between the covers
good morning and happy friday gang! it’s 7:42 which means i have 3 minutes to get this up before the doorbell rings and quickbooks takes over the day. i had a chance to crack this mag , nos loisirs (our leisure) from 1927. it’s another time capsule, pages filled with articles, little ads and all the things we think about today. i thought you’d enjoy it~
it was a time of new ideas…and branding!
this is a cutex ad!
so many great designs, so many ways to tie a long scarf!
it was a new era, what was chic was being rethought for the moderne gal
and having bebe look good is always in style
eyelash ad
the ads were so sweet. fonts were always a big deal!
and you could have all this for 3150 francs, not sure how much that was but maybe about $350? dad?
ok she’s here, gotta dash, have a wonderful weekend!
my brush with greatness
hi all! how’s your holiday weekend going? i hope you’re still playing until at tomorrow in celebration of another year’s hard work! it started as a dreary rainy day here but my clients and i braved the drizzle and hit the fleas first thing in the am. as usual we were rewarded with incroyable finds all day long. i guess my favorite was this original pen and ink drawing that was a fresh and chic as the day it was penned. (above and below). i couldn’t take my eyes off the detail and for only 20 euros it was a steal. one of my clients fell in love with it so of course, clients first! she ended up taking it home.
but first i did take a photo of it and when i got home googled the artist, rene vincent. turns out he was very active in paris in the 20s and drew ads for everything from cars to furniture that really captured slices of life at the time. i spent the past hour looking at his works and hope you enjoy them as much as i did. i’ll never have the the original (unless she wills it to me :) but if you click on the pics above you’ll see the remarkable and exacting detail of his work. it seems he was never really more than an ad man but to me he’s a true artiste! i guess that’s the beauty of the paris fleas, they’re a museum where you can take home priceless works of original art if you sift through papers and boxes. you just never know what you’ll find. digging is key!
i got a little obsessed with his work for a furniture store called au bucheron on rue de rivoli. his illustrations show a slice of life in a golden age. as a furniture lover it’s fun to see the many ways he depicts the pieces in everyday ways.
the artist in her studio
the happy couple shopping for the maison
an avant garde daybed
le armoire
le mirror
chic fabric
taking the dog for a promenade
is she reading madame’s diary?
the perfect place to pose
le shopping
packing for le voyage
at her husband’s office
help with the holiday meals
le foyer
the red heels, tres moderne
turns out he was best known for his car ads
and this we’ve all seen. kind of amazing he’s not more well known. at least not to me.
women were just getting their feet wet with a new independence, racing cars, changing tires…
ok yes, i romanticize the 20s but it was such a delicate and pretty time, despite all the bad times. but i guess that wasn’t till ’29 actually. well enough for tonight! the market is open again tomorrow and this time i hope to get something special for my collection. oh and i saw some things for you too and will have a fabulous giveaway tomorrow. see you then. sweet dreams and have a great day off!
something new everyday
hi guys, happy saturday nuit~
i’m not sure where this top painting came from, do you know it? i’m the worst at saving hyperkinks!
i have guests so i’m only here for a sec, but wanted to post some of the art i stumbled on and saved to my desktop while i could still make sense of it. actually there is no sense to it, it’s just a random smattering of the tip of the iceberg that is the 1920s.
fxreflects.blogspot.com/2011/06/kees-van-dongen-musee-de-lart-moderne.html
ever since seeing midnight in paris, i’ve been thinking about who i’d like to run into from the 20s. (other than josephine baker and chanel). but looking into it i’m blown away by how many designers, illustrators and artists i don’t know.
lartigue
dart.fine-art.com louis icart
i love the way women were portrayed as such playful minxes!
ok i’m off to entertain, have fun tonite!
taking it down a notch
bonjour tous! ça va? i’m about to wrap it up and dig in for a little dessert and down time. as i was about to post, i started finding tons pics i was about to let a blog free flow fly. but just as i was starting to get nuts, this ‘less’ sign appeared. (i got it from pinterest, if you created it please let me know so i can credit you).
i love the duality of it since i’m into less and more. anyway it slowed me down and yes, there’s a lot of inspiration out there, but unless you take it bit by bit, some of the details inevitably get lost.
i hope you like these botanicals as much as i did for their contrast. digital images yet so abundant. they’re immortalized by the unerring detail of a technical artist who also captured the extravagant simplicity only nature can create.
