Tea at Trianon: The Essential Bar

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, March 29, 2022

The Essential Bar

From Chartreuse and Company:

I love cocktails. I love crafting and experimenting with new flavors and alcohols. I’m enough of a snob that if I mix one, and it’s not up to snuff, I’ll pour it out and start over. The mixing is half the fun, and why waste the calories (and alcohol consumption) on less-than-excellent drinks?

As the weather changes, and starts to bring us back inside, you’ll want to up your bar game indoors. When guests visit, when you’re prepping dinner, any time, it’s good to have a well-stocked bar ready. While some homes (and budgets) can accommodate a dedicated, plumbed bar, most of us need to find a convenient – and attractive – spot to house our bar.

In addition to cocktails, I love home decor magazines, and while perusing House Beautiful online, I came upon a great article full of inspiration for tucking a bar into almost any sized spot in your home. The decorator, inspo pictures are from House Beautiful (except for the picture of my kitchen bar here at home), but I just love the ideas and wanted to share them with you (and some great options, if you want to create one of your own)...(Read more.)