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posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 31
Billy Name, aging Warhol star who actually lived in Andy’s Factory (between 1963 - 1968), was in a choice spot to snap pictures of the daily routine of the “superstars” who lounged about getting their pictures taken, taking drugs, making silkscreens, and witnessing Valerie Solanas shoot the silver-haired Pop Tart. Name actually created the silver look of the Factory, unrolling miles of aluminum foil and turning the place into a museum-disco-shrine.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 31
File this one under Must…Have…NOW: Sarah Dennis at the gorgeous Toast and Tables made my day yesterday with her post about Monique Lhuillier’s new tableware line: Monique Lhuillier for Royal Doulton is an exclusive collection of formal fine china, tableware, crystal and glass stemware, as well as ceramic, crystal and glass giftware. The collection made its much anticipated debut at this month’s New York Tabletop Market. Although high-quality bone china is often only associated with formal fine dining, the Monique Lhuillier for Royal Doulton collection is extremely durable, intended for everyday use, yet is also highly sophisticated for special entertaining. The collection, which is as chic and stylish as her bridal and evening gowns, will be carried exclusively at Bloomingdales in the U.S.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 31
Jeune mariee de Rabat, 1930, photograph by Jean Besancenot.
Oh, I hardly recognised you in that wonderful costume! Do you like my Moroccan bride’s outfit? It was hand-embroidered and beaded, which took many, many hours to complete. And what about the maquillage? Thankfully, that’s not Super Glue holding the beads. But the headpiece is a little heavy. Perhaps it will cause me to lose my balance when belly-dancing. And we are belly-dancing at this Bloglandia international party, are we not? Mais oui, mes amies!
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 30
Attention Bridezilla’s! I’ve just found a new wedding stresser for you. Listen to this: you and your planner have confirmed and re-confirmed that the bridal party has the directions to the venue, the church is decorated, the bus is ready to transport the guests, the flowers are vibrant and in bloom, the cake is perfectly creamy, the champagne is cool, crisp and sparkly, the meal has been dutifully pre-tasted and modified to your liking, but…what about the bread? My GAWD, what about the bread????? In American weddings, not much is made of the bread served along with dinner- it’s pretty much the same basket of rolls that you get in finer restaurants from coast to coast. But in France, apparently it’s a big deal. Big enough to warrant pretty detailed guidelines before you choose your reception menu, as outlined in this article that I found on MarieClaire.fr. Here’s my (fairly feeble) attempt at a translation, but you get the gist. Who knew?:
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 30
Hand-carved Islamic designs in a wooden paravent, Paris. The picture (below) is of an open doorway leading to a corridor, Mosquee de Paris. Photos by Jordana Shalhoub.
For the Writers Island prompt “haunted,” a poem about a man haunted by a decision made years ago that he has yet to put right. Will he seek redemption?
For N.
Your biggest fear
should be your fiercest pride;
why are you afraid of the truth?
One day you must face her
Read the rest of this entry »
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 29
Can anyone tell me what kind of tree this is, spilling its crimson beauty outside a local creche and office block? Reflected in the glass windows of the building is a crane across the street, where an underground parking lot next to a church is under construction. Work began in 2006 and is scheduled for completion sometime in 2008.
Remember the “purple mountains majesty” for which America is renowned? Yes, remember is the operative word. Because the Bush administration has greenlighted many mountaintops to be bombed and destroyed. You may be aware of this shocking story about what’s happening to the Southern Appalachian Mountains, but it hasn’t been reported in Europe. It makes me so sad and angry that no one has been able to stop the rape and pillage of our natural resources.
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 28
Photographs of Paris peniches or houseboats lined up along the River Seine. My husband, who typically doesn’t notice many details, took these photos of the boats’ names while on a solitary stroll. He walks to and from work every day. While he notices some things that are out-of-the-ordinary and tells me about them, he doesn’t often photograph them.
Seeing these photos reminded me of a passage from Julia Cameron’s book Finding Water. “…Walking, the simplest of tools, is among the most profound. It makes us larger than we are. When we walk, we wake up our consciousness. We enliven our senses. We arrive at a sense of well-being…” “…That still, small voice is automatically amplified a footfall at a time.”"Solvitur ambulando,” St. Augustine is said to have remarked. “It is solved by walking.”
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 26
When my daughter was two years old, we were sitting one feverish afternoon in the pediatrician’s waiting room. Waiting. The doctor’s office was kind enough to furnish some pastimes to distract the younger patients until they could be escorted into the examining rooms.
My blond cherub picked up the stub of a purple Crayola and started scrawling on whatever paper was available — in this case, a dreaded Disney coloring book. Her artwork was nowhere within any lines at that age, of course. After a few minutes she finished her embellishments and proudly exclaimed, “Look, Momma!” as she held up her masterpiece. The page of the coloring book was a black-and-white outline of Prince Charming bent over Cinderella’s hand, giving it an elegant kiss. “Look!” she cried, “Da pwince is fixing Cindewella’s boo-boo!”
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 25
More American visitors, this time Brenda and Doug Walton from California. They’re in Paris for a month celebrating their wedding anniversary! Visit Brenda’s blog here to read about their travel experiences and see samples of Brenda’s work (and take a peek at her glorious studio). You’re probably already familiar with Brenda’s creations - I didn’t know her until she contacted me about my blog. Earlier this week, they went to the secret brocante in Passy, where they were thoroughly entertained by the owner’s tales of his eventful life.
The Waltons met me this afternoon to visit Agape, then came to our place for tea and conversation - and treats purchased at my favourite local boulangerie, Le Grenier au Pain. When I asked if the Waltons could take photos in the boulangerie, not only did the kind staff members agree, they invited us for a tour of the premises!
posted by Charles H. Russo on Oct 25
Winter is back and so are the tents (see previous post). This time, they are not meant to attract attention on homeless people but on people who find it hard to find affordable housing in Paris. The tents are not located by the Canal Saint Martin in the 10th, but in the 2nd, in the center of Paris, around the rue de la Banque where three associations have already squatted a whole building (I posted about this here).
theparisblog.com