The Sky, The Moon & The Branches

Céline at 30

My dear sister Céline is 30 today! It's hard to believe that the baby who was once so tiny that she needed to wear my doll's clothes (regular baby clothes were too big for her...) is now 30.
In the picture above, she's a few months old - we were living in Kenya at the time. The pic on the side was taken a couple of months ago, on the occasion of her wedding.
I have just found out that March 3 is considered a lucky day for a girl to be born in Japan: On the third day of the third month, it is traditional in Japan to celebrate Hina-matsuri, or Girls' Day — a day for wishing all little girls health, growth and happiness, writes Heather in her post about hina-matsuri.

As for Benjy, he just turned 9 yesterday, March 2. He is in great shape of a 9-year-old and just met a new girlfriend at the Venice dog park - a Great Dane (!!!).

We're Napping!

Benjy is napping. And right now, so is AUREA.

Obama Speaks

Did you listen to the State of the Union last night? Whatever you think of President Obama's ideas, you can't deny that he is a superb orator and a talented writer; I interned as a speech-writer at a Paris foundation for the arts and, a few years later, at the French embassy in Tokyo, back in the 90's, and I find speech writing a fascinating process.
Ever so cool, with its great team of designers, Penguin has released a slender blue hardback with Obama's inaugural address, some speeches by Abraham Lincoln and my dear Ralph Ellison's essay, "On Self-Reliance." If you are interested in Obama, in history and in the USA, it's a wonderful little book. Here's a brief passage:
And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself.

And if we mention our President, can we fail to mention Michelle Obama? I find her as stunningly intelligent as she is elegant and beautiful, and Glamour voted her one of its Women Of 2009 - how could it be otherwise?

In My Neighborhood

New Glasses

Recently, I had been debating whether or not to get a new pair of glasses - after serving me loyally for 8 years, my little Guccis were showing serious signs of wear. And then it happened. They fell, breaking beyond repair. To replace them, I chose this Giorgio Armani pair. They are unapologetically big and have a retro, almost awkward style that I find rather cool.

Around Sculpture

Last week, I attended the opening of a new show at Venice's LA Louver gallery with my dear friend Spangler. I loved the gouache paintings by Sol LeWitt, as well as the sculpture above, by Joel Shapiro. It's magical how it seems to be falling, as if in motion, and how the lights multiply its shadows, like echos of light and darkness.

This made me reflect on how different LA and Paris are. LA, all angles and modern; Paris, voluptuous and old, as reflected in this sculpture by Antoine Bourdelle, in the garden of the Paris museum that bears his name.

Weekend Yard Sales

On Saturday I went to a few yard sales around Venice and Santa Monica. My loot includes a set of 3 red dessert/salad plates, a blue ceramic pitcher (perfect for when I make lemonade), and a huge wood salad bowl with its three matching individual bowls - all that for a grand total of $15.
Finally, I bought this ancient egg beater... I know I'll never use it but I just couldn't resist its retro look - also, it only cost $1.

So Delicate

Top: White flowers in Pacific Palisades
Bottom: A Japanese ginger grater

Accessorizing

I'm not much of an accessory fan, wearing very little jewelry and allergic to it bags of all kinds. However, I do need to carry my essentials, including a book (always) and some water; I always choose leather-free deigns that are as light as possible and preferably handmade. This graphic, geometrical felt bag found on Etsy fulfills all these requirements with style.

The bakelite ring I bought from Petit Oiseau and a bird necklace (from Rag Trader) I gave a friend for Christmas.

And since so many of you liked the pics of me trying hats at a Parisian department store (see them here), I thought I'd share 2 more pics from the series...

So long, Rio Bravo

A few days ago, my grandmother said goodbye to Rio Bravo, the house in Uruguay's Punta del Este where she lived with my grandfather and their two daughters after moving back from Texas - where my mum was born. The house was just too big for her to live alone in, among other things.
Oddly perhaps, I didn't even feel the faintest twinge the day my abuela moved out. Because I lived in Iran, Kenya, Iraq, China and then-British Hong Kong before moving to Paris, all before I turned 15, I have become quite indifferent to houses and apartments. To me, home is where my parents are; and if tomorrow they move to a hotel in a country where I've never set foot, I'll call that place home.

Top: that's me, aged 9 months, with my mum, when I first visited Uruguay.
Bottom: a few years later, in Rio Bravo again.

Is Benjy Vogue-worthy?

Benjy and I finally got our eager little paws on Dogs In Vogue, a superb collection of photographs and illustrations published over the decades in Vogue magazine, and featuring pooches of all kinds. Dogs, dogs, dogs everywhere! Dogs in the arms of their famous owners, like Moujik with Yves Saint-Laurent, and dogs as characters in fashion spreads.

And what about Benjy of the black almond eyes, the floppy velvet ears and the slender body, Benjy the dachshund jetting between chic Paris and trendy Los Angeles? Is he Vogue-worthy?