Seven

With Halloween right around the corner my mind turns to the fabulous gothic creations of Douglas LIttle and Company. You may know him from his exquisite candle line featuring scents of poisonous plants as well as signature fragrances for Barney's and a special edition candle honoring Tony Duquette. For those unfamiliar with the young style maker, think of him as Oscar Wilde with a dash of Dickens and a gothic bent. One of my personal favorite's offered from Maison Little has always been his collaborative effort with Mrs. John L. Strong to create a set of stationary labeled with the seven deadly sins. The set also comes with seven black votives inscribed with the sins in gold script in a beautiful black silk box. It is of note that limited edition black dessert plates with the golden vices were available as well. In the last week as retailers have begun to set out the beginnings of the Halloween merch I have seen two different sets of deadly sins dishware. The first set below was actually featured in the Fall edition of O at Home and is available from Trixie Delicious at Etsy. The second set is from the ever ...ahem..."trendy" Z Gallerie. So is this the beginning of a trend? Or just something seasonal? Would you purchase any of them? And what does Mr. Little think about this all?





the real deal











Little Redux?

The "New" Jackie?

Dressed by the French House of Dior, by English designer John Galliano, Bruni-Sarkozy is femenine, polished and quietly sexy in well-tailored conservative ensembles.

So, anytime someone hails something as "The New" whatever,( e.g "Orange is the new black!") I am skeptical. When France's presidential couple, Nicolas and Carla-Bruni Sarkozy made their way to London several weeks ago to forge friendships and gain the hearts of the English people, the newly anointed Mrs. Sarkozy garnered just such a label for her stylish Dior ensembles; "The New Jackie." For those unfamiliar with Carla Bruni she is a former supermodel and most recently had turned singer-songwriter to some success (yes, I have her CDs). I personally think she is a stunning beauty, obviously since the modeling background, and a talented singer, but it is difficult for me to make the jump that she is the NEW Jackie. I mean, the same week that she was in London they were auctioning off nude photo's of her at Christie's. What page of "What Would Jackie Do?" is that on? Headlines read, "Carla Bruni, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's Wife, Channels Jackie Onassis During State Visit To Britain"; and my personal favorite "Carla gets a make-O-ver." Fashion wise I have to agree she is light years ahead of any woman in the American political landscape, however, wasn't Jackie more than just a fashion plate? Jacqueline Kennedy is for most a beloved icon that continues to inspire women of all ages not only because of her classic looks and good taste, but she also continues to inspire by her attitude and actions. I am anxious to see how the Bruni's public persona as the First Lady of France develops. I really hope she does disprove my skepticism and turn out to be just as poised, elegant, graceful and benevolent as Jackie. The world could use a return to style and grace.


For comparison....

Well-scripted scents...

For the book-addicted out there, a lovely new reference(?) book has just hit the shelves. Perfumes: The Guide, by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez, is an in depth chronicling of over 1200 different fragrances. The scientist and perfume critic (respectively) give the reader a description for each fragrance, offering historical anecdote, the notes contained in the fragrance, and finally a review. The introduction reads somewhat like a beginner’s guide to fragrance F.A.Q, answering burning questions like the difference between eau de toilette and eau de parfum, when does a perfume expire, perfume seasonality etc. However, even if you are a self-styled fragrance expert I’m sure you will find something interesting that you did not know before. Big bonus points, this book has a delicious and snarky sense of humour at points. Lalique Anemone Perfume Bottle, available through Vivre
This book would be a great gift for the avid perfume collector or even for someone interested in beauty and style (Early reminder, Mother’s Day is May 11). Perhaps you could package a lovely perfume bottle with it or a favorite fragrance. My personal fragrance suggestions are:
For Ladies:
Burberry Touch For Men- I know this is a men’s fragrance but every time I wear it both men and women almost immediately compliment me. Likewise it smells absolutely fabulous on both.
Creed Virgin Island Water- This is an excellent for summer. To often I find that limited edition summer scents smell like a variant of either sunscreen or one of those fruity tropical drinks served in a gigantic glass with umbrellas and whatnot. This smells exactly like its name, crisp, cool and tropical. It is such a beautiful smell.
Narciso Rodriquez For Her: I love this smell, and apparently so does everyone else because almost every time I try to purchase this it is sold out ( I guess we are all running out at the same time). This fragrance is for sexy nights out. Wear with caution, it also garners "compliments," of the unsolicited amorous variety.

For Men:
Creed Green Irish Tweed- This is what a man should smell like. Period.

