the art of doing nothing
bonjour mid august! hard to believe it’s here already. i got sidetracked today somewhere between research and not being able to concentrate on work, i ended up spending the last half hour in a deep but lovely rabbit hole. it started with merely wanting to say hello with a summer illustrations but it’s so easy to get lost isn’t it? well anyway this is a little collection of french fun that spans the 1920s and 30s covers and interior works of the french magazine, la vie parisienne. i hope it’s a petite distraction and a chance to remember why we love and admire the french this time of year: the women, the humor, the timeless style and joie de vie.
not to mention ‘l’art presque perdu de ne rien faire’ (the almost lost art of doing nothing)
contentment avec amis
solitude
pique-niquer et l’amour
le vent soufflait
le voyage
la messagere de l’ete
concert de coquillage
les chiens
le moteur
marriage
bonne copines
bonheur
et la soirée. ok it’s official. i have got to get back to work. enjoy your summer day!
it’s not enough to have the feathers. you must dare to fly! ― cass van krah
bon soir c’est soir, how’s every little thing? i hope it’s a relaxing night at the very least. since i’m back on the grid, that means a lot more time at the computer. it’s a double edged sword, this techno world…but we know the downside so let’s focus on what’s up. it starts with the fact that so many beautiful images flash before us each day. probably like you, i bookmark links for when i’ll have the ‘time’ to explore them more deeply. but let’s face it, that luxury rarely happens. in fact, i know your bookmark bar and google searches are divine too, and definitely one of a kind. not to mention saving images to the desktop or folders in folders…and don’t get me started on pinterest! anyway it got me thinking about posting a little at a time and see what happens organically without a plan, just a snippet of the day as it evolves so here goes:
digging into the first folder in no particular order , this the first image that was in my scraps, the one above is a feathery background for the Gallery of Fashion, could it really be from 1799? hard to believe but there has been a fascination with feathers for centuries now so why not? i found it doing a google search on vintage fans. i ‘ve always been fascinated by the playful seduction the fan can conjure. and their delicious frivolity in general…whether they were used to send messages to a lover across the room or donned as cover for fan dancers in french cabarets, these are remarkable works of art and history.
so i’m pulling out the images with feathers and of course, here’s a 20s french flapper fashion plate who would never travel without one in the evening. we know that paris without a/c was gets ridiculously hot so of course she’d need something super chic like this to keep her cool…
and that somehow led to 20s showgirls…i love seeing josephine baker and mistinguette pass my pages today, like familiar old friends. although these phots are finite, it would take a lifetime to see just half of what’s out there.
and that led to films
which led to stars. film stars now long forgotten, at least some of them anyway. i took screenshots whenever there was just too much beauty to bare
isn’t it wild that even though the pictures and may even the women are so dated, they stll seem timeless, even progressive? i love these ladies, the trailblazers, singers, actresses, dancers, performers and trendsetters. they paved the way we see sexiness, glamour, mystique and grace. i think i’ll watch an old movie tonight. well then, signing off…have a beautiful night!
on the road again
bonjour! coming to you today from the beautiful and now fully enjoyed and only semi explored jewel of a town, biarritz, france. this is a place i’d never been but fell madly in love with and could actually consider living in one day. magical, transformative, chic, serene, inspiring, healing, infinte in its own right and in all that surrounds it… 
it’s actually travel day and i’m pressed for time and apologize for having to rush through yet another post. this one is a little image heavy because once again i got sucked into what what supposed to be a quick inspection of vintage photos of beach fashion in biarritz. well, opening that door led me to a magnificent (and time consuming) world of beauty with an introduction to photographers, artists and muses. 
pleasurephotoroom-biarritz-beach-suit-by-schiaparelli i could talk about who’s who and what’s what but instead tried to add the links where i found the photos. they’re wonderful links and collections of fashion, lifestyle, creativity and the joie de vivre. they’re as interesting as some of the photos and i hope you click their links to enjoy an even deeper look into this chapter of the past. 
i’d been obsessed with an overview of the town since i heard we were coming. a history buff, i always wonder how it began, who put the first stake in the ground, how that could have happened with no real tools but pencil and paper, hard work and vision. 
the deeper i dug today the more i learned about people, perseverance, beauty, photography and style and life. 
first of all, such a little can tell so much in a photograph
Chanel sports ensemble, ca. 1928 Design by Coco Chanel second of all, style is transcendent, whether city or beach, the following photos show how it’s done. i wish i could repack my bag and start over. i overpacked and have a new perspective on what i’ll bring traveling next time! 
missmoss-the-seeberger-brothers 
everyday-i-show.livejournal.com 
retronaut.com 
thirdly, there’s the master, Jacques Henri Lartigue – Casino de Biarritz 1918 i knew of him but have a new appreciaton for his attention to detail and simplicity.
please know that i’m not sure about every single photo and that the credits are completely correct but you can always use google images if you want to double check on some. 
i was just eager to get them posted cause my egg timer is running out and so is the juice on my laptop. so from here i’ll just say i hope you enjoy this slice of life on the beach, my own camera was lost on the first day here so i really haven’t taken any photos. in a way i don’t mind cause these have really struck me. i’ll definitely look at shooting my own images in a new way once i get another real camera in my hands.
vintag.es-amazing-photographs-of-everyday-life 
pinterest.com/breton0489/jacques-henri-lartigue 
thelicentiate.com-the-seeberger-brothers-and-real-street-style 
boumbang.com/jacques-henri-lartigue 
Elegance: The Seeberger Brothers and the Birth of Fashion Photography 
messynessychic.com-birth-of-street-style 
everyday-i-show.livejournal.com 
linedrybrand.wordpress.com/category/fashion-photography 
EPSON MFP image
Lili Damita – 1933 – Biarritz, France – Photo by the Seeberger Brothers beautifulsymmetry.wordpress.com/tag/seeberger-brothers 
ritournelleblog.com-when-women-dressed-to-impress-on-the-beach-1930s 
vintag.es-rare-and-stunning-color-portraits 
pinterest.com/haugaard012/jacques-henri-lartigue et alors, the time has come to go…our trip is on its last leg and we’re heading to london today. i hope to post from there but it’s been a whirwind and hard to sit down and fully focus on writing. i hope your summer is going well and that these photos were inspiring if you’re a photography buff. my wish is that all of our photos with friends and family are ones to remember! bonne journée!
the paris apartment 