back to back
hi all! hope you had a marvelous weekend. it’s winding down now, almost midnight and i’m about to cut out. before i go i just wanted to post some more of the shots from yesterday’s search since i really did love what it turned up.
flickr.com/photos/christinanelson
flickr.com/photos/xenorzehnuhr
flickr.com/photos/vagabondvixen
so many talented people! so much to do and see! but for tonight, i bid adieu!
it’s all going out the window
bonjour à tous! i hope you’re having a divine weekend! it’s really late so i only have a minute but just wanted take that sec to say hi and post a couple images i came across today. i guess it’s safe to say and i better admit it even to myself! i committed to doing the architectural digest show again as of today. it’s happening march 17-21. i was on the fence but that’s the main reason i went to paris, to meet with vendors and suppliers and bring some of their greatness back for the show.
anyway i’m going to create a bedroom, (bien sur), my theme is going to be ‘white on white’ or ‘shades of gray’, not sure exactly, but it will evolve. aside from my furniture i have to dress the walls and floors. i love windows on either side of a bed so started surfing today for good shots. all my wishes were answered and i only went though 100 pages. and there were more. flickr is a goldmine we know that, but when they led me from ‘paris out a window’ to ‘people in windows’, i was in heaven. that’s technology that works for me!
ok well, enjoy, gotta run, happy saturday nuit!
flickr.com/photos/tetedanslesnuages
flickr.com/photos/30493441@N02
amazing things my friends are doing
myshabbystreamsidestudio.blogspot.com
tgif! hi all, hope you had a great week and are about to unwind. i just wanted to stop by and share some great things my friends and fellow blog buds are up to. above all else they are spreading joy by doing great work. check out sandy’s blog and her marvelous fantasy cottage. she recently visited my girl karina gentinetta and took incredible pics of her shop for a book she’s working on. (that’s my chair)!
karina has an amazing story and gorgeous pieces in her new orleans antique shop. she is a true survivor and one fantastic reason to go to new orleans. she never gave up on the city she loves.
the brilliant katie armour has started an incredible online magazine, matchbookmag.com. the first issue profiles one of my favorite bombshells, haleigh of making magique who lives a dream in paris. she came to the bloggers meet-up and was pure fairy dust!
finally, my other dear friend, mimi (an american living a true fairy tale in paris too), has launched her very own online magazine this month aussi! it’s filled with articles from her fantastic team of friends. i’m totally motivated by you gorgeous ladies and can’t wait to see what else you have in store!
well it’s about that time to make sure it’s a night to remember so i better go, have a great weekend!
there’s a lot to love
hi all, how’s your week going? i’m cutting out early but wanted to post a a few shots that have been hanging around my desktop. i confess i took a dip in the web well to get refreshed and inspired and out of my own head. these are from pinterest but there are so many sites with one beautiful shot after another. infinite and instant inspiration.
just seeing them together is making me happy.
not even sure why i like this but i think it’s all about the pink matte
and red and turquoise, need we say more?
well it’s getting late and i better shut down cause my battery is about to go. goodnight dear friends!
trending now: trim, tufts and tuffets
hey guys, how’s your wednesday? i’m catching up on my work and still a little jet lagged. i’m taking a break to go through more shots from the show. funny when you edit how it starts to take shape. this above was done by a gorgeous italian company who designed lamps and just had these in the booth for guests. she did them in creme taffeta and piped them with black patent leather. they were so hot!
i was definitely into contrasting trims and piping, it’s a great old look that’s always fresh. there was plenty of eye candy from slipper chairs, hooded, wing backs, leather, vanity, stools, benches and ottomans.
it’s clean and highlights the lines whether it’s a lot or a little.
i don’t think i’ll ever get tired of tufting done well. this white chair has pretty chrome cabriole legs.
and i’m always on the lookout for little vanity and boudoir chairs.
these were on rollers (above) and this pretty christopher guy has lacquer feet.
i love the bright gold leaf legs on this piece but benches are a whole other story. better run, time for dinner, have a great night!
sorting it out
www.coqecigrues.com
hey guys, hope you’re kicking back, enjoying some down time. i’m going thru pics from the show before they get tossed into folders never to be seen again.
