this new year’s, thomas was kind enough to bestow upon me an inscribed copy of his new book, the finest rooms in america.  he is just too lovely for words, and not even mr. jones is allowed to read the exceedlingly witty and gracious note that he included.  dear thomas, please come back to memphis soon.

mrs. jones is thrilled to have recently become a “hedgie”, and has had so much fun getting in on aussie blogger millie’s adventures – both hilarious and touching - in travel and design, over the laurel hedge. 

catherine golden (of domino fame), a long-time friend and inspiration, has recently begun penning the golden touch.  cat is a full-time attorney and all-around cool chick with a passion for design and art history.   you will be amazed at her thrift shop finds and the projects she manages to pull off on the weekends!

if you have found your way here via their kind direction, welcome, and please make yourself at home, and happy reading.

and so, the muddy assortment of hunting boots became part of the decor, along with antlers and turkey feathers, flannel table runners, and rustic candle holders that mr. jones fashioned from farm-found firewood.  (and if you’re looking, paperless post has - under “images”, between the venetian mask and baby’s blocks - a pair of maine hunting shoes with which to embellish your card.)

(between hostessing duties and a couple of three buck fevers, my camera sat waiting…many thanks to beth for picking it up and snapping these little details for me!  as for those little deer in the dessert…holly at the thin veil made sure they were here in time to adorn the chocolate pots de creme.)

details included a pile of party favor trashminas pashminas from the new york trip,  little brass bells at each place, peacock feathers (including on a feather wreath and in lovely selena’s hair) and the peacock, paisley and lotus stencils (on invitations, placecards and takeaway bags) from stencil me in.  and much to mr. jones’s relief, wrapping our chandeliers in peacock-blue tulle did not result in the little pink house burning down around us as the last moments of 2010 ticked away.

when my mercury glass collection ran thin, meg and i took oil-based size and silver leaf to the outside of several dozen pre-filled votives from michael’s to round things out.

my friend perre (of runaway spoon fame) lent silver treasures from her travels in india for some authentic flair, and made a wonderful cake and chocolate coins topped with edible gold leaf and pistachios for dessert, providing a sinfully delish finale to the year.

no worries that charlie told his friends his mom will have the “biggest seat” on the greenline. though if, despite repeated attempts, we still can’t pedal the path without a detour to high point pizza, a saddle even larger than this just may become necessary.

here’s hoping that your christmas and new year’s are wonderful, and full of fun and family time.  please check back soon after the 1st…2011 holds some wonderful projects and a new site design that i hope you’ll enjoy very much.

along with her bevy of beautiful young friends, many rock-star luminaries managed to get past the rope-line to congratulate her, including courtney love & family, joan baez, stevie nicks (both young and mature) and elvis costello.

(and speaking of luminaria, meg jones and i had so much fun making these for the occasion, using stencil 1′s jolly roger graffiti stencil and the small skull from stencil me in.  the base is black or silver acrylic paint - then, leaving the stencil in place, after another quick hit (using another stencil brush) with some thinned-down elmer’s, toss on a quick shake of glitter.  just add sand and votive candles, and rock on.) 

(and yes, he did sing our song…as an encore, “me and mrs. jones” was quite a moment for mr. buble and me, though he doesn’t know that my little enterprise was named for the billy paul version of the song, well before his lovely cover…no matter.  here he is, anxiously scanning the crowd for a glimpse of yours truly.)

we thank you, lord, for happy hearts, for rain and sunny weather. 

we thank you, lord, for this our food, and that we are together.  amen.

that pretty much sums up the way mrs. jones is feeling…and while my side of the family can’t be together this year, we are sending out happy hearts to them, and to all of you, too. 

in addition to all of the above blessings, i am truly grateful to each of you for stopping by here to check in, for the kind and encouraging comments and emails you send, and especially to my lovely clients and designers, for affording me the opportunity to do something i love every day.  thank you.

a beautiful bride is including a charming tradition from her mother’s side of the family, and offering a cookie table at her wedding reception tonight.  mrs. jones was honored to stencil a tablecloth for the occasion with the couples’ names, the date, and a fleur-de-lis in each corner…a little love for their alma mater and meeting-place, lsu.  the deep orchid color erin chose was perfect for a crisp october evening’s festivities.

family and friends (including the most gorgeous & fun gang of bridesmaids!) gathered at the tower room this morning to arrange the cookies…so abundant that our carefully planned and measured-for eight-foot long table had to be expanded to 12 feet at the last minute…but no matter.  it was lovely.

 guests will fill these darling bags with cookies as a take-away treat.  (my take-away treat was getting to know the covered-up-in-talent erin and meeting some of her nearest and dearest, including holly everett of katherine holly, her friend and photographer.)

all the best to the lovely new mr. & mrs. skinner.

…shopping fifth avenue after lunch at saks?  walking across the brooklyn bridge with a mocha?  sipping a shirley temple (or champagne) with your bemelmans burger at the bemelmans bar?  riding bikes in central park?  dancing in the aisles at memphis and mamma mia?  learning what your great-grandmother’s life might have been like at the tenement museum?  finding bargains at pearl river?  stopping for a sweet at dylan’s?  skating the rink at rockefeller center?  enjoying egg creams and hot dogs at katz’s?  so…hunter or gatherer?…you decide.