"Muddle that Mint!" for Kentucky Derby

"Muddle that Mint" for Race Day

It has been awhile since I last posted.   I have been busy looking at barn plans and trying to decide what will work best for me and my horses.   Spring has passed so quickly and it is now early May.  So thoughts and plans are turning toward this Saturday’s race; the Kentucky Derby.

I wanted to share some ideas that I and several of my riding friends used just recently for day at the races here in Aiken.    We hosted a rail side picnic and everyone brought their favorite recipes.   One of my riding partners made Mint Julep cupcakes from a recipe that is quite popular on-line.    It is worth the time and effort; the flavor of a Mint Julep in a moist cupcake. 

 

 

To cover our tables we used long runners of khaki burlap.  These were actually recycled from my son’s wedding rehearsal dinner just a few months ago in St. Petersburg, FL.   For the dinner they crisscrossed round tables of white linens and were piled high with bleached white shells and starfish interspersed with candles and votives.   Well back the races! I mentioned the runners to a very talented riding partner.  We decided to do a jockey theme for the tables and then headed off to shop for fabrics that were bright and eye-catching.   My friend, Karen, turned the fabric and runners into custom made “linens” for our picnic.   Each end of the runners had a different pattern for the jockey silks.  Wicker baskets, pink topiary roses, and horseshoes added the final touch.

 

   

 

 

 

My mint plants have taken off in the last few weeks!  Just in time for me to gather a large bunch and prepare my own recipe of Mint Juleps for Saturday.   Just be sure to “muddle the mint” for the best tasting drink.   That’s what we do in the South! 

Stables

It has been rainy and foggy for two straight days here in South Carolina.   Thursday was the last I was able to ride and the weather was so very nice that I went on a long ride with several of my friends.   I stayed way too long at the barn afterwards.  Yesterday, I spent more time getting acquainted with my new computer which was easier to do since I could not ride due to the heavy rain.   Change can be very good; however, I find myself more resistant to change when it involves computers, cameras, and phones.  Today, I decided to take a break and focus on a future barn design for my property.  I could just use the search feature on my new computer and not worry for several hours about  all the more detailed features of the new computer.  What type of design, stalls, type of roof, flooring, lighting, tack room, feed room, wash stall? So many things to think about and of course every barn looks better with the right landscaping.   The rain? The new computer?  They are still here; I just forgot about them for awhile.

 

 

I am ready to have the pastures green again!  My friend Karen and her horse Bandit enjoying

 

                                     the final lush days of  the pasture in late fall.  My photos

 

Good design buts needs some lush landscaping

 

 

I could be happy with this garden at one end of the stable!

Veranda Magazine

 

 

Antique Jewelry

The holidays seemed to fly by and now almost two weeks of the New Year have passed.  I enjoyed visiting family, time with friends, and hours riding my horse but now it is time to focus on work again.  I am beginning to focus on my upcoming trip to England and France.  Today I decided to see what was happening in London at the great auction houses.  Christie's is having a mouth watering jewelry auction on the 16th. of January at the South Kensington location.  There is no charge of course to view the on-line catalog.   So pour a glass of champagne and start clicking away.  Below are a few of my favorites

 

Christie's Jewelry Auction South Kensington

 

 

All Photos Christie's Catalog 

Antiques-French Polish

French Polish~~~French Polishing

Some of us just like the use of the word French in front of our favorite things, wine, cheese, bread, chateaus, and more.  Now what about French polish or French polishing?  It is actually a technique for finishing wood and not a material or product.

It involves the use of many layers of thin shellac that eventually yield a glossy surface on wood that is not only time consuming to acquire but breathtaking to view.  Some collectors of fine furniture refer to the technique as “the icing on the cake”.   It is costly and also time consuming; yet the richness that is captured with the process produces a piece that captures the eye. The technique was perfected by a Frenchman or so I have read around 1820.  I have also seen credit given to Viennese craftsmen during the late 18^th century.  Next time we will go into more about the process and the little insect called Laciffer Lacca that is part of the process.  Yes, a little insect.  Below are some pictures of antique boxes with that little something extra….French Polish.

                    From the Victoria & Albert Museum-18th. C Knife box

                       
                             Two Rare Tea Boxes-Antiques.com

                         
                         A Stunning Cave à Liqueur  from my Innentory

                       A closer view of that beautiful technique called
                         French polishing; the wood is resplendent
               
                                             

Antique Silver -Monteiths

Monteith.  Not a word you hear often or an item you hear much  about.   Ok...  What is a Monteith?

 They are considered a wine accessory.  Monteiths were vessels or large footed bowls with notched rims  that were used to chill drinking cups.  The scalloped rims were removable on some examples.  This offfered the option of a punch bowl or in the case of very large examples they became spacious cisterns for chilling bottles.  So named after a Scotsman called Monteith (or possibly Monteigh) that had a fondness for ruffled edges on his cloak.   

 

 These vessels were made from various materials including wood, copper, porcelain and silver.  Silver was the predominate material for the bowls.  Monteiths have been used for almost as long as wine coolers and buckets.    A silver Monteith with English hallmarks has been documented with a date of 1684/1685.   

