So Sylvie

A Clean Slate for the New Year...

 

 

"The house received a mini spring-cleaning. Slops and ashes, which are usually removed in the morning, are carried out. Debts must be paid, borrowed articles returned, stockings darned, tears mended, clocks wound up, musical instruments tuned, pictures hung straight; brass and silver must be glittering, fresh linen must be put on the beds. Even in the slummiest houses… brooms and pails, soap, polishing rags and darning-needles emerge from neglected cupboards and drawers, and the bairns receive a thorough scrubbing in honor of the New Year."

~ A New Year ritual from The Silver Bough, by Scottish folklorist F. Marian McNeill

 

 

Peace Be with You Etta

Dear Etta James went into the hospital today. Termially ill. Too much pain for one lifetime. I hope you can find some comfort Etta. Get well, tout de suite. With much love...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Italian Life

O mio dio! I'm finally here. After uprooting la nostra piccola famiglia, including our shy little cat Nella, we have landed in the Italian countryside of Lazio, north-west of Rome. The weeding out of my collection of antiques and memories of over 35 years was arduous, draining, monumental and at times painful. I sold four major truckloads of antiques -- furniture, dishes, lighting, textiles, etc. -- for $200. OUCH! But here we are...

 

 

 

We're living on a historical estate, helping out with organizing events and marketing of the luxury vacation villas on the property. Part of this includes my creating a new updated website -- on a PC with an Italian language operating system no less. Did I mention that I don't speak Italian? Well it's one way to learn anyway.

Our first week here we stayed in the dormers of the villa named Casa Portale. Now I've stayed in garrett flats in Paris and London, not to mention village "huts" in Mexico and treehouses in the Santa Cruz mountains. None as strangely unliveable as the attic of Portale. We kept referring to the film Being John Malkovich. I can't believe that this is the very same bedroom that David Rocco slept in when he was here filming a segment for David Rocco's Dolce Vita. Besides being short on standing room it was depressingly dark, the mice in the walls were way chatty at night and in the morning (5am!!!) we would wake to a cacophony of Hooded Crows.

 

our cat Nella on high alert...

 

Marcel and Nella...

 

So we had a big Easter feast with all of the family and workers of the property (I was too depleted from sleep-impaired nights to photograph the event, scuzi) and then we happily moved in to our new digs on the other side of the estate. Casa Orto, or Garden House:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

okay, more flowers in a later post. I could go on, and on.

 

So...now we can do some ordinary things like making meals and cleaning. Who woulda thought it would be so rare, and now such a simple pleasure:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yipee! Laundry!

 

 

a bathroom where I don't bump my head!

 

 

 

a place to read...

 

a telephone...

 

and a computer where we can watch NBA Playoffs. simple things! "don't be sad. the game will begin shortly..."

 

 

a place to sit and have tea...

 

 

 

and a place to sleep...

 

 

even Nella is more relaxed...

More to come!

Voila Printemps! Spring Is Here!

A birdie pendant that I made. A local reader is coming by to purchase...merci...

 

 

 

 

Craig's List in Sleepy Santa Cruz...

Why is it taking me forever to sell amazing things at amazing prices on Craig's List these days? Is it the economy or is it that Santa Cruz has never really embraced great design? My usual customers were 95% of the time from San Francisco but now that I live further afield things have stalled. How will I ever move with all of this stuff??? My mate Dave in London has one word for me: charity. "Ah Dave. Do I have to?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A signed Campuzano original (he's a turn-of the-to mid-century artist from Bilbao, Spain for goodness sake!!):

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, someone needs to come with a big truck and just back it up to my house. Preferrably someone who wants to open a shop! It's all here. Everything you need to go into business...except for the customers! Help!

Blessings from Santa Cruz to Japan

From one land of the earthquake to another, heartfelt blessings and comforting wishes.

My Mid Century Stereo Speakers -- $12 !!!

I just have to share a great thrift find. Lately I've been keeping my eyes peeled for vintage stereo equipment. The kind with soul, usually encased in teak cabinets and weighing about ten times as much as the new stuff. At an auction I picked up a mid century Pioneer tape deck in its original box...!!!... for $3.

 

I love the way the deck is designed so that the tape cassette is reclining in its little window.

 

My latest find are a pair of Harmon Kardon speakers found at the Goodwill that I took a gamble on for $12...!!! It paid off. They are the big sound I've been longong for ever since I traded in my major-ly grand floor speakers some years ago for a pair of bookshelf speakers. Oh the regret. But I have been happily redeemed. Oh how that bass rumbles across the floor!

 

 I was listening to Beirut's song Nantes yesterday. Wow, they really do have a lot of instruments. I could hear them all!

These speakers are really a piece of furniture. I love the knubby linen fabric that dresses them (is this photo too dark?):

Okay. I talked myself into it. Time to go cut a rug!

Vintage Fiat 500

This is my first in a periodic series on the charming "cinquecento". I promise to get back to some interior design posts soon :)
In the meantime enjoy this fun video of my future motorcar!

Merci Apartment Therapy!

Thanks to Apartment Therapy for posting the Crasig's List ad for my Hollywood Regency cabinets. You guys are the sweetest!

 

Moss & Mushrooms

We've had beaucoup de rain this winter which makes for great hikes in the moist and magical landscape. The moss we discovered in the Santa Cruz mountains covering Los Gatos Creek bridge (19th century) and the mushrooms were in our own backyard -- Nisene Marks State Park: