walk interrupted..........let's stop at Zara

Not that you are interested in every minute of my Paris trip but since I have you captive can we interrupt our walk together and take a peek in at Zara? A fun little shopping break from all that walking? As you know by now, I love Zara stores and they could hire me to be a one-woman advertisement, I find all my fun stuff there. But I will admit that If someone had told me ten years ago that I would be really, really excited about a pink sheer-and-beaded top that I bought for 39.00 Euro in Paris, the city of high fashion I would have dismissed them as crazy. I am equally as smitten with my very comfortable black patent shoes with the pretty satin shoelaces, a more feminine version of the black suede oxfords that I wrote about here. Now the question will be...... should I wear the shaggy ivory collar-wrap for lack of a better name that I found in the south of France with the pink top as I have shown above? I hope so, I really like the look of the two of them together. 





photos by Sande Chase

Looking in all directions.........on our Paris walk

Sometimes while walking in Paris, it is good to look behind you even though you are always inclined to moving forward to see more, more. Visually turn back to say goodbye and gain another perspective, yet another view (it helps for future orientation too). And sometimes if you pause for just a minute and look sideways too, you will be rewarded with something you hadn't expected to ever see.........bird walking as only the Parisians can do.

That gorgeous feathered lady in bright green is originally from Brazil and her lovely name is My Love. She is carried each day in a custom cage to this park directly across from the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel by her gentle and friendly owner and then secured to the park bench with a fine chain. She has a bit of lunch, a bit of fresh air, some sunshine, some company the one in gray feathers, chatty conversation with her owner, and some time to observe the world at large while she scoots back and forth along the park bench in a highly-inquisitive manner. From her temporary perch she can look to her right and see the Le Grand Louvre and Le Pyramide, left to see the Jardin des Tuilleries or almost straight ahead to see the rear facade of the Musée des Arts Decoratifs. As I communicated with her french-speaking owner with my limited comprehension (of the language and the avian world) I couldn't help but think..........I wonder what My Lady thinks of  her Parisian lifestyle?



photos by Sande Chase

Peaceful Paris Walk...........

~ Square Georges Cain ~

Backing directly onto the Musée Carnavalet on Rue de Payenne is a peaceful square (park) in the 3rd arrondissement where Marais residents can remove themselves from the high energy of their busy streets. It is here where they go to collect their thoughts, enjoy a boxed lunch, or read a few chapters. The noise of the surrounding streets dims down, hovers above the trees and you find yourself talking in hushed tones so as not to disturb this peaceful oasis. Just minutes are needed, maybe only ten or fifteen to revive your tired feet and eyes but still you rise from the bench reluctantly.............







photos by Sande Chase

A nice, long Paris walk with me and you

There is a bit, more than a bit of background work to do to clean up my blog, give it a new, more fashionable look over the next few weeks. In the meantime I thought I would share some of my Paris photos, one or two a day for the next few weeks. From the streets, to the windows, through the Maison et Objet show and then on to the south of France...............I'm certainly not any photographer but there is some nice shots here to share and I will keep it nice and easy like we were out for a nice walk. I mean, how often do you see a pink truck with a musical mission and two presidential names? 

photos by Sande Chase

Skeletor................gone glam at Deyrolle

I couldn't resist sharing these wallpapers on this fun and spooky day...........we ran across these new introductions at Deyrolle (the famed Parisian taxidermy shop) at the Maison et Objet show in September and I have been saving them ever since. They intrigued me and even though I have made the edges more spooky just for today, the papers were oddly beautiful and richly coloured. Wouldn't this make for a dramatic statement in a powder room? Spooky gone glam........bow tie and all. 




photo by Sande Chase

petite Paris stash

I rarely make the same shopping mistake twice. See it, like it, buy it, do not allow time to think about it and come back, it never happens. Especially at the bouguinistes (bookseller stalls) along the quais of the Seine. These petite books aren't that old actually (1973) and quite petite (4" x 3") but this 4-volume set titled Poemes Amoureux Et Galants are now stacked on my desk and their vivid pink colour catches my eye quite frequently throughout the day. When I am old and gray I shall consider spending time translating these poems of love but for now they provide me with visual pleasure. 

Of course, if I could part with even one volume they would be lovely, lovely as a petite cadeau tied with a beautiful satin ribbon............but I just can't seem to do so. I had such good intentions. Mind you, I could buy more, it appears these petite pink tomes are all over the place (Ebay, Amazon) not just along the Left Bank. And there is my little chuckle for the day.

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Instagram Photos by Sande Chase

Paris gift stash...........starting at Astier de Villatte

Silk Sachets with Provence Lavender 

& Ma Vie 2013 Agendas from Astier de Villatte

Probably the best thing to bring home from any trip besides your photos is a stash of gifts. Isn't that the best part? My Paris gift stash is like the afterglow and every gift purchase has a story, a place, a person attached to it. I like to pick up things that will add some personality to any of my future gift presentations, things that add a certain joie de vivre. There is always one shop that sticks with me long after I come home, a spot that has me regretting I didn't stock up on more of their merchandise. This Paris trip I find myself remembering Astier de Villatte for a number of reasons (two years ago I was all gaga for  Cire Trudon). We had already been impressed at the trade-only showroom at the Maison show and now we were ready to "shop-shop" in the retail store. Based on their "cool" factor, I did purchase a number of the 2013 Agendas (Ma Vie 2013 ~ My Life 2013) as a gift for a few special friends and one for myself. How could I resist? Besides that, you-know-who was stylishly nudging me on as she was already a convert to Ma Vie in 2012. Maybe sooner.

There was a line-up at the Rue Saint-Honoré shop the day we were there, many buying up these popular agendas and the smaller companion notebooks. Each notebook/agenda is silk-screened by the last existing master printer in Paris resulting in each agenda having it's own unique colour palette which explains the unique imperfections I noticed upon closer inspection when I returned home. I intend to use Ma Vie 2013 (My Life 2013) as a thought-of-the day type journal, a New Year exercise intended to have me writing instead of clicking at the end of the day. It is almost the size of an ipad so it will most likely sit bedside in my case. That the agenda/diary/journal includes a Paris and New York telephone directory at the back is just part of it's continental charm. After all......... you never know when you will need the number to Harry's Bar.

Astier de Villatte is best known for their highly-collectible, remarkably delicate, handmade earthenware. Their 2011 collaboration with NY decoupage artist John Derian is breathing graphic life into their all-white collection and judging by new products that we saw at the trade-only showroom, it is the perfect pairing of talent. By price and nature, these are the type of delicate pieces that you carry home on the plane like precious cargo, on your lap, the whole way home. Maybe something smaller to fit into your luggage? The perfect hostess gift for the upcoming holiday season? Each Astier de Villatte candle is designed to evoke the scent of a particular place, all the way from Paris, Monte Carlo, to Delhi to Jerusalem. I would select Opéra just based on it's description........bonus points to you if you already know why a candle named after the Palais Garnier has honey as one of it's fragrance notes? If not, go here to read this fascinating fact. There are two boutique locations in Paris and and if you visit, you must ask to see the delicate cuff links, mother of pearl I think, with subtle monogram initials..............an exquisite gift for a woman who adores cuffing a beautiful shirt. Another sweet little french gift? Perfumed pencil erasers, the old-school kind...................now isn't that just fabulous? Candles, cufflinks, and perfumed erasers............the gifts I left behind at Astier de Villatte.

There is something so sweet and innocent about the toys in France that always gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling............the purchase of this enchanting keychain was inexplicable. Well not really, I think I was missing Daisy and this sweet face reminded me of her and I really do need a keychain, all the better if it makes me smile. More gift stash to come and some gift wrapping too.

Instagram photos by A Gift Wrapped Life

Crazy Posh Gifting............with a story

Neiman Marcus Christmas 2012 ~ Poetic Wish

Would you buy a gift for $1,090,000 if you had millions and millions? Of course, after  you have  already given a huge portion to charity and family and want to just spoil yourself? Would you turn the pages of the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book and pick one of their nine 2012 Fantasy Gifts? Each one does include a worthwhile donation as well. And if you could indulge in a very posh gift for yourself, which one would it be?   "It all begins with a classic story: Boy meets girl. A romance is sparked. They share a kiss at midnight on Paris's Pont des Arts. But fate intervenes, and they are separated. Each night, they send wishes—he upon a star, she upon a kite—that, one day, they will reunite. This tale of love found and lost inspired the "Poetic Wish" watches from Van Cleef & Arpels. Mini works of art on the outside and exemplary displays of technical watchmaking behind the dial, these masterpieces are in need of their own happily ever after". from the Neiman Marcus Poetic Wish description. Would it be the exclusive His & Hers watches inspired by the romance of the story above? It does include a weekend trip to Paris and Geneva. And it goes without saying that you will be wined and dined, sleeping in luxury accommodations, and touring the Van Cleef & Arpels shop in Paris and it's workshop in Geneva where you will hear.....is that a watch chime that sound like the bells of Notre Dome? Is that shooting star on the watch face in diamonds?  Yes, it all part of the visual and audio beauty of these watches which are touted as a marvel of technology and craft and which took over three years to design and develop.

~ Beau Coop ~

Maybe you are more of a practical person, the one who enjoys farm fresh eggs each and every morning? This $100,000.00 gift choice may make you hop out of the bed bright and early each morning and head right outside for some hen talk. Yes, to your own yard where your pampered heritage-breed hens, expertly and specifically selected for your region, will live is a very posh mini-farm of their own. Not just any hen house but a custom-built one named Beau Coop, a bespoke Versailles-inspired Le Petit Trianon multi-level hen house that really does have a chandelier, a broody room, a nesting area, a living room for nighttime roosting, and even a library for humans (with planting books), and 2 custom-designed raised garden beds. You may be practical but no one can say you don't have style. You certainly won't be hearing it from the hens.

Tailgate Trailer

Want to see a grown man giddy with excitement? The kind that he last displayed on his 5th Christmas when he still thought Santa Claus was real? Want to see him that way each and every time there is a game on? Any kind of game, it doesn't matter. Park this designer Tailgate Trailer anywhere, for any time of game or event, this is a party waiting to happen on a moment's notice. Comes with crystal, state of the art sound system, flat screen and a fair portion of alcohol to get the party started. The trailer might be an old-school idea but this fantasy gift for $150,000 is so groovy that he might not be the only one giddy with excitement. 

View all nine of the Neiman Marcus 2012 Fantasy Gift here.

Photos via Neiman Marcus

Pretty iphone Photos.............and keeping it safe

These were the first photos I took with an iphone over three years ago. Since then I am still surprised at the ever-increasing quality at my fingertips.............which brings me to a travel reminder. My iphone 4S was stolen in Paris about 5 days before I left. It was so fast and so slick that it took me minutes to realize it was missing and only because I was going to take another photo. Travel reminder #1, do not ever leave your iphone (or any phone) on the restaurant or cafe table even while you are sitting there and think you are guarding it. In my case, two strange girls shoved a white paper over our cafe table to distract us (I had just sat down and had not put the iphone away yet) for a few seconds and then it was gone and so were they. The second thing I learned is that I was really happy that I had downloaded my daily photos each and every night. All I lost was that morning's photos, my new Kate Spade iphone case (which I loved), and my What's App free non-stop texting ability with the guys at home. It can always be worse but iphones are an easy target these days from what I hear so don't leave them on the table...........anywhere. It is way too easy for them and you don't want to lose your phone or those pretty pictures. 

Happy weekend and welcome to new followers.

And as always, thank you to readers who comment, 

reading them is such a lovely part of my day.

iphone photos by Sande Chase

Page Flowers.........from garland to gift wrap embellishment

Isn't this the sweetest idea? My head leaped over using old book pages as a flower garland and right towards using these "page flowers" as a gift wrap embellishment. I am going to try my hand at this little tutorial here and thought you might enjoy it too. Maybe make a lovely assortment as gift wrap embellishments and get slightly ahead of the busy holiday season? Maybe see what I can come up with to inspire their use as a gift wrap embellishment? That said, they will look just about perfect if you picture using them on a brown kraft paper or plain white paper, both being the popular gift wrap choice of the moment. Gift wrap success with either of these practical choices becomes all about the embellishment whether it be simple twine, a satin ribbon, or something sparkly and bright. You will see what I mean over the next few months..........yes, my scissors are sharpened and my ribbons all lined up. Bet you thought those gift wrapping ideas were never coming back to this blog didn't you?



                          See my Inspiration for Gift Wrapping on Pinterest here  





photos via BHG

A summer read..............for autumn

Apparently, The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty was on the NY Times bestseller list this summer and also listed as #1 for summer reads on various lists. Truthfully, it doesn't happen often but occasionally a really, really good book will escape my notice. And occasionally that lapse can be timed perfectly, landing in my laptop exactly when I need a fabulous read. Such was the case this weekend. As you will see..........things are never what they seem.


NY Times review here but spoiler alert.



Photo via Amazon

Pascale Paluns...... and the enchanting world of Vox Populi

I remember the showroom being crowded, very crowded so that usually propels you out fairly quickly. The busyness of this trade-only booth at the Maison & Objet in Paris should have tipped me off to the popularity and influence of this french designer, as it is I am only now understanding what I was seeing and why I should have slowed down, absorbed more, studied those captivating french wire sculptures. I have deliberately left my photos slightly grainy, slightly unfocused, they seem to capture this dreamy world of bygone beauty, using re-purposed brocante finds to tell a story. Pascale Paluns of the Vox Populi Atelier in Avignon is known for her uncanny eye in creating lighting, wire sculptures, fabric objects, her work is carried by Anthropologie and ABC Carpet and Home in NYC to name just a few. She is often commissioned by large retailers to imbue their merchandise and retailing with that indefinable french mix of whimsical and chic. There is a bit of mystery to the creator herself, few are allowed into her 18th century atelier in Avignon and that's not to say I can't share a peek of a few who did enter her enchanting world, just click here and here. Website clicks led to nowhere but I will keep searching and update when successful. Some say Pascale leads the way and the rest follow when it comes to the enchanting world of  french persuasion, if that is so............then watch for these oversized vintage silk scarves that I first noticed in her booth. They were fabulously huge. Fabulously chic.




iphone photos by Sande Chase

Pink Paris Velvet.........

