a favorite Christmas movie

 Christmas in Connecticut  

One of my favorite Christmas movies of all time is Christmas in Connecticut, made in 1945 and Starring Barbara Stanwick who plays a wanna-be domestic goddess and expert on all things home and garden. It’s so relatable to me, and that’s why I love it so much.

Made just after the Second World War, this film starts off with a Navy hero who recovering from being lost at sea, is on bedrest and is absolutely enamored by all the meals and fabulous recipes he reads about in Smart Housekeeping magazine while he’s in the hospital. 

Then the attention quickly to turns to Elizabeth... the fabulous home and garden writer for Smart Housekeeping magazine...

  

This is when we first meet Barbara Stanwyck as Elizabeth Lane, the ever so popular writer of Smart Housekeeping magazine. Liz is a modern-day Martha Stewart who is the most popular women’s magazine writer and personality.

The trouble is she's a columnist for "Smart Housekeeping," THE magazine for all aspiring homemakers in America. Her popular monthly column called "Diary of a Housewife."

She goes on and on writing about cooking, practically brags about her idyllic home life on her Connecticut farm with her husband and darling baby (who don’t really exist). 

For months and probably years she’s been putting on this farce, and doing it quite well, I may add!

The thing is, she really lives in a tiny and humble Manhattan apartment, alone, with less than picturesque views and she can't cook to save her life. 

With the help of the darling restauranteur “Uncle” Felix who inspires every gourmet meal she that writes about, she has no trouble getting away with being this domestic imposter.

 

As you can see, I can totally relate to this role of Elizabeth Lane, right down to the scene where she is forced to show off her flapjack flipping skills!

The most intriguing part of this movie for me is that she’s such a fabulous writer and with her vivid imagination, she pulls off being the popular Elizabeth Lane persona without a hitch.

When I sit down at my own computer keyboard, I'm often inspired by this first scene of Elizabeth at her typewriter. The words and wonderful pictures she paints with her stories are always in the back of my mind.

Here's an example of Elizabeth's writing style, as expressed in this first scene that she appears in...      

“From my living room window as I write...

...I can look out across the broad front lawns of our farm...

...like a lovely picture postcard of wintry New England. In my fireplace, the good cedar logs are burning and crackling. I just stopped to go into my gleaming kitchen...

...to test the crumbly brown goodness of the toasted veal cutlets in my oven.

Cook these slowly.”

It's simple, quite effective and right to the point!

 

Meanwhile, there are undergarments and other laundry drying on the clotheslines outside her slightly dreary NYC apartment. 

The radiator blasts a poof of steam that in her mind translates to a dreamy stone fireplace with “good cedar logs” burning. 

She’s eating a breakfast of sardines right out of the can. I love how the whole scene is beautifully juxtaposed.  

 

So off we go to spend a Christmas in Connecticut! And of course this movie is set during Christmastime, so this is where the fun and love begins…

 

A lot is riding on her made-up charming life and ultimate deceit, and of course, love blooms between Elizabeth and the handsome war hero.

There are moments of light screwball comedy in this movie, but overall, it’s a fun and festive holiday movie.

 

Mr. Yardley- “I remember what you said about the charm of an attractive woman...

...performing her homey little task of flipping flapjacks...

...with the smell of good coffee and sizzling bacon in a sunny kitchen.

I'm homesick for a sight like that.”

 

Felix- “Oh, Lizka, Lizka. You give me goose pimples. Watch now. 

I show you how to flip-flop the flop-flips. On...  up!  Ah.  You see?  

It's easy.  Now you try it. Throw it up. Up!  

Not on the stove.  In the pa...  Now.  

Throw it with this. High, high, high, high.  Oh...  Up! Ah. Up. 

Take this. Throw it up. High, high, high. 

Oh, up! Lizka!

Better you cook on the typewriter.”

Elizabeth- “Oh, Felix, what am I going to do?”