India Indeed So Sublime

This weekend I had the pleasure of viewing the Rhythms of India exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art. While it focused mostly on the artist Nandalal Bose it also featured beautiful pieces by the artist Rabindranath Tagore. For India these artists represented something akin to our arts and crafts artists, as they sought to get back to the roots of Indian art and bringing back traditional schools, or ashrams, for the study of art. This was at the time in India right before the country gained it's independence and much of their art reflects the struggle under British colonial rule. They were contemporaries of, as well as aquaintances with a most notable individual, Mahatma Gandhi.
This exhibit inspired me to really explore (via my home unfortunately) more of India. To go on this journey yourself you will need the following:

Books:
Since Courteny over at StyleCourt has introduced everyone to Mughal Decoration and Rajasthan, I will suggest two new titles.
India Sublime: Princely Palace Hotels of Rajasthan. Another beautiful thick glossy collection from the publisher Rizzoli. It has all the things you love, deeply saturated jewel tone colors, and intensely visually engaging patterns and motifs in their design.
The Sari by Lynda Lynton, from Thames & Hudson. A look at the shockingly colorful and ornate as well as simple textiles of this unique country. Makes me want to get one and wear it myself.
Films:
Satyajit Ray'sThe Apu Trilogy:
Considered by most critics to be the best movie to come out of India and is on TIME magazines 100 best of all time or whatever list. Film-maker Satyajit Ray makes films that are simply beautiful in every since of the word. Beautiful visually , and beautiful in an emotional way, perhaps poetic is the right word. The trilogy chronicles the life of Apu and is like most great movies, a coming of age story. If all the acclaim isn't enough to pull you in maybe an orginal score composed by Ravi Shankar will. See this film!
The Darjeeling Limited:
I don't know how you feel about Wes Anderson films, I personally would like to pack up my things and go live in one. Wes' ever whimsical take on the broken family is no less stunning in his most recent film effort. Rent this movie and watch the featurette first, in which they discuss the hundreds of artisans that hand-painted the interiors and exteriors of the train as well as china for the dining car, hand-blocked fabric, and carved custom screens for the interiors. Even if you watch the actual film on mute (which you shouldn't because the music and dialogue are worth listening too) you need to see it because of Anderson's ability to make such well-edited and visually stunning scenes and sets. Did I forget to say stunning? (Sidenote: this film was heavily inspired by the first mentioned film-maker)
Jean-Auguste Renoir's The River:
I cannot even begin to describe this to you except to say both of the first to film-makers were inspired by this film.(Sidenote: if you are in San Diego or surrounding areas there will be a screening of this during the Indian Film festival being held in conjunction with the SDMA's Rhythms of India exhibit on May 21 at the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Theater in Balboa Park)

Other things to Inspire:
I know some of you out there are Anthony Bourdain fans, make sure to see episodes 5 and 6 (Rajasthan and Kolkata/Bombay) from season 2 of his wildly addictive show No Reservations. During just one of the episodes Tony is cooked for by a Maharana, gives us a slice of Bollywood, has a martini at The Lake Palace hotel just like Roger Moore in Octopussy, gets to stay at the luxe Devi Gahr , shops for vividly coloured spices and veg at a streetside vending stand, visits a modern and high tech guru, drinks hallucinogenic drinks, watches a camel race and a beauty contest judged by how much hair one has on their face (don't worry it was for men). Can you even handle both episodes???
Once you are done watching this, or while you are you may be tempted to indulge in some Indian cuisine, my suggestion is lamb vindaloo and if you are really getting into it some chai (not that stuff from that ubiquitous coffee chain though. yeah, you know who I mean), but iced just to help with the spice of the vindaloo.

Rough Point Revisited

I constantly find myself intrigued by fellow Sagittarian Doris Duke, as I'm sure many of you are. I think many of us are swept away by the entire idea of her painfully beautiful life. Known by most as a wanderlust stricken heiress, many design lovers know her for sense of style and prolific and diverse collections and her patronage of the arts. Doris' left behind her ecclectic legacy, in part, by her many homes. Her summer home in Newport boasts Frederick Law Olmsted (Central Park, Biltmore Estate) lawns and gardens and beautiful promontories looking out over the ocean. Doris spent her summers there, occaisonally in the company of exotic animals such as camels.
Rough Point, was originally built by Frederick Vanderbilt and later purchased by Doris' father in the early 20's. The home is now in the hands of the Newport Restoration Society. Doris herself founded the Newport Restoration Society in 1968.
Now ( I hope I'm not behind on this) Pindler & Pindler, like so many of us, have drawn on one of those homes, Rough Point, as the inspiration for a series of fabric in their Newport Mansions line. Here are Pindler & PIndler's descriptions of the fabrics:
Duquette-"...was inspired by a Chinese silk satin embroidered wall hanging which originally belonged to Doris Duke’s mother Nanoline; then later carefully installed as a bed canopy in Miss Duke’s bedroom. Duquette is an exquisite and elegant rendition holding true to the original document with careful attention to every subtle detail. Duquette is embroidered on a 100% silk satin ground which allows for a sumptuous, alluring, yet quiet elegance. Duquette is offered in two colorways and is shown in Seville" (left, in photo above)

