Rose C'est La Vie's first birthday

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Happy Birthday Rose C'est La Vie!

my blogging Sister- Rosie has been blogging for a year!

read here interview Here

Let us celebrate the occasion with wine and sweet words

 -Plautus

Parthenia Card for Rosie

read the Style Saloniste's post about my Parthenia cards Here

my Rose posts Here

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Favourite Post TOPIC for 2009, more please.

My own personal favourite post topic for 2009 was?
- guess?

Yes,
DV.
Diana Vreeland.


I made DV my post topic 5 times. (6 as of today)
Bloggers-please consider taking a look at DV her work, her life, her style often in 2010. A never ending source of inspiration and entertainment.

DV

and my posting friends ?

the great Aesthete posted about DV 3 times here

Mrs B-3.  here

lovely Lisa of bloomsbury 2 here

an English Rose posted on DV 2 times here

gorgeous Ulla here

my dog ear pages here

lady Emily posted about DV just once here, 

oh
and here too.

Judith in her studio posted about DV here

and my favourite DV here . this post  from Lisa of A Bloomsbury Life, combines everything I like best when I read a blog story and when I try to write something of interest.

attention.
did you dish about DV in 2009? I would love to know, please leave me a note and link if it's handy.

additions to DV-follow...

Stefan resident DC- AD  here

& Daniel of hh here

& I knew that LucindaV. had to have posted on DV,alas NO, and now I KNOW! today it's here

some interesting other sites -
Johnny Edward Heys DV here
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Breakfast with Miss Sitwell

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Edith Sitwell photographed by Cecil Beaton

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: 
it is the time for home."

Jean-Etienne Liotard Still life Tea Set (1783)

tea

toast

marmalade

honey

oatmeal and sweet cream

oranges*

 *fare suggested of the period by Lady West of Rose C'est La Vie

Liotard Still Life from this site

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Lady West & the canter

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One of the most enjoyable aspects of my blog is the connections I have made with special people doing the same; ROSE C'EST LA VIE is my karmic blog sister. We chat via email & I can not wait to meet her! Rosie, I am coming over.

The beautiful thing about Rose's blog are her personal accounts of life amidst the British peerage- along with her modern drawings. She had a bead on the feminine creature and I am always charmed by her interpretations. A favourite Rose featured is a series she calls My L'il Pony.

Rose says~

"This work mostly comes from serious images of women on horseback, competing at showjumping, eventing or rodeo.  I have the greatest respect for their skill and courage.  Myself, I am quite scared of horses which increases my fascination.  As an artist I have taken an oblique view of things, rehearsing the fantasies I had of owning a pony as child which accounts for the overarching title 'My L'il Pony' as well as the dreamlike use of pastel colours. I guess it is a way of juxtaposing the infantile imagination with the muscular skill of the rider. My art practice has always dealt with elements of femalexuality and I am hinting at what I see as the mild eroticism of being in the saddle - on top, astride, in charge!"

 "I was one of those girls who longed for a pony but had to make do with an imaginary horsey friend and a lot of sound effects. Unlike some sympathetic parents I knew who actually built authentic jumps in the garden for their daughter and her phantom pony, I just fantasized about a clear round at a gymkhana. When I grew up I took a few riding lessons but to be honest, I'm pretty frightened of the real thing. "

"After the first session, I came home with a breathless account of how they left alone me in the stable yard with my new mount. Asked if I was 'up', it seemed to cause amusement when I confessed that no, I was only standing there holding the flipping reins. I persevered and managed to trot without stirrups (what's the point of that?) and then something interrupted the whole business, like finding I was expecting a baby. So that's more or less the size of it but somehow I'm determined not to go to my grave without managing a canter."



"Meanwhile the safer option was back at the drawing board. Here I have worked from images of serious horsewomen and infantilised them somewhat by the use of colour to express that longing that so many girls never have a chance to fulfill." (all italics Lady West)

I would purchase these and frame them something like this to make a big impact in a young lady's room- a Sitting Room or Hunt Room. The acrylic folder like presentation of  the 6 pieces PAIRED in Duplicate would be quite wonderful!

A number of the PRINTS in repetition would fill up a wall. they could be Papered on and then Mounted over in acrylic. The more creative, the better. If uncertain- purchase them and hold onto them until you are inspired.

I have things I have saved back and never been happier that I did. When You find prints that are unique, witty and full of imagery like these-not to mention color, don't pass them up.

I love this arrangement-

& 

THE PAINTINGS

digital PRINTS of Lady West's L'il Pony (shown above in the first 6 images are as follows)-Please refer to the titles when purchasing.
1 Astride
2 Yellow horse

3 Walk On

4 Pink jump

5 How to Mount (female)

6 How to Mount (male)

L'il PONY  Prints available for purchase in 8" x 12" (210x297mm) /A4 paper. The prints are signed by the artist.

