less than perfect
hi gang, hope votre vie is en rose tonight. i’m happy to say my press pass came for the maison et objet so now wielding a camera and video won’t have to be so clandestine. just hope i can refine my video skills in time so i’ve been studying techniques and tips online.
as far as some of the other projects, i took the plunge by pulling out my files and now the trick is to see it through…so i’m blogging about it, that way i’m more likely to do it.
liz and i had started putting the souvenirs in a book a few months ago just to keep them safe but the book had sat unopened and uninspired till today.
in spare moments i started going through the business cards, contacts and clippings from past paris trips.
combining the new business cards alongside the old perfume labels et al, it sort of took on a life of its own. these pages are only the first layer but i think combining the two in a scrapbooky way may be the key to staying interested and focused on putting this book about my resources in paris together.
right now it’s not organized it in any way. i started putting stuff in randomly just to get the chi moving
i’ve got to bust out the ribbons, little trinkets etc. to give the pages some 3d life later. these may not be so dynamic yet but hey, you have to start somewhere, n’est pas?
i’ll be revisiting lots of these locales to make sure they’re still here and beefing up the pages.
having this chatoic format is really helping. cause it doesn’t have to be so methodical. plus it’s fun and feels less like work. guess the inspiration board from yesterday inspired me to make smaller versions in a way.
so that’s it. instead of my usual judgements and waiting for perfection, i’m gonna flow free and see where that leads. but that will have to be à demain, tonight i’m off dreamland. see you there?
a board of my own
hey guys, happy sunday. how’s your night shaping up? it was an early am at mac again. there’s so much technology around me right now that when i got the bulletin board after class, it was a relief knowing it would only involve paper, scissors and pushpins. i really had no idea how much i’d enjoy making this mood board today. putting it together with the stuff from a file box that’s been in storage for so long was a great meditation. it was a pandora’s box of pretty things that had been stashed far too long. i could probably make a board a day. i may take the whole thing down and make another tomorrow! if you have favorite tear sheets in folders, break them out and enjoy them. it’s really therapeutic. and i think it might be good for us. i was just looking up mood quotes and found this:
Any art communicates what you’re in the mood to receive.
Larry Rivers
so there’s that. well have a great rest of the night! if you have a mood board, let me know and i’ll link to it!
putting it down on paper
hi guys, my head and heart need a little distraction tonight. usually it’s florida that fights the hurricanes but tonight it’s the rest of the coast. it’s so much easier when you have to face something rather than have family and friends deal with it. i’m praying for their homes, trees, coastlines and cities and safety.
well, said distraction resulted in skimming mood and inspiration boards. i brought home a giant file box from storage today with clippings, magazines, business cards and notes from trips to paris over the years. it’s finally time to put it together in a book of favorite places and things to do.
tomorrow i’m getting a huge cork board (or two) to start laying it out. i’ve tried a million ways but this visual and tactile method (rather than scanning, having tons of notebooks or keeping it all in a file cabinet) seems to make the most sense. what am i keeping all these papers for if not to see them?
knitpurlandstitch.wordpress.com
so prep is starting for the trip, i’ll be there through september so this morning went to the mac store to learn about imovie. now taking and editing videos is not such a mystery. i’m gonna try to post to my youtube channel every couple days. more on that as i practice. i’m waiting for a maison objet press pass cause without that, no footage. if you know how uptight they are at the fleas, imagine the show!
i
as far as the trip goes, i’m going to mostly write and focus. i’ll be covering the maison for lonny magazine’s blog so taking good pics and turning in comprehensive and valuable work is priority.
anothermag.com paul smith
so is really understanding my camera. lots of learning curves.
marchesa via vainandvapid.blogspot.com
i wish i was really great at something technical!
well, these boards kind of helped me meditate on what i need to do and hope they gave you a little kick too. do you keep one (or a few) for inspiration?
it really doesn’t matter how small the sentiment, you just have to start somewhere.
by the by, i had the pleasure to spend another day with renee and was surprised and thrilled when joni webb of cote de texas walked in the showroom! you may know her fabulous blog and spirited discussions on all things decor.
as blog acquaintances we had lots of preconceived notions about each other but felt like old friends once we hugged. she’s one of those people you feel like you’ve known forever. hope i do!
ok, all well, happy saturday, bonne nuit and prayers for our peoples!
a case for lace
it happened again. a minute surfing and suddenly it’s almost midnight.
