belated christmas blessings...

i feel so bad... i simply checked out and did not wish you all a wonderful blessed christmas and for that i apologize. i truly hope you had an AMAZING christmas with your families and friends and i am off for a few more days recharging for the new year....

i do wish all of you the most joyful new year ....
your friendships mean to world to me and i truly appreciate your unending kindness....

i love you all so much... xx pam

everyone's favorite ornament...

our friend... the whale.. he was our most popular seller at the store... cute isn't he??
enjoy your decorating, baking and being together this weekend... xx

enjoy your decorating, baking and being together this weekend... xx

photo borrowed from my friend jeannie

- 8 somewhere...

but do you know where that is????

i've been nice...

santa... will this fit down the chimney?

photo axel vervoordt

my favorite tree...

since i did not get a tree this year, (but did decorate!) i will just imagine this is mine... it is found at the lovely boat street cafe... yes, i know i mention it all the time and everyone knows it is my favorite spot (along with her new venture the walrus and the carpenter) but i had to share my friend renee's exquisite taste in spotting such a wonderful specimen... enjoy...

photo from my sweet friend renee... xx

under the weather...

hi dear friends... i am in bed with the flu.
i didn't get my shot... i guess i should but sometimes i wonder if they really work.
i have not had the flu in years. i forget how bad it feels...

thank goodness i am on the mend... and thought i would bring a little humor along... a wonderful cartoonist vahan shirvanian...  he did not need words with this amazing illustration... thought it might make you all laugh..

remember to rest well ... we all try to do too much in this season... and sometimes we just need to slow down...

what are your thoughts... flu shot or not?
and what is the best remedy for the super severe body aches?

darling...

when i think of my friend jeanne... the word darling comes to mind. 

she is amazing inside and out..

she and i love all of the same things... ( and at christmas time...)

selecting and decorating the tree, charlie brown, our vintage ornament collections, yummie food ...

i had to share this with you...her tree for the season..

she has a fabulous blog... you can go here to see more...

photo courtesy of jeanne..

and presents under the tree....

who wants this one???

yes, donna... it's gray! xx

photo john granen

tradition..

growing up my grams always had a amaryllis at christmas time.
she would start it from the bulb and we would love to watch it grow... and grow...
she loved it too and when it bloomed we would all be so amazed at the beauty.

since her passing, i buy one every year. i love to watch them grow and bloom...
knowing she is watching with me...

what traditions do you have?

photo red ticking

fascination with wood

one of my favorite things is my fireplace... and a fresh, neatly stacked pile of wood next to it.

ahhh... if only mine looked this amazing..
are you staying warm and cozy this holiday season??

photo unknown

cozy white christmas ...

this truly... is one of my favorite blogs... you will see why when you visit one of the most special lives of  in my boudoir...

photo in my boudoir

i love david...

he is truly gifted... not only with his love of food... but his humor.
read here...

photo courtesy of david lebovitz

peace...

wishing everyone a wonderful peaceful weekend... xx

photo red ticking

i must confess...

red ticking is in full swing for the holiday season...
decorated to the nines... it is so pretty and i love being there...
so calm and peaceful...

people ask me daily...
"what does your house look like?" "how do you decorate?"
i must admit... i have not done a bit at home... not even a green...
i adore the smell of fresh greens, blooming flowers and twinkly lights...

well, maybe it's time for a little pick me up... this weekend...

an update...
ray's treatment did not work... your thoughts and prayers are so needed for him and his daughter.... xoxo

photo house beautiful

the color orchid...

a dear friend of mine and i have such a fascination with this color... it can be pale, or deep...
either way, we are hooked... and this tablecloth (photo courtesy of my sweet friend greet ) from libeco
is going on my christmas wish list... i love the tone and simplicity...yet, always elegant.

greet... fabulous post... xx

the gift of time...

i received another reminder of what is really important in life.
our time.

our dear friend passed away recently after a long battle with alzheimer's. 

her darling husband by her side daily for years.. to calm her as she needed it... 

it was precious and sad to see their love fading away... 

a few weeks after her burial, he went to a dermatologist to check on a couple spots

he found on his body...
stage 4 cancer had spread thru his body.. he never felt sick had no idea...

we went to visit him while i was home and although he had been thru 6 weeks of

grueling treatments and grieving his lovely wife... he was amazing. this man truly is

a gift to all who know him. we brought home baked goods which we knew he would love

but the true gift was our time spent visiting with him. 

we will know tomorrow if the treatment is working ... 

God is good and He has Ray in HIs arms

regarding the outcome....

visit someone you love this season... it will truly warm your heart.

xx

  

thanksgiving...

i was reading an article today in this fabulous publication aspenpeak and as i read about michael douglas, i thought... one can have all the money and star power but if you don't have your health... what do you have?

then i saw the report on natalee holloway and the "jawbone" that was found... it is not hers. my first thought was..."how sad" then i thought... well, maybe they will find her someday.... like elizabeth smart... staying hopeful...
 i cannot imagine how her family must feel. truly thanksgiving is not a happy time for them.

today my sister and i took an employee of hers to walmart. we gave her some time to come up with a list of things she might need (for the holiday and just needs in general) and she loaded a basket to the brim (very humbly and conservative) and when we got to the checkout, she was sweating, tears streaming and hugging us like she would never let go...

the only reason i tell anyone this is we did it for her and in turn, i ended up feeling so humbled.

yes, i think of thanksgiving as a time to be with my amazing healthy family, eat loads of homemade food but truly this year... God is teaching me to truly enjoy every day with loved ones and be thankful for every blessing in my life.

and you my friends... i am truly thankful for... each and everyone of you.
have a joyous day... xx

rest well...

