a christmas wool cape

Photos by Neil!

Camel Wool Cape with Plaid Lining - Handmade!!

Vintage Black Velvet Dress, Brown Leather Belt, Platform Lace Ups - Thrifted

Super Opaque Black Tights - American Apparel

Faux Fur Hat - Forever 21

Merry Christmas! Did you all have a good time celebrating the holiday? Neil and I are at his parent's house with his family - we ate crown roast and chocolate, watched cheesy holiday movies, and took these photos in the snow. I don't remember the last time I had a white Christmas, and since we live in Nashville, it might be a long time before it happens again. The snow fell all Christmas Eve, and I was happy.

I finished my camel wool cape just in time for Christmas!

It's incredible what a difference topstitching will make when working with a layered piece. I haven't added the button tab to the collar, but I might change it up now that I have it mostly done. I want to add hook and eye closures all along the front of the cape - either that, or a zipper. A button at the neck doesn't cut it if I want to wear this cape all winter long.. it needs to be enclosed somehow.

Let's all keep celebrating til New Years hits! This morning, Neil and I are driving to St. Louis to see college friends and eat at our favorite places. I can't wait to revisit all of our spots we'd go to when we were dating and shop the after Christmas sales.

edwardian hair and gunne sax red velvet

Photos by Neil!

Red Velvet and Lace Gunne Sax Dress - Thrifted

Black Lace Up Zodiac Boots -Tennessee Antique Mall

A Tennessee snow today!

Recently, I was looking at my sister Rhi's blog and came across this great old post of hers about the Edwardian actress Gabrielle Ray.. Ray's hair bewitched me a bit, so I wanted to try something similar with my own. It was surprisingly easy - I just twisted chunks of my hair and pinned them loosely to the top of my head.

The dress I'm wearing is a Jessica McClintock Gunne Sax dress that is ridiculously petite - I couldn't get it on until I trimmed the sleeves - but I absolutely love the red and white velvet and lace mix (especially with Valentine's Day coming up!). I thought it would be a perfect dress in the snow, so Neil and I did a mini photo shoot with it this afternoon.

When it snows in Nashville, everything - literally EVERYTHING - shuts down. Moms go to the grocery store the day before to stock up on food items, schools close sometimes 24 hours in advance just in case. I did some shopping for my store update on Monday this morning, and it only took about three blocks before we saw a car turned painfully on its side in the ditch. Two miles later and we had seen a total of five cars beaten by the roads.

But man alive, was it beautiful! It was one of those light, slushy snows that makes everything it touches seem weightless. And I love what snow does to the nighttime.. it's almost as bright as day out there. The sky's a reddish peach color and the ground is a stark white.

So besides a bit of shopping and some picture taking, Neil and I had a lazy day. Neil made a homemade chicken pot pie and we bought some light red wine to go with it, and I baked more muffins for dessert. Today was definitely a chicken pot pie and baked goods kind of day.

Do you have any fun weekend plans? (and random last note.. have you guys heard about Alexa Chung designing for Madewell? Velvet dresses, high waisted pants, peter pan collars, vintage children coats as inspiration.. does it get any better than that?)

Outdoor Wednesday, and (ta-da!) Grandma's Cake a Hit

Quick post today! Thanks to Susan at A Southern Daydreamer for hosting Outdoor Wednesday (click here for more!).

I am joining the ranks of those posting snow pics from Monday.

As always, ignore any peeling paint and crooked shingles on That Old House. She loves to get her picture taken, but she's never looked in a mirror and doesn't know that she could use the services of Elizabeth Arden; the makeup's beginning to crack.

That's our side yard. Too bad we didn't have this little hill when my kids were young.

My husband took the snow pictures before he started shoveling.

The snow is still with us but the about-nine-inches of Monday
has shrunk; it was so light and fluffy when it fell that even though it's
still below freezing, the snow is disappearing.

And about my grandma's cake. . .

If by chance you read last Friday's That Old House post (click here) then you will know that the following pictures tell their own story:

I pulled the bundt pan out of the pantry,
and found a strand of beads in it.
???
Your guess is as good as mine.

Yes, I violated the "don't open the oven" rule
in order to take a picture. Mid-bake.

See how little is left? We were five for dinner last night; my brother and sister-in-law brought my Dad. The 5 of us ate half the cake that according to the recipe feeds as many as 15 people. On what planet?

Well, my Dad had two slices of this cake; it is his mother's recipe, after all.

By the way... that plate was my grandmother's, one of a little stack of luncheon sized plates by Syracuse china. Grandma liked pretty things, too.