Feb 20

Red – A GIFT of LOVE and the Little Bug Behind the Magic

By pattisays In A Red Like No Other, Amy Butler Greenfield, art and interior design, artists, Aztec, beauty behold it, civilization, cochineal, color and temperature re: interior design, context of interior design, decorative arts, design, environmental, fashion and design, folkart, historical interior design, history, inspiration from nature, Jared Hess, love, Mexico, movies, multi-media design, Museum of International Folk Art, Nacho Libre, nature, painters, primitive design, Santa Fe, New Mexico, theatrical design, Valentine's /

A little bug selectively bred on a cactus in Mexico way back in the 1500s, for its use as a magnificently unique red dye, soon became recognized, by European traders who discovered it while bartering in the Aztecan markets, as the most dazzling rich red on the planet. The result was the realization that this red bug juice was a rare trading commodity that rivaled even gold! Yes, a squished bug that oozed a red color that was so extraordinary that it was nearly valued above all. This indigenous American discovery spread worldwide and altered the course of history for art (obviously), cultural influences, certainly its trading value and even science.

Before I continue with this brief summary of this extraordinary discovery and my personal comments on the subject, try this little experiment. Think of all the things that you associate with red. Think of all the things that are special and standout because they are red. Do this yourself – make a list or maybe make it a game of it at a party – have everyone make their own list and then share the lists – see how many make the same observations and how many identify different items. More on this later…

This story behind today’s blog is derived from a book by Amy Butler Greenfield, A Perfect Red Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire which influenced a collective of international experts, in a variety of fields of expertise, to produce an incomparable exhibit at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe that astonished the world. The book that compiles photographs of worldly treasures and narrative describing the making of and content of this extraordinary exhibit is A Red Like No Other – How Cochineal Colored the World. It was my Valentine’s gift and it truly is a treasure – a gift of love. A red likeno other - book

Cocheneal, this little bug and its unexpected authority and influence, is the center of this universal love affair. A love affair with a color so seductive and so powerful that it evokes passion and emotion with everything that bears its true hue. The forward of this book by co-editor Carmella Padilla states that “everyone has a visceral knowledge of red. Therein lies its power. ” Red is imperative. And if you didn’t realize the depth of this statement, you will be amused, challenged, amazed and intrigued beyond belief to read about the history and processes behind this exhibit .

Carmine – this regal bug juice, so purely red, the prized pigment – is something all artists revere. They know the importance of this hue as they strive to create their projects. The quest for the perfect colors and the balance of colors in painting and in other art forms is an ongoing progressive journey. I feel remiss to not have known about this earlier. How can you take art history for semesters on end and not be introduced to this? It’s been an exciting discovery for me to learn of this viscose bug extract, carmine, and this recent journey I have taken to read of its history has been truly thrilling.

As I write this, by stark contrast to the wonderfully cerebral documentation and observations in this book, I find myself watching the endearingly inane movie Nacho Libre out of the corner of my eye. And what surprises me all of a sudden is that the color red is so effectively inserted into the scenes. nacholibre

The director, Jared Hess, knowingly or not recognized the value of the color pop and punctuated many artful scenes that would have lacked depth and interest had he not had the eye to do so. My heightened awareness amuses me – especially in the context of this crazy, silly movie. The creatively artful incorporation and placement of red is so apparent in this nutty, fun film. Ana de la Reguera lips Nacho Libre Her lips, his costume, the children’s masks, a sunspot on a bus, the fighting ring ropes, structural elements in the arena are all so subliminal yet so vivid. Consistent and repeated use of the contrast with the bold red color in combination with turquoise is also a key element in this film. Nacho Libre masks

So back to the party where everyone is listing things they associate with red. If you can get a copy of this book and whip it out after everyone has read the lists, I promise everyone will find it captivating on so many levels and subjects – great lively conversation, fun, fascination and amazement will ensue!!

Jan 16

Table Dressings From Nature – Inspirational Fun!

