BACK STORY
Hello gorgeous! I’m Vanessa; a left handed redhead, a Taurus, an INFJ, and was born in the year of the snake. All of the clichés about all of the above are true in my case.
So, "Entre Nous" is a French term which translates to “between us”, let’s get that out of the way first.
I grew up on a tiny island in the San Juan archipelago of Washington State. Though a Washington native, I have also called Berkeley and Savannah home. I am a coastal girl at heart and can’t live without a body of water within my line of sight. I’m currently reestablishing roots in the San Juan Islands. I possess a degree in Art History, with an emphasis in Contemporary Art. Though I’m fluent in Sign Language, I have set my sights on mastering French. I’ve worked in a number of fields; art, antiques, and as a buyer for a home decor boutique.
I started Entre Nous on a whim, 9 (yes IX) years ago in 2005 when I got accepted into the Art History masters program at Savannah College of Art and Design. I was getting ready to make the move from the Pacific Northwest to the deep South and I wanted a place to gush about this and that. Though Entre Nous started out more as a personal blog where I discussed the “goings on” in my life, it has shifted over the years to more of a place where I dish on things that, at the core, make my heart skip a beat.
Though the program at SCAD ended up not being my cup of tea, it brought me to Savannah and changed the trajectory of my career path. In addition to my beloved fine art, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for all of the arts, DIY, interior design, and antiques. My Dad instilled a love of art and antiques in me from a young age; our family car was a ’52 Buick, we owned the first bubble light jukebox ever made, and have a lovely collection of Maxfield Parish paintings.
In Savannah I expanded my knowledge of antiques at a preeminent antique shop, gained experience in interior design, and honed my eye as a buyer at home décor boutique. It was while in Savannah that I decided to work towards opening my own brick and mortar shop, called Life Styled. But first came the launch of the online couterpart in the spring of 2014.
Life Styled is the place you turn to for curated items for your life and home. Think of it as a small scale department store with a few well edited items from each department. Life Styled is shop that showcases items that make your life and home more uniquely you.
TALKING POINTS
THE BASICS: Lives in a cottage on one of the lesser known San Juan Islands of Washington State with a dapper Himalayan named Morrissey.
WHERE I'D RATHER BE: The historic district of Savannah (referred to as NOG by those in the know) or the 9th arrondissement of Paris.
WEEKEND PURSUITS: sleeping in, coffee in bed with the current book on the nightstand, Sunday brunch, a matinee, antiquing or flea marketing, take out at home in front of anything on Bravo
COLLECTS: malachite, lucite, coffee table books, candles
ADMIRES: Diana Vreeland
DAYDREAMS: taking a road trip across country from San Diego to Savannah
GUILTY PLEASURES: US Weekly, re-runs of 90210
LIBATIONS OF CHOICE: champagne (with a splash of Chambord, if you please), mint juleps (but only when in the South), pimms cup (preferably in London, but this I’ll imbibe anywhere), margarita on the rocks (no salt for this girl)
PREFERRED BLOOMS: peonies, hydrangeas, orchids, and sweet peas
BOOK MOST TREASTURED: Light on the Island by Helene Glidden has always been my favorite, since first reading it in elementary school. It’s just as captivating as ever every time I reread it as an adult.
LIPSTICK DU JOUR: Tom Ford’s Moroccan Rouge (which has sadly been discontinued and which causes me to scour eBay for tubes of the stuff).
SCENT: Coco Chanel has been my signature scent for the past decade plus. I also rotate Kai and Fracas depending on the season or my mood.
MÉLANGE
contemporary art • croquet • interior design • classics - shaken and stirred • road trips • diy • the magnetic fields • civic pride • macarons • david sedaris • the phrase "beyond belief" • champagne bubbles • mix tapes • chinoiserie • sassy magazine (during the jane pratt years) • jean seberg's outfits in breathless • cocktails over card games • succulents • anything made of lucite • adrian tomine comics • pink peonies • flash mobs • stereo total's rendition of "get down tonight" • pinterest • raymond peynet • case study houses • mojitos out of mason jars • dorothy parker's wit • freudian slips
BE SOCIAL
Instagram: @HissAndTell
Twitter: @HissAndTell
Pinterest: @EntreNous
Facebook: Entre Nous
Email: [email protected]
WANT MORE? Check out my interview from 2006 with Kim Askew. The interview was for her alma mater's, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, blog. Though slightly dated and amusing/embarrassing, still partially relevant.
