Rachel Ashwell’s latest book became available late in 2011. Once I found out, I immediately reserved a copy at a local Barnes and Noble bookstore. I bought it the next day, and thoroughly enjoyed perusing it with my favorite cup of coffee.
Looking at the various images in the book, I was impressed by the many interpretations of Shabby Chic by different people, including Rachel Ashwell, and how her own interpretation has changed over the years. And in my own home, my style is always evolving. But, it still holds true to some key elements of this decorating style, like antique rose oil paintings. I started collecting antique rose paintings many years ago. Here’s a picture of the painting that started it all.
I’ve been told that some of these amateur oil paintings are called “Sunday paintings” because women of leisure many years ago would spend Sunday afternoons painting, the subject of which was usually roses. What a romantic notion…
Some of these old rose paintings were also created by listed professional artists. You can find an abundance of these paintings on eBAY, and occasionally at antique stores. What I love about these paintings is the patina, the dark moody backgrounds, and the beautifully painted faded roses…the more the crackly paint, the better.
Gotta love the crackly paint on this one…
These two have the dark moody background that I find so attractive.
These paintings add a feminine touch to Shabby Chic, but in a quiet and understated way. I like them displayed on the wall unframed, usually because they add a more modern touch, plus some of the original frames they come in are too ornate for my taste. They also look great casually propped up against the wall. I would like to eventually change the frame of this one because it’s a bit much for me. Since it’s a painting on board instead of canvas, I’ll have to reframe it when my budget allows.
Hung on the wall, they look nice mixed in with various decorative elements like black and white photos and mirrors of various sizes.
This is one of my favorites, which hangs above my bed.
I don’t have enough room in my small home to display all of them, so I end up rotating them throughout the year. It’s like having a different bouquet of fresh roses each time.
xoxo
Antonette
That time of the year is here, gorgeous winter… cold and dry and harsh for the skin sometimes. Here at Martini and Milk we’re lucky to be in the inner circle of Michael Rogers, the Beauty Prince himself, to ask for advice on skin care and beauty.
Michael sweetly took time in between his busy schedule to answer our questions below…
M&M: Winter is here. Cold and dry outside. How do I take care of my skin during the winter?
BP: Well, to start there are certain things that should be done no matter the season; drink plenty of water so you do not dehydrate, and wear sunscreen, which we will explain on the next question. However some of the products you use may need to change. What you use in the Summer may not be best for you in the Winter. Mainly what I am saying is, if you use a gel or foam cleanser in the summer you may want or need to use a lotion or cream cleanser that is more emollient. Our skin does tend to be on the drier side in Winter, between the cold elements outside and then going inside to the dry heat blowing. Our skin needs a little more oil to protect it and hold our natural oils in the skin. Same with the moisturizer, you may use a gel or light weight lotion in Summer but may need a little bit thicker lotion or possibly a cream to maintain the moisture of your skin during the Winter
M&M: sunscreen in the winter, same amount or less?
BP: Same amount. We generally may not spend as much time outside in the elements, but the Sun is the Sun no matter what the season, so always use sunscreen.
M&M: The girls traveling during the winter time, what’s a simple package care you recommend?
BP: There are some great travel sets out there that have the basics you need during travels.Ideally you want a lotion cleanser, moisturizer cream, eye cream and a spray toner that hydrates,if possible for the plane. Here are couple of brands that have some great travel sets: Philosophy, Jurlique and Korres.
M&M: A product you must absolutely live with during the winter time
BP: Hyaluronic Acid (KaplanMD & Peter Thomas Roth make good ones), Vitamin C (I LOVE Philosophy Vitamin C powder that I add fresh to my serum or moisturizer), Retinol (Philosophy Retinol pads, Derma Doctor Retinol) if you have a hard time with Retinol try Algenist and I like to ramp up my exfoliation during the Winter months with Glycolic (in a cleanser by Derma Doctor or pads by Peter Thomas Roth called Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads). Philosophy is launching a new product called The Microdelivery Triple-Acid Brightening Peel I believe this month!
