Pretty as Paris

Dreamy White Dining

2011-02-06T13:10:00.001-06:00

I love the look of these dreamy kitchens and dining areas. The white table linen and chairs add a fresh and romantic feel to the rooms.

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

2010-11-01T12:47:00.001-05:00

Makes you just want to forget everything, grab a book and jump in, no?

More Macarons

2010-08-19T07:44:00.000-05:00

Fauchon of Paris is tossing its macaron hat in the ring. Can't wait to taste them next time I go to Paris.

However, this pretty new box of macarons from Laduree is sure to give Fauchon a run for its mac money!

Lavender Dreams

2010-08-19T07:17:00.001-05:00

Beautiful French home decorated mostly in shades of lavender. I can feel the calm from here.

Noel in July

2010-07-25T14:37:00.000-05:00

It's never to early to start thinking about the winter holidays, especially if you can be inspired by French decor. I certainly was by these pictures from the French magazine Campagne Decoration. I hope you are inspired, too!

Danish Delight

2010-06-26T14:19:00.002-05:00

These beautiful images come from another site I found---Jeanne d'Arc Living. The site is Danish, but has English text. Take a look around the site and sign up for the newsleeter. You will love it!

French Home Beauty

2010-06-26T13:47:00.002-05:00

More lovely home decor from the French on-line magazine e-magDeco.com.

More French Magazine Pictures

2010-06-06T18:27:00.007-05:00

Just can't get enough French decor ideas. Here are some pics from a few of my favorite French magazines!

French Restoration

2010-05-18T07:46:00.004-05:00

French-inspired decor from Restoration Hardware. Be sure to visit their website for more decorating ideas and to order a free catalog.

Si Lolita is Lusciousness

2010-05-11T11:30:00.006-05:00

Rarely, ok seldom, do I want to rush out and buy a fragrance without so much as a whiff, but the new Si Lolita by Parfums Lolita Lempicka makes me want to do just that. The perfume bottle is in the shape of a lucky four leaf clover and it just screams feminine. I would invite you to go to both sites, Si Lolita (just the perfume) and the main website for Lolita Lempicka. Both are just as cute and charming as a bumble bee. Here are some pictures to entice you.

I LOVE Paris!!!

2010-04-24T16:41:00.002-05:00

I found this wonderful rendition of Cole Porter's "I Love Paris" sung by Kay Starr. This song captures my feelings exactly. I'm counting down the days until I can return to the City Of Lights. In the meantime, I have my memories...and this song! Enjoy!

Share I Love Paris by Kay Starr

Voices of Srping!

2010-03-31T08:09:00.002-05:00

I can think of no better song to usher in the beauty of spring than the familiar "Voices of Spring." Here the song is delivered by my favorite soprano (no, not Tony) but Kathleen Battle from her 1987 performance with the Vienna Philharmonic.

In the Spirit!

2010-03-27T21:01:00.003-05:00

Nothing like Spring and the hope it brings to get me back in the creative lane. I especially enjoy holy week when family and friends of various beliefs celebrate Passover, the Resurrection or just Spring.

I discovered scores of wonderful vintage Easter cards on the New York Public Library's Digital Collection website. Just search "Easter" and prepare to spend some time browsing these beautiful cards. Here are a few of my favorites

Sing it With Me, Folks

2010-03-20T13:41:00.002-05:00

I wonder if we keep saying it enough it will come true. Oh well. In the meantime enjoy Ms. Ginger Rogers.

Spring Shoe Mania!

2010-02-15T15:00:00.007-06:00

I am not usually a shoe person--I am more of a purse person, actually--but I could not help but salivate over the shoes featured in the latest fashion collections of Nina Ricci, Valentino and Viktor and Rolf. Here is a sample of what strolled down the runway in Paris for Spring/Summer 2010.

