Tea Party this way...

In this Wedding crazed city, where every hotel, shop, restaurant, and pub is preparing for April 29th, you might think Easter has been forgotten....



OK, so the Mad Hatter Tea Party is not exactly Easter but you must admit the bunny topiary with real cotton balls is very cute!

THE Royal Wedding......countdown!

Early in the morning I have been walking the circle around Buckingham Palace, through the immaculate flower gardens in St. James's Park, by the Horse Guards Parade, and along The Mall, scoping out the exact spot where I want to be for the Royal Wedding festivities and the official Royal Couple Kiss. My plan was to stand by/on this balustrade, with the perfect view over 10,000 heads of THE BALCONY.

Well, while I was gone, this corner has been overtaken by a huge structure of scaffolding including Media viewing rooms and Green Park is full of massive white hospitality tents....all closed off to the public.











Now I've got to come up with Plan "B"...... I'm pretty good with Plan "B"s so stay tuned!

IN case you are interested, (and who isn't???), here is a rundown of the wedding schedule and the route....
Royal Wedding
29 April, 2011
Prince William will marry Catherine Middleton in Westminster Abbey. This is a special public holiday in the UK. The ceremony will be shown live on television. The expected timetable is as follows:
* Catherine's bridesmaids and pages will leave Clarence House at about 10:30am.
* The Queen and Royal Family members will leave Buckingham Palace and make their way to the church.
* Prince William and his supporters (include his brother Prince Harry, who is his best man at the wedding) will leave St. James's Palace.
* Catherine and her father will leave Buckingham Palace and will travel to Westminster Abbey by car (in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI limousine).
* The royal couple will exchange vows at Westminster Abbey. The Archbishop of Canterbury will marry the couple, the Dean of Westminster will conduct the service, and the Bishop of London will give the address.
* After the wedding service, Prince William and his new bride will take a horse-drawn carriage back from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace (they will be using the 1902 State Landau which carried Diana and Prince Charles following their marriage in 1981). The royal party will follow them. The expected route is Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade and The Mall. The streets will be full of flag-waving well-wishers.
* Queen Elizabeth II will host a reception for the couple once they have arrived at the palace. The couple's official wedding photos will be taken during this time.
* The couple is expected to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace where they will kiss for the crowd and cameras at around 1:30 p.m. The Royal Air Force will stage a fly-by.
* Following the reception, the newlyweds will enjoy some time to themselves before attending a private dinner and dance hosted by Prince Charles. The royal couple will spend their first night as man and wife at Buckingham Palace before starting their honeymoon.
For the latest news about the royal wedding, see: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11767495

Steamed Shrimp!

For over 75 years, Joe Patti's has been located on the Pensacola Bay. In the early 1930's Anna and Joe Patti started selling fish from their front porch on Devillier's Street in Pensacola. Captain Joe had a philosophy. He would sell only the highest quality fish at a fair price....I need to interject here that he also did not think he had to pay taxes so he spent a few years in prison, but he is out now and forgiven!
In the early 90's Joe Patti's served all of the restaurants along the Gulf Coast of Florida and Alabama. Today Joe Patti's has expanded to include a gourmet delicatessen, sushi bar, and wine shop. It is an impressive landmark and always busy....we stopped by to pick up some shrimp and noticed that all of the seafood is labeled with where it came from - a clear sign that not all is back to normal with fishing on the Gulf Coast after the oil spill last summer.










Captain Joe says,

"Our Royal Reds, at present, are coming from the tip of South America, the clear cold waters of the Antarctic Ocean. These are the same species as the ones in the Gulf or on the East Coast.

Remember, these shrimp are of a very delicate nature. Boil them. Bring the water to a good boil, drop in the shrimp and in exactly 2 minutes, remove shrimp from water and cool immediately with tap water. They will be perfect. Cooking time is so important. If they are over-cooked, trash them, they will be super mushy. Always remember they are delicate and not a firm species like their in-shore cousins, but have a great flavor. "





Steaming Hot, Hot shrimp, a glass of cold wine, friends and family to watch the sunset....
That's what I'm talking about!

A Perfect Beach Wedding......

Really, this should be titled "It takes a village" because everyone had to pitch in to have this perfect beach wedding! The MOB, my sister Sandi, arrived with a van full of goodies she had been working on for months...welcome buckets, table decorations, ties, dyed shoes, shawls, bubble guns, cake topper, even the Bride's dress! A few days before the wedding we met with the event coordinator, the caterer, the cake and flower department, in between trips to the airport. One friend was the photographer, special friends hosted a luncheon and arranged the bouquets, the minister was Brooke's Uncle, Haley helped coordinate the actual wedding, others helped decorate for the reception...and I won't mention who cut palm trees around the property because she is probably on the surveillance cameras!














Brooke's Dad showed up to walk her down the aisle and we were all smiles as the sun set over Orange Beach, Alabama. Brooke looked beautiful, Brad was nervous, everyone had a good time at the reception, and Sandi was so proud!

A Day at the Races

We were the privileged guest of the Almassey's .....

spending time with friends in a private box at Ascot Racecourse is a truly memorable event! Even when the London fog and cold mist roll in, the horses run and we had shining views of the racecourse.

Ascot is situated in the wooded countryside adjoining Windsor Great Park, just a train journey from London. Unlike Royal Ascot which is in June and very fashionable, we were asked to dress in a manner appropriate to a "smart occasion". Upon arrival everyone received a yellow fleece scarf - compliments of the Betting Company. It was a great marketing strategy - look how well they stand out against our traditional black!

Antique Treasures!

This blog is dedicated to my dear friends back in the States who would love to have mud on their shoes and one more visit to the Silver Lady!

It was the coldest, muddiest day I have ever shopped the Ardingly Outdoor Antique Fair but, with the girls help, advise, and muscle, we came home with a few treasures! Christy spotted quite a few things she would have loved to have taken back to the "Split-Pea Cottage" in Boston........
NOT this stuffed pig head (notice there is a second one in the box in case you want to buy 2 for your dining room table)!
NOT this stuffed ostrich with it's head stuck in the sand...although it is a "statement piece" and might be appropriate in, say, a certain hospital lobby!
How about this gorgeous pine kitchen table? Perfect for a festive Italian family dinner!










The Hawaiian - with pineapple- Toasted Cheese Sandwich was the treat of the day and lots of HOT Tea.
***As a side note "Madame, we do not order hot tea in this country...all tea comes hot." (a BA Flight Attendant)
KEEP SHOPPING GIRLS!







These are the biggest treasures we came home with...
a small French desk for my dressing table,
a small painted rustic bench for a side table - love the soft green color,
and a stripped trunk to prop up the old Pub sign in the kitchen.






Christy also started a collection of Limoncello glassware....something I can add to while I am browsing other markets.
Now, the search is on for the perfect coffee table....Lots Road, Chelsey!

From SW3 to SW1

It was just a few miles but a move is a move and everything had to go into a box. Rick and "Dal with a truck" were a big help on moving day. We had a few issues with getting the bed to the 5th floor, no heat, cable TV-of course, and Rick took a tumble down the very narrow staircase taking the banister with him but no broken bones! The girl's showed up just in time to help hang pictures and shop for new pieces to fill the extra space we have.










At the end of the day it is such a treat to be able to walk across the street to the neighborhood pub for some refreshment.





Thank you girls - I miss you already!
Had to put in the "Traditional 2 girls in 2 British phone booths" shot!