderabad, the fifth largest metropolis of India, is the state capital of Andhra Pradesh, known for its rich history and culture with monuments, mosques, temples, a rich and varied heritage in arts, crafts and dance.


Golconda Fort:
Golconda Fort in Hyderabad is a majestic monument, which lies on the western outskirts of the city. It speaks of a great cultural heritage of 400 years and is considered as a place that is worth visiting. Golconda was famous for its diamond mines in olden days. The world-renowned 'Kohinoor' diamond is believed to have come from here. The Golconda fort is built on a granite hill 120m high. The fort has 8 gates or Darwazas as they are called in local language. The main gate is called Fateh Darwaza. The hills around the fort lend a very mysterious charm and colossal grandeur to the gigantic fort.
The Golconda Fort reaches to a height of 120 meters with a boundary wall covering a range of 10 kilometers of the outskirts of Hyderabad. The Golconda fort comprises of four small forts within itself. 

You have to enter the fort through 'Fateh Darwaza', which is also called the 'Victory gate'. The main attractions of this entrance are the acoustic effects, which is a remarkable feature of the Golconda Fort. It is said that such an articulate construction was used in those ancestral days for security purposes.

The latest feature that adds more excitement to the Golconda fort is the Light and Sound show. The amazing light and sound impacts with the narration of the hair raising story of the Golconda Fort is interesting.
 Unfortunately we could not see it although we  had time for it, because it suddenly started raining heavily in the evening in Hyderabad.

View of the Husain Sagar Lake from Birla Temple.

The dasaavatars all standing in line on top of the wooden dancing Ganeshas.
They are called Kondapally toys made in Andhra Pradesh. They are made of wood and painted in
bright colors and also very light.

Birla Temple: We are not great fans of Birla temples, yet we visited it, and I spotted a set of Dasaavathars there which I bought

Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad

Aficionados of Hyderabad, the cultural treasure trove can't help raving about Salar Jung Museum, India’s third largest museum. The museum sited in the hot seat of cultural splendor contains antique pieces and artifacts from nearly all epochs of history.
The existence of the museum is credited to Nawab Mir Yousuf Ali Khan Salar Jung III as well as the Prime Minister of the seventh Nizam, whose passion lay in collecting priceless antiques.

Salar Jung Museum, flaunting the country’s largest ‘one-man collection’ of antiques rests on the southern bank of the Musi River. The museum is a dream come true for those who love to take long trips along the musty pages of history with its varied collection of over 43000 art objects, 50000 books and manuscripts. These compilations include works and relics of Indian Art, Middle Eastern Art, Far Eastern Art, European Art, and Children Art along with an elaborate Founder’s gallery.

The semi-circular building is a magnificent architectural edifice with 38 galleries spread across two floors of an imperial building. Each gallery has its own specialty with one housing the Nizam’s personal belongings, another houses Indian artifacts. Others display a plethora of items ranging from paintings, musical instruments, preserved stages showcased in glass cabinets, Kashmiri furniture and handicrafts as well a multitude of other valued historical relics.
A visit to Hyderabad’s Salar Jung Museum opens up treasure chest of unbelievable cultural legacy an unveils an ancient figurine of Veiled Rebecca, Double figure by Italian sculptor G.H Benzoni, Musical clock, Arabic Al Quran in Nashq (1288 AD), jade crafted knifes of Jehangir & Nurjahan and Famous European paintings like 'Venice', 'Soap Bubbles' etc.
We nearly spent 3 hours here, everything was so amazing, with history and love dripping from each and every objects, so well preserved. If you ever ever visit Hyderabad, don't miss it. The restrooms  there good and there are plenty of them in each floor. The whole Museum is very clean and well maintained.
Cameras are not allowed.


After this visit, we were guided to a very good Muslim Restaurant for lunch, it was practically full with all kinds of people enjoying their food or were patiently waiting for their turn to be served. It had a very Turkish look, one felt as if one had all of sudden landed in some place in Turkey. The food was wonderful: their Lassi/ Buttermilk was made like a  falooda, and it tasted real good.

