3/6-7 trunk show: the lonely (somewhat frantic) doll

lucky for me with a nyc snow day i got to pop into the whitney biennial with hardly anyone there. i found two pieces memorable; that's two more than last biennial--unless we count my countless references to the "art" that was a bunch of 2 by 4's. i did get a lot of mileage out of that piece even at the cost of repeatedly exposing my lack of sophistication. don't hate me because i love paintings; luckily, i'm not the only one: roberta smith has my back. one piece was a film with mall of america as main character and snapshots entitled "marine wedding" by nina berman. the film had a film within film part juxtaposing glamorized, bloodless military imagery with the "best" of made-in china america. is it about a sense of cultural superiority and being in the right to deliver popified values and stuff to the world? anyway, that combined with the very sad piece by berman made me think.

although i haven't posted in eons, i've been making arrangements as well as hunting and tagging vintage jewelry for my first ever trunk show on the weekend of March 6 and 7 (10am to 6pm each day) at the central park south location of exhale spa. hope ya'll can drop by to say hi, give me feedback on the setup and selections, etc. or, if you'd like to talk food, fashion or film (dance/ballet, photography, and/or what's happening to d.mamet--anyone else see his last two plays--???), come by! i got a little overexcited (de rigueur for me), and spent hours looking for the perfect "gift with purchase" item, tiny paper jewelry tags, business cards, postcards, and tiny ziplocs for each piece. each print job took two rounds (must be perfect!): zazzle and 4over4 took my quest for "just so" in stride (apparently, i'm not the only type a in nyc). i'm still waiting for one reprint... darn snow!

here are photos of some of items that will be in the show, either on the table or on me. above is an antique magnifying glass (very georg jensen--great style, though the prices are pretty scary $660-1500 silver bracelets? that's not fun!) to read silver markings. i'm having a bit of an issue because i want everything i got to offer. that either means everything only appeals to me or, in the best light, that it's a "collection" with a unified point of view.... these include a lot of mexican siver, tiffany's, vintage american silver pieces, some scandinavian, some native american pieces and i'll have vintage costume pieces too. lots of mix and match for the pile it on look i love. my style is very plain, tailored clothing plus an assortment of either chunky silver or layers of more delicate pieces (chains, charms and narrow ribbons--satin and grosgrain).

this post was originally about the dc big flea show i went to month or so ago. if you're in the dc area, it's on again march 6 & 7. my sense of that last show was that folks were not as open to discounting as they had been over the previous couple of shows. i've been going there for over 10 years and have a few dealers i love (and trust) for fine jewelry (my weaknesses: deco pieces and 19th century english fobs and signets). here's some of the things i've collected over the past few years--all for a veritable nickel; with the right dealer, fine jewelry can be less expensive than costume, oddly. deco 20 carat aquamarine:

antique english watch fobs and chains (i wear them all together in a suite):

antique english and american signets plus college ring...

watch fobs, continued. hope everyone is cozy and warm. query du blog: why do folks go on and on about the meyer lemon? i find it lacking in yummy, puckering acid. have i only had the plato's cave version?

peace out, flatsie, aka, the lonely doll

3/6-7 trunk show: the lonely (somewhat frantic) doll

always having paris

on arrival in paris at cdg as you wait for the official, if ceremonial, "what's the reason for your trip" (destination is response), the tension leaves your neck and i become my funnest, best self. my french self. here life is milling and sitting, buttered baguettes and enjoying quintessential frenchisms such as the insistence on precision in enunciation and specificity before answering any question. to wit, q: where to catch un café. a: "avant de vous dire, je dois savoir si vous voulez du bon cafe ou du cafe pour "anglo-saxons"? that is, i can't possibly provide the correct response before i know whether you'd like good, italian coffee or coffee the english find acceptable. :o)



