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Bon Voyage!

Patrick Dennis: Is the English lady sick, Auntie Mame?
Auntie Mame: She's not English, darling... she's from Pittsburgh.
Patrick Dennis: She sounded English.
Auntie Mame: Well, when you're from Pittsburgh, you have to do something.

That's one of my favorite quotes from Auntie Mame! It seemed appropriate since I'm flying into Pittsburgh Sunday to spend Christmas with my family. They don't actually live in Pittsburgh but it's close and if I'm lucky, I might also meet up with another blogger who'll be in the 'Burgh for the holidays! Can you guess who?

Another lovely blogger, Hello Gorgeous, was so sweet and sent me a copy of Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escape by Patrick Dennis! I was very excited because I was wondering what else to take along to read besides magazines in case my flight is delayed. They better just not cancel my flight like they did on my birthday or lose my luggage. HC doesn't travel light enough for carry on but you probably already guessed that! I'll also be posting while I'm away! Bon voyage and happy holidays!
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Congratulations!

Over 1500 people entered the Williams-Sonoma Home Cashmere Throw Blanket Giveaway but there could only be five winners! They are Heather Morris, Jessica Miller, Merry Hope Hulsey, Chelsea Watlington, and Caroline Brown! I'll be sending your addresses to Williams-Sonoma Home so that soon you can wrap yourself up up comfy cashmere! Congratulations!!!
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Another Habitually Chic Giveaway!

To celebrate the opening of their on-line shopping cart, my fabulous new friends at Maison 24 have generously offered to give away 5 of their divine smelling candles to Habitually Chic readers. I have one of the Le Jardin candles and it smells heavenly so I know you will love them! They are also offering 15% off all all web purchases until December 25th!

This time the giveaway rules are a little different. These giveaways are meant to thank my loyal readers so I will be choosing a winner from among those who have signed up as a subscriber. That means if you want to be entered, you have to sign up! This change is due to a sneaky sweepstakes website that posted my giveaway to it's readers. I will be choosing a winner on Tuesday, December 23rd so you have until 11:59pm on Monday, December 22nd to sign up. I will then contact the winners for their mailing address and Maison 24 will ship out the candles to the lucky subscribers! Bonne Chance!

Fraiches is a fresh, clean, invigorating scent created to smell like you (or your man) just stepped out of the barbershop. Not just a candle, it’s a mandle. Fraiches is an enticing blend of Mediterranean geranium, basil and sparkling lemon mixed with lavandin, sensual patchouli and rich vanilla beans. (Yummy!)

La Plage smells like the sun, surf, salty air, & suntan lotion – the sensational scent of a day at the beach. All that and no scratchy sand in your swimsuit – love. La Plage is a warm, seductive fragrance of coconut and almond blended with hints of peony and heliotrope and the richness of tonka beans, praline, and vanilla. (Anything that smells like suntan lotion is a winner in my book!)

Le Jardin is a sexy, sensual blend of fruit, florals and spices that’s decidedly more exotic garden than enchanted garden. Perfect when you’re feeling passionate. Le Jardin is an arousing mix of lily, ylang ylang and wild rose entwined with peach, coconut, patchouli, clove and warm musk. (Love this one too!)
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Oh the weather outside is frightful!

The weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we’ve no place to go
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Well, it doesn’t show signs of stopping
But we’ve got some corn for popping
And the lights are turned way down low
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

I went out to brave the snow today but didn't last very long. It was really windy and cold! Usually when it snows in New York, it's shoveled away so fast that by the next day you can't even tell it snowed but I don't know if that will be the case this time. I just hope it's all clear by Sunday when I have to fly home for Christmas. Keep your fingers crossed!
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Pele- Mele para María

Aunque el cumpleaños de María ha sido ya hace algún tiempo, tenía pensado hacerle este regalo en cuanto lo vi en el libro de Sylvie Castellano .

Por fin tuve unos días para preparárselo y como a ella le gusta el trabajo con la madera empecé primero en el marco , del que ya publiqué aquí un tutorial .

Luego sólo fue montar el bloque con telas de patch. Casualmente tenía una de las que se utilizaban en el orignal ¡ qué suerte !






Me gusta acercarme lo más posible a los gustos a quien regalo o al menos eso intento . Regalar con acierto es mucho más divertido que hacerlo por el simple hecho de regalar ¿ no ? Además así sabes que tendrás más posibilidades de que le guste a esa persona. Lo de quedar bien....no me gusta, prefiero regalar con cariño .

Los botones son antiguos de mi colección .




Su inicial la bordé con hilo matizado en tonos rojos sobre una banda de lino blanco que coloqué de forma horizontal para que se vieran las rayas.