Each Print is $25.00 or £14 (British pounds)  which includes shipping from UK to the United States or wherever.

The Paintings in acrylic on canvas ( about 2ft 6"/3ft in sizes) are available for purchase-contact Lady West for pricing.
Payment is easily made through PayPal.  Please contact Rosie West at westbuzz@btinternet.com

Nicky Haslam, Nicky Haslam

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The bespoke name on every design devotee's lips this month will be Nicky Haslam, Nicky Haslam, whether shouted to the rafters or whispered in hushed tones- talk will be all about REDEEMING FEATURES- Haslam's new lush and luscious book.

 image from

Why?


Just ask The Errant Aesthete, Rose C'est la Vie or An Aesthete's Lament. Read their  NH stories here  here and here & do read the comments too- wonderful!
New blog posts may go begging this week- and not just because of the holidays-but Nicky Haslam.

His first book on his design work is fantastic. His ongoing publication  in World of Interiors-one of his best friends is Minn Hogg,founding editor of the magazine- keeps me dog earring pages. I refer to this book always.

Nicky Haslam will be everywhere- so be prepared, but indeed- Enjoy.
In W, Haslam talks about his encounter with Sasha Baron Cohen.

"One of the most unpleasant men I've ever met in my life. He's called Sasha Baron Cohen. He was so horrible. I hated hime. Wretched mind, with dirty hair and dirty new clothes."

not being acquainted with SBC- I can not say for sure- But I think I agree 100% with Nicky Haslam.
Outrageous, irreverent and most often- always forgiven. A charmer  (NH that is)

Watch out for Haslam Overload
...but I thinking we will never get enough.
oh, and NH has a blog-check out the One Entry dated July 22, 2009 here

& a candle too-of course here.

 the Haslam interior that I refer to time and time again. And Again.
from the website NH site here
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Crazy thanks to Sanity Fair

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How lovely to get a Kreativ Blogger Award from Sanity Fair. Many thanks! Of course being a Scorpio- they are the natural detectives of the Astrological World- I need to know. It isn't that feminine curiosity- like who are you wearing? But more likely- why are we culturally obsessed with labels?

I investigated Kreativ Bloggers & their Award. How do Kreativ Bloggers behave? What I discovered is that some-don't actually do what is asked. I can understand-but I was surprised. Not following through with the conditions is somewhat unGracious especially if accepting. It is like that awful deadly silence when someone opens a present Not to their liking & it shows all over her face. I say just grin & bear it.

The conditions are quite simple really- tell 7 things about me that readers might not know & nominate 7 other bloggers for the award. My 7 Picks are Fabulous.

ME - 7 things you may not know

1

I am not a bull shitter.

2

cupid, concord & clio

I love to make use of something I have just learned. I was sitting with a fellow designer & Scorpio this afternoon and found out this is the case (Scorpios are natural detectives).
How did I NOT know that?
SB replied Well dear I am 25 years older than You and I know more-
Yes in some cases that is true. I defer to SB-that is- when it concerns all things of the Astrological World. Knowledge is Power-& I want to Know.

3

photograph of cz guest

3- I have ruined my back over the last 25 years doing this-
Sadly- Not looking this elegant.

4

Mary Poppins is a personal Heroine and Style Icon of Mine.

5

Madame Yevonde photograph

I am an eccentric-I know this because at the age of 17 -I was defined as such-

Yes-actually called out with the Webster's definition. I did know what it was-
I did not- however want to be That at 17.

I grew into it- it took a while. College was a struggle-where more than there -
Do you find yourself, or lose yourself?
In my case it was a bit of both.

6

I love cookbooks. I collect them even. I've inherited them. I use them constantly. I read them-sometimes aloud to trapped friends. I love the photography, I love the poetry, I love the ingredients, I love the organization- alas I don't do that much cooking. I go through stages- trying the cuisine of the South- Edna Lewis. I can completely Do Miss Lewis' things. That gingerbread recipe is knockout. (let me know if you want it) Right not I am going through a spanking new one The Country Cooking of France. The recipes are History- by Ann Willian, the photography by France Ruffenach- Art, to see excerpts go see (here).

7

the legendary Tallulah Bankhead

I love a power Nap. At some point-I think it was after I heard the late and brilliant Peter Jennings say He was too-I felt t it was OK to come out of the bedroom and declare it to the world. I LOVE A NAP.

My 7 Kreative Bloggers

(read it and weep Ladies-for joy or otherwise,
It's yours do with it what you will!)

