Woman At the Gate About to Raise Her Parasol
The Settlement of the Dutch
source: American Gallery
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Laduree: French fantasy food!
Fantastique!
Macaroons from French patisserie Laduree:
"From Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports to the heart of Paris, the aromas and colours, the sweetness and elegance of the renowned Ladurée macaroons delight both Parisians and tourists."
More here, and almost certainly more to come in another post!
Pull up a chair!
I really, really like great photos of single chairs.
This one, from The Lennoxx, is a clean, up-to-date take on English country.
Lately I'm seeing a LOT of furniture painted white on the design blogs (well, the ones I visit anyway), and I love it.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Christmas in July
I find myself craving Christmas in the Summer, more often than in the Winter. Isn't that odd?
This lovely image is from the blog The Spirit of Abundance.
The author started her holiday decorating in her daughter's room, with these strings of dancing lights.
The blog is very soothing to visit ... particularly the soundtrack.
The hopeful little girl I was still loves Christmas ... just not all the commercial trappings that have grown up around it.
It's wonderful to see that exuberant hopefulness lives on in my young nieces, for whom Christmas is still suffused with joy and mystery.
Thank goodness for them.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
I dreamed I lived like a Queen ...
" ... in my Maidenform bra!"
There is something Vogue-meets-the-Wonka Candy Factory happening here.
I love red and white striped tents, poles and merry-go-round motifs. What they have to do with Queens or bras I have no idea!
Monday, July 26, 2010
The Well Dressed Workspace
Nicole's desk
... although this is generally more contemporary than I'd go in for, I could make it more my style by adding something like this ...
... an English biscuit tin ...
... with a clutch of sweet peas tucked in for richer color, an expanded palette, and oooohhh that most excellent fragrance!
I dream of having such a workspace, but the sad reality of it is that I have stacks of papers, magazines and accordion files to "organize" myself in random piles all throughout my house.
A gal can dream!
Glamour, 1951
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Old is new again -- and pretty!
When I first looked at this photo, I didn't realize the dresser had actually been turned into a two-sink vanity! I was too busy ooohing over the colors.
Clever and just as pretty as you please.
Source: Style at Home Magazine (Canada)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Keep cool ...
... 'cause baby, it's hot outside!
Artist: Edward Mason Eggleston (1882 – 1941)
source: American Gallery
Friday, July 23, 2010
The Well Dressed Workspace
The palette of blues -- so cheerful! The flowered wallpaper -- perfection!
Country Living Magazine, March 2010
Like a quiet room.
Like a quiet room
Once, long ago,
You knew and loved
Some quiet room --
Not rich,
Nor smartly furnished --
Yet a friendly place,
With doors and windows
Standing open
Day and night,
So, the wide, sweet air,
And the wide, sweet light
Flowed in and out
Unhampered.
The wind, too,
Went in and out
Of that room --
And the soft
Singing sound
Of the rain---
And, in spring,
The smell
Of ploughed earth --
What is like
A lusty body calling --
And in Fall,
The wistful fragrance
Of burning leaves,
Stinging, like tears.
Always,
Day or night,
The beauty and wonder
Of the World
Streamed freely
Through that open room
And the shadows
Of the leaves
Lay, lovelier than any rug,
On its plain floor.
Even in the darkness
A presence filled it --
Gentle but potent --
Resting you --
Releasing you.
That is the thing
You remember best
About the room --
That sense of life
Filling it.
Passing in and out
Amply, easily,
Bringing its beauty
And wonder,
Its help and healing --
Weaving
Its lovely pattern
Of wind and rain,
Sunlight and stars,
Ploughed earth
And burning leaves
And brooding darkness.
A simple room,
Without shadowed corners,
Without shadowed corners,
Or stuffy draperies,
Or costly treasures --
But space enough
In that room
For all the brave
And beautiful things
That really matter.
Once you loved,
A room like that,
A room like that,
And its memory
Has stayed with you
Always --
And often you've wished
Your life were like that.
There are people
Like that --
Uncluttered people
Whose spirits
Are open to life.
There are
No dark corners
In those people --
No moldy litters
Of hate and fear --
Or dusty draperies
Or pretense,
Or costly knickknacks
Or prejudice and conceit.
Such people are simple,
Open to everything --
Life passes
In and out of them
Amply, easily,
As was intended.
In all its abundance
Of beauty and wonder
And tears.
They are plain --
Those people --
But they have
A quiet richness,
A wide beauty,
A deep power,
That heals you.