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Thank you sooo much our Prince…! Thank you for your awesome
blog and thank you for beautifying your girls continuously! We love you!
Interview by Lolo Kartikasari Sosronegoro
Many Christmases ago when I was growing up as a child in Indonesia, when Santa actually came on December 5th following the Dutch tradition, I always wanted more glittery glitzy decorations on our not-so-tall Christmas tree. Presents were always nice but I know I just wanted more festivities on our Christmas tree, more beautiful ornaments on top of the annual new Christmas dress. Everytime my parents took me to a nice shopping center, I remember vividly how I just stood there in front of an expensive-looking, fully-adorned stunning Christmas tree with dreamy eyes. How I wished we could at least have been able to afford a few of those glimmering, gorgeous Christmas ornaments. I knew my parents couldn’t afford to get many of them back then. Many of those glass ornaments had to be imported so the prices were not very friendly to our modest wallet. Our Christmas tree was always decorated prettily with nice ornaments but I knew the tree needed more. Deep in my heart, all I wanted for Christmas every year was for Santa to bring me an enchanting fancy Christmas tree.
Santa heard me finally. Either that or I am finally not naughty and have been nice. Or it’s because I got married, have a family of my own and we knew we got to have our own Christmas tree to make our own little family’s Christmas tradition. And we live in America full of Target, Hallmark and Disney stores that have many affordable beautiful Christmas ornaments in front of your eyes right after Halloween is over. Not to mention the annual Nutcracker ballet performances, that we see twice every year, that sell delicate ballerina and Christmas ornaments at the door. So my dream has come true. We got our own Christmas tree that seems to be more embellished than ever every year, if not every week in December.
Christmas lights! Christmas lights! I love how Keira gets excited seeing every home’s or building’s Christmas lights when we drive or when we sit at home.
I love Christmas lights and beautiful wreaths, especially when the greenery is combined with this vintage blue painted door!
A real tree always makes a heavenly shape!
Keira helped me decorate our Christmas tree. Her little hands are the sweetest ornaments in my heart!
I know someone will always have a fancier Christmas tree than our little one but I am gleeful with what we got because now I get to decorate our own with every single ornament that tells a story about our little family.
This is an “Irish Home” ornament I got three years ago from a Hallmark store.
This is a “Snow White” ornament that I got for Keira for her first Christmas. At that time, she had just watched Snow White the movie for the very first time.
December IS my month. I love Christmas and decorations so much and the love is so abundant that I feel so giddy whenever I hear the Christmas songs. My bestfriend told me that, actually, reminded me that this year, when she saw a picture of me posing in a Santa-looking dress full of adornments with my big growing belly and all, on the beach. I didn’t care if I looked ridiculous. I was too delirious because it was Christmas time and the holiday season is the best time of the year for me to decorate anything in sight and belongs to me. That includes Keira, her gingerbread house, my outfits and our little home. I love the ornamental month too much!
Next year, we will go more creative on our gingerbread house like these holiday houses from Capadia Designs
With that said, my favorite month of the year is now about to end and I have to do something about it! I hate to leave the Christmas spirit! I cannot leave it behind without a celebration, however big or simple it needs be. I know I always do Christmas as big as I can, at decorating and at singing the Jingle Bells at least. So with New Year’s Eve, I do big with singing Auld Lang Syne and maybe one day when Santa gives us a bigger place, I want to have a bigger New Year’s Eve party with more than just glitzy hats and noisemakers.
I am still dreaming of white Christmas and a white house that can hold all of my friends and family partying with us tomorrow!
In gold, silver and white! And faint grayish blue! In Old Hollywood glamor, of course. I cannot have holiday festivities without a touch of vintage and glam because it just reminds me of the glitz of the bygone era…or year.
Smores! Dressy smores! I cannot wait to make these tomorrow! Dress up your smores with sparkly sprinkles! And have a glamorous cocktail as your plus one!
