See You At The Soiree!

Pull out your party dress, grab your gal pals
& come join us this Saturday from Noon to 5:00 pm for
Vignettes Chic 16 Anniversary Soiree!
In every nook & corner you’ll find luxe décor, beautiful found objets d’art & beaucoup Parisian splendor to fill your maison & jardin.
Prepare to swoon starting with our front room that has been transformed into our new brand launch~
‘Penthouse in Paris’.
What woman doesn’t dream of that? It's here for you Madame.
Come celebrate 16 years of Romantique Home Décor provided by the hardest working dealer/designers in town.
This is a shopping experience unlike any other.

Let's have a toast ~!
9/24/11
12 to 5

Countdown to 9/24/11

Our grande, Chic 16 Anniversary Soiree is just a week away & we hope you’ve made plans to attend.
From our luxe settings of vintage home décor, including key pieces just acquired from a Paris apartment ~ Mais Oui ~ you must see; to a fabulous collection of one-of-a-kind Chanel props from a 1960’s couture salon ~ Ooh La la;
to an over-the-top French Patisserie featuring
a bejeweled Marie Antoinette theater prop/display that houses the desserts ~ (& the best part about this royal Countess ~ She’s for sale!) Come take a peek, this is only the 2nd one I've ever seen & I own the other one!! These one-of-a-kind Mademoiselles just don’t come along very often!
All of our 25 dealers are pulling out all the stops for this day of days.
Meet Author Lynn Sheene who just wrote, "The Last Time I saw Paris", sip champagne, nibble on pastries & shop to your heart’s content.
Saturday, September 24th,
~ Ooh La La will be RE-Defined ~
Come & drink it all in.

The Baroness of Bon Bons

What could be better than a day of shopping at our Chic 16 Anniversary Soiree? How about a French pastry chef on site in an over-the-top Patisserie designed for all the senses?
We’re so happy to present French Pastry Chef ~ Extraordinaire ~ Susan Holler who will be here showing off what she does best ~ Bon Bons, pastries & macarons, Oh My! Susan attended ITT Baking and Pastry Arts & is currently the Head Pastry Chef at Pt. Loma Nazarene University. Baking, desserts & chocolate are her passion & she truly feels that dessert is the most important meal of the day. Mais Oui ~We like how she thinks!
Her love & joy for the sweetest category of the culinary arts is contagious & pours forth from her like an amazing glacee over mouth-watering petit fours. Plan to indulge your sweet tooth with a festive sampling of bite-size pastries that will dazzle the eye & palate & meet San Diego’s superstar de sucres.
In addition, our very glamorous Patisserie, the design creation of powerhouse,

Robin Mckeirnan/Vintage Beach House,

will be the backdrop for artist Karen Lampard’s “Anatomy of French Pastry"; architectural renderings of cream puffs, éclairs, macarons & gateau ~ amazing life-like drawings, as only our Karen can create, of the inner workings of French pastry. Life imitating art, art imitating desserts ~ it just doesn’t get any more delicious than this.
See you here on Saturday, September 24th
Noon to 5:00 pm.

An Officer & A Gentleman

It’s long over due to pay special tribute to my Dad who had such a huge impact in my life.
His special manner of reserved, quiet dignity & the way he lived & carried himself always spoke volumes to me of a true Gentleman, a man of honor & of the highest character.
I was always so proud & supremely blessed by the time he would take to spend with me.
When I came along, the little family was really rooting for a boy, (they even had a boy’s name all picked out) & so, it was a shock, to say the least, when I came barreling into their world.
Not to worry, my Dad rallied & I became the tomboy he hadn’t seen coming!
We went on weekly walks & long hikes collecting driftwood & shells, he taught me how to ride a bike, play competitive tennis, throw a fast ball, mow a lawn, map out a plan to sell the most Girl Scout cookies in our community, drive a stick shift at age 12, develop my love of writing & got me my first job in sixth grade, as a check-stand bagger/box-girl at ‘Toyland’ at the Navy Exchange. I loved it there & have never been more proud of my work! We went to work together over my school vacations & as he went off to his office as Procurement Supervisor, I went to my check-stand. Nothing could have made either of us prouder.
Thru him, I learned my work ethic & of always, always staying the course.
When I filled both sides of my Girl Scout sash with patches, he was there - smiling,
when I played in tennis tournaments, he was there - cheering, when I attempted to speak only in French on the weekends, he was there - chuckling, when I graduated from College, he was there - beaming. Thru all my victories & defeats, he was there - standing in my corner.
Thru out my life, he provided a steadfast calm & unwavering show of strength & class, my mighty oak, never wanting or requiring any fanfare, special attention or fuss made over him. He was my quiet cheerleader, always rooting for me, believing in me & was most content to encourage & stand tall behind the scenes - where I always looked for him.
Now, whenever I smell fresh mown grass or night blooming jasmine - I’m instantly taken back to warm summer evenings long ago, when a kind-hearted Father took the time to play catch, back & forth across the street long into the night, with his youngest daughter.
*******
So here’s to my humble hero - the world has so few,
For giving, teaching & showing me - always in the quietest of ways,
Life’s most powerful & noble lessons…

Here’s To You, Dad

Cannes Film Star!

For our French Riviera themed, summer kick-off party last month, only the amazingly creative Susan Darnell could have come up with the idea of a spot-on tribute to the Cannes, France - Film festival.
Her labor of love consisted of a FABULOUS, custom-designed, ballroom gown, constructed entirely of FILM & elaborately displayed on a mannequin!
We’re talking head-turning, over-the-top celluloid whimsy!
(This just might be our most outrageous mannequin display - ever & we’ve had some doozies!)
The stars in Cannes this year had some amazing designer gowns on but they had nothing over this Kodachrome darling.
At every one of our themed events, Susan rises mightily to the occasion with her tres magnifique custom creations, & this, of course, was no exception.
When you get a chance - come in & see this starlet’s remarkable stateside debut. She’d be perfect to showcase in your home theater & she’s definitely ready for her close-up.

Beach Décor Comes Ashore

So much gorgeous, coastal chic in the shop right now!
Stop in & see our take on ete 2011 -
There’s something for every nook & cranny of your maison, pied-a-terre, villa or outdoor pavilion/jardin!
We are currently featuring the extraordinary shell artistry of Bonnie Hickman of The Shell Room & her creations are bar none the most opulent works of shell art that you will see out there. Her techniques are a trade secret that truly surpass all others & the sheer beauty of these mother-of- pearl masterpieces take center stage wherever you place them.
Summer is the perfect time to bring out all your prized shells, collected over the years on those long walks along the shore & place them, dome them, feature them in places of honor.
Mother nature never looked so beautiful.
We hope to see you soon.

Merci Pour L’Amour!

Thanks to all of our loyal friends, fans & followers
for nominating us into the top ten of the
‘Union Tribune’s 2011 Reader’s Best Poll’ for
BEST ANTIQUE STORE!
We do have the hardest working dealers in this business & they scour the countryside for you on a daily basis so we really appreciate this nod of approval. (Plus, we have frequent themed events & soirees & if you haven’t been to one, you need to make it a point to attend!)
Now, the voting begins to narrow it down to the
TOP THREE city-wide.
Put your vote in at:
www.sdbestpoll.com
under the shopping category.
Merci Beaucoup to all!