Spring 2012 Haute Couture~What is Your Color?

Spring, my favorite month, holds many soft color possibilities.

From sea mist green to tender peach to aquamarine, these dreamy colors make me ready for lighter fabrics-chiffons, laces, and silks.

Elie Saab's glorious pieces remind me of the Greek mythological sirens.

Chanel Spring Haute Couture even had a few soft, beautiful ice blue dresses.

I love this neckline, the pleats and the hemline.

Another beautiful Chanel dress- a dusky pale teal that reminds me of Marie Antoinette.

_{classic Dior neckline}

And I can't forget to add a sampling of Dior.

I'm seriously thinking of asking my mom to make me a dress like this!

and a beautiful bodice envelopped in classic, Dioresque black swiss dots.

Spring 2012 haute couture offers so many inspiring details and colors; it makes me want to work on some flowers once again (It's been months since I've created flowers for my Etsy store since I've had my shop on an extended vacation.)

What colors do you tend to gravitate toward in the Spring? For me, it's usually shades of pink and champagne, but I think this Spring, I'll try a little bit of peach...

_{images 1-3 via This is Glamorous; images 4-7 via Elle.com}

100 Pretty Pennies: Chandelier

When buying things for your home, wardrobe, or for a celebration, how many of you pride yourselves in getting a good deal?

For me, I get a thrill out of finding something really beautiful or very practical when the price is cheap.

My purchasing mantra is: the closer to free the better.

I am not embarrassed or ashamed to shop at yard sales, Goodwill, resale shops, or flea markets...not at all! In fact, some of the best elements used in decorating our home or Amelia's birthday parties have come from these places.

And if you happen to see my car parked on the side of the road with me lugging something from the trash to my trunk, give me a honk and a wave. I will not be ashamed. And I hope you're not in a hurry because I will most likely call you over to show off my new, free treasure!

You may be thinking, that's not very sophisticated or parisienne or you may be thinking that's just what poor people say. Poor or rich, I'm of the opinion that whatever amount of money God gives to my family needs to be spent responsibly and keenly. (Besides, making a habit of shopping frugally makes it possible to splurge occasionally on those really high quality items (a nice winter coat, good parfum, etc.) that are so parisienne and worth the investment.)

So, in an effort to inspire all of you that a beautiful home, outfit, or celebration doesn't have to break the bank or go onto that devilish credit card, I am starting a new series on my blog:

100 Pretty Pennies: From Pennies to Panache with a Clever Eye and Thrifty Pocket.

So onto my first pretty penny item in our home: the chandelier in our masterbath.

_{vintage tole chandelier in shades of celery, white, pale aqua and pale yellow}

The story behind this find:

I am probably the only college student you have ever heard of that had a booth in an antique mall-who spent her Saturday mornings visiting yardsales scavenging for goodies to resell.

I scored this unexpected treasure from a yardsale in our college town with the intention of selling it in our booth (I shared a booth with my college roommate and best friend, Lauren). The selfish side of me decided to keep it for myself, so I stored it away, neglected it, forgot about it. Years later, after I had graduated college, married, and renovated our masterbath, my husband dug it out of the shop and brought it into the house.

My jaw dropped at how perfect it was for our bathroom, and I just had to laugh.

I had completely forgotten about it, and it matched our bathroom perfectly! I'd love to say that I had been clever enough to design our bathroom around this chandelier, but I wasn't; it was a total accident, and really I must give credit to my husband for rediscovering it!

So, how much did I pay for this pretty vintage Italian tole chandelier???

200 pretty pennies~~~~~~~~~$2.00!!!

_{Worth about $300.00!!!}

Definitely worth the Saturday morning hunt!

_{images by à la parisienne}

Ma salle de bain...Les autres coins...{the other corners}

For those of you who have chosen to follow along during my corner-to-corner decorating journey, here are the other romantique corners of our salle de bain. Click here to see the previous post of ma salle de bain.
Recognize the white flower arrangement in the vintage white soup tureen??? That was the centerpiece I created for my sister-in-law's surprise party inspired by Ladurée.
A couple weeks ago, I moved this arrangement from the garden tub ledge to the vanity. Now, it seems as if the vanity and the flower arrangement have finally met their perfect match.

_{a vintage dresser converted to a sink & vanity}
Some of you may remember my post about this vanity that my husband and father and law created for this bathroom. Click here to see more.

