Thursday, January 05, 2012

Mardi Gras King Cake

As tomorrow is Epiphany I thought I'd repost this about King Cakes which are sold in Louisiana at Epiphany. An oldie but a goodie...

From Wikipedia:
...the most traditional, is a ring of twisted bread similar to that used in brioche topped with icing or sugar, usually colored purple, green, and gold (the traditional Mardi Gras colors) with food coloring with a trinket, traditionally a baby Jesus figurine.

I had heard about these and thought that perhaps I'd make one. Never got around to it but then I saw this photo and decided that I'd probably "pass" on this one. 



I suppose that it's OK... That is where babies come from, I guess.

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Look what $23 million will buy!

I look at luxury real estate sites sometime to see what people with a great deal of money buy with it. Often times on these sites you'll see enormously expensive homes filled with the worst crap. I think there should be some kind of rule that says that if you spend more than $2 million on a home you are required to hire a professional decorator. Anyway...

Today I saw a home that I would consider "move-in ready" and that I would not have to change a thing to live here. This one is in Charleston, South Carolina which is, without doubt, a beautiful city with superb historic homes. I could never live in South Carolina, what with the unfortunate prevalence of bigotry in the South but they do have some stunning homes. This one is built in the Federal style in the early 1800's and is a masterpiece. 17,000 Sq. Ft., 9 bedrooms, 13 full and 2 half-baths. So if you have a spare $23 million laying around you could own this beautiful home.

This is The Sword Gate House in Charleston, SC. Note the beautiful verandahs on the two lower levels.
The side porch looking out over the walled garden
The foyer
Beautiful staircase. You can almost imagine Loretta Young gliding down that staircase.
Not a great photo of the Drawing Room but it does show some of the painstakingly restored detail of the home.
This room is called "The State Room". Not sure why but it is a beautiful retreat
Nice big kitchen.
The Family Dining Room

 The Formal Dining Room
This is the Upstairs Living Room. The color palette here is just stunning. I love those silk drapes.
Another view of the Upstairs Living Room.
The Master Suite.

This is the Dressing Room of the Master Suite.

I love the tub in front of the fireplace. Also note the beautiful plank flooring.
The Green Room. I think this is the most beautiful room in the house. (I suppose it's because my favorite color is green.) And check out the embroidery on the linens.

The Red Room

The Red Room's bath. Even the towels are ready for me!
From the agent's description:
The room list may help to describe a gracious home reflecting a grand lifestyle: Entrance hall with grand curved stair, Drawing room, Master study, Ball room, Library, Dining Room, Breakfast Dining Room, Family room with small kitchen and full bath, Commercial Kitchen, fabulous Master suite with his and hers dressing rooms and spacious bath, Two guest Bedrooms each with full bath, Fitness room, Gift wrapping room, Wine cellar, Butler's quarters and Maid's quarters. The Carriage House features a full guest apartment with kitchen and bath, and a Servant's break room with small kitchen and powder room and an additional apartment.

Don't forget to buy your Powerball tickets!