 

“She can't cook, but what a wife!

What a Christmas!

What a Christmas!”

ciao fabiana

 

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You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

 

 

 

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la valencia hotel in la jolla

I recently celebrated my birthday at one of my favorite places, La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla. La Jolla at any time of year is a fantastic idea!

 

La Valencia Hotel, also known as "The Pink Lady," is a Mediterranean-style oceanfront resort located in La Jolla, California. 

This iconic hotel has breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and is the perfect destination for a romantic and quick overnight getaway.

 

I love this little stretch of La Jolla and the hotel's prime location, with stunning ocean views and easy access to nearby attractions.

We had dinner at Georges at the Cove, known for its yummy contemporary American cuisine and seafood. The stunning ocean views are breathtaking from the very top of this restaurant, and our dinner was perfect.

 

Another great breakfast, brunch and lunch spot that we love is Brockton Villa. It’s such a little cozy spot, and of course I love the old Spanish architecture of the building and courtyards. The breakfast sandwich on a croissant and the Coast Toast are out of this world!!

My husband and I always enjoy the hotel's historic charm and unique character, especially sitting in the bar for breakfast. 

 

Our favorite is a breakfast of fresh muffins and coffee with a gorgeous floor to ceiling view of the La Jolla beach and the Pacific beyond.

It was a foggy morning, but as you can see the day before was amazing! Look at the blue sky and sea! 

 

La Jolla Cove is a beautiful coastal area known for its stunning views, marine life, and unique sea caves. 

In fact the sea lions and seals make a point of sunning themselves on the rocks everyday, right down the block from La Valencia.

We always make a point of heading to the Sunny Jim's Cave for a stunning and unique view of the cove. It's a great little morning workout too! 

 

The La Valencia Hotel Pool

Sunny Jim’s Cave is accessible through the Cave Store, this cave features a tunnel with 145 steps leading down to the cave. It offers a unique perspective of the coastline and is a popular spot for visitors

 

After breakfast, we headed home but stopped at the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas for a little hike around these stunning gardens.

 

This botanic garden features over 5,000 plant species and I love the Mediterranean and cactus areas a lot. There’s so much history there, but also it's a great source of inspiration for my own garden.

 

I hope you’ll follow along with me on Instagram for all the latest projects and décor I will be sharing in 2025.

 

ciao fabiana

 

 

farmhouse style magazine, summer 2024

Today I’m sharing five projects that are near and dear to my heart, and I created them all exclusively for Country Sampler Farmhouse Style magazine and are now all featured in their Summer 2024 issue.

From easy coastal inspired décor a few fun diy’s and a super yummy pie recipe, I think I’ve got you covered for a little bit of cool, calm and collected inspiration for the hot summer months!

 

First up are a couple of snapshots of my living room at the peak of summer. I put this together for the summer issue for an article about decorating with coastal farmhouse style.

 

It’s the best of both worlds for me, since we live in a beach town and always appreciate every aspect of the sea, even in our home décor.

With summer just around the corner, I’m looking forward to planting out some more zinnias and other lovely summer annuals like sunflowers, campanulas and hollyhocks to mingle with the roses, clematis and hydrangeas. All some of my favorite flowers!

What are your favorite summer flowers?

The beautiful soup tureen & wooden crab cheese board are new and everything else you see is vintage, thrifted and collected.   

Milk glass is one of those thoroughly nostalgic collectables that are hard to resist when spotted at a thrift store or yard sale.

 

Here I’ve taken a few of my favorite pieces and mixed them with some more of my favorite summer garden flowers.

 

A simple little wicker basket or cloche becomes a centerpiece for your alfresco table. It’s as easy as…

 

Finding a suitable basket, buying an outdoor light kit and attaching it to a tree branch or nearby overhead structure. 

There are even new electricity-free lightbulbs now that would do the trick without all the wiring.