¿ Qué para qué sirve ? para colgar las postales, fotos , tarjetas , notas ......... lo que nos guste tener a la vista........ y cambiarlo cuando nos parezca. Es como un tablón de anuncios " de otro estilo ".

Ahí tienes el original del libro..........





Me encantaría ver uno de esos trabajos de 1 / 1 , colgando de unas de esas pincitas, que hace María.
¡¡¡¡Felicidades María !!!!!!!
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Holiday Toffee

One of my holiday traditions is making toffee. Sometimes you want to give a friend or co-worker a little something but not necessarily buy them an expensive present so the toffee is perfect. People appreciate that you took the time to make it yourself and it really is delicious! For a larger group like my friends at Flair, I pack it up in little boxes but most of the time I put a few pieces in a clear cellophane bag tied with a red satin ribbon. It's not exactly low calorie so sometimes less is more!

Holiday Toffee

Base Layer:
2 1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water

Topping:
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pecans on a baking sheet for approximately 5-10 minutes. Let nuts cool and measure them out so they are ready to go when you need them. It's important to plan and measure everything in advance because once you start boiling the sugar mixture, you won't have time later. You can also use almonds but everyone thinks the pecans taste better.

Lightly oil a 15 1/2 in. by 10 1/2 in. metal baking pan. I use Pam and then wipe off the excess with a paper towel. You should also spray a spatula for later and set it aside.

Cut butter into small pieces and in a 2-3 quart heavy sauce pan combine with the sugar, light corn syrup and water. Bring mixture to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil sirring occasionally until candy thermometer registers 290 degrees. It takes approximately 10 minutes and the mixture will start to turn a caramel color. It's very important that you let it reach the "hard crack" stage. If you don't, the toffee will be chewy instead of crunchy.

Once the mixture is the desired temperature, quickly stir in the 2 1/4 chopped pecans and immediately pour out onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a spatula, quickly spread the toffee into as even a layer and as close to the edges of pan as possible.

Let mixture stand 1 minute. The original recipe says you can just melt 12 oz. of chocolate chips over the hot mixture and spread them with a spatula but I prefer to melt baking chocolate in a double boiler and spread that over the sugar mixture. I also wipe off the top of the sugar mixture with a paper towel so the chocolate will adhere and not separate after it's cooled. Then sprinkle 1 cup of finely chopped pecans on top and gently press them into the chocolate.

Chill the toffee until the chocolate is firm, at least 2 hours. I usually chill it overnight. Once cooled, break toffee into bite size pieces and pack them into bags and boxes. Keep toffee chilled to prevent the chocolate from melting. Then enjoy!
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Holiday Decorating in White

Martha Stewart

Why do we love using white for the holidays? Perhaps its the way it sets off the table setting or the tree, or decorations in such a way that makes everything look fresh and magical. Here are some of my favorite holiday decorated rooms. Some of these photos I have been saving for years and may not remember where they came from. If you recognize any as your own please let me know so I can give credit to these wonderful images.

Above, an entry way with fresh greenery and a moss wreath. Cast iron urns and small trees add to the wonderful mix of textures.

Min Lilla Veranda
A small tree decorated in the traditional Scandinavian style with real lighted clip on candles. Windows adorned with fresh greenery and a gingerbread house on the counter. I love the warmth and simplicity of this room.


Finikanten
What a beautiful dining room! I love the small flowers at each place setting. I also like the way the three trees, only adorned with white lights, bring your eye out of the room. They add a simplicity to the what could be a very formal and fussy space.

Unknown
Perfect for a cozy holiday breakfast. Just the right amount of decorations. Notice the pine-cones and fresh greenery. This is a simple look to duplicate in your own home. All you need is a white tablecloth, a linen topper and them some items found in your back yard. Don't forget the candles!
Marie Claire Maison
Austere, but very chic. Not necessarily something I would choose but I like the interesting tree and the how it adds so much texture to the room.

Ikea
Another more modern look, but also lovely and elegant. The wonderful chandeliers add drama. I especially love the angels.
Dreamhouse
I have had this picture so long and I absolutely love it. Is it the black server, the linen, the wreath, the canisters?? I love the pears and the ornaments. This picture makes me want sit at this table and share a cup a tea with friends. (It also makes me think I should start painting some of my pine pieces black.)

Annette Hus
Another room I adore! I especially like the wreaths on every chair. A simple tree with small lights and homemade linen ornaments. (A tip: make sure you hot glue some linen or cloth to the backs of the wreaths so you do not have sap and dirt on your chairs later.)

Magdalenas Hem

Magdalenas Hem
A simple spray of white paint or spray snow transforms the ordinary into extraordinary.
Magdalenas Hem
Is this bark or linen? Either way, with the branches and the berries it had a wonderful unusual texture and makes a unique wreath.

Flikr

Flikr
Two more white wreaths-both simple and beautiful.




Camilla at Home
Finally - a sweet vignette that you can do anywhere in your home. Just find a small chair, add a tray or plate with candles and some greenery and at tiny wreath - viola !


Simple, lovely decorations to lift your spirit!
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Thanks ELLE Decor!

I have to thank ELLE Decor magazine for not only including me in their blogger section but for also featuring Steven Gambrel and his partner Chris Conners' to die for West Village townhouse in the new January 2009 issue! You can see a sneak peek of it on the front cover above and believe me when I tell you that you need to run out and pick up a copy so you can see the rest of it! I've said it before but I will say it again, Steven Gambrel is my design idol! He is the designer that I would most want to work for in New York. Now, I'm going to have to figure out how to work on that!

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Christmas Time is Here

Yesterday, it was 65 degrees in New York. Right now, it's 30 degrees and snowing! Crazy! I really wanted to go out and take some photos of the city covered in snow but then I decided to stay in my warm and cozy apartment, watch A Charlie Brown Christmas and write out my Christmas cards. I remember watching Charlie Brown and the gang every year growing up and it brings back lovely memories. For some reason, Lucy was always my favorite. She was like the original Blair Waldorf and always made me laugh. And needless to say that the music is also a favorite. The snow in the city definitely signifies that Christmas time really is here!


Christmas time is here,
Happiness and cheer,
Fun for all that children call,
Their favorite time of the year.

Snowflakes in the air,
Carols everywhere,
Olden times and ancient rhymes,
Of love and dreams to share.

Sleigh bells in the air,
Beauty everywhere,
Yuletide by the fireside,
And joyful memories there.

Christmas time is here,
We'll be drawing near,
Oh, that we could always see,
Such spirit through the year,
Oh, that we could always see,
Such spirit through the year...
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Habitually Chic Holiday Giveaway!

I've been trying to think of a way to thank my wonderful blog readers for their continued support and encouragement and what better way than a Holiday Giveaway! My friends at Williams-Sonoma Home have generously partnered with me to give FIVE lucky Habitually Chic readers a fabulous cashmere throw blanket!!! Woo hoo!

Now before you get all excited and start emailing me or leaving comments, let me read you the fine print! In order to be qualified for the giveaway, you must email your name, mailing address and telephone number to the special content email address, habituallychiccontest@gmail.com so that Williams-Sonoma Home can mail you your cashmere throw blanket. Anyone who emails my regular email address or who does not include their contact information in their entry will be disqualified. One entry per person please. Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm EST Friday, December 19th. Five entries will be randomly selected and the winners will be announced on Saturday, December 20th. Employees of Habitually Chic are not eligible. (I guess that means me!)

Good luck and happy holidays!
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The YSL Connection

The Bachelor's step-mother gave him the C&B Italia sofa that currently resides in his apartment. When I met with her, she told me that Yves Saint Laurent collected the same furniture. I tried to find a photo of it earlier this year but to no avail. So I almost fell off my chair when I saw the photo above of Yves that was taken by Horst in the Grand Salon of his apartment in Paris for a November 1971 Vogue spread. Not only is it the same sofa but it's the exact same color, see below. I'm not sure The Bachelor will appreciate the connection but I think it's pretty darn cool!

One of my savvy readers alerted me to another photo of the C&B Italia sofa that was posted on 2THE WALLS. It was originally published in Architectural Digest in 1976 and looks fabulous!

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Maison Yves Saint Laurent

I was looking for photos of Yves Saint Laurent's home earlier this year, I'll tell you why in the next post, and didn't find much online so I was beyond excited to open the January Vanity Fair magazine and see the most amazing photos. But that was just the tip of the iceberg! The Vanity Fair website has more even more exclusive photos by Pascal Chevallier, as well as vintage photos. For those of you who don't live in the US, you can read the entire article, The Things Yves Loved, online.

As I mentioned in my previous post, Yves' longtime companion and business partner, Pierre Bergé has decided to "auction off the art and objects with which he and Saint Laurent filled the late designer’s duplex at 55 Rue de Babylone and his own Rue Bonaparte apartment" at Christie's in Paris this February. One of the items that won't be sold is the the couture house’s original logo from 1961 that was hand-lettered by graphic artist Cassandre above.

I knew that Yves was influenced by art since he referenced artists such as Mondrian and Braque in his fashion collections but I wasn't aware of his extensive art collection. They also didn't just buy art willy-nilly, "a work had to come from a crucial stage in an artist’s development. It had to be in perfect condition—no restorations, no cleaning, no re-lining. And the piece had to possess an exceptional, documented provenance." That is what separates the average art lover from the serious collector while Jacques Grange helped to decorate the apartment.

