Getting Ready For Christmas

I love Christmas! This year I'm giving either books or hand made treasures found on Etsy. Still haven't started your shopping? Find some ideas on my 2009 gift guide.
I also received a few presents and cards already, all of which a piled up on my red chest - also adored with fresh flowers and scented with two of my favorite candles, English Ivy and Hinoki Temple. Now what's missing is a gingerbread house...

Shops of Paris

The shop window at Guerlain on the rue de Passy...

An ancient shoe at a traditional cobbler's on the rue de Biot... A chocolate shoe in the window of a hip confectioner's on the rue de Seine.

The top floor of the Bon Marché - designer lamps under the old department store's splendid metal structure.

One of Paris's most famous department stores, Le Printemps is decorated with spectacular holiday lights.

Trying on some hats.

It's All In The Collar

Allow me to show off some of my Christmas presents... Beautiful garments bought on Etsy by my mum and my sister, who always spoil me shamelessly. These exquisite designs, expertly crafted, coincidentally happened to have in common amazing collars.
First of all, there is a black linen mini dress/tunic by Tortilla Girl; its name, Marie Linen seems to echo my own, Mary-Laure.
Then there are two pieces from Sohomode. The brown and beige houndstooth cape, with its warm deep purple lining, has been a blessing in this Paris winter - I haven't taken it off since Christmas! As for the "mumu" dress, made in the most delicate wool fabric ever, has details that I am just smitten with, such as the flattering neckline as well as the sleeves. Such perfect craftsmanship - craftswomanship?

Christmas On The Rue d'Auteuil

The many little stores on Paris's rue d'Auteuil were abuzz with Christmas preparations on the 24th... The most exquisite floral arrangements, graced with this little bronze girl, are on display at Le Jardin d'Auteuil, my favorite florist... The pâtisseries all offer bûches de Noël, or yule logs, filled with creamy delights - to know which of the many pâtisseries is the best in the neighborhood, just spot the longest line, in this case at the Grillon d'Auteuil... The award-winning cheese place displays platters... And don't forget the oysters, fresh from Brittany, still filled with the fragrance, minerals and fresh air of the Atlantic.
So this year, it was Christmas in France for my parents, my sister and me. But here's a full list of all the countries where I spent Christmases since I was born: France, Uruguay, USA, Iran, Kenya, Iraq, China, British Hong Kong, India, Korea, Egypt, Singapore, Mexico and Australia...

Christmas Presents

Christmas gifts are piling up in my room... For those of you who are a bit lost, here are a few tips.

Wrap it - Half the fun about presents is wrapping and unwrapping. Skip over-priced gift paper and use pages from magazines or newspapers - glossy ad images, crazy National Enquirer type headlines, or something meaningful to the giftee.

Write it - a little note makes a present more precious and personal. Even "tired" presents such as the perennial soaps, mugs, and scented candles can become fresh with a note - for eg., Because I know you dream of Provence with a lavender/fig candle, or To help you dream sweetly with a chamomile tea for someone who has trouble sleeping.

Open up - I would never give makeup to my beauty editor friend or my sister who might as well be one. Rather than risk yourself into their field, open yours up to them. I may get some DVD's/books about ballet for friends who told me they find ballet fascinating but don't know anything about it.

Eat it - If you're going home for the holiday, stack up on local goodies. Even your home region that doesn't boast a stellar cuisine, you can find some local honey, or delicious preserves made by a local granny. It makes great little presents for colleagues, neighbors etc. I'll be bringing back from France treats such as: fleur de sel (fabulous sea salt), artisanal mustard, bonbons...
Drink it? I don't like giving alcohol. Still, a bottle of cider with a pretty jar of mulling spice is a lovely gift.

Don't splurge - I don't like getting sumptuous presents (note to Mum and sis: disregard this; I don't even mean it.): they make me uneasy - like I need to reciprocate. No one expects an expensive present, nor should they.
This year, I'm going (almost) all Etsy. A few ideas and shops I like: Tweet Heart for laptop vinyl decals; Good4You for fun teas, artistically packaged; Ippuku and Koide Studio for exquisite ceramics; handmade yoga mat bags; pouches to keep your handbag/suitcase/closet organized; etched mustache pint glasses from Bread & Badger; custom return address stamps from Asspocket (mention AUREA with your order and get 15% off!); message pillows stating Let's Make Out (I adore it!) by Alexandra Ferguson or Love (from Dedeeetsyshop)...

After my presents are distributed, I will post some pics. Until then, if you are clueless about what to give someone on your list, leave a comment and I'll provide ideas for all budgets. Promised.

Deer Decal

Recently, I have been obsessed with foxes (blame Wes Anderson's fabulous adaptation of Roald Dahl' Fantastic Mr Fox) and deer, those graceful creatures of the forest. So my heart skipped a beat when, as I browsed through Etsy's shops, I discovered this deer laptop decal, designed by Tweet Heart. I promptly ordered it - after all, my dear MacBook too deserves a Christmas present.
Isn't it enchanting?