 

A visit to grandmother’s house has inspired this sweet little “window box” made from an antique frame and a vintage crate.

 

Take all your precious mementos and small souvenirs and gather them together in a pretty wall display.

Old postcards, recipe cards, dried flowers, small bottles and matchbooks can all be so full of beloved memories, so it’s so very special to have them displayed where they can be seen by all and appreciated by you every day.   

Double Chocolate Pecan Pie anyone? Get set for a flakey buttery crust filled with a rich fudgy brownie-like piece of heaven!

This ain’t your ordinary chocolate pecan pie! Best of all, it requires no corn syrup, only basic pantry items like chocolate chips, used twice!

Serve hot or cold, with whipped cream or ice cream, this is sure to ‘wow’ your summer guests! 

You can find the recipe here or in the summer issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style on page 110.

   

Here are three more of my favorite projects that have appeared in Country Sampler Farmhouse Style magazine over the years:

 Blueberry French Toast Casserole

 

California Chili and 

this fun repurposed table cover with vintage yard sticks!   

 

 

gorgeous new table linens and more!

 

from Pacific and Rose               

I’d like to introduce you to the gorgeous Charlotte Green and Sea Life prints. These two new patterns from Pacific & Rose are quite literally “Hot off the press!” 

 

These lovelies just arrived last week from India. These are only two of the newest hand-printed patterns to debut this month! 

They’re both proving to be so perfect for springtime and all summer long!

Let’s start with how I styled Sea Life. Just for fun, I added crab accessories and sea life pewter tureen from Vagabond House. 

The first step is to lay out this fun Sea life tablecloth and then of course use the napkins. It's easy to add a few coastal accessories to make this fanciful pattern shine.

Check out the whole tablescape video HERE.

 

A few other coastal inspired accessories tie the whole look together. These seashell-trimmed placemats are among my faves for setting a beachy look at any table.

 

I also have a set of cute scallop shell salad plates that add to the seaside ambiance. That gorgeous tureen* is so perfect for serving clam chowder too. Yum! 

*Check out my links at the end of this post for all of these products shown. 

 

This trio of Sea Life table runner, placemats and napkins is such an easy way to set a lovely table.

 

Just add flowers, like these blue hydrangeas, and you get a look reminiscent of Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket.

 

A beautiful sunny day calls for an impromptu alfresco table. Charlotte Green passes the test for pretty, chic and fun! 

Here you can see the tablecloth and napkins in the loveliest green color, juxtaposed with a pop of blue and yellow in the glassware and freshly picked lemons.

 

To capture the true essence of spring, I added my new butterfly napkin rings and placemats from Arthur Court Designs.

Check out the whole look of this tablescape in this video HERE.

  

Here’s the trio again of table runner, placemats and napkins this time in Charlotte Green, and you can see it makes quite a statement with the simple addition of flowers!

 

This pattern is so easy to style, and the color is literally a year-round delight! This shade of green really works great for every season.

 

In addition to all these lovely table linens, these two new patterns are also available in the apron and tea towels. Both a sure way to brighten up and kitchen and make cooking a true pleasure.

 

The cute, quilted Pacific & Rose cosmetic bags also come in these two new patterns. They’re great to fill with all your makeup necessities whether you’re traveling or staying home.

 

I love that these goodies are all available just in time for Mother’s Day. Any of these new items would be a hit with mom, for sure.

 

Best of all, there are a few more new items from Pacific & Rose due to hit the shop next week! Check back soon for all those updates and new table settings.

Shopping Links:

 

Sea LifeCollection

Charlotte Green Collection

 

VH Marine Life StonewareSoup Tureen

VH Crab Place CardHolders

VH Blue CrabCharcuterie Board

Seashell Placemats

Bamboo Flatware

Blue Goblets

AC ButterflyNapkin Rings

AC ButterflyRaffia Placemats

 

 

ciao! fabiana

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Please note that this post may contain affiliate links.