Musings On Thanksgiving & How Hermes Scarf Madison Ave. By Kermit Oliver Relates to My Thankful Musings

Many people in America will celebrate a special holiday this week. Our children in school have been learning all about the "pilgrims" who came to this great land, and stopped for a moment in time to be grateful, and to share and show their gratitude with the Native American people who now permitted them sanctuary on these shores.

Looking back over this past year on my personal life, and the lives of people across this vast land I realize that for many thinking of things to be grateful for may prove very difficult this up coming Thursday. But I am reminded of words my mother continued to speak almost daily during her last year as she lost her battle with cancer.

I would be driving her to her chemo therapy appointments and she would suddenly turn to me as we looked out and enjoyed the changing leaves of fall on the trees planted on the parkway we took the medical center. She would turn and say "You know DeNice, we are very blessed...", and I would always stop and think for a moment how strong she was to be going through what she was enduring, and to still see each new day as a day filled with blessings of some sort if we but opened our eyes.

All over the world finances are in turmoil, people who saved lifetimes are now watching stock markets tumble to the ground. People who worked for most of their lives for major companies are now either without a job, or worried that the doors will close tomorrow. People who realized the dream of home ownership are now watching those dreams fade away to dust. People with children are worrying how will they continue to to keep them clothed, fed and housed. And many will ask themselves "Thankful, what can I possibly be thankful for???"

In 1620, a group of people left the only home they had ever known, aboard a ship to travel over 3000 miles to a land they had never seen. Their trip was perilous, the sea was beset by storms. They did not turn back. When they landed, on these shores it was the middle of winter. Many were already very weak from their hazardous 2 month voyage. The local Native people shared their knowledge with people who today would be called "illegal aliens". They helped them to survive, to flourish, and to establish the beginnings of what would the first of many colonies to come. Colonies which would develop into the land that I call home today.

This great land has gone thorough many changes since those days, some for the better, and some we as citizens have lived to regret and to learn from the mistakes made all along the way. But we are blessed, we are blessed that those early pilgrims did not turn back, we are blessed that they felt led by faith to make the journey, we are blessed that they were befriended by a people whom they could not even communicate with, we are blessed that those living here first allowed them to live amongst them.

And today we are blessed, because we still have leaders who have asked to lead, who will not give up, we are blessed because others in history traveled to this land also to make it what it is today. We are blessed because today technology, connects us to others far far away and makes the world seem smaller. It is for all of this and much much more I will be grateful this Thanksgiving, I will be grateful for all of those who came before so that I could live so blessed.

Kermit Oliver's Madison Ave. to me speaks to the rich bounty of this great land, the flowers, the animals, the people, those here now, and those from the past. The title when standing alone, may speak of material things, but Oliver's painting makes us realize what is truly valuable. He contrasts true wealth, with what is perceived wealth or bounty. He leaves it up to us to decide.

I hope you enjoy the video exploration, and I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving

The song is a Native American piece called "Mahk Jchi (Heartbeat Drum Song)"
Written by Pura Fe, Soni, Jen. Saponi translation by Lawrence Dunmore. Performed by Ulali: Pura Fe, Soni, Jen. Album: Music for the Native Americans

Saponi translation:

Mahk jchi tahm buooi yahmpi gidi

Mahk jchi taum buooi kan spewa ebi

Mahmpi wah hoka yee monk

Tahond tani kiyee tiyee Gee we-me eetiyee

Nanka yaht yamoonieah wajitse

The words translate to English as:

A hundred years have passed Yet I hear the distant beat of my father's drums.

I hear his drums throughout the land.

His beat I feel within my heart.

The drum shall beat so my heart shall beat.

And I shall live a hundred thousand years.

Musings On The Muse Of Annie Faivre's Rencontre Ocean

There is a new aquarium in San Francisco at the California Academy of Arts and Sciences. The underwater displays are all updated placing the observer, deep in the midsts of the undersea world. Recently one particular exhibit looked very familiar, and then I realized that I was viewing the living contents of the central portion of Annie Faivre's Rencontre Ocean. I wonder where she was when the muse for this design struck her?

Here I have overlayed a picture of the habitat at the aquarium in San Francisco over a picture of my Rencontre Ocean. Viola! The undersea world of Rencontre Ocean.

Discovered A Wonderful Blogger Today...

Ok that is a fib, I had found Eric Tenin the friendly Parisian's blog "Paris Daily Photo" a while back. It is delightful. Eric features a new photo everyday taken somewhere in and around Paris. And friends, he even takes requests. So for those of you who like me love living through other people's lenses, or maybe you need your "Paris Fix" until the January 2009 Hermes Paris Sale. Please visit Eric's Blog at http://www.parisdailyphoto.com/

Below is my most recent favorite for very obvious reasons.

The ominous sky reallty matches the mood of the sky here today in the Wine Country, as we go through the first really good rainstorm of the season.

Now Open, But Still UnderConstruction

www.vintageluxury.biz

Musings On Things That Warm My Heart...Besides The Contents Of Orange Boxes

Sometimes it is just nice to stop and ponder on all of the things in life that I am grateful for, the things that warm my heart, the things in life that make me smile, the things in life that I am just glad are part of living this life, things I love:

The aroma of a freshly made cup of Earl Grey Tea.

