WINTER WEEKEND

Don't you love a cozy winter weekend? Me neither. Sayonara, winter. My idea of cozy is a being able to touch my windowpane and not freeze to it.

That would not happen here.

Or here. Bliss included.

Of course, if you can't be in the warm outdoors, the next best thing is to pretend. A lightbulb chandelier, topiaries, and pagoda drapes create the illusion of summer.

A touch of summer will shine through in any room. Try a hint of coral and lime and a splash of laquer. 

Or just get on a plane and head South.

 Or go by boat. 

Either way, the view will be worth it.

Images/1 Elle Decor/ 2 Kelly Wearstler/ 3 Elle Decor/ 4 Joe Nye/ 5 Joe Nye/ 6 Country Living/ 7 Joe Nye/

DALLAS MAKES ME WANT TO PUT ON ALL MY JEWELRY AT THE SAME TIME

I tried it...

But seriously, rhinestones everywhere. On socks. On hats. On baby carriers. I am in the Sparkle Capital of the World. And I am loving it. But beneath all the bling, Dallas is also, among other things, the capital of BBQ, wide roads, drive-through Starbucks, SUVs in the drive-through Starbucks, big skies, friendly hellos, and great shopping. At one point, I got out at a gas station, where "America, America!" was blaring from the speakers, no fewer than six people said hello as if my personal existence made life worth living, the long horns over the door were wider than my car, and they were serving free wine samples inside (non-alcoholic, one hopes). I shed a big Texas tear. Because you can't shed small tears in Texas - everything is jumbo sized.

As are the deals... first up, the Buchanan Flea Market, where shoppers were sprinting up and down the aisles with gleeful abandon (or maybe that was just me), and there was, yet again, no danger of a sparkle shortage.

Trying on a beautiful vintage 1940s bracelet.

Real. And no longer available on the world market.

Alligator with alligators!

Gobs of furs... so many sellers had "recycled" furs - vintage pieces that had been meticulously cleaned, and if needed, restored and relined.

This booth had a scad of rabbit fur coats. For $18 a piece. SHUT UP.

Yes, you should "Decorate Your Boots."

My next stop was the fantastic Area 25, a home new and consignment items store and staging company, on West Lovers Lane - oh it was love alright. I was in love with EVERYTHING.

Chinoiserie chairs...

So many beautiful mantel displays. Their staging expertise certainly shows in the store.

Fabulous malachite tables atop a cowhide rug. So Tony Duquette goes to Texas, no?

Speaking of furs, yet again, Area 25 had a stunning selection of cowhides. I was amazed at what great rugs they make (very flat and easy to walk on). This one was a true stunner - it's speckled with silver paint!

An artful pile of still more rugs...

And yet another beautifully colored cowhide. The prices were lovely too - $350 to $550 (for the silver beauty).

The turquoise marble lamp base was incredible. You can't tell in the picture, but this is actually a matched set. What doesn't Dallas have?

All images, my own. Please attribute.

DALLAS BOUND

So here's what I know about Dallas:

Also, this:

And this:

Ta da! And I learned all that while living in Ireland (Dallas and Jack Daniels are two wildly popular American imports there). So I obviously have a lot to learn...  which is why I'm asking all my Texas (or Texas-traveled) bloggy friends for stylish advice before my next trip!

I'm already excited to check out the crazy home decor finds at Buchanan Flea Markets...
Where would YOU go in the great Oil Capital? 

TEN FOR THE WEEKEND

In my mind, I'm vacationing in the tropical paradise of Turks and Caicos, lounging near the pool, awaiting my next margarita under a massive umbrella. In reality, I'm stranded in a generic airport hotel by my airline, which cited weather/goats/days-ending-in-day/mechanicals/pollen/and ocean currents as the reasons for cancellation. At least it wasn't sun spots. Or a pirate attack! ("If your cutlass will not fit in the overhead compartment, please press the attendant call button. In the event of a water exit, do not attempt to take your chests of gold with you.")

So enough about my ACTUAL trip. Actual things, as Anne of Green Gables pointed out so many decades ago, are rarely as fun as imagined things. And my imagined trip is marvelous. And of course, I packed well - here's what I'm wearing and carrying this weekend!

Images: iPad, Apple. LV case, ipadforums. com. Kebede clothes, lemlem.com. Kebede image, Vogue. Turks and Caicos, Expressions Holidays. All other images, companies as attributed.

CHATEAU D'HAROUE

Sometimes, the best things don't come in small packages. They come in exquisitely overwrought, mind-blowing packages of stunning proportions. Castle-sized proportions. The beautiful French Château d'Haroué is hosting Three Great Creators, the work of Cristobal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, and Philippe Venet from May 7 to August 17, 2010. Forty - 40! - haute couture evening gowns will be on display, including Givenchy's black duchess satin gown from Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Balenciaga's mink-trimmed wedding dress for Queen Fabiola of Belgium. But perhaps the most surprising detail of all is that this collection has been curated and arranged by the great Givenchy himself, now 83 years old. Located in the Lorraine region of France, the breathtaking architecture and grounds of Château d'Haroué would be enough to woo any vacationer (and the stunning interiors include the largest collection of French royal furniture in private hands). But a castle full of couture, chosen by one of France's greatest couturiers? Genius! 

The original LBD:  Givenchy's Breakfast at Tiffany's Gown, worn by Audrey Hepburn.

Above, Balenciaga's wedding gown for Queen Fabiola of Belgium.

Buy those plane tickets! For full details on the event, visit here:  Château d'Haroué.

Images, Château d'Haroué website.

Trompe L'Oeil

It's a stunningly beautiful day in Alabama. Earlier this morning, I snapped this pic on my new blackberry of a lovely configuration of mare's tails. They look a bit like jellyfish trailing tenticles to me though... maybe I'm overdue for a trip to the beach?

I'm very fond of using elements from nature in decorating, and far from finding it cheesy, I love a trompe l'oeil ceiling with clouds. If well done (think: opposite of Vegas), a cloudy ceiling brings a little of the outdoors, in.

The art of trompe l'oeil dates back to Greek times, and figures among the Greek mythology:  "A legendary contest is remembered between two ancient Greek painters, Zeuxis and Parrhasius. They challenged each other to produce the most realistic painting. Zeuxis painted grapes which the birds flew down to try and eat. Then, Zeuxis asked Parrhasius to draw back the curtains on his painting. Parrhasius knew he had won because the drapes were part of the painting." - Rebecca Abel, Brown University. By far the most beautiful examples of this art are found in the churches of Rome. This exquisitely rendered ceiling of Sant Ignazio was painted by Andrea Pozzo around 1685. The ceiling is completely flat, including the dome. The effect in real life is indescribable - the figures above seem to bend toward you, and their expressions alter in the light.

St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are of course the most well known ceilings, but glorious examples are found throughout the Vatican. In this hallway, an unadorned ceiling appears to be intricately plastered and carved.

This tradition later made its way to America, quite literally in the case of the library at Biltmore, which was imported from an Italian Villa in strips and then reinstalled on the ceiling. Constantino Brumidi brought the ceiling mural to government; below, the interior of the U.S. Capitol dome, depicting the Apotheosis of Washington (surrounded here by some picturesque clouds and the original 13 colonies, represented as maidens). The square pattern around the mural is not trompe l'oeil (literally: "fool the eye"), but impressed steel, painted to compliment the mural. It too has an Italian model:  the Pantheon.

Trompe l'oeil is still alive and well today. Here's chalk artist Julian Beever's highly amusing street work - the sidewalk is still there, but notice how the pedestrians are skirting it anyway.

And if you're feeling VERY daring and want to pick up a brush yourself, try The Art of Faux: 

Credits: Sant Ignazio, Wikipedia. Vatican Hall, About.com. Capitol Ceiling, aoc.gov. Julian Beever's work, sharenator.com.

Gett'n On A Jet Plane...

It's SPRING. The time of the year when young hearts turn to love, extra cleaning happens, and the travel bug begins biting. You can almost smell the salty air, taste the exotic food, feel the warm breeze blowing... but what's this? You shop and shop (hats, suntan lotion, cute swimsuits - ok, swimsuits that looked cute on the hanger - and new sunglasses and summer dresses) and shove it all into some hideous nylon number with lotion-stained lining and the remnants of 5-year-old beach shells in the bottom. How un-chic is that? You need a pretty bag you'll be proud to throw into the overhead compartment and drag up three flights of stairs in the caribbean hotel that promised a working elevator. Look no further! Here are some pieces you'll want to show off like handbags.

COACH. Check out the stripes!















Kate Spade. Heavy on the logo, easy on the eye.











Streamline Luggage (Editor Series). So CUTE! They'd double as decor too.












Tory Burch Chrissy Tote (for all your nautical carry-on needs).












Now go forth and relax.