"Francisco Goya’s Portrait of Don Luis Maria de Cistué from 1791 was was donated to the Louvre Museum and is surrounded by a pair of cubic French Art Deco chairs and a Pierre Legrain stool, circa 1925. The painting on the wall is by Giorgio de Chirico, 1917–18.

Ingres’s Portrait of the Countess de Larue from 1812 is displayed in the Grand Salon with one of two Gustave Miklos palmwood and red lacquer benches, that have a pre-sale auction estimate of $2.5 to $3.8 million.

One of my favorite photos is of Yves' Jean-Michel Frank desk on which sits his signature glasses and three simple Y's made out of coral and wood. So sweet.

"A 15th-century tapestry forms a backdrop to an Albert Cheuret Aloe lamp, circa 1925–30. To the right of the 18th-century Italian sofa hangs Théodore Géricault’s Portrait of Alfred and Elisabeth de Dreux (top), circa 1818, and Juan Gris’s 1913 The Violin (bottom), both estimated at $5 to $7.6 million."

An Edvard Munch seascape from 1898 hangs above Henri Matisse painting from the Blue and Pink Rug series. Below the two paintings is an Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann table lamp, circa 1927.

The designer at work in his Paris bedroom in 1974 was taken by Reginald Gray.

A detail of the desk in the bedroom, includes a magnifying glass and a small leather-bound notebook with a notation “Yves” on the front cover.

"In the library, a cylindrical crystal vase is situated on the François-Xavier Lalanne–designed multi-metal and ovoid Bar YSL. Mondrian’s 1920 Composition No. 1 is displayed above a fireplace." Below is a detail of a Matisse cut out that can be seen hanging on the back of a door in the photo above.


Pierre Bergé said that he decided to sell everything because the collection doesn’t exist if Yves doesn’t exist. "After Yves’s death, to conserve the collection makes no sense. It will go away just like that." It makes me sad but one good thing to come of the sale is that all the proceeds will benefit two foundations, one set up to preserve Yves' legacy and another devoted to AIDS research.

I can't wait until the catalog is up online so I can see if there is anything I can afford. As someone who grew up obsessed with his designs and his world, I would love to own something that he touched and would hope that some of his magic would rub off on me. I don't think there will be anything I can afford but it sure is fun to dream. I think Yves made a lot of people dream and that will be an even more important legacy than his fabulous art collection.

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Holiday Chic Gift Guide: YSL

What better why to treat the fashionista in your life than with an Yves Saint Laurent themed holiday. The first place to start is with the new book Yves Saint Laurent: Style which chronicles the designer's 40 years of fabulous designs through photos and drawings.

To learn more about Yves and also Karl Lagerfeld "and the glorious excess in 1970's Paris, I would also add The Beautiful Fall by Alicia Drake to the gift pile. It is the ultimate inside peak into the pursuit of fashion perfection and decadence of the lives of two of the world's most talented designers.
I mentioned in an earlier post that I wanted to be a fashion designer when I was little and was obsessed with Yves Saint Laurent and his designs so seeing him in action and talking about his life in this double feature of His Life and Times and 5 Avenue Marceau 75116 Paris was heaven. I think I might have to buy this myself or ask for it in my stocking because I would love to watch it over and over again, especially since he is no longer with us. And at only $24 it's a great bargain.

I'm surprised that the Yves Saint Laurent jewelry line is so reasonably priced and this $295 Opium Collection Necklace is as chic as it is cheap. Ok, it's not that cheap but when you think about how much a dress costs, it's practically free!

My mom loves receiving make-up sets for Christmas and I'm sure she would love this YSL Beaute Christmas Set for $60. The tuxedo pouch might actually be large enough for all her products. Now you know where I get my love of products and fashion!

The ultimate carryall all for all the goodies above would be the YSL Patent Downtown Tote which would set you back $1895 but it's already a classic so it could be used forever. It could also be used as a chic carry on bag for a trip like the one below!

In order to properly pay homage to Yves Saint Laurent, then a trip to Marrakech, Morocco is in order. YSL and his long time partner and companion Pierre Bergé bought The Majorelle Garden in 1980 and restored it. It a very special place to the designer and thus his ashes were scattered in the garden which is open to the public.

But the pièce de resisitence would be an IOU and a promise to buy your loved one a little something from the sale of Yves and Pierre's amazing art collection at Christie's Paris in February. Les Coucous, Tapis Bleu et Rose by Henri Matisse above would set you back about 15-20 million Euros but maybe there is a little bargain nestled somewhere in the sale. I know I wouldn't ask for a Christmas present ever again for the rest of my life if someone bought me a painting...and maybe a bag. I could definitely use a new bag. Happy Holidays!
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