I remember doing crafts with pine cones with my mom when I was little. We’d make pine cone wreaths and pine cone reindeer. Anyone else do the same?
Let’s jet off to Malaysia today, shall we?
Today, I’m bringing you to the Macalister Mansion in Georgetown, Penang. Condé Nast put this hotel on its 2013 hot list, and it only takes a moment to discover why. This restored colonial mansion (built in the early 1900s) is luxurious and charming. The eight rooms are individually designed and feature beautiful furnishings and art.
Room 6 caught my attention because of the art above the bed. It is a commissioned piece by Indonesian artist Albert Yonathan called “Sailing the Celestial Sea”. Oooh…I love all the “s” sounds in that title! The porcelain ship pieces were hand cast, and the work was inspired by the sea voyages of Sir Norman Macalister who was one of the first British Governors of Penang from 1808-1810 (when Penang was known as Prince of Wales Island).
If I were to infuse the feeling of Room 6 into a new space, here’s what I might include:
bed, nightstand, table, armchair, hangers, sheet set, art, rug, speaker, lamp
I can’t help it. I need to showcase more hearts. I thought I had corralled enough hearts for this Valentine’s Day gift guide, but I hadn’t. I have five more heart-filled items to share with you to end this week.
love struck round floor bin, $19.97 (on sale), Land of Nod
black sequin heart pillow cover, $19.97 (on sale), Land of Nod
I Love You heart dishes, $19.95, Crate & Barrel
For Heart’s Sake stationery, Minted
heart tote bag, $22, Sweet Escape Creative
Have a lovely weekend, dear readers!
I know many of us just finished a couple of weeks of holiday feasting, but I can’t help but continue to talk about food and entertaining. This year, I really want to try to declutter and get rid of items that I no longer regularly use. In so doing, I’m also going to be paying close attention to what I do use.
In the kitchen, for example, these five items get quite a bit of use at my house, and they’re here to stay.
I use my KitchenAid mixer on a weekly basis to make bread, pizza dough, pasta, or desserts. It was a great investment, and I keep it on my counter for easy access.
I use cloth napkins at my place, and I’m always looking for new sets to replace old ones. Most of mine are colourful (big surprise), but I’ll be looking to add beautiful white sets this year. They’re just so crisp and lovely.
I recently purchased pie beads (for Lucy Waverman’s saffron chocolate tart), and they definitely kept my tart crust in top form. I look forward to baking up some more tarts and pies this year.
I use trays quite regularly to carry food from one room to another while I’m hosting, or simply to carry my tea and treats to the living room while I veg out. Trays come in very handy during the warmer months, too, when I’m bringing things to and from the barbeque.
Finally, I have a stack of ramekins in my cupboard that I use for just about everything – from serving olives, nuts, or candy to making baked eggs.
 ramekins
What are your kitchen essentials?
You never know when you might need a few extra dice…be prepared with a purchase of this sleek black and white set.
playing dice, $3.97