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!
opulent minimalism
hi and happy friday (not to mention a happy start of may and spring that’s in full swing)! i’ve sequestered myself for the past month just to unplug and focus on work with no distractions.
i’ve wanted to have you over to my place and show you what’s been cooking for awhile now. but i’m a perfectionist and home is always a work in progress. add getting to know the new camera, exposures, ratios etc. and it’s a procrastinator’s dream. the final block was that it has had to be done in spare time when the light was right.
but since it will never be perfect, i’ve given all that up and released it to the photographic higher powers. i hope one day to really master the art/science that is photography but these will have to do for now.
i’ve been gearing up for my One King’s Lane Tastemaker Tag Sale and it never seemed ready to shoot even candid stills. well, it’s now or never cause the sale is tomorrow and it’s showtime! welcome to my little versailles/beach house. come on in!
every room has four walls and i’ve indulged my love of all things frenchy and opulent on two of them with a museum wall, desk and small bar where each of the pieces can do double duty. the other two walls are about as plain as can be.
living in miami has given me a new perspective on creating a world that incorporates both the sea and the feminine french furniture i adore. the collection was inspired by the colors of the ocean, the pearlescent objects she gives us and the ways we transform them into everyday objects.
i started to understand the baroque and rococo even more this month, watching the orchid unfurl, flexing almost like it was competing or playing with the ornate curls in the mirror behind it.
trying to shoot on different days was only good in one way: it forced me to find great, inexpensive flowers! i found that whole foods, new market and publix all have great blooms for around $10. why not have them once a week?
so with being the last day to enjoy everything before the sale launches tomorrow, i’m looking it all over for the last time.
the curiosities, the sea grass, the corals, the luscious shapes and colors. the paintings of the sea, the pearl handle magnifying glass, the carvings on the rococo mirror, and the fibonacci spirals that i now see in everything!
the collection may very well be one of my favorites because it’s full of abalone, sea shells, undulating shapes, strange and vibrant natural colors like turquoise, pink and sea green.
the tiny changes in the air plants and getting to know each item was a real pleasure. everything had a personality and all worked together.
it was living in a magical little world!
but i guess it just means starting again. now all four walls will be blank once again, a brand new canvas. but i’m sure the theme will still be the same…we mermaids love our mother earth, sea, sky and sun so inspiration will never be far!
i hope you have time to come by the OKL sale if you have a chance. i’ll post the link tomorrow. it goes live at 11am.
in the meantime, it’s back to work, i hope you enjoyed the tour and the vignettes!
here are a couple more…
the peonies finally bloomed!
how are you decorating this spring?
more tomorrow! have a great weekend!
ps: home depot has gardenia plants for $5! excuse my naked black buckets…see what i mean about nothing is quite ready? it’s my lesson of the day…let go!
the summer wind came blowing in
happy summer everybody! how’s everything in your world? i’m finally sneaking in some blog time so all’s right in the world here for the moment.
i’m basically just working hard during the day and sleeping hard at night. today was the first time we were able to get out and take a road trip to some favorite haunts and we found a gold leaf cocktail table.
you’ll be happy to know my sconces are up. now i’m on the lookout for a pair of slipper chairs to sit under them.
well you know how the days are, they start out with big talk, plans and good intentions but suddenly it’s late and it’s all i can do to write these last few words. sweet dreams and wishing you lots of lazy days and a summer to remember!
the paris apartment 