Totally Crazy For Elise Dray

“I am Worthy of Love and Respect, I Love and Approve of Myself Exactly as I am. I am Safe”

Food is Art II

Maggie Austin started her career as a classical ballet dancer, then having been accepted at L'Art de la Patisserie program at the French Pastry School, Maggie trained with the best world renowned chefs and pastry champions learning the top techniques in this art using the finest of ingredients. She Graduated from the program with honors, after which was accepted for internship at Charlie Trotter's in Chicago , a Mobil Five Star, AAA Five Diamond and 10 time James Beard Foundation Winner that is recognized as one of the finest restaurants in the world.

Truly an Art, her Haute Couture cakes are just perfection, inspired by Edwardian Botanical prints, fashion designers such as Alexander McQueen and Carolina Herrera, Flowers , textiles and more. They are lovingly made by hand at her Washington DC Studio, yes even the flowers are made from sugar, impressive. I have never seen such elegant and beautiful cakes, there are such perfection that you just want to throw yourself a party to have one made.

Just Splendid xo

All Images via,

www.maggieaustincake.com

Ciao Italia

Photo Via Persol

Photo Marcello Mastroianni Via Persol

Photo Via Garance Dore

1938 Alfa Romeo Touring Berlinetta via Sportscardigest

Photo Anna del Russo Via Garance Dore

Photo Via Bvlgari

Photo Via The Sartorialist

Photo via Garance Dore

Photo Via the Sartorialist

Source unknown

Photo via Pasticceria Marchesi

En route to Milano for some Mangiare , Sole  e Shopping.

Arrivederci xo

Mirror Mirror in the Desert

“Lucid Stead is about tapping into the quiet and the pace of change of the desert. When you slow down and align yourself with the desert, the project begins to unfold before you. It reveals that it is about light and shadow, reflected light, projected light, and change.”

Take  a Desert, a Shack, some mirror, Led lights and the vision of a young man named Phillip K Smith III , put them together and voila you have this wonderful imaginative but yet so simple installation. it just fits perfectly with its location that you think that it should have always been there. 

Over the course of the day the Lucid Stead metamorphoses into different visions, the sharp and shiny mirror bands reflect back the shapeshifting landscape, one minute the mirror image is picture perfect and then slowly with the moving sun it starts to soften its mirror image and starts to glow within as the very clever use of LED lights come alive in its changing colours.  

Very well executed Mr. Smith, I so wanted to see this , as millions of others this has been posted all over the world!! I had to share too, its just too damn beautiful! I want one ! 

I wonder what the animals in the desert thought of this! 

For more info on the Phillip K Smith III see below, and for Miami Basel his work will be featured in Untitled Fair from today. Also the great photography are by Steven King and Lance Gerber all courtesy of Royal Projects in Palm Desert California. 

http://pks3.com

http://royaleprojects.com/

NIGHTVISION by Luke Shepard

BEAUTIFUL ALERT! Showing the diversity of Europe this film must be watched on your desktop on fullscreen!

The website has the list of the monuments and the technical stuff. 

www.lshep.com

Steel Vision Maria Pergay

Moldovian born Maria Pergay's first collection of stainless steel furniture, including the 'Ring' chair and the 'Flying Carpet' daybed was exhibited in 1968 at Galerie Maison Jardin, under the direction of decorator Jean Dive. Her success was instant, and Maria was quickly sought after by sophisticated collectors for private commissions. In the 1970's Pergay went on to work in Saudi Arabia where she designed palace interiors for the Royal family. In the late 80s thru 1990s, Pergay worked on several important commissions in Russia. Throughout these years, she continued to pursue her innovative work in stainless steel. Since her groundbreaking show of new work in 2006, Pergay has exhibited internationally, including Paris, Korea and London. She has also focused on private commissions and is working with Demisch Danant on her catalogue raisonné which will be released in 2011. In her 80th year, after a half century of creation, Pergay continues to surprise both herself and her collectors. She resides in Paris.

Text by Suzanne Demisch

Photos sourced

www.demischdanant.com

www.admagazine.fr

www.nytimes.com

Oh Herve!

I would kill for a Herve Van Der Straeten piece, I know its a bit extreme but anyone that sees his work feels the same way.

Studied painting at Le Ecoles des Beaux Arts, he started his career with jewellery design which am a collector of and always get such nice compliments on. His jewellery have a very architectural and geometric look to them , made of bronze or gold which give a beautiful glow against the skin.

He then transitioned on to Furniture and lightning , made in house by his highly skilled craftsmen , with such exquisite precision and meticulous attention to detail , I am sure that his work will be a future classic.

Herve has received numerous awards including the esteemed Chevalier des Art et des  Lettres and the L’Entreprise de Patrimoine Vivant .

His line is represented by the wonderful Ralph Pucci International with location both in New York or LA, or you can make an appointment at Herve Van Der Straeten Gallery in Paris. For the Jewellery you can buy it at Neiman Marcus , Bergdorf Goodman in the USA or Erickson Beamon in London.

Just Splendid xo

Image Sources and where to buy,

www.vanderstraeten.fr

www.ralphpucci.net

www.bergdorfgoodman.com/search.jhtml?N=0&Ntt=Herve+Van+Der+Straeten&_requestid=1541

www.ericksonbeamon.com

Vision of Ibiza

Photo Ibiza Town via White Ibiza

Photos via Amante Beach Club

Photos Via The Giri Residence and Cafe

Photos El Chiringuito via White Ibiza

Photo Es Vedra

Photos Ibiza Beaches

On my way to Eivissa as they say in Catalan the local dialect, for a little holiday.

Hasta la Vista!

California Niemeyer

While researching all of Oscar Niemeyer's work on the week of his passing I stumbled upon these images.

This 1963 Californian Mid Century Modernist house has an incredible history, It was commissioned by Film maker Josef Strick and his wife Anne after meeting Oscar Niemeyer in a film festival in Brazil. It was a complicated commission as Niemeyer was not allowed to enter the country because he had connections to the Communist party, regardless that he had designed the United Nations in New York. Not putt off by the challenge he cleverly designed the house via Aerial photographs and Topographical surveys. How is that possible! There was no internet or fax in those days all by mail from California to Brazil!

Oscar your genius will never be forgotten.

Que Marvilha xo

Sourced via The189.com, Architectural Digest

Dhow House Lamu

I had a dream and it was called Dhow House in Lamu, Kenya.

Owned and designed by Katy Barker along side architect Laurent Butazoni.

How divine is the Swahili and modern combination.

One day I will post my own pictures of this beautiful home.

Photos by http://www.dhowhouse.co.uk