Nina Ricci
Valentino

Viktor and Rolf

French Delight

2010-02-12T17:46:00.006-06:00

I just stumbled on a tres bon website, Les Enfants du Marais. It's French, fun and full of delightful objects for home and garden. Here are a few pictures to get you excited about visiting the site.

New Year, New Pretty

2010-02-12T17:21:00.005-06:00

Now that the holidays are over and the dust is settling, I'm back to posting pretty.

First up is a stash of absolutely beautiful soaps and lipstick sets I snagged from one of my favorite stores, Anthropologie. On sale for about $.95 each, they were just too lovely to leave in the store. Many of the items are from Tokyo Milk. I will pop them into gift boxes for family and friends. A little trifle to bring a smile.

Pretty as a Picture

2009-11-20T13:41:00.006-06:00

Most of these pictures were taken by the wonderful photographers at Sarah Kaye Representation. They evoke a sense of beauty and longing. I hope you find these as inspirational as I do. If you want to see these pictures enlarged, I have included a link under the slide show below.

Stills

Ahoy Mates! J. Crew is Full Steam Ahead with Style

2009-10-17T09:15:00.005-05:00

I am so in love with what J. Crew is doing this season. The soft, muted colors and feminine details are right up my fashion sleeve. The jewelery is fetching as well. Take a peak at the J. Crew website or order a free catalogue today!

Fresh Pretty from Designers Guild

2009-08-29T06:31:00.004-05:00

Due to an unusually cool August here in Chicago, I am getting in the mood for Fall a tad early. That means getting all of my new catalogues in to enjoy over morning coffee. One of my favorites is the beautiful catalogue from Designers Guild. I just discovered they have a new free Fall catalogue so I made haste to order it. A few pictures below to tide me over until I get my hot little hands on my print copy!

From my House to You

2009-08-28T07:13:00.008-05:00

I love flowers! Here are a few pictures of my flowers for you to enjoy. As you can see by the dried flowers amassed on top of the armoire in my bedroom, it's difficult for me to throw any away.

Pretty in Pink

2009-08-23T19:28:00.011-05:00

Although I think I've seen pictures of designer Betsy Johnson's home in magazines, I found more photos and details of her pretty pink pad at: http://www.taverne-agency.com/

Just search "Betsey Johnson" and you will find about 15 pictures of her fun and funky home.

Good enough to eat...well almost!

2009-08-23T16:49:00.005-05:00

When I first saw these pillows on-line I was tempted to lick my laptop screen! Thankfully my lapse of sanity did not last too long and I ate a handful of Cheetos instead. You will agree these pillows by Bonjour mon coussin (English translation---Hello my cushion???) are delicious, no?

Pretty Baby

2009-08-15T10:14:00.006-05:00

Restoration Hardware has joined the high-end children's decor wars and is giving Posh Tots a run for its money. Seems like RH's Baby & Child offers more restrained kiddy glam while Posh Tots is not ashamed to be over-the-top. Order FREE catalogues from both sites and then decide!

Posh Tots

Restoration Hardware Baby & Child

Pretty Cheap

2009-08-12T18:07:00.007-05:00

Pretty doesn't have to cost a fortune. Here are a few finds from the last week or so--items that caught my eye-- but didn't leave me broke. 1) Arizona "Georgia Peach" green tea/$.99; 2) Milani "Runway Eyes" shadow/$6.99; 3) Forever 21 floral Lucite bracelet/$5.80; 4) Kasugai Japanese gummy candy/$2.50 per pack ; 5) Wet 'n Wild lip gloss/$3.99; 6) Dollar Tree pair of birds/$1.00; and 7) Cost Plus World Market grapefruit flavor pastilles/$2.99

Pillow Fight?

2009-08-10T16:17:00.006-05:00

Not with these pillows from Ankasa!! All you will want to do with these lovely pillows is adore them while you dream of being in heaven. They are that pretty. I've read, however, that they are pricey because of all of the detail and I've started to see knock-offs in places like Pottery Barn and Pier 1. Here are a few to tempt you.