By pattisays In art and interior design, beach, beauty behold it, context of interior design, decorative arts, design, designs in nature, dining and design, DIY design, environmental, exterior - outdoor design, green design, handmade, inspiration from nature, interior design, kitchen, Mexico, naturalist, nature, nostalgia and design, practical design, recycle, recycle design, seasonal interior design, stone, summer, table dressings, travel and design, tropical /

It could have been a sculptural piece of drift wood or a gnarly tree branch from the woods or a twisted piece of metal from a salvage yard…but the idea is to see things in a different way and once again—as I have done this before— to make something from nothing. And in this case, with no effort or manipulation—just the natural beauty of the found object.

The tide was out making the beach so wide it was like a great runway of wet sand. Scattered on the surface were the leavings of the waves – pieces of shell and polished stones. There amidst the beautiful debris was what looked like the suggestion of an abandoned boat hull—a dried, darkened palm sheath. I instantly knew, this would be another beginning of the tropical table-scape that I am so fond of creating when we are at the beach. P1110860

“Creating something from nothing,” my father would often say. He was a great believer in that idea that one man’s trash was another man’s treasure. We loved to beach comb together whenever we found ourselves at the tide’s edge. Sometimes it was tropical and the coral was bleached white and pocked with texture. Fine mesh pieces of purple sea fan and perfect little green “hat” shells would be nestled among the dense collections of heavier piles of white coral.

Then other scenes would find us on northern beaches of the Maryland coast where there was no coral but the ocean would wash multi-colored surf-polished stones onto the shore blanketing the sand particularly at the very edge where the water would curl between the beach and the ocean’s depths. Tiny purple and pink clam shells would peek, being abruptly exposed and quickly bury themselves back into the wet sand moistened with each incoming wave.

On this day, the warm breeze is tropical and the beach is expansive offering rare treasures scattered broadly but sparingly on the pristine surface of sand. It is here that I encountered my centerpiece.

Don of course is saying—”what are you going to do with that? It’s too big. Leave it here.” And I assure him that it is in fact a treasure and that it will be magnificent in the center of our dinner table where we are entertaining 11 for festivities this coming weekend. He, as always, acquiesces knowing that it is futile to stand in the way of my wildly enthusiastic creativity. P1110861 P1110871

Over the next couple of days, he and I both collect white stones and shells on our daily beach walks. At my instruction, we only collect white unless it is a particularly interesting shell. The idea is to have the stark contrast with the dark hull of the palm sheath. P1120142

Our dining table is a handsome slab of travertine marble. Laminated to a double thickness and finely finished with a smooth full bull-nose edge, it is the perfect organic surface to build this also very organic centerpiece.

It needs something…the neutral tones are lovely. Yet, the dark espresso brown of the palm sheath with the white of the stones, against the creamy surface of the travertine invites something more. I realize that it can only be enhanced with another layer of organic material – here in the form of the fresh verdant green palm fronds – the perfect punctuation! P1120102

Oh would that I had collected more flat oyster shell halves…they work so well for votive candle bases…but alas, parrot green cocktail napkins will have to do for this last minute detail.

Our woven palm place mats, in their natural dried flaxen color, compliment the rest of the organics on our table. And as night falls, the sun drops beneath the sea’s horizon and twinkle of scattered candles finish our scene. Salud!

Sep 25

The Thrill of Continuing Education Santa Fe Style!

By pattisays In architecture, beauty behold it, construction, context of interior design, design, design trends, education, environment, environmental, green design, historical interior design, interior design /

Continuing Education – it can either send a signal of dismal obligation or the promise of an exciting new territory of learning in a field about which you are already interested. Today the latter was surely the case. The obligatory CEU’s required to maintain/renew state licenses in Interior Design sneak up every year about this time.

