Tea at Trianon: Entertaining Secrets

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Entertaining Secrets

From Victoria:

Tucked away in the Great Smoky Mountains, author and interior designer Kathryn Greeley’s Chestnut Cottage reflects her philosophy that the best spaces are not decorated but collected. The cozy retreat, her home for more than three decades, often plays host to festive gatherings, from intimate dinners for four set before a blazing hearth to wine tastings and community events held in the property’s lovingly tended gardens. “Let your style be reflected in your entertaining,” Kathryn says. The seasoned hostess offers encouragement for welcoming guests with ease and confidence. Five years ago, I decided to act on my heart’s desire to write a book on entertaining and tabletop collections. In my interior design career, I have often been asked by clients to assist with their events. I love to cook and have always enjoyed doing floral arrangements—particularly using blossoms from our garden. My goal in writing this book was to inspire others to start collections, or use existing collections to design events for family and friends. (Read more.)