Veterans Day down Broughton

 Taken at 10:58, 11 November 1918, just before the Armistice went into effect; men of the 353d Infantry, near the church at Stenay, Meuse, wait for the end of hostilities.

In 1918, bells worldwide were rung on the 11th month, the 11th day, at 11 a.m. to celebrate and recognize the ending of WWI, "the war to end all wars." To commemorate that peaceful pledge, bells were rung around the world on November 11 for over 35 years. The U.S. Congress declared November 11 a holiday in 1938, "...a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." By 1953, World War II and the Korean War had created millions of war veterans in addition to those of the First World War and on June 1, 1954, President Eisenhower signed the 83rd Congress' Amendment to the Act of 1938 by deleting the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans"

Thank you Veterans! 

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

everywhere we go...

Autumn Textures

Faux fur collar - $32 (only one left) Perforated furniture cube - $122.50 Pheasant feathers - $4/each, Pumpkin potpourri - $2/scoop, Tallow branches - $8.50/bundle, Ross Bark pillow (24" sq.) - $200, African knob -$4/each, Mini gourds-$2/each

The Monday Monacle: Autumn Artistry

Sometimes I just really miss art school. Seriously. Three times a week you got to sit in a dark room - usually after a five hour studio - and view masterpiece after masterpiece on a large screen. Ahh...those were the days. Well, I'm bringing art history back! Or at least some of the experience I got to have. (I won't make you memorize dates) Today it's an autumnal theme. Some more literal than others. I hope you like some of the paintings I've chosen...I know there is a ton of great work out there and I'm only capturing a smidgen, so let me know, who did I miss?

 Autumn Leaves, John Everett Millais, 1856

Boatman of Mortefontaine by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot.

 

 Stapleton Park near Pontefract, John Atkinson Grimshaw

A Golden Beam, John Atkinson Grimshaw

This one is by Pollock, titled Autumnal Rhythmn, but Blue Poles below really captures autumn for me.

And there's no one like Rothko to create a mood:

an early Van Gogh - Autumn Landscape with Four Trees, 1885

It was after this painting that Vincent wrote a letter to his brother Theo saying: Well, never before was I so convinced that I shall make things that do well, that I shall succeed in calculating my colors, so that I have it in my power to make the right effect." Also, attention late bloomers: Van Gogh started painting in his 40's, so...you know, it's okay if your a little slow coming off the blocks.

 Fractus, Bert John, 2010 (hanging behind the register)

And finally, a favorite artist of mine Andrew Wyeth:

Autumn

Enjoy your Autumn Days!

xo,

lauren de rosa

Snacking (sumptuously) with Susie

Susie recently took a much deserved break and hopped over to Europe for a few weeks. She ate a lot of really good food. And she took a lot of really good pictures. Here we are in France. Peruse at leisure...

"The amount of respect they have for food here is just unbelievable." 

 Susie's favorite hangover meal: Roasted chicken and potatoes...

 

Oeuf en gelee,(poached egg with ham wrapped around it!) and Crab with foam and celery root and baby vegetables:

Ile flottante, Butter three ways, et un cafe bien sur.

Le chariot du Fromage:

Oysters in Cannes:

Susie; not letting anything slow her down:

The Beauty of Telling It Like It Is

Most times you don't have to sweat bullets trying to be overly creative and overly complicating your designs to achieve something beautiful. If I've learned anything, good design is more a process of continual reduction than anything else. You simply have to show it (or tell it) like it is, and let the beauty speak for itself. Like this really cool vintage eye poster from Dresden, Germany that we have downstairs. and on our website ---> here

Printed at bottom is: Copyright: Deutsches Hygiene-Museum Dresden. Mid-century, linen.

Also in our possession is this wonderful book in the same vein: The Art of Instruction, by Katrien Van der Schueren, owner of voila! Gallery in Los Angeles.  The book is a compilation of her carefully curated vintage instructional poster collection. Also very cool.

a peek inside:

 This dandelion just looks so full of life and the black background lends such an air of mystery to its various cycles of life. And this cat poster just slays me. Not only does it describe the retractability of a cat's claws, it also illustrates the weird looks they always give you. Haha.

Tablescapes: Earthy Mosses and Sky Blues

{:::: Tablescapes ::::} 

I know Halloween was just yesterday and we are starting to cozy up for fall,  

but any day in the 60's is still a bit of Indian Summer to me...

New Windows: A cozy place

Who tells the little dear mouse

when summer goes away

that she should fix a cozy place, 

a comfy place to stay, 

and fill her cupboard shelves with seeds

from berries, weeds, and hay?

from Dear Mouse by Aileen Fisher

 

It was a race against time and pesky colds, but the new windows are up and looking spectacular. Kelsey and Shelby always do such a great job and this window is especially endearing. Shelby created the papier-mâché pumpkin house and Kelsey made all those cute little critters to live in it. Come by and take a look!

Things are really starting to heat up. Holiday time is officially here -after Halloween there's no fighting it - and in addition to a daily dose of new arrivals to be unboxed, fawned over and then put out on the floor, there are also more projects beginning just about everyday. I don't have any specific projects going on right now, so my plan is to make a "stay well" kit to keep by my desk for everyone. You know, like Airborne, Vitamin C, Green Tea, tissues, etc. Everyone is already swatting away colds to stay in the game, so I gotta keep the team en bonne sante. Any suggestions for the kit?