A Vintage Vanity of All Things French

With gifts for Mother's Day as my inspiration, I assembled this little assortment of antiques to decorate a ladies' vanity. If I didn't have little children who like to take my things, this is what my dream vanity would look like. Doesn't the styling and D.'s effects create an interesting look?

Here's break down of the items from left to right: 1. An iridescent glass flower holder used to drape some special pieces from my Rose Idee vintage jewelry collection. 2. A set of 12 hand-embroidered 19th century French jacquard napkins--great to use as guest towels in a bathroom. 3. A gilt brass laurel and oak leaf wreath, used as a trophy/ prize in the tradition of the classical laurel wreaths. 4. An ivory rose bouquet centerpiece from our Beautiful Blooms preserved flower collection. 5. Three handwritten manuscripts, gathered and tied with a dried flower. 6. A delicate tortoise shell and brass inlay jewelry box. 7. A giltwood curtain finial. 8. A sterling silver tumbler (with some of my well-loved fountain pens). 9. A bronze bird paperweight signed by the well-known animal sculptor Paul Comolera. 10. Three old leatherbound books. 11. A bronze mounted porcelain bird "lamp". What's on your dream vanity?

It's all in the Details

As beauty is all in the details...I thought I'd better describe my table's composition. In this close-up photo, you can see that I used several dozen bouquets of roses as well as bouquets of Provencal lavender in various sizes. As it was a table top event, I included some stacks of vintage transferware dishes made by Creil & Montereau that have a stunning lavender color. The table is a typical French cast iron garden table but then we put a wooden top on it. In the center is a cement pot in the shape of a flower with chipping paint. Old books (a staple in all my decor), and old French handwritten manuscripts cover the surface of the table. I didn't forget to include a handblown glass demijohn and a majolica cachepot as a champagne bucket. The child-size mannequin was dressed with some lavender wreaths. Oh, and I can't forget to mention my wonderful sage covered bunnies and spheres. Here is a photo from the back side of the table as it was in the center of the room. One last bit of Provence was to add a Biot jar with decoy ducks.


Let me know what you think of my new header! Please leave comments!

A great idea for Valentine's Day: Beautiful Blooms!

On my last trip to Paris last fall, I stayed a few extra days to attend the amazing Maison et Objet fair. This is a huge international event where thousands of manufacturers and wholesalers go to sell their wares to thousands of dealers and merchants. When I say thousands, I am not exaggerating. The exposition center outside of Paris, near the Roissy airport has eight or nine buildings the size of a standard convention center here. I had never been to such a big show and so at first I was definitely overwhelmed. The focus of the fair is anything for the home, which ranges from table linens and bedding to cutting edge furniture and garden statuary. My goal was to find a new, interesting product to offer my clients that they couldn't find anywhere else.
The result: beautiful blooms! A selection of preserved flowers, beautifully arranged that make wonderful decorations or gifts. I was taken aback by the beauty of the roses which look absolutely fresh but can last for years, particularly the red ones. I chose to offer them in a dozen-rose bouquet (below) or a fifteen-rose arrangement wrapped with cinnamon sticks (above.) Part of the collection includes spheres wrapped in either moss, sage leaves, ivy leaves, or lichen. There are also some bunnies covered in the sage leaves I couldn't resist not buying. Here are some of my in-store displays:

We are offering a 10% discount on them for Valentine's Day, so if you'd like to send someone some flowers this year that will last for years to come, visit our store's website. The roses also come in off-white and peach.