Chatsworth House a.k.a. Darcy's Pemberley

 The other day my mom bought a plate at Value Village, loving the Transferware pattern and thinking the house on it looked familiar. Our suspicions were correct because when we looked it up we discovered she had purchased a plate featuring Mr. Darcy's house! Swoon! When it comes to Pride and Prejudice adaptations I definitely fall into the category of Jane Austen accuracy purists and prefer the 1995 version. That being said, when I saw the 2005 adaptation I was blown away by the filming of the scenery. In particular the footage of Chatsworth House, a.k.a. Pemberley, a.k.a. the house on the plate, is gorgeous!

 That's right, Mrs. and Mr. Gardiner--I feel the same way.

 I mean look at that checkerboard!

 And that staircase with the grand carvings!

 And oh how I would adore a room of marble statues in my house.

There he is: the notorious Mr. Darcy in the marble.

Then, later, we see Lizzy flee out the side of the imposing stone mansion...

Followed, of course, by the tension-filled romantic conversation overlooking the stunning gardens. Such breathtaking cinematography!

Green Vignette

From celery to mint to Kelly, green is the colour of Spring.

Que Sera Sera

Spoonflower's contest of the week is a special one. They've teamed up with Carousel Designs to find the best southwest-inspired print for baby bedding. The winning design will be used by Carousel in a new collection. Thinking dream catchers and bright feathers and heart-tipped arrows would be perfect for decorating the contemporary crib? Well, well, then lucky for you my Que Sera Sera design is in the running! Voting is open on the weekly challenge page!

4 Familiar Fabrics for Sale

Recognize these designs? Now for sale in the shop as fabric, wallpaper, and gift wrap are Dr. Rocket,

Parasols,

Numéro,

and Frolicking Fleecy!

2nd Blogiversary: Fabric Swatch Giveaway

Happy 2 years of Creatively Graceful! The traditional 2nd anniversary gift is cotton and the modern gift is china, so, in honour of this day, I have created my China Floral design. It is now up for sale as fabric, wallpaper, and gift wrap in my shop. You can head on over to my blog's Facebook page to get the details on how to be entered to win an 8'' by 8'' swatch of it--on cotton, of course!

1898 Art Nouveau Book

 Not too long ago I was picking up some old art magazines from a library archives building. While lifting one of the boxes of magazines onto a trolley, a book in another box caught my eye. I saw something turquoise and ornate, and pulled out this Art Nouveau beauty.

I cracked it open and found that it was printed in 1898! As I was flipping through it, I turned to the elderly woman who was the volunteer book sorter helping me with the magazines and asked where this book was going. She said to a used book store. I asked how much it would cost there. She said probably around $30. We flipped through it some more. I drooled. She saw me drooling. She said she'd give it to me for $5. I grabbed some change out of my coat pocket.   

And now it's sitting in my house.

It is such a fancy book--complete with a gilt pages and golden lily motifs on the covers!

As it turns out, it is a French biography about Capitaine Belletable. I guess I'll have to read it to find out what made this dude so special.

Something I love about old books is the bookmarks that hide in them. I found this perfectly-penned list (look at that calligraphy!) snuggled between the pages.

What a find!

Souper

My Souper fabric is up for voting in Spoonflower's Spoons challenge of the week!

Black and Gold Greek Urn

Time for another Classical accessory! I found this little Greek vase at Value Village for $5. I love its shape, black and gold sleekness, and band of toga-wearing people.

Statue or Bust

I have been drooling over the prospect of having a Classical statue as a decor item, and, joy of joys, I found this bust from Homesense for $25. It can be used just as an accessory, or for displaying jewellery or hats. 

Best of all, it's more than just a pretty face--it has a depression in the top of the head that can serve as a container for a plant, markers, or what have you. I am thrilled!

Aegean

Spoonflower's palette-restricted Coral, Mint, Black and White challenge of the week took a little trip to the Mediterranean; my Aegean fabric design is up for voting! I so enjoyed drawing the architectural bits and motifs!

The Sound of Music: 50 Years Later

The Sound of Music was released March 2nd, 1965, 50 years ago today! It is one of my favourite movies; it is so inspiring. What could top a passionate nun/nanny singing her guts out? Ha! And yes, of course, that's edelweiss below those mountains! I'm reading this LIFE magazine issue dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the film, the behind-the-scenes, and the true story of it all.