As featured in Elizabeth Anne Designs
Get your glam party hats on and make a lot of noise! From Etsy.
Don’t forget sparklers!
Now I gotta have my glistening vintage-looking sequin dress on! The kind that stretches for my growing-than-ever belly. Or a Burberry sequin dress for you?
Then of course I need to put a bow in my hair!
It’s been such a fabulous blessed year and I wish you a darling new year ahead! The kind that is full of love, pride, good health and glam glitzy moments that melt your heart.
With love from my heart to yours,
Mrs. McM!
And family!
It’s that time of the year again where we, as the grown ups, have secretly wished and mentally wrote letters to Santa. Christmas is literally a few days away so here I am sharing with you my ultimate “wish list” for the 2011 Holiday Season.
5. The Jumping Boot
Hermes ladies’ boot in taupe and kelly strap in ruthenium hardware availabe at www.hermes.com. With this style and color, you won’t need any other boots anymore. From day to night, jeans or dresses, you will wear it always and forever. The price indeed will knock your socks off but who needs socks with these boots. While the price is high it should be calculated as the cost per use, well that is my justification. Just note it to your significant other that it’s an “investment” and promise you will never ever buy any other boots for the rest of your life. And when they tell you they have heard that before yell them this time you mean it.
4. Reed Krakoff Python T Bar Cuff
It is so luxurious yet understated. Neutral python with gunmetal closure. View the other colors at www.reedkrakoff.com. This cuff is timeless, chic and your wrist will thank you for it.
3. L’Occitane
The very best hand cream at www.loccitane.com. The only kind that allows my super dry hands survive the dryness of winter. Plus they smell exquisitely delicious!
2. Laduree
I know I’ve had way too many of these lovely treats since they opened in September of this year. For every event at my work, we serve these goodies. People still wait in line, especially these days, for at least half hour. Best flavors would be the salted caramel, vanilla and rose. It is probably #1 gift given by every “chic New Yorker” this year. They are sweet and pretty, who doesn’t love that? They are not available for purchase online, but you can look at other flavors at www.laduree.fr. Next time someone is travelling to Paris or New York, make sure she/he brings you a box of this fashionable macaroons.
1. Family
My number one wish is for my family to continue to be happy, healthy and live our lives forever filled with joy and love.
I wish you all a very Happy Holiday season and all the best in the new year! Love, Dhania
“You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred; only I do not like the fashion of your garments.” – William Shakespeare
The holidays is here!
This morning I woke up and thought of what christmas days were like growing up in Indonesia. Some christmas days were warm and humid, some were rainy christmas at uncles and aunts. It was always lovely though. This picture I found from the Indonesian Embassy site completely brought a smile to my face, I hope yours as well… a group of Indonesian ‘santa klaus‘ on bikes, in the rain.
Christmas here is definitely not the same as christmas back home. The rain back home is the kind of warm rain that actually feels amazing on your skin. Tropical rain. Here in LA, my Asian immune and defense system can’t stand the cold LA rains, so no way I’ll be walking around enjoying the rain. If it rains I run inside, grab a glass of red wine, put on music and dream of a vintage christmas…
Or Vogue christmas both vintage or current edition… fancy, elegant, fashionably pleasing to the eyes…
And of course I need my black and white photo next to the colorful images. I am still, to today, moved by black and white images. Less is more love…
What are you girls up to on Christmas eve? My little Cait will be spending quality time with her Dad and friends in New York City. This year, I am having my girl friends over for yummy Indonesian food and drinks. Wine. Of course. And lots of laughter and great conversation. Enjoy yours with your family or friends, or by yourself if a christmas eve for one is what you have in mind… whatever it is, whoever you are with, have a fabulous christmas… enjoy your fabulous-gorgeous self and be merry. I surely will!
PS: Don’t bother calling me on christmas morning. I most likely will be in deep beauty sleep, still in my giant peachy tutu and sparkly party shoes on, with a big christmas smile on my face. Content.
With giant love and hug from this girl,
Lolo K. Sosronegoro
