Let's Get Stoned

Need a little break?
Snow covers the ground in many places.

Housebound gardeners look through seed catalogs and at garden books and journals.

I say let's get stoned! This costs about $300. per square foot. It's all done by hand, one stone at at a time.

Read all about HERE

My Christmas Card To You

Another Christmas! And another Christmas as a blogger sharing it with you!


Do you remember your best Christmas? Or your worst?


What age were you when you recognized what Christmas is?


Most Christmases are more or less the same, each one of us repeating beloved rituals we carry with us over the years. Once in awhile we break out of the routine by traveling somewhere on Christmas. I once spent Christmas in Spain. I was single for the moment, feeling disconnected from and restless with my life.

Some of us surround ourselves with big groups of family and friends. Some of us keep it small. Some of us are alone by choice or circumstance.

Many remember the religious significance of the day, and many remember the goodwill and fun.

By December 26 it's all over for this year. though we hang onto the baubles until Twelfth Night.

So today dear bloggers, readers, friends, and foes I wish you peace, love, and Christmas!

All of these images are last minute Christmas doo-dahs in the home of Alberto, Cholo. and me The Visual Vamp. Hope you enjoy them.


If I have time I'll send you a personal message. But if I don't get to it, know I'm thinking of you and that you are loved.
Click on images for larger views with details.

Merry Majolica Christmas And How To Make New Orleans Cafe Brulot

This is a reprint from last year for my friends at Between Naps On The Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Hope you enjoy it the second time around.

From Visual Vamp December 7, 2008:

The colorful Majolica in my kitchen always looks festive, and this year I put the little kitchen tree in my favorite pitcher.I'm kind of corny in that I spread a little Christmas decor around the house. And even more corny in the kitchen where I have fruit ornaments on a vintage feather style tree.
The stockings are kind of corny too. My dear friend Miss Anne made two of them, and gave me the third. I can never part with them for more sophisticated ones. I fill them with little toys and English crackers. I strung the fruit garland years ago.
This is last year's version.
I have decluttered the mantle quite a bit this year, and also cleared and painted the second wall filled with majolica and the rooster plaques. The chairs also got recovered.
I'll get out the antique Limoges plates with the crawfish on them, and the Cafe Brulot cups too, to set the table for Christmas breakfast.

Cafe Brulot

Ingredients:

• 1 orange peel, cut into 1 by 1/8-inch strips, plus 1 orange, peel cut into 1 long, intact spiral
• 1 lemon peel, cut into 1 by 1/8-inch strips
• 4 sugar cubes
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup orange flavored liqueur
• 2 cups hot, freshly brewed, strong black coffee

Directions:

Light the burner under a brulot bowl or chafing dish and adjust the flame to low. Into the bowl place the orange and lemon peels, sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick and orange liqueur. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a long-handled ladle, to dissolve the sugar and warm the ingredients.

When the mixture is warm, stir in the hot coffee, and ignite with a match.

Quickly, while the mixture is still flaming, hold the spiraled orange peel with the prongs of a fork over the bowl, and ladle the flaming coffee mixture down the peel several times into the bowl for a spectacular presentation.

Ladle the Cafe Brulot into brulot or demi-tasse cups, being careful to leave the flavorings (peels, cloves, cinnamon) in the bowl. Serve immediately while hot.

The coffee is prepared in and served from a special decorative bowl positioned over a flame, and the finale consists of the flaming coffee being ladled down a long spiral of orange peel back into the bowl. A Brulot ladle is specially designed with a small strainer at the end so that the bits of peel, cloves and cinnamon do not get served to guests. The finished beverage is served in tall, thin, footed mugs, often decorated with a full-length portrait of the devil, reference to the drink's other name, "Cafe Diabolique" or "Devil's Coffee," perhaps so named for the punch it packs!

My Brulot Pot and Ladle and Cups

Stop by and I'll make you a cup!

How Much Furniture Can You Get In Here?

Bedrooms small or large are bursting. We love to make them multi task and multi function.
Once upon a time a double bed, or s set of twin beds and a night table or two, and maybe a dresser would be the extent of furnishing a bedroom. And the words Master Bedroom where not bandied about. There were children's bedrooms, and the parent's bedroom.

Now bedrooms have dressing rooms, sitting areas, and work areas.
I rather like the desk at the end of the bed idea in lieu of the bench.


But I wonder if I would really like to sit at a desk with a view of crumpled sheets.


Look at all the good stuff in this bedroom!

If the only two people left on the bloggy planet haven't seen the above, check out how masterfully Joni Webb fills a small bedroom with big girl furniture and style.
Go HERE

Joni is blessed with a healthy budget. I know alot of people would LOVE a bedroom like this. Do any of you clever decor bloggers wish to take the challenge and replicate this on a budget? I've done a quick addition of the items shown, and come up with well over $7000. in merchandise, not to mention the cost of people making slipcovers, altering luxury bedding, and making draperies. Don't think I'm telling you anything Joni hasn't, because as usual her post is chock full of sources. She always shares!
If so please post it your ideas and budget, or if you don't have a blog, I'll post it for you.

The top two photos are interiors by Steven Gambrel.
The other one is a stock shot from Google Images.

413 Votes For My Favorite and My Best

I am so pleased to have 413 followers. I cherish every one of you.
Will you please do me a favor?
If each one of you casts a vote for Jenny from My Favorite and My Best, I would consider it a very special favor.
She is nominated for Apartment Therapy's Homie Awards. You can actually vote for five nominees.
I'll let her speak for herself:

from Jenny:

pimp the coolness

ok, so yes. some very awesome people have nominated MFAMB for apartment therapy's homie awards. not sure who did it first...kate maybe?? of domestikatedlife? either way i am honored and humbled. if u think i have a great blog go vote for it mf'ers!

vote here. just know that if you don't someone gross and stupid and boring as piss will probably win. and you will have to live with that forever.

