TRADITION!
                  

 " .... Beliefs, patterns or behaviors passed down form generation to generation ...
                        Symbolic meaning or significance with origins in the past"

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

1964

The first ever hit musical to surpass 3000 performances

 still enjoys enduring international popularity 

Based on the tale by Jewish author,  Sholem Aleichem,

Tevye the dairyman makes every attempt

to hold his family and Jewish traditions together 

during a time in Tzarist , Russia (1905)

when Jews were evicted from their villages

THE FIDDLER

1926 Guache

MARC CHAGALL

The Fiddler on the roof symbolizes a life of uncertainly and imbalance

A metaphor for survival through TRADITION and joyfulness

The theme was one Chagall often incorporated into his paintings

of life in Eastern Europe

His work continues to provoke thought

What's going on in Ukraine

RIGHT NOW

makes me shudder

Though this is NOT a political blog...

be aware

there is cause for concern

Sunday was never complete without finding all the Ninas

in the Sunday New York Times

(Find them if you are old enough to know what they are)

TEVYE

by

AL HIRSCHFELD

Here comes the bride

Marriage and Weddings are tradition laden in every culture

Gold bands symbolizing eternity originated in ancient Rome

So why are wedding rings de rigeur ????

                                                          TRADITION !

...and since 1858 when Felix Mendelsshon's Wedding March

was played as the recessional 

for the wedding of Queen Victoria's daughter

The Princess Royal, Victoria

it has been the beat to which the new 

Mr and Mrs

depart the wedding venue

WHY ????

TRADITION  !!!

FELIX MENDELSSHON

A  great fan of Shakespeare wrote the Wedding March in 1842

for the wedding scene in 

A Midsummer Night's Dream

                                                                                 

During the middle ages most marriages were performed in June
because people took their annual baths in May ...  

                                            Hence...                                                  
                                                                 The Traditional 

June Bride

So why is June the most popular month for weddings ????? 

                                         TRADITION

Still smelling pretty good into June it was wise not to waste an opportunity, 
but carrying a floral bouquet was good insurance cover-up for BO... 

and another tradition was established

                                                           The Bridal Bouquet

One interpretation of an ancient tradition

(What happens in Vegas can stay in Vegas)

 a non-traditional bouquet 

that  respects California drought conditions with 

great style

 Roses  remain the traditional all time favorite 
for wedding flowers

Rose blooms are at their most abundant in June

  CLIMBING ROYAL SUNSET

  A personal favorite 

The rose that keeps on giving 

will bloom from it's glory days of May  until December 

when the last of the tenacious blossoms gives it up. 

Bring bouquets into the house

 on bathroom vanities and bedside tables 

enjoy their fantastic color  and the delicious scent

"To each his own" 
but
one tradition I would happily do away with

 long stemmed red roses 
for special occasions or proclamations of 
L U V

BUT

 I have never met a tulip I didn't like
so 

in our family tulips are the tweak on tradition

Tweeking Traditions 

is perfectly acceptable when done with respect and style

On a recent visit to  San Miguel Allende

a dear friend introduced us to

 a traditional platter of his grandmother's chopped liver 

Served alfresco 

DESIGN-FISHER WEISMAN
ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST

accompanied by

shots of Tequila

it made for a  non-traditional, 

but memorable Passover celebration

There is nothing non-traditional about the crispy fried chicken
created by Michelin star chef Brandon Sharp

SOLAGE
Napa Valley

Served as a Tuesday Night Special
 it's worth arranging your trip dates to coincide
Brandon is a brilliantly innovative chef but he knows just when to stick with 

TRADITION  !!

Tweaking traditional dishes has become an art with creative chefs

Steamed Buns

Crispy Peking Duck

Traditionally Chinese restaurant fare

has been re-invented by Chef Ryder Zetts 

LIBERTY FARMS DUCK SANDWICH

served with fried rice and egg noodles

at

ARCHETYPE

St Helena's newest restaurant

(formerly French Blue)

Interiors are fresh and light -

The service is great

Perfect surroundings in which to enjoy

great food and great Napa Valley wines

If you are really hungry at dinner time try the 

Corn Beef Shortribs

Sunday Brunch have the Corned Beef Hash

Tradition with a Twist

ZETTS IS IN

Archetype is the creation of Napa Valley architect, Howard Backen

(his offices are housed at the back of the building)

and his design team ,  

 known for their twist on

agricultural vernacular- 

traditional barn and farmhouse structures

reinterpreted for today's wine country lifestyles

DESIGN-RELA GLEASON

Soaring ceilings - clear story windows-

and barn wood siding 

 incorporated in the contemporary interior of a 

 of a traditionally inspired barn structure

A custom fabricated ladder leads to a sleeping loft

DESIGN-RELA GLEASON

Traditional farmhouse bead board 

in a contemporary bathroom 

Rhapsody in Blue

Diandra Douglass Residence- Montecito

Not your traditional bathroom

Furnishings and fabrics not associated with a traditional bathroom

have turned this tub area into a unique retreat 

Antonio Martin's Master Bedroom  

 San Francisco Showhouse 

2014 

is a masterful handling of tradition 

Something old, something new 

combined with a deft hand 

It took a giant leap of faith and courage to create a room so stunning 

and at the same time so "foreign" yet familiar that it thrills and surprises.

EXACTLY what a show house room is supposed to do  

 Antique blue and white Portuguese wall tiles

Calling on his Portuguese heritage for inspiration

Antonio played on the wall tile theme by having them recreated

 blown up

hand painted on wooden panels

 "jumbled" 

VOILA!  

a modern twist on 

TRADITION   !!!!

The antique four poster bed, a family heirloom

shipped from Portugal and restored to its original glory.

The original bedcover was faithfully copied

Heavy braided ropes puddle onto a floating  platform

17th and 18th century antiques

sparkle against their bold new surroundings

and float on a white painted gallery style floor

  

Looking like a real winner

Bravo Antonio

PHOTOGRAPHY-PHILIP BEWLEY

So where did the four poster bed concept originate ?

In the middle ages animals were often housed 

in the roof area above the human living quarters

posing a major problem with bugs 

and other droppings on the rooms below

A bed with four posts and a sheet hung over the top provided some protection

So much for romance as the basis for the four poster tradition 

but no matter

INTERIOR DESIGN-RICHARD McGEEHAN

New York based designer Richard McGeehan

respects tradition even in the nanny's room

of this New York apartment

LUCKY NANNY

(no bugs gonna fall on her head)

How glamorous and contemporary 

is this twist on the traditional four poster from Armani ?!?

This is no bed for sissies

Breakfast in bed for Mother's Day 

TRADITION !

Just around the corner and most any mom (or not)

would appreciate the tradition of breakfast in bed and/or a bouquet of fresh flowers.

"Make new traditions but keep the old

One is silver and the other is gold."

So which is which ?

Your Call

Happy Mother's day to all

Rela