You rest
Within their hearts
As in a quiet room.
-- unknown
* * * * *
I found this poem at Housekeeping in High Heels, and thank Wendy for sharing it there.
blog happy: Diary of a Vintage Girl
How adorable is this gal?!
"Full time 40's enthusiast" Fleur de Guerre blogs passionately at Diary of a Vintage Girl. It's a real treasure trove, if you are a fan of all things WW II era.
Or even if you're not. It's just terribly good fun!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
etsy joy: spotted canary
The vast variety of beautiful, imaginative things on etsy never fails to amaze me.
These vintage style pendants are fashioned from images in old books. They are little works of art!
From the talented hand of spotted canary!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
think pink!
Pink dress, pink bicycle ...
... there is no doubt I am in serious like with this.
source: The Bicycle Muse
via Slice of Pink (which is a "blog happy" post in the making!)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Dream Closet
OK, so everybody runs all kinds of fashion photos on their style blogs. And I've been known to post a few of my own. The thing is, I really don't much care for a lot of what passes for fashion nowadays. Maybe it's a younger person's game now, I don't know.
What I DO know is clothes I would love to wear when I see them. And since I am embarking on a major (with a big M) weight loss journey, I will eventually be able to wear clothes like these without worrying that although I may be the best dressed person in the room, I'll also be the largest.
"One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong" ...
I've been such a large size for so many years that I am reaaaallly looking forward to fitting into cute clothes again. It's been too many years since I could shop sizes that didn't have an X after the number. And the choices in that range, trust me, are very rarely flattering.
So for what it's worth, this post will be a running one. I'll be adding to it, occasionally subtracting from it (when I look back and think "where was my head?") The only requirement? These clothes, jewelry and accessories have to SING to me. I have to be able to envision myself in them, feeling and looking fabbity-fabulous and self-assured, whether they're casual or dressy.
This is where I'm going to post a whole lot of inspiration for myself. Losing all this weight is going to be hard, and as much as I know I've got to lose it for health reasons, I've got to admit that the prospect of post-fat shopping is going to be like a birthday party.
A truly great birthday party!
p.s. Because I love gowns so much (and hope to somebody have a reason to wear (a non-bridal) one, I am going to keep them off of this post. Otherwise they'd crowd pretty much everything else out. I'll likely start a completely new post for those.
What I DO know is clothes I would love to wear when I see them. And since I am embarking on a major (with a big M) weight loss journey, I will eventually be able to wear clothes like these without worrying that although I may be the best dressed person in the room, I'll also be the largest.
"One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong" ...
I've been such a large size for so many years that I am reaaaallly looking forward to fitting into cute clothes again. It's been too many years since I could shop sizes that didn't have an X after the number. And the choices in that range, trust me, are very rarely flattering.
So for what it's worth, this post will be a running one. I'll be adding to it, occasionally subtracting from it (when I look back and think "where was my head?") The only requirement? These clothes, jewelry and accessories have to SING to me. I have to be able to envision myself in them, feeling and looking fabbity-fabulous and self-assured, whether they're casual or dressy.
This is where I'm going to post a whole lot of inspiration for myself. Losing all this weight is going to be hard, and as much as I know I've got to lose it for health reasons, I've got to admit that the prospect of post-fat shopping is going to be like a birthday party.
A truly great birthday party!
p.s. Because I love gowns so much (and hope to somebody have a reason to wear (a non-bridal) one, I am going to keep them off of this post. Otherwise they'd crowd pretty much everything else out. I'll likely start a completely new post for those.
Ann Taylor
Ann Taylor
J. Crew
J. Crew
J. Crew
J. Crew
J. Crew
(If you're still with me at this point, you realize I have an obvious obsession with cute little jackets) ...
J. Crew
J. Crew
(The two above remind me of Sharon Stone showing up at the Oscars in a Gap shirt and long, full skirt. So gamine-meets-glamour, loved it on sight).
J. Crew
(I will never get over my 80's obsession with the ballet flat).
J. Crew
(A touch of military makes this jacket sheer perfection).
Toast
Boden
Carolina Herrera, Jr. (that's her on the left with eternally chic Mom Carolina Herrera).
via Pop Culture Post
Boden
Bright Lights, Big City Necklace
Kate Spade
(I'll admit to a fantasy-type fascination with NYC as it appears in certain movies and television shows. Sex and the City, anybody?)
Roger Vivier
(love that iconic buckle -- timeless)
... to be continued ...