Happy Easter!
| I’ve always loved Easter egg hunts. I have fond memories from childhood of my brother, sister and I rummaging the family backyard at dawn with our small wicker baskets looking for colorful eggs wrapped in shiny foil. | ||
| What an adventure that was! |
 |
||
| Via Etsy |
Sadly there are no more Easter egg hunts for us grown ups, well not of that kind for sure! I can only imagine the face of my neighbors if they saw me running around the garden in my PJs picking up eggs, what a sight that would be!
Fortunately what I could do, was hunt for some nice Easter eggs on the Net and boy, did I find some neat ones! Take a look.
Sweet delicate ones…
 |
 |
| Images left to right: Le Papier Studio, Etsy. |
The Artistic type…
 |
 |
| Images left to right: Etsy, Oh Happy Day. |
The Rainbow inspired…
 |
 |
| Images left to right: Lil’Luna, Lovely Indeed. |
And these funky ones for they show some of my preferred cartoon characters.
 |
||
| Via Etsy |
Happy, Happy Easter to you all !
Musing of the Day
| At the grocery store today, the lady at the cash register greeted me with the brightest smile ever. It cheered me up and reminded me that I for one should smile at strangers more often. |
 |
||
| Picture by Stephanie Sadler via Etsy |
Going Wild With Reptiles
| I have never been big on all things reptile. I am actually petrified at the mere thought of a slithering creature creeping from under a rock or a pair of cold-blooded eyes starring in the dark, quietly waiting for a prey to come by. But despite these somewhat primal fears, I am totally smitten with the textures and patterns of reptilian skins. And truth is, animalistic styling when done right adds a touch of sexy sophistication to any room or wardrobe. So without further ado here are some exotic skins that can definitely make a design statement. | ||
| First on my list is the amazingly ornate skin of Reticulated Pythons. Originally from South-East Asia, Pythons are among the largest snakes on Earth. Did you know by the way that these super-sized creatures were named after the Greek god Apollo who according to ancient mythology killed with his arrows a great serpent that was eating people and cattle in the ancient city of Delphi. | ||
| As for the word “reticulated” it actually refers to the exquisite snakeskin pattern, which features large blotches of color surrounded by thin lines in another color. Once the skins are harvested –I know it sounds strange but that’s actually the right word, they undergo a fairly complex tanning process, which transforms them into supple leather that can be used to handcraft all sorts of exquisite fashion accessories or to upholster furniture and other home accent pieces. Python is frighteningly beautiful and expensive just see for yourself. | ||
 |
 |
|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Images (clockwise from top right): Ball Python, Python skin in Louis Vuitton workshop, Room by Designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, Prada Paris store, Snakeskin tray via Pinterest, Python leather Ipad case by Raymond Hau, Snakeskin pants via The Sartorialist. |
| Second on the list is the ever luxurious, three-dimensional looking Crocodile skin. Well shame on me but honestly, I can’t make a difference between a Croc leather hide, an Alligator or a Caiman one. All three species belong to the Crocodilia family and have been around for more than 65 million years. These scary looking reptiles were already here when dinosaurs were roaming around and they have remained remarkably unchanged since then. | ||
| Croc skins have always been prized for their incredible quality, and texture. Not only are they thick and durable but they also show some exquisite symmetrical scale patterns. Rolling an agate stone over the skin creates the smooth shiny sheen historically associated with the finest croc and alligator leather. The tighter the scale pattern, the higher the pressure utilized and… the steeper the price! Traditionally big in the luxury fashion world, Croc is venturing now into the interior design arena too. Take a look. | ||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Images (clockwise from top right): Crocodile leather jacket via Flickr, Handbag by Victoria Beckham, Crocodile console table via Pinterest, White crocodile wallcovering by Osborne & Little, Crocodile ottoman via decorating-trends.com, Crocodile skin in Louis Vuitton workshop, Saltwater crocodile via Google. | ||
| Last but not least: the mysterious and distinctive smooth pebbled texture of Shagreen (also called Galuchat in French). So what exactly is Shagreen? Well it’s the skin of a stingray from the Indo-Pacific Ocean. So technically it’s a fish rather than a reptile. But the skin is actually covered with millions of tiny round enamel beads (spicula), which combine to form an intricate pattern on the back of the fish with a sort of eye in the center, and that is very reptile-looking if you ask me. | ||
| Because of that super dense bead structure, Shagreen is watertight and durable but also very hard. A lengthy and labor-intensive tanning process –including stretching, drying, scrapping and finally dying the skin is needed to prepare the leather for future use. So now you get a better sense of why this exquisite material is only used in the luxury business and mostly to manufacture small fashion accessories: bags, cases, cuffs and the likes. Shagreen was huge during the Art Deco era and is now making a comeback, so what do you think? You like? | ||
 |
 |
|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Images (clockwise from top right): Stingray via Google, Pink shagreen Iphone case by Galerie Galuchat, Grey shagreen console table by Atelier Viollet, Shagreen upholstered walls by Designer Nancy Boszhardt, Ring by Damian by Mischelle, Shagreen eyeglasses via Google, Pink shagreen cuff by Fabio Salini, Chanel pink shagreen purse. | ||
| This is probably my longest Post ever! It feels like it went on….forever, just like my Jury duty this week. | ||
Caviar: Love it or Hate it?