I think that I've decided that no matter the design scheme I choose for this bathroom (from season to season), the elements on top of the vanity should remain in an all white palette~very serene and clean.

_{tall bathroom cabinet built by my husband. Click here to read more.}

The elements above this cabinet need a major overhaul.
It wasn't until I photographed this picture that I realized the large DREAM garland is not even centered! I'm also a little embarrassed to admit that this garland was the first thing I hung up in our bathroom upon the completion of the renovation...eight years ago and I haven't moved it since! It's about time for a change.
I've also decided that the décor above this tall cabinet will be on a revolving door; I will change them from season to season.

There's something about these three vintage silver hand mirrors that I love. Perhaps it is the romantic in me; I can't help it.
I also love the sweet little vintage hat adorning the center mirror.

_{view behind door}
Behind the door that opens to the bathroom is a simple, long vintage mirror and a brushed nickle hanger for hanging towels (one of the only store bought items in our bathroom). My sister-in-law bought this sweet vintage dress for Amelia when Amelia was 1.5 years old, and it is just too sweet to put away, so I have it on display.
This space may be a good place to change out vintage dresses (girls or womens) for coordinating with design changes.

And while visiting ma salle de bain, you mustn't forget to look up!
A white pressed tin ceiling spans the entire bathroom ceiling~the most beautiful thing to stare at during a hot soak in the garden tub.

And for the chandelier...that is for the next post!

_{images by à la parisienne}

Corner to Corner: Ma salle de bain

Well, I'm finally back to blogging now that everything has finally settled down around here!

I don't know about you, but when the new year starts, I always have so many new ideas and plans swirling in my mind that I run in place for a few weeks before I actually move forward (cue blurred feet in motion and cartoon music).

This year, I have so many new goals and new creative ideas, and I would like to accomplish all of them and, of course, share them with you!

One of my goals this year is to focus more on completing each room from corner to corner (making every room wholly functional and adding those finishing touches).
When I was teaching full time, almost four years ago, my favorite past time was to spend the weekends decorating and making new vignettes throughout the house. Somewhere along the way, like every hobby's ebb and flow, my passion for primping our home was replaced with blogging and making handmade items for my Etsy shop. Now I plan to put more of my creative energy into feathering our nest.

By sharing "my progress" with you, I hope that I adhere to this goal.

_{view of master bath from our bedroom}

So, I will begin my decorating journey with our master bath~my absolute favorite room in our home. Here is one corner of our salle de bain.

a romantic gilded mirror in front of the large garden tub~


a garden-style urn filled with soft whites - tulle, sand dollars, and a handmade box by Fanciful.

a very special angel that makes me *smile* every time I see it~

a wide shelf that spans the width of the garden tub bolstered by two ornate, antique black metal brackets~

I have yet to find the perfect items to place upon this shelf. Usually the groupings look cluttered or incohesive. After I removed all of the items from the shelf for the photoshoot, Zena seized the opportunity to nap there where the sun shines in...

_{So far, she is the best adornment~precious and oh so charming~and she definitely promotes relaxation!}

_{Up next:}

_{~les autres coins de notre salle de bain {the other corners of our masterbath};}

_{~a few design mood boards for our salle de bain that will help promote more cohesion from element to element.}

_{images by à la parisienne}

A Year of New Beginnings: Parisienne Farmgirl Magazine

It is always exciting to embark on a new year; there are so many possibilities: new endeavors, new friendships, and new accomplishments.

And I am so excited for my dear blog friend, Angela Read, aka Parisienne Farmgirl as she is commencing a new endeavor- Parisienne Farmgirl Magazine!

Her video announcement below describes all of the exciting details about her new quarterly online magazine, and I must say she is quite charming and her French accent is beautiful!

As an editor who is a talented gardener, cook, photographer, and decorator, Angela will surely culitivate Parisienne Farmgirl Magazine into a feast for the eyes brimming with inspirational articles and projects.

_{one of my favorite pictures of Angela's home (I just love those mirrors and the symmetry of the design!)}

Parisienne Farmgirl Magazine is sure to inspire women who love both Paris and a simplified life.

To be sure you do not miss out on the first issue (April 1, 2012) click here to subscribe.

In celebration of this new adventure, Angela is offering a very generous and awesome giveaway with over $200 worth of goodies. Click here to enter and to congratulate her.

Féliciations, Angela!

We are all so excited for you and I know that your magazine will be superbe!!!

...And I anxiously await the inaugural issue!!

_{video and images via Parisienne Farmgirl}