Audrey a Roma

Aaaaah, what a shame I missed the tribute-exhibit celebrating "Audrey's Rome"!

In 2011, on the fiftieth anniversary of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" taking place at the same time with the Rome International Film Festival, the beautiful icon has been honoured in a special exhibit celebrating her time in the eternal city. An array of rare/never seen photos/videos/personal objects were part of it and it must have been a thrill!

Luckily, the content has been documented in a book Audrey a Roma, by Ludovica Damiani and Luca Dotti. I had the book in my hands - only to find out it was in Italian, which I do not speak. Rumour has it, however, that it is currently being translated in English, French and German, so - fingers crossed, ladies!

Hammocks & High Tea

The beautiful thing about internet is its endlessness of possibilities and discoveries. I wish I had so much more time to read about wonderful things online - but this little blog of mine is just a hobby next to a full-time job in an industry & function - far - far away from the things I write about here. However, once in a while, when I am in good spirits and not distracted, I get to read and learn about some new brands of which I have never heard. Like this one - Hammocks & High Tea, who specialize on eco-friendly textiles. One of my absoloute favorites are their reversable clutches - I L-O-V-E that darling lining!

See for yourself HERE.

The Sound of the Day

It's a windy, rainy, grey Sunday afternoon - time to calm down, relax, drink tea and enjoy some good music. 
A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure to witness Randy Crawford live on stage - this lady has an absolutely amazing repertoire and a serious vocal talent. So happy I just found her album "No Regrets" - this is just the right sound for today!

Mr Boddington #2

Make sure you check out Mr Boddington's holiday selection of boxed cards and wrapping paper - fabulous, as always. 
Look at that envelope lining! Looking forward to receiving my goodies soon! Ah!

www.mrboddington.com

Gaggle Pump

As winter holidays are approaching with a remarkable speed - it's December already! - it is time to work on a festive outfit for the holiday season. Since this year has been full of color so far, I am committed to resist to the greyness outside of my window and add - at least a minor - sunny element to my wardrobe. Don't you think these utterly chic, elegant and sunny pumps are just perfect for such an occasion?!

Spotted at www.topshop.com. Bow included.

Matchbook

The newest issue of the digital Matchbook Magazine is finally online! The founders of this new electronic magazine have the most exquisite taste in ALL and I can't wait to dive into the charmed life they write about! 

Bonne nuit, les filles!

www.matchbookmag.com

Literary

It's a public holiday here in Germany and I have a day off - what a delight!

Everything is closed today so there is no temptation to go out to shop - which makes up for a perfect sunny afternoon on a terrasse with a great book. Luckily, I am armed with two great ones at once!

The first one is a discussion of "two great men - Umberto Eco and Jean-Claude Carrière - about our digital future" - about the past, present and future of the book . 

The second one is Chanel's biography of Justine Picardie.

I have flipped over both of them and confirmed the good choice I had made. Look forward to my latte & a great reading day! Have a good one y'all - working and not-working ladies!

Some of my favorites...

Check out my new favorite piece to accompany me on my travels - a little pochette (not sure I am using the right term) to shelter some of my most precious jewelry on the way. I love the color combination - there is something about grey and pink, isn't there?! - completed with the most divine velvety fabric. Can't wait to take this on my next trip!

Oh and by the way - this one is from Fragonard!

Bowed beauties

So this year summer wedding season is slowly coming to an end - BHLDN is nonetheless surprising us with a new collection of beautiful bridal attire and accessories - among which the impeccable Paramount D'Orsays - pretty much the reason this blogs exists. Oh my!!!!

www.bhldn.com

                        

Instagram colors

Ever since I started to work, I have the feeling that my summer has pretty much schrunk to a couple of weeks of vacation, which does not happen until Mid or even End of August, usually.

When you work every day, you do not really benefit from summer days as much as you do when you are free as a student as a bird and actually have the time to do so. As a consequence, these precious 14 days are always longed for badly, especially since our yearly tradition to head off to Southern France.

Although it might seem somewhat boring to go to the same place every year (which believe me, is not when this place is Côte d'Azur, but I admit that some may think so), there is just something comforting about going to familiar cafés, markets and shops and finding the lovely things you missed the whole year because you can't get them home.

Like these.

Delicious Amorino ice-cream: they use organic eggs and fresh milk. My personal favorite is chocolate, vanilla, mango and raspberry.
www.amorino.com

Home Made ice tea with different herbs. The perfect refreshment at  a beautiful family-owned place called Volupté Anytime in Cannes.
www.volupte-cannes.com

Having already confessed my love for Compagnie de Provence products, I simply had to visit their beautiful boutique in   Rue St Francois de Paule in Nice.

Lenôtre is a very French place and offer great food for breakfast and lunch along with  a range AMAZING  desserts.
These are raspberry, chocolate, coffee eclairs. I did not eat them all. Well, almost. They also offer cooking classes which I wanted to attend, but which were unfortunately on vacation during the month of August. This did not stop me from consuming many of their sweets.
www.lenotre.fr

And these are simple candies. I love returning home and unpacking stuff bought on vacation - and these bring special colorful memories from yet another fabulous 2 weeks.

Quote of the day

"If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a movable feast."

Ernest Hemingway

Sound of Paris

Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain is another favorite of mine. Okay, okay, I won't elaborate on how this is an absolute must-see /-watch/-adore movie for any lady. I won't elucidate how this film lead to the discovery of one of the most adorable, enchanting french actresses - the personification of french femininity, fragility and elegance - Audrey Tautou.