I started out for Santa Fe, a direct 50 minute ride north, up the freeway. The traffic has started to gather at 6:45. It’s funny how when you do not customarily hit the road at that hour that you discover that so many others do! As the sun peeked intermittently over the mountain and the terrain dipped and rose to the east, the glow back-lit the charcoal-blue undulating peaks and burst forth blindingly as the landscape flattened to grassy fields of the high desert. Once up, it is invigorating to see the sunrise and be on the road starting off on an early day – it’s the getting up that is the struggle!

The class was scheduled to start at 8:00 and I had started out at 7:05 – cutting it a little close with no contingency for delays. The freeway was a ribbon of fast moving cars, marked for 75, most were zipping along at 84 – I included. As I entered the city limits and navigated the exit winding my way along the curving streets past golden chamisa and sun-baked adobes, clusters of lanky black-eyed susans and residues of old-fashioned hollyhock stalks punctuated with tired pink blossoms

??????????????

leftover from the mid-summer floral explosions so fabulous in the cooler mountain air that is Santa Fe. Descending into the “City Different,” I wanted to enjoy the scene but was pressed for time.

Scooting around the corner and climbing up the sloped street in front of the La Fonda toward the Plaza, I turned right only to find that – as I had expected – the parking lot in the hotel was full. More minutes spent turning right again in front of the majestic Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi,

I screamed into the other open lot, paid for the day and raced on foot, in my new sensible Tom’s flats, along the sidewalk back to La Fonda. The doorman proudly held the door open with a smile and I dashed inside just as the towering church bells rang 8 o’clock. Whew…I swiftly crossed the busy lobby of eclectic travelers and made my way to the private room in which the class had assembled – in the nick of time. I grabbed a coffee, signed the sheet and took my seat at the front of the room and began a day of total immersion into the world of wood, concrete, cork, leather and composite materials such as terrazzo and engineered stone.

Inasmuch as one might not find this terribly stimulating, the instructor, Fred Jackson, was animated, enthusiastic and extremely well informed. He fielded numerous questions without a hitch, had excellent presentation materials, hand-outs and visual aids. It was informative, interactive, illuminating and fascinating. It was creatively inspiring and helpful. After 8 hours, I feel that I know so much – so very much about the characteristics, applications, strengths and weaknesses, sustainability, fragility and renewable and recyclable resources of all of these various natural and manipulated materials that I am now well armed and quite dangerous.

??????????????

Jan 13

A True Beach House…

By pattisays In architecture, beach, beauty behold it, coastal, context of interior design, design, design trends, DIY design, environment, environmental, exterior - outdoor design, landscape design, naturalist, seasonal interior design, summer, travel and design, tropical / 5 Comments

The soft diaphanous salt air wafts through the open concept of this simple yet effective architectural design – would that it had gauze draping the sides to illustrate the motion of the ever so soft breeze. Thatch top still green from the recent construction, sturdy crooked legs like that of the broken men who braved the seas and might have found themselves beached here to build this primitive, yet artistic structure. It was picture perfectly inspired dwelling on this glorious tropical day.

Here we are lolly-gagging along…shelling, exercising, making our way across this pristine stretch of fine sand exaggerated in girth by the low tide that allows the seemingly unrestrained beach to read with expanded proportions when we come upon this precious little structure.

What a find! When you least expect it, you often encounter the best opportunities – like this one – strolling down the beach and encountering this creative little casita – beachfront for sure – organic, open and airy!!! Surfers? Nomads? The possible stories of our imagination are limitless within the physical parameters of this delightful discovery.

The roof allows filtered light in and open sides allow the sea breeze to flow through…organic material used to create these authentic and so very contextual furnishings speak volumes about the focus of the fabricators. Nestled against the out-cropping of jungle trees and wild flowers spilling onto the sand, the scene is more magical than Gilligan’s – maybe even more so that Robinson Crusoe!! Tom Hanks would have thought he had stumbled into the Ritz! Yet, the simplicity of it all was the emphasis of less is more – spare and understated – it pared down the essential elements to create this special little one room accommodation.