 

Popular through the last two decades of the 17^th Century; cups were suspended by the foot from the scalloped edges in ice water in order to chill them.  Large and ornate with decorative scalloped edging; the bowls held court on grand carved sideboards at parties of the affluent.   After all, it was only the affluent that could afford them.

As customs and fashion ebb and flow; the use of silver cups faded and glass became the choice for serving wine or other spirts.   The use of the grand scalloped bowls diminished.  Today, Monteiths are mainly seen in museums; however, fine examples can be found at major auction houses and a few well known antique shops.  

Below are a few examples from the  Albert & Victoria Museum in London.   Their website makes a visit so easy, no plane tickets or hotel reservations, just click the link. 

http://www.vam.ac.uk/

                              Farrell, Edward ---  Albert & Victoria Museum
                                                       Silver Gilt 

                          Creator, unknown---Albert & Victoria Museum

                        Leeds England Pottery---Albert & Victoria Museum

                     

                                                           Jingdezhen, China (made) Porcelain

                                                 Date:ca. 1700-1715

                                         Albert & Victoria Museum

Weddings

Back home from Florida where my son was married on St. Pete Beach.  This was our second wedding in less than four months!  Our youngest daughter was married in Manhattan over July 4^th weekend.  We have been keeping family and friends very busy these last few months.  From now on they get to choose their vacation destinations.  It has been an interesting six months; finishing our cottage in Aiken,  moving in, and two weddings.

Wedding favors, specialty items, and wedding ideas abound on the web today.  One word of caution; you may become sleep deprived in a short span of time once you begin the search.  I found myself checking out website after website then glancing at the time..oh dear 2am…well just a few more pages…oh  dear 3am…well one more page.   If only I could have convinced my husband and dog to sleep just a bit longer on those mornings.  They are both early risers and showed me no mercy.

My daughter introduced me to Etsy and Pinterest when she was planning her wedding.  Yes, I am quite behind the times, most everyone has heard of the two sites.   So I thought I would share some items I came across while planning the rehearsal dinner for my son and his fiancée which was held at the Don Cesar in St. Pete.  The dinner was in an outdoor pavilion and the wedding was on the beach at sunset.  The Don is quite pink and known to locals as the “Pink Palace” so we went with all white linens accented with sand colored burlap runners.  We ordered gallons of sea shells and starfish which were bleached wedding white.  Piles of shells, starfish, and dozen of glass votives decorated all the tables.  Before saying goodnight to our guests we passed out favor bags and encouraged everyone to fill them with shells and starfish.   If yo u decide on a beach wedding; happy shelling on the web!

                                 The Don Cesar from their website

                           The beautiful ocean front from their website

Martha Stewart Sea Shell Seashell Seating Cards

http://www.marthastewart.com/265140/keepsake-seashell-seating-cards

Beautiful Shell Seating Place Cards on Etsy

http://www.etsy.com/listing/109047613/beach-wedding-place-cards-wedding-table

                                      The Bride's Beach Slippers

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82194848/flip-flopswedges-for-bridebridesmaids?ref=sr_gallery_24&ga_search_query=beach+wedding+shells&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all

              Luscious white and dark chocolate shells with brown sugar sand

http://www.etsy.com/listing/47121595/chocolate-sea-shells-seashells-nautical?ref=sr_gallery_19&ga_search_query=beach+wedding+shells&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all

Cottages & Creatures

Thursday was definitely a creature day! I spent several hours on horseback then viewing pictures of wildlife in Tanzania.  There is always more to do in Aiken than I have hours to do it!  Aiken is well known as a “horse town”.  Yet it is also a vibrant small town with residents that are passionate not only about horses, but the land, arts, and history.

I went with my horse and three other friends and their horses to Hitchcock Woods.   The “Woods” as it called by the locals is one of the largest urban forests in the US.  There are over 2,100 acres of forestland with over 70 miles of trails.   One of the local hunt clubs,

The Aiken Hounds hunts in the “Woods”.   Riding through the longleaf pine forest is both beautiful and relaxing.   To me, it was as relaxing as a massage with my favorite therapist.  A bit more expensive though, considering hay, horse shoes, vet bills, and all those things horses need!  Thanksgiving Day, November 22, will be the annual “Blessing of the Hounds” in the Woods.  This is a tradition in the Woods and is also the formal opening day for the Hunt with other clubs invited to join along. 

The Aiken Hounds

                                           (photo by G. Southworth)

                                         The Horse Show in the Woods

                                               (photo S. Mcmillan)

  

Afterwards I rushed home with just enough time to wash my face, comb my hair, and then it was off to the open house for the wildlife photos.  Fortunately, one can go almost anywhere in Aiken in boots and britches.  It really cuts down on the need for other clothes!  Who knows, maybe a reduced clothing budget might offset some of the equine costs!  The pictures were taken by Michael Beckner who spent nine years in Tanzania working in wildlife conservation.  Michael is also the son of neighbors.   His photos captured these noble animals along with the essence of the land.  I have trouble just handling a point and shoot camera, so I began to ask questions about his camera, lens, etc.  I decided that it would take me nine years to understand…… 

 Michael is passionate about his work with these animals and it shows in his pictures.  Below are a few pictures of Michael with his some of his photos.  They are on display for sale at Aiken Art & Custom Framing.