If You Liked Downton Abbey...

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpYFT_wMzKdJv-ZxeWbH2v6PTMKekWIA7k7inNn1BHwNoSlr-e9pWycMULUm-_DTVViIs506tJ-PAaPlMPAPG7PoM1mmVzYhxWe5D2D2GfQF_vcBUWhX2YGC3BtD0wBqxsQz3itGtuUZE/s1600/Jacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWpYFT_wMzKdJv-ZxeWbH2v6PTMKekWIA7k7inNn1BHwNoSlr-e9pWycMULUm-_DTVViIs506tJ-PAaPlMPAPG7PoM1mmVzYhxWe5D2D2GfQF_vcBUWhX2YGC3BtD0wBqxsQz3itGtuUZE/s1600/Jacket.jpg" /></a></div><br />Are you missing the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/" target="_blank">BBC's Downton Abbey</a> as much as I am? Here are a few recs to tide you over until season three comes around. I absolutely adored Julian Fellowes' <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0280707/" target="_blank">Gosford Park,</a> so I had a pretty good feeling that I was going to enjoy Downton Abbey before it even aired.  This same theory held true for these two novels, also written by Julian Fellowes: <a href="http://rstyle.me/bxdcyierhe" target="_blank"><u>Snobs</u></a> and <a href="http://rstyle.me/bxdcyierhe" target="_blank"><u>Past Imperfect</u></a>.  If you're like me, and like to exhaust a certain theme once you get into it, then you'll love these two books based on British aristocracy, albeit during somewhat more modern times.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUY1ZjzfjfM-hZVY7HdWXVrA0Xmd1tdUgjvj3WFARDCJzjlOjvRK6eCajCb8ynPXS8_sM1qyqvzieKtwNXhEImqZnS9VzdbA-9JXN3IFxQnTUDYVIuMMHofXfvX8Th9wu60bcB3PQ98u2/s1600/%7B2639A1F1-64BA-4DFA-918E-9920D0C7537E%7DImg100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUY1ZjzfjfM-hZVY7HdWXVrA0Xmd1tdUgjvj3WFARDCJzjlOjvRK6eCajCb8ynPXS8_sM1qyqvzieKtwNXhEImqZnS9VzdbA-9JXN3IFxQnTUDYVIuMMHofXfvX8Th9wu60bcB3PQ98u2/s1600/%7B2639A1F1-64BA-4DFA-918E-9920D0C7537E%7DImg100.jpg" /></a></div><br />Speaking of exhausting a theme, I've just downloaded <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1350238663">The Patrick Melrose Novels by </a><span class="st"><a href="http://rstyle.me/g8cg77erhe" target="_blank">Edward St. Aubyn</a>, anyone read these yet? I'll be sure to let you know how this was when I'm done!</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrR6GF9U_xyM0wIbF271wc9YJCxnKObQ0TR26QOlGPmvEEDrxKcvJTbSZ4qgqY02g5QfQrIO4g8Y0lXj7JHz88WG5JKQQUCLH9CSAHJXrAX4_9_Jl9vjK7Z2LsnSsMbhL185IdAxcvyPQX/s1600/PatrickMelroseNovelsBook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrR6GF9U_xyM0wIbF271wc9YJCxnKObQ0TR26QOlGPmvEEDrxKcvJTbSZ4qgqY02g5QfQrIO4g8Y0lXj7JHz88WG5JKQQUCLH9CSAHJXrAX4_9_Jl9vjK7Z2LsnSsMbhL185IdAxcvyPQX/s1600/PatrickMelroseNovelsBook.jpg" /></a></div></div>

If You Liked Downton Abbey...

Are you missing the BBC's Downton Abbey as much as I am? Here are a few recs to tide you over until season three comes around. I absolu...

