31.1.14

This Just In: New Products Online


Get ready to do some shopping, because we've just added some of our favorite new products to our online boutique! Books that will inspire creativity, handmade jewelry that will make your friends drool with envy and kitchen accessories perfect for all occasions are just a few of our latest and greatest! With the weekend right around the corner, what better time to find the perfect gift for your friends and family? Be sure to check out our online boutique for new arrivals every week! Happy shopping and have a great weekend!



30.1.14

Postcards from Paris : { un aperçu de Jean Cocteau }





There is a new French version of La Belle et La Bête coming out, and I suppose that got me thinking of Jean Cocteau's version in 1946.
With that in mind, my curiosity became more elaborately drawn to other creative endeavors by Jean Cocteau, more specifically his charming line drawings. I came across a book graciously filled with linear portraits of friends and collaborators he was associated with. A character in his own right, with life experiences that could make a series of interesting films, Jean Cocteau created his world around him. He left home at the age of 15, and from then on never stopped exploring and creating. While in his twenties, Cocteau became associated with Marcel Proust, and other well-known and promising french writers at the time. One of my favorite experiences learning about was his collaboration with Léon Bakst for the Ballet Russes.  During WWI,  Cocteau was an ambulance driver for the Red Cross. Though the war effects were devastating and difficult around the world, it was actually the period where Cocteau met Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani and Guillaume Apollinaire.
Throughout his life, he wrote screenplays for film, theatre, and ballet. His circle of friends was hardly a closed circle, allowing for important historical figures to be friends. He died on the same day as his dear friend, Edith Piaf.
A curious life, he remains a current example of ambition and style.

Bisous,
Reba

29.1.14

A Naturally Curious Collection


When it comes to natural curiosities, even in the dead of winter we can find beauty in almost anything. The the turn of seasons stripping nature bare by it cold temperatures and lack of sunlight adds a stark beauty that always appeals to us. When you start collecting natural curiosities in mid-winter you begin noticing a pattern. Nests left by birds as they begin their journey south, wood petrified from the passage of time, shells outgrown for larger homes and leaves that have turned and fallen to the ground. At first, such occurrences and discoveries can appear melancholic, however when you realize nature is simply at work, continuing on as it should, the beauty of cycles and times of transition becomes overwhelmingly apparent. And our current collection of curiosities only reinstates the wonderment and beauty of the natural world that surrounds us. Stop by soon and see the rest of our natural curiosities!





28.1.14

Vintage find of the Day : Croquet Mallets


Croquet is a game that has always appealed to us. Maybe it's the relaxed pace at which players typically play, or maybe it's the nostalgia we feel imagining Victorian dandies quietly competing in the English countryside. Whatever it may be, croquet has always intrigued us with its old-world romantic spirit. As winter is upon us with a forecast that is predicting snow, attempting to go outside to play a match or two is most definitely out of the question. However, as we've recently acquired a vintage set of mallets, we can't deny our excitement over the game has yet again been rekindled. Although we aren't certain on the exact origin and date of these mallets, they are undoubtedly one of our favorite new vintage finds. Just take a look at how beautiful they are! With each mallet possessing its own unique patina and sun faded colors, our longing for warmer weather and afternoons spent outdoors has only been intensified. If spring is still months away from now, then at least our croquet mallets will help keep us warm with all of their well-loved memories.









27.1.14

On the Shelf : Fresh Garden Accessories


Now that the holidays are long behind us and we have entered the no-man's-land middle of winter, the days until warm sunny days can begin to seem far out of reach. Fortunately, one of the perks of living in the south is winter tends not to drag on as long as it does in the north. However, every now and then we find the need to look towards spring to help carry us through the chilly days of this cold season. Although we may jumping the gun, as we've begun filling our cabinets and shelves with fresh garden accessories, we've become anxious as ever to get our hands dirty, dig deep into the soil and plant something beautiful. It doesn't matter if we're going on a hike or potting new house plants, nothing satisfies us like being surrounded by nature! Stacking up terra cotta planters, arranging bulb vases and organizing potting tools may be a bit premature, but at least we'll be prepared for when the first signs of spring finally arrive.












24.1.14

Daily Inspiration : { Julia Child's Kitchen }


Creating new displays in the store is easily on the top of our list of most exciting projects to work on. One of the most enjoyable aspects of displaying happens at the research and ideation stage, where we are able to conceive and discuss creative new ways of presenting our products that we hope become an exciting and inspiring experience for shoppers. With our latest kitchen and cooking display we sought inspiration from one of our all time favorite chefs, Julia Child. Famous for bringing French cuisine to the American public and her delightful television personality, Julia has always been an immense inspiration to us, both as a person and chef. Undeniably, Julia knew French cuisine like no other, and her kitchen was never shy of being a beautiful display of organized chaos. Filled with all the cooking essentials and then some, Julia's kitchen inspired our latest display to capture the essence of a well used and well loved kitchen. Overflowing with our newest and most beloved cooking accessories, from linen tablecloths to olive wood serving utensils, our kitchen display has everything but one crucial ingredient, Julia Child herself.













23.1.14

Objects of Desire : New Jewelry Baubles


We can't deny how much it excites us to unpack new treasures that have come from all over the world. Some items will always remain a mystery as to their origin and use, but others we get to learn all about. Either way it's a thrilling experience seeing trinkets and artifacts that offer a tiny glimpse of another time and place. As with the case with our newly acquired collection of jewelry baubles, items that inspire creativity are especially exciting for us, which is why we wanted to share a few of our new favorite pieces! As beautiful as these objects are on their own, when intermixed with other pieces of jewelry they really stand out as the unique artifacts of history that they are. It's true we love creative projects, so anything that sparks our imagination is easy to gush over, but our new jewelry baubles are just too exciting not to share. With items like miniature pocket knives, religious medallions and police whistles, what's not to love? Stop by soon and see what pieces inspire your creativity!