DEGREES OF HYSTERIA

RK Apothecary

The Los Angeles Design Group designed the recently opened RK Apothecary in Santa Monica; a luxury bath and body products boutique. The design gorgeously mirrors the products they offer to dizzying effects!

CHARMING & GORGEOUS

Daydreaming

This elaborately carved Regency Style French Stand (1700 – 1715) catches the eye and stops the heart. Is it possible to fall so hopelessly in love with objects?

DEGREES OF HYSTERIA

A Prayer On A Summer Sunday Night

“I’ve always had a theory that some of us are born with nerve endings longer than our bodies.

a woman who is always beautiful to strangers? All poets understand the final uselessness of words.

To survive is sometimes a leap into madness. The fingers of saints are still hot from miracles, but can they save themselves?”

-Joy Harjo, In Mad Love And War (1990)

ESOTERIC ESSAYAGES

Iris Apfel… A Role Model

“My so-called “collection” is my wardrobe. It’s a series of pieces I’ve accumulated over these many years. I love a timeless look, and I think if you develop your own style it’s not a problem – at least it hasn’t been for me. I can mix something I bought last week with something I’ve hoarded for 30 years. I don’t follow trends or the hottest fashion. I buy what I like and my tastes are quite catholic – haute couture to street fashion. Pieces that are Zen-simple or madly baroque. I love ethnic as well as contemporary. I’m fond of serious and adore amusing. I try to make all these things work together.”

GENTLEMEN

Fashionably, Handsomely, Gorgeously… Casual

It has been stated before that Albertine & Odette have a preference for well dressed gentlemen. It goes without saying that a man can be casual and comfortable, but still extremely well dressed.

Meet Ourasi… Ateliers Arthur’s leather high-top with suede panels! This sleek shoe is perfect for those who possess classic elegance with an edge. These sneakers are deliciously luxurious!

CHARMING & GORGEOUS

Necessary Accessory

The perfect gift should be charming and gorgeous. I recently  bought a lovely vintage champagne cooler as a housewarming gift for a friend who has everything…. including impeccable taste. The gift was a hit and I have had numerous inquiries as to where to find something similar. Yesterday I ran across the simple and smart Chilla Champagne Cooler by Umbra. It’s clean lines make for a perfectly grand pedestal for showcasing your favorite bubbly, poolside… at dinner… or next to the bath or bed!

Get it here: chilla champagne cooler

DEGREES OF HYSTERIA

In The End It Is All Just A Bunch Of Paper

I love Ghost of a Dream and their artfully brilliant use of discarded lottery tickets! They have taken these sorry little paper reminders and recreated the dreams they were intended to become. The very height of optimism!

ESOTERIC ESSAYAGES

Mise-en-scène: 1970s Euro Sunglasses

Details are everything! A fierce attention to detail is necessary to create great beauty, elegance, and grace. One small detail that can literally make or break a look,  is one’s choice of sunglasses. They must be fashionable, yet compliment the visage, while at the same time say something about the wearer. My personal favorites are the grandiose models from the 1970s. They lent the wearer an air of chic mystery… and who doesn’t want that!

CHARMING & GORGEOUS

For Those Who Love Their Pets And Will Not Forsake Good Design

The Pup Tent was created by Slade Architecture for Trust for Public Space’s annual auction. The “modern indoor dog lounge” is created by laminating together water-jet cut plywood, giving it a groovy layered look. The design features an open air top to provide circulation as well as natural lighting for your sweet little pooch.

Learn more about Slade Architecture here.

EXTRAORDINARILY SACRED

Victorian Mourning Jewelry

I have long had an intense, yet quiet, love affair with Victorian Mourning Jewelry. It’s complexity of symbolism, sentiment, art and fashion is beauteous, if not haunted… in a lovely way… Each piece tells the story of someone who was once loved and the person who loved them.

Mid-Victorian Mourning Bangle

Vulcanite Mourning Locket

Victorian Mourning Brooch

Mourning Capelet

French Victorian Jet Cameo Festoon Mourning Necklace