Thinking & Doing

Sorry I have not been posting.  Instead, I have been busy organizing our home office (I will post about this soon), de-cluttering the house, and doing a little Christmas shopping.

I don't know why, but I've suddenly become very anti-clutter and everywhere I look, another room needs to be purged.  I think it has something to do with our deflating economy and the fact that after we returned from France, I was utterly shopped out. I suddenly had no desire to buy anything at all, neither for me nor for the house, and instead felt like organizing everything we already possess.  

We've decided to substantially reduce our Christmas shopping budget, for reasons of economy (and awareness at how much we spend) since our oil patch jobs may be at risk if this downturn continues.  

I just realized that I needed to spend some time organizing and appreciating the things I own and less time buying new things.  There is always something to want for the house. But we've decided to focus on the things we need instead.  And before I could begin that process, I needed to organize and de-clutter and get my consumer values straightened out a little.

So I am busy as a bee attacking one room after the next and re-deploying the home decor objects and items I already own.  It's really quite fun and nice to see the "want" list disappear and turn into a short "need" list, that can be filled eventually.

I will post more soon on my new-found de-cluttering gene and the little things we're doing for Christmas this year.  In the meantime, check out these pretty eco-friendly gift ideas from Viva Terra, a Colorado-based company.  Some of these things are wonderful inspirations for things you could make yourself!  

Inspiration Post

Pretty vases on a tray

I'm mad for a European retailer called Riviera Maison.  Their collection is classic, tasteful and exquisitely lovely.  I like to peruse their site for inspiration and visit it often.  They have lots of oh-so-perfect items, but sadly, they don't have an online shop. Can you believe it?  Oh well, just seeing the site is inspiration enough and a surefire bookmark!

A darling velvet pillow with a thoughtful message 

These hurricanes are stunning, especially in pairs!

What a brilliant storage solution - great for displaying your wines but perfect for paper and odds and ends too.  Wouldn't this be handy in a home office?

I've always adored this charming coir door mat with the cool long aspect ratio!

They call this their Canadian Railway rack.  

A handy and tasteful desk organizer...

I'm not mad about chalk boards, but this little black beauty steals my heart!

Proust Questionnaire

Recently, my new blogging friend Rita (a lovely and talented artist from Toronto whose blog you should visit!), invited me to do an "Eight Things" list. 

I have been meaning to do one of these lists for a while since I keep getting tagged, but decided to do it in the form of the famous "Proust Questionnaire".  This is a classic questionnaire that was done by Proust several times in his life and is used as the basis of the famous Vanity Fair interview, which I greedily read at the back of each issue.  Instead of trying to be witty like most of the Vanity Fair interviewees, I just tried to be honest.

Your most marked characteristic?

I've very serious inside but upbeat and cheery on the outside - people think I'm a lot lighter-spirited than I am.  I'm an information junkie, rather Type A, have strong opinions sometimes, and find it hard to quiet my brain.  But I am learning to quiet my mind and be silent more - it feels wonderful to be silent and ruminate.

The quality you most like in a man?

A strong moral compass.  Intelligence.  Wit.

The quality you most like in a woman?

Intelligence. Wit.  Self-acceptance.

What is your principle defect?
Self-doubt.  An indefatigable love of chocolate.

What is your favorite occupation?
Reading (especially decor books) and sleeping, in any order.

What is your dream of happiness?

To see my mother every day and have more family around.  A supply of good books and time to read them.  Not another headache. More good friends.  A house overlooking the ocean.  To write.  To decorate.  To take photographs.  To sleep all day amidst a pile of books and cats with a cool breeze coming in the window and David nearby.  

What to your mind would be the greatest of misfortunes?
Unconscious ignorance.

What would you like to be?

A writer living by the seaside.

What is your favorite color?

Grey shades of blue, ivory, very pale and tranquil colours.

What is your favorite flower?
Cherry and apple blossoms, on the tree.  Roses of all shapes and sizes.

What is your favorite bird?
Owls, Chickadees, fluffy Downy woodpeckers, birds with nice songs

Who are your favorite prose writers?
Too many to list.  I just read "To Kill A Mockingbird" and think Harper Lee is an awfully wise woman who understood and communicated the human experience as well as anyone I've ever read.  She is a witty and profound thinker and writer.

Who are your favoite poets?
I am not well read enough in this category.  I am fond of Maya Angelou, Mary Oliver, Emily Dickenson, Cavafy, Neruda

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

I have none.

