memoirs of the court of louis xiv
the memoirs are just one of a thousand things i came across tonite working on a new project, i couldn’t resist sharing some of them so, if you’ve got the time,
these are the places
i don’t want you to fall into the abyss and blame me so that’s all pour maintenant! (plus we found a kitten today and she’s on my lap and i’m typing with one finger. bon nuit!
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bonjour encore!
i have about 1 sec before i get shut down but had to share these tiny miniatures in a gallery around the corner from the hotel. they’re described as ‘memories’ by the artist and are about the size of dollhouses. oh no i’m melting, gotta go but a quick update, paris is as amazing and full of life as ever, maybe even more than ever. i’ve already taken over 500 pics and have discovered hundreds of new places that i will share tomorrow i promise!! xoc
float like a butterfly
dirty but pretty.
this is from hotel carnavalet in paris. i don’t know if they know. i was dying to use this on the homepage of my site but thought better of it. but i hope my blog buds appreciate it. as soon as this show is over i’m gonna start on working on the rendezvous to paris in may. these salons are a trip all their own.
this is from another salon in paris, hotel soubise, an amazing home with the prince and princess’ suites still intact. it looks imposing from the outside but it’s got drop dead interiors. don’t get me started on the walls!
i satisfied my shopping/fleamarketing/weekend and overall tune out and found these at the ny flea’s garage. i love it there. always something inspiring.
we’re going to blow these up. they’ll be on canvas so you can hang or lean them.
more on the flat stuff: we’ll have it for sale at the show and on the site.
i think this would be great for girls too, minus the black sheets!
here it is in creme
this is another flat headboard. the detail is amazing.
anyway, that was my happy distraction for tonite. now back to the grind. sent my guy off to florida and have ny to myself. now i’ve really got no excuses! i usually wing stuff like this but i’ve been asked for the layout. who can predict that? oh well, luckily there’s an art store across the street so here goes nothing!
omg i did it thanks to a friend who clued me in to the scale thing! i’m going to bed!!
i have a dream
and don’t want to wake up from the state i’m in. still feeling the effects, still making plans to go deeper. funny when you travel, you never know what’s going to come of it. for me it seems i found a new passion in affordable real estate. no one believed me that there were apartments for about 150,000 euros available in the heart of paris. ( i happen to be a bargain huntress despite my lust for finery) . going thru my pics from the trip i see i was definitely out to prove them wrong. i wish i could buy them all and start my own little paris apartment biz right now, but if i can’t, maybe you can!?
this is what got me started, imagining a little place to call chez moi…
i started obsessing and searching out agencies in all the different neighborhoods.
this is just the tip of the iceberg!
you’ll have to excuse my pics, they were taken thru windows
i mean take your pick!
this one below is the most expensive topping 200g’s but hey, it’s so cute, it’s worth the little extra! happy hunting!!
oh and of course i have to throw in my bit of parsian gaiety wherever i can find it. i spent time with my nieces who were dressed as pirates for a local parade. to me they looked like they were ready to have their portraits painted in 1740′s france! yes, i know, auntie claudie is suffering from dimentia!! somebody stop me!
oh and politically:
you can take the girl out of Paris…
ok so i’m from jersey, what can i say? maybe i was there in another life with you all? maybe we stormed the bastille or lived at versailles? whatever it is i’m happy we all share this passion for paree!
don’t worry, i won’t stop posting pics from the trip. i did take them for the books but it’s such a long arduous process and so much more fun to show YOU!
for now tho, back in nyc, figuring out what to do with the store and just seeing life from a new perspective. i never imagined 30 days would make such a difference but hopefully i’ll keep some of the more imp’t things i learned. today it’s how everyone was on their bikes: they don’t ride the wrong way, don’t talk on the phone, stop at the lights, blah blah blah…i’m gonna try that!
so my readjustment time is pretty much wearing off, but i’m determined to use my camera here and find beauty or things that remind me wherever i can. and if i squint i can avoid ny’s roadkill and pretend i’m you know where…
this is on 8th street, st marks…what a difference a flower would make!…here’s a few from paris for inspiration!