Cabbage Rose, Two Tulips, a small Tortoiseshell Butterfly and yellow Meadow Ant 1802
janeaustensworld.wordpress.com
ahh what i wouldn’t give to inhale their essence~
well all have a delightful night full of peace and love! sweet dreams!
are we all on the same page?
hi guys! how’s votre vie en rose?
it’s a wonderfully quiet evening, just around 7pm, almost twilight as they used to say. or was it dusk? either way, the sun’s going down on another full day. are you getting what you wanted to accomplish finished? started? is it in progress? it seemed to me from this to do list that maybe our goals vary but basically we’re all exactly the same in so many ways. at least we’re in good company. well i’m off to get something done! hope you have une nuit fantastique!
christmas couture
wow how did it get to be midnight already? hi all! it’s been a long full day and i’m about to shut it down but wanted to post a couple illustrations i came across just now that i thought you’d enjoy.
i’m a sucker for vintage everything so when i fell over these old ads and illustrations at hprint, i got a little lost. (ok, a lot). take a look at one of the links if you dare (read: have an extra millisecond)
the good news is you can actually buy them so if you do fall in love you can put it on your wish list.
of course this is the tip of the very tall iceberg
the holidays were so glam
(if not a little insipid)
but for the most part, they were exquisitely represented, the sentiment, the sweetness
hprints.com/print.php?id=10524&u=21,35
aside from the fashion, there’s also a ton of clever covers, perfume and jewelry ads from old french mags like la parisienne and le sourire.
hprints.com/print.php?id=7083&u=22,26
Hérouard 1921 Les Etrennes Inutiles
above images all from hprints.com
ok well there’s no one in the world who could go thru it all so enjoy your little nook in the site. but don’t say i didn’t warn you! good nuit!
in the midnight hour
hey guys how have you been? life’s good here, i just had to take some down time cause stimulation overload was coming at warp speed and needed slowin down’! i got a new computer and there’s a learning curve, connection issues, general busy work added to the already overwhelming inbox and it creates a recipe for producing nothing. anyway it’s given me a chance to decompress. it’s already late here and i have an early morning but i just wanted to say a quick hello.
gadabout via theneotraditionalist.com
i’m getting back on track now and hope to take some of the pressure off and just enjoy the ride.
in other news, i’ve been working on getting the word out on the dangers of compact fluorescent light bulbs, a topic i never thought i’d have the time or energy to care about but it’s turned into my crusade. on that note i’m thrilled to report there is something you can do to stop the BAN on the innocent light bulb. i’ve never known much about politics but i know there’s hope cause a bill is being proposed that will REPEAL the ban on the bulbs before it becomes law. please check it out and show your support below at each of the two links. it’s probably not on your priority list but even the EPA says these are toxic hazards. that in the hands of the general public, without the proper disposal they require, will contaminate our water supply. they’re far from green. it’s a mindblower!
H.R.6144 - Better Use of Light Bulbs Act at opencongress.org/bill/111-h6144
and here: www.popvox.com/bills/us/111/hr6144
ok, it’s on my mind. thomas edison’s first bulb has stayed lit since 1909, proving that there’s really no need to replace bulbs every ‘few months’. CFLs are the epitome of ‘Planned Obsolence’ which means they’re meant to burn out just to keep us consuming by GE who has left a trail of destruction for years. add creating a ‘need’ for a dangerous product (that god forbid your kid breaks), they closed US bulb factories and somehow got the world to believe they’re ‘green’. more ranting here if you can take it: stopppingatthegreenlight.wordpress.com
and saving the best for last, i’d like to introduce jaylene (here with her twin brother and sis). she’s my new little sister and i’m her ‘big’. it was love at first sight! thank you to bbbs.org for putting us together. it took a year but was worth the wait. for more info check out: Be_a_Big_Sister
ok shutting down bonne nuit!
i don’t care what they say
allo everyone, it’s another bright and sunny day in paris! what a difference it makes when it’s warm here, it’s a completely different experience. just two weeks ago i had to buy a coat, gloves, scarf, boots and sweaters. it’s going to be 73 degrees so traipsing through the brocantes and the boxes of dirty papers and letters will be a lot more fun than doing it than with gloves and runny noses.
