He has seashells by the seashore

I'm not much into theme decorating.
But if you're going to have a house in the Hamptons, I think it's okay to tip your hat a little bit to where you are. So the master bedroom has a tiny bit of that beach feeling, but (hopefully) not over the top. So I have seashells in a few areas in the room. I'm also an inveterate beachcomber so it allows me a place to put all my seashore finds.
On the two nightstands there's some shells, bits of driftwood, and a piece of coral.

In the open transom over the door I have a row of shells.

On the high wainscoting behind the bed's headboard yet more shells take a perch.

And a few more bits on a shelf in the bathroom.

All in all just a touch of the ocean...but not a tidal wave of 'beachy-beachy'.

Current obsession

I'm a big fan of English composer Ralph Vaugh Williams. So when I saw Steven Spielberg's movie "Warhorse" from a couple of years ago I fell in love with the score. Why? Because film composer John Williams borrowed heavily from the RVW canon (Williams does Williams!)
The British Williams was so able to capture the essence of the English, their stalwart culture, and the beautiful verdant countryside. And so the American Williams does for this film as well. Filmed in Dartmoor and taking place around the turn of the last century, it's the story of a boy and his horse who get separated because of the onset of WWI, but--you guessed it--get reunited by the last reel. It's a little derivative of other Hollywood films of that ilk ("National Velvet", "My Friend Flicka", "The Black Stallion"), but it's filmed so beautifully...and that score! It's the perfect music to listen to while having morning coffee...idyllic, peaceful, and soothing. Check it out.

The "War Horse" soundtrack by John Williams

Just desserts

The only way to finish off a lovely Thanksgiving meal is with a delicious piece of pie.
Now, I'm partial to pumpkin for this holiday's festivities but this year it's all about the Patti LaBelle Sweet Potato Pie. A video went spectacularly viral a couple of weeks ago when a guy taste tested and reviewed her line of eponymous pies from Walmart. It's a hilarious video that you can see  here.
I had to try one but they've sold out across the country! Happily you can make your own from her original cookbook recipe (find it here ); I did and it's very, very good. The flavors richen and become more layered by the next day. Now that's something to be thankful for!

I made my own Patti Pie and it's as good as it looks. YUM.

Thankful

Without getting into it, 2015 for me was, ahem, a challenging year to say the least.
But one thing I know for sure, I'm very thankful for family, friends...and my little place out at the end of Long Island. It brings me constant joy and peace.
Last Christmas I had a creative brainstorm. What if I created a scale model of the house to put underneath the Christmas tree? Sprinkle it with a little faux snow and it would be a lovely little tableaux...kind of like the tiny villages people put up around the holiday season, only mine would be more personal. When I put up the tree in a few days  I'll show what it looks like.
I loved the way the model turned out. A paper maché likeness that makes me smile every time I look at it. Yes, the dogwood 'tree' in the front is a real tree branch from the front yard, and the cedar shingles on the roof are popsicle sticks.

I thought I'd post some Autumn pics of the house on this Thanksgiving to remind myself how lucky I am for this cute place...and some identical shots of the model from the same angles, just for the heck of it. Enjoy. And I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday.