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

Have a seat..........in Paris

The best part of any return trip is looking at all your photos. I actually saw all that? So much is happening visually when walking the immense trade-only hallways of the Parisian design show Maison & Objet, it's hard to focus. I rely on my photos to remind me of what caught my eye, what caught my fancy. Without those, it can become overwhelming to remember. I am not the spring chicken I was back in the beginnings of my trade-show days. I have been busy editing and organizing my 2,000 photos, most of which I took with my iphone. Lucky for me that I diligently transferred my daily photos each night...........but that is another post about Paris. 

Displays were full of playful colour, reminding us to have a bit more interior fun. Need some bistro chairs or stools? Then mix them up, why stick to one colour? Or one style? I noticed this stylish mix at a few restaurants in the south of France and I am all for capturing that vibe.

I loved these playful chair covers to style up rental or folding chairs. They could be used for indoor or outdoor parties, even to dress up a home office. Choose one style or go crazy and mix them up by style and colour. Things were a bit more fun this show.

Playful transportation. Random entry. 

I always called these buduoir chairs, the sloped arms were originally designed to give more room to volumnious gowns. A gown skirt that can spread remains wrinkle-free and presents a more beautiful pose. Today, the principle remains the same, a lower chair allows for more graceful movement when dressed to the nines. It also can be easier to play the shoe game, these.........no these. Those fashionistas from a few centuries back had it all figured out. I wonder if they had all these colours?

Look at the size and scale of this petite chair. 

Some serious chair style for the young, wouldn't you say?

~

Subscribers may have missed all the wonderful "girlfriend" blog buzz last week. A beautiful post on friendship written by Vicki Archer reminded many of us how important our female friendships are in our lives. Click here to read Vicki's post and reader comments, even better, share it with your most wonderful friends.

iphone photos by Sande Chase

All the Girls are crazy.......for Paris

I already miss this lovely view. I arrived home last night from my 18 days in France, went directly to bed and I will just give over to whatever my body tells me today. I am hoping it tells me to ignore those 3 unpacked suitcases and just lay about and blog, hopefully staying awake. As many of you already know, it was a three-part trip this go around. A 2 week Paris apartment rental with my husband and some family the first week, Vicki Archer of French Essence joining me the second week, and then I was whisked away by Vicki to her home and haven in Provence where we settled in to a relaxed and restful mood. After the wonderful crazy of Paris, it was a most magical ending.

Parisian blogger Garance Dore Idiom bangle for Kate Spade

Toutes les filles sont folles  (All the girls are crazy)

I got to thinking about how women are so crazy for Paris on the flight home. I know men seem to enjoy it too but to the same degree as women do? I wonder because it appears that women just adore it............and I think this is what really makes men enjoy it for the most part. That women just respond in a more feminine way to the charm of visiting Paris. We add another bracelet, a brighter shade of lipstick, suddenly start adding a dab of gloss, fuss a bit more with our hair, wear something with more sparkle or softness, shoes with more height, we are feeling the Paris effect and truthfully I think men will travel anywhere to see it.

Besides, or in addition to the fact we seem to gain confidence to turn on our own charm in Paris, it becomes crazy fun to meet up with other women in Paris (I will tell you about some of these most creative women over the next few weeks). The drinks, the dinners, the chats, yes, even the walking introduces a healthy dose of girl time to balance my male-dominated home. But what really made us girl-silly is our shopping, the finds we find together that I bring home, the chic styling that reminds me of Paris. Above, our best shopping find, the stylish man's Oxford. I bought brown, Vicki the black, then she talked me into going back and buying the black as well. Both will go with the brown leather jacket from a few year's past.

My fantastic Zara buy, the most lovely ivory silk blouse to wear over skinny black pants. If I follow the stylist advice of the fabulously chic Vicki Archer (and who wouldn't?) the pants will be just short enough to show a bit of ankle and then a beautiful pair of solid black booties that I already have in my closet. I am still working out how to tie the long tails but you get the idea and that will be the fun of changing it's look. One pair of fabulous, sparkly big earrings and I am go to go anywhere.

While I played around one afternoon in the apartment setting with my Paris buys, I added my favorite faux-fur shrug which never seemed to fit with anything else even though I was dying to wear it............and it finally works because I just needed the correct silhouette. Vicki and I talked quite a bit about one's ability to mix high-low fashion so easily in today's market. My Zara blouse which cost 39 Euros will be perfect for adding easy style to many idle things already in my closet.

We also found a few simple ways to alter or enhance this year's stylish Oxford. We noticed that those crazy, young Parisian girls remove the laces altogether but we have a more mature, but chic way of having stylish fun with this masculine trend. I have to find them in those ridiculously over-packed suitcases of mine and will post soon.

Crazy is good...........sometimes.

iphone photos by Sande Chase

bonjour..........and merci

Well hello old friends..........or I should say Bonjour as I am sitting in a lovely Marais apartment in Paris, France and I should also say Merci for waiting as I have been gone from this blog for far too long. Not because I didn't care to blog but because I couldn't. The explanation is long, just one of those painful medical experiences where everyone was looking in all the wrong places (including me) and then everything goes wrong before it goes right again and it took the summer for me to repair, recover, and restore.  And I did restore, feeling better than I have for some time and grateful to all the readers who stayed with me or emailed to check in on my absence. Bloggers and readers are the best when it comes to support and I had plenty of time to think about blogging and it's creative hold while I made my way through the summer months. And this is what I have decided about blogging.

I will continue to blog as long as there is something that makes me reach back into my bag at the end of a long Paris day and pull out that camera one more time. A visual treat that unexpectedly appears as we round a dark corner and realize we are across from the Louis Vuitton headquarters, the background feathers are moving ( I should have hit video), the Marc Jacobs creation has appeared out of nowhere it seems and all I can think is "I have to blog about this". This is a window advertising the exhibit about the history of Louis Vuitton and it's creative director Marc Jacobs that I had noted months ago. I would guess that means if it fascinates me, I hope it will fascinate or delight someone who is reading this blog and for now that is a good enough reason for me. Now, scroll back up to the top photo and take another look at the detail, the colours, the flowers, the crystals.........oh my. Paris perfection. 

Louis Vuitton ~ Marc Jacobs Exhibition

Paris Museum of Decorative Arts (Les Arts Decoratifs)
Exhibit information here.

Open until September 16, 2012

Photos by Sande Chase