Who are your favorite heroines of fiction?
Scout.  The women from "The Secret Life of Bees".

Who are your heroes in real life?

My mother, for her dignity and grace and wisdom and optimism and endless love.  The women in her family for their love.  My father, for his fortitude and work ethic and his own kind of special.

What are your favorite names?

I like "A" names and old Scottish names.  My favorite girl's names are Katherine and Windsor and Imogen and Sarah and pretty feminine names like Bella.  My favorite boy's names are Rhys (from which my family names is derived) and Alexander.

What is it you most dislike?

Sexism, among other -isms.

What natural gift would you most like to possess?

Eloquence.  Wonderful hair.

How would you like to die?

Quietly, in old age, surrounded by family and friends who love me and will read to me and play music for me and take me out to the garden and the seaside.  I would like to die looking at the ocean, I think.

What is your present state of mind?

Overtired.

To what faults do you feel most indulgent?
I try to see the best in people, but I dislike arrogance and vanity.  None of us is God's gift in more than a couple of categories, so get over yourself.  It's also maddening when people don't stop talking and prefer to have a monologue instead of a conversation.

What is your favorite quote?  

I have so many.  I have books full of them.  I think my favorite idea is that "cynics are wounded idealists" (Wally Lamb).  I have been a terrible cynic but also a terrific lover of this world.  I am very compassionate, but a lot hurts me.  

I also like "The world is your oyster" but I don't think it's true.

Quality! But at what price?

Hunting for high-quality *affordable* sheets.  Cotton sateen by Eileen Fisher for Garnet Hill.

I'm a stickler for quality.  If I'm investing in something new for our home, I like to spend a little time learning about quality.  Whether I'm buying a furnace or a new set of sheets, I want to know what makes one item better than the other.  What's the best possible version (and can I afford it and do I need it)?  

It's always a fine balancing act, figuring out your wants, your needs, and what you're willing to pay for either.  And each of us differs - we each measure our products against an internal set of finely-tuned and inexplicable standards.  For some, quality means a beautiful-to-look at product or prestige (think a designer handbag).  For others, it's purely about function (say, warm and cozy sheepskin slippers) or reliability (a Toyota).  For some, the highest quality item is about craftsmanship, with a handmade item trumping a mass-produced one.  

Quality can mean high-tech (the new Blackberry), but oftentimes it's good old-fashioned nostalgia (knitted wool socks). 

I've been thinking about quality lately as I try to buy things for our home while spending the least amount of money possible.  I really deplore junk and clutter, and I like to buy the best I can afford.  But in this "Made in China" world, sometimes quality is hard to find, even if you look.

I suffer, too, from conflicting values.  I want to possess exquisite, high-quality things that feel and look beautiful and last forever.  But I'm also a bargain-hunter.  I fully plan to retire early and don't intend to give evil retailers any more of my money than I can absolutely avoid. Which is why I like to buy the best thing possible - so I don't have to come back next year and buy a new one.

You might think from my posts that I'm quite a shopper.  But in reality, I'm very careful with my money and apart from the odd splurge (a fancy Christmas gift, right Vee?), I don't lug a lot of junk through my door.  Ok, so I get carried away and buy too many kinds of tea, but I keep my "wasted money" spending to a very small scale.  

Which brings me to the subject of sheets.  I love bedding and spend lots of time looking at it, but I rarely buy it and find myself in dire need of some.

Hemstitch flannel flat sheet, $52 for queen, from Garnet Hill

Most of my old sheets are becoming threadbare, at least the fitted ones (the flats are still going strong).  So I'm in the market for a couple of new fitted sheets.  Did you know you can easily spend over $100 on a nice fitted sheet?  And I'm not even talking about fancy brand names here.

Eileen Fisher, flannel flat cotton-bamboo sheet, $80 for queen, from Garnet Hill

Besides a couple of good fitted sheets (preferably Egyptian cotton, preferably woven in Italy, preferably falling off a truck and hence free), I am also in the market for a nice flat flannel sheet.  Who knew buying a flannel sheet was so complicated (I don't want the whole set, as we don't like the pillowcases and the fitted sheet is too hot for David)?  Apparently, there are all sorts of things to consider:  the weight of the flannel (in ounces or grams), the material (cotton is de rigeur and bamboo is trendy), whether the flannel is double-sided, and will it pill?  