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ca va for now!
oh by the by, i won this from my wonderful blogging friend, Joy. It was waiting for me when i got home and as fate would have it, i have just the person for it. so joy, know that this is going to a friend in need. i think it really will cheer her up so thank you!
reverse culture shock, who knew?
well, back on the continent. i had to hibernate for a couple days cause new york can pull you right back into the quagmire if you blink. plus i had to catch up on all the reality series (did i just admit that)? the past 30 days taught me a lot of things. the best came from one of the women trip, Ellen. she said that the beloved 20′s french stage actress Sarah Bernhard (above) took 6 (six)! mini meditations per day. only for a minute or two just to stop and pull it together. i’ve been trying & have made it to 2 or 3 (ok, 2) but it’s a fun mind game and really works!
as far as life back on the farm, i wish i could talk about something glamorous but now comes the sorting and organizing, importing and choosing new things for my line. i’m so tired of working with furniture, it’s exhausting and not as much fun as stationery, blankets and things that don’t break! these little books aren’t in the us yet so it was amazing to find them right around the corner from my apt in paris. they’re handmade and originally were designed for the Comedie Francais.
these are handmade too , matchboxes with superlong wooden matches covered in silk and flocked velvet. there’s so much else but it’s late…do you want to see more?
lords of the fleas
i’ve made some good friends here, the fluffy guards who stay right by their masters at the markets. my dog always wandered away, maybe they give them pâté as incentive?
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and some human friends too, like Christine who offers unbelievable services…like if you rent an apartment here, she’ll get the gas, electric and internet turned on for you…how cool is that!?
and as i leave today i’m looking at the signs, the words on the street. knowing i’ll be back makes it easier to leave, the fact that it’s raining and cold is definitely giving me the incentive i need to pack up and see what’s ahead!
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/but Paris, i was never a real Francophile, i just loved your French design. jetting in and out all these years i see now that it was only a surface and superficial love based on looks. now it’s deeper and true, yes true love for your magic and mahem and i will never be the same! most importantly i’ve learned the French are not rude, they are just very serious. they are in fact some of the most charming and gentle people i’ve ever met. in these days they’ve given me cadeaux, advice, held doors, offered seats…this has been an incredible experience, a gift i’m so glad i gave myself and i want to thank YOU, blogging friends, for encouraging me to do it. i hope to be here with you next time! all my love and see you on the other side!
je ne regrette rien
paris, like blogging, can never be finished no matter how much time you have. there are so many beautiful places still to go and (sniff), my last day is tomorrow. but tonite’s an homage to the things i did, and won’t regret what i didn’t. that’s what next time’s for, oui?
this is one sexy city…who else names streets after women and lingerie?
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so many cute shops, each with a life of its own…
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just fyi for those of you who are en route…visit BHV (but go on a weekday when no one’s there). it’s paris’ best one stop shopping for just about anything from bubble wrap to flocked wallpaper. i went for a little cadeaux for my 6 nieces and nephs and got sucked in for 2 hours! here’s le montage:
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the craft section is out of this world, these are hard paper and you can do anything to them…
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the wallpaper section is an education in itself, this is one of a hundred flocked wallpapers,
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these are fun for those who don’t want to commit to the wallpaper or fabric walls. they’re decals, some are really detailled and exquisite
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of course all the accessories are tres francais
ok well you get the point, GO if you’re here! well that’s it for now. probably what i’ll miss just as much as paris is the fact that i can blog without constraints. no one nagging me to hurry and just being able to free flow…that reminds me, i do have a midnite rendezvous with a friend on this last night aux Bar Fleur down the street! it’s a flower shop that transforms into a bar at night. went by today to check it out. it smells amazing! a bientot!
like sands thru the hourglass
omg! i thought i was leaving this weekend but just looked at my itinerary and it’s Friday! now it seems the clock is ticking and i haven’t even skimmed the surface! well ok, skimmed. this wasn’t a buying trip per se this time, it was R&D for the books i’m doing so taking pics was fine and fun. but when a mag i write for asked me to put together a few romantic trinkets romantic for an upcoming issue, i panicked! i don’t have anything here! Well, a fellow blogger (and now new friend), was meeting me over the weekend and had never been to the fleas. i decided to teach her my tricks and pick up trinkets for under 1 or 2 euros and we struck gold! and this is only what i took out to do a quick shot…i am obsessed and in love with Paree and its treasures!
i did get to one more amazing salon. http://www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com/fr/jacquemart/
just outside was this bath store, the french are taking la toilette very seriously these days! now if only we could convince them that shower curtains were a great invention…
ok gotta go, it’s all happening right now!
awww fakeout!
i just realized i never mentioned the maison objet which as usual was fascinating and fun.
these are all fakes! they’re flat. some are sort of laminated but light enough to hang on the wall as a headboard like this above and below,
the one below is lucite
this dresser is also flat, a fun piece to put in front of a dresser height shelf,
and the same with the mantle. i may carry the whole line, they’re light and fun and inexpensive. there are also doors and lots more!
