it’s about to go down
hi guys, i got my ticket today, so it’s game on. i have no choice but to make it happen now :) i have to run and pick up some friends from the airport. before i go i’m stopping by to add some resources and keeping notes and say hello.
the great news is alyssa is coming and sharing the apartment with nancy, genevieve and me from the 9th to the 27th.
april is notoriously crazy busy in paris and this year is no exception. needing a 3 or 4 bedroom isn’t helping but these are a few we’re working on:
this one’s pretty loud but i still like it somehow
we’ll have to see where we end up. so again, this post is notes and another work in progress. one of my clients wants to visit a textile mill and another wants to shop for old books and papers, ephemera and handwritten letters. luckily these are some of my favorite things so i’ll be researching a bit on that. right now i’m off to the airport. have a great night and if you can come, you’re still invited!
for those who are coming, if you don’t want to take a taxi, reserve a shuttle: shuttle-paris.com
hi again. i’m back and my friends are all tucked in.
these are notes on a side project i’m putting together. it’s a story including these women:
Alix from thecherryblossomgirl.com
Elisabeth from lacoquette.blogs.com
Toma from antiquesdiva.com
Heather from secretsofparis.com
and Rebecca from chicshoppingparis.com
we’re supposed to meet up for an article that may or may not happen for travel and leisure. either way it got me in touch with these unique women who are all experts in all different fields.
coincidentally, an incredible couple of photographers wrote inviting me to shoot of a day just cruising around together. i was thrilled of course and blown away. i’m trying to make it all happen whether t&l goes for it or not.
that’s the thing about paris. sometimes i want to make myself to go somewhere else, but it keeps drawing me back. there is talk of spain this summer so maybe i’ll get my latina on a little.
ok that’s it. below are tomorrow’s notes.
bon nuit mes amis!
http://www.ivyparisnews.com/2009/03/20-vintage-clothing-shops.html
www.theparistraveler.com/ten-street-markets-in-paris
http://www.theparistraveler.com/les-bouquinistes-de-paris
http://www.paris.fr/portail/marches_parisiens/Portal.lut?page_id=5675
giving in to my weakness
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p214024
why is it that i feel guilty when i blog? like i should be doing other things. like work work and more work!
well truth be told i wish this was my work, it’s my favorite place to be, discovering your blogs, amazing sites, creative minds and well, getting to travel through infinity at any given moment.
truth is i have a lot to do cause the paris trip is coming up and i’m trying to make tons of things happen at once.
should i get into it? probably not right now so i’ll make this post a working one, to save my notes on how it’s all goin’ down. if, god willing, it even does.
so it will be evolving. geez, i see how much i already have to label! one of the projects besides hosting clients is working on a book! that’s right, i said it! it’s about real apartments in paris and we’ll be going behind a lot of apartment doors.
i guess what still fascinates me about paris apartments is that they have that je ne sais quoi. ok not all, but so many have it with so little effort. the above and below are just from a random craigslist swap for paris/ny.
so is this one
i’m looking for a 3 bedroom apartment cause 4 of us will be sharing it off and on between the 9th and 27th.
pretty deamy
i love this linen trend with the box that’s ever evolving.
yum, these wide ones really get me! this is what i mean about effortless. these rooms speak volumes with next to nothing in them! then again there is that ever present view out of the iron out the window. there’s some kind of magic in that…
i’ll keep an eye out for these linens while i’m there. ok back to it for moi! mwah to vous!
oh and ps, the flights are looking really good today! via cheapoair.
pss
just heard from my other clients, a family, and they’re confirmed so now i have to bite the bullet and really go. besides, this is madame’s wish list: a bed, mirror, ship chandelier, linen, linens, sideboard, chest, small tables! how could i resist? it’ll be great to see paris again. judging from the solid hotel and apartment bookings, paris will never suffer from a lack of admirers who keep coming back for more. guilty!
lazing on a sunday afternoon
bonjour guys, hope the sun is shining wherever you are! not a lot going on today except getting some soleil, the sunday paper and a bite o brunch. i found this amazing site and just wanted to pass it along. it’s pretty wild and good fun for the whole family!
have a great sunday!
ps
this just in from patricia gray. thanks for turning me onto this site amazing site. i’ts food for thought. it’s great news for any of us who feel guilty when we blog or like it’s just a hobby that takes away from our real work. i love blogging and hope to do more of it and bet you probably do too… check it out!
our rainbow connection
(i’ve been messing around at conde nast again. most of these pics are from there!)
happy friday everyone! it’s been a good long week and i’m tired but happy. my 30 days of solitude is coming to a close as my guy’s getting back tomorrow. i accomplished a couple goals including finally losing 7 pounds! it only took 30 days on my own and a recession to make it happen after 5 years of trying!
so i just wanted to stop in and say hi and let you know what i’ve been up to. i’m planning a trip to paris from april 9-27th to tour with some clients. as the newspapers are saying, it’s a good time to go to europe, (one said take your mother in law)! fuel’s down and airfares are at an all time low. and the dollar’s high! anyway, you know you have a standing invitation to come anywhere i am!
before i leave i’m doing my homework, still determined and working on building this biz in a crazy time.
my homework included a virtual rendezvous from my friends lynn and janet who you’ve met before. they encouraged me to place ads on my site. i wasn’t sure about it at first cause i sort of liked having this little diary that wasn’t really commercial.
but these ladies are powerful!
like all ladies :)
and convinced me. now that it’s up i’m realizing that it’s an amazing way to strengthen our network!
it’s virgin territory and i want it to be accessible, so ads are affordable and it’s a business write off! if you’re a blog friend of course you’ll get a special deal :)
well, there you have it, the start of a new era!
who knows, hopefully it will be like going from this
to this!
thanks guys, bon nuit!
my surprise party
hey guys! hope you’re winding down your week and getting ready to have some fun. if you know me then you know i’m a workaholic and going out and partying are not my top priorities anymore :) but once a year we all have to stop and think about what would make us happy on our birthdays, so…
around the corner from my new digs is a hotel with a french carriage out front. i never knew what that was all about till a friend told me it was a prop for a frenchy club called louis!
and what better place to rendezvous with friends for my birthday next week? it was a nice diversion today and something happy to look forward to cause if i don’t get out from behind this screen i’m going to turn to ether! and of course you’re invited! nothing elaborate, just a swim on the rooftop,
a sunset toast
a salad at stk (i don’t eat steak but that’s ok)
and then a little dancing at louis! if i don’t go to this club i don’t know who will! (oh, well except all the people who are way more in the know than i am)!
so that’s my little dream for the day, just thought i’d put it out there. who knows, it could happen. all we have to do is walk on by and step inside!
ok back to work, but this time with light at the end of the tunnel. have a great nite!
everything old is new again
image by tim walker
bonjour mes amis! just stopping by to say hi to and not overload on posting like i seem to have been doing lately! i’m dying to do some visiting instead of writing, so i stopped by to visit my girl janet at french blue and co., and discovered yet an other fabulous book by tim walker. funny thing is he reproduced an image i’ve been saving forever in a folder and this was a good reason to break it out. it’s from an old film, a silent i think. anyone know which one?
this is a closeup of the actress. sorry the pics are so bad but i shot them out of a movie book years ago with a digital that’s now a dinosaur.
tucked in the folder were all sorts of other scene sets. well some were sets and some were real homes.
i know you’ve seen this one before, can anyone place it for me? i have no credits on these at all!
anyway it was a good reason to finally clean out this folder and share these gems with you.
i hope you’ll forgive the quality of these shots and just see the beauty and detail that went into these rooms!
alcoves are my weakness!
and so is trim
and tufting
and divas!
well if you happen to know any of these films or locations i’d love to know, i even forget the book they came from. i’ve had them since the ’90s!
so that’s it for now. but i couldn’t leave without sharing one little thing i learned today. it has nothing to do with this post but good to know nonetheless.
i’ve been looking for a long time to find a company to print small quantities on fabric and finally came across a good one! if you’ve been looking too, try spoonflower’s website and blog if you have ideas for bedding, pillows, lampshades or curtains, here’s your answer! now i need to take my own advice!
housewives and fashion, who knew?
hey guys! after a long day i’m chillin and watching my guilty pleasure, the housewives of nyc. it’s the season premiere. anyway, jill went to see an incredible designer zang toi with a beautiful studio so i googled him and found these images and couldn’t help but stop and share:
of course you stumble on wild great things in a search like this. i really just liked this site for the second i saw it just now!
www.weitzcoleman.com/WHATSNEWP2.html
i came across this from maison 21 in the search for the pics and it was a good reason to announce that christian wrote asked me to co-host a challenge this summer. i of course said yes! more details to come on that!
oh and i added noel’s pretty books to the stationery department on my site, today finally getting the hang of being able to do it all myself. she’s the first of the bloggers i’d love to host on it. if you have an idea or product let’s cross promote!
ok and last but not least, the generous and talented sara of sadie olive tweaked the homepage for me. let me know what you think! of course it’s not finished (i want to make the candles burn and sparkle) but it’s a start…always a start!
ok it’s back on, have a great night!
xoc
somebody stop me
vintage pastries, image via lisa kettell on flickr
i need a flickr intervention! i have to say up front, if you don’t have some free time, step away from the keyboard now. forewarned is fair armed right? hey everybody! i just wanted to say hi and put together some of the tools and toys i discovered over the weekend. it’s everything i ever wanted to know about simple photo effects, from turning a pic into a polaroid and adding reflections, to creating actual books. of course there are countless other things but here are some highlights from flickr and their partners. i’m loving their whole scene:
this is great if you want to pull the adobe color palette from a favorite photo or room.
bighugelabs.com/flickr/colors.php
wedding bee made a mosiac from my the pics on my blog! here’s how she did it:
bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php
i saw this reflection technique on 1st dibs and loved it. here’s how they do it:
the above image is from the cherry blossom girl. if you’ve ever wanted to create polaroids, here’s how. you can also add fading and mottling techniques. there’s so much to play with!
