WHAT A DIFFERENCE A FEW FLOWERS MAKE

LES FLEURS, ÇA CHANGE TOUT.

A little simple bunch of tulips and the whole mantle comes alive.

au revoir.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

ET QUE LA LUMIERE FUT

The electrician is coming on Wednesday and FINALLY we will have something other than bare bulbs hanging from the ceilings of our apartment.

I have been searching left and right for something that would make a statement in our living room cum dining area, something modern and spectacular but light and airy. Something that would not block the view to the windows of the space. 

My first choice was a fabulous piece by the wonderful Billy Cotton whose designs I adore. 

But the difficulty there, is that it is made in the US and shipping would be a big challenge. I need to keep things simple, and I need lighting now. So a choice was made: the Artemide Pirce.

It's huge but not overpowering. I am pleased as it won't block the view through to the French door style windows and it won't look took busy in a space already a little "heavy on the visual".

The next decision to be made was for the hall going to our bedroom and office. I will hang 3 decorative bulbs in a row with pretty orange wire. Fun and quick.

Then, one last issue: the guest room and its adjoining hall. I decided on a Philippe Starck for Flos design; a small size for the hall and the larger model for the bedroom. Simple and graphic. Perfect for a small room.

Done.

Well, as far as lighting is concerned. 

I still have to have the linen curtains made, glass shelves installed in the bathroom "niche", and a better kitchen faucet put in to replace the annoyingly short one from Ikea that is there now. 

No, we are not quite finished yet. 

By the time the weather is warmer, I want to be able to concentrate on planting bamboos on the window "sills" of the living room's 3 French doors. No, not balconies; yes, SILLS; just small spaces between the windows and the railings. 

It is going to be tight but I.will.get.them.in.there! 

After all, no terrace, no Eiffel Tower. The least I deserve is a little greenery... 

au revoir.

THE EXTRA MILE

EN FAIRE UN PEU PLUS

The small "art buyers" company where my youngest daughter works is having a launch party today. 

As it would happen,  it coincides - almost- with Valentine's day. 

So being the creative crew that they all are (the advertising planet and its satellites are bursting with creatives, to say the least) they decided that the 2 assistants- yes my daughter and her colleague-  would create a huge centerpiece for the buffet; or should I say the bar, as they also decided they would serve candy and champagne.

Valentine candy.

What other industry would get away with serving candy at a launch party?

Very outside-the-box. This particular box has the candy on the outside. We get it...

The brief? go for it.

The budget? pretty tight. 

Hence creativity needed to be HUGELY inversly proportional to it.

This is the result as of 5:00PM, 2 hours before the "gig". 

I say: BRAVO! Job well done.

au revoir.

LOVE AND OTHER TEEN-AGE CRAZINESS

L'AMOUR ET AUTRES IDEES D'ADOS

When I was looking at old ...very old, keepsakes our mother had kept in her attic bookcases one day (our mother kept EVERYTHING!) I found a diary; well maybe more of an end of the year "cute" notebook "thingy" that teenagers signed for each other at the end of the school year in the US. (I spent 4 of my teen-age years in Grosse Pointe, Michigan).

The said "diary" had a lot of signatures- some names I definitely remember well- and of course they had the predictable, typically teenager accompanying cute/clever comment/"poems".

One read: 

"Never kiss Jay by the garden gate 

Love may be blind but the neighbors ain't".

I know, I know...

Well after all these years I remember Jay. 

Cute and fun. Different, in a very "more-interesting-than-the-average-teenager-at-the-time" kind of way.

I never kissed him at any time- and we did not have a garden gate, so there!. 

I don't remember it was ever even the beginning of an idea- a kiss I mean-. I was too young and much too shy anyway. Being raised by relatively strict French parents was not a big help on Valentine's day or any other day of the year for that matter, romantically speaking!

Whatever others in the class might have thought, I must have said something or acted in some way to inspire the comment. I LIKED him, that's all. Misinterpreted body language surely.

And yet, I remember him...

Happy Valentine's Day Jay! 

Wherever you are!

au revoir.

A FEW BLOCKS AWAY

A QUELQUES RUES D'ICI

We take a walk to Montmartre after dinner sometimes; its only a few blocks away and the view from there is exquisite. I get to see my beloved Eiffel Tower from there, the neighborhood directly around the Sacré Coeur is very quaint, the hilly area with all its steps and curling streets is quiet and pleasant in the evening- at least in winter!

It's probably the nicest place to take an evening walk around our neck of the woods- if you ignore the tacky souvenir shops and some streets in need of serious gentrification on the way there and if you don't mind the seemingly endless climb. 

I took the funicular down the other day- the first time ever. It's a very short ride but I wanted to see the very Parisian buildings and peek inside a few very "Montmartre" houses from there, some with amazing views I am sure.

I have noticed a few places where I would not mind living. 

It will be in another life probably...

au revoir.

"I AM 26 TODAY; IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE..."-Joy

"J'AI 26 ANS AUJOURD'HUI. C'EST LA PENTE DESCENDANTE A PARTIR DE MAINTENANT..."-Joy

I know, Joy, I know...

Well, shall we celebrate in spite of the bad news...? 

Shall we still set the table with Moroccan placemats and napkins?

the Venetian glasses? 

the 50's glass plates? 

Will that be alright? 

Or, are you just too old?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY my Joy-Joy!

au revoir.

A LITTLE BIT OF ...RECOGNITION

UN PETIT BRIN DE ...RECONNAISSANCE

When my business partner Abbie and I decided to add playful water reed placemats to our summer abanjá line last October, we were miles from imagining we would have so much success with them. Most of our friends thought they were "fun" and we loved the oversized pompoms. But being "picked up" by House Beautiful for their February issue "The Best" article was not on the radar.

Yet, there it is! and we have to confess it feels very gratifying to see others sharing our enthusiasm. 

To say nothing of the repercussion on our sales. 

Ahhhhh, fame and fortune; 

Well, not exactly being nominated for an Oscar, but still...baby steps.

Sold retail by our friends at the great site www.libastyle.com

(abanjá is strictly a wholesale company)

au revoir.