Canine Couture

I just stumbled upon these over-the-top dog collars at Cool Hunting's blog. The shop, Sniffany's (appropriately named), is created by Australian artisan, Trudy Heathwood. Sniffany's collars feature sterling silver clasps and made from precious metals, semi-precious gemstones and Swarovski crystals. Some have a vintage look, don't they?

If you really want to spoil your dog and yourself, you're going to have spend a wee big of change as prices start at $700 Australian Dollars. A girl can dream, right?
Check out the collars here.

Photos courtesy of Sniffanys.com

Thanks Country Living!

I'm excited! Paris Hotel Boutique's French woman portrait is on the cover of the September issue of Country Living magazine. See the little painting in the back?

Special thanks to Brooke Walis of Country Living for putting this together. Looks like a great issue. I'm going to start reading now...

Portrait from parishotelboutique.com

The New French Decor

Some time ago I posted about the book, The New Eighteenth Century Style, by journalist and interior decorator Michele Lalande and photographer Gilles Trillard. It is a must-have for anyone who appreciates antique objects and French decor. Last year Lalande and Trillard published their second book, The New French Decor: Living with Timeless Objects.

I hadn't seen the book in person and my friend Janet heard it was fabulous, so we both placed an order with Amazon. There was a 6 month delay due to publishing issues, but we finally received our books the other day! It's just as great as I anticipated with pages and pages of gorgeous photographs of old French furniture and objets d' art.

This decor may be impractical and a bit cluttered for our modern-day lifestyle, but it certainly gives you inspiration on how to pair different objects of curiosity to create a unique and personal look. Much of the look in the book is what I try to emulate in my home and the type of objects that I sell on my website. Take a look at some photos from the book. Remember, you can click on the photos for enlarged images...

One of my favorite photos in the book... old cut-out photographs mounted on wood decorate a cupboard of antique glasses
Old Pharmacy bottles used as vases and a flower holder used as a candleholder
Astier dinnerware with a garden bouquet.

I love decorating with old apothecary bottles, portraits and worn leather books.


19th Century glass domes and gesso picture frames always add a touch of whimsy.
Love this shot of an angel by sculpturer Corinne Forget, levitating in the corner of a bedroom in front of gilded mirrors.

An old fireplace mantle with plaster fragments


Collections look great in groupings such as old ivory instruments in glasses or silver flatware in champagne buckets. Old "ghosted" mirrors add a great backdrop as well. I love the look of antique desk accessories and old ephemera

If you're daring, animals always add an element of surprise as does this resin elephant over a dining table.
Various taxidermy molds
An assortment of early French board games
19th century portraits make a nice backdrop for artifacts related to the paintings and their colors

Above: kitchen with assorted ironstone and an antique English telescope with compasses and other instruments

Unfortunately my photos don't do the book justice. You can purchase both Lalande books here at Amazon.

All photos from The New French Decor

Do You Like Waffles?

Today my friend Renee and I were in the East Bay previewing an auction and stumbled upon the greatest place to stop and have a bite to eat. Did I say bite? I'll get to that later.

Ole's Waffle House is in Alameda, California, opened in the 1920's, and has not changed their menu since. This place is really like stepping back in time. From its wonderful Art Deco neon signs to its diner setting, packed with people and friendly wait staff, this place is not for the meek. The portions are huge and you can order everything from biscuits & gravy to eggs & waffles. I went for the pancakes, hash browns and a big ham steak. I just couldn't help myself. Okay, time to take a very long walk.

If you're visiting the San Francisco Bay Area, be sure and treat yourself to an old fashioned breakfast at: Ole's Waffle House, 1507 Park St., Alameda, CA.

Photo: Cary Miller, lomo-love.com

Thank you!

I wanted to give special thanks to my friend Claudia at The Paris Apartment for doing such a wonderful post about my blog and website. As many of you know, Claudia wrote the book, The Paris Apartment. She has a beautiful website and blog, and is a multi-talented gal, from designing her own furniture line to organizing buying trips to Paris. Thanks Claudia...you're something else!

Additional thanks to Courtney at Style Court who recently purchased The World in Vogue book from PHB and did a informative post about the book. Courtney is a freelance writer, and her terrific blog, Style Court, focuses on interior design, decorative arts, books and art history. You should all add to it to your Google reader!

La Terraza del Casino

The restaurant La Terraza del Casino in Madrid, Spain looks amazing. An interiors project by Spanish artist/designer, Jaime Hayon of Hayon Studio, explores the balance of an aesthetic link between past and future using his very personal style. And how lovely it is, isn't it? I love the neutral palette and balance of traditional and modern. Very clean and refreshing.

Take a Look...

Astier de Villatte

There are a couple of websites that just make me smile. Usually we're all so busy surfing the net that we don't have the time to enjoy interactive websites. I find myself absolutely mesmerized by Astier de Villatte's site. You must take a look and spend some time navigating and pressing buttons. See plates & utensils flying and a lot more. You're in for a treat. It's amazing!