Lazy Rainy Day

Today is a rainy Tuesday.
I can hear the rain coming down outside.
I have warm hand knitted socks.
I have a hot cup of tea.
Today was meant to stay inside
Warm, in a bed like this.

A Year of Pretty - February 19, 2014

It's chilly outside. For Today's Pretty Post...these warm and inviting Moroccan wedding blankets.

So pretty with the little silver discs as decoration, and the different textures and fringes to finish the edges. I can certainly appreciate the time and effort it would take to make one of these; which is most likely why they are reserved for special occasions like weddings.

Called Handiras, Moroccan wedding blankets are hand woven in natural, undyed wool and cotton, which is why they would be so warm. They are the equivalent of our North American wedding dress. For months prior to her wedding, a bride-to-be and her family make the blanket together, while she is instructed on her new role as a wife.

The silver discs are thought to serve more than one purpose. They sparkle and flash in the light, so as to ward off evil spirits. The discs are quite costly for a family, so the more discs on a bride's blanket, the more prestige and wealth she is thought to bring to her husband.

The day of her wedding, the bride's family wraps her blanket around her as they sing songs praising her fertility, value and honour. She is then put on a mule or donkey, and with her family makes the trek to her new husband and new home. Often, she has an arranged marriage, and her new home could be the next village or over the next mountain range. So it helps to have a super warm and cozy blanket for the journey.

I have a cream coloured sofa, so one of these would fit right in at my place. Although I would probably have to put it away when my good friend A comes over for wine and cheese. Something tells me Tempranillo and these blankets would not make good company if they came in contact.

So even if you are not about to be a bride, I still invite you to grab one, a hot cup of tea, a good book and snuggle in and get warm!

A Year of Pretty - February 13, 2014

I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day. I never have been. I guess because I'm not a fan of hearts and cupids and red roses. And any day is the perfect day to be romantic and tell someone that you love them, you don't need a special day to do that.

That being said, I do like making cookies or cupcakes and decorating them for Valentine's Day. Who am I kidding; I like doing that for any occasion.

So I thought this centrepiece would be cute on a table if you were hosting a little afternoon tea on Valentine's Day. While not exclusively hearts and cupids, it does have that "love is in the air" feeling about it.

You could put whatever you like in the teacups; cinnamon hearts, chocolates covered with red foil, red heart marshmallows. I think it would be easy enough to make. An candelabra, some old teacups and some super glue. You could paint the candelabra whatever colour you like, but I think it looks nice with the vintage white and the white porcelain from the tea cups.

Either way, enjoy your Valentine's Day tomorrow, whether you are a fan of the day or not.