i love modern rooms but have a soft spot for gorgeous linens. this company really nailed the old world embroideries and techniques on their curtains and bedding.
not to mention accessories.
a
it’s really feminine but the fabrics are so great and the workmanship is timeless. anyway this is one of many wonderfific companies from the show and i’ll keep on truckin’ thru the cards and pics, this time for real!
well, it’s been a full day. time to drop out and tune in. bonne nuit!
whirlwind weekend wrap-up
hey guys, happy monday. i’m back in the states after a worthwhile impromptu weekend in paris that sounds a lot more glam than it was since it was all biz.
i have to thank madelyn from paris perfect vacation rentals for hooking me up with the sweetest little pied-à-terre, pomerol in the 7e at the last minute.
i’ve mentioned madelyn before but just so you know, if you ever need a great contact in paris, she’s american, her hubby is a french surgeon and together they are just the people to know when you’re in town.
she’ll bend over backwards for you on every level. all her apartments have a view of the eiffel tower, lots of hot water, heat, mod kitchens and baths and in the summer, a/c. she knows what americans like but still keeps the spirit of a real paris apartment.
she has a way of making you feel super special like you’re an old family friend. thanks madelyn for making this little trip happen on the fly. hope i see you all there soon!
that about does it
well this was a whirlwind weekend and today lunch was about as much as i could muster. it’s hard to believe but i just couldn’t rally to go to the show or the markets or brocantes and just enjoyed spending the day at a cafe with a friend and her dog. i don’t feel guilty, but i feel like i should! but it’s cold and paris isn’t going anywhere. i leave tomorrow, glad to have made the last minute effort to get here. and 14 hours at the maison objet? Ça suffit!
i do have more shots from the show but they’ll stay fresh till i get to the airport and have some down time to sort through everything. i hope you had a great weekend and will see you on the continent. have a great sunday night!
so ready for bed
The bed is a bundle of paradoxes: we go to it with reluctance, yet we quit it with regret. ~Charles Caleb Colton
hi guys, another full day at the show and it still seems like i just skimmed the surface. the last thing i want to do is go back tomorrow, especially with the flea markets on but i just didn’t get it all done. today i focused on finding the perfect bed for the AD show, something that will be a crown jewel in the booth. these were a couple of contenders.
this show weird, the more you see, the more there is to see. hall after hall, mega booths galore, no wonder my clients burn out and start to hate my guts after a few hours! i’m starting to crash myself but will carry on.
the books are always my favorite part of the show, maybe tomorrow after the twice-over i’ll get a chance to go through some of them. maybe even leave early and hit the fleas, that would be the perfect day. ok well, i’m definitely at my limit today. good night!
a few favorite things
well a few hours in the right big white tube and you are suddenly en paris. the show is enormous, spectacular, innovative and inspiring. my first stops were to see old friends. i adore the geniuses at koziel.fr who blur the line between real and trompe l’oeil.
others were getting in to the action this year, these had a bit of an edge: trompe l’oeil doors, some with grafiti via gdcreation.com
beautiful things were of course around every corner like these handmade comforters in silk satin from holland.
and my camera died at christopher guy but i’ll be back tomorrow, it was stunning.
anyway it’s not late but i went straight to the show from the plane. i think i was the first one in so i’m beyond tired. more a demain, bonne nuit from the streets!
on the way to the maison objet
bonjour guys! i’m in french mode and about to take off to paris for the trade show, the maison et objet. for those who don’t know, it’s one of the largest shows in the world for those in love with decor. designers and manufacturers come from all over to show their wares twice a year, in september and again in january. for the life of me i can’t figure out how they chose the middle of winter but c’est la vie. it’s worth it to deal with the cold cause this show never disappoints.
there’s a heck of a lot to it besides just the 8 halls full of textiles, lighting, bebe, tabletop, artisans and furniture.
sthere are satellite events, discussions, special exhibitions, parties around town, videos, blogs, and so much more. the website alone could take a week to go through. the top photo is from an exhibit called REHAB, l’art de re-faire a trompe-l’œil recycling installation.
i’m usually with clients and this is the first time i’ll be alone and able to really focus and concentrate. my goal is to meet with suppliers and vendors to bring some goodies back home for the architectural digest show this spring.
