a change of scene
(sorry, i forget where this image came from)
hey guys, i just had to get out of the boudoir for a minute and get in to the bath. interesting when you focus so much on one niche then change your perspective.
via clarityinwonderland.blogspot.com
i have to work a bit and then head out but just wanted to check in with some fresh energy. where ever you i hope you’re right where you want to be.
(dang! i didn’t note this one either. if you know where it came from please let me know. i think it’s so important to credit sources. ok note to self: when i find a shot and save it i’ll rename it then and there with where it came from).
anyway hope your night’s just getting started whether you’re staying in blogging or headed out for a boogie night! ~happy weekend to us all~
it doesn’t have to be like this
(not that i don’t adore it cause i do)!
what’s your style? i’m still asking for your best shot. of your vanity that is. hi everybody! my day was spent with a mechanic so i’m stopping in for a creative fix and inspiration from friends.
as you know my girl bonnie has been doing a bit of r n d for the vanity project. these are some great photos she came up with today. she’s really incredible. please forgive me for not linking them individually yet but i will. i see that this is a project that if i don’t stay on will get out of hand quick! anyway her list is at the bottom of the post.
flickr is full of eye candy so of course i got lost too. thanks again bonnie! now my dearest blog friends old buddies old pals? how about yours? if you send one in i’ll send you a surprise package!
vanity for humanity
photo from viva cindy.com
hi guys and bon soir, i hope all’s well in your wonderland. i wish i had a rug for all of us but alas, there’s only one in the giveaway. the more i look the more i like the striped one. i’ll see if they can offer all of us a group rate!
anyway the lucky winner is cindy of vivacindy.com.
her name came up on the random generator, twice! (once more comments came in i did it again) but it was obviously meant to be! coincidentally, miss cindy just got back from a year in costa rica with habitat for humanity. she says she doesn’t have a thing yet for her home so this will get her off to a good start. congrats cindy, your life looks like a whirlwind of fun!
i’m happy to say the vanity project for habitat for humanity is underway, here are the first pics. this beautiful shot was sent in by a beach cottage. (not a vanity per se but a good start)
and another just in this afternoon taken by rita.
and this just in from jenny of myfavoriteandmybest.blogspot.com
and this from nina at http://houseoftempsperdu.blogspot.com
thank you beautiful ladies!
i found this during a quick trip to villaanna.blogspot.com, she always has vanity inspiration.
bonnie of love your place is one of my best blogging buds and a researcher extraordinaire. she found this pretty load today for the project and is going to help put it all together.
bijoukaleidoscope.blogspot.com.
but the truth is we need YoUrS! the vanity can be shot in full or as a closeup, it can be messy and edgy!
i’m excited to see your shots, sorry i didn’t give out an email address. you can send them to theparisapartment@yahoo.com. merci beaucoup
giving it all away
morewaystowastetime.blogspot.com
hey everybody, hope you’re winding down and enjoying some guilty pleasures. i’m blogging so you know i am :)
i know i said i wouldn’t take on any new projects till these others were out of the way but as an aries just can’t help but jump at new ideas. i’m putting together a candid look at the modern vanity top and would love to include a shot of yours. vanities are pretty much de rigeur today so if you have one, even if it’s makeshift, i’d love to use it and credit you. what excited me about the project is that it’s a look at blogger’s boudoirs. 100% the proceeds will go to habitat for humanity. we need to have 200 shots by August and i’d LoVe it if you were a part of it!
i started looking around for vanity tops and of course came across some great new places.
a-friend-to-knit-with.blogspot.com
it can be something really simple
froufroufashionista.blogspot.com
or just a vignette, you don’t have to be a stylist, just show some of your favorite things.
the only recurring theme is flowers…
this was shot at lynn’s of paris hotel boutique.
this was from a shoot years ago with danny piassick for dallas home.
anyway i hope you play. the less structured and more polaroid-y the better. send as many as you want to theparisapartment@yahoo.com.
in the meantime, i have another giveaway, this time from CSN Rugs! they’ve generously offered us a choice between two area rugs in the following styles. they were kind enough to let me choose a couple of my favorites for the giveaway but they have a great selection so take a look at their site for other options. i fell for these:
Colonial Mills – Ventura Alternating Stripe Taupe / Black Braided Rug Rectangle 2′ x 4′
Couristan 1583/7364 – Recife Veranda Black and White Indoor/Outdoor Rug 3′ 9″ x 5′ 5″
i haven’t seen them in person so you’ll have to let us know how you like it when you win :) if you’re interested just say so with a comment and we’ll have the drawing this week. bon chance et bon nuit!
happy father’s day, dads!
flickr.com/photos/82329524@N00
(this photo was found at a flea and i think it captures the father and child relationship to a tee. dad’s the man)!
hey guys i don’t know about you but i get emotional just thinking about my parents. they’ve both been such strong and united figures in my life that it’s hard to separate them sometimes. my dad worked for 30 years with air france and my brothers and i traveled with mom and dad everywhere from ireland to africa each year at easter break. my dad’s a foster kid who devoted his entire life to creating a stable family by creating a library in the house, having dinner together every night and being there for all of us at a moment’s notice. i love that i can pick up the phone and he can solve almost any problem i have and, l i’m getting misty, so dad, just know that i love you and wish i could be with you today!
he sent me this last week…when we’re together we always share our love of coffee and no one brews it like he does.
as you may know i’m back in miami beach, cleaning up my act and finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel. now that everything is close to sorted, moved and sifted i can see what’s left to tackle and the piles are actual projects! not bills, not laundry, not jiffy lube, not schleping! before i dive in i just wanted to share some sites i came across yesterday.
xyzoflife.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/the-dark-side/#more-76
it’s so easy to get lost in the net and even with blogging, so i’ve been laying low. but you know you can’t open your browser without discovering something pretty and pretty amazing so i just wanted to share a few new discoveries.
elizabethannedesigns.com/blog/2008/04/11/teal-and-gold
darkroastedblend.com/2008/07/abandoned-castles-of-russian.html
comesitbymyfire.blogspot.com/2009/06/simple-things.html
i promise to be back in full force this week and with an attitude adjustment. thanks for tolerating me while i went through my odgeda over all my angst. i spared you most of the gory details but am back and ready to forge ahead with glee instead of gloom. lots of it was thanks to you! i appreciate your constant support and by the by i sent out about 20 packages of the excess stuff so hope you like it! if you still want anything i have a couple packages left, just let me know!
the weight is over
hi guys! i’m sorry i haven’t been around much lately. as you know i’ve been trying to de-clutter my life and see what’s left once all the excess is gone.
i haven’t forgotten about the giveaway and have a ton of stuff to ship out to you!
i had to take a detour from my laser focus to go to nyc for a couple days and that threw me off a bit, but i did fill my suitcase from stuff i was hoarding there. i’ve been so controlled by my stuff, even now, i’m looking at it and it’s daunting.
it seems like i can find every excuse in the book to do anything but work on projects i’ve been putting off and i can’t seem to get out from under.
by the by, all these shots were taken in nyc this week. graffiti is so fleeting, i love to capture it.
even though i fight coming back to the city that was home for the past 20 years, there’s always something new to enchant.
if you haven’t been over to the meatpacking district, you may be surprised to see the new park that’s been built above the city using the old elevated railroad and subway tracks.
it’s a whole new dimension and ny’ers have taken to it like it’s always been there.
i feel like i know every nook and cranny of the city, so it’s great to see it from another angle.
it’s an incredible project, there’s even a sort of ampi-theater in the air with big glass walls hanging over the street.
anyway, back on the street it was biz as usual
indulging my passion for window boxes
and little surprises.
it was great to see ny in full bloom
how perfectly coordinated it can be
not to mention luscious. i didn’t want the little trip to go by with these photos just sitting in another folder. from now on it’s use em or lose ‘em. god, i’m getting brutal with excess on every level. what’s going on with me?
anyway i’m back in miami for as long as i can take it, and determined not to be deterred again. my only obligation is to do the work that i love and accomplish something, i don’t have a deadline or anything looming so i can just exhale and relax for once. i don’t know how you moms do it all. well, first things first is to send out this box of goodies. i’ll get your addresses from the comments you left. hope you like the stuff and put it to better use than i did! i’m glad to be home with some nights to myself. i really missed you guys! now, back to it!
please welcome my first guest blogger!
Laura Dowling
hey everyone! i’m in nyc for the day and taking my place is guest blogger, Naomi Cooper of Pierre Deux and FCL. we found that we had quite a bit in common, not the least of which was our passion for gorgeous fabrics and accessories. so for the first time i’m turning my blog over to her to introduce some of her friends, events and general goings on. so please welcome naomi and i’ll be back soon!
A Special Delivery here from La Belle FCL, aka Naomi Cooper, to Claudia and her loyal Paris Apartment Blogettes, to say “Merci” for spreading the word about fclstyle.com. Claudia’s influence is apparent in the hundreds of site visits we received since her posting on June 3, 2009.
This post, along with a few others at a future date (my intention was to send this last weekend but the launch of the site, a store opening, and my sister’s visit from Toronto has pushed me back a bit), is a virtual thank you for your support.
You are cordially invited to attend Pierre Deux’s Intérieur et Fleur event in our Bethesda store. All the details are featured on the invitation seen here. Don’t worry about the RSVP By date. You’re my personal guest and introduce yourself as just that.
This event will be a vision in French Florals as Laura Dowling (www.lauradowling.com) demonstrates the Art of French Floral design. Laura Dowling is the principal of Intérieurs et Fleurs in Old Town Alexandria and an Instructeur Associé of L’Ecole des Fleurs in Paris. She writes and lectures frequently on flowers and her exquisite designs have been featured in several magazines. Her portfolio is breathtaking and her talent has been recognized on Capital Hill where Laura’s designs have transformed the White House into a Flower Garden.
On Monday, July 15, 2009 from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM, Laura Dowling will be demonstrating the art of French Floral Design.
The Bethesda store will be transformed into a green room. Laura has created several arrangements that will be integrated into Pierre Deux’s signature room vignettes. She has generously donated the bouquets from the event as raffle prizes for the guests.
I do realize that many of you do not live in Bethesda or the surrounding DC area and I have not forgotten about you. Laura’s friend, photographer Kevin Allen, (kevinallenphoto.com) will be snapping photos at tomorrow’s event. I will post the images on my next Guest Blog post when I continue my thank you note to you.
In the meantime, sit back, relax, pour yourself an Elderberry cocktail, and enjoy some of Laura’s other designs.
I will bid you adieu with one of my new favorite sources for inspiration.
photos by Heather Waraksa
Laura turned me on to stylemepretty.com, a chic blog for the style obsessed bride. Its author, Abby, who like all of us is forever in search of inspiration, turned me on to elsje.com.
I absolutely love how elsje styled this wedding. The décor is eclectic combining many different design styles and elements, yet it feels very light, exuding chic summer wedding bliss. Unfortunately, for both my parents and me :(
Yes, I am the daughter of a neurotic mother and a father with a relaxed demeanor (except when it comes to his oldest daughter’s string of unfit boyfriends). A wedding is not in the near future but that doesn’t mean some of these pieces can’t integrate into life.
I didn’t have to look far. I found the urns, bell jars, urns, cache pots both metal and white ceramic, and the glass candlesticks in fclstyle.com’s Crème Fraiche and Bohemian collections.
Tuscan Bell jar, fclstyle.com/tuscan-bell
Glass Candlestick, fclstyle.com/glass-candlestick
fclstyle.com/turquoise-tulip-vase-planter
hey guys, it’s me claudia back again! thank you to and from Naomi for taking the time to put this together. i won’t be able to make it to the flower bonanza but am looking forward to the pics, your next post and doing some fun things together. (she wants me to host an event in, you’re invited of course) more on that exciting prospect to come!
funny cause as you may know, i’ve been cleaning up shop and the only swatches i’ve been toting around are pierre deux. one’s a leopard to die for! anyway hope you all enjoyed your sub!
ps i have more stuff for the giveaway here in the city, (ribbons and textured swatches, and stuff). if you’re interested in just leave a comment and i’ll split it up and send it out tomorrow before i leave. bon nuit!
keep on truckin
bonsoir tout le monde, happy saturday night. my physical load is getting lighter after selling the last of my stuff today to dealers in the area. i was sweating the schlep but in the end it was a great way to make some extra cash and meet store owners who are looking for good pieces..some to resell on 1st dibs! anyway looking at what’s left of my possessions, most of them are pics i’ve been saving for books and projects. some i may list some on etsy and will definitely have a bunch of giveaways. in fact, i’ll put together some things starting now. if you’re interested just leave a comment and i’ll pick a random number on monday and send out some goodies.
meanwhile, i’ll always have the craving to do a little flea marketing, it’s in my genes. take a look at this guy’s resume and what he sells on etsy, all under $100, totally inspiring way to make a habit, i mean hobby, work for you. i’m loving the community of etsy. what a great place to get lost and the perfect venue to create a whole other business that’s free to start. anyone could have a job tomorrow with just stuff from home. go etsy!
well that’s it for me tonight, i’m on a jet plane after all in the a.m. after all. luckily it’s only for a day and a half so…my quest for a chunk of quiet has been chipped, but i swear when get back i’ll get started on all those big plans.
bon nuit dear friends, enjoy your home sweet home time. i had a taste and it sure was sweet, le sigh!
nothing left to do
hi gang, how are you this fab friday? hopefully summer is in full swing and the weekend will include all the good stuff we did when we were kids.
for me, being back in miami has been great. i’m working hard to create nothing. it’s hard to believe i’m still unloading all the stuff i’ve been carting around for so many years. this time i’m clearing out of the house i shared with liz.
moving again! anyway it forced me to empty yet another space that was full of papers, furniture, manuscripts, and magazine tear sheets. (that’s what all these pics are, sorry i have no idea where they’re from :(
i guess moving is sort of meditation cause it forces you to really think about your stuff. i’m looking forward to seeing what life will be like when it’s completely cleaned out and up. the past few days have been about paying bills, downsizing and really relaxing, taking time to think about what’s next.
it feels like a change is underway and i wonder what the next chapter will bring. i feel like i’ve been running for so long, 20 years in the city, a month in paris, one in ny, always something in the works. right now i want to stand still and re-evaluate. i’m getting pressure to head back to ny but i just want to stay here for a minute without making plans!
what’s important now? how would it feel to dedicate real time to a book or a project instead of lugging them around unfinished, for years?
the things i thought were constant are changing
i recycled a ton of images today. i did keep a bunch and will maybe upload them to flickr one day. (when i have all that spare time)! what do you do with yours?
i do love them so much
but i just don’t want the burden of things
so my aim is focus. i vow not to take on any new projects, and will try to turn those in the works into realities.
well, that’s the plan anyway. one last day of purging tomorrow and i’m looking forward to it. good night for now and have a wonderful weekend with the ones you love!
one false move
and you can end up in the internet abyss! i signed up for the newsletter for hozz.com and one click led me you know where. so i’ll leave you with this image and you can decide whether you want to venture over. for me, i’m going to sign off real quick cause instead of working i spent the day apartment hunting (why did so much decorating begin and end in the ’80′s)?
tonite i’ll be adding new products to the site before i veg out. but i’m determined to make a little happen and if i tell you, well then i have to do it! here’s peek:
leigh chandler is a legend in the industry and is advising me on an organic sheet line. her linens are just beautiful, they’re her passion and it shows.
eloquence furniture is run by Amelia Cooke & Kim Redmond. i’ve loved their stuff for years and now finally have the venue to showcase it.
lisa’s an artist who i’ve been wanting to work with and the time has finally come!
have you teamed up with anyone lately? it’s a great way for those with web boutiques to promote each other and you know i love to do that!
anyway, i’m off before i lose my motivation! if i do some now i’ll have something to show for it in the morning. ok girl, just do it! bon nuit!
the luxury of solitude
i’ve been traveling and running full force for so long that i can’t imagine what will life be once all the minutia is conquered and can start to tackle lifelong projects.
hi guys, i’m finally starting to unwind, it’s amazing how how much time it takes to untwist. i’m finally feeling normal and it’s only cause i’ve been completely alone for about a week.
after 2 months i started doing yoga again at a place around the corner. this is hanging in the hallway, i hadn’t seen it before:
THE PARADOX OF OUR AGE
We have bigger houses but smaller families;
more conveniences, but less time;
We have more degrees, but less sense;
more knowledge, but less judgement;
more experts, but more problems;
more medicines, but less healthiness;
We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,
but have trouble crossing the street to meet
the new neighbor.
We build more computers to hold more
information to produce more copies then ever,
but have less communication;
We have become long on quantity,
but short on quality.
These are times of fast foods
but slow digestion;
Tall men but short character;
Steep profits but shallow relationships.
It’s a time when there is much in the window,
but nothing in the room.
~the dalai lama
tibet must be a really cool place
image via www.warrenkarlenzig.com
anyway, this is just another hello for no absolutely no reason. i hope you’re loving life tonite and get some alone time if you need it too!
does there have to be a reason?
to wear a ship in your hair? or to just say hello on a sunday afternoon? hey everyone, i just wanted to send a little weekend love your way and take the opportunity to do nothing else but say hi. it seems there’s always something new to check out, a great blog, a new restaurant, news of this or that…i’m taking today to enjoy the simplicity of emptiness. no deadlines, no agenda, nothing but nothing, ain’t life grand? hope your sunday is superb!
friday night fever
photo from marie claire maison
hi guys, comment ça va? happy friday to you. hope you’ve got some plans to do just what you want to. tonite i’m flooded in (this is why i want to move toute de suite)! any other time it’s ok to stay in but when you have to…well, it’s giving me cabin fever!
still, i get to hang out and blog a bit and you know i love that. i wanted to offer congrats to betty for winning the drawing on french blue for a quarter free advertising on my blog. for those of you who don’t know her, the budding artist is betty parker of the gossamer tea room. if you haven’t been to a tea party lately, go get your groove on. she loves the romance of papers, tea, the moon and the stars! she’s a bit of a fairy and creates fabulous collages for notecards and has a new etsy shop.
and we just added another new sponsor to the gang with the addition of lara harris of studio lara. she does wonderful pet portraits, kids and pretty still life’s. visit her blog, a vintage touch and website to see more of her paintings and maybe even have your little lamb chop immortalized!
well that’s it for now, i’m headed over to visit you! have a bon weekend!
when worlds collide
bon soir everyone! hope all is well in your world tonight. i got a lot done but still have a pile of emails and work that i just can’t seem to finish!
anyway, there’s been a lot of talk around here lately about blogging and ads and i’m becoming pretty convinced that it’s something we as bloggers can really make work for us. it’s a viable way for us to take on sponsors to help us do what we love, develop those relationships and grow each other’s businesses. it’s something we all can do with just a little banner and i thank lynn and janet for opening my eyes to it. (god forbid they do it for themselves tho)! because of them, this week i was fortunate to meet a woman who knocked my socks off!
i’d like to introduce you to a new friend and sponsor, Naomi Cooper and FCL Style. she’s the marketing and pr director for this project as well as pierre deux’s stores. The parent company owns Pierre Deux, Le Cordon Bleu and now, FCL. they’re an inspiring force with a laser focused vision and have created a really well defined and curated new online-only site that launched just today! the furnishings and accessories boutique are inspired by all things French so i thought you might like a peek inside.
the plan at FCLstyle.com is to combine the heritage and influences of French design with your own style. for a brand new site, to me it’s really intriguing, first because it shows the power of having an online shop, and second, it’s infinite in what can happen there. below are condensed versions of the lines but the sky’s the limit so expansion and creativity are on the horizon for sure.
BOHEMIAN-HIPPIE CHIC MEETS GYPSY GLAM: unusual and unexpected
CLASSIQUE: neo-classical design
CRÈME FRÂICHE- THE SWEET LIFE: as inviting as your first café latte in the morning
COUNTRY CHIC: the simple elegance of French provincial design with a clean, modernist edge
NATURELLE-THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER: naturelle is created with eco-friendly fabrics
i was mesmerized by the home page that circulates but once you get inside it’s fun to play around, and it’s a very user friendly setup. by the by, the first 100 shoppers who sign up for the newsletter on the website will receive an eco-shopper bag embroidered with one of the collection’s signature icons. i know the blogosphere is uncharted territory so thanks for taking a chance on me, naomi, et al, and i wish you all the luck in the world with your venture. so dear friends, head on over and take a look for yourself, let naomi know what you think and thanks for checking it out! make that banner!
ps just got word that deb at dumbwittellher.blogspot.com just posted about it and made some great collages at polyvore. thanks deb for getting the word out!
the woman in the moon
hey guys, hope you’re having a chill monday night. it was a long day of boring work for me and i’m still at it. guess that’s what i get for saving it all up for one day! (shhhh)! i got the tv back on so have indulged in every reality show i could cram in. maybe i was avoiding cnn. it was a tragic day, but we’re here so i’ll focus on the positive. still, here’s sending prayers to the families of those on the air france plane.
on that aforementioned positive note : janet from french blue named the winner of the giveaway of a 3 month ad on my blog. it was betty from the gossamer tea room:
great to meet you betty! i love this image and got lost for awhile in your blog. it led me to the link above and before i knew it i was in and out of all sorts of delicious blog candy. you know how it is surfing, you think you’ll remember a site but never can find it again. so i’m going to try to keep a record of sorts, their too pretty not to save (but my couple minutes is turning into an hour)! and i have to get back at it. i don’t want to spend a minute tomorrow doing this work drudgery so i’m determined to finish tonight.
blissfulliving-domesticbliss.blogspot.com (this is a photo. she got them at trader joe’s)
myendlessinspiration.blogspot.com
morninglightinmyroom.blogspot.com
isn’t it crazy how much you can trip over every single day on this whirled wide web? hope you have a beautiful night!