claudia II and i love to sift through all the papers, letters, etchings, watercolors, postcards and documents that are taken for granted by the french. wonderful ephemera from the 18oos, handwritten agreements, original sketches, music scores, grocery lists, menus and paintings can be found in folders and boxes if you spend time to go through each one.
some i can understand and others can’t be deciphered but who cares what they say? it’s so much fun to find a treasure and see them all together at home. the handwriting, seals and creativity is endless! it thrills me and i’ll never get enough!
most tourists skim the surface at markets but the trick to finding treasures is to take your time. it’s so worth it!
anything paper is magical and has so much information and detail in the tiniest space. you really get a bang for your euro and it’s not heavy to transport back.
quel signature!
original water color above, probably a detail for a wallpaper sample in the 20s.
these are the kinds of folders you’ll see along side merchant’s tables so look underneath at the stuff that hasn’t even been unpacked or displayed.
well, these are some of my personal secrets to finding le diamonds, and for those of you who have asked for my resources, i promise to share all that with you with the launch that’s happening any day now. (we’re at the last stage, it’s just a matter of time and will have all the info in one place)!
ok well there are a couple brocantes and vide greniers (antique shows and attic sales) happening today and we’re itching to get out in le soleil so off we go! more soon!
the saucy sides of paris
i don’t know if i mentioned that my friend claudia arrived to assist with the job this week. she’s been coming on the trips for more than 10 years and is the kind of friend who will do anything for you and doesn’t mind if i get cranky or bossy which i may have done once. or twice. ok, maybe 3 times but that’s it!
when we’re together she always reminds me how much i love the risque side of paris. for my other project i’ve been looking for the perfect something to illustrate the french playfulness between the risque and refined.
we love to dig through old ephemera and always come out filthy but with lots of paper treasures. she collects images of architectural elements whereas i look for souvenirs and sketches of the saucy side of paris.
on another note, i really wish i had time to refine my photography skills, almost everything is inspirational, even old cuffs and collars, costumes and plumes…
back on the decorating tip, i always find new ideas in old magazines
and as we headed back out to clignancourt yesterday, we slipped into the waaaayyy back
where you can find some of the best stuff. it’s where dealers who don’t mind getting down and dirty do it. you have to dig deep and you’ll leave looking like a disaster but there are treasures galore.
back in civilization on the other side of clignancourt, we shopped once again for some pretty things for the apartment. these are a couple things i’m daydreaming about for my own little fantasy place in my own little mind…
wood panel from the 1800s i could just EAT
blue satin chairs that have seen much too much of a muchness. believe it or not i love them ‘as is’!
sick i know but that’s the real me!
and i could just pop this paneling up in any room and be very happy there!
back in reality, we met with our clients in the morning who found these great 8 chairs in the 5 minutes waiting for me! they go perfectly with their harvest table.
and they found this little stool for extra seating.
can you tell i wasn’t there? she doesn’t want the place to be filled with as she says, too much girly stuff! so i think they’re striking a good balance. a quick decision was made on a buffet for the dining room which, besides a trumeau mirror is actually the first of the rooms to be completed!
they’re debating these chairs for the bedrooms as each will have a cozy reading nook with a table, lamp and ottoman. they’ve just been recovered with linen and nice soft stuffing so being ready to go is a huge selling point.
claudia found them this 1920s blue deco table that looks like it’s seen a lot of good times. it’s in debate but we’ll revisit it and the chairs, mirrors, coffee and occasional tables today.
oh god i just realized it’s getting late and i hate to be the last one there. these sconces were the last thing we got yesterday before we all pooped out. this afternoon i promised lorraine (claudia’s mom) to her give her apartment a facelift so it’s gonna be a trés loin jour. claudia’s back with my croissant so you know i better fly! more in a couple hours, who knows what but i love the hunt! have a great monday, hope it’s sunny where ever you are!
took the right turn
hey everyone! thank you so much for the birthday wishes yesterday, it was all that and even more, especially with you in it :)
today i’m playing catch up and just popping in for a sec to recalibrate. i stumbled across this incredible site just now and thought it was too good not to pass along to those who have the time and inclination to get lost (like i did)!
vi.sualize.us/astragalus/black%20and%20white
now back to my deadline that never seems to end!
