I'm officially on vacation!! For the next 20 days! I fully intend to make the most of my time off by sleeping in. Wrapping presents. Napping. Reading. Wandering around the house, mentally redecorating. Sleeping in. Watching movies. Reading. Napping.
That's an Andreatini, by the way. I'm not a big spirits drinker. I've never even had a real martini in my entire life. Maybe the occasional Cosmo. But the other night I got the notion to have a festive holiday cocktail. The Andreatini was born. Three ounces of Pom juice, one ounce of Vodka and the juice of freshly squeezed mandarin. Shake over ice, serve in a pretty glass with a sliver of lime and you are good to go. Not too sweet. Lovely color.
Rick was out of town on a business trip while all this holiday cocktailing was going on. I'm so rarely on my own that I didn't quite know what to do with myself. I ended up ordering sushi, making a drink and putting in a couple of my favorite Christmas movies.
This first movie I watched was The Holiday. I love an ensemble cast. And a pretty set. This screencap doesn't do it justice but the best part of the movie is the tent in Jude Law's daughters' room. That tent was magical.
I have to admit that Cameron Diaz's acting kind of gets on my nerves in this movie but she really did get the best set. I would take her holiday in Kate Winslet's English cottage over Cameron's slick LA house anyday.
Mmm. Love a fireplace in a dining room or kitchen.
I even love that teeny little range tucked between the fireplace and the window.
The crazy thing is the entire interior set was fabricated on a sound set in Hollywood. The exterior shots where filmed in England but I've read even the exterior of the cottage itself was fabricated for the filming.
Ah well.
I can't even picture where in the house this little library nook was but I want one. Floor to ceiling books. With a comfy chair. What more could you ask for? Even if it is fictional.
What are your favorite holiday movies?
(First screen cap mine, the rest from here)
Sushi, a drink and a movie sounds great. “The Holiday” exterior shots were indeed filmed in England – two minutes drive from my house. Those scenes where Cameron Diaz drives the Mini down a narrow lane are on my route to the supermarket. Interestingly all the snow is fake. They sprayed it on all the trees and verges and it was very strange driving from green to white and back to green in the space of a few hundred yards.
Alison
Guildford, UK
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is my favorite Holiday movie. Have a wonderful R&R and Merry Christmas.
Gosh – that sounds wonderful. I even have to work on Christmas Eve… Bahhh Humbug! My favorite Christmas movie.. old – White Christmas. New – Last Holiday.. but I do also love The Holiday.
Please keep blogging away. As I told you a long time ago, yours was the very first blog I found and has been one of my favorites ever since! It inspires me to always create something that is pleasing to the eye – even if it is just a functional farm object..
We started a new blog just for our sheep since we had several people inquiring about purchasing them! http://www.miniaturecheviot.blogspot.com
Enjoy your vacation!
“White Christmas” is my all-time favorite movie for the holidays. Throw in “A Christmas Story” (Ralphie’s movie) and “The Holiday” and you have my December viewing line-up! I’ll stop mid-anything and watch those three any time of the year!! and, yes, I agree the tent in Graham’s little girls’ room is wonderful!!
I love the sets from The Holiday, too. The tent is amazing! I want one.
I like The Snowman by Raymond Briggs.