how could i resist?
bighugelabs.com/flickr/warholizer.php
and this great site lets you publish photo books. or at least lay them out. ok , i’m officially a flickr groupie. hope you have fun, but i did warn you!
www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/297431
ok,this one i’ll have to learn about later. twitter can wait. i should be working. but this is research, right?
bighugelabs.com/blog/make-a-twitter-background
anyway i hope you have fun. have a great night and can’t wait to see what you do!
redefining the art of conversation
hi guys, happy sunday! i’m kicking back finally going through stacks of mags and mail and happy to find my article on the salon hostesses of paris in romantic homes’ april issue.
it’s a subject that just fascinates me. the idea that people would gather with no intention other than to converse. not that talking is so odd of course, but that in an era so abundant (the age of enlightenement)! with beauty, science and fine arts, society would place conversation above it all, regarding the spoken word as the highest art form, even though there was nothing recorded, in fact nothing retained at all except memories of those witness to it.
guess i wish i could have been there. i always visit the salon hostesses’ homes in paris. i never get tired of them and there seems to be another to discover around each corner.
these are some of the random shots taken in my travels. it’s incredible passing through the rooms, imagining the guests, their clothes, their wit and brilliance. wishing those walls could talk! maybe someday archaeology will include recording sound waves from walls. but i digress!
seems like we only gather face to face now if it’s for a reason. but we do have salons if we consider blogging an offshoot. and twitter is an ongoing conversation too. maybe it makes us be more thoughtful about what we say when it’s just a one liner or a bi weekly post. anyway, i’m glad we have our little corners of the world with each other. your comments are wonderful conversation, hopefully recorded for a good long time. but it’s just ether so guess that’s fleeting too! oh well lets enjoy it while we have it!
by the by romantic homes has a new forum set up to become more interactive with their readers:
also, if you want to submit an article or your creative work, the editors are dolls! here’s the contact info:
Jickie Torres
Senior Editor
Romantic Homes
265 S. Anita Dr. Suite 120
Orange, CA 92868
and if you’re fascinated by the salons too, these were some of my resources:
http://www.oup.com/us/brochure/0195104307/salons.pdf
http://www.bdavetian.com/salonhistory.html
florine stettheimer painting
endicott-studio.com/rdrm/formsmr.html
and some of my old posts about salons and writing this article. i can’t believe it took a year of working on this before it actually happened! anyway enjoy your night and hope your weekend was wonderful!
the wave of the present
flickr photos by au fille de…’s
happy spring everyone! life seems to be moving at the speed of light right now. thank god spring has sprung but that means 3 months into this new year already! i realize that my days here are not unlimited so i’m changing my life today, finally ready to cut out the bad and leave the lean, good stuff. that should free up a lot of time ;)
i plan to spend this new found time learning a skill online like photoshop, exploring new technologies on the web and getting my real estate license. i’m taking a cue from obama when he said we could all beef up our skills. i’ve been watching cnn and they constantly say the economy will come back if we invest in small business and entrepreneurs. lots of us bloggers are business people and need ways to boost our streams of revenue and showcase talent.
so yesterday i spent a lot of time catching up on the technology curve that i’ve been missing (read:avoiding). i think i get twitter now, it’s a giant conversation with everyone talking at once! it’s a great way to get quick sound bytes and as they say, ‘it’s what’s happening between blog posts and emails’. the theory is that it’s less formal and just a quick link to something or someone of interest. some seem to take to it like water…i’m not sure i’ll be able to keep up but will give it a shot.
technology seems to be on my radar lately and i came across a couple new sites that are a lot of fun and let you be uber creative. they range from the one twitter liners to publishing your own magazine and everything in between. par example,
my friend bonnie just started a blog called ‘love your place’ and is already cruising at light speed with it.
she entered a challenge on maison21 to design a dining room.
she didn’t have photoshop, so she worked it out with www.polyvore.com. i thought it was just for fashion but turns out you can upload photos to design amazing presentations. it’s a great way to showcase your stuff if you’re an interior designer, pro or novice!
i also stumbled onto this great new service, issu. it lets you create a magazine using all sorts of printed publications and your own stories and pics.
you know how it is when you’re surfing that wave, how you get carried off to far away lands and everything you need is right in front of you. it was one of those days. i wrapped it up by reconnecting with an old friend who left a comment on the post about twitter.
turns out she has a fantastic community blog and site for photogs of all levels. i forgot to put a photography class on the list early in the post but that’s ok cause i’ll cross it right off today! she’s giving tutorials on ‘meeting your camera’ and photoshop techniques. go figure.
i tried to use some of their techniques but still need tons of practice. then again it could be my subject matter. or lack thereof.
anyway i left inspired and spent a long time goofing around. now i’m gonna take this knowledge and see if i can do anything productive with it!
well, hope you’re not on overload. i need to get some fresh air myself before i tackle one more tap on this keyboard!
here’s one more spring beauty from au fille de…’s flickr page.