The furnishings are minimalist – yet so very functional. The sofa is crafted from a log supported, and suspended above the beach sand – quite comfortable and ergonomic as a seat structure. A triad coffee table is comprised from three logs topped with three handsome flat stones. Perfect! And a sculptural, beautiful branch of driftwood sits off to the side reminding us that beauty without function is essential.

Take a walk in the woods…of into the fields…onto a wild untamed beach and discover the natural elements that were the primitive beginnings of our interior design – the modified native habitats that we reside in today. And see that stretch!!!!! Evolution can reverse its course as we investigate and appreciate the value and beauty in simple things…

Sep 01

The True Art of Farm to Table

By pattisays In beauty behold it, design, design trends, DIY design, environment, environmental, exterior - outdoor design, food and interior design, landscape design, seasonal interior design, table dressings / 6 Comments

Now so over-used as if this culinary trend which actually started 30 plus years ago just landed at our dinner tables, farm to table descriptions of valid attempts by independent restaurants to bring fresh local produce and food systems to their clientele are still growing in number. Yet while creative chefs enjoy utilizing the freshest ingredients, often grow their herbs at their cafes and support local growers as they can, it must be the next best thing but can’t beat the sensible tenets of back-on-the-farm’s honest approach to planting and harvesting for your own table .

I read Meredith Ford making the point “that we must vigilantly support eating locally and seasonally whenever possible. We must support food systems that do not deplete the environment, as Big Ag currently does. We must support the fair treatment of small farms and farmers, and we must support the humane treatment of animals in farming environments. When something as sensible as these tenets – embraced by our grandparents as a way of life – have to be outlined as a cause, something has gone astray in our food system.

To that end, the catch phrases are tossed about like the tender field greens that were just picked minutes ago for your salad. Exaggerations of the truth regarding how “local” locally grown really is and over-used fashionable references to slow food models sell well in today’s market. The nostalgic, guilt-ridden and health-conscious will bite. The consumer must sift through the fine flour of it all, make smart decisions and support and enjoy local whenever possible.

But last night was the real deal. With the warm glow of the farmhouse kitchen in western New York state illuminated from the within where happy conversation was exchanged as our hosts prepared the final stages of our dinner, I couldn’t help but whip out my phone and photo the ingredients I discovered in the kitchen and immediately go out to explore the land where most of those oh so fresh ingredients were harvested just minutes before.

Talk about farm to table – we were living it as our dear friends do every day in their picturesque rural setting surrounded this year by large green walls of corn, their bountiful victory garden and abundant orchards. Hard work, diligence, study, practice, attention to detail, appreciation for the good and bad in nature, all contribute to the successful harvest of each lovingly planted seasonal seedling or many years’ nurtured tree.

The light of the setting sun washed a warm bath of a golden aura over the brilliant green of the corn stalks and other garden delights. I caught still scenes of farm equipment in primary colors – so perfectly yet unconsciously placed ready to do the work of the day. I shot clusters of flowers that banked the side of the house. I walked through the tall grass and stepped on fallen sunflowers, tip-toes through the ruts and rows to capture shots of magnificent golden cauliflower nestled in the center of enormous smoky green leaves, green cabbage with heads the size of basket balls, plump aubergine eggplants peeking from their bushy foliage and pale purple flowers, dark green clusters of broccoli florets and left-over picked sprouts going to yellow flower, beets bulging from the earth with their stands of gorgeous green and red leaves, tomatoes of all shapes and sizes punctuating the greenery with blasts of red and then there was the orchard…

Picture-perfect Americana agriculture on the charming scale that paintings romance – the ladder standing ready for access into the taller reaches of the trees – the perfect picker’s perch. I had to climb up and pick a perfect apple and bite into its crispness with wet juice running down my chin. Now THAT’S an apple! Several varieties of both apples and pears were heavy on the limbs. Bushels of fruit ready to be harvested. Grape clusters that begged to be picked. The freshest of fresh!

