A Scent to Savor

An Antique Perfume Card for Rêve d'Or, L.T. Piver, Paris from my paper ephemera collection.  Piver, an ancient French perfume house has been "perfuming the whole world" - from the Court of Louis XVI through the present day.  Though my card was printed long ago, notes of orange blossom, tea roses, geraniums, vetiver, heliotrope and hints of sandalwood still linger.

What is your favorite scent or perfume?

Savoring this Fragrant Season,

Marjorie   

Los Angeles - Je t'aime!

"Le Weekend" of Mother's Day found us in Los Angeles, California. One of the highlights was a visit to the Getty Museum.

The current exhibition, "Paris Life & Luxury". documents a day in the life of fashionable 18th century Parisians. Entrez svp.

Pardonez-moi, no cameras allowed in the exhibit. But one of the posters(pictured above) hints at the exquisite tableau's of 18th century treasures such as paintings, drawings, textiles, dress, and books.

Even the Getty's Central Garden had it's Paris face on - with the azalea pool maze, parterres of native California plants and bougainvillea umbrellas.

In the garden, the designer - Robert Irwin has combined stone and water into a natural sound and light show.

The Pièce de Résistance!

Thanks to our pretty tour guide and daughter - Merci
Marjorie

Paris Ballet Sketches

Paris, je t'aime!

I love the Ballet, and these sketches of Parisian ballerinas.

They are the work of the American artist Rufus Dryer (b. 1880 in Rochester, New York). In 1901 Dryer studied in New York City with the artist Robert Henri, and in 1908, went with him to paint in Europe.

Dryer settled in Paris in 1910. He had his studio there for twenty years. He studied at the Academie Julian, and exhibited at the Salon d'Automne and Salon des Independents. These sketches must date from that time.

The three sketches above seem to show the influence of Degas' sculpture "La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze" (Little Dancer of Fourteen Years) of 1881.

Rufus Dryer returned to his native Upstate New York in 1930. He and his sister, Leora (also a gifted artist) maintained a studio at their home Highacres, in Geneva, NY. When he passed away in 1937, the Geneva Historical Society was gifted with a monumental Aubusson carpet which had once hung in his Paris studio, an impressive collection of his paintings, and a death mask of the artist. I first encountered this artist, and his work, when I visited the Museum as a young graduate student. I was looking for a subject for a final project, and I became fascinated by the story of Rufus Dryer. It was thrilling years later to unearth these sketches in a little antiques shop in New York State.

Here is a bouquet from me to three of my favourite Ballet kindred spirits, who appear regularly in the blogsphere: Catherine from A Thousand Clapping Hands and Boxes and other Structures , and Anita from Castles Crowns and Cottages, and of course, Ballet News .

Reverence,
Marjorie

Easter Confections in Paper from Paris

For you, a bouquet of antique Easter paper ephemera from Tolmer et cie, Paris.

Happy Easter,

Marjorie

Winter Season ~ Paris 1939/Carmel 2009

Now, that the entire US seems headed for a coat-ing of snow, I figured it was time to take cover. I come from the land down under. During my six years in Australia, (also known to some as the homeland of Ugg boots), I hardly wore a jacket, much less a coat. I love vintage couture, and while dreaming of a White Christmas, I found these winter coats gracing the pages of a Parisian fashion magazine from 1939.

How perfectly they illustrate the adage that “everything old is new again”. Wrapped up in one of these, I would be quite comfortable promenading the boulevards of Paris, the streets of San Francisco, or even Carmel.

The jury, however, is still out on the turban and the cone hats.

But I do like the fur touches. They remind me of Willow’s famous fur hat.

I still have fond memories of a rock-star of a Canadian sheepskin coat, that I once owned. It cost the earth, but wearing it, I made quite a statement, and it was so warm to boot. Once, when we lived in Europe, an overzealous salesperson talked me into buying a lined Burberry coat, in a size too small for me. I never felt comfortable wearing it, feeling more a Viennese sausage, than a Sloane Ranger.

Living in Beijing, I became a devotee of China prêt-à-porter. I went all out for jackets with mandarin collars and knotted buttons.

During the day, my uniform was a simple Red Army green cotton jacket (from the touristy Silk Market),

or a Shanghai Tang green wool felt jacket.

