happy halloween

via hotparade

philadelphia in pictures

Today is the Philadelphia Photo Day. Get outside with your camera or cell phone and take part of this project. In keeping with the theme I decided to post some classic shots of my family out and about in our hometown.

french thursdays

I have spent the past five months going to French language classes. Many people ask me why. My reasons are varied. I enjoy the mental challenge and sense of accomplishment that comes with this usually difficult and sometimes frustrating course of study. I have also recently come into the luxury of a ridiculous amount of free time which is a first after about four years. While being idle can be quite pleasurable, no one is interested in a dull girl. So I am sharpening my mind so to speak and getting out of the house and hopefully preparing for some time in the future where I find myself back among the French. Until then I will continue my efforts with my weekly lessons, my homework and this:

A lovely little nouvelle about love and jealousy completely written in French with an attached translation vocabulary in the back. This 1966 printing was published for French students. It is going to be a long, grueling read for me but I am ready to give it a go. And how about that cover, isn't it divine? Such a thoughtful, lovely gift from someone near and dear to me.

"Life starts all over again...

when it gets crisp in the Fall."

F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

common scents

I have always fancied myself a Chanel No. 5 girl. It is classic and legendary. A feminine, soft, powdery, floral fragrance. It comes in a simple, clean-lined, no-nonsense bottle. It is both modern and old-fashioned. It is French. And it has been my go-to scent for many years now.

When I recently came across a book on The Art of Perfume it got me very interested in some of these scents from yesteryear. I adore the labels and the advertisements. They easily capture the mystery, glamour, sweetness and romance of scented waters.

I am especially fond of the Deco & Nouveau style artwork on the labels and in the advertisements as well as the oriental themes. I have done some searching and have found that the original Eau de Cologne is still being manufactured. Since the late 18th century it continues to go by the name No. 4711 and has always been a very closely guarded formula blending citrus, rosemary and "other proprietary ingredients".

Its quite easy to find for sale online and I am about to order a bottle for myself. You can't beat the price and it will look so sublime on my dressing table. I am also very much intrigued by Florida Water, another obscure but still obtainable "splash". This lemony concoction promises to "cool a headache & help jangled nerves". I have this page bookedmarked and I am ready to fill my shopping cart.

camera ready

Mark your calendars...
This Friday, October 28th is Philadelphia's Photo Day. Everyone with a camera is invited to take a picture of anything you like as long as it’s taken on the 28th within the city limits. You’ll have until October 31st to select your favorite picture and upload it onto this website. Be a part of an artistic community project! I look forward to seeing the end result of this.

weekend

I regret that I am not putting more time here at PP this week but I have been doing some research and planning for future posts. One thing I would like to discuss further is the art of vintage perfume adverts.

I just came across a wonderful book with so many images I will be sharing soon along with a bit of the history of the charming eau de toilette. But for today, this is all I've got. I am off to see my first flick in the Film Festival and before I hit the theater I hope to be dropping in for an afternoon concert with The Philadelphia Orchestra. Bon week-end!

photo of the day

Martin Munkácsi - The sidewalks of Rio de Janeiro, 1932

garden party

I am spending the day preparing for a backyard dinner with my best lady friends. For garden party inspiration spy here.

cleaning the nest

Autumn is well upon us and to me it is the right time to get things in order. I am lucky to have today free from work but will keep busy around my little den. I plan on starting with a general cleaning, the things I loathe doing; scrubbing toilets, pushing around a vacuum, dusting surfaces, changing linens, sweeping. Speaking of which, the back patio will need a sweep of the broom and quick tidying. Another thing I need to get to is the changing of my Spring/Summer wardrobe to the more appropriate and decidedly more exciting Fall/Winter wardrobe. For anyone that knows me well, this is more pleasure than chore as clothing is my weakness and I have amassed quite a collection of fine things that go back with me as far as my school girl days. I am also pleased as punch to be in the throes of sweater weather, light jackets, capes, hats, scarves, stockings & tights and boots, boots, boots! Being the middle of the month makes it bill-paying time so the day will not be complete without a pow-wow at the old desk with calculator & checkbook. While I am there it would probably also be good to clean up the old laptop and back up the hard drive. No doubt there will be lots of caffeine involved and playing of high energy tunes.

this weekend

This weekend, the weather is predicted to be gorgeous so make some plans to get outside. I am intrigued by the event detailed above and so I may pop over to the Expo if I am not on a leisurely bike ride cruising along the river or out in the countryside flea marketing and thrifting. A picnic would even make for a perfect October afternoon. Enjoy and see you next week!

the jewel of the season

Ruth St. Dennis frolicking, 1915

Another pleasure of this truly majestic October weekend I just had was a full day on the beach. I was incredibly lucky to have such beautiful weather while spending some of my last days of the year seaside.
This is my favorite time of year to experience the sand and sea. The crowds are gone and it suddenly feels more West coast than East coast. My family and I were one of few that made the effort for a day camped out next to the surf. The beach felt almost private in it's desolation and the sea seemed somehow more mysterious. The water was crystal clear and the small, powerful waves crashing in on themselves were like stones of jade and emerald being tumbled. The coast was littered with empty shells while fat seagulls strolled looking for more. The sea grasses were bursting with Monarchs. The overcast skies made it pleasantly cool and comfortable to be there all day. The haze of the clouds blurred the horizon and made the sky and sea become one.