Lemon curd is one of my favorite things to eat. I could eat it straight out of the jar. These delightful Dutch Babies –– pancake meets crepe meets popover –– are the perfect pillow for piles of lemon curd. This recipe says they’re a cinch to make. I think my children would fall off their stools if they came to dinner and found these at the table. My son is liable to scoff at the lemon curd, but I’m sure jam or crème fraîche will do.
I went to the Christian Dior exhibition at the ROM on the weekend which left me all in a flutter. The ribbons, sequins and silks, oh my. It was learning about the companies –– Maison Hurel, Masion Rébé and Ginistry et Quénolle –– that produced all the hand embroidery that I found most fascinating. And the ones that created velvet ribbons, (Giron Frères) and dupioni silk (Staron). One of my very favourite Diors in recent memory, was the embroidered white dress that Mara Rooney wore in Cannes in the spring of 2017. It was modern day Hepburn. The sheer fabric added edge to her demure collar and hem length. And her choice of black heel and clutch was perfection. It was classic, crisp and utterly chic. Dior would have approved.
This is such a pretty idea for a valence –– a large piece of lace fitted to the box spring. I like the headboard also, with its lovely carvings. And while the whole look is fitting for a farm house, I think some colourful throw cushions and a chartreuse quilt would give the room a bit of a twist.
It’s hard to imagine, but soon enough we’ll be sliding bare feet into summer shoes. I’m a little in love with these rope sandals from San Paolo based designer, Lane Marinho. Her colour combinations are brilliant. Two small caveats: the shoes are only available in Brazil, and you need pretty darn perfect feet to wear them. So, I won’t be buying a pair, but I’m delighted to know they exist.
I came across these lovely body suits this morning –– the perfect first layer in cold winter. I love the muted colours –– pale blue, peach, cream and olive –– and fine ribbing. The last time I wore a bodysuit was circa 1995, with lots of eye makeup, bottle green jeans and biker boots. Twenty years later, this is more my speed. I should dig up the old biker boots, though.
Despite its proximity to London, I’ve been to Paris only a handful of times. But my memories of each visit are very vivid. There was the cruise on the Bateaux Mouches with my mother, when I wore hibiscus pink leather shoes and ate frog legs for the first time. There was the most perfect tarte tatin shared with Jason at a bistro in the latin quarter. We had an argument in the street on the way home, which felt very nouvelle vague. Jason bought me Stephane Kelian shoes and an Eres bra on that trip. Our second visit, eight years later, was equally exciting. This time, I was four months pregnant with our first baby and buying D cup braziers at Le Bon Marché. Somewhere in between the Bateaux Mouches and Le Bon Marché, were two school trips with my very best friends. There was a rather major spat in the Lalique room at the Musee D’Orsay, but other than that we all got on swimmingly. If I recall, we spent most of our free time, sitting in tabacs painting our nails (Chanel had just launched Rouge Noir) eating Camembert and smoking Gauloise. I’d like to take my girls there one day. Maybe we’ll get on the Bateaux Mouches and look at Renoirs, or maybe we’ll sit in cafes and eat cheese all day.
Look at this heavenly space in Melbourne –– designed as a studio/short term rental. The white and bright is accented by antique lights, African sculptures, gilded mirrors and bold, graphic textiles. What fun to live in the pages of Elle Decor, for a few days, at least. Everything is for sale, everything but the kitchen sink.
I came across the gorgeous weavings of Melbourne-based designer, Tammy Kanat today. Her work is so colourful and richly textured, it’s hard not to be drawn to it. It’s one of her circular pieces that I’d really love to see hanging on my wall. No doubt, each one is hours and hours of work. Gunta Stölzl and Shiela Hicks are major inspirations, as are the changing colours of her garden. Have a look at her Instagram feed. Kanat is amazingly prolific, and there’s beautiful variety to her work. I’m inspired to do a weaving workshop –– how fun would that be?
I’ve seen the Steven Heinemann exhibition at The Gardner Museum twice, because once is not enough. I’ve also watched the accompanying film about six times. In it, Heinemann speaks beautifully about clay and his personal process. “This behaviour of the material, which does not seek your permission, already suggests to me a dance of nature and culture, mind and nature.” His larger pieces, formidable and quiet, have plenty of room to breath in the gallery. His smaller vessels, exquisitely smooth on the outside, rough and volcanic on the inside, are displayed together, almost as one piece of work. One bowl, charcoal black and warped to perfection, stood out among the rest. Tireless, disciplined and deeply talented, I was inspired by how Hienemann stretches the boundaries of his medium. But ultimately, clay has a mind of its own, and what happens to its form, the glazes, when touched by heat is always a surprise. As the saying goes, it’s the kiln that has the last laugh.
One of the perks of staying at a hotel, (or an airbnb, for that matter) is experimenting with an aesthetic that is totally different to your own. I don’t want to live in a minimalist space, but I love the idea of a weekend in one. The Hotel De Witte Lelie in central Anwerp caught my eye, but the wild mix of print, texture and colour is all too much to live with, even by my standards. A day or two, in the stunning presidential suite, I could happily sink into though. Now, how to steal the pink velvet sofa and crystal chandelier?
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