They Are Queens

We all have one, even if we are not one. A mother.

Some of our mothers are still living, and some of them are not.

Some of us are young mothers, or middle age mothers, or grandmothers. Some of us are step mothers.

Everyday is mothers day, but today it is designated as such so we can make a little extra fuss for our mothers.

So wishing all the mothers out there a very Happy Mothers Day.

These images are from this fabulous book "Crowns" by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry, forward by Maya Angelou.

A Single Working Woman's Manhattan Apartment

Being known as an ex-pat New Yorker elicits comments on my decorating style such as "that's so New York." I often wonder what that means exactly. Apartment living might dictate style, whether it's an upper West Side pre war, a Park Avenue pre war, a Fifth Avenue building, a Village brownstone, an upper East Side mid century, a Murray Hill townhouse, or a downtown loft, and any and everything in between.


I guess the point I'm making is that there is no one New York style, yet there is a thread that defines its metropolitan ethos.


This month's issue of New York Spaces features designer Maureen Footer's interpretation of what is described as an uptown flat.


The title of the editorial is "The Twist - Bold yellows and greens refresh an uptown flat."


She mixes things to great effect such as a bold black and white Garret Chingery painting with an antique bust. Gorgeous hand painted Chinoiserie wallpaper decks out the foyer of this mid century Manhattan apartment, and the bedroom is a soft contrast to the bold color in the rest of the apartment.


The apartment was designed for a single working woman. It's a one bedroom on the Upper East Side. The combination of French, Venetian, and Asian inspired antiques, along with what Footer calls "Yellow as the absolute go-to color" results in a glamorous dazzling space with a lively twist that's so New York.

Updating For Survival

Eddie Ross wrote about Country Living magazine the other day.
As one magazine folds after the other, we revisit some old favorites again, maybe ones that we had "shelved" for awhile in lieu of maybe more exciting magazines.
As the last ones standing magazines like Country Living and Better Homes and Gardens are kind of stepping up and updating their editorial content. They're getting hipper, and more sophisticated. After all there's the Domino demographic out there. Elle Decor, House Beautiful, and Architectural Digest need to stay on their toes, and not rely on a comfortable formula.


Anyhoo, in my craving to hold a magazine, I picked on BHG offering. They do alot of these quarterly offerings, and some of them are starting to look pretty good. The BHG web site is another thing, and could stand a re-vamp (hint hint).

One thing I hate to do is scan photos. I'm spoiled by point and click sites, and Google Images. But there was no way to navigate the BHG site and find these photos for you. I also struggle with photo quality. On my Mac everything looks great. On my crap PC at work, the images look bad (all of your images look bad on that PC). Uneven image quality is something bloggers deal with, unless of course you spend alot of time getting and using high quality photos, or keep them postage stamp size. Frankly as fast as a blog post gets old, I don't have the inclination to do much more. I try my best, but sometimes that best is crappy.

I chose this editorial from this BHG because it has so many elements we all enjoy. It's the home of Sarah and Peter Anderson, an 1820's New Hampshire clapboard. It's the house Sarah grew up in, which she has made her own by creating a modern home using hand-me-downs, smart buys, and elbow grease.

I'm still a sucker for peeling paint and tat. And for sea grass and sisal. And for vintage and antique.
The one major thing that caught my eye, is that the house has no curtains! Privacy may not be an issue, but what about hot sun in the summer time, and cold air in the New Hampshire winter coming in. Also night time makes un-curtained windows read like black holes.

All the objects we love are here: A Mora clock, a column, a bust, apothecary jars, sweet paintings, white slipcovers, chandeliers, old mirrors, pretty fabrics...

The kitchen looks great too. I like this hutch shelf thingee sitting on top of the counter. And the beams throughout the house are intriguing. Are they original?


Of course the outdoor spaces are staged perfectly too for the short summer season.
You notice the numbers on the pages - that's because this magazine has 100 ideas. I've shown you 67 - 76. Pick this issue up if you want to see more.

PS Please share your EASY tech tips for better photos and scanning.

What Do You Want?

Last summer I read Julie Julia (by Julie Powell), and My Life In France (by Julia Child).
Of course I loved them both.