The sweet sensation of its bergamot on my tongue.

Old quilts, especially the one that belonged to my mother.

Good books with good writing that draws me into an experience I would not have had otherwise.

The chill in the air at the sea, when it is moist, and breathing it in tastes sweetly salty.

Early, frosty winter mornings, when I can take a cup of tea and get into the hot tub, watch the sun rise, and raccoons as they steal across the yard on their way home from a night of foraging.

Movies that make me laugh so hard my sides hurt, and tears run down my face.

The sight of fog on the Golden Gate as I enter the city from the north, and I can look up and see the towering spans peeking out above the billows.

A really good cup of chocolat on a cold night with the lights out, and only candles and a soft fire lighting the room.

Watching the squirrels run outside the big front window, shaded in spots,

yet still lit by the sun.

Old film noir, on rainy days where the color of the sky matches the colors on the screen.

The colors of spring as it bursts forth here in the wine country, the new green on the hills, the young leaves on the vines, the daffodils growing along the Valley of The Moon Highway.

Smooth stones washed by the sea, sitting with shells in clear glass bowls.

Spiced cider, when the color of the leaves all around me are russet,

and a chill is nipping at my nose and cheeks.

The feel of cashmere against my skin, soft, making me feel calm and serene.

The night sky in the summer, when it looks as if someone tossed diamonds as high, as high as they could throw.

Sitting at my favorite restaurant on the square, at an unusual hour of the day. The patio doors open, and all the bustle is on view in front of me. While behind me the room is quiet,

and staff prepares again for the rush time.

The first rain, the sweetness it leaves in the air.

The sculptures I have that my father made,

because they were touched by his hands, and love was left behind.

The smell of a new Hermes scarf or shawl.

The feel of the silk when pressing and finishing a scarf.

Old things that if they could talk and tell you where they have been,

would speak of dreams and joys, held and had by others from another time and place.

The silence of snowfall.

Saturday afternoon movies with my friend,

and we are bundled up in comfy clothes,

with cups of chai and popcorn.

Friends those special people who really know who you are,

and forgive who you are not.

Cheese, all types, all forms, and in many things. Like

omelettes with fresh garden herbs, and mushrooms.

Handmade things, that the person put part of their being into the craftmanship.

Opening Soon

http://www.vintageluxury.biz

Opening Soon

Opening Soon

http://www.vintageluxury.biz/

Musings on Jonques Et Sampans

One should never spend too much time with a scarf that one is thinking of culling from their collection and selling, it just might not end up where you had planned.

So the story went with my best laid plans of this morning. I have had Jonques et Sampans for sometime now and not worn it. I kept thinking that I would but then did not and it kind of sat there with the others never saying a word until today.

I would love to know what inspired famed french illustrator Françoise de la Perrière; when he mused upon the design "Jonques et Sampan". Had he actually taken his in his inspiration while viewing Junks in their original setting in some far off Asian setting, or had he been inspired by the artwork of another such as shown in the ancient Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock pictured above.

I actually spent quite a lot of time traveling in the Orient, while I lived in Japan. The massive floating hulls of the Junks are a sight to be seen. That was what had originally drawn me to this piece. Today I took a deeper closer look into its watery depths. I have always considered some of the other colorways of this design a bit garish, preferring the subtlety of this sea-glass colored version. I purchased it about the same time as I purchased a "Geisha" in a rather similar colorway. I realize now that I was reminiscing and missing my time spent in the orient and that is what probably prompted the purchase of both designs.

An Hermes Scarf Holds A Love Story Within It's Silken Threads

The greatest love stories are often tragic. But how many times are they associated with a scarf? In Medieval times a lady would often tie her scarf around the armour of her favored knight, a sign of adoration.

The story by Chhengiz Aytmatov, "The girl With The Red Scarf" was translated by french poet Luis Aragon who called it the "world's greatest love story..."

If we were to truly look back in time many a heart struck gentleman has formally stated his love by the gift of a scarf to the lady of his affection. But how many of those moments, or stories have been preserved in time, only to be rediscovered at a later time?

I had the privilege of such an occurrence, when years ago I purchased a lovely old Hermes scarf, simply because it was a rare design, and I was attracted to the simplicity of the piece.

Think about your favorite or even the greatest love story that you remember hearing. Are they not often tragic?

I was gifted to be the person to whom a great though tragic love story was passed to, preserved in the silk of an Hermes scarf.

"En Vente Chez Hermes a Paris"

The scarf had come to the person from whom I received it, from her Great-Aunt. The scarf had come to her in its box inside of its original tissue with a note. The note read:

"A very special Hermes-Paris scarf from my love Gus. Worn 2-3 timeswith him, never to be worn again. My beloved Gus died in 1961."

The person I received the scarf from explained the note this way:

"My aunt was a career woman who never married. She had this love affair with Gus for 15 years! He was Catholic and his wife would not give him a divorce. He separated from his wife and was working in New York City when my aunt met him. He had been separated for 3 years. They each had their own apartment, but they were together for 15 years. He died of a heart attack in 1961 in my aunt's arms. My aunt died in 1969."

Sometimes I don Gus' memento of his love for this lovely woman, wrap myself up in my favorite cashmere sweater, make myself a cup of tea, light some candles, grab a good book of poetry, and let the threads cast their magic of memory of a tale of strong yet tragic love, that has stood the test of time, and lived on even after the lovers are gone.

Musings On Hermes Scarves

Musing On A Mystery - Napoleon III

When I first started this blog, I spoke about how I found the mysteries regarding some of the scarves histories so intriguing. Hermes has been making scarves for so long that there are always scarves that come along that even long time collectors have not seen. It does not happen often but it does happen, and discussions around them in the past have always been lively and fun for me.

I recently acquired a scarf, that many of us thought was only printed for one special event, that being the 150 year anniversary of Credit Lyonnais Bank in London. Which celebrated its anniversary in 1970. Now while it is true that Hermes did in fact print special pieces in limited quantities for this event, they also printed a Napoleon III / Empire C'est La Paix which was not distributed for this event alone, as it was not printed with the imprint of the anniversary dates.

I love the consistency that in keeping with the historical significance Hermes printed the Napoleon III in a jacquard of "Bees".

Historically speaking there is much reverence and attention given to anything which has to do with the reign of the first Napoleon. No major anniversary of births, battles, or buildings goes uncelebrated.

The legacy of Napoleon III includes some of the most progressive social reforms of the period, along with much of the modern infrastructure of France as we know it today, including railroads and major ports. The second empire also saw the building of major avenues, and a sewer system that still functions today. Napoleon III also organized innovative financial and credit organizations.

Historians have always treated France's "Second Empire" somewhat dismissively. However, Hermes honors the Emperor here with Ledoux's beautiful design, which also commemorates the special relationship held between England's Queen Victoria, and Napoleon III. It is fitting that above Napoleon III the words Empire C'est La Paix . Perhaps Queen Victoria said it best when after visiting the tomb of Napoleon I escorted by Napoleon III, in her journal she wrote:

"The coffin is in a small side chapel, de St. Jerome....Into this the Emperor led me, and there I stood, at the arm of Napoleon III, his nephew, before the coffin of our bitterest foe, I, the granddaughter of that King who hated him most and who most vigorously opposed him, and this very nephew who bears his name, being my nearest and dearest ally!"

Napoleon the III's grave site has no place of honor in France, for he died in exile on the not too distant shores of England following complications with gallstone surgery. His wife had a church built in Farnborough this was to be his final resting place.

Musings On Mustangs

Our childhoods hold wonderous memories that we can call up at any given moment, muse on them and drift back to a time when life was carefree and warm. Some of the special memories I have involve the quality times spent with my father. Who because of what he taught me, how he taught me, and what he shared with me, enriched my life forever. He has been gone for sometime now, but special memories linger on.

He loved the Amerian western. I remember the stories he would tell about going to the matinees when he himself was young. And then growing up I got to relive those moments with him through the miracle of television. There also were those trips together to matinees of our own.

As an adult, I still seekout the westerns when they come to the big screen. Which today is few and far between. Each time I do, I somehow feel as if I am again spending time with Dad.

I am excited about one that is set to be released soon, 'Appaloosa'. I have always wanted just the right colorway of Robert Dallet's design "Mustangs". I think I have found the one for me. I will be wearing it the next time I spend some time with dear old Dad.

Musings On Citrouilles et Coloquintes Oh So Very Fall

Scroll Down For More Pictures of Citrouilles et Coloquintes

The leaves are turning and there is a chill in the air, that whispers the onset of fall. A time for hot cider, and pumkin pies. We turn the soil over saying goodbye to the fare of summer, in preparation for the winter frost and rain. The season changes, and things around us get just a little more still as winter approaches.

Those are the feelings that Valerie Dawlat-Dumoulin's design Citrouilles et Coloquintes stirs within my soul. I want to get my cup of tea and snuggle up with a good read. Fall is here.

Musings On Paradis du Roy

Scroll Down For More Pictures Of Paradis du Roy



"Paradis du Roy" was released in 1989, and was designed by Annie Faivre. It is a wonderful piece full of imagery that causes the eyes to wander. The design also contains Annie Faivre's famous monkey.

Here is the feature story taken from the Autum/Winter 1989/1990 booklet which featured this design:

"The monarch whom all the world called simply "The KIng" commanded an appropriately majestic dwelling- Versailles.
Here Louis XIV and his progeny ruled resplendently for a hundred years, from the glittering 1680s to the dawn of the
French Revolution. Kings enthroned in a gilded palace, parks peopled with statues of gods. The royal vegetable
garden, designed by Jean de la Quintine, is tended today by the National Horticulture School."



The design takes its inspiration from the Gardens at Versailles, quite possibly the most famous gardens in the world. Just as in the real garden the Bassin d’Apollon – the Apollo Fountain is the central focal point so it is within the design by Ms. Faivre.