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Kitchen Inspiration: English Style

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdy9yoYyzSDHy8amtGY9QLiaBz3xzAD3HgY9GYWhVlleaefQNDpKX8QMRGq9V7CxV4BwXXhyphenhyphenf9wndPbVdHlDhhB30Tm-t-mQHDmoAVvoCtvVNwSYGyeU5pLNbC-WZoc48mYbK9Z9nI1YqU/s1600/2_galimg-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdy9yoYyzSDHy8amtGY9QLiaBz3xzAD3HgY9GYWhVlleaefQNDpKX8QMRGq9V7CxV4BwXXhyphenhyphenf9wndPbVdHlDhhB30Tm-t-mQHDmoAVvoCtvVNwSYGyeU5pLNbC-WZoc48mYbK9Z9nI1YqU/s1600/2_galimg-1.jpg" /></a></div>Have you been watching <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/" target="_blank">Downton Abbey</a>?  I'm so completely wrapped up in this BBC mini-series for a multitude of reasons, one of them being the fabulous interiors of this fictional estate.  While beautiful, some of the rooms might appear stiff or cold, but the kitchen quarters at Downton are always so warm and inviting.  Copper fixtures and pots plus a real deal butler's pantry loaded with silver accoutrements are just some of the reasons I find this old British kitchen so appealing.  Even today, it seems the English have warm, inviting kitchens down to a science, as evidenced by these classic kitchens by <a href="http://www.plainenglishdesign.co.uk/southwold-4" target="_blank">Plain English</a>.  The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGA_cooker" target="_blank">Agas</a> and steaming kettles of tea get me every time, especially in the dead of winter.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFPzAPGzitB6UZHGhjIFF9sc3SeVUPqvB49Zxs6NQqJGbsGf5f7gimbnVWrLbBZZXYutBQhkC96xcrSIk67Hw6xzjicnlwuPTsCyhP_xDPTjYYDyaWjZYNG_-KQHvVQspbxqjLnUS6iTB/s1600/1_galimg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFPzAPGzitB6UZHGhjIFF9sc3SeVUPqvB49Zxs6NQqJGbsGf5f7gimbnVWrLbBZZXYutBQhkC96xcrSIk67Hw6xzjicnlwuPTsCyhP_xDPTjYYDyaWjZYNG_-KQHvVQspbxqjLnUS6iTB/s1600/1_galimg.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3MjbJkGG2RqBshyphenhyphenDzlxS6xORDzYZV9BR_YivHoO3xkiwVHKhMuh20ayRAZPxjQBNKOXS8EG7soatJuxtk4hL95XXtlX31lBT1q0JgWdoKo-5SrHj7HCkvfftZVUgig0dQCLkojR-pBrI/s1600/3_galimg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3MjbJkGG2RqBshyphenhyphenDzlxS6xORDzYZV9BR_YivHoO3xkiwVHKhMuh20ayRAZPxjQBNKOXS8EG7soatJuxtk4hL95XXtlX31lBT1q0JgWdoKo-5SrHj7HCkvfftZVUgig0dQCLkojR-pBrI/s1600/3_galimg.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgen7DDKLdct-fiiW0i9METI5cKTl2IktWLf1lTZXHN5MLXNQAXOyCF-pKCgv6xqN9JNPjzI5pzb3dAaRFUSr1_HRpjsb0cHYBPcBsozF5Lx234Bm7gwGNcCFPVFW1XDMvl7_MCejw1QiI8/s1600/2_galimg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgen7DDKLdct-fiiW0i9METI5cKTl2IktWLf1lTZXHN5MLXNQAXOyCF-pKCgv6xqN9JNPjzI5pzb3dAaRFUSr1_HRpjsb0cHYBPcBsozF5Lx234Bm7gwGNcCFPVFW1XDMvl7_MCejw1QiI8/s1600/2_galimg.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVnfQI9dXjHA2psn4hjKITzFQrbZ-vF5HkXqmiCjls12jorf4dG3JnDWB62L2AWknl0lQCXKu9z7ZZJhtKcrw8TUCzCQeThWleZuYW-i6JQDWujIn6PApYdTERhGiLXyUrceH5pu1I2xN/s1600/4_galimg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVnfQI9dXjHA2psn4hjKITzFQrbZ-vF5HkXqmiCjls12jorf4dG3JnDWB62L2AWknl0lQCXKu9z7ZZJhtKcrw8TUCzCQeThWleZuYW-i6JQDWujIn6PApYdTERhGiLXyUrceH5pu1I2xN/s1600/4_galimg.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div>

Kitchen Inspiration: English Style

Have you been watching Downton Abbey ?  I'm so completely wrapped up in this BBC mini-series for a multitude of reasons, one of them bei...

Read more »