| Caviar: you either love it or hate it. Likewise, you’ll either love this picture of Greek photographer Nikos Vasilakis or you’ll hate it. I absolutely adore it, what about you? |
 |
||
| “Caviar” portrait by photographer Nikos Vasilakis |
The Art of Collecting
| As for me Collecting is not so much an art as it is a joy. I collect certain objects for pure enjoyment, merely because it’s fun. And truth is, hunting and gathering very specific objects one at a time is a real treat, a little adventure of sorts. |
 |
|
| Folded paper boat candles by Designer Roman Ficek via Candle Design |
The ideas for my collections come from just about anywhere. I started collecting sterling silver tumblers for example when my mother gave me the one that she had bought for my Christening. I loved the shape and the engraving on it and it all started from there. After I had purchased my third tumbler at a flea market and arranged a little vignette on a side table, I actually realized that I had just started a collection.
I’ve collected all sorts of things over the years: wooden carved angels, sterling-silver tumblers, figurines –but only by pairs, and most recently colorful decorative candles. I don’t think of myself as a real collector though because once I am done with a collection I usually sell it or give it away to start a brand new one whereas a true collector would never part from his beloved possessions.
Anyways, my last whim as I mentioned are colorful decorative candles shaped into some sort of living being (people, animals, trees…). I haven’t quite figured out why candles. Truth is I hardly ever use candles myself and I certainly would never lit one that I have collected. I guess it’s mostly because I see them as fragile, and short-lived miniature sculptures that add unexpected pops of color around the house. And it’s not like I have thousands of them either because believe it or not, nice candles are actually very difficult to find. That said here are some of the highlights of my collection.
 |
 |
 |
| Pillar candle and Marie-Antoinette bust by Cire Trudon, Buddha candle, unknown origin. Photography by XTalfu. |
I particularly like the Marie-Antoinette bust candle and the pillar candle with the Roman Cameo from Cire Trudon. Talk about the “Rolls Royce” of all candles! A Trudon candle is pretty much the equivalent of an Hermes bag but with an additional heavenly scent! The company has been around without interruption since 1643 and they had among other famous clients Marie-Antoinette and Napoleon himself. Story says by the way, that the only gift the Emperor Napoleon gave to his own son when he was born was a Trudon candle encrusted with three pieces of gold featuring his head. Whether it’s true or not the fact remains that Trudon candles are second to none. Because they are made with all–vegetal materials (soy and copra for the wax and pure cotton for the wicks) blended with perfume they smell incredibly good and burn like forever. If you are in New York sometime soon, I strongly recommend you go visit their new shop on 54 Bond Street near Bowery Street in the East Village, it’s well-worth it!
There are many other interesting candle makers out there though. Actually, I am having a hard time choosing the next piece for my collection. Should I select a new bust to complement the one that I already have or should I pick a candle based on a color instead?
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Images (clockwise from top left): Owl candle via Topshop.com, Memento Mori Pink skull candle by DL & Company, Buddha candle by Blisslivinghome and Bulldog candle by Bougie la Francaise. |
And what if I did something totally different and picked a candle shaped as a man-made object instead like these wonderful little matchboxes?
 |
|
|---|---|
| Matchbox candles via Designmag.com | |
So what say you, any suggestions?
Spring is coming early this year
| And I am definitely in the mood for some flowery days like the ones that inspired the new Collection “Les Jardins” (gardens in French) of Macaron Extraordinaire Pierre Hermé. |
 |
|
| Image via Pierre Hermé Paris |
Fabulous Frenchie
I am sorry to disappoint you but by Fabulous Frenchie, I don’t mean Jean Dujardin recipient of the 2012 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in The Artist –even though his achievement is well worth a Post: first French actor ever to win an Oscar for Best Actor, that’s no small accomplishment especially considering that the likes of Maurice Chevalier (1929 and 1930) and Gerard Depardieu (1990) never got one but no, by Frenchie I just mean my French Bulldog.
And really there is nothing like the sight and noise of my snoring Frenchie sleeping in a frog-like position on the living room carpet to brighten up a gloomy rainy day, like today. “Pinup”, my adorable French bulldog is the highlight of the neighborhood’s canine club and a class act of her own. She is more often than not licking her own paws and making outrageously loud throat-clearing noises but despite these unfortunate flaws, my sweet little Gremlin is the cutest companion.
 |
|
|---|---|
| Via Tumblr | |
They say hidden dark secrets run in the best families but it’s hard to imagine that such happy and Oh so cute! Pooches would have as ancestors some English bloodthirsty dogs that were bred and trained during the Victorian era for bull baiting, thus the name: Bulldog.
