Entre Nous.

The Face

Sweetest thing, model Coco Rocha's wedding video.

Who doesn't love a little chevron and John Irving on a Monday?

[via It's Official]

It's that time of year

 
A contemplative Faye Dunaway at the Beverly Hills Hotel pool on the morning after she won the Oscar for Best Actress in Network, 1977.

I love this snapshot, so classic and old Hollywood, despite being from the 70's. For me it's really more about the pre show happening on the red carpet (the hair, the who are you wearing, the interviews), than the actual show. Typically you'll find me watching bits live the night of, then scrolling through the highlights the next day on the DVR. Though the Oscars are always a lovely excuse to throw on your finest, or at least your finest jewels, and sip some champagne. 

After investing hours picking blackberries and months of patience to make my blackberry cordial, I have a tendency to put at least a splash of it into most mixed drinks. It's especially delicious in champagne. Another take on the blackberry cocktail is the Seductive Swan, which I posted about several years ago before the Oscars. I didn't think it a very monumental post, but it is my most pinned photograph from my blog on Pinterest, the arbiter of all things popular.

Will you be watching?

It's Janet Hill's world...

...and I wish I lived in it! Janet Hill's painting possess such an old world charm and (in my opinion) an underlying Southern sensibility. I think I might just need to purchase a print, or four. They do make more of an impact in a set. I'm especially taken with the painting featuring the Himalayan. Having a seal point Himalayan myself, how could I not be? Not only does Janet Hill create captivating paintings, she also goes a step further and developes a narrative for each and every one.

The Houseguest

 
My friend Sara is coming to visit for the long weekend. A low key few days on the island will likely be comprised of: catch up sessions over cocktails (blackberry cordial with champagne, in case you're curious), working our way through a few movies in the Netflix queue (Take this Waltz is at the top), beach combing (one can never have enough beach glass and agates), and brunch (eggs benedict and mimosas).

Even though my current house is of the one bedroom variety, I manage to work with what limited space I have to create the feel of a guest bedroom in a portion of the living-room.

Here are a few elements I like to have in place when a guest is coming to stay. I'd like to claim to place a decanter of water by the bedside table, but the reality is more of the bottled water variety. A stack of magazines and a few books provides some bedtime reading material. A throw or additional blankets in case your guests preferred temperature differs from yours. Some flowers and signature scented candles (Baies or Feu de Bois by Diptyque) help to set a serene sleeping environment. Even after offering guests to help themselves to the pantry or refrigerator, I also leave out a few bowls of nuts and candies in case they don't feel inclined to help themselves. All the miniature soaps and shampoos pilfered from previous hotels (I may have taken a few Antica toiletries from The Grand America in SLC) come in handy when you have a house-guest. In addition to the necessary towels, I do also leave my guests their own travel size toiletries. In the vein of creating the ambiance of a hotel room, a pen and pad of paper on the bedside table is a nice touch. And even though it's typical for guests to come bearing a gift for the hostess, I usually like to give my friends a little takeaway. This time might be something of the homemade variety, along the lines of the blackberry cordial that I recently bottled. 

[Painting, The Houseguest by Janet Hill. Watercolor, The Cozy Guestroom by Jessica of The Aestate]