vintagerosebrocante.tumblr.com
i didn’t expect to be interested in the topic of lace when i got a call from a fashion mag to pull some of my favorite lace imagess. in fact, i don’t really even have any, i’m sort of anti-lace. it’s just something i never wear or incorporate into my decor.
etsy.com/listing/antique-tambour
growing up my mom dismissed lots of it as ‘cheap lace’. she showed me the difference between exquisite and chintzy and how to look for the details that made it special. differences between what was made by hand vs machine. i learned to appreciate the detail but really never wore it, even in lingerie.
so searching images i was surprised to find the fun and creative ways everyone’s using it these days. and now that my eye is looking for it, suddenly it’s everywhere.
vogue predicts it as a fall trend for clothing and accessories, and i guess it’s true for the home too.
i can’t remember where the above came from but thought it was pretty cute. i always see yards of this stuff and never know what to do with it.
di overton uses it to give her ghost furniture a fresh twist.
i love the chair with just a hint. guess it does make everything a little more soft and sexy. even a chair! maybe i should try it after all. i mean, it’s de rigeur for a french woman to show a smidge under a plain white shirt. and if a chair can pull it off…
mandy locke is making one of a kind vintage glove embellishments.
and this is a bright diy on how to use those doilies that are treasured but sort of useless.
i guess crochet is sort of a lace offshoot. obviously a huge difference between the two but the roots are there.
more diy stuff clever ideas
a lot’s been going on, i just didn’t notice!
guess like a lacy web it’s all connected. and apparently it’s still inspiring unique uses!
who knew it could be so mod?
well, have a great night. i’m off to lala land! sweet dreams~
my days with renee
bonjour everyone, how’s votre vie? lots of us are bracing for a big storm so i hope it’s just an excuse for a fun night in and there’s not too much drama!
it feels like forever since i’ve been here. i got caught up in a project i wasn’t expcting, but then, as they say, (wo)men plan, god laughs! i’ve been spending the past few days with renee finberg, a blogger bud turned friend in the flesh. you may know her from her blog, ‘renee finberg tells all’. she’s florida girl and has just taken the plunge, opening a showroom called ‘the trade’.
it’s going to be sort of a moderne salon where there’s lots of creative, custom design with clients, mostly as implied (or boldly stated), to the trade! she’s asked me to be a part of it and i’m of course thrilled.
except that i’m leaving for a month just as it’s ready to be filled. now the plan is to go to the maison objet and work with vendors and companies who will supply pieces that aren’t in the states yet.
the great news is our similar aesthetics and she is such a blast to hang out with. work is play!
i started bringing up some things…can you believe the places these chairs have been?! paris, ny, new orleans, miam and now boca.
it’s been a jolly good time playing with the fabrics, meeting with companies like holland and sherry and having access to all this gorgeous fabric at our fingertips. so of course this is the start of well, who knows what. but we know it will be fun, whatever it is. i’ll keep you posted on the progress. the big white chair from ‘that corner’ of my apartment is going in tomorrow.
the fabrics she has laying around are killing me! cut velvets, gold on linen, vintage patterns reworked. i could eat them! more soon on this nouvelle projet.
ah, now…as for the giveaway: the winner of the book is… drumroll…maybe it’s anticlimactic but it was actually number 1!
seemed weird but that’s random for you! number 1 is one of my first blog friends, amy of missamyscerra.blogspot.com. we met years ago when we were brand new to blogging and to tell the truth it’s been way too long since i’ve been to her fabulous blog. stopping by just now to choose a photo proved i’ve been missing a lot! check her out, there are great recipies, life lessons and photos. hey girl!
ok then, tout le monde, à demain!
doing my homework
allo everybody,ca va c’est soir? the weekend flew by and there’s still a ton going on at 10pm. i’m trying to tie up a couple loose ends but it’s futile. still, a couple are better than none.
before anything else i wanted to post a review i’ve been promising of ‘my dolce vita‘, the memoirs of jean govoni salvadore.
quel vie she had! she’s one of these people who’s seen it all, from the very bottom to the very top. and in an incredible age of horror and glamour. best of all it’s all it’s taken from diaries she’s kept since the age of 10.
it’s a great read (with pictures)! of a life well lived that spans over 8 decades. a fascinating true fairytale.
i’m giving away a publisher’s copy so if you’re interested i’ll draw a random winner tomorrow and send it out wednesday.
for the paris trip next month i’m putting together a list of to do’s in september. i’d like to go where i’ve never been so the search is on and the list is already too full. i won’t list them tonite but maybe just one. i discovered another of the fierce 1920′s designers, charlotte perriand (there must have been something in the water during that time…or not)!