When blood sports including the infamous bull baiting –where a bull is fastened to a hook and attacked by a dog, which tries to pin its nose were finally outlawed in England, bulldogs became a companion breed. During the industrial revolution small bulldogs emigrated to France with displaced workers and were later cross-bred with local pugs and terriers to become gradually a new breed, significantly smaller and more mellow than their English counterpart.
Frenchies have always been extremely popular with the rich and famous.
 |
 |
|
| Portrait of Prince Yusupov by Serov, 1903 | Leonardo DiCaprio with his French bulldog |
French bulldogs were a favorite of European aristocrats back then and they still are a popular lot among Hollywood superstars today. I guess it’s their unique physique with wrinkled face, pushed-in nose and bat ears that truly make them unforgettable. That and their easy-going attitude and darling personality!
So for all flat-faced dog lovers out there, here is a selection of fashionable bulldog-inspired treats. Enjoy!
 |
 |
|---|---|
 |
Images (clockwise from left): the regal Nicholas Dog chair by Jimmie Martin, a cute little pillow from Teo Jasmin and the pink Uniea Frenchie iPhone case.
And this, just for the fun:
 |
|
| Photography by Retales Botijero via Flickr |
It’s Leap Day today
If you are a “leapling” or “leap year baby”, this is to you! A little Louboutin love to help you celebrate a very special and elusive birthday.
 |
| Shoe by Christian Louboutin, photography by Khuong Nguyen |
It’s Carnival time!
It’s Carnival season again, a time to eat, drink and be merry!
 |
||
| Via Flickr |
Yes it’s Carnival season again and we are crazy busy prepping the house for our traditional Costume Party this coming weekend. It’s the 4th time we are hosting it and I can’t believe how busy it’s getting: eighty guests confirmed so far and counting! To be honest, I break a sweat every now and then just thinking about a possible overflow especially with this nightly chilly weather, but what’s really keeping me awake is my costume preparation. You see the stakes are high and competition is tough!
Over the years, we’ve had a pretty amazing turnout starting with a knock-out Cleopatra with her suitor Marc Antony; a distinguished Marquis de la Fayette, a few prohibition gangsters, the last remaining punks on the planet and a Disco queen or two. Imagination is paramount but my creative juices aren’t exactly flowing lately, thus the stress.
To try and find some much needed inspiration I decided to flip thru pictures of major Carnivals around the world. It turns out I found some 50+ Carnivals worldwide and I mean Carnivals as in celebrations held before Lent every year! Speaking of which, do you know that some scholars believe the word ‘carnival’ comes from the Latin expression ‘Carne vale’ meaning ‘farewell to meat’ while others say it comes from an Italian phrase ‘Carne levare’ meaning ‘remove meat’. Traditionally the Lenten period in the Church calendar (the forty days before Easter) was a time of fasting and penance when no rich foods or celebrations were allowed. So the whole community would get together right before the beginning of Lent to party one last time, drink and eat all the meat, dairy, fats and sugar that had to be disposed of. Because the Italian word ‘carne’ can also be translated as ‘flesh’, some say that Carnival was also a time to bid ‘farewell to the flesh’ meaning to let go of your everyday self, thus the wearing of masks, which allowed people to remain anonymous and mingle freely regardless of their social background.
But enough said; here are the pictures I selected as possible inspirations for my party costume. Take a look and let me know what you think.
 |
||
| Photo: Felipe Dana/AP via www.greenwichtime.com |
Contender #1 is this colorful, sparkling, and amazingly skimpy parade costume, straight from the Sambadrome at the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro the “greatest show on earth”. Just looking at the outfit, I started humming “shake, shake, shake, shake your booty” but then I figured with an outside temperature of 25F it might not be such a great idea after all. Besides I am only half way done with my P90X program so I think I’ll just save the look for next year.
 |
||
| Photo: Krista Rossow via www.nationalgeographic.com |
Contender #2 is this sweet, whimsical Marie-Antoinette outfit spotted at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I love the pink baroque wig, the cheerful brocade dress complete with the string of beads –a tradition in New Orleans since the late 19th century and the feathered hat which reads “Laissez le Bon Temps Roulez” (let the good times roll in Cajun) a reminder that the celebration of Mardi Gras was brought to Louisiana by early French settlers in the 1700s. This is a serious contender!
 |
||
| Via Flickr |
The final option is this pair of colorful costumed and masked party-goers photographed at the Carnival of Venice. I love the richness and bright hues of both outfits. I am not a less-is-more type of person so the flowers, the ribbons, the neckpieces, the jewels, the gloves, well… they all do it for me. The traditional masks with the almond-shaped eyes, and no mouth also add a touch of mystery that I found irresistible.
So what do you think? Any preference? I’d love to hear from you but hurry, my party is right around the corner!
Life is Beautiful
 |
|
|---|---|
| Life is Beautiful by Pop artist Mr Brainwash | |
Rose Poulette 