{holiday inspiration: the spirit of giving}

. . . ever since their crystal & gold tray was featured here last autumn, many have been smitten with the stunningly lovely things found at rablabs, and since it's the season for giving, few things are lovelier than an utterly beautiful gift that also supports a great cause -- and this year -- rablabs has teamed up with tri-state bird rescue, an organization working to manage the rehabilitation of oiled wildlife in the gulf coast, to offer a new line of coasters inspired by the enchanted dreams of the ocean . . .




. . . made from natural rocks found in the heart of brazil, the exquisitely elegant ocean coasters are formed from the unique tides and eddies of mineral-rich water flowing through ancient lava streams, their deep blue-green hues reflecting the intensely saturated color and mystery of the ocean . . .

founded in response to mass wildlife destruction resulting from oil spills, tri state bird rescue & research has been rehabilitating birds since 1976; with this new collaboration with rablabs, 20% of the proceeds from these brazilian agate coasters in the special edition oceano range will be donated to this wonderful cause

. . . and so, if still searching for that last perfect gift . . . here

{p.s.} happy, happy monday! hope your week is off to a beautiful start,

~ roséline xo

{images: 1 - vt interiors; 2 - anne vvalitsyna by mark segal for louis vuitton cruise 2011}

{at the shops: ralph lauren, paris}

. . . there has been much talk about ralph lauren's new flagship store in the quartier latin on the left bank in paris: housed in an 18th-century city mansion across the boulevard saint-germain from the café de flore, it was built on the foundations of an old monastery and completed in 1754; over the centuries, it has been a private home, the dutch embassy, the carnegie foundation for international peace, and, most recently, a government office building

through the carriage entrance and cobblestone courtyard is where you will find ralph's, the shop's polo-chic restaurant with tables in the old stables, {in the summertime, the courtyard}; there is a bar in the old tack room, and the place is enveloped in warm wood and leather chairs; here, you will find a menu of american classics -- new england clam chowder and maryland style lump crab cakes, crispy southern fried chicken, and, of course, seared double RL ranch steak . . .

{p.s.} previous at the shops:
* neology by mina, brooklyn
* mrs. press, australia
* rothschild & bickers, uk
* billy bride, australia
* satomi kawakita, new york

{all images by alix at the cherry blossom girl; some background from newsweek}

{happy monday + thoughts for a new week}

. . . another summer weekend may have come and gone, but it was filled with french bread and escargots, nights in silk dresses and upswept hair, and a lingering of early morning breezes laden with a beautiful excitement . . . and over morning cups of coffee, reminded of a favourite winston churchill quote:

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

. . . a wonderful thought for a brand new week, and hope yours is off to a perfect start,
xo

{p.s.} late august, which means a wildly sporadic posting schedule and never quite seem to get into the week until it's nearly over, and so -- many new & wonderful things you may have missed at week's end:
* weekend romance & lovely links
* in the bedroom: only sweet dreams
* photographer: camilla akrans & autumn blossoms
* in the bedroom: crisp linens & scalloped edges

{my wonderworld}

{inspiration: a little refinement}

. . . keep coming back again and again to this stunning carved mirror and console -- such a beautiful place to keep candles and candelabras and fresh summery bouquets . . .

{image: photography by patrick cline for lonny magazine june/july 2010}

{two lovely things: entryways}

{two lovely things}: whether elegant yet striking with a 1960′s abstract expressionist painting by al held hung above a louis xiv gilded settee luxuriously upholstered in belgian linen, or beautifully ornate with a stunning 2oth century gilded console perfectly paired with a bronze and crystal chandelier and orchids, there is nothing quite like crisp white with a touch of black, intermingled with the warmth of wood, and, most certainly, a touch of gold . . .

{p.s.} more two lovely things

{images: top - photography by roger davies for western interiors april ’09, design by c. renea abbott of shabby slips houston; both via trouvais, also seen in a previous post}

{two lovely things: mirror, mirror}

{two lovely things}: whether an extraordinarily elegant 1940s dressing table from the south of france or a exquisitely ornate 1920s mirrored table with a charming pink glass lamp and spring roses, the dazzling glimmer of mirrored things always infuses perfect glamour into every room . . .

{p.s.} a few things on this bright thursday morning:
* fun new things at the side project
* bicycling in heels
* and the third guest post for lucky magazine can be viewed here

{images: 1 - scan, glamorous rooms by jan showers; abrams, new york; 2 - scan, photography by polly wreford for easy elegance by atlanta bartlett}

{inspiration: birds of a feather}

Feathers, feathers everywhere -- ostrich on evening gowns, in vases on fireplace mantels and in pretty up-swept hair -- but best of all, atop four-poster beds all draped in French fabrics, as if awaking on a magical, misty morning in le château de Versailles . . .







{p.s.} more feathers

{images: mary kate by margo silver, you magazine june 2007; clockwise from top left, desire to inspire; selina lake; desire to inspire;shabby chic via daisy pink cupcake; hervé pierre's manhattan apartment, tig scan from house & garden, november 2002, photography by james waddell, also seen at moodboard; style bytes; art partner; entryway - domino; flickr, siri tollerod by cedric buchet for v magazine december 2008; mon chou; domino; a glamorous little side project}

{at this moment: hermès orange}

May never consider painting the walls a bright orange, but have lately been inexplicably drawn to its sheer vibrancy, at home and in fashion -- perhaps it's the coming change in seasons or the creativity the colour is thought to bring . . . or it may just be the promise of the beautiful things that arrive in those lovely orange boxes . . .

Hermès orange and a framed 1950s fashion photograph are the perfect compliment to a Louis XVI gilt console

French chic: orange leather shoulder bag with gold chain strap

{images: 1 - hermès box, this is glamorous; 2 - home of windsor smith, house beautiful september 2009 via decorology; 3 - a.p.c. shoulder bag via refinery29}