Holiday Must-Have: French Essence

Many of you may already be familiar with the warm & charming Vicki Archer. I met Vicki some time ago via the blogging world (her blog is titled French Essence.) She is such an amazing woman!

Ten years ago Vicki bought and restored a seventeenth-century property in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, and told the story in her book My French Life, a true classic.

Vicki's beautiful dressing table

Now the moment we've been waiting for... Vicki's second book, French Essence. In this fabulous book, Vicki collaborates with photographer Carla Coulson. The book is a celebration of Vicki's daily life in Provence. Vicki shares the ambiance and beauty of this beautiful area. The book is filled with gorgeous photographs of lush gardens, timeless interiors, hauntingly beautiful village lanes, and inspired aesthetic details.

one of Vicki's favorite chapters in the book is about the French circus..."'the big top' was an an interior to love - the textures, the colour, the lighting even the simple velvet covered seating."

French Essence is definitely a treasure. Not just the content of the book, but the delightful Vicki that many of us have grown to love via her blog!

Be sure and add French Essence to your Christmas list! You can purchase it here or here.

image credit: Carla Coulson

Worth a Thousand Words...

I love old books...the worn leather covers, grand libraries with nooks and crannies loaded with information to sift through. I'm not even an avid reader, but there is nothing like holding a book in your hands and feeling the pages run through your fingertips. And, I happen to be crazy for old libraries...

One of the most beautiful books I've come across recently, "Libraries," is by the gifted German-based photographer Candida Höfer. This book was published in 2005 and is still available to purchase via used book dealers. Ms. Höfer's book documents wonderful libraries from all over the world. The details are absolutely stunning. Take a look for yourself...



137 color plates in this book, beautifully capturing seats of knowledge around the world from the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York to the Bibliotheque nationale de France in Paris, the Villa Medici in Rome and others.





Stunning, isn't it? If a picture is worth a thousand words, than this book is real treasure. It's available here at Amazon starting at $64.64 for a used copy.

Definitely something to add to the holiday list!

photo credits: Candida Höfer, Libraries

The Grand Tome -- Goyard

Goyard, the luxurious Parisian luggage maker founded in 1853, is coming out with a limited edition book celebrating its history, and I am drooling....(sigh)

Each of the 233 numbered and limited edition books will be locked in a trunk almost entirely customizable.


Continuing the heritage of the prestigious collections from the 1920s, this extremely limited edition publication "resonates with and celebrates the golden age of luxury travel, from horse-drawn carriages to the great transatlantic ocean liners."

This magnificent art book uses traditional letterpress techniques for the text, features its own watermarks and is printed upon custom made vellum paper à la forme of Arches Mills.

From the New York Times-- "As the pages turn, with their deep-grain photographs and written passages, some are blank, except for subtle intaglio plate marks. In their natural whiteness, produced with a 500-year-old technique of hemp lightened with the petals of a desert flower, the hand-cut pages resonate with craftsmanship."

The Goyard Book features more than 200 pages featuring photographs and descriptions of all the greatest achievements by Goyard since starting in 1792.

This book took almost a decade to put together.

The book comes in a specially designed Goyard trunk available to order in any of Goyard’s standard colors.

This "work of art" retails for €6,000, and sale is by appointment only.

Now that's not too much to ask for, is it?

photo credits: Goyard

I Married Adventure: the Perfume.

Elizabeth Bauer Design

I think most of us have witnessed the popularity of the vintage zebra-print book, "I Married Adventure." Osa Johnson's 1940 memoir chronicles her marriage to Martin, their life on a houseboat in Borneo, their exploits with wild animals in Kenya, and their filming expeditions in the Congo.

O Magazine

Was I surprised to open the June issue of O Magazine to see a new line of perfumes by Byredo, inspired by I Married Adventure. I love that they're styled with the vintage book!

Byredo
Each fragrance comes in a 30 ml bottle and tells a unique story of a diverse origin remembering India, Africa and parts of Europe.

Vintage Girl

Who knew that this "cult-like" book would be published in almost every designer/shelter magazine this past decade. And, it's still going strong!

Lonny Magazine

Domicile

House Beautiful

Decor Pad

Apartment 412

Osa & Martin Johnson

The Johnson's adventures are still being told. Osa's books prominently displayed on cocktail tables & bookshelves. Perfumes resting on vanity tables.

I bet that the Johnson's would be thrilled to know that their legacy still lives on.

And I Thought it Was From Aging...