Farm to table within feet, it was wonderful. Back inside it was all coming together, we enjoyed home-made wine that was crisp, cool and dry, plump baked chicken and savory sausage by local butchers, fresh mashed potatoes, roasted orange cauliflower and broccoli, freshly sliced tomatoes with basil and arugula and finished with a freshly baked peach pie.

It was an astonishingly intimate experience with good friends and good food. Which makes me realize that if only a pot of basil on your doorstep to make a pesto or garnish a tomato, or plant a row of lettuce in your flower garden we can all benefit from the satisfaction of growing your own on any scale. Do it yourself (DIY) farm to table one step at a time.

Mar 05

Plastic Infringing on Tradition – and The Lorax!

By pattisays In environmental, exterior - outdoor design, furniture finds, green design, recycle design, seasonal interior design / 1 Comment

Stacked in colorful layers on the sidewalk – an inviting statement of approaching spring – I came upon a brilliant inventory of plastic stacking Adirondack’s chairs! These classic designs in plastic rather than the traditional wood – although often painted brightly – will withstand the elements without decay and due to their light-weight, can be moved about for changes in placement around the yard and stacked for convenient storage! Sizes for children and adults – fun for all ages!

This display happened to be at an ACE hardware store in Goodyear, Arizona – but they’re out there all over the market for anyone inspired enough to want them! Funny how some plastic renditions of the real thing are quite acceptable – in a certain setting. Then today we watched the newly released movie, Lorax – the Dr. Seuss story about a place without trees – all the would-be growing things were artificial – inflatable plastic, metal, or other materials and yet, there was one young person (Taylor Swift) who wanted the real thing, and one older person (Betty White) who remembered the real thing. Lorax – nature’s protector, Dannie DeVito is defeated by progress but revitalized by peoples’ appreciation for what they have lost and stand to regain by restoring the natural world. Then Zac Efron is the kid who saves the day for all! And I thought about the colorful plastic Adirondack’s chairs and I pondered…

We dash and dart between the allegiance to natural, organic, and original things in our world and then celebrate the man-made polyester, acrylic and modern versions of so many. And so it shall be – in balance. We are destined to invent experiment and explore new things – while maintaining an awareness of what impact change might have. Yes, destined – because it is incumbent upon us to be aware – but not manipulative.

Global warming – maybe, maybe not…maybe for reasons not popularly explained – maybe for reasons of cyclical patterns of nature – maybe man-made…but we all must be sensitive to our impact on the state of our immediate environment (“toss no mas” and pick –up litter even if it is not your own) and cumulative effect on our planet over-all. There is a humorous but poignant “green” commentary circulating on the internet about how “back-in-the-day” they didn’t know about “green” but they received milk delivered by a milkman in a glass bottle which was returned for refills, drank from water fountains, taps and wells without using individual plastic bottles…it goes on…and the point is that we are embracing this GREEN initiative and rightly so – but are too self-important to recognize that much of what we are doing is just plain wasteful and NOT necessary and that the things that we romance as better are often not. Try sitting in a room with “green” linoleum surfaces and keep from passing out from the off-gasses – seriously.

But I liked the colorful plastic stacking Adirondack chairs – but would LOVE a wabi-sabi wooden version of that chair with or without layers of paint that had withstood the elements and brought joy, absorbed character and communicated silently the history that it had shared from years of affectionate use…

Oh progress! – when to embrace it with its colorful whimsy and ease of maintenance and when to sit back in a well-worn comfy chair and reflect…

Sep 29

Screaming With Quiet Talent, Susan Geissler Makes Her Mark

By pattisays In art and interior design, art as gift ideas, environmental, environmental design, exterior - outdoor design /

Geissler’s studio is front row seat on Main Street for Fireman’s Field Day parade Youngstown, NY

