The irony of life. When I saw this photo of a Louis Vuitton house located in Mexicali, Mexico, I couldn't stop smiling. Still am. I wonder what the neighbors think? Perhaps one of them has a Gucci house?
Seriously though, what do you think of luxury logos? Jennifer at the Peak of Chic just did a great post on them. Check it out here.
I gasped when I saw this wedding featured in Veranda magazine -- I just had to blog about it. This has to be one of the most beautiful settings I've ever seen -- and the detail -- amazing.
Inspired by an 18th century pastoral festival, the fête champêtre, this wedding was planned by the bride herself, Kelly d' Halluin. Kelly is a New York interior designer & stylist, and the details and setting of this reception reflect her amazing talent.
Held at the Chatêau de Breteuil in the countryside near Paris, the gardens of the estate date to the 17th century and feature a dovecote.
"Arty, decadent, a bit Oscar Wilde and Cecil Beaton with room for natural imperfection" imagined Kelly.
Birch-bark candles and porcelain doves adorn the table. What an exquisite color palette!
The inspiration for the bridal bouquet came from the curiosity cabinets in the chatêau. Paris-based floral designer, Stephanie Chapelle, mixed butterflies from Deyrolle, grouse feathers, orchids, ferns, mind and peonies tied with antique ribbons.
What an amazing table! "Fuzzy baby almonds, pepper berries, and porcelain doves accompany birch-bark vessels and white and green florals down the length of the reception dining table."
These glass cloches are stunning, aren't they? Little nests and porcelain birds. The place cards were done by calligrapher, Bernard Maisner.
The menu cards were sealed with a wax impression from the family crest ring, banded with velvet ribbon, and embellished with a lamb's ear. Beautiful green favor boxes from Laduree add such a special touch!
The bride is wearing a couture J. Mendel gown, and the bridesmaids are in a beautiful pale Laduree green.
For more details, and to see the complete slideshow, visit Veranda's website here. Simply stunning! I would love to see photos of those curiosity cabinets...unfortunately they are not featured. Can you imagine?
It's always fun getting to know my customers and imagining their decorating style. I love it when people send me photos of their homes/rooms to see how they integrated their vintage purchases into their decor.
I was thrilled to receive this photo from my customer Lisa. Lisa recently purchased this large aristocratic lady oil painting to add to her collection of portraits. Isn't it fun amongst her other portraits, and in in front of her cute white chair? From Southern California to San Francisco, and final destination, Atlanta, Georgia, glad this lady found a nice home!
If any of you have any photos of your home that you'd like to share, please send them my way.
Thanks again Lisa!
I have been looking forward to posting about one of my favorite Bay Area haunts, Willa Home. Elena Duggan, the original owner of Willa, recently partnered up with Lisa Wilson, formerly of The Pickled Hutch. This dynamic duo reinvented Willa by adding Lisa’s meticulously selected vintage items, with Elena’s great eye for contemporary home and garden décor.
You may already know Lisa and her cute poodle Alfie (above), from her shop and blog, “The Pickled Hutch.” When Lisa's lease expired in her San Francisco shop, her longtime friend Elena approached her to merge their talents together at Willa. And walla! What a beautiful job they’ve done!
This charming shop is brimming with treasures, including a wonderful selection of vintage portraits...
This fabulous early 1900's boxer painting of world heavyweight boxing champion, James Jackson Jeffries, sits proudly in the shop window. It's over 6 feet tall and I am obsessed with it!
The store's mix of contemporary and vintage is the perfect balance, such as these vintage aqua pottery pieces with wine glasses...
Colorful vignettes rest against muted backgrounds...
And the shop's mascot, Alfie, happily ready to greet all of the customers. Looks like Alfie is getting ready to gift wrap a bag of goodies!
An eclectic mix of mid-century modern, bohemian, shabby chic, and old world French, Willa Home has something for everyone.
Willa Home carries a wide selection of Juliska, a French company whose ceramics are made in Portugal, as well as, glassware made in Poland.
My favorite... master calligrapher Bernard Maisner greeting cards displayed in a vintage towel holder...
The store has a wonderful selection of fun table lamps and beautiful chandeliers...
Elena Duggan, co-owner of Willa Home, and inspiration for the store's name...
John Derian decoupage trays sit next to coral top bottles...
Lisa, from Lisa Golightly, in front of Willa. We took a little drive down yesterday...
If you're in the Bay Area, be sure and stop at Willa Home. It's located in the charming city of Burlingame, just about 20 minutes south of San Francisco. You can also catch up on Lisa and Elena's latest happenings on the Willa Home and Pickled Hutch blogs.
my Dad and ITo all of you special Dads, Grandpas, Uncles, Sons, Brothers, In-laws!!
(above) My Papa Stan, Uncle Claz, Papa Bill...
My DadAnd to my Dad (who lives in Spokane, Washington), wishing you a wonderful Father's Day! Wish we could be there to share it with you!
Traveling to Paris? How about a cocktail at the Laduree Bar?
The Laduree bar opened last fall at their at their Champs-Elysées location. The design is a contemporary take on an Art Nouveau butterfly cocoon. Stained glass walls with butterflies. The resin bar is surrounded by stools that resemble chrysalises. Ahhh...
In addition to these scrumptious-looking cocktails, they serve savory dishes as well...
How about a macaron cocktail in rose, pistachio or coffee? I've never seen prettier drinks before...
If you're traveling to Paris, this looks like a "must stop." That is, after you've had your pastry and tea for breakfast.
Laduree Bar, Paris
Fellow blogger Deborah from Design Cracker, has been collecting Walde Huth's photography for about 15 years. I had never heard of her before, but am familiar with some of her beautiful images.
Born in Germany in 1924, Huthe later had a career as a portrait, theater and fashion photographer.
She studied photography in the 1940's. She then worked on commissions for textile companies and leading German fashion magazines, and she was one of the first to use color photography for these subjects. She was commissioned by the Frankfurter Illustrierte to take photographs in Paris (1954-6) and by Freundin and Elegante Welt to photograph in Florence (1956).
You may have seen this image above. So beautiful!
To see more of Huth's work, as well as more fashion photography, visit My Vintage Vogue. Jessica has amassed the most amazing collection of vintage photography. You can also see her photostream here on Flickr.