Do you ever feel like you're just floating from thing to thing? Forgetting a thought in mid-stream?

Today I read (actually listened) to this interesting article on NPR about Nicolas Carr's latest book, The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains. It kind of scared me actually. Carr started research for The Shallows after he noticed a change in his own ability to concentrate. Hmm...

I assumed that my bouts of forgetfulness were due to aging. I'm constantly forgetting a thought during the middle of a sentence, or on my way to do something only to forget what it was!

Whether it's the internet or simply aging, I can tell you this. Some distractions make me a bit nuts such as...

really small typeset on websites or blogs so you have to squint to read it...

Perhaps if the font was larger, we would be able to focus better.

Reading words against a black background. That kinda drives me crazy.


Ads that pop up and flash in the middle of your screen out of nowhere!

Those are just a few. We each have our own internet "pet peeves." I haven't figured out a remedy except to read more books and magazines, and of course, your wonderful blogs. And, take walks away from the computer. I refuse to get a Kindle. Ever.

Thanks for letting me vent. I was really thinking it was an age thing, which it could very well be, but the jury's still out on that one. I am off to read a book...the kind with pages that you can turn.


And speaking of books, The Shallows sounds like an interesting read. You can purchase it online here.

Have a great rest of the week!

photo credits; the English Muse, moocatmoocat, the Heart Of

Sneak Peek: The Vintage Table

a most elegant table setting - Lucy & Tony Torres' home

Boy was I excited to receive my copy of the recently released book, "The Vintage Table," by Jacqueline de Montravel and the editors of Romantic Homes Magazine.

This book is a compilation of table and kitchen vignettes that are inspiring to say the least. Everything from old & new, to crisp & clean, family heirlooms to time-worn treasures, are compiled in such a manner that make you want to start planning a tea or dinner party just so you can set your table!

my dining room table (usually not that dressed up!)

I'm humbled to be included in this book! Better yet, to be alongside my friends Janet of FrenchBlue & Co., and Lucy Torres of My Paris Flea Market. And of course, the other amazing people with scrumptious homes and treasures!

a little more about me...

page 146 has my tips on collecting hotel silver...

I love this photo of Janet's collection of Laduree candy boxes under her gleaming chandelier...

...and Janet's prized Hotel Le Meurice cafe cup...(love it!)

How beautiful is Lucy's deck which overlooks the ocean in Southern California? The colors so soothing...the hanging grapes...so whimsical!

So, if you want to see the entire 224 pages of this book, you can purchase it here or here. Believe me... the photos are exquisite, and there are some wonderful tips on entertaining.

A BIG thank you to Jacqueline at Romantic Homes for coming here and patiently shooting my house!

photos from The Vintage Table

Who Says You Can't Judge a Book by its Cover?

Jennifer at the Peak of Chic has a wonderful series on her blog where she features people's favorite books. I was thrilled when she contacted me about featuring mine. She had an inkling that I'm drawn to books by their cover art. She's right!

I'm delighted to be featured in her blog post today. You can check it out here. Thanks so much Jennifer. I so appreciate it!

Ahhh...Luxury Gifts

I flipped when I saw these custom-made Goyard trunks specially for made for Assouline. Each trunk houses 100 of Assouline's signature Memoire books on art, fashion, design and architecture.
Price tag: $20,000 (now that's not too much for a decadent holiday gift, right? What recession?)

I wouldn't mind one in white with the red and navy stripes...and all of those books...simply gorgeous...

What? Oh my...a quilted black leather Chanel luxe slipcase adorned with a metal Chanel logo, produced exclusively for Assouline by Chanel. The slipcase includes 3 memoires celebrating her revolutionary style: Chanel Fashion, Chanel Fine Jewelry, and Chanel Perfume. price tag: $550 (a girl can dream, right?)

You can check out all of Assouline's fabulous books & gift items here.

photos from assouline.com

What do you CRAVE?

I just purchased the latest issue of "CRAVE San Francisco." CRAVE guidebooks celebrate stylish entrepreneurs by showcasing the most creative and interesting proprietors from cities all over the world. They are awesome. So fun to see some of my friends shops so beautifully showcased!

I love the fact that CRAVE focuses on local businesses, no chains. You'll find everything from top boutiques, cafes, spas and more. CRAVE showcases the dedicated women behind these enterprises.

Also, just released this Fall are guides from Portland, Chicago, Austin, Atlanta, Boston and Toronto.

These make great gifts as well! To find out where to purchase, visit CRAVE's website here.

photos from CRAVE