A Day at the Harbour

For the long Thanksgiving weekend this year, my husband and I crossed the pond and visited some friends living in Kent, England. We always have a great time with them because we have so many things in common -- the love for food, treasure hunting, and exploring little towns.

One of our day trips was at the Whitstable Harbour, also in Kent. 

It's a coastal town with a rich history in shipbuilding, 

fishing and diving. 

It's a very popular destination during the summer when the weather is nice and all you want to do is hang out by the ocean. Every July, there's an Oyster Festival where you can indulge in oysters and other seafood at very reasonable prices. Visitors eat these right there, with the view of the water.

Hooray for oyster shell recycling! 

Another claim to fame of Whitstable are the independent shops such as the butcher, a bakery, clothing and shoe boutiques, as well as toy stores and gift shops. No commercial establishments except maybe a bank and a sandwich shop.

 Isn't this candy store darling?

And this book store, too! 

There are several charity shops {their version of what we know as "thrift shops" in the US, where profits go to a specific charity} which were a joy to browse in. Many of them sell packs of Christmas cards just in time for holiday mailings.

In a corner of one gift shop, I found these -- wooden ornaments for 50 pence each! 

I'm not quite sure where they're made, but they remind me of Swedish ornaments {Is that a good assumption given that I've seen something similar in Ikea...heehee?}.

They don't exactly fit our white and silver-themed Christmas tree but I got them anyway. I can probably use them when we decide to add an accent color like red in the future.

Or I can turn them into gift toppers to add some TADA! to an otherwise blah package.

Anchors Away

A few weeks back, I went on a quick Boston getaway. 

Here's a souvenir from that trip:

It's a tree ornament in the shape of an anchor. 

It's made of wood and rope.

It was a serendipitous find at the Boston Tea Party Museum gift shop. After spending part of my day at Fort Point, I was crossing the harbor on Congress Street, and decided to make a stop. They sell Boston/Massachusetts memorabilia and collectibles, tea sets and food items on top of the seasonal merchandise like Christmas ornaments.

I made a mental note to schedule a museum visit on a future trip which promises a multi-sensory experience {ex. actors in costume, interactive exhibits, a walk through the ships} dramatizing an important event leading to the American Revolution.

There's also a Tea Room in the premises...great for an afternoon snack after learning a bit of history.

Now that this anchor ornament adorns our tree, it quickly transports me back to the gorgeous coastal towns of Massachusetts such as Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, the beautiful Boston harbor, the boats on Charles River. Sigh. That thought alone makes me happy.

Peace and Liberty

Hello there! This week, it's all about Christmas tree ornaments on my blog. When we first got our tree, we bought a bunch of white and silver trimmings in one go -- we didn't want a bare and blah tree after all. Over the years, picking up a new piece or two was standard. This time, each one had a story behind it.

Today's ornament finds roots in England. 

Over the summer, I was able to go back to one of my favorite cities -- London. And I made sure to stop at Liberty on Regent Street.

You can tell by the Tudor-style exteriors alone that Liberty is one magical place. It's been around since 1875 and has always been associated with impeccable design and luxury. 

 Fresh blooms, sold at the door, bathe you in fragrance as you enter the store.

The Tudor design continues even inside -- dark, heavy wood, and not the typical glass and steel of modern department stores, adds to the overall shopping experience. 

This winding staircase and light fixture makes me wish I was wearing an elaborate dress and petticoat, instead of casual jeans and sweater.

The staircases lead to small rooms and TADA! you'll find yourself at the ladies or men's department, the home section, the cafe' and so on.

I love the lace buntings and paper honeycomb balls on this floor. It's decorated this way because...  

It's the Christmas shop! It's located on the top floor, dressed up with fairy lights and walls upon walls of Christmas things like decorations, party crackers, gifts, candy and greeting cards. 

I spent more than an hour here, just mesmerized.

Many items were a bit pricey, but I had to get a little something for our tree. 

I chose this white wooden dove with gold accents. It was light and easy to pack in my suitcase. 

I liked its symbolism, too -- "Peace on Earth" and "Liberty", just like where it came from.
   

Christmas Ornaments

Hello Lovelies! Have you started decorating for the holidays?

This is what our Christmas tree looks like. It's a fresh Fraser Fir tree, meticulously and ceremoniously chosen at a plant nursery in our neighborhood. Once we find "the one", we load it up on top of the car, bring it home, and set it up in a tree stand filled with water. My husband cuts away the netting and we take a whiff of the intoxicating scent of fresh pine. Then we string on the lights and hang the ornaments!

Our colors are white and silver, reminiscent of newly fallen snow on Christmas morning -- very calm yet festive. When we eventually get tired of this scheme, we can easily add another set of ornaments in a new color like red or gold. But for now, it will remain white and silver.

The ornaments were purchased in department stores, dollar stores and craft markets. Some were gifts, some were handmade. But over the years, we've made it a point to pick up an ornament when we travel. I love the thought of ornaments, no matter how inexpensive, of having a story to tell. 

This week, I'll share with you the ornaments I recently found, starting with this:

It's a sand dollar. By adding a piece of twine, it can be hung on the tree...TADA! I'm not sure if this is a real sand dollar or just a replica. It's delicate and looks very real.

It's a souvenir from a day at the beach, specifically from The Sand House in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. {I really hope the store wasn't damaged by Hurricane Sandy!}

The Sand House is a delightful store with treasures from 

the sea like shells...

and starfish...

and many nautical-themed gifts.

When I see this sand dollar ornament, I'm reminded of trips to the beach with family and friends.

I'm reminded of blue skies, warm rays of sunshine and the scent of sunscreen lotion.

And I'm reminded of care-free days in colorful suits, with no agenda except chasing the waves.

The Brick Man

Hooray, it's Friday! I hope all the Lego architecture this week has left you both nostalgic and inspired on the possibility of humble Lego bricks.

via Nathan Sawaya

Last Tuesday, I told you about an artist who created the Lego lions for the New York Public Library.  Well, this guy's very talented.

via Nathan Sawaya

 He can make other animals like hawks...

via Nathan Sawaya

...and insects like bees.

via Nathan Sawaya

 He can make landmarks like the Statue of Liberty...

via Nathan Sawaya

...the Brooklyn Bridge,

via Nathan Sawaya

 ...and the Battle of Iwo Jima.

via Nathan Sawaya

He can make famous people out of Lego, too.

Can you guess who this is?

Yup, it's Elvis Presley.

via Nathan Sawaya

This is the band One Direction. 

via Nathan Sawaya

He's Nathan Sawaya {and his Lego alter ego}, a New York-based artist using Lego as his medium. He's world renowned and he's quite funny. You can read more about him here.

Wishing you a thrilling weekend!

Storytelling through Lego

I've been blogging about Lego and all the cool things you can build with it. Here's another creative use for Lego -- you can tell a story.

Or more specifically, tell the story of Jesus Christ, the way Brendan Powell Smith did in "The Brick Bible". 

Isn't reading more fun with pictures? That's what this book provides, and each photo was made with Lego! Whether or not you know the story of Jesus, this book is one entertaining read. Well, because Jesus did have a colorful life, and it's fascinating to see the Bible reinterpreted through a toy most of us are familiar with.

The birth of Jesus 

 The wedding feast at Cana where Jesus turned water into wine

 Jesus walks on water

 The Last Supper

 The crucifixion

The Resurrection

Blah to TADA!, right? You can read more about The Brick Testament here.