Marie Antoinette

When my Emira came to stay with me we ended up confessing a deep, dark secret each of us carried; we loved the movie Marie Antoinette. Not liked, not thought was just nice, but loved. We even shared a favourite scene (the birthday at the lake at sunrise when they’re all just sitting there).

We both loved how human this movie was which you don’t often see in a period piece nor in an autobiography such an infamous person. We both were in amazement at how perfect Kirsten Dunst, an American, was for this role and could picture no one else in it. The story told resonated with us deeply. This movie was the only thing that had me interested in finally visiting Versailles after dozens and dozens of trips to Paris and had Emira put in on her places to go.

However, what really made us swoon was the beauty, the frivolity of the set, and the clothing. The song, “I want Candy” is so perfect for one scene in particular because this movie was eye candy. Regardless of how you feel about the story line (it seems to be either a hit or miss with people), the one thing you can’t get away from is how beautiful, exciting and over-the-top inspiring it is to watch.

As times are challenging for so many of us and practicality seems to win over frivolity, it’s nice to escape into a movie that can transport one into a different place and inspire a little decadence. Everyone can use a little of that – I know I can.

This lead me to take cue from Emira who told me that when she watches the movie, she buys a little bottle of champagne, pours it into a beautiful glass and sits and watches the movie in a completely in-love state. So last night, I did the same, breaking out my never used crystal champagne flutes, poured some lovely sweet dessert wine, put on my best dress, lit my favourite candle and popped in the CD. Decadence without fortune. Simple pleasures without effort. Joy without guilt.

It reminded me that although one might not live in Versailles, have Manolo’s or pink macaroons at her constant disposal, there are ways to feel luxurious no matter what the times or the bank account says.

If you’re in need of some visual inspiration or in dire need of a little frivolity and extravagance, I encourage you to watch the movie and make your environment fit the tone. If you can’t see the movie then I’ve collected some beautiful stills of the film along with a couple of interior shots of the petite trianon and Marie Antoinette’s own shoes in case you need an escape from the practical if only for five minutes.

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Wishing on Stars web sites


Image by Seattle Bon Vivant

Jesse: You know, I satisfy one desire, and it just… agitates another, you know? Then I think, to hell with it, right? I mean, desire is the fuel of life, I mean, do you think it’s true that if we never wanted anything, we’d never be unhappy?

Céline: I don’t know… Not wanting anything, isn’t that… a symptom of depression? Yeah, that is, right? I mean, it’s healthy to desire, right?

Jesse: Yeah… I don’t know, I mean, it’s what all those Buddhist guys say, right? You know, liberate yourself from desire and you’ll find that you already have everything you need.

Céline: Yeah, but I feel really alive when I want something more than just basic survival needs. I mean, wanting whether it’s intimacy with another person, or a new pair of shoes, is kind of beautiful. I like that we have those ever-renewing desires.

Jesse: Well, maybe it’s just a sense of entitlement. You know, like whenever you feel like you deserve that new pair of shoes, you know. It’s OK to want things as long as you don’t get pissed off if you don’t get ‘em. Right?

From the movie, Before Sunset

Despite all my talk of being a simple, minimalist kind of girl, I do have a healthy appetite for falling in-love with many a thing. The lists of things I want never, ever seems to get smaller from books to clothes to home things to places to visit.

However, being frugal, living in a small place, and being overwhelmed at check-out counters leaves most of my desires in the shops. I treat them like a good book or magazine – highly inspiring, something to think about and sometimes even think about one day owning. I also find wishlists just handy for keeping track of things I want – especially online.

Wists is my favourite item-tracker. If someone mentions a great bag on a site, I can just add it to my Wist List so when I’m ready to get it, I know where to go  instead of trying to remember where on the web I saw it (I also use it for all my Domino Magazine finds). It’s great for sharing ideas with friends or seeing their finds. The down side is it doesn’t ship to people so you have to visit individual store sites to buy. Amazon is great for buying things for people (you can ship to their address if they have it listed and you don’t know it, I’ve done this heaps and it’s a really nice feature), it’s also great to keep a book list running (I think I add every Posie Gets Cosy book recommendation).  Wishlists at your favourite stores are also really handy. My store of choice is Anthropologie and my wishlist is perfect for finding out when things I love are onsale. This way I’m not tempted to scour their sales section for things I really don’t want but think of getting because it’s half off. Instead, I wait until the item I really love has been marked way down (and they do have great sales). I’m not sure how their shipping is for shipping to people whose address you don’t have or if you’re in need of gift services but buying for yourself, easy peasy. And adding to the dreaming? Even easier.

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Danes just bike

She doesn’t know how much it weighs. Nobody she knows or has ever met could tell you how much their bike weighs. Likewise, she doesn’t know how far she rides each day. It isn’t interesting. She rides at a good pace, not too fast to cause a sweat, and the ride is nice enough. She likes the fresh air and she often sees friends on the bike lanes. She loves crossing The Lakes and seeing the transformation from season to season. That will suffice.

She doesn’t wake up and make a decision to “commute by bike to work today”. It’s just a part of her day. She just walks out of her flat and gets on her bike. If it has a puncture, she’ll walk it down to the local bike shop to get it repaired and then take the bus or train to work. Picking it up in the afternoon.

She isn’t an activist, doesn’t belong to a cycling organisation with a long acronym and she doesn’t even think about the fact that she lives in something called a “bike culture”.

From a great article on Danish biking by Copenhagen Cycle Chic. This site has become one of my daily reads.

Venice, California Canals

In 1904, a man named Abbott Kinney came from the east in search of a better climate to help his health. He found Venice California, fell in-love, and decided to build 20 miles of canals. These canals have gone through many changes over the years including being a slum but thanks to a $6 million dollar renovation in the 90′s, combined with famous Hollywood types and architects moving in, the 2 miles of canals left are once again beautiful.

Although I’d known about them since moving to Santa Monica five years ago, I’d never been. It took having out of town guests and trying to find something local and easy to do to get me there. And once there, I, too, fell in-love with the area (and tried to figure out how to justify a one bedroom cottage for $3K a month for rent!).

What I loved was how unique every home was and how they all maintained a sense of privacy despite the fact you were walking right by their homes, often right by their windows. It was a relaxed area, definitely upscale but completely casual at the same time. Most lots are small (30′ wide by 80′ to 95′ deep) so there’s a lot of different homes to look at. Highly recommend this easy and beautiful walk if you’re in the LA area where dogs are OK but bikes are not.

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Holistic Dog Care

Doing Fine

When the vet told me Jack needed surgery as soon as possible, I was instantly overwhelmed and felt completely unprepared. Even though my vet was fantastic at explaining all my options, the fact he was going out of town next week combined with the genetic problems Jack had that would complicate his current situation (torn ACL) left me having to make a decision extraordinarily quick.

So on Monday I booked surgery for Wednesday, hoping that within a couple of days I could inform myself of not only the surgery (and if it could be avoided) but also any holistic and alternative treatments that could be done.

I have found it somewhat hard to find the information I was looking for and then when I did find it, I felt really overwhelmed and confused by it all. I’m a “simple approach” kind of girl but then when I started to see all these ideas, supplements, food diets, options I just didn’t know where to start. Luckily I received some really good advice/tips on here (thank you, so, so, much!) and found some really useful bits online.

So after a few days of it all, the following is what I’ve learned and am doing for Jack (and as a note, please check with your Vet before doing supplements or diet changes. I can’t say what will work for your pooch only what seems to be working for mine):

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