(IN)DECOROUS TASTE

TROUVAIS

BELGIAN PEARLS

ROSE C'EST LA VIE

LE STYLE ET LA MATIERE

PARIS ORIGINALS

SOODIE BEASLEY

take time to go see their blogs-just click on the blog titles and enjoy


& one more thing- I love a quote~

VW by Roger Fry

"Literature is strewn with the wreckage of men
who have minded beyond reason the opinions of others."
~Virginia Woolf

see MADAME YEVONDE here & with more about Madame Y at HOBAC here

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Rose C'est La Vie & such are her Summer Reads

"if one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. "

oscar wilde

rose by Rose C'est La Vie, Rosie West

Very soon after I started my blog- Rose C'est La Vie appeared- had I conjured a sister in the blogasphere?



I've always wanted a sister- of like mind of course. I found a kindred spirit in ROSE . I read her words and often think- I wish I'd said that... and then I find myself revisiting favorite posts by Rosie here. Clever girl!



Then I find myself wishing I could illustrate my words like Rosie here.

Rosie's Calamity Jane

images copyright from Rose West

doris day as Rosie

What Books are on your Summer reading list?

Is there one book you honestly don’t expect to get to? Why?

You find me without a summer reading list! I only read a few novels a year, Ouch. So I’ve looked through my book shelves and rediscovered some theory books. This is a great excuse to revisit/finish them.

Celebrity by Chris Rojek -

Undercover Surrealism: Georges Bataille and DOCUMENTS – Hayward Gallery,

The Fashioned Body by Joanne Entwistle

Drawing by Philip Rawson

I will mostly only dip into these. Apart from Grayson Perry Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl by Wendy Jones. I won’t read anything cover to cover.

Anything untouched, I’ll confess to in the autumn.

Where do you read and When? Does the genre you are reading dictate the place you read- in other words, Do you take just any old book to bed?

I read on the underground and the buses and in my all-purpose kitchen mostly. I prefer to do a cryptic crossword in bed than read a book. Blogs take up a lot of my reading time now.

so true!

What is you all time Favorite Book for its sense of place?

Moby Dick for the whaling port of Nantucket (I’ve always wanted to go there) particularly the seamen’s chapel where the minister had to climb a rope ladder to get into the pulpit. And for the sense of infinity in the ever rolling seas.

What is your Security Blanket Book?

Once Upon A Time : photography by Slim Aarons. It helps me pretend that I don’t live in the 21^st Century.

What is your favorite Genre? Why? What is your most recent purchase in this category?

Rosie's Books

I do buy a lot of picture books. Reading for me is either extreme hard work (like critical theory books) or it’s confined to captions under lush images of vintage couture or interior design. I had Emily Evans Eerdman’s Regency Redux for Christmas and.I’ve bought anything that has jumped into my hand since, if it has gorgeous illustrations. For example:

PHAIDON’s Chinoiserie by Dawn Jacobson

The Ecstasy of Things

Fornasetti by Patrick Mauries

Lost Gardens of England by Kathryn Bradley-Hole - to name but a few of my extravagances.

What about Books you are reading for a second or third time? Why? Any disappointments on second reading?

I ‘ve read Le Grand Meaulnes (not in French!) three or four times. Its notion of a lost domain means that I can never remember the ending. I must go back to Moby Dick and find my favourite salty passages.

It’s my poor concentration that is becoming a disappointment to me these days.

"Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off--then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can."

What is the seminal book in your field or your passion that you would recommend to young would be(s) of the same?

The Elements of Colour by Johannes Itten. For me, colour theory (as developed by this Bauhaus tutor) is invaluable. How else can you make the right shadow in a painting, judge the perfect kind of grey?

RW applying the theory

What is your Latest Obsession Author, Designer, Photographer?

I’ve been drawing in the National Gallery. Obsessed with the whole damn place.

What of your sketches would be good to illustrate what book? What specifically is obsessing you?

I am wrestling with Poussin's Bacchinale-all intertwined bodies, arms, legs and bare breasts. I can think of any number of books where this sort of things could allude to the delights and consequences of human revelry.

Book covers can be art- Do you have a favorite cover in your stacks?

Yes, Four Cautionary Tales-illustration by Derek Hill

& this handprinted cover of Lubok, a collection of contemporary German artists’ linocuts

Going out on a limb here –define LIBRARY in the nontraditional sense?

I am wondering if it's not people's 'favourites' or 'bookmarks' on their computers these days.

What is the bookmark on your computer that YOU go to everyday? Do tell, and A BOOK is on its Way! I have REVISITING THE PAINTED HOUSE by Graham Rust waiting for you.

then GO to see Rose C'est La Vie.

"I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck. "

Emma Goldman