The Chowmahalla Palace

 Chowmahalla Palace :

The Chowmahalla Palace was once the centre of Hyderabad. It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty
where the Nizam entertained his official guests and royal vistors.The palace is unique for its style and elegance.
 The complex consists of two coutyards with elegant palaces, the grand khilwat
(the Durbar Hall), fountains and gardens. khilwat mubrarak is the heart of the palace.
Different portions of the Chowmahalla were build during different phases of the Asaf Jahi rule.This was build around 1780 during the reign of Nawab Nizam Ali Khan, Asaf Jah II, but extensively renovated later in 1911.
Afzal mahal, a two storeyed building is the most imposing.the grand pillared Durbar Hall has a pure marble platform on which the Taqt e nishan or royal seat was laid. The 19 spectacular chandeliers of Belgian crystal have been recently reinstalled to create the lost splendour of this regal hall.

The old Clock Tower.

Inside the Palace

Chowmahalla Palace

I had to take a picture like this : just like them

Charminar: Culture
Charminar is always on the top of the mind of any tourist visiting Hyderabad. To imagine this 400-year-old city without Charminar is to imagine New York without the Statue of Liberty or Moscow without the Kremlin. Built by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah in 1591, shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what now is known as Hyderabad, this beautiful colossus in granite, lime, mortar and, some say, pulverised marble, was at one time the heart of the city. This great tribute to aesthetics looks sturdy and solid from a distance but as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice proclaiming its architectural eminence in all its detail and dignity
.
Every side opens into a plaza through giant arches, which overlook four major thoroughfares and dwarf other features of the building except the minarets. Each arch is 11 metres wide and rises 20 metres to the pinnacle from the plinth. The minarets soar skywards by 24 metres from the roof of Charminar. Each minaret has four storeys, each looking like a delicately carved ring around the minaret. Some Anglophiles call Charminar the Arc de Triomphe of the East. From the ground to the apex, the minarets cover a length of 48.7 metres.

Atop the great monument are 45 prayer spaces for the devout where they can offer worship in an atmosphere unspoilt by the bustle of the city. East of this space is a spacious verandah with small and large arches in the middle. The first floor has beautiful balconies from where one has a fantastic view of the historic city and its later accretions.
And of course I bought lots bangles and other knick- knacks that caught my eye. I also bought the red Venkatagiri saree ( though I could not get the exact thing I wanted), yet what I got was also very beautiful.

I managed to get a beautiful peach colored pearl set and also one pearl bracelet.
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped in the pouring rain and waited for our driver to bring us the famous Irani Samosas and  the equally famous  Irani Chai or tea for which Hyderabad is very well known for.
It tasted really good : hot and crispy, to really die for!
 I felt sad saying good bye  to this amazingly vibrant and ancient city, throbbing with so much life. I also felt bad the we could have seen a few more places if it had not started raining so heavily.
Anyway, the time we spent in Hyderabad was really great, and the weather was wonderful, except for the unexpected rain. Like they say "All good things must come to an end"

The next blog would be about Vizag: a really great place to visit.

Casa Milà

One of the most famous Gaudi designed structures in Barcelona is the Casa Mila, an apartment building completed in 1912. This is Gaudi at his best with an interesting amorphous shape and amazingly colorful details.

Besides the beautiful ironwork which I've shown in a few of my previous posts, many of his buildings are exceptional in their roof architecture. Not content with ugly chimneys and ventilation shafts, Gaudi would decorate these utilitarian objects and turn them into works of sculpture.

While I wasn't able to tour the Casa Mila due to time constraints, I was able to bring a small piece home with me. Over the past few years I've been collecting tiny (tacky?) miniature buildings from house museum gift shops and the main ventilation stack from the Casa Mila now sits on my bookshelf in between Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest and Gaudi's nearby Casa Battlo. What do you like to bring home from your travels as a momento?

