Different Styles of Inspiration

Check out these two inspiration walls...



One is a fabulous overlapping collage of color. The other is an exhibit of order and creativity. Which one do you like the best?


UPDATE! This comment by Brian Miller made me laugh out loud!!
He said: "wow. mine would be the one that looks like it was put up with a shotgun. a little here there and everywhere. some interesting things too when you magnify these pics."


Souces: Top collage first appeared on the beautiful Decor 8 blog and the bottom collage is from the lovely Oh. Hello Friend.

Some favorite images...

From old magazines.



I love the contrast of light and color...Beads, glass and ribbon...



An inspiration wall of flowers...



And a cobalt blue chandelier...



So lovely to look at. A visual respite.

The photos are from a variety of sources: Vogue Living May/June 08,
British House & Garden June 2001, and Elle (I think!)

Happy Wednesday everyone. One more day until the long holiday weekend!

Summering

This is really where I want to be...



Drifting along on a boat. It can be anywhere. Even in someone's backyard swimming pool...



Or maybe strolling along with my little parasol, trying not to blind the tourists with my incredibly pale legs...


Or standing on the pier at dusk, watching the lights of the city flicker on...

I'm so restless for a proper summer vacation. I want to be off somewhere. Sigh.

For now, I have to be content with looking at these photos, above, from the Toast catalogue website. (They stopped sending me the catalogue in the mail, I guess because I didn't order anything.)

I can't wait until August, when we finally head out to the beach and then the mountains...

Bisbee, Arizona

I was so excited when this Kate Spade ad campaign debuted
a couple years ago...



I spent six years in Arizona before heading to California...



And one of my friends grew up in the small town of Bisbee. (And I'm certain she would find the gold jacket and big blue flower quite smart!)

I can't wait to see what the new Kate Spade ads look like this fall. (I usually tear them out of Vogue and stash them in a folder.) Have you seen Kate Spade's Behind the Curtain website? It's one of my favorites!

I hope you have a lovely Monday! What do you have planned this week?

A Domino Favorite: Black and White

I love this photo of black and white treasures displayed against a dark gray wall. (Check out the little black dress and white sweater, upper right!)



This series of photos appeared in the December 2005 issue of Domino magazine as part of an article, "Black and White and Cool All Over"...



I especially love the black chandelier....



And the curtain tied back with a black grosgrain ribbon. (Also cute shoes and cat!)

Hope you had a lovely weekend.


Credits: photos by Mikkel Vang, styling by Christine Rudolph.

Happy Weekend!

Hope you have a lovely weekend. I'm getting my hair done and then I'm going to an afternoon garden party! I've also resolved to listen to the stereo and avoid obsessive viewing of CNN. (I was watching until 1 am last night, fixated on every detail of Michael Jackson's death. Poor man.)

Photo credits: Macabre Photographer, All Roads, Vimeo

Gris-Bleu

One of my favorite French blogs, Gris-Bleu, has a new address: Gris-Bleu.Fr



The blog is an amazing showcase for the photography and illustrations of the very talented Philippe.



I'm especially in love with these gorgeous photos from the Tuileries. Ah, summertime in Paris. Wish I were there...

Daria

Ms. Werbowy. So very chic.

The Price of Marilyn Monroe Memorabilia

Bonhams just recently closed its auction for some very interesting Marilyn Monroe memorabilia. Some of the items -- and the price they fetched -- might surprise you. Have a look:


A sepia photograph by Cecil Beaton, 1956
Sold for $2,074


A receipt for Monroe's hairdo for JFK's birthday party, 1962
Sold for $488


Two Marilyn Monroe rare black and white photographs by Andre de Dienes
Sold for $366


A set of never-before-seen black and white 'wardrobe shots,' 1950s
Sold for $110


A Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller group of airline tickets, 1960
Sold for $427


A group of never-before-seen black and white snapshots from Korea, 1954
Sold for $2,196


A receipt for a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne
Sold for $397


Another pair of rare black and white photographs by Andre de Dienes
Sold for $366


And a set of documents relating to Monroe's purchase of her Brentwood home, 1962
Sold for $488

The Beaton portrait is my favorite and worth far more than the winning bid, I think...

There's more Marilyn memorabilia at Bonhams.com.

I wonder who walked away with the Dom receipt!

The Paris Apartment

Found in an old issue of Marie Claire Maison is a profile of a luminous Paris apartment...







My favorite details: The painting of the woman in the yellow dress over the mantel in the pink salon; the mirrors and art in the kitchen; the red painted bookshelf (with books facing forward); the deco vase filled with knitting needles; and the cat perched on a stool.


The article -- a bit tattered from hanging on one of my inspiration boards -- appeared in the May/June 2008 issue of Marie Claire Maison. Photography by Adrien Dirand.

Beautiful Iran

These beautiful photos were taken by my friend Shokoofeh. (You can see them on her flickr page). I'm thinking today of her and all the women of Iran, with much sadness over the death of Neda Agha-Soltan.

Nivea Made Chic

Who knew a face cream could be so glamourous...



This ad series in Italian Vogue makes the cream look like La Mer...



I have to admit I love Nivea's vintage packaging. I bought two little blue tins in a Rome pharmacy. (They were much easier to pack than the stovetop milk steamer, the 20 wool shawls, and the tomato masher!)

Crazy Blog Crush

Julia.
Love her blog. She went away to London a week ago and took a break from blogging. I was lost. Funny how that happens. Now she's back. Life can resume.