there’s an exhibition of her photographs and furniture at the petit palais so i’m putting that on the short list.
besides she’s a woman after my own heart with her juxtaposition of chunky wood furniture against something completely opposite.
like my stools! another case of nothing new under the sun. oh well, she sure is good company!
petitpalais.paris.fr/fr/expositions
well i’m off. if you’re home and kicking back, check out my childhood friends and their in-laws on bravo’s, ‘thicker thank water: the marinos’ tonight!
have a great night!
what’s going on
hey guys hope you’re in the middle of a warm summer night. i just wanted to say a quick hi. sometimes it seems like there has to be a reason to blog, then suddenly there are too many reasons and that combo cancels out any blogging at all.
truth is so much is going on it’s almost surreal. but in blogland we can bliss out and just play with whatever crosses our paths.
most of us share a love for miniatures. my own dollhouse is at my parents and needs an extreme home makeover after being well loved by 6 grandchillins. (the boys as much as the girls)!
these are the creations of the incomprehensibly talented and patient susan harmon hatler. she makes scenes of whatever inspires her. (she once did the cover of my book and some vignettes from it). we lost touch for years but yesterday reconnected when she sent these shots over. if you have a minute to play, check out her site and be awed by the meticulous detail of her work. or is it play?
i love what true passion looks like
not much is new on the home front as far as nouvelle decor except these mod pieces liz brought over. we found the set years ago and she ended up with them. together they make a little vanity so they do double duty like the rest of the furniture so far. they’re formica and i always wanted to copy them in other finishes. they’re finally mine all mine! for now :)
the set doesn’t go but i don’t care. it will!
what else from chez moi…curating the shelves
et details
and i got a a lamp inspired by billy baldwin who was noted saying all rooms should have some black. and i can read in bed now.
oh and if you’re still into the door decor, i came across this keyhole so of course had to try it.
don’t worry. it fell off! and i’m moving on!
haha. ah and one last thing to my girl who asked what the heck to do with that switchplate? i had a mirrored one that fit just right. this little corner really proved to be a vortex that could go on forever!
this corner’s next but that’s another day…
so guys, i want to say thanks for stopping over. it’s honestly a real respite to get away and talk smack with you about nothing at all. especially with so much else going on in our worlds. love sharing the lighter side of life with you!
have a great nuit~
just an illusion
hey guys, i hope you’re enjoying the wee hours of a great weekend. i’ve been surfing for longer than i realized cause it’s after midnight. this was one of those nights i got very lost for very long sharing an obsession for french doors and walls with martin margiela.
he was at the maison et objet last year showing his home line. he uses drawings and photos of old classic doors and carved walls to recreate rooms with paper, fabric and stickers.
the architectural grandeur of the design against the playfulness of an illustration is a great contrast. i did this in my booth at the ad show and thought it was avant garde but martin took it to another level!
his store in tokyo, above, is decorated with drawings and engravings from a 1700s french room. they really were early blueprints for wall treatments. and the detail is exquisite. in fact one of the articles talks about the hotel he designed in paris, saying:
The place is a study in optical illusion. It’s got chairs and tables that appear to suspend in mid-air and trompe l’oeil wall coverings done up in the Hausmannian style that make closed doors seem like they’re open. Laser in on the photos, and you’ll be hard-pressed to figure out whether you’re looking at new wallpaper or molding that the architect, Jules Pellechet, dreamed up some 150 years ago. tommytoy.typepad.com
Maison des Centraliens aka Hotel La Maison – Champs Elysées
8, rue Jean Goujon
75008 Paris
lamaisonchampselysees.com
so i definitely want to check it out when i’m in town. put it on the to do list! it’s official, i’m heading to our favorite city september 5 through 25th. if you’re in town, let’s meet up!
i guess i just can’t get enough of this guy tonite! i have a soft spot for interior architecture and a reverence for the beautiful old mouldings, ormalou and filigree that used to be de rigeur en paris.
you can actually purchase the door photos here: madeindesign.co.uk
so all this door talk brings me round to my project for the day.
i couldn’t let the weekend go by without at least trying to finish a little decorating of my own, the closet door. of course the screw is too long for the handle, the paint needs more touch ups, the old handle imprint needed sanding…this could be the never-ending door!
i came across this little metal ribbon that has been with me for years. i used some double sided tape that comes with those self stick hooks and stuck it up temporarily as a final accent to the door. now i need to use something that’s a little more secure but not permanent. elmers?
i ripped this out of a magazine as inspiration yesterday when i still had grand plans:
and thought about adding more color like a black frame or turquoise insets but right now i’m just enjoying that it’s over, a project pretty much finished. maybe blowing something like this up for behind the chair, life size and in color…
but first i’ve do something about that switchplate…gosh the details never end!
well, have a good night and hope tomorrow is the start of a great summer week!
the little things
hi all! grab a seat i now have more than just my handy and much loved wooden stools. i finally got my chairs out of hock and home with me. i found these in paris over a year ago and have finally have them in my possession! they’ve been up and down the east coast but never got recovered till now. even though they were gnarly everyone loved the deep blue silk satin that was left from the original upholstery.
i asked the upholsterer to keep all the insides and even the nail heads. finally committed to a color combo and i love having them as house guests for as long as they stay!
they’re making my beach house seem really frenchy which i didn’t plan on doing. oh well french works anywhere, n’est pas?
i’ll leave you with just a couple shots of the apartment cause everyone’s coming back into town tonight and we’re having a rendezvous toute de suite! so i best jet but wanted to wish you a good night!
ps: i haven’t done much else but add a knob to the door, but i have to remember that little details make the whole!
ok gotta, go more soon!
it’s a start
hi all, thank you so much for your ideas and suggestions yesterday! i’m sure if i didn’t blog that door would have stayed white as rice till i moved out. but i came across this shot of a dorothy draper room just as i was closing down last night and decided to use it as inspiration for painting the door.
and they reminded me of the doors we had at the AD show that i secretly hoped wouldn’t sell. so with the simplicity of gold as the catalyst, i went to michael’s and splurged on the tools of the trade. the giant variety pack of brushes was just $5 and the paint was $2. tape must have been $6. i was on a strict budget so this was a way to satiate this apparent creative urge but not go crazy.
once i really looked at the doors and the detail there were more options than i realized. and as someone who loves trim in multiple colors there are a lot of potential combos.
i’m considering painting the thin outer edge frame. maybe black? but not today. today was just the gold. and blue if you count the tape! it’s been handy visually cause some of the other options got blocked out. i may even keep it up. ;p
inside, outside, double lines, single inset, panel or frame?
decisions are tough! but phew, i committed and got through it :)
well that leaves space for colors but what and where? i’m open to suggestions and love your ideas.
next project is the wall. below is the chair at the AD show with gracie wallpaper behind it. maybe something like that? i Or just silvery metallic out of a can? i could probably paint branches and leaves. a bird? that’s asking a lot but then again if i can tape out a door, sky’s the limit!
well, that’s about it for tonight. it was a long, good day, chock full of much of a muchness so i’m off to retire. bonne nuit mes cheres cheries!!
nothing to do
happy sunday guys, are you having a bon weekend? over here for the first time in a long time, nothing is happening. nothing and no one is on the way over, needs to be cleaned or bought or called. what that leaves is time to get back to enjoying my apartment.
i just got the chair we had at the AD show. it’s big for this nook but it’s home for now. at least it covers up a bunch of wires :) with its arrival i started thinking about dressing this corner up. (not that i don’t like white and truly i am quite lazy lately). but IF i was gonna, the first thing i’d do is paint the door. leave the background white and just do the blocks and trim. but what colors?
liz gave me this dress and i’ve had it hanging on the door as inspiration. not that i’d go orange and navy. but then again, they’re sort of neutrals…
i’d like to do something to the wall too cause the armoire creates nooks that are perfect to showcase something bold or pretty.
i came across this shot just now and thought it was apropos just when i thought it would be mod to trellis-out. this facade is on a building that’s probably over 100 years old. funny how certain graphics and colors seem so fresh but were created centuries ago. i wonder what their inspiration was back then?
etsy.com/listing/65814657/wallpaper-stencil-rabat
anyway i’ve been surfing way too long and have read about everything from diy stenciling, fabric wallpaper, painted wallpaper and everything in between. guess i better cut it off somewhere or i could be at it all day, what with nothing to do and all.
etsy.com/listing/62316521/wall-stencil-missing-link
now my only problem is deciding what to do. i love metallics. or maybe ikat?
issuu.com/houseoffifty/docs/houseoffifty
maybe a panel of paper on foamcore so no damage is done to the walls. or maybe i could try painting one…
houzz.com/professional/4488/Domicile-Interior-Design
houzz.com/professional/3969/maison21
it’s a playground out there, so many options, so few walls. as much as i like the moderne, my other half would do something très féminin.
vieinteriors.co.uk/elixir-wallpapers-dauphin-wallpaper
so many talented people are working on such pretty things
etsy.com/listing/38143823/wall-stencil-marie-antoinette
pollydanger.com/blog/diy-wallpaper
making things that are truly unique
just came across this one i found in paris. sort of close to the ones above. there’s nothing like the real thing! now i wish i got it…
just a couple other ideas. infinity is fun.
and don’t get me started on people wallpapering furniture!
i’d love to have wallpaper that looks like this old wall, like a built in. hmm, maybe blow up a photo?
put it on the to do list. for tomorrow that is! the rest of today has no agenda. hope you have some time to do a lotta nada. have a great night!
taking it down a notch
whew what a day. it’s amazing how many loose ends there are once you decide to tie them up. my focus for the past while has been refining instead of expanding. instead of growing my business, responsibilities and projects i really want to hone the ones i’ve got right in front of me.
i’m taking a breather from over achieving and floating back down to earth.
it may have been the backlash of my last couple posts on versailles but i suddenly had the feeling that if i saw one more gilded lily i’d keel over!
so thankfully i’m stepping back, seeing how simple things can really be
with very little pomp and circumstance
and how such little changes make a big impact
whew! back where i started but a little less stressed. hope you have a great night and start the weekend early mes cheres amis!
some things never get old
bonsoir mes amis, ça va? i hope you’re enjoying an evening of doing wHatEveR you want! it was a long day at the dmv and the last thing i thought about doing tonight was, well, anything! of course you can’t even look sideways at the computer without falling in, but like pandora’s box, i lifted the lid and took a wild ride. it’s dark now so it must have been a while but it was worth it cause i got a bit of soul food from a fascinating look into french fashion and furnishings, past and present. these shots are from a show that’s happening now through october called vogue at versailles. even if you don’t speak french, the videos are worth watching if you love decadent design and decor. i translated the page into english with the the google translator toolbar. google it if you don’t know about it, it’s priceless.
aNyWaY, what sucked me in is how what’s old is new again, specifically design from 1700s en france. it’s a time that’s kept me fascinated for decades (you too, bien sur), and i’m stoked there are designers who are as into it as we are! the exhibit has vintage, antique and new pieces from Chanel, Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix, Olivier Theyskens pour Rochas, Martin Margiela, Azzedine Alaïa, Alexander McQueen pour Givenchy, Yohji Yamamoto, Thierry Mugler, Karl Lagerfeld and Vivienne Westwood as well as the forgotten ghostly designers who started it all waaaaayyyyy back when with just a needle, thread and a dream.
chanel
balenciaga
christian lacroix
original french fashion
en.chateauversailles.fr/news-/events/expositions/le-xviiie-au-gout-du-jour-en
even though it’s one or two pages on the website, they’re so full of ideas and images that it’s completely absorbing. at one point one of the videos talks about how decor influenced the fashions like this:
boiserie (wood paneling) translated to lacey embroidery
gold mirrors and gilding go from the wall to buttons, details and trims
not a great shot but the brilliant color of the brocade sofa is a stunning pour une robe
and what goes on behind the scenes is just as intriguing as the event!
if you’re going to be in paris i hope you get a chance to go, but if not, you can still have some fun with this as they’re holding a design contest for laymen who love the era. take a look below to enter and let me know if you do! (there’s a fun panel of judges including the cherry blossom girl and her friend miss pandora).
concoursdestyle.chateauversailles.fr/English
alors, c’est tout pour moi c’est soir. buona notte & hasta mañana !
merging past and present
thecherryblossomgirl.com/carnaval-de-versailles-part-ii
hi guys, happy sunday. it’s early eve so we have the whole night ahead of us. hope yours is great, whatever you’re up to. personally i took the day to chill and got to surf awhile. all the brilliant pics, stories, quotes and general inspiration is almost too much to bear. almost! i’ll muddle through but figured i’d stop tonight with the pics from the cherry blossom girl‘s night at a costume ball at versailles last week. part one shows her and a friend getting ready and part two is the ball itself. her sphotos are always magical but this party may have taken the cake.
thecherryblossomgirl.com/carnaval-de-versailles-1
i thought you’d enjoy a break in our regularly scheduled american summer for a quick stroll through the party. go by her site to see amazing shots of the past and present merging, lines blurring and history being made from the beauty of the past.
bonne nuit!
chateauversailles-spectacles.fr/le-carnaval-de-versailles-91.html