Evenings, I went dramatic, with a glamorous black silk padded jacket in the Ming-style. I remember the pride I felt as I walked around the Chinese capitol city, as locals would give me a thumbs up of costume approval.

Many of the above garments returned with me. There have, however, been a few recent additions, such as a $25. Ralph Lauren trench coat (from a Carmel re-sale shop), and a classic Pendleton green wool tweed coat, with a B. Forman label (from my mother’s closet). I guess you know by now I am partial to the color green!

These chilly Carmel morns, I slip into my old friend, the black padded Chinese jacket, and walk to town. Just the other day, I got a fashion thumbs up from the owner of an Ocean Avenue boutique.

Now that’s a wrap,
Marjorie

Paris in Carmel – Part One

J’adore French style. Hunting and gathering is my game, and over the years my ‘tour de France’ has taken me to shops, flea markets, auctions and brocantes - from Paris to Isle-sur-la-Sorgue to Lyon. This obsession began when we were living in Genève Switzerland, perfected later in rural Belgium, and continues to this day.

In Genève, twice weekly, I would get up early, rush to the end of Chemin des Muguets, and catch a bus to Carouges. Then I would jump on a street car - next stop the flea market at Planpalais. The return trip was just the reverse. With numerous bags of treasure, it was always an exercise in strength and balance. For example, one morning I had the pick of a dealer’s stash of elegant antique Swiss theatre costumes; another time I purchased a rustic country dining table and benches. And, there were always endless stacks of original Beaux arts drawings and piles of finely worked lace curtains to be browsed through, and carried home.

In Belgium, my routine involved waking at 3 am, and making the hour’s drive to the center of Brussels - my destination, the famous Jeu de Bal flea market. Parking three blocks away (bonne chance finding a space nearby), I would run for my life through the shadowy and dark quarter. Arriving, I would join the rugby scrum as each vendor would empty their bags of wares on the pavement. Lots of jostling, pushing, shoving, grunts and cursing would follow. The contents of many an old and venerable household would end up this way. Once, I even got into a wrestling match over some particularly beautiful linen and lace window shades. Guess who won? The most humorous episode involved my excited purchase of thirty monumental baskets once used in the wool trade, and the realization that I couldn’t possibly fit them in my little car. Each morning’s foray would end at about 7 am, with a coffee and croissant, and a car full of booty. I would make the journey home, just in time to wake my sleeping husband.

How happy I was then, to discover troves of French treasures here in Carmel! My first stop was Sabine Adamson’s bijoux of a shop, tucked into a corner of one of the town’s picturesque courtyards (at Dolores Street between 5th and 6th).

Look for Sabine’s vintage Renault 2 CV which she parks nearby. Her yearly excursions abroad have gleaned an array of French wares: from antique printed textiles to Provencal furniture to Biot style pottery, all as charming as the proprietor herself. The day I was there, one of her many fans gifted her with a large carton of freshly-cut lavender. Here and there throughout the shop are exquisite tableaux of natural materials- dried pepper berry, oak leaf crowns, and twigs.


Around the corner at San Carlos and 6th Avenue, is the French-inspired shop Trouvé. Housed in a light and airy space this is a captivating and glamorous mix of antique and decorator pieces, luxurious fragrances and imaginative paper giftware.




Not far away on Dolores between Ocean and 7th, is a tiny shop, aptly named Piccolo.

The imaginative July 4th (or was it for Bastille Day?) window, starred two small mannequins in news-print tricorne hats, bedecked with red and blue ribbons. All of this, just hints at the creativity of the artist-owner, and the eclectic collage of curiosities within.

Some years ago, I had read an article in Victoria magazine about a very special shop in Carmel.

That shop, Tancredi & Morgen, at 7174 Carmel Valley Road, is in a league of its own. It is well worth the short drive out into Carmel Valley. The owners have a terrific eye. They cleverly curate their collection of unusual objects: fabrics, furniture, clothing, and garden pieces, with particular attention to patina, color and decorative appeal.

Among the items that caught my eye were the natural linen cushions, made with dressmaker detail by one of the owners, and a collection of ancient bee skeps.

Vive La France in Carmel!

Marjorie