all that glitters
hi guys! it’s been awhile and i hope you had a great holiday. ours was happy and everyone was grateful for the simple gift of the status quo. dad is back, cooking, enjoying his family and hopefully now, resting!
i’m in the city today and love this in between time when everything is a little quieter, slower and well, just sort of peaceful.
tomorrow it will come back to life with strangers singing and greeting each other in the streets, honking their horns and twirling noisemakers.
i don’t have big plans but love the idea of the glamorous new years party and all the sparkle and hope that come with the day.
maybe it’s a little early to wish you a happy new year (i hate rushing holidays)! so hopefully i’ll get back here to do just that. till then, happy nye eve!
ps: i’ve been laying low but this photo got me back blogging today. it’s a way to repurpose those champagne corks. i always hated throwing them out!
happy friday!
pretty simple
hi guys, how’s everything? it’s been a couple busy days at mom and dad’s and the good news is that he’s coming home on thursday!
i can hardly keep up with mom who’s been doing everything from making pasta to taking doors down. she puts me to shame in the energy department. it’s all i can do to blog but did want to stop by and share some pretty pics from pinterest. the talent of these everyday photogs never ceases to amaze me.
i’m into super simple stuff right now, probably cause i’m on overload. these shots just reminded me that it doesn’t take much to make a big impact.
it’s almost midnight and we have to get up early to do a little training for when dad gets back. truth is he’ll do whatever the heck he wants but at least we’ll have some tricks up our sleeves for keeping him steady and stuff. believe it or not this sailor, archer and motorcyclist will be using a walker for awhile.
i hope your days are stress free and you’re enjoying some simple pleasures
i still haven’t done a thing and actually have been a bit stressed but am gonna take it down a notch.
worst case scenario i cut up a paper bag and trim gifts with greens from the holly bush
cause we all know what really matters…
well, i’m off to search for the greatest, sweetest simple pleasure…deep sleep! bonne nuit! xc
making the holiday rounds
gypsyhousedesigns.blogspot.com
one of the best things about the holidays is visiting friends, even if it’s virtual! this is a collection of the most recent friends who came by and i just wanted to pass along some of their gorgeous blogs and inspiration. hope you get a chance to sit back and enjoy them as much as i do. there’s a lot to love in their blogs so i’ll wait till tomorrow to post some more. till then, have a great nuit!
braytonhomesteadinteriors.blogspot.com
faithful friends who are dear to us
hi everyone, happy saturday. i hope you’re already off to a great weekend. feels like i’m just passing thru these days, but do want to keep up to date with everything since as you know this is one of the few places that keeps me focused and sane. by the time i get home at night i can’t even lift the lid of my laptop, so i figure at least if i make a drive by, then i can come and visit you for awhile tonight.
i was supposed to go to the city but it was just was impractical with so much to do around the house. we’re still at it, cleaning, decorating and fixing things so dad will be comfy once he gets back. we even converted his swivel recliner into a sturdy four legged new fangled model. my furniture career finally paid off!
not to be repetitive but sharing a few more of the vintage friends. who says objects are inanimate? these little familiar friends are definitely sending good vibes and memories surging through the house. my gram and mom were always over the top with the decorating and when i was a kid i’d love helping. in florida it never really seems like christmas so i really don’t do much. now that i’m here, everything old is new again. mom and dad made this paper mâché tree topper angel their first christmas together, i guess before any of the kids were around although one was on the way. she’s still the same after all these years.
well, we’re off and running out the door once again. thanks for all your good wishes, we’ll rendezvous chez vous tonight!
angels with dirty faces
hi guys! i have about a minute. mom is keeping me uber busy and we’re about to head out. before she comes down i just wanted to say hi, post a little update and send some holiday cheer. dad’s a bit better, still not 100% but expected home by the 22nd. we’re busy baking and decorating when we’re not there and i’m still getting to enjoy all the old ornaments and traditions mom is determined to preserve.
these little angels are from the 40s. i used to have them on a tree in my room when i was a kid and always loved them. they’re little nylon wings, pipe cleaner arms and pretty little faces.
mom hangs them on the staircase now and it wasn’t till i shot these that i realized how each has her own true personality. maybe i did as a kid and forgot. anyway i love them more than ever and am happy to see their familiar, sleepy faces.
well i hope you’re having a great friday and are gearing up for a wonderful weekend. i’m heading to nyc for brunch tomorrow. oops mom’s calling, au revoir!
hanging with mom and dad
hi guys! how’s everything? i’m happy to report good things from here. sorry to be MIA for the past few days but i’ve been pretty focused on getting home and spending time with my parents. my dad is much better and is in rehab. he’s still on lockdown sleeping there so mom and i have been home in the mornings getting stuff together and doing a little decorating for the holidays to keep her sane and feeling normal.
it’s been a long time since i really looked at the decorations i’ve known by heart for so many years. i’m sure like yours each has a story and history. these velvety balls were each made by my grandmother many years ago. i remember watching her make them at the kitchen table between cooking enormous meals. she was so creative (ok they were from a kit but still), and she must have had lazer vision cause they’re made with such precision!
you know how they say we don’t know the reason things happen til much later? well i’m starting to see a some good coming out of this already. not the least of which is having come home way early for the holidays and not booking a ticket back. it’s giving me a chance to spend time with my family instead of rushing thru the season and popping in and out. this year i’m home, feeling a bit like a kid in my old room and glad to be of some help to my parents who have always been there for me.
well, we’re about to jet off one more thing: i’ve got a great little book for you to check out for the holidays, called A Literary Paris. it’s filled with all kinds of information about novels set in Paris and places to go when you’re there. it makes a fabulous gift for anyone who loves Paris, or books, or traveling. the author, Jamie has given us a copy for a giveaway so if you’d like it, just let me know! here’s her facebook page to check out what’s inside.
last but certainly not least, the pink book winner from a couple posts ago has been corrected. it’s bron from vintageandart.blogspot.com. check out her blog where she had this pretty bergdorf goodman holiday window posted. more soon!
friends are like stars; you don’t always see them, but know they’re there
hi my darling friends. thanks for all your good wishes, it looks like you worked your magic. my dad is making a miraculous and speedy recovery and starting to feel good again. i’m leaving in the morning and couldn’t go without sharing a little of paris during noël. i guess we shouldn’t be surprised that the decorations include beautiful chandeliers hanging in streets, even if they are made of LED string lights! anyway i wanted to send all the love right back at you for your support in the comments you left yesterday. blog friends are family and i treasure you. see you on the other side!
In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
~ Albert Schweitzer ~
paris blues
hi friends. i wasn’t going to post tonight because i have a heavy heart. but blogging is somehow comforting right now. i thought you’d want to know and also may wonder why i’m not blogging much this weekend. my dad had a slight stroke last night and is supposedly doing ok but i feel so far away and helpless. i love paris so much because of his passion for it, but now it’s cold and dreary and i’m getting weepy and tired. i have to get some sleep under this full moon and will power thru till i get back monday morning, but seems like eternity. thanks for always being there, it really means the world to me.
on the road again
hi guys. how’s life? i have about three minutes before i have to shut down. i’m at the airport on my way back to paris.
i got a call to take a client shopping that i just couldn’t refuse. i wish i could tell you who it is but this guy is such a major player that i better just keep it tight (for now anyway)!
liz and i tied up most of the loose ends and between drudgery of actual work i took pics of some of the stuff i’ve been bringing back here and there.
this pink book was in the plastic but i opened it to check it out and enjoy it myself. then i thought it would be fun to do another giveaway before the holidays since i love you so much and you appreciate booka. so if you’d like to win it, let me know! as for the winners of the chanel and the magnolia, the random number generator chose numbers 11 and 23. if that’s you send me your address.
this is today’s book! i have to board so au revoir and more from the other side!
what’s going on
hi gang, hope you’re having a great week! we’ve been busy over here working on the website and trying to get things photographed and listed. today’s pics are two little peacock colored vases i got last month in paris. they are about as big as large eggs and incredibly delicate.
liz is having me shoot more mood shots instead of just dry images for the site so here are a couple. she was having a blue moment and i went with it. it’s a lot more fun to play when you have a friend to shoot with.
in other news, we have our winners from the drawing the other day! would the following two darlings send your email to me at claudia@theparisapartment.com asap?
judy from petitcreeklavender.com
and mari of way good day
if you didn’t win that once, guess what? glitteratti is giving us these two more books to play with! they’re sending them over for review and i’m giving them away! if you’d like a chance to win just say so!
Coco Chanel by Douglas Kirkland
Stealing Magnolia’s Tales From a New Orleans Courtyard