Freedom Crossing, Lewiston, New York

Susan Geissler with miniatures in her studio Youngstown, NY

To come upon a screamingly talented yet humble artist in a quiet storefront studio on Main Street in the sleepy western frontier village of Youngstown, New York is a contextual experience that dazzles the senses. The town has one flashing stop light. The emerald green Niagara river flows parallel to the Main Street and spills powerfully, yet quietly into the blue expanse of the great Lake Ontario . Surrounding farms offer fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the season while fishermen venture forth and sailors race across the waters between Canada and the United States sharing this joy of the fresh water sports. Steeped in history, this area marks significant battles between British, French and American troops trading occupancy over the land for ages.
Susan Geissler is a local artist and her outstanding larger than life sculptures have entertained, provoked and educated her public all across America far from this quiet rural pocket of western New York. Proud, loud can can dancers that have been commissioned to travel aboard cruise ships to teachers reading patiently to students atop colorful alphabet blocks, Geissler captivates her audience.
She’s funny and self-effacing – brilliantly talented and sensitive. She sees amazingly intimate detail in anything that she selects to depict. Water turtles balancing on logs, carp swimming with nymphs, cheetahs lanky and elegant bodies stalking, butlers at your service, sunbathers reclining in camaraderie, her subjects are as real and varied as her imagination and real life can provide.
We strolled along the waterfront park in Lewiston just up the road to the very compelling Freedom Crossing Monument Installation. The intention was to “honor and pay tribute to the enslaved, who against all odds, sought a new life of freedom, and to the local volunteers who protected and helped them on their journey.” A bit larger than life, this action scene filled with desperate emotion captures the plight of escaping slaves on their way to freedom via the underground.
In addition to honor and pay tribute, this important sculpture is intended to “highlight and celebrate the historical importance of the Niagara River as a gateway to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Once fugitive slaves crossed the river, they were free forever.” This multi figure passionate study of a scene depicting “ the moment in time when fugitive slaves saw Canada for the first time after traveling hundreds of treacherous miles, avoiding slave catchers who were paid to capture and return them to the South.”
The Historical Society of Lewiston, New York continues to describe “handing the baby to the fugitive mother is Josiah Tryon (1798-1886), Lewiston’s volunteer “station master” for the Underground Railroad. A man of simple means, Tryon was quiet, humble and religious. By secretly escorting the slaves to freedom in his rowboat under the cover of darkness, he gave them hope and became a champion of justice and equality. He truly had a rainbow heart, embracing people of all colors and creeds.”
“With her outstretched arm pointing to Canada, Laura Eastman is the iconic heroine in the historical fiction book, “Freedom Crossing”. Laura has become the symbol of the triumph of the human spirit over oppression.”
From that historic and incredibly important portrayal of a time in history to the sculpture of long-haired, muscular Friesian (also Frisian) horses quietly grazing in a pasture just minutes from her studio, Geissler loves her subjects. She knows her subjects and she feels what they might be feeling to the best of her ability to do so.
Never been to Niagara Falls? Take a trip and make your way another 25 minutes along the river to Youngstown and the Old Fort Niagara. On your way, stop along the short stretch of Main Street and have a latte, maybe a grilled cheese sandwich, a beer and an ice cream cone on the corner and see the art in the window at Susan Geissler’s magical studio and if you’re fortunate and she’s there – you’ll meet an extraordinary individual who will welcome you with modest enthusiasm and quietly express her limitless talents and present fascinatingly animated subjects to dazzle your senses!

Jun 08

Veil of Smoke Casts Surreal Scene for Photographers

By pattisays In environment, environmental /

Photographers are capturing surreal, beautiful, intense subject matter with dreadful atmospheric conditions of AZ fire – beauty found where devastation continues. The irony of the profoundly stunning scenes that we have seen of the sun, when the shroud of smoke blows in from the west and obscures our Sandias, erases the mesa and powerful western horizon while coating everything with a fine soot and making it difficult to breathe, is bizarre. Similar to an eclipse we look up at the white to crimson hot orb radiating through the smoke – so veiled that you can see it with the naked eye – probably shouldn’t do that – but we do because it is so fascinatingly ethereal and unbelievable.

