Since last we spoke

Hi, I've been distracted. When there are things like family and thanksgiving feasts and friends and trips to the cabin in the mix, sitting down in front of the computer is is the first thing to go. Here's what I've been doing since last we were together.

1. During a weekend stay at my family's cabin we took a little day trip. Parking our car in front of the No Trespassing sign, we walked around the frozen lake.   2. It was freezing cold at said lake. Cold enough that my brother allowed my sister to stand that close to him.   3. With snow soaking through our city-slicker shoes, we still stopped to take a picture.   4. A small cabin nearby the lake   5. This is my kind of holiday. We started Christmas a week and a half before Thanksgiving. One can't help it when snow is falling outside.

1. After a family outing we came home to a delicious meal prepared by mama.   2-3. Christmas tree decorating at home and the cabin. (Note: last year we started using the larger, round bulb lights on our tree. The effects are quirky and magical)   4. The joys of the holidays.

I love the holiday season. I love the kindness shared by everyone, the looking inward to see where improvements can be made, and the looking outwards to see where your time and service is needed. Along with this season comes an expectation of time spent with family, the joy of cooler weather contrasted by the bright lights, the many smells reminiscent of years past, and oh, the blessed Christmas music. It's a time when the world seems closer together, when greetings are shared, thanks are given, and smiles are visible on everyone's face. I always appreciate my life more around this time. 

What are some of your favorite parts of this time of year?

Soho House New York

Located in New York is Soho House, a private member's club and hotel in Manhattan's Meatpacking District. The Soho House was "born out of a reaction to the pomposity of the traditional private members club." In an area where private clubs are generally made of a similar crowd - a place for corporate men and women to gather together in their suits to drink some brandy, this private social club has a strict requirement allowing only those working in a creative, unconventional field to qualify for a membership.

I was in a club once. Meetings were held beneath the tree in my grandparent's front yard. We gathered once or twice to discuss in hushed voices what game we should play next. 

I was in another club too, one that met in the closet beneath the stairs in my old house. That club never got further than calling itself a club. 

Soho House has a history far greater than either of my wimpy clubs.

While the Soho House is certainly not in want of money, the designers did an excellent job at keeping the space from feeling like a ritzy museum. Their intention of a comfortable and cozy feel is evident in every room of this renovated factory. They maintained the original brick and aged wood as part of the space and chose inordinate amounts of tufted sofas and arm chairs, detail-ridden ceilings, ridiculously cool light fixtures, and a mix-and-match style to highlight the existing features. 

I'm pretty sure this place is home to every chair crush I have ever had.

Kohler: Tresham Challenge Part III

This is the final bathroom put together by the Kohler team to show off the versatility of the Tresham Collection. I'm most fond of the subltly printed wallpaper, the playful shapes throughout the space, aaaand her outfit.

Between Option one, Option two, and this, Option three, which bathroom do you like most?