I was new to blogging, so I was kind of non plussed by the fact that a blogger wrote the book, or most important that a blog lead to a book deal, which has now lead to a movie deal. A major big movie deal.

Many people still ask me why people blog. Fame? Fortune? Book deals? Geek computer loser?

For me, it wasn't about getting anything really. It was kind of let's see where this takes me, hopefully to take me off my ass, and out of a post Katrina funk.

Maybe at first I thought it was about getting comments, or site count hits. But that got way old, way fast, and like I threw away my scale twenty five years ago, I threw away counting comments or hits. I haven't looked at a site counter in months.

So what do I want? I want to make my personal magazine, because I like doing it. And anything else after that is gravy, a gift, a bonus, and a delight.

I heart sexy Stanley Tucci who plays Julia's husband

I also like connecting people to one another, in life, and via the blog.


What do you want? Book deal? To be liked and adored by all? Job? Pen pals? Fan club? Anon stalkers? Bully pulpit? Make you feel less insecure? Show off and share your smarts? Professional calling card? Marketing op? Commercial site that makes ad money? Teaching tool? Therapy? Meet cute?

Coming August 7 Julie & Julia THE MOVIE! I can't wait! It looks like a romp!

Put On A Hat And Make A Julep

I've never been to the Kentucky derby, but it looks like my kind of party!

I love cocktails and parties and party people!

And of of course The Hats!!!!







And I love a horse race! The Kentucky Derby is on my bucket list!!!


Happy Weekend!

The Shop Keeper's House

So many shop owners have a keen eye for collecting things to sell, and then artfully arranging it in their stores. They travel the world accumulating a vast visual vocabulary. A love for collecting often results with things meant for the shop coming home. I think a very talented cadre of interior decorators comes from the ranks of the shop keeper.
Cindy St. Romaine from Covington, Louisiana is one such talent. Her home is very pretty, filled with things from her shop. It's featured in the April 2009 issue of Louisiana Homes and Gardens, and I share the images with you from my clipping file.

The living room features an 18th century Napoleon III mirror

The house is a post Katrina rescue of sorts, purchased by Cindy and her husband in 2006. It had been hurricane damaged, and they brought it back to life.
Travertine floors were laid throughout the whole house, and Cindy chose to paint the walls linen white. Cindy felt this would unify the new open airy floor plan.

The breakfast room with a ten foot long walnut farm table and French wood chandelier
The chairs are slip covered in 100 percent European linen - I love the flange edge!

The goal was to achieve a feeling of the south of France. There are family pieces, antiques, and contemporary pieces. We see the ubiquitous white slip cover. I like that Cindy uses black and white cow hide pillows, a nice alternative to the zebra print everyone has now.
I love the antique chandeliers used through out the house, as well as the mirrors and the art work.
In fact I was so struck by the nudes by artist Alice McNeely, that I looked up her web site. I just love them!

Another view of the living room showing Alice McNeely's paintings
I spy the white kitchen cabinets behind the breakfast room table,
and you can really see the great drop ruffle on the chair slipcovers

Painting from the web site of Alice McNeely HERE

A painted trumeau from the 1700's, Louis XVI chairs covered in toile
French bronze and crystal chandelier circa 1800 over Louis Phillipe walnut table
I love the lamp on the sideboard made from an old balustrade

Gold drapes are used throughout the entire house, another visual unification. The rods are very simple hand forged iron. Cindy uses sea grass rugs, white cow hides, and Aubusson rugs to great effect.

Master bedroom
Swedish demi lune side table
Early 19th century Venetian beaded birdcage chandelier

She has a knack for choosing the right upholstery, such as the chocolate velvet on the Bergere chairs in the library.


I love the pink taffeta chairs (Louis XVI) in the garden room, which I would call the orangeries.

Orangeries

The outside of the house has formal French gardens, Cindy says "filled with wild Louisiana flowers, and sugar kettles were added wherever possible to get that wild French look".

The large 100 year European style manse
is the second oldest home in Covington
The St. Romains have worked hard give it flourishes of Provence

Cindy's shop is called St. Romaine's and is in Convington, just across the lake from New Orleans. Covington is a very pretty town filled with wonderful antique shops, and well worth a day trip there.

Visit St. Romaine Interiors HERE

I plan to do more features on the homes of shop keepers, so stay tuned...