fashion for the few

Casting a spell in Paris

PARIS (AFP) - Only a handful of women in the world can afford it, and designers make little if any money from it, but haute couture never fails to cast a magic spell over the realm of fashion.

Chanel Haute Couture - AW 2009-2010

Starting today, no fewer than 20 houses will be sending out their latest one-off creations over three days of exclusive haute couture shows that get underway in the French capital.

"An haute couture dress is never expensive enough," said fashion industry consultant Donald Potard, and to the few hundred women who can indulge themselves, the appeal of a one-of-a-kind creation is undeniable.

A unique creation from a young designer is never less than 15,000 euros (20,000 dollars); double that figure for something from a big-name house. Wedding dresses can go for 120,000 euros or more.

Haute couture exists only in Paris, where it is a legally protected appellation subject to strict criteria such as the amount of work carried out by hand, the limited number of pieces and the size of a house's workforce.

Every six months, haute couture houses get together to decide who can join their ranks. While the carefully choreographed shows are magnets for the fashion press, many buyers -- from all corners of the world, with a significant number from Asia and the Middle East -- prefer to be discreet.

At salons such as Jean Paul Gaultier's elegant quarters in Paris, clients have their own personal mannequin on which their chosen designs can be painstakingly made. The final product can take hundreds of hours to complete.

Few in number, buyers of haute couture nevertheless vary in age and background. "Don't think they are all chic elderly ladies," says luxury industry consultant Jean-Jacques Picart.

Some details on a design can be altered -- sleeves added, for instance, or a hemline changed. But Claude Mialaud, director of haute couture at Jean Paul Gaultier says employees are duty-bound to reveal if an haute couture dress has been sold to someone else. "There are women," she says, "who cannot risk finding themselves meeting someone else in the same dress."

by Gersende Rambourg

white house state dinner

She wore Alexander McQueen.

sargent shriver : good night

R. Sargent Shriver, the Kennedy in-law who became the founding director of the Peace Corps, the architect of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty, the United States ambassador to France and the Democratic candidate for vice president in 1972, died Tuesday. He was 95.

Read more here.

you be the judge

from the NY Times here.

postcard from provence

Track through rice paddies, Penestanan

20cm x 16cm, oil on board

This painting will be auctioned over 24hrs starting today at:
20:00 UTC -00:00
(15:00 EST -05:00)

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save the dates

Renegade Craft Fair dates for 2011
Get more info here.

antiques collective opens outside malibu

NY Times: A Beautiful Mess, a new shop in the 1950s-era Whizin Market Square, 10 miles from Malibu, Calif., is an antiques collective. But not a typical one, said Kymberley Fraser, who opened it with six other antiques dealers, all women. A diverse collection of items is mixed to form a cohesive look. There are furnishings created from recycled finds by the Junk Girls; pieces by the designer Marilyn Thompson; primitive American objects from the dealer Karen Chambers; French and American pieces from the designer Victoria Stoehr; American antiques from the dealers Leah Cox and Tina O’Flaherty; and items from Ms. Fraser, like an ottoman ($1,800) and wing chair ($2,600) covered in antique German hemp-linen grain bags, above, and a willow basket ($89), left.

A Beautiful Mess, 28875 West Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, Calif., (818) 874-9092 or abeautifulmessantiques.com.

congress revisits us constitution

NY Times: In a reflection of the influence of the Tea Party movement, the new Republican majority has ordered that the United States Constitution be read on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday, the day after new lawmakers are sworn in. Congressional historians say they believe this has been done only twice before.

Despite the framers' stated intentions in the preamble to the Constitution, there is little “domestic tranquility” when it comes to interpreting what the document means.

The New York Times has posted a copy of the US Constitution that you can read on-line (and print if you want to keep a copy) along with annotated notes about what the Republicans are up in arms about.

new year's resolutions

here

until next year

pantone's color for 2011

A Color for All Seasons
Courageous. Confident. Vital. A brave new color, for a brave new world. Let the bold spirit of Honeysuckle infuse you, lift you and carry you through the year. It’s a color for every day – with nothing “everyday” about it.

And I would add: a little goes a long way!

From the Pantone website: Honeysuckle emboldens us to face everyday troubles with verve and vigor. A dynamic reddish pink, Honeysuckle is encouraging and uplifting. It elevates our psyche beyond escape, instilling the confidence, courage and spirit to meet the exhaustive challenges that have become part of everyday life.

Add a lively flair to interior spaces with Honeysuckle patterned pillows, bedspreads, small appliances and tabletop accessories. Looking for an inexpensive way to perk up your home? Paint a wall in Honeysuckle for a dynamic burst of energy in the family room, kitchen or hallway.

And then there's the Visa card. Let your purchases say who you are - really? Go here to apply for one.

PANTONE 18-2120 Honeysuckle Vibrant, Energetic, Captivating

PANTONE 14-0941 Beeswax Warm, Optimistic, Enlightened
PANTONE 16-1452 Firecracker Cheerful, Dynamic, Tuned In
PANTONE 15-3817 Lavender Insightful, Intuitive, Spiritual
PANTONE 18-4039 Regatta Trustworthy, Cool, Confident

'tis the day

life in topanga

After seven days of rain (9"), the sun finally came out and a rainbow emerged.

silvertip fir

SILVERTIP FIR (RED FIR - CALIFORNIA RED FIR) -- Abies magnifica

The California Red Fir, commonly referred to as a "Silvertip", are trees native to the high mountains of northern California and southern Oregon. The Silvertip is famous for its open, layered appearance and the silvery - green color of the tips of the tree. If you hear someone talking about an old fashion Christmas tree, they are more than likely talking about the Silvertip.

I had seen these trees at parties but never at a Christmas tree lot to purchase. But I found a lot in Woodland Hills that carries them. It's probably the most beautiful and most unique tree I've ever had.

winter solstice

The 2010 winter solstice will occur on Tuesday December 21, at 6:38 pm GMT.


The winter solstice occurs exactly when the Earth's axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26'. Though the winter solstice lasts only a moment in time, the term is also a turning point to midwinter or the first day of winter to refer to the day on which it occurs. More evident to those in high latitudes, this occurs on the shortest day, and longest night, and the sun's daily maximum position in the sky is the lowest. The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere.

via wikipedia

lunar eclipse

Total lunar eclipse visible Monday night

The moon will be shadowed by the Earth starting late Monday and into Tuesday morning, the first such eclipse in nearly three years. The event can be seen from anywhere in North America.

A total eclipse of the moon will be visible throughout North and Central America from 11:41 p.m. PST Monday until 12:53 a.m. Tuesday, the first such eclipse in almost three years.

Weather permitting, observers will see the moon enter the Earth's inner shadow, or umbra, at 10:33 p.m., with a red-brown shadow creeping across the bright moon. This shadow has a curved edge, a fact that was taken as proof to at least some ancients that the Earth is round. The sky will get darker as the shadow progresses across the moon, and more stars will be visible as sunlight reflected from the moon fades.

The total phase of the eclipse will last 72 minutes, then the moon will begin to emerge from the umbra, coming totally out of the inner shadow at 2:01 a.m.

Read more here.

a plethora of on-line mags

Who knew that there were so many on-line shelter magazines. And it turns out there's a contest brewing to see which one is liked the most.

I've checked them all out and some are definitely better than others. I'll let you decide which ones you like: Nesting Newbies, Lonny, Ivy & Piper, Sweet Paul, Rue, or Pure Green?

mid century gingerbread

A fantastical candyland with gingerbread walls, coconut shag rugs, and fondant Eames chairs. This pad not only satisfies the monthly cravings, darlings, but it does so with mid-century flair.

From the chocolate wafer Jackson Pollack to the candied Noguchi table, every inch is totally edible.

A craveable and crafty case study worthy of worship.

via trendhunter

life in topanga

Mapping America, Block by Block

Browse local data from the Census Bureau’s community survey, based on samples from 2005 to 2009.

Here's the 2010 Census payoff. This is an interactive map published in today's NY Times. Type in your zip code and you can find out the ethnic make-up of your community.

There's no surprises for Topanga:
87% White
2% Black
5% Hispanic
2% Asian
3% other

meteor shower tonight

Geminid 2010 To Peak December 13th and 14th

Stargazers are in for a treat tonight as the annual Geminid meteor shower is set to peak in the early hours of December 14, 2010. According to The AP, astronomers predict that it will be the best meteor shower of the year, with over 100 blazing meteors streaking through the sky each hour.

While the entire shower should be somewhat visible between December 12 and December 16, the best time to watch is between midnight tonight and sunset tomorrow morning, with ideal visibility in the Northern Hemisphere.

The meteors will appear to fall from the Gemini constellation, thus the reason for its name, so face northeast to witness the spectacle.

According to National Geographic, Geminid is the only annual meteor shower though to come from an asteroid-like object, known as 3200 Phaethon, a three-mile-wide space rock discovered by a NASA satellite in 1983.

richard holbrooke : good night

Mr. Holbrooke was hospitalized on Friday afternoon after becoming ill while meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in her Washington office. Doctors found a tear to his aorta, and he underwent a 21-hour operation. Mr. Holbrooke had additional surgery on Sunday and remained in very critical condition until his death. He died Monday evening in Washington at age 69.

Read more here.

hallelujah chorus flash mob

OK - so sometimes it pays to go to the mall. Enjoy!

great practical gifts on the web

Who needs to go to the mall and face the hoards. Here's a couple web sites that allow you to shop from the comfort of your own home, in your pajamas!

Brook Farm General Store
These are their gift baskets but you can buy everything individually as well, along with many other things.

via remodelista

Kaufmann Mercantile
Image above: 1. Tartan throw, $78; 2. Beeswax Finish, $19; 3. Canvas Tote, $95; 4. Handmade Beeswax Candles, $5.95; 5. Wooden Refillable Pencil, $39.90; 6. Market and Fruit Picking Pack, $102; 7. Claw Hammer, $36; 8. Snowshoes, $316; 9. Coffee Maker, $65.90; 10. Pine Cones Stamp, $5.75 (Not from KM, but it felt like a perfect fit for the look); 11. Leather Eyeglass Case, $70

Image above: 1. Shampoo Bar, $4.60; 2. Measuring Cup, $10.60; 3. Rust Eraser, $12.20; 4. Stronghold Denim Apron, $118; 5. Fountain Pen Ink, $8.60; 6. Postalco Notebook, $12

via design sponge

renegade craft fair in la

December 11 & 12. Read more here.

elizabeth edwards : good night

Elizabeth Edwards dies of cancer at 61. Read more here.

Ring the bells that still can ring

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in.

- Leonard Cohen "Anthem"

as quoted in Elizabeth Edward's book "Resilience"