Valencia- "Valencia was inspired by an 18th century hand-painted silk wall-covering found in Doris Duke’s Music Room at Rough Point. Valencia is woven with a 100% silk face on a wire loom incorporating both a cut velvet texture and, in certain areas, left uncut for an interesting epingle that complements the velvet. Both textures are offset by the Egyptian mercerized cotton satin ground, which is a smooth, sleek contrast to the luxurious two textures. Valencia is constructed by the use of the very best silk weaving looms and silk velvet yarns. This three color fabric is achieved by weaving on triple beams which is a very costly and time consuming technique. Valencia is offered in five colorways and is shown in Seville."(right, in photo above)

So what do you think of the fabrics? Do they strike you as decidely Doris?

The Magazine Annex

So... today I turned in a journal for my color theory class which all of you probably wouldn't even need to have been assigned, and would have already had it completed. Our assignment was to fill a 3" binder, till fear of busting, with photos of interiors that we loved and to basically put in an index (we also had to do research on specific painters and color theorists but that accounted for maybe 20% of the binders actual content). This was an easy task for me in that I had untold resources, you see friends, I have a condition, I hoard magazines. I even have a room for only magazines (well a storage closet that is 5'X5'), a magazine annex. It is out of control there are neatly organized, categorized filled shelves but to the floor spills mayhem and chaos, a veritable riot of periodicals...and they have begun to take over the guest bedroom closets also. I just can't seem to part with them. So the difficulty for me in this assignment was having to actually cut out of the magazine (HORROR!!!). I tried to explain to my classmates why this was such a bad thing, ("but how will you source things later?") but they didn't seem to relate. So what do you do? Do you cut out your inspiration photos-or- are you a periodical piler?

Some things on my mind lately...

OK you may have guessed out the gate that this has nothing to do with design, or maybe it kind of does in a totally vague and abstract way. Anyway I just need to kind of get this off my chest.

Where the hell have peoples manners gone? Is it all people all over the country? Is it transcontinental and globe covering this rudeness that everyone seems to have caught?
I have just about had it up to here with the countless people I run into on a daily basis who are just rude. The other day on a RARE occasion someone walking in a door as I was walking out of it held the door open to which I replied, "I appreciate it." Now this may be one of those little Southern expressions that other people are uninitiated to but in the South that is interchangeable with thank-you (which is something else I hear less and less frequently). The person looked at me quizzically registering an expression of surprise that I had offered any gratitude at all. That my friends cuts to the core of my problem. At what point did manners become something delightfully unexpected? If I have one more person rudely shove me, or bump into me while so intent and busy to get to wherever they are going without an excuse me or I'm sorry I almost reenacted a moment of the Iron Bowl just then, I will lose my manners and scream at that person (in my fantasies) or at the very least give them a withering glare. There are a lot of other things lately that also just make me question what is happening to people, specifically some personal experiences that have just left me a little bruised and irritated. When did people become so damned self-centered that they can't even hold doors, or say excuse me, thank-you and let's not hope for sir or ma'am. Where I come from hospitality is generously given as is gratitude and thanks. I don't know if this is making sense because I don't want to write anything to personal but I just wish people would stop being so self-centered and behave a little more conscientiously and graciously. I guess you can't expect much from strangers though when the people you actually associate are inconsiderate.
So to sum up just in case people out there don't know if you are a guest in someone's home, you are just that a GUEST. While your host wants you to be comfortable, you in turn should be thankful and not make your host/hostess' life a living hell. If you are an hour and half away and gas costs $3.60 and I'm a girl who will be driving alone both ways do not give me a guilt trip for bowing out on your invitation to a lunch that is going to be shorter than the drive. Oh yeah and I also have had the flu whether you believed it or not and declined so I wouldn't get your kids sick.That's right I was thinking of YOUR best interest, novel concept You may also want to practice not snorting in disbelief when someone tells you they are sick and then acting like a spoiled and wounded child. If you are coming into town to see someone else and want to make time for me that is great but if the time you are making for me is realistically just to use my home as a truck stop and bathroom break on the way to the other people, please don't bother you are obviously on a tight schedule. As am I, which is why you shouldn't leave your 15 minute poddy break arrival window to "Friday night, Saturday morning whatever" so that I put an two thirds of my weekend on hold for 15 minutes of you being self-absorbed and pontificating just for you to leave abruptly. So, no not "whatever", I am an adult I have things I need to do, things in the coming week I need to make preparations for. Even the cable guy gives you a day with a five hour window and calls ahead. Okay I guess I went ahead and made it personal....