this trip was one of firsts and classics. i've been dying to check out paris' vintage/thrift scene, especially after recent, amazing finds in london (there, target covent garden for unusual and inexpensive finds) and austin (see earlier post). top of the list: thrift stores in le marais and the fleamarket in porte de clignancourt. in le marais, don't rush, have lunch. maybe an eggy omlette with a leafy green salad in a creamy dressing, a salad provencal of lightly steamed shredded red cabbage and carrots, almost charred whole-wheat baguette croutons topped with hunks of goat cheese and broiled thyme-dusted tomato halves, or an open faced, or a croque-madame broiled sandwich (jambon, fromage with bechamel topped with and an orange-yolked, crisp-edged sunny-side up egg on bread from poilane, an amazing artisinal bakery).



the stock at vintage stores in le marais is mostly 1980's, us centric, which isn't my beauty style, but it's a fun scene and the people watching is top notch. There are other wonderful clothing, footware and accessory boutiques in the 3rd and 4th arrondisement that are well-priced and importantly, unique. try maison robert for coffee, tea and related accessories, prune for boots (and they will discount if you ask), and go to the grocery store to stock up on sea salt in picturesque, cork-topped boxes of (sel du camargue, here $2, $12 in nyc). pop in and out of shops, but don't forget to stop for coffee, a beer, to grab a chocolate broiche at pain de sucre (http://www.patisseriepaindesucre.com/), or a delectable, flower petal-scooped gelato (dark chocolate, cream and lampone/raspberry flavors all rock) from amorino (http://www.amorino.fr/).



for the flea/antique market at clingnancourt, take the metro. it's direct and don’t be disheartened by the outdoor "market" of horrible (and overpriced) things you can get at a cvs. forge ahead and slip through a gate off the rue de rosiers into a corridor leading to semi-private, narrow streets lined with stores and stalls. it's not really about the bargains, although there are some. it's more about it being a lovely, relaxing way to experience french culture. cool things: old keys, vintage promotional key rings, and a ready-made duchamp (pardon the pun)-- a metal bottle rack from a restaurant--sadly, too big for the plane. the vendors, by and large, are solicitous if not overly concerned about manning their stalls or selling. if you need a break, there's a lovely café with live music inside the walls or duck back out to 136, rue de rosiers, for delicious pizza at napoli (don’t be put off by the 60's kitschy décor, the food is fast, fresh and yummy).



tired of the overly-precious and commodified contemporary art-scene in nyc? refresh your belief in the power and value in letting artists do their thing at palais de tokyo and a phenomenal new venue in the 19th arrodisement, centquatre (104). you'll come away heartened by the diversity of the work. also striking is the diversity of the folks of all ages exploring, hanging out and enjoying. both venues have wonderful bookstores too and terrific areas for children. you can't but be inspired by the obvious glee of the kids digging into the area invitingly left open at centquatre. the space for kids is a bit more formal at palais de tokyo-- gazing into that cozy room will leave you longing for the carefree days of fun when artmaking and being creative was the to-do list. there's also a comparable, exhibition-related (now calder) space for children at the pompidou center.


head back to le marais after a day of contemporary art (and more sitting) at 104 or the palais de toyko for a comfort-food dinner of homemade-ish moroccan food at odeon. the service is very french (by day two you'll know what i mean), but the roasted chicken that comes with a platter of couscous and a large, steaming bowl of mildly spiced (use the side of hot pepper spice paste to turn up the volume) carrots, turnips in a tomato-y broth to ladel over the pasta.


new things i need to know: where are all the locks for the amazing antique keys at the flea markets? ok, this is not paris related, but why don't bananas have black specks or seeds in the them anymore? i miss them and if you recall, the curious george books make reference to such sticky seeds--cg liked to put them down the collar of the man in yellow hat.


paris makes me nostalgic. grab someone whose hand you can't imagine not holding and be french for a day. in paris or at home. sit a little more--makes you think, remember your blessings and feel the joy of a simple conversation or a moment of solace.


peace out, flatsie

always having paris