Happy St. Patricks Day, from Irish-American Duchess

Some bits and pieces to wish you a happy St. Patty’s.  Firstly, some green.

I’ve been practicing my cockade-making and it’s beginning to make a bit more sense.  I still haven’t gotten my lazy self to the store to buy grosgrain or petersham ribbon, which I know will make this infinitely more easy, so scraps of satin ribbon have had to stand in.  Still working out how to finish the thing when I get around to meeting ends.  I think I might try one in paper to see if I can manage it better.

Next – things that makes me supremely happy.  Well, one thing I have a photo of at least.  You know when you walk into Target there are those shelves full of $1 items?  These glass tealight lanterns were $1 a piece, and they had them in three colors – clear, pink, and green.  I couldn’t resist!  They also have garden lights ($12, not $1) on a string, which I found to be a charming way to light my all-too-dark bedroom, by stringing them on hooks from the ceiling.  Target wins!

Guess what arrived in the mail?  James’ tricorn hat!  I ordered this hat for probably-too-much-money, from TopHats.com.  It’s a wool felt blocked hat with a nice petersham edging, and a leather band inside.  The quality is pretty alright, but not brilliant.  Now what to do with it?  I plan to make James a completely awesome navy blue and black double cockade, to be clipped on to the edge of the brim.  Do you think silver trim (the same as on the coat) would look good on the edge of the brim, or would that be too much?  The photos here show the hat on over my new hedgehog wig (looks nice, yeah?).