Thursday, February 28, 2013

Curl Up With A Good Book


The shop is always filled with fabulous antique books that feature amazing, worn leather bindings, beautiful cover art and gilt tip pages that are each works of art in themselves ~ before you even turn the first page. Whether it’s one book or a full set, they will always be that de rigueur decorative accessory that completes a room and gives it soul.
Now, designer Barbara Gray of Cottage White has taken it one step further and added a nouveau bibliotheque to her space here and included every fascinating, must have title that’s just come off the presses.
Staging the books in and amongst designer Karen Lampard’s tres magnifique, folded paper artistry you'll see ~ one masterpiece compliments the other.
It’s so fun to read between the lines.





















Monday, February 25, 2013

The Vintage Marketplace ~ This Weekend!


The fabulous, outdoor shopping mecca ~
The Vintage Marketplace comes up this weekend in Fallbrook and it is the best outdoor market in Southern California!
Four of Vignettes’ top dealers will be featured there:
Robin of Vintage Beach House
Debbie of Blossoms Vintage Chic
and
Margie and Marilee of Rose Vignettes
Be sure and see them ~ Their spaces are filled with amazing finds!
This show, hosted by mes amies ~ the beautiful and mega-watt talented ~ Rita Reade and Christie Repasy, is so much fun and all of their carefully selected dealers bring in the best of the best.
Don’t Miss it!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Fevrier ~ The Sweetest Month of All



All love is sweet, given or returned.
Common as light is love
and it’s familiar voice wearies never.
They who inspire it most
are fortunate as I am now,
but those who feel it most
are happier still.
                                                   Percy Bysshe Shelley

Celebrate this month of  A M O U R ~ magnifique!


















Thursday, February 14, 2013

Valentine Soiree ~ Part 2


Our 50 Shades of Pink Valentine E V E N T was memorable in every way!
The entire shop was decked out from floor to ceiling with French finery that had been lovingly saved for this special day. Every dealer here pulled out all the stops and aimed to Wow and it showed in every single nook and cranny.
From all the amazing paper masterpieces designed by
Karen Lampard ~ Peacocks with bodies made of paint chip cards (!) and long tails of French book pages and cherry blossoms, to her amazing, made to scale, paper musical instruments displayed next to her calligraphied “If Music Be The Food of Love ~ Play On!” Shakespeare quote. Then there were the 7 feet tall, theater prop maidens flanking the front door that she had drawn elaborate party dresses on in pastel chalk. She always layers the shop with her one-in-a-million designs that leave everyone in a state of awe.
That’s our Karen!
On to the over-the-top bonbons, tea cakes and Eiffel Tower Cookies made from scratch by our own Robin of Bistro Chic. Her entire space was converted into a French Patisserie with jars piled high with her confections and glass domes covering stacks of macarons in every pastel shade. Everything in it, on it and around it ~ was delicious and completely irresistible. She puts the ‘Bon’ in Bon Appétit!
Cheryl Graf of Point Loma Tea staged her fabulous teas on a vintage hutch and had a line all day long to savor her delicious varieties. She packaged up the very best sellers to-go which made the perfect Valentine gift. Her quaint shop in Liberty Station is open Wednesday thru Sunday and is definitely worth a visit for a spot or two of delightful tea.
Author and designer Kaari Meng came and captivated and was the perfect addition to this special day. Her LA shop is now open Tuesday thru Saturday as well as offering workshops and you couldn’t ask for a nicer or more talented gal. Everyone loved her time with us and many are now planning visits up to her very unique French General Store..
And then there was ~ the crème de la crème, TENT of all tents, designed and carefully staged by the one and only
Monique Hemminger, designer, event coordinator, purveyor of props and party planner to the stars. WOW ~ doesn’t begin to cover it! What started outside as mere canvas on the blacktop became a magnificent French fantasyland staged with opulent furnishings, gilt mirrors, fabulous architectural elements, a dazzling chandelier, pastel gowns, painted floor cloths and roses, roses, roses, in every shade of pink in the universe. Marie Antoinette would have been right at home entertaining her court in there and now we have our own modern day Marie with the amazing, “Miss Pink Monique”. What she designed and created ~ blew us all away with its’ phenomenal, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring beauty. It was so extraordinary, so glamorous and so exactly like her.
Curl up and enjoy the show
and
Bonne St Valentin!