Urban Decay

2009-08-09T16:14:00.007-05:00

The August '09 issue of Vogue Italia features a retro-inspired black and white fashion slide show. Looks like model Linda Evangelista is still getting paid, bless her heart. Photographer Steven Meisel is at the top of his game.

Vintage Shoe Palooza

2009-08-03T19:03:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite sources of inspiration is the New York Public Library's Digital Collection. It's an on-line warehouse of over 700,000 images. Surely something to fascinate everyone. I found these vintage shoes--plates of illustrations--from a book entitled "Ladies Shoes of the Nineteenth Century." I've posted several plates for you to enjoy but there are more at the website. Just enter "shoes" in the search bar. You could spend hours looking at all sorts of images. Grab some coffee and turn on the answering machine...

Artist Roundup - Nicoletta Ceccoli

2009-08-01T13:15:00.006-05:00

I am not sure where I first saw the work of Nicoletta Ceccoli. I was probably surfing my favorite blogs. Well, no matter. I'm hooked. Her work is heavenly with just enough creepy to make it interesting. I found a postcard of hers while I was in Paris this past April and wish I could have found more stuff. I hope these few pieces leave you wanting to see more of her work. http://www.nicolettaceccoli.com/index.html

Graceful Dining

2009-07-25T10:25:00.007-05:00

Once again, I am inspired by the lovely photos from the French language magazine, Art & Decoration. This time I am in love with the wonderful and inviting table settings. I can just taste the coq au vin!

Artist Roundup - Jean-Étienne Liotard

2009-07-22T08:37:00.011-05:00

I love the work of artist Jean-Étienne Liotard (1702– 1789) a Swiss-French painter. Here are a few of his works. I especially love the fact that he painted children looking happy and having fun.

Children with Bubbles

Marie Antoinette

Portrait of a Young Woman

Girl with Doll

Still Life Tea Set

Chocolate Girl

Quick! Someone call the moving van!

2009-07-21T17:19:00.004-05:00

One of my guilty pleasures is looking for homes in Paris. No harm in dreaming. I originally saw this charming pied-à-terre at Palais Royal in Paris on Sotheby's International Realty site. These pictures were taken from the Sotheby's site--they have juicier shots. Mysteriously, or perhaps due to a grim economy, the property is now listed with Christies. No matter, I still want it. Did I mention it comes furnished?

http://www.christiesgreatestates.com/properties/view_65550/

Au Bonheur des Chineurs

2009-07-16T18:09:00.008-05:00

One of my favorite French language magazines is Art & Décoration --I could sit for hours in Borders pouring over it as I sip my latte. Thank goodness there is an English supplement at the end of each issue, seeing that my French is dreadful. No matter--the pictures are gorgeous. See more at:
http://art-decoration.dekio.fr/dossiers/mobilier/Au-bonheur-des-chineurs

Bless this Mess

2009-07-12T14:11:00.007-05:00

I have been trying to make some sense of all the stuff on my vanity-a sort of a "Where's Waldo" of items I've picked up on my journeys from Paris to the local thrift store. Alas, I have no room to put on makeup or do anything else a vanity is supposed to be used for...

Meet me in Aix-en-Provence

2009-07-10T07:16:00.006-05:00

OK. I'm ready to just hop on a plane to France and take the TGV from Paris to Aix-en-Provence. Well, aren't you? If so, meet me at this fabulous hotel called 28 à Aix. Then we'll go out and do lots of fabulous stuff. Here are some pictures of rooms at the hotel. See you there!

'tis a Pity

2009-06-17T08:47:00.002-05:00

Just heard that Christian LaCroix filled for bankrupcy. Here are some of his creations from seasons past...

Lord Help me...

2009-06-09T07:24:00.003-05:00

The kids are out of school! I am so glad not to have to rush out of the house to deal with a whole bunch of Full Moon peopel on CTa. Today is Cole Porter's birthday.