Francophile Friday: Merry Macarons to You

23.12.11

ink & watercolour illustration, 7" x 8.75" [18 x 22.5cm] BROWSE PRINTS
A valiant effort, though I haven't quite covered the partridge, turtle doves, calling birds and I don't think these little feathered friends would pass for French hens, either.  But I have a feeling you'll excuse me for trading five golden rings for this tower of raspberry macarons {if you close your eyes and make a wish, yours will turn into whatever flavour you fancy}.  Thank you, dear Virginia of Paris Through My Lens, for the lavish inspiration provided by you and Printemps in Paris.  I've decided to call this style Bacchanalian-chinoiserie.  Could we be daring enough to wear this while we indulge?  And when the last crumb has gone, we can visit animal refuges to make donations and give out cuddles.  {To give just by clicking your mouse, no money required, please pop over here. Often.}

Wishing you a Christmas filled with love and laughter with those who make your heart sing and your spirit tap dance.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you!
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Francophile Friday: Paris by Carrousel

16.12.11

ink & watercolour illustration, 8.75" x 7" [22.5 x 18cm] ACQUIRE PRINTS 

When life throws you curve balls, escape to the nearest carousel, I say.  What this one lacks in proximity, it more than compensates for in magic.  Please slip over to Genie's Paris and Beyond to view the original breathtaking sight in le Jardin des Tuileries, captured by her beautiful eye in the late afternoon winter light, bulbs twinkling and perfectly described by Genie as a 'blue and white wedding cake of a merry-go-round'.  Thank you for the very pretty inspiration, dear Genie ~ bisous!  I'm not sure how they hold up to snow, but I've arranged for a fairy floss vendor [aka cotton candy] to provide our refreshments in every pastel colour.  And not a plastic bag in sight ~ these ones are spun onto renewable-bamboo sticks or paper cones fashioned from vintage Paris maps edged in silk passementerie, depending on your fancy.  {There are also fairy floss martinis, but caution: when combined with enough carousel rides, the result can cause hallucinations.}  Let's take her for a spin.  And on that note...

Happy Francophile Friday to you! 
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Fashionable Friday: Mise/Pretty Far West Illustrated Gift Guide

9.12.11

ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree - curation by Mise/Pretty Far West
~ see below for links to individual items ~

Fortified by a magnum of champagne and fruit mince pies, we arrive at the second in our little teensy mini-series of illustrated gift guides, curated by a few of my favourite style bloggers and illustrated by little teensy me.  Last Friday, we were in Provence with Vicki Archer of French Essence.  Today, we travel par avion Pretty Far West to Ireland, where our guest curator Mise can be found plucking dewy blooms from the garden and nonchalantly arranging them in an endless array of Bonne Maman jars, before working some W.B. Yeats into her needlepoint project, perched on her pink and white toile de jouy Louis chair, warmed by her ivory stove as her sourdough rises in the kitchen.  All this before breakfast.  If ever there was a reason to visit Ireland {and there are many, to be sure}, visiting their Queen of Fudge, Wit and Domesticity is an excellent one.  Many of you will know Mise from our frivolous and fanciful deep and meaningful discussions in the comments, so you'll be keenly aware of her inimitable humour and charm, and her choices for our gift guide reflect that in spades.  {Hers is pink, I'm rather sure.}

I asked Mise if she could choose anyone to dress up as Santa and climb down her chimney, who would it be and why.  To which she replied, "I'd choose your dear self, as we'd surely have the best of chats by the fire, sipping champagne and munching florentines as we spoke of the nature of whimsy and whether pale blue can overcome all strife. I might not insist on the Santa suit, though, if you would prefer to wear a divine frock."  Thank you ~ I would be profoundly honoured, dear Mise!  I'll get back to you regarding attire, though I'm leaning towards this Tom Ford number, as I know your chimney would be impeccably clean. And on that note...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you!

Mise/Pretty Far West gift guide sources [left to right, top to bottom]: (1) Brian de Staic Fuchsia Earrings; (2) Vogue Pattern Sixties Dress; (3) Joules Bobble Hat; (4) Labour & Wait Milk Pan; (5) Hotel Chocolat Cabinet; (6) Barbican Pendant Lights; (7) Aspinal Vanity Case; (8) Berry Red Boudoir Chair; (9) Runaway Coast Striped Cushions

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Fashionable Friday: Vicki Archer/French Essence Illustrated Gift Guide

2.12.11

ink & watercolour illustration by Shell-Sherree - curation by Vicki Archer/French Essence
~ see below for links to individual items ~

One of my minor weaknesses leading into the festive season is fruit mince pies.  Not a concept I grasped at all when I was a child ~ I pictured a combination of beef mince, gravy and glacé cherries and couldn't possibly imagine what anyone would find fetching about it.  But at some point the penny dropped, and now I'm quite partial.  Today, I ate my first fruit mince pie to officially cut the ribbon on my Christmas planning ~ which leads us to today's post.  I was doodling around last week and illustrated one of the J.Crew guest gift guides for the fun of it ~ and it led me to thinking it would be fun to do a little teensy mini-series of illustrated gift guides, curated by a few of my favourite style bloggers.  And with grace and aplomb, they agreed to play along.  Hooray!

Given the fondness for French influence around these parts, our first gift guide is contributed by Vicki Archer, author of the sumptuous books My French Life and French Essence {stories of her life} and dreamy blog of the same name.  Vicki created her blog 'for those, like me, who are mad for fashion, interiors, and all things French.'  I like to think we're related through our Australian DNA {if you're a genetic scientist, I don't want to know...}  She is one of the most romantic souls I've 'met' and she has a way of writing her posts to you and you alone ~ even though you know they are there for all to see.

I asked Vicki if she could choose anyone to dress up as Santa, who would it be and why.  To which she replied, "As for Santa… I don't want it to be anyone but Santa because if I knew him… he wouldn't be Santa…. 'Those who don't believe don't receive'… That's what I said to my children when they were small and that's what they say to me…."  Thank you, dear Vicki!  And on that magical note...

Happy Fashionable Friday to you!

French Essence Gift Guide Sources [left to right, top to bottom]: (1) Annick Goutal Gardenia Passion Eau de Parfum; (2) ‘Vogue: The Covers’; (3) Annick Goutal Noel 08 Scented Candle; (4) Parisian Pagoda Parasol; (5) Red Wellington Boots; (6) ‘One Hundred Flowers’ by Harold Feinstein; (7) Casio Men’s XL Red G-Shock Watch; (8) The Sunrise Collection Picnic Basket; (9) Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Hi Tops
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