one of the my favorite things in the world is my bed.
i think everyone feels the same.
it is the nest we slip into after a long day...
where we wake with coffee or tea...

my other favorite... my matteo sheets.
truly, you will never sleep in anything else...
i have slept in most everything and i will never sleep in anything else.
most people think linen is scratchy... stiff... coarse... well not...
vintage washed linen.
they provide the warmth and coziness perfect for... fall and winter.
they are not just for summertime anymore...

i want everyone to have the comfort i have so red ticking is offering
20% off all matteo for the holidays... thru dec 23th...

photo matteo

weak in the knees...

photos by one of my fav blog pals.. here 

ticking elves...

i went to sleep one night and dreamed about what it would be like to have elves work at the ticking... someone who could be creative, talented and work their magic like never before...
and when i  woke the next morning...
the miracle had come true...
red ticking was turned into a delightful holiday wonderland that people from all over the country
would swoon over...

not only are the elves talented, they are lovely inside and out. 

thank you...  angela and katarina, for making my dream come true...

please discover more about them here

photos by red ticking

a normandy dinner party..

we had a lovely evening at boat street... a fireside cocktail party with fresh oysters and nibbles...
a fabulous dinner with mussels, roast pork, apple jelly and homemade mustard.
followed by a lovely salad and desserts to top it all ...

wonderful owner, hostess and chef... renee erickson.

not only is renee talented, but truly a special friend... if you have not had the chance to eat here...
book it now for the holidays... you will have a magical evening...

photo red ticking

too cute for words...

this little cabinet walks around at night at the ticking...
the whales and porpoises swim around the ticking...
they are going to have a new home tomorrow... to a very sweet family... makes me so happy.

photo john granen

snow white...

this is probably one of the most lovely pieces we have ever created at red ticking...
my master upholster did it again...
the antique sofa combined with the gorgeous matelasse fabric and attention to detail is beyond words...
and comfort... well of course.

amazing photos by john granen

it's a full house...

the ticking is bursting at the seams... stop in for holiday happiness... xx

photo red ticking

gift giving ...

now is the time to give and receive gifts... and the ticking is full of them... stop by and see us...

photo red ticking

getting into it...

this is one of my favorite displays in the store right now....
elegant white ornaments in an old french wooden trough...
are you getting into it? or still wishing summer were here?

photo red ticking

ring em up!

the smallest and cutest customer i have ever had... sweet oliver... purchasing leather chairs for his bedroom!

he can always grow into them...

photos red ticking

its that time again....

holiday season is open at red ticking.... peek inside the jewel box...

photo red ticking

A D O R A B L E

i so love this darling little girl... and she smiles all the time... she is one of the most precious gifts...
my niece emma...

hope you all have a great weekend...

photo by haley

brilliant

i know...
another pair of french vintage leather chairs...
yes, i love them all...
no, they do not go out of style.
they have been around since 1940 some earlier some later...
very rare... very hard to find.

these are rare and one of a kind... and will not be available for long... check them out here...

photos john granen

back to reality... and embracing it..

ok, enough about my holiday... and now back to reality. i heard from a dear friend today (jackie)
she told me she loves this time of year... the rain... it's a cozy time of year... and something hit me...

change your frame of mind... continue to stay positive... and i love cozy... wonderful linens, blankets, sitting by the fire, cooking yummie meals, so... i will go ahead... EMBRACE IT.

when life, weather, health whatever gets to you... lean on a friend... they will always be there for you.
thank you jackie... you are such a gem.  xx

vintage french linens found at red ticking
amazing photo  john granen

a different kind of sunshine..

i wanted to share this happy photo with all of you... those of us in rainy scary weather could use this beauty! stay warm everyone...

photo taken while i was in sunshine!!

sea life...

what a refreshing wake up call... i think it should be mandatory that every one of us take a week off every chance we get to just...recharge.

what a brilliant week... good time with family, sunshine, wonderful fish, fruit and.... the ocean.

one day we just played in the ocean and i found one piece of coral that looked like a heart. it completely represented the week we had. lots of love and happiness. so i thought... maybe there are others... so i looked and looked and found quite an assortment...

i thought i would share them with you...my sweet friends... missed you and hope you had an amazing week as well... i look forward to catching up with you... xx

photo red ticking

wishing you a wonderful week...

i will be here for a bit... but will return soon...nicely refreshed...
have a great week everyone! xx

yum

rarely do i come across something so special... this quilt is at the top of the list... see more here...

photo by john granen

you know what today is.....

wednesday.. the day the loot hits 1stdibs.com  go check it out!

have a wonderful day... xx

photo john granen

the best vintage sofa ever...

this is a piece i will regret selling...but we all need to make a living right???
c1900 french... i have hung onto the piece for 6 years (always thought i would keep it)
i recently had it completely rebuilt and upholstered in my favorite vintage linen sheets.
any takers? it needs a great home!

i even had my upholster add the monogram to the sofa... xx

you can find this and many others items on 1stdibs.com

photos by john granen

faith

my very sweet friend koralee over at bluebird notes had a nice message today... so i thought i would pass it along...  as i researched faith i noticed so many others are passing this message along.. we are all in this world together... we all need to have faith.

i read this almost everyday and it keeps me  inspired, grounded, humble and faithful..
hope you find it comforting...

faith means resting in what God has done for us in the past but it also means hoping for what He will do for us in the future.

hoping you all had a great weekend... and here is to a wonderful day... xx

image courtesy of Gerry Pozez

thank you seattle magazine...

http://www.seattlemag.com/0p120a2146/area-seaside-chic/

i am dreaming of california...

to think last weekend we were here... oh to return.... very soon!

so sorry for my lack of posts lately... 

feeling a bit overwhelmed...have a wonderful weekend everyone... 

photo red ticking