Sat back to watch the Academy Awards over the weekend and was very pleased to see so many nods to Old Hollywood Glamour. Classic looks of Katharine, Audrey, Marilyn and Grace swept down the red carpet one after another. I have always been fascinated by the history of fashion...
Read MoreI am very lucky. My new friend Joyce has agreed to give me cooking lessons. So many people here in Paris, TN have raved about this tiny little lady's ability to whip up a delicious dinner party. She often prepares dishes for charity events and balls at the Heritage Manor (next door) so I certainly could not resist an opportunity to learn from her. We decided to begin with a few of her favorite and most requested creamy comfort dishes, perfect for a warm Sunday afternoon!
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"Isn't elegance forgetting what one is wearing?" - Yves Saint Laurent
I was sitting in bed last night reading "The Little Black Book of Style" by Nina Garcia and came across this quote by YSL. It instantly made me think of this photograph I shot years ago for a downtown association. It sits in the part of my head that reminds me every once in a blue moon that I would like to be the glamorous housewife who vacuums in stilettos and bakes in sequins.
I am not. Instead, I wear cozy faux-fur slippers ... daily... and need not elaborate on how long its been since I put on a fancy sequin dress. Hmm, maybe I should have gone with the girls to the Mardi Gras Ball at Paris Landing on Saturday? On second thought maybe I will go find my favorite tube of lipstick and clean something.
xo- Laura
An aerial view of the Central Saint Giles, London, looking east. Piano’s aim was to create a ‘joyful heart’ for the area. Photograph: Maurits van der Staay
"It's striking that, late in his career, the Italian architect Renzo Piano should choose to raid the paintbox. Nothing in his oeuvre prepares you for Central Saint Giles, where multistorey planes of orange, lemon and lime appear the middle of London... which passers-by either hate or love."
"It is glazed ceramic, made with beautiful precision and assembled with a certain complexity. It's not just a sheet of applied plastic, but something with depth and richness. And, powerful though the colours are, there's judgment in their precise tones. I am glad there's one building like this. I dread, however, cheap imitations." - The Observer/UK
“ Cities are a kind of miracle because they are full of surprises, the color is humor and magic” Renzo Piano
I'm sure you have noticed these are not my photographs. Unless I've recently acquired a helicopter to hang from, which would be grand but I haven't. I was just struck by these images and found myself sending far too much time reading about the controversial design of The Central Saint Giles and its designer. I do confess to being a bit of an architectural nerd and find all of it quite fascinating.
I applaud Renzo. This must have been quite a design risk after spending decades furthering his own signature style or what the public perceived his style to be (natural in color and material). I still am not sure if I "love or hate" this pop of color on London's skyline. Either way, I can appreciate the risk and thrill this must have held for Piano. I have found that with, "beautiful precision and assembled with a certain complexity..." there is great and unmatchable value. "powerful though the colours are, there's judgment in their precise tones." Perhaps there is something more to outstanding quality no matter what form it comes in. Me thinks so.
Let's just say I have devoted quite a bit of time to baking in the last few weeks. Does that mean my chocolate and vanilla butter cream cupcakes turn out perfect every time, or that I even attempt those tiny perfect french macaroons I so badly want to master? Nah, instead after a few small successes and one big epic fail (Check out my instagram or facebook page to see the strawberry bomb I baked this week.) I decided to leave behind the dangerous war zone that is now my kitchen and the cupcake papers I forgot to buy.
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