Let me just mention, that my firm belief is that one of the most significant success factors of this movie is most certainly its musical accompaniment.

When I studied French in Nice, I remember waking up to my "host brother's" piano performances of Comptine d'un autre été (Track Number 4) across the wall - which rendered any morning marvellous. Till now, I think these are some of my most memorable experiences of the french culture - the reason I fell head over heels for it.

The impeccable Yann Tiersen - a composer from Bretagne - has accomplished a soundtrack so very divine; at times dominant, at times subtle yet always carrying the mood of each and every scene in the most enriching manner.

It's a mixture of folk music, chanson, musette and pop and is the perfect setting to contemplate Paris. If Paris had its own sound, this is what I would hear.

www.amazon.com

Gift ideas

Timree Gold is an artist from Newport Beach who offers a variety of custom designed gift ideas on her homepage www.timree.com.

I fell in love with the cute little hand painted dishes - aren't they a perfect gift for a special (girl:)-friend?

Divine

I have already proclaimed my love for the beautiful site of www.bhldn.com in previous posts, but today I found one of the most enchanting pieces of jewelry ever! This delicate, subtle, bow-shaped - obviously - petite necklace is a perfect accessory for any classy lady - a true must-have!

www.bhldn.com

It's bath time

It's been almost a year now that I have been looking for a very special accessory for a very special space in my place, in which I spend quite some time. Usually, these occassions take place during the time of the day at which I am either very sleepy - in the morning (I think Mr K will add "moody" as I am sure most of you, ladies, will understand) or exhausted after a long working day. And despite the fact that this space is full of my numerous beauty products - which certainly add an aesthetic touch to my bath time experience- it still misses that certain something - a girly element which screams: "this is a ladies bathroom, no male invasion is welcome!". Something that will cheer me up at any time and remind me of the beauty and joy of being a lady.

Well, thank you, Urban Outfitters! I think I might have found what I had been looking for and - almost - given up hope.

Hard to decide, but there's a subtle feeling the bow will win again.




www.urbanoutfitters.com

 

Take a trip with TASCHEN

Oh I just love these lazy Sunday afternoons for their peace and stillness. I love having no engagements and I  have never anything close to a stressing "to do"- list on such an afternoon. The reason is because this precious spot of my week is respectfully reserved for my most beloved routine - which involves   three   crucial if not indespensable elements: a home made café latte, a piece of pie and - what else - a great book.And while on most such occassions, I typically enjoy reading a great novel, once in a while I long for a book that can take me to a whole new world. This is why I fell absolutely  head over heels for this genious edition of TASCHEN which includes tomes about the most thrilling and glamorous cities in the world - Berlin, London, New York and - naturally - Paris.

Let me warn you, however. These are not typical pocket travel guides you can drop in your purse to accompany you on a stroll on the Champs-Elysées or to the Times Square. Nor do these guides include such trivial places of interest. No - no. These books are compilations of the hottest, coolest and most desired spots you need to pay a visit to when travelling to these cities. So do not consult them if you have never been to the above mentioned places. Look inside when you are ready to experience them as a native NewYorker or Parisian. They will take you to the most stylish hotels; restaurants only known to natives or insiders; and to shops you will not dare forget.

Beautifully designed and illustrated, these books will be your loyal friend on a coffee table, in your home office, your bathroom or next to your bed - and make you want to leave that comfy couch to buy a ticket for the next train to .....

See for yourself:

http://www.taschen.com/

 

Rendez-vous en France

I think I just had the most tranquil and soothing drive back home from work ever! All thanks to a beautiful CD called "Rendez-vous en France" which is a compilation of French and à la french music pieces performed by various artists. The extraordinary aspect of this collection is the fact that in between the songs international francophiles speak about what they love about France the most - in many different languages. I think I might have found a lot of new friends!

available on http://www.amazon.com/, where else :)

Musical chairs

This is most likely one of the finest, most beautiful china collection I have ever seen!

"Designer Barbara Barry's Musical Chairs collection for Wedgwood uses signature silhouettes of her most famous furniture as a minimalist motif to decorate an elegant fine bone china Cream Jug. With each individual plate listing an iconic design number and illustration, they come together to make a truly unique yet infinitely practical collection." (www.ukwwrd.com).
I can only imagine what it would be like to have elegant tea parties with friends with such extraordinarily simple yet divine china.

S-U-B-L-I-M-E!

Lucky

A couple of weeks ago I got awfully  lucky at the Galleries Lafayette in Berlin and got these ultra-Parisian, extremely feminine, simply gorgeous ballerinas with studded bows at half price. Aren't they fabulous?!!

http://www.sandro-paris.fr/

Papeterie

Before discovering my passion for ballerinas, dresses and beauty products, which took place in my 20s, I fell in love with beautiful stationary products back at the age of 7.

Having no artistic gift whatsoever, I nonetheless adored colorful feltpens; beautiful notebooks; and any other stationery. I literally dreamed of spending all week-end - each week-end! - at a stationary store and looking for new writing or drawing supplies. Of course, this was not quite possible but I never gave up my hope each time my parents and I passed my favorite stationary store.

These days, this love translated into fascination with fine papeterie, which I re-discovered when looking for a wedding papeterie supplier online. Here a couple of images I find lovely:

these are from http://www.honeybird.de/

and these from http://www.sugarpaper.com/

and these from http://www.walnutpaperie.com/

Other favorites of mine include http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com/ and http://www.majestypaper.com/