Quelle Fun! Le Summer Soiree ~ Part 1

Summer was officially launched into the stratosphere yesterday at our seaside fete and let’s just say, a good time was had by all!

Attendees entered our boho chic world of gauzey netting, lacey textiles, opulent passementerie and shredded white burlap-covered shell cakes and that was just in the front entry!

The dealer/designers here went all out to wow and definitely surpassed all expectations.

Kudos to Sandra Finn of Chateau et Industriel Francais for her gorgeous staging inside the black and white striped French cabana for Heather Bullard’s backdrop. Beautiful Heather shined, as always, and handed out copies of Country Living to her adoring fans and all copies of her recently launched Souvenir magazine sold out in the first 30 minutes! Her next issue, which comes out in July - will be another stunner. Don’t miss it. www.souvenirlifestyle.com

Therapie fashion boutique rolled into our back lot and set an all new sales record. Fabulous, haute, haute fashions, accessories and jewelry, at amazing prices, were snapped up and her completely transformed RV complete with dressing rooms and chandeliers was a huge draw. Kelly’s mobile concept is the hottest trend in America right now.

Two major players in the shop deserve a lot of credit: Designer Karen Lampard of Café Paperie, my BFF, launched her Mapology line of bathing suits, tote bags, accessories and long stem flowers ~ all created from gorgeous vintage maps! Two huge posters with period fashion models wearing 3-d swimsuits made entirely from vintage Paris maps almost stole the show! She just came off designing the majority of key components at the Secret Garden Tour of La Jolla and then turned right around and created this phenomenal new line from maps ~ Oh yes, mes amies ~ she’s the gal, with a heart of gold, to watch!

And then my other “Go-To” gal, a tremendous talent and the high-priestess of the creative arts community, who comes thru for me every single time ~ the amazing Robin Mckeirnan of Vintage Beach House. This red-hot gal wonder can literally do and make anything and with each new project she tackles - her creative juices flow like Niagra Falls! I went to her with my vision for the infamous netting tent and from there she took it to a whole new level of suspended disbelief. I could not believe my eyes when I saw what she had created…A gorgeous, gauzy, textile masterpiece woven from lacey cob-webs of vintage passementerie and torn, twisted and stone-washed, white burlap. Amazing and Tres Magnifique. Well done Miss Robin, Oh so well-done.

Entering this filmy, dreamlike magnum opus was the perfect way to launch our coastal collections and summer 2012.

We hope you enjoy the show.

Fabulous images from vintage French postcards of bathing beauties copied on to edible rice paper and then applied to shortbread cookies, courtesy of mon amie, Vivian, of Azucar Patisserie, my neighbor here on Newport Avenue. These were a HUGE hit!