ok i’m officially the last one to board so more soon!
never too old to play dress up
hi guys, i have about 5 minutes cause i just booked a last minute trip to paris for the maison et objet and am leaving at the crack of dawn. i’ll only be going for the weekend so packing will be light but still, gotta find the passport, do the laundry and try to pull it together. i just wanted to share a couple shots from last night with you. joseph introduced me to two of his friends who are legends here in miami who will be part of the new book on gentleman’s apartments. we had dinner in keni’s chi chi chic apartment and they insisted i try on the vintage couture they found ‘thrifting’ in palm beach. the pics are bad but we had a ball. like 3 fairy godfathers they flitted and fluffed me in a bill blass 60s gown and a halston crepe de chine.
keni’s apartment was the most delicious setting for an impromptu photo shoot. we were being very silly and only had our phones so these are blurry but you get the gist.
jeff said this would be the perfect dress for a 40s divorce in reno!
anyway when i get back we’ll start shooting and that should be a rollicking good time. i can’t wait to see jeff’s place next, he says he gets to be jungle boy in the middle of miami, i can only imagine what’s in store with his place. well, more soon, have a great night!
the art of repose
hi gang, how’s your day going? mine is winding down but i’m winding myself up. i’ve got to get ready for a dinner party and am feeling a little frazzled. these pics from my desktop should provide a little incentive to just chill for 5 minutes before rushing off to get it together.
aside from our grannies’ good taste, they sure knew a lot about lounging. with all the tech of today you’d think we’d have more time to loll about. hmmmm. well i have about enough time for a couple deep breaths and maybe that 5 minute idle if i do it right now!
have a great night. hope you get some down time!
learning life’s lessons
hi guys, glad you stopped by! i’ve been working all day making tiny accomplishments that will hopefully add up to big ones soon. it’s been a struggle to keep the discipline up but i’m determined to change my life.
they say if you keep repeating what you’ve been doing, you’ll get the same things you’ve always gotten. so in an effort to change that i’ve been trying to focus, be more productive and do the things i say i will. you may remember the ‘boudoir noir’ collection i was working on about a year ago. truth is i have so many irons in the fire that some of them just get left to fizzle out and sadly this was one of them. now i’ve got to scramble to revive it and do some serious damage control.
it started out with such promise, the inspiration photo, the beautiful sketches my friend mike drew, even the prototype from the factory! we were so close. and then it was my turn. we needed fabric and i dropped the ball.
when i didn’t send fabric in time, they went ahead and chose something without me. my heartbreak paralyzed me from moving forward and i guess i lost interest in the project. this debacle below was one of four that were done in a ‘contemporary’ (am i being too kind)? pattern. it wasn’t till the other day when i got my mojo back and asked about the pieces that i found out they’d been sent to a consignment store!
eeeeeekkkk!!! thank god my web gal could create a virtual vector version for me!
now i’m scrambling to get back on track. this was more than a mistake, it was a true life lesson. now i just need to take that schooling and run with it. i’m so tired of learning the same things over and over and not having them stick. my new mantra is going to be ‘finish what you start!”
well that’s a wrap for today. good night friends, i hope you reach your goals and dreams!
setting the stage for new hollywood glamour
above images via munna
hi all, happy sunday! i hope you had a wonderful weekend. it’s a great time of year when there’s not a lot of pressure and there’s time to just chill. still, i’ve had nagging thoughts about the upcoming maison objet show in paris next week. it’s the event to hit to get inspired and check out great design from all over europe. somehow i just can’t justify it since i haven’t even cracked open the bags of vendors, pricelists and business cards from the show in september. till tonite, that is!
images below from christopher guy
i’m starting with a couple of my favorite designs (ok more than a couple) that remind me of the 20s and 20s. sleek and moderne with a bit of whimsy, dorothy draper meets jean harlow to create the ultimate cocktail. i find that era of furniture delicious… maybe i’m just obsessed!
most of these pieces seem to have walked right off a movie set, i love films like dinner at eight, swing time, top hat and so many others that had such gorgeous backdrops. there’s more to see every time you watch them!
