Stuff: Two Perspectives

We have in our possession two beautiful and inspirational books, which exemplify two radically different approaches to "stuff". One is "A Perfectly kept house is the sign of a misspent life" by Mary Randolph Carter; the other is Axel Vervoordt's "Wabi Inspirations" I suspect most of us are living somewhere in the happy medium gray area. The top picture makes my head spin, but the table at the bottom one isn't even being used! Am I right? Put that...

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The Wonderful Cabinet of Curiosity

Ah, the curiosity cabinet!  _uacct = "UA-4327464-2"; urchinTracker();    _uacct = "UA-4327464-2"; urchinTracker(); Collections of the wonderful! Most often an assorted stash of the natural world in both its sublime (feathers?) and gross (skulls?) state. And how wonderful it is to actually hold what we read about in books (or on google or kindle or whatever) and to turn it around in our own bare hands! And, we can wonder (with curiosity...

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Melancholia in Black and White: The photography of Jan Reich

@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Imagine working abroad for a few months, feeling homesick for your country, and traveling back for a visit only to find it drastically changed and changing still. That’s the place Jan Reich found himself in when he returned to Prague in 1969, after...

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London's Two, Its a Zoo!

  There was some hand-wringing over the rain early that afternoon, but right around 2, (as if on cue), the skies cleared away huffy rainclouds and the sun shone on London and her guests all day long. @font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1                        ...

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New Arrivals: Beautiful Cards and Notepaper

We're currently gushing over the new cardsand notepaper we just got in.Pretty, simple, clean and hitting just the right note: (-- sweet, but not overly delicate ---)Lovely right?  Perfect when you want a joyful, non-sarcastic way to celebrate a happy occasion,a new baby, sentiments of love or thoughts of gratitude.  _uacct = "UA-4327464-2"; urchinTracker();...

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Our Autumn Table

Our Autumn Table (I won't ruin this with a lot of talk.)   Designers Kelsey and Shelby put this beautiful table togeth...

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Hats off to Fall

Dear Summer, It's not me, it's you. You need to change. Into fall.Yes! Fall is finally here! And we have a great lineup of soft, cozy hats in a refreshing palette of charcoal grays and bright pinks. All manner of checks, plaids, tweeds, herringbone and felted bows await your perusal... This sporty one at the top is one of my faves.   _uacct = "UA-4327464-2"; urchinTracker(); We also just got in these great new leather cuffs that will...

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Postcards from Paris: {The Piano Man Crêperie}

_uacct = "UA-4327464-2"; urchinTracker(); There is a red façade crêperie on one of the cobblestone hillsides at the top of Montmartre, and a piano man who plays nightly. I don't know how often this can be expected, but last night he was accompanied by a singer dressed in all black; a man with quintessential French features, a pointed nose and eyes that smile. He sang songs by Edith Piaf and Charles Azanour, and took breaks sitting in a red velvet...

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Lunchtime at Tiffany's

It's not terrible if you knock over a glass, but don't be a bore. Tiffany's Table Manners for Teenagers was written by Walter Hoving, immediately following lunch with his grandson John Hoving. Though impishly suggesting he had no idea what role he played in such a creative work, his grandfather said to him "Johnny, it takes a person just as much effort to have bad manners as it does to have good manners, so why don't you take the time to learn some...

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Pet Pleasures: Be kind to your four-legged friends

Well, we're not the only ones on the planet! If cats and dogs had a Favorite Things blogpost, I think some of these creature comforts would definitely be on it.1. Belgian Laundry Basket with Moroccan Pillows (makes a comfy bed for your dog or cat, 2. Knitted Dog Dolls, 3. Giant Yarn Ball from India, 4.Price's Fresh Air-Eliminates Odours-Candle, 5. Dogs Book, 6. Knitted Cat Doll, 7. Fresh Lavender Bundle (known to keep fleas away), 8. Leather Pouf...

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Postcards from Paris: {The Market of Fleas}

I've never journeyed south on line 13 to Le marché aux puces Vanves, but since my friend is in town who shares the same interest as finding trinkets with tales behind them, I had a reason to go and a partner to accompany me. _uacct = "UA-4327464-2"; urchinTracker(); The set-up of the market is different compared to Le marché aux puces Clignancourt, tables are all lined up and the potential buyers walk down the alley. One side there...

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