I almost expected Marlene Dietrich to come around the corner with a cigarette holder, wearing mule slippers  and holding a pink martini saying "Good morning Darlings" when we entered the Bluemarine showroom in the late afternoon. Movie star glamour in varying shades of rosey pink put Bluemarine's opulent booth at the Maison & Objet show in Paris as my absolute favorite for a number or reasons.

The luxury brand is big on sumptuous details such as pillows with feathers, sparkling crystals and pearls forming letters and patterns, beautifully finished edges, exquisite silks, satins and all the luxurious details you would expect to find in a movie star's bedroom, real or otherwise. But what also caught my eye was the velvet, the rosey pink velvet used to "dress" the armoire doors, the shelves and even the applied moulding. As I used to say to our design clients (ones with a sense of humour) "a detail to die for darling".

I placed this fashionable pink feathered pillow into view of the most remarkable feature in the room........ pink velvet floor tiles! Can you imagine? It was divine!  I fell in love with this concept. Might be something to consider for some major glamour in a dressing room/closet. My experience after 25 years a a designer tells me that the velvet used on the armoire, doors, shelves, and floor tiles was applied with adhesive spray glue, allowing the velvet to adhere quickly and smoothly to moulding elevations and tight corners. 

Velvet floor tiles.

Divine Pink Pillows

One last look.............it wouldn't be that hard to make this display armoire if you fancy yourself a bit of Hollywood glamour. Isn't it divine?

See the glamorous Blumarine collection here

iphone photos by Sande Chase

Lavender...........as in Socks

My lavender socks make me smile. Yes, this is just a day after I said I adore wearing black. Pay no attention to me, when it comes to fashion I change my mind all the time. Mind you, these lavender socks that I bought in Paris are going to look fabulous with my black oxfords too, maybe even better than they do with the chocolate browns ones. I also bought a coral pair of socks, can you imagine how much fun that will be peeking out from a pair of black oxfords and black pants this winter? I have been telling my husband for months that he needs more fun colour in the sock department. So far, he hasn't listened...........so never mind, he will see these and watch how fast he buys them now. I know it.



iphone photo by Sande Chase

Perfect Black Dress............at Colette

Just seconds after I innocently snapped this iphone photo at Colette, the trendy Parisian concept store known for it's well-heeled customers and well-stocked water bar, a most serious and beefy security guy came up to my shopping partner Vicki and sternly said " no photos".   Though she clicks away at a pretty fast and furious pace, Vicki actually hadn't clicked yet which is precisely what she told him. The discussion even got to the point where she offered to remove the offending camera from around her neck, let him take a look and prove there wasn't any "Colette" images. So I guess that technically means I am not supposed to have this image of my perfect black dress. Oops. Actually, two black dresses if I care to be precise but it is the plunging one on the left which will serve as my post-Paris reminder........... 

........that there is nothing wrong with wearing too much black. When I was packing to leave for Paris I lamented that "I have too much black" followed by "I am so boring" followed by "I need to wear more colour". That little black dress reminds me that I actually love wearing black. It's divine. That's it. I am wearing black. 

I love to wear black but that doesn't mean I trust it unconditionally. Black can be forgiving but it can also delude me into thinking I am more svelte than I am so I wear it cautiously. Try not to be fooled by it's tomfoolery effect at the end of the day. Especially after all those delicious Paris lunches......look at this smoked salmon presentation with the plate of huge blinis (no wimpy little ones for me) and the huge plate of frites that magically appeared with every meal! Who ordered those?

I am not a lady who lunches on a regular basis. Like never. But sitting sideline at Hotel Costes observing the beautiful people in the sunlit courtyard at lunch is an event to add to your Paris must-do list. You will see shiny hair swinging, serious shopping bags, and runway-style wait staff........might as well enjoy the parade and order a Moelleux Au Chocolat which is why we are talking about the perfect black dress. Note that I do not call it the little black dress. Just the "perfect black dress" whatever size that may be.

Right now I need this photo of my perfect black dress by Azzedine Alaia to keep me in line..............and no more frites on the side even though I have been craving them all week long. Though if you do happen to be in Paris today, you can visit Colette after 5 pm and have Scott Schuman aka The Sartorialist sign a copy of his new book Closer. Sounds like the perfectly chic occasion to wear black to me.

And did you know that this studded Milwauke boot by Etoile Isabel Marant was the "most loved boot"  at Barney"s yesterday? Which is the only place you can buy that Azzedine Alaia dress in North America........ just in case you were hunting one down. 

                                 See my Love Wearing Black board on Pinterest here.





iphone photos by Sande Chase