Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Spanish Steps

No, not THOSE Spanish Steps, but rather the so named 'Spanish Steps' in the Sheridan-Kalorama neighborhood of Washington, DC (connecting 22nd and S streets NW). Originally, steps in this location led to a grand 18th century estate named Belair which was later changed to Kalorama, Greek for 'fine view', in 1807 by then owner and poet Joel Barlow. These steps were built in 1911 when the neighborhood was being developed at the height of the city beautiful movement and later were rebuilt (following decades of neglect) in 1999 by a group of neighbors. They now hold a rather romantic character and many a DC girl has been proposed sitting here in summer. Now who needs to go all the way to Rome when we have our own Spanish Steps in our backyard!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Recent Acquisition

This past weekend, I bought a cabinet on craigslist to replace a console table I had in my entry hall (slash dressing room), seen above. While the old console table was very pretty, it lacked essential storage. While advertised as antique, it's actually a newer piece which was a disappointment (especially as I had driven out to Ashburn!) but the quality is outstanding. It is unmarked though so I can't figure out the maker.Here is my old console table. I kept the mirror which oddly enough, is a near perfect match for the cabinet, which even odder still, is nearly the same exact size as the table! I can't make up my mind whether to use my old wedgwood lamp, which was my grandparents (the beige and brown urn) or to use a simpler white wedgwood lamp which needs a little work (the lamp shade extension needs to be removed as it is out of scale). Which do you prefer? I realize my Napolean bust from restoration hardware is also a bit big, but I like him and don't know where else he could go in my tiny apartment.
I lined the top 2 drawers with a beautiful marbelized paper which I think goes nicely with the marble top as well as 2 plates from my John Derian collection. How was your weekend?

Monday, September 5, 2011

Bitte Geh Nicht Fort







Something a bit different -the glamorously talented Marlene Dietrich singing a heartfelt German version of Ne Me Quitte Pas

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Ne Me Quitte Pas (2)




A shockingly beautiful interpretation by Sting.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Ne Me Quitte Pas

A favorite singer and a favorite song. Happy long weekend!



Friday, September 2, 2011

Artful fencing

Not the sport but rather this amazing ironwork fence I came across the other day in Georgetown. Who says artistry such as this is dead, the leaves look practically real!
Click the photo to enlarge and get a closer look.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Improvisation

The artist Childe Hassam, the American impressionist, painted this piece in 1899, just as his career was blossoming. Now owned by the Smithsonian American Museum of Art, the painting is one of my favorites in the collection.


Even the frame is masterful and adds to the overall beauty of the painting. Speaking of improvisations, I came across this talented pianist on youtube who has a series of these hilarious improvs he did while on chat roulette. I highly recommend watching the clip both for his skills and for a laugh! Enjoy!