Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

It's Winter- Get Cozy!

The Holidays are over, but winter isn't. Is your parlor stark without your Christmas tree? Are your halls glum sans decking? Don't fret! Ducky has a few ways to enjoy the season before Cupid commences aiming arrows.
Warm up with a tartan plaid blanket from The Scottish Weaver, don an old fashioned Union Suit (LL Bean), and dare to devour Jelly Belly's Unbearably Hot Cinnamon Bears.    

 

If you're bold enough to brave the snow, get one of these Snow Block Makers from HearthSong.com or a Snow Man Kit (Restoration Hardware), and build an igloo or a snowman.

Right now is the perfect time to get a jump-start on the Spring cleaning. Feed your dry wood furniture with Howard's Feed & Wax and restore leather furniture with Leather Honey (leatherhoney.com). Sweep out the fireplaces (even though you're still using them, you'll reduce dust) and scrub baseboards. When you're all done, light a candle (we recommend Lumiere's Winterberry) or dispense some of Paine's Spray Sachet in Cedar or Balsam, and make a hot cup of Horlick's. Ahhh, Winter!

DUCKY SAYS: A good conscience is a continual Christmas

Actually, Benjamin Franklin said it first, but it bears repeating.
On this 12th Day of Christmas, you should have collected so far:

Twelve drummers drumming,
Eleven pipers piping,
Ten lords a-leaping,
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

Since it’s difficult to maintain a live partridge in a real pear tree, make this door decoration from Door Couture (www.doorcouture.com) instead.

 

Don't Just Stand There- Read!

Top Ten Books to Revisit This Winter:

The Great Gatsby

Auntie Mame

The Inimitable Jeeves

The Curiosity Shop

Emily Post’s Etiquette

DV Diana Vreeland

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

The Invitation

Broken Music

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Resolving to slim down? Tone up? Use nice manners? Why not resolve to read more? An old Chinese Proverb says, "There are two dogs inside us. Whichever one we feed gets bigger." 

Feed your Good Dog. Feed him books.

Stay in Bed and Have Candy Delivered

Picture this: A warm white bed. Comfortable bedclothes. Fancy tins of foreign candy. What a way to celebrate Baby New Year! Not too much candy, though. This is the time for resolutions, after all. Pace yourself. And for those diligent types, track your consumption on livestrong.com. 

Ahhh, little luxuries!

Editorial Notes: This decedent bed set is from Rachel Ashwell’s Shabby Chic Couture line, White Whisper collection. And the Vosges Chocolate, while the best chocolate in the world, is not from a foreign place- unless you consider Chicago another country. 

DUCKY SAYS: TAKE A PITCHER OF WATER

I know a magic lady. She doesn’t know card tricks or saw people in half. She’s magic in a better way. She’s not perfect- oh, no no. She has flaws like all of us; Often she’s rushed, will sometimes be late, and has had to eat standing up on occasion. She’s magic in the way that makes the world a nicer place in an instant. She, without effort, brightens a room, calms fear and takes away doubt. She’s never condescending or hurtful but manages to be wry and witty without even a mere scratch to others’ feelings.

When confronted with the evidence and coerced to give an explanation of these facts, she modestly insisted that it was others around her that gave her her strength and enlightenment (of course she’d be modest!). She recalls that this empathy started early and by example. She tells a story of being in Kindergarten and wetting her pants while sitting on the floor in her classroom. Before she could even be horrified, her teacher grabbed a pitcher of water and dumped it right on her. “I’m so sorry!” her teacher said. “I’m sorry you’ll have to change your clothes now- I should have been more careful!”

And so, in that, she taught me a little bit of the magic. Be ready. In an instant you might be required to do a good deed that will touch a life. 

Ask yourself often, “Did I bring my pitcher of water?”

Happy New Year from Ducky Shincrackers