Who's Dog Is This?

Who's dog is this?


It's Martha's doggie Sharkey!

Her house looks amazing for Christmas, and she shares "a peek" with 25 photos of it on The Martha Blog.

The photos are of course amazing and homey at the same time. Martha's gift is that whatever she does she leaves you with the feeling that it's possible for you to do some of it too.

She has a new line of ornaments out that she mixes in with her beautiful vintage collection of things. It's wonderful how she spreads Christmas decorations all over her house, and it doesn't look junky.


Do take a look at the photos of her home, and if you have time go to her shadow blog The Daily Wag, and see another couple of dozen photos of the decorations with her pets.


Martha is a true animal lover, and shares all her perfection with the dogs and cats.


Cholo is not very curious about Christmas decorations. I think I move things around so much that the hustle and bustle of Christmas decorating is just another day in his life with a serial decorator ha ha.

Cholo could care less about Christmas decorations

What about your pets? Are they curious about Christmas decorations?

Readers Projects

I love to get e-mail and pictures of the decor projects from the readers of decor blogs. It's fun to see how everybody else manifests the healthy obsession of serial decorating.

Up first is Melissa Lewis, and old friend from the days when I first discovered kindred souls on the site Rate My Space. Though I don't post anything there anymore, the original RMS group formed the base of the readership of Visual Vamp nearly two years ago, and they continue to stay in touch.
I'll let Melissa tell us about her lovely rooms:

The Dining Room of Melissa Lewis designed for HGTV

Hi Valorie! I have been a fan of your blog for the longest time and just wanted to thank you so much for doing it. It is such a design inspiration to me! I have been a stay at home mom for 10 years and my daughter just started kindergarten, so I am trying to figure out what to do to get started in the design business. I have no formal background and am completely self taught but I have an absolute passion for design. I think doing displays in a store or maybe accessorizing homes is what I am best suited for. I don't think I could do a complete redesign job!! Wondering what you think is the best way to get experience.

The office designed by Melissa Lewis

I have been on Rate My Space and a couple of years ago I was honored to have you comment on one of my rooms! :) Then last year, I was lucky to be picked as one of the shoppers on HGTV's Endless Yard Sale 2008. My husband and I shopped together...I was the crazy girl running for the chandelier if you happened to watch it!! :) Anyway, I have attached a picture of my dining room that I redesigned for the show and wanted to get your opinion! I also am sending a pic of our home office...I think you commented on this one a while back! :) I know you are so busy and everyone probably tries to get advice from you!!! :) So, no worries if you can't answer back, just wanted you to know that your blog is fantastic and you are a huge inspiration to me! Kindest regards, Melissa Lewis

Another view of the office of Melissa Lewis

Melissa Lewis decorated her daughter's bedroom
with a the winning combo of vintage, flea market, and contemporary elements

Next up is my friend Peg DeFilippis. We met many years ago when I did the design work for her wedding. A client became a friend. Peg is one off those people gifted with natural skills. She's a great shopper, and can put togehter a room (or an outfit) that looks wonderful. I posted her New York apartment HERE and her East Hampton cottage HERE.
She is now embarking on another career (her background is in the financial world). Peg recently completed a course on staging from Haverhill, and is trying to land her first jobs. Staging has not caught on in New York, so Peg is a bit of a pioneer. Recently I asked her how her endeavor is going:

Peg writes: Staging is good. I completed my first official staging job in NYC a couple of weeks ago to rave reviews! I will attach a couple of before and after photos for you.

Peg DeFilippis stages a modern look for a vacant studio apartment in NYC

It was a crappy vacant studio and the broker wanted a very modern WOW look to get it to stand out from the rest of the gazillion apts on the market right now. I had it repainted and the windows washed but the owner wouldn’t pay for anything else so the broker is paying me monthly until it sells.

The crappy vacant studio apartment before Peg worked her magic

The after bedroom photo was taken before I added a mirrored side table and floor lamp on either side of the bed...the photo looks too dark without the extra lighting.


It seems in NYC the brokers are the ones who pay for staging right now as in most cases the homeowners can’t be persuaded to spend the money. The brokers however know it will get the place sold so they get the money back and then some with the sales commission.

The bathroom staged by Peg DeFilippis

What I want is to stage homes that are occupied. It is much more of a challenge. I have a broker friend who has two jobs for me coming up after the holidays. Both have the owners living in them so I am excited for that. I need to take my accreditation test next week so I can start marketing myself here and in the Hamptons. I am already passing my card out all over the place! Looking forward to visiting you at some point over the winter! Miss you! XO, Peg

Please send me photos of your projects! We all love to see what each other is doing. I think design bloggers and readers are very talented and the passion we have for decorating is fun to share with one another.

My e-mail is: mizvtheb@yahoo.com

Another Festival of Lights Comes To A Close

My company Valorie Hart Designs decorated this space in New York City
It's all about winter light!

It's nearing the end of Hanukkah.
This is the last of my roundup of gifts to give or get that had the theme of light.
I'm finishing with crystal looking things.

First is the chair du jour, the crystal clear sparkly Lucite ballroom chair. Don't you love the custom seat cushion? This chair is like jewelry for any room in the house.
You can get both the chair and seat cushion HERE


And speaking of jewelry, this bangle is to die for from designer Cara Croninger HERE
It's like wearing a chunk of light on your arm!


And for the practical and beautiful, a set of these sparkling glasses would be a wonderful way to give the gift of light. Get them HERE


So once again, I hope all my Jewish friends and readers had a wonderful Hanukkah!
Happy Weekend!