Monday, July 30, 2012

"I am not amused"

Under the watchful gaze of a very dapper (if not slightly disapproving) gentleman...



Via here

Sunday, July 29, 2012

MaÏssa Toulet

The amazing miniature museums of Parisian artist, MaÏssa Toulet...

(Workshop - by appointment - 89 Rue de Charonne, 77011 PARIS) Via here

Friday, July 27, 2012

The London Olympics

Sartorial Friday... Olympic-style. But just rewind in time ever so slightly!


Images via here

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Berenice Abbott

Some absolutely stupendous photographs, taken in the 30's and 40's, capturing a changing New York...

John V. Lacey, “Birdsmith”, New York, 1948

New York Stock Exchange, New York, 1933

News stand, 32nd Street and Third Avenue, New York, 1935

Poultry Shop, East Seventh Street, New York, 1935

Treasury Building, New York, 1933

Watuppa From Brooklyn Waterfront, New York, 1936

Columbus Circle, New York, 1936

Designer’s Window, Bleecker Street, New York, 1947
All photographs by Berenice Abbott (via here)

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Monday, July 23, 2012

The House that Time Forgot

Built for the Harpur family in 1703, Calke Abbey has remained virtually unaltered since the death of the last baronet, Sir Vauncey Harpur Crewe in 1924. The last owner, Charles Harpur-Crewe, died suddenly in 1981, leading to crippling death duties (£8m of an estate worth £14m), and in 1985 the estate was transferred to the National Trust by his younger brother Henry Harpur-Crewe.

The National Trust presents Calke Abbey as an illustration of the English country house in decline. A massive amount of remedial work (but no restoration) has been done, so the decay of the building and its interiors has been halted, but not reversed. Before the National Trust's custody, the interior had basically remained untouched since the 1880's...

Gardener's Bothy



Via Flickr and Wikipedia (read more here)

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Reflection

The kitchen reflected in one of the cabinets. Bright and early yesterday morning...


Sunday, July 15, 2012

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Weekend

I am sitting in bed with my computer on my lap. It is pitch dark outside and the wind is howling. I should really be up, preparing for the day and unpacking more boxes. I also have two large cats (half on top of me) affixing me to my spot. Every time I move the claws come out ever so slightly as a subtle warning. So, since I can't budge for the forseeable future, I leave you with gorgeousness to start your weekend...


PS: Does anyone know the source of the images? Found via Pinterest

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Corridor

The sheer length of it is astounding... but then again, it is Versailles.

Via here

Monday, July 9, 2012

Lenin made it unscathed

When we found the portrait of Lenin in a packed-to-the-gills San Juan antique shop, the paint was cracking off the canvas. That was part of the appeal. However, while unpacking it yesterday, I was somewhat concerned about unearthing a faceless dictator! Fortunately, all he lost was a small speck of his lower eyelid! Incidentally, I found the missing camera equipment - needed to share the following pictures. Moving house (let alone continents) truly tests every part of one's resolve. It wasn't pretty...

The truck couldn't have been bigger

Taking half a tree along with it

Ready to unload

Packed to capacity

Woah! (and starting to rain, of course)

How it all fits into this space defies logic

Why do you have so much stuff?

Biggie finding a safe spot

Hellish

By the end of the day, the empty boxes were touching the rafters

This is a slightly distorted picture of the Lenin portrait

(more palatable house pics coming up soon, I promise)

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Frustration

In the chaos that is the nature of unpacking (epic move), I seem to have misplaced the tiniest of things, yet essential to survival (or sanity at least). I cannot find the camera chord, or battery charger. Scissors have sprouted legs or appear particularly talented at disappearing into the endless abyss of wrapping paper. However, headway is being made. 50-something boxes have been disposed of in the last three days, all sorted through during the Wimbledon Tennis finals. In the meantime - until I find that wretched chord - here are some placeholder images...



Via here, here and here

Monday, July 2, 2012

Buried...

Up to my eyeballs in a box-and-wrapping-paper tsunami (forgive the weird metaphors). Wish I was curled up in a corner of the conservatory below, with a thick book instead!

Sunroom by Axel Vervoordt via here

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Little (and big) boxes filled with ticky tacky...

The 40 foot truck, containing all we own, is supposedly arriving tomorrow. I say supposedly... because apparently and I quote: "The port is a moving target, so we don't really know." Hope all my things are relatively unscathed from a 6-week stretch at (rough) sea. Wouldn't it be nice if everything looked like this (below) after the monumental unpack...


Butler's pantry at Mills Mansion Poughkeepsie, NY... via here