I'm cheesy

There's a reason why I moved to the United States more than 6 years ago and it didn't take me long to figure it out: the holidays!
Why? Because of how big trees are, how bright the lights are, how the stores are decorated, how good the food is, how romantic the movies are and most of all, because of the Christmas carols...Yes, I know how cheesy this sounds but it's okay: I am cheesy. The same way I cry in front of a stupid life insurance commercial, I dance watching Crispin Porter's new Gap Holiday commercial.
Nothing revolutionary but it feels oh-ho-ho so good.

London Baby!

 

A few of my friends have recently moved to London and are trying to persuade some of us to move there as well. I would personally move back to Paris before moving to London. But in order to be fair play and show some interest in England I've decided to feature some great interior elements done with the Union Jack.

Frame from Maison de Vacances

Couch found on this great blog the urban lifestyle decor

Interior picture found on this other blog

Sunday treat

I like moving furniture around. Every 6 months I paint a wall in the apartment I live in. Last month was the lower half of the living room wall in cadmium red. Six months before it was in the dining area: chalk board paint that time. I don't know how long this can last... So until I move into a new place and paint new walls I'm looking for inspiration. Today, I'm craving bookshelves everywhere. This image comes from Maison de Vacances. They have a great store in Paris.

Ricardo Mosner

I'm obviously in the illustration/painting mood today so I thought I would share the old but so good 2003 Lanvin advertising campaign painted by the talented Ricardo Mosner. Ricardo Hugo Mosner is a painter and sculptor from Argentina who has been living and working in Paris for over 40 years. Deeply inspired by his roots, his painting are colorful, figurative and a bit nostalgic.

If you ever wanted to get in touch with him, QC might be able to help you out. You know how to reach me...

I'll drink to that

When most of liquor and fashion ads are looking just exactly the same in magazines, a few brands still manage to stand out. This week's winner has to be the Grand Marnier illustration ad on the back cover of this week's New Yorker. It's fresh, fun and giddy.
Nice job Grand Marnier!

I've been trying to find who the illustrator is but no success. So if anybody wants to share the info with me, please...

July 4th Wedding

It's raining today, still May 1st which means we're entering Wedding Season... If you're the bride and you're getting married during recession 2009, well... good luck! You should maybe have a look at a few blogs like a $10 000 Wedding, or $2000 Wedding...
For the other ones, the real lucky ones, attending the wedding and planning on having fun, like me, I've done some research. I have this wedding on July 4th (seems like a lot of people are getting married that day). I think it would be appropriate and patriotic to pick the right color palette and rise to the occasion. Obviously, I can't wear white (or could I?...) which leaves me with red and blue.
Option #1: Bright Red $90 Wrap Dress from Topshop, with $79.99 J.Crew high-heel slingbacks. Option #2: Navy Blue $90 Ruffle Dress from Topshop, and a $69.99 pair of metallic blue sandals from J.Crew.
Concerned about the length of the dresses? Yes, this season we are showing our legs, because we haven't been swimming everyday for nothing and it's time to cheer our own troops.

The Wild Wild West

Grand Teton, Yellow Stone, Glacier National Park...

...that's the road trip I'm talking about.
It's a safari, it's spectacular views with a wide variety, it's fly fishing, it's hikes in the mountains. Just make you sure you get some pepper spray in case you run into grizzly bears (not kidding here, attacks are not that rare). Go with your boyfriend, go with your girlfriend, your friends, your kids, but GO! If it's just the two of you, rent a convertible Mustang. If it's with the kids, rent the motorhome.
One more thing, coming from Jackson's airport to Grand Teton, put the soundtrack of Laurel Canyon (the movie) on, track #9, Harmony by Clinic, it's part of the experience