{Postcards from Corsham Court}

Greetings!

Last week I had the pleasure of day-tripping it to the small English town of Wiltshire. There in the heart of Austen-country, Corsham Court, a house built during the Elizabethan era remains home to an 8th-generation Lord, as well as to a plethora of peacocks running about the gardens, and welcomes vistors throughout the year. Within its massive walls hangs an extensive collection of old master paintings, ranging from the 16th to the 19th century. The collection's sheer size impressed me, but its inclusion of a work from one of the highest regarded woman Renaissance artists, Sofonisba Anguissola, truly amazed my eyes.  In addition to the stately home, an Elizabethan bath-house resides on its grounds in a tribute to its English history.  I highly recommend a romp through the countryside, toward Corsham Court, when you're feeling the itch to leave the buzzy streets and galleries of London's city center.

Yours,  Jenn

{Leonardo Where Art Thou}

This weekend I attended the Renaissance art event of the season - the National Gallery's exhibition Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan, the first-ever exhibition of Leonardo as a painter.  Among the masses, I marveled at Leonardo's The Lady with an Ermine (1489-90), a captivating portrait of a Renaissance beauty, and witnessed the newly attributed Christ as Salvator Mundi (1499), a fascinating depiction of the Christian saviour.  What impressed me most though was his The Virgin of the Rocks I (1483-85), a Louvre loan, hung mirrored to his The Virgin of the Rocks II (1491/2-9, 1506-08), a National Gallery possession.  Such an arrangement demonstrates the artist's mindset in reworking his piece, as well as the progression of the time period's stylistic trends.

The exhibition, on until Feb 5, 2012, has sold out of its advanced-sale tickets.  However, day-of tickets are still availble for those brave enough to endure the long AM queues.  Should you prefer to avoid venturing out into the winter chill for hours of waiting in line in the early hours of the morning, alternatively, you can experience pieces of the exhibit from the comfort of your own computer via the below link. Enjoy!

Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan | An Online Look into the Exhibition

{Winter Blues}

Each January, after the holiday season ends, I pack away its presence for next December.  I gently wrap up all my ornaments in bubble wrap and newspaper, placing them in various boxes, marking each as fragile.  I de-string my tree of its lights.  Then, with a lot of help from my husband, I cart my tree out of my apartment, into the street, with all the other sapling rubbish.  Its putrefied branches shed needles throughout my living room, foyer, and apartment stairwell – which I swept and vacuumed up fastidiously.  This annual post-holiday routine consistently leaves me feeling a little blue, not to mention, with damaged nails. 

In an effort to beat my winter slump and mani-mess, this year I immersed myself in blue.  I treated myself to a classic manicure and pedicure at Notting Hill’s Coco Nail Bar.  There, in the comfort of their plush, massaging chairs, I sipped a cup of tea while pampering my hands and feet with a scrub, file, massage, and polish with OPI’s Yoga-ta Get This Blue!.  It seems that being blue isn’t so bad after all.

{Happy New Year!}

Wishing you a lovely new year... Happy 2012!

Yours,  Jenn