Feb 22

Refresh Your Interiors – Eco-style

By pattisays In color and temperature re: interior design, context of interior design, design, design trends, DIY design, environmental, environmental design, exterior - outdoor design, green design, interior design, seasonal interior design /

The Color, GREEN – we associate it with nature’s renewal, growth, promise…it’s fresh, clean and a signature of the environmentally conscientious. In the design world the Eco-style is connecting the inside with the out-of-doors…bringing the green inside with fabulous decorative accessories to refresh your interiors. As we leave January and move through February looking toward March and the promise of springtime’s rejuvenation we long for the sight of green. So to incorporate it into your interior environment here are some ideas.
These delicate hand-blown glass vessels come in a variety of shapes and sizes and make wonderful clusters of color empty or with the added boost using flower stems – only one per each for the lighter, simpler look or bunches of baby’s breath perhaps – delicately drooping tulips or little sticks of near-budding branches from your yard. You decide – they are pocked with bubbles that signify the blown glass method and are translucent with shades of dark to chartreuse green shades – simply wonderful!
As bulbs begin to sprout and trees hint of buds…inside our homes we have the opportunity to push it along a bit. Bring home a pot of tulips or daffodils. Fresh is best – like bowls of artichokes as a centerpiece or feature on your countertop, maybe green apples or pears in a bowl made from renewable bamboo, but if that is not practical we have remarkably real-looking faux fruit to use for the suggested effect – that have an indefinite shelf life! Our faux branches are a hit too as a bouquet for your entryway or table dressing.

Jan 17

Making Something Out of Nothing – Spontaneous Great Design On-Site

By pattisays In context of interior design, design, design trends, DIY design, environmental, exterior - outdoor design, food and interior design, table dressings /

Instant change in scenery…from the chilly high desert of New Mexico to the expansive beaches along the Bay of Banderas between La Cruz and Punta de Mita. We’re here now enjoying the sky touch the sea and purple mountains shrouded in mist circling the bay creating an awesome scene of tropical splendor. Palm fronds reach from their trunks and crinkle their tips in the breeze like giant green shrimp trying to escape into the air.
Last night we had a dinner party with our fabuous friends the familia Leon de la Vega. Federico, Luli, Victoria and Lupita join us every year for dinner at this magical spot. In anticipation of the evening’s party, I planned the menu on the plane, groceries were purchased on the way from the airport and the first day of our visit unfolded.
Joined this year by niece Heather and cousin Tricia, we are having an adventure! As I explained the plan for the day and tasks to be performed to ready ourselves for the dinner party, one aspect fascinated the girls. I wanted (as I always do) to dress the table – and they looked at each other, shrugged, raised their up-turned hands to the sky and said in unison “with what?” (Can you visualize that scene?)
Always working with available materials the task is like a treasure hunt for me. There were simple woven placemats in a drawer. Their organic color and texture were perfect contrast to the smooth surface of the honed stone table top. Next I grabbed a water glass from the cupboard, went outside and began to prune a trailing pothos plant for the naked center of the travertine slab. In a drawer we discovered a pair of votive candles colorfully wrapped with an angelically handsome face of Jesus in a baggie with a package of matches – intended for emergencies in case of a power outage after dark – until the emergency generators kick-in. Knowing that they probably had these in inventory, I called the front desk to request 6 of these little luminaries – offered to pay for them – but they were delivered to the room gratis. After peeling off the holy wrappers, we stood back and examined our progress…a pretty green trailing plant with small white votive candles…next step…to the beach!! We ventured forth to comb the leavings from high tide where we scavenged gathering our decorative elements… smooth stones washed by the sea and bleached by the sun with white oyster shells pearly and iridescent perfect for bases beneath our little white candles.
Scattering the stones along the center of the table and placing three shells on either side of the center, we positioned the candles on the shells and Voila!! A beautiful tablescape – made more enchanting as night fell and the candles glowed -move over Sandra Lee! All created on-site with the spontaneity resulting from limited, but very successful resources, in perfect context with our tropical beach setting. Mix those margaritas and enjoy!