Elizabeth Grant - A Cocktail & A Giveaway

When I covered the Cannes Film Festival in 2008, I was delighted to meet April Jackson, the PR dynamo for the high end cosmetics brand Elizabeth Grant. When I met her, April told me about the history of the company and how in the 1950's England, one young woman decided that since she could not find cosmetics that suited her skin, damaged by a shrapnel during World War II, well she would create them herself - thus her company was born and it endures to this day, with splendid packaging and extraordinary ingredients like Vitamin C or their own hi-tech, trademarked Torricelumn.
A few days ago, the regal Elizabeth Grant herself was in Los Angeles with her team, including her lovely and enthusiastic granddaughter Margot Grant as well as April Jackson, in order to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the WIFT. I was delighted to attend the cocktail and the awards ceremony - at the top of the Andaz Hyatt Hotel, on LA's Sunset Boulevard. I was spoiled (spoiled!) with some goodies, including day and night skin serums and their brand new The Socializer, or 2 pens, each filled with extraordinary treatment creams that regenerate, revive, and hydrate the eye area- Bright Lights for the morning and Late Nights for the evening.
And to thank you for being such wonderful and loyal readers, I am launching my second Elizabeth Grant Giveaway. One lucky person out there will win a golden Elizabeth Grant pouch, filled with luxurious products. Just leave a comment by Friday, and one winner will be chosen at random.

Update: we have a winner! It's lucky Beth.

Holiday Season Cards

As the holiday season dawns, one of the things I enjoy doing is selecting the 30+ cards that I will send across the world - remember the ones I sent last year, illustrated by Yoshimoto Nara and dear Fifi Flowers?
This year, I chose these graphic, fun, green cards from Kate Paperie in New York. I also chose some plain ivory-color cards that I will decorate with stamps I bought in Amsterdam - I especially love the paw stamp, which allows Benjy to co-sign my cards without having to dip his precious pads in messy ink.
Finally, on the back of these beautiful, delicate and creamy envelopes, I will apply the spectacular stamp designed for me by Etsy's Asspocket Productions - mention AUREA if you purchase from her store and you'll get 15% off!

Writer's Almanac - my dear, worshiped, adored Oscar Wilde died on this day, Nov. 30, back in 1900; his "Canterville Ghost" is my favorite short story of all times (download it for free here).

Children's Books

With Where The Wild Things Are (which I reviewed here) and The Fantastic Mr Fox, these past few months have brought us true gems when it comes to adaptation of children's books - or rather, masterpieces aimed primarily at children. The likes of Roald Dahl, my absolute favorite writer when I was a kid, and Maurice Sendak, are true magicians, true artists who do not pale in comparison with the greatest writers.
Right now, I am reading a recent scholarly volume, Children's Literature - A Reader's History From Aesop To Harry Potter, by the respected University of California professor Seth Lerer. In this fascinating study, Lerer pays tribute to extraordinary authors such as Lewis Carroll and Dr Seuss, and makes you yearn to rediscover those eye-opening classics. My only regret is that there are not more illustrations (the few we are treated to, such as the one below, are really great) and that none is in color; it seems to me that the imaginary universe of many authors has been enhanced by illustrators (I would hate to read Roald Dahl without Quentin Blake's sharp drawings), or in cases such as Sendak's, are an intrinsic part of the book.
The books that illuminated my childhood were, among others: the Noddy series by Enid Blyton, which got me hooked on reading, Odette Joyeux's La Porte Ouverte, chronicling the live of a little girl learning ballet at the Opéra de Paris, anything by Roald Dahl and later anything by Judy Blume, the Nancy Drew novels, Martine Petit Rat de l'Opéra (which I blogged about here), Kessel's Afghan tale Les Cavaliers, Pipi Longstocking, and more.

Christmas present tip: a beautiful copy of a classic children's book is always an enchanting present...

More Etsy Loveliness

As I continue to search for X-mas presents on my fave shopping website, Etsy, I sometimes stumble upon items I can't resist buying... for myself.
I was looking for a flower wreath to nail on my door to celebrate the joy of the season, but I wanted to avoid corny Christmas wreaths, with their red ribbons and heavy, plump figure. When I landed on Etsy's New Hampshire Woods Creations, I was smitten - every single wreath was so graceful, in such delicate colors, that I had a hard time choosing just one. Allison, who was taught this art by her grandmother, makes her own dried flower wreaths, among other floral creations. I finally chose the Santa Cruz oregano wreath. When I received the package, a thoughtful present from my mom, I was submerged by the fresh and invigorating scent of oregano. The bliss!

I really needed (yes, really) glass cases, as I hate my Ray-Ban's ugly and bulky case and don't want to scratch them, and as I lost my eyeglass case a long, long time ago. Etsy's Sew Gracious offers lovely, very affordable ($8), handmade eyeglass cases I chose 2 of. Aren't they perfectly exquisite?