It's My Birthday!

...and it's kind of a big one. Let's just say the second digit is a 5! I've had a lovely weekend so far, and have started receiving a few cards and surprise gifts from friends.

My co-worker Whitney made me this lovely felt swan. She's been giving these personalized little animals to the whole staff which she designs and hand-stitches herself. I'm trying to encourage her to open her own Etsy shoppe!


Paulina sent along this cool vintage cafe sign as a bonus prize when I purchased Coco, the dress mannequin, from her. I think it really jazzes up my sink, don't you?


And look what I found when I opened the fridge:


Looks like it's going to be a great day! :)

Souvenir Bracelets

Bonjour! Today I wanted to share with you one of my latest obsessions (of which there are a few, mostly French-inspired!), and that is Paris souvenir bracelets! I've been keeping my eye out for affordable examples on-line and at antiques stores and have been lucky enough to find a handful. I plan to take these apart and repurpose into necklaces, so please stay tuned. In the meantime, aren't they delicious? I tried unsuccessfully searching for some historical information on these since I'm not sure when they originally came into vogue, so if anyone has any knowledge of this, it would be much appreciated. Here is my little collection, which I photographed on the pages of the 2010 Silver Lining calendar entitled, 'Paris Remembered'. Indeed.








Bon soir!

Family Gala and Coco

My father is a three-time cancer survivor, and last Thursday night our family attended a benefit gala put on by the Cancer Support Center of Silicon Valley where he and my mother are active members. The fund-raiser was a lovely dinner and auction, with the main attraction being an awards ceremony to honor the caregivers. Dad had 'secretly' nominated mom, though I think she found out about it when she caught him on the computer at midnight!


Here I am with the parents.


My sister Danette and her husband Ed.


Sorry this photo is a little dark, but I think we all look like we're having fun!


And that's my mom on the big screen!


As if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, our good friend Paulina sold me this vintage dressmaker mannequin for a song! I've been wanting one on which to take photos of my jewelry, and to just play 'dress up' with in general. I've named her Coco since she reminds me of what the seamstresses at the House of Chanel might have used in the 1920s. She lives in my bedroom and frightened me a little the first couple of nights, but now that we've gotten used to each other, I believe she's there to protect me and send more good vintage finds my way.





Here she is wearing a rose satin and beaded party dress from the 1950s. I purchased this in 1987 from my favourite vintage clothing store in Phoenix called Honeybuns. My sister recently mused that I've probably had the dress longer than its original owner. What a scary thought!




Now donning a cheery pink crinoline! I love the contrast of the girly tulle against Coco's decaying body.


Finally, here she is wearing one of my new necklaces, called 'marie's carriage'.


Bon soir! :)

Romantic Style

A bookstore gift card from my dear friend Sharon recently led me to purchasing a beautiful new book, Romantic Style by Selina Lake and Sara Norrman. A longtime fan of the Shabby Chic prescription for home decor, I found this book to be a slightly fresh spin on the faded pastels I'm usually drawn to. Selina and Sara infuse punches of cheery colour into their rooms, in the way of a hot pink dining room wall, lime green throw pillow, or bouquets of bright flowers, yet manage to keep the look soft and vintage. Here's a peek at just some of the delicious pages:





In response to the inspiration from this lovely book, I've recently added a bit more colour to my own (normally white and neutral) home and wanted to share some photos with you.


I refer to this sofa as my 'man repellant', because I'm pretty sure no guy in his right mind would want to watch football on this.




No home would be complete without its very own Marie et Louis!








Bon soir! :)

Red Carpet

After watching Sofia Coppola's breathtaking Marie Antoinette film again this week (I've surely seen it at least a dozen times), I was in the mood for some 18th-century grandeur and took myself antiques shopping yesterday. This Bloomingayle's store window, complete with cherubic paintings, chandelier, frilly lampshades, creamy white furniture and red velvet carpet, is simply divine, and certainly fit for any young dauphine. (Bloomingayle's is located at 645 Laurel Street / San Carlos, CA / 650.591.2829.)

Here also is a peek at some of the new jewelry designs I've been working on. I'm having a lot of fun mixing metals and textures from my many recent flea market findings. It's a little like putting a puzzle together, playing with random pieces until they 'fit' just right in terms of colour, shape, size, theme, weight and overall composition. Hope you enjoy! :)










Bon soir!