anyway i guess these were my interpretations of it tonight. it was fun to go through the designs and start to update my site by adding to the collection.
obviously there’s an infinite world of design out there but i stick with my little niche in the boudoir. i love the smaller furniture and the intimacy of it.
well this is the tip of a giant glacier. maybe you love furniture and playing dress up with your boudoir as much as i do, so i’ll keep on digging through the piles of papers.
i can’t help but feel our grandma’s really knew how to live. they had such great muses and icons to look to for their inspiration though, how could they go wrong? i guess the least we can do is pamper ourselves and create a little niche of our own. a place to feel pretty and special, set your own stage and be the glamour girls we truly are!
frames via tpa
well i better run, it’s almost midnight. have a great night and suite dreams!
have we come a long way, baby?
do you feel like you were born in the wrong era? have you ever wanted to travel back in time? thank god for the invention of the time machine. (aka you tube)!
the twenties have always been my favorite time period of the last century, there just seemed to be so many artists, writers, designers, singers and talents that it’s almost surreal. since there’s so much interest in the era lately i thought i’d share some of the marvelous youtube videos from my collection of favorites.
kind of makes me wonder if our grandparents knew some things we didn’t. they never hesitated to roll up the rug and let ‘er rip! the charleston, the fox trot, they really knew how to get down! supper clubs, dinner and dancing, dressing up and enjoying life was their m.o.
of course life was hard but they sure made the best of it.
always with a sense of humor and a lot of style. but then they had some major muses.
i couldn’t let the era slip by without mentioning my favorite lady, josephine.
talk about throwing down and breaking the rules! well that’s what the 20s were all about. i kind of wish we could have the abandon that great gran and gramps had. to throw yourself wholeheartedly into a night on the town with all the glitter and glamour that it takes for an unforgettable evening. well, it’s saturday and i hope you’ve got a little of that going on yourself. me, i’m home and have spent way too much time digging these up but i do hope you enjoy them. have a great rest of the weekend!
life on the street
bon soir, toute le monde! i’m still in my photography phase and it’s of course gone french, what can i say? doesn’t everything come back to paris? it seems to for me!
my amazon wishlist turned out to be 10 pages long so i guess i’ve been saving books in it for quite a few years. maybe it’s time to get a few for my collection.
in the meantime the covers alone are enough to gather inspiration, but still, knowing these shots weren’t set up is again, part of that inexplicable magique!
most of these are from amazon.fr so if you want a closer look at any, check there first.
ok well it’s getting late and it is friday night so i best get to it! have a great nuit!
that elusive snapshot
hi all! i hope your week is going well and good things are happening. i’ve been trying to keep a balance of creativity and the mundane day to day work. i still come here for my fix of in between time that nothing else seems to beat.
i stumbled onto my amazon wishlist today and starting looking through the many books i have on it. since i’m probably going to be doing a lot of the photos in my books, it’s going to be really important to study and see what makes or breaks a shot.
it’s amazing that with film cameras these photogs were able to capture such memorable moments in time. sometimes it seems even with a digital and hundreds of images only one or two are real money shots.
i never thought of myself as a good photographer and have heard everything from the fact that it’s not the camera, it’s the photographer, whether you have a disposable or a helga.
still, i find it to be an unattainable art and science combination that may even have a touch of magic thrown in. all i can ask for is that i am blessed with a bit of that elixir when the time comes!
have a great night!
the solemn hush of winter
“In the depths of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
- Albert Camus
it was a cold and dreary day here. guess they’re designed to make us appreciate the sunshine that’s sure to follow. i haven’t accomplished much to speak of today and have about an hour left to make something of it. (our shoot was postponed til sunday). have a great night and keep cozy where ever you are!
a remarkable gentleman
hey guys, how’s life? mine’s good but trying to fit it all in is hard. how does everyone get so much accomplished? how do you? do you set a schedule?
well tomorrow morning i’m heading over to my friend, joseph’s place. he lives in miami beach too and we’re both ny transplants. we’re working on a project together, (shhh, the bachelors’ version of the paris apartment)! he let me shoot him even tho he was sooooo tired!