Here it is! The Isak advent calendar!
This is how it works; every day we'll let you know who lives in todays house. And you tell us what he or she is planning to give to her/ his partner or friend or relative ( from the Isak shop ) for Christmas and why. You can even throw in a little christmas rhyme if you like!

Send us an e-mail or post a comment here on the blog - or simply buy something in the shop, and you will take part in todays draw. A box of Isak goodies is leaving the house to find a new home every day until Christmas!

Nova feature

Wallpaper Nova featured in Swedish press. They describe the wallpaper as "a little bit of circus and a tad  of 50's". We really like the circus bit, it never crossed our minds but its right. Come join the Isak circus!

Viva La Revolution....The Lab Speaks

Got a minute?  I've got plenty.  There's too much work going on both in and out of the house.  Forget about  last week.

 

Jane was gone for hours, arriving home all dirty and "tired".  She was finally home on Thursday and spent pretty much the whole day in the kitchen cooking and though Thanksgiving is my favorite meal ( except for breakfast) I wasn't feeling so well.  I had tried to feed myself dinner the night before ( they were both "working" late) and I had gotten just a little bit of a plastic bag mixed in with my food.  Plastic bags don't belong in the trash, they get recycled. Tsk, tsk.  So I was barely up to begging.  Waste of a holiday.  Then they were gone all day Friday, 10 hours, I was in the dark when they finally returned. 

Saturday I went to work with them. Humph, didn't seem that busy to me.  Then Sunday there was more painting in that little hallway.  Making me crazy that hallway.  Barely enough room to swing a cat in there.  Jajaja.   Finish the job already.  They took all the hardware off the doors for the painting and 2 people got locked in the bathroom on Thanksgiving, bet Jane didn't tell you that!

Today Jane went to work again, I  thought Monday was "our" day.  So the hell with her. She's barely writing any posts anyway, just posting some big pictures.

This is a revolution, I've got the chair, the reading glasses and the password.  Wait till Jane sees all the new followers I'm gonna attract!

OMG she's home, I'm so excited. Gotta get my rope, no my ball , no my bone , she's home!!!!!

Palau Güell

One of the lesser known Gaudi designed buildings in Barcelona is the Palau Guell. Unfortunately closed for repairs after years of work, I wasn't able to see inside which I hear is pretty amazing.

The Guell name is not unfamiliarly associated with the architect, as many of Gaudi's most famous designs were commissioned by the family. This was the Guell's main townhouse, built by Eusebi Guell from 1886-1890 directly off La Rambla. The house stayed in family hands, with a brief confiscation as army barracks during the civil war, until it was gifted to the country in 1945.

The main entrances seen on the facade were meant for carriages, one for 'in' and one 'out'; hows that for efficiency, much like a restaurant kitchen! The house revolved around entertaining and a large main entertaining room was located just inside off the entry court. The ceiling was studded with holes into the private rooms above to look like starlight, which also provided views of guests below so that the family could decide what to appropriately wear to greet their guests. Another efficient and ingenius idea!

As I wasn't able to see this for myself (the house should be open to the public again by summer 2011) I had to content myself with the beautiful ironwork on the windows outside; true masterpieces.

The small street that it's located on off La Rambla makes it hard to get a very good picture but you can see below that the facade is actually rather plain and quiet for a modernista structure, no matter how lovely. The exterior interest lays in the details of course which I've tried to show here. I think the lesson here is that Gaudi knew when his buildings should be stand out stars, and when they should be background structures. They can't all be masterpieces; sometimes a house is just a house, no matter how extraordinary!

Busy Times!

My Winchester Cathedrals

 Harvest has started (slowly), the roses are out.............deadheading required, Christmas Trading is in full swing with new stock arriving all the time, I have been helping with the Choreography for my son's first school production on this Thursday night and I have just had my first stall at the Maitland Art and Craft Fair.

Life is busy but it is amazing what you can get done when you are so busy!

Really looking forward to the show on Thursday night.

Special thanks to lovely Bec from Life In the Country Lane for helping me move my stall out of the weather Sat. lovely to catch up in the flesh!