German-made flannel sheets: "Signature" collection, from Garnet Hill

Research suggests the Germans make the best (who knew?).  I am now looking at paying $80 for a flannel sheet.  Am I mad?  

Oh, and I'm also in the market for a new blanket.  I covet these pretty wool ones from Garnet Hill (below).  Or is cotton micro-fleece a better choice?  When we were in Paris, I discovered a cheery German company called Zoeppritz who make exquisite fleece in a million gorgeous colours - to match any decor!  Seems fleece is the new wool.  Choices!     

Washable wool blanket from Garnet Hill, $150 for queen

Paris Post: What I Bought!

A small heart from the delightful Jardin d'Ulysse in Galleries Lafayette

I haven't shown you what we bought in Paris (for the house)!  After several posts of home decor shops and sightseeing photos, I realized that you might want to see our Paris purchases.  I've been meaning to post for a while, but work has been awfully busy and I've had the flu!

But without further ado, here are our Paris finds:

Above: This is a knock-off of the metallic Moroccan plates that are currently all the rage. This one is actually pottery, coated with a silver glaze.  The plate is from Maisons du Monde, an inexpensive and very diverse home decor store I discovered in Forum des Halles.  The small silver cup is Christofle, and came from a flea market. 

Above: This pillow case is a favorite find and my only purchase from the ever-lovely Blanc d'Ivoire.

Above: This little heart came from a small country shop called "macAbane" at 161, rue de Grenelle in the 7th.  I also bought a polka dot heart (not shown).

Above: This etching came from the excellent and affordable flea market at Vanves.  It cost around 3€.

Above:  These two etchings (from a set of 3), came from the big St-Ouen flea market at Clignancourt (Serpente building). They are antique etchings of Paris from the 19th century and were considerably more expensive.  I will frame the set.  I plan to take a picture-framing class in January.

Above:  Some beautiful linens from le Bon Marche, my favorite department store, on the Left Bank.  The top two are tea towels, and I intend to make them into decorative pillow cases.

Above:  A beautiful old linen table cloth I bought at a flea market.  I loved the wheat motif and hand-made lace border. 

Above:  Another pretty heart from a country-style/reproduction antique shop in central Paris called "A&C Decoration".  The mirror was my first purchase from Pottery Barn a few years ago, and hangs in our downstairs hall.

Above:  A pretty chinoiserie postcard, framed for my kitchen.  IKEA frame (set of 2).

Above:  A lovely Limoges serving tray I picked up at the flea market at Vanves.  I intend to use this at Christmas.    Imagine a lovely yule log (chocolate jelly roll) on this tray!

Above:  This cotton table runner is also from Maisons du Monde.

Above:  Another photo (in the living room) of the pottery Moroccan tray from Maisons du Monde.

Above:  An antique poster-letter from the big Paris flea market at St-Ouen.  This "A" was so lovely I couldn't pass it up.  My middle name starts with "A", so it isn't entirely irrelevant.

Above: A handy and pretty hook for my bathroom, from Printemps.

Above:  Another favorite find - this inexpensive little beauty came from the department store BHV (Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville) in central Paris.  While not as chic as some of the other department stores, BHV has lots of affordable, mostly contemporary, home decor.

Above:  My favorite find - this gorgeous pale taupe silk "Thomasina" bedspread is by Laura Ashley and came from Printemps.  The size is 240cm x 260cm which is perfect for a queen-sized bed because it hangs further over the edges than a conventional queen-sized quilt (which always looks a little shrunken to me!). It is slightly too long but will look nice folded down with pretty sheets.  The quilt is silk on one side and cotton on the other.  I coveted this quilt and deliberated for several days.  I almost left without it but returned at the last minute (with a cheap new duffle bag to pack it in) and do not regret my decision. We adore this quilt!  With the "detaxe" (department store tax savings for foreigners on purchases over 175 euro) and a 10% discount card from Printemps, I saved 22% on this quilt!  

Above:  This little dish (which says "TROT" below the picture) cost me 2 Euro at a flea market.

Above:  A taupe place mat, used as a table runner, from Maisons du Monde.

Above:  This cute little pencil cup came from a lovely store called Florent Monestier at 47 ave Bosquet in the 7th.  A beautifully decorated paper bag from the store is shown behind.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed the tour of our new Paris finds!

Paris snapshots

Before you're all utterly bored with Paris, let me share some photos from a couple of our favorite afternoons.  I will let the photos speak for themselves...