i just wanted to share a few shots i got from the hipstamatic app on my phone. if you don’t have it, check it out, you can change film and lenses and get an infinite variety of effects really easily.
he and his apartment are superchic. this was a couple days after a party so it’s not up to his standards but as you can probably still see he has great taste. it’s one of his many gifts besides decorating, refinishing, nickel plating, dipping, lacquering, painting, and constantly creating. he’s going to spill his tips for decorating and entertaining impeccably and affordably. his muse is cary grant. need i say more?
anyway that’s it for maintenant! i blew off the app last night so i have to do double time c’est soir. have a bonne nuit!
so happy, so chic
hi all, happy monday…night!
i hope you’re in and kicking back. i’m hoping to watch some really bad tv while i tackle my ny app.
in the meatime, just wanted to say hi and share a surprise a client let me know about. have you seen jonathan adler’s new decorating books, ‘happy chic colors’ and ‘happy chic accessorizing?’
i love him but hadn’t seen his new books. they’re aDoRaBLe so imagine the thrill to see my work in it. in 2008 i did a post about it and it’s wild to see it come to such a great conclusion. i got the books today and had to show you!
(there was drama, these guys were perfectionists i was working with and moving mirrors and furniture. super stressful!
the mirror arrived smashed to a million bits.
but somehow we all got through it and i like what happened.
big kudos to jonathan, the room i worked on was sublime and so are the books!
ok well it’s time for that nap! i mean app! have a great night!
ps: just found pics i shot there but didn’t want to disclose too soon: seems like a good time as any. it was so inspiring:
what makes a muse?
hey all, happy sunday! i hope you had a great weekend. mine was full with much too much to sort through so i just wanted to stop by and share yesterday’s photo shoot. are you as obsessed with paper as i am? i completely forgot till these books finally arrived from paris. they totally inspired and couldn’t stop snapping them.
each book is handmade and unique. the paper is cottony soft in the way it’s been made for centuries.
i could eat them up!
it’s been months since i’ve shot anything so it was good to experiment with my camera. it took a bunch of books to bust it out after a very long hiatus and i’m grateful for that!
anyway it’s time for the housewives so i’m officially tuning out and shutting down early. have a bonne nuit et beaux rêves!
PS it’s a couple days later and i put them on my website here: theparisapartment.com/boutique
flappers, dames & golddiggers of 42nd street
as a kid, one of my favorite things about weekends was watching old movies on sunday afternoons. my parents have a love of film and my first intro was around age 5 with my first busby berkeley film, 42nd street. the glamor, the era, the city! a new world came beaming through the screen and i was a little sponge.
today i’m watching golddiggers of 1939, another of his masterpieces i just found on my tivo. it’s so much fun to see how much we’ve changed yet are exactly the same. our grandma’s were so hot and so cool!
maybe it’s the economy but for the last few months the number one search term coming to my blog is ‘flappers’.
so for those who’d like a little slice of the life, check out his gorgeous films with classic songs and dances, brilliant dialogue and gorgeous fashion.
not to mention plenty of vamps and vanities :)
what a guy! quel vision!
as i was searching around i came across the film forum’s upcoming schedule. it’s almost worth moving back to the city for! maybe i’ll just use it as a guide. well this has taken a bit longer than expected cause i fell into a deep abyss but it was fun. hope you enjoy it too!
la tabula rasa
hi everyone! how’s your brand new year going? hope it’s good so far. personally i’ve been busy non stop. mostly playing catch up for enjoying so much family and holiday time. it sure was worth it! now i’m back in miami and hoping this year is going to be especially productive. i’d like to finish some of my many un-done projects.
it would be endless to try and list the things i’d like to accomplish this year, but i hope to get one project finished each month. maybe it’s overly ambitious but at least it’s a target. truth is that i hate having any obligations. even self imposed is going to be tough. but i’m over the alternative.
and just to make sure my goals are unrealistic but attainable, wordpress is challenging bloggers to put up a post a day for a next year. i like the idea on principal and will give it a whirl. at the least it will be a log of what’s happening (or not)! maybe you want to do it too?
so…with an annoyingly intermittent internet connection tonight, i’ll bid adieu and god willing, be back tomorrow! bon soiree, have a great weekend!
