Meg, of Pigtown Design, is almost a neighbor. She is a design aficionado who reports on what's hot and what's not in Baltimore, New York, England and on line. The world is truly her oyster and she probably has the necessary plates to serve it on. And I am so familiar with the cadence of her writing: what she finds funny and what she finds desirable I feel I could pick her out in a line up. Though I hope I never have to :-)
I have to to say, I agree with her "list of" and wonder why some of these aren't a must with me too... enjoy!
1) My dog, Connor. When I
first realized I was back in the States to stay, the first thing I did was go
to the city’s animal shelter and adopt a dog. Connor was about five then, and
was a wild child. But he’s mellowed into a real sweetie pie. I probably should
have put my family and friends first, but since I see more of Connor than any
other living being, he’s tops on the list.
2) Champagne. One of the bad
habits I picked up in the UK was drinking champagne. I rarely drink hard liquor, so I always
order a glass (or three) of champagne while I am out. There is usually a bottle
of decent champagne in the fridge, too.
3) Down. I’ve had a feather
mattress for ages, and to me, winter or summer, there’s nothing better than
sleeping on one. I also have down pillows, and an eiderdown duvet. I just use the
duvet and the duvet cover, even in the winter when I keep the house cool
cold at night, and I am cozy and snug.
Here’s Connor napping on one of my old eiderdowns.
4) China. I “inherited” a ton
of Royal Copenhagen’s Blue Fluted Half Lace china a few years ago, and when I moved
last year, I decided that I should use it as my everyday china. It makes
everything I eat, from poptarts to pork loin feel like it is a little more
special.
5) Cashmere. I can’t stand
the feel of wool sweaters, so started buying one cashmere sweater here and one
there… Then in my thrift shop travels, I really started finding them, and
buying them for a few dollars each. Unfortunately, the moths ate their way
through some of them this summer, so I’ve made patchwork scarves from the
sweaters.
6) Copper pots & pans.
Before I moved to the UK, I had a massive collection of copper pots, pans and
moulds, but I sold most of them. I did keep one great set of French pots and
pans that my parents had given me for a significant birthday. There are about a
dozen pieces in the set, and they’re just great to cook with. And I don’t even
mind polishing them!
7) A Volvo. I’ve driven a
Volvo almost since I could drive and have loved every one of them. I even drove
a Volvo wagon in the UK, since it was almost the only car I could find that was
an automatic. I love that my wagon fits almost everything I can think to put in
the back – including a six-foot long church pew! But the best thing is the
heated seats, especially on a cold morning!
8) Books. I grew up in houses
that had libraries with loads of books. My father used to review books, and
there were always stacks of them around. I read all of the time, and am lucky
to have a free bookstore close to my house. I have loads of books on myriad
topics around the house for reference, but I am not averse to reading some
trashy chick-lit books!
9) French Ivory Cutlery. I
started collecting pieces of this cutlery years ago, and I’d occasionally find
a knife, and once in a blue moon, a fork. When I moved to the UK, it was
everywhere and dirt cheap! But I always wondered why there weren’t any spoons.
A British friend said they never made them, and then had a set of eight made for me. They are one of my favourite
things and I love them for so many reasons.
10) Friends and family. I am
lucky to have both friends that I’ve known since childhood and friends I’ve
just met. And even luckier to have a family which is close by!
Meg thank you so much for such a well curated list. I just love this last picture of you and all your boys. look forward to hanging out together in the near future.
xo Jane
