My sis....

I've just spent nearly one hour on the phone with my sister in Paris and it really added some sparkles of joy to this sunny morning. I used to wish my younger sister and I were twins because we look alike, have the same voice, we share the same inclination for the arts, and also both laugh a lot. Although we don't meet or call each other often, it always feels as yesterday and I truly enjoy this feeling of strong solid sisterly love. I remember once, one of my aunts was quite surprised at the way my sister and I were greeting each other. She thought we sounded more like two girlfriends meeting again after a long time.

here she is striking the same pose as the stone carved woman behind her in Barcelona. Looking for more pics, I found a whole series of postcards she sent me while on vacation. She likes posting little sketches of her daily activities. Below is our mom, whom we nicknamed "little frog", watching the horse race in Cagnes-sur-mer in the south of France. She also sketched herself and my elder sister after their animal nickname. Well... in our family my younger sister is known as the round pig and my elder sister as the quick rabbit.

I was really happy to find this postcard, I find it quite amusing...The quote says : Têtard aux courses à Cagnes-sur-mer avec son short en bourrette de soie de chez Christian Dior ("Little frog" at the horse race in Cagnes-sur-mer, wearing her Christian Dior bourrette silk shorts) meaning, ok Mom wears shorts, not very elegant, but eh, they're Christian Dior ! (ah...these Parisians...can't help being name-dropping, brand-dropping). I'm not represented there as I didn't join them on that vacation.

So what will you be doing this week end? I think I'll sleep ! Monchéri finds me very boring at the moment. Lately, my daily program has been : valentine cards, translating (super boring underperforming hedge funds...again...yes hedge funds do still exist), valentine cards, translating, kiss, eat, bed and the next day is the same.
But tomorrow, I'll read this book, by my beloved Cortázar, The Pursuer, a short story written in the memory of Charlie Parker.

I guess, I'll be baking too as some friends are coming for tea on sunday and spend some time on the phone with my parents in Madagascar. There has been some upheaval lately due to a violent opposition between the mayor of the capital city Antananarivo and the current president. Apparently there is a growing discontentment in the city towards the president's policy. Hope to learn more this week end....

Have a lovely peaceful week end !

Pretty women in Granada

Granada made itself pretty and put on a red carpet in honor of its first international classical movie festival until this week end. And...at the time I write this post, I realize I'm going to miss Fritz Lang's Ministry of fear...Shit..oh well....Never mind.

I took these pics yesterday on Carrera del Genil thinking, how funny some people avoid walking on the red carpet while others just walk right in the middle.

I was in total admiration of the elegant allure of the woman below right, in the leopard printed jacket. Great pencil skirt....

I still dare not stop people in the street and tell them ¡wow..me encanta tu look!..puedo tomar una foto de ti ? (I love your look...could I take a photo of you?). For instance, I would have loved to stop these girls but I was too shy. Honestly, it's very easy to fall in love with Granada girls, they're so pretty and sexy !

and they love boots, don't they ?

ciao bella !
wish I could go on a Roman holiday !

In a floating world.....

oh...I felt in a floating world all day....I had to work until late, really late on Sunday night and get up early so this monday was a day between parenthesis. Grey parenthesis...But it didn't matter as outside, rain kept falling, wind kept blowing and I was left to my dreams of a big fluffy white bed where I could lazily stretch and sleep at last....

I know it's Chinese New Year but this charming Japanese calendar image obsessed me since I saw it this afternoon. Can one be more graceful under the rain while picking the laundry ? This etching is part of an exquisite exhibition of Japanese prints (the representation of daily life and pleasurable activities on earth depicted as the "floating world" at the end of the XVIIth century by opposition to the sacred and eternal world) which is now held at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris until feb 15th. Wish I had a flying bed to take me there in a zest of seconds....

May this Year of the Ox bring you the best !
Let's all be brave under the storm....

ps : I've been ridiculously rude not visiting your blogs lately or answering some questions. Please forgive my Andalusian laziness and sleepiness. I promise I'll catch up tomorrow ! I'm now off to my floating bed....

pic : from the BnF site (with thanks)

Rain, Suzuki Harunobu (1725-1770)
Calendar image, 1765

Sunshine or rain.....

Sunshine or rain...I will be indoors this week end...making Valentine cards and yes, updating my etsy shop which presently looks so miserably boring, translating some equally boring stuff about remnants of hedge funds, dreaming of a romantic sunny walk, sporting one of these delicacies.....

Sunny or rainy

Frilly or frumpy

Have an adorable week end !

and yes...I confirm, I claim it loud, my shop will be definitely
updated over the week end....thank you for your patience !

pics : these ravishing parasols from the end of the last century or early XXth cent.
can be see at El Museo del Traje en Madrid

Michelle ma belle.....and love is in the air.....

Mis queridos, my lovelies, this is just a quick hello. I meant to post about the tears of joy of my family in Madagascar watching President Obama's inauguration, about this wave of hope which is now spreading through the whole world, about words pronounced and repeated by thousands and many more "if one voice can change a city, then it can change a state, then it can change a nation, and if one voice can change the nation, then it can change the world"....

But I'm a bit under pressure today because of work so just for now let's share again this moment of pure love...I'm sure you've seen this photo a hundred times by now but I couldn't help myself. They're so beautiful and seem so much in love. And like one of my aunts said : "gosh, I'd never thought I'd have such a crush on a First Lady!"....

I read a funny article yesterday in French paper Libération about Sarkozy's being completely fascinated and envious of Obama's popularity....well I guess our poor French president has much to learn from the new American president in terms of winning one's people heart....

See you on friday and thank you so much for
your encouraging comments about the Valentine cards!

ps : yes, i'll do my very best to put the cards on my etsy shop tonight

Valentine : the sweet approach....

Et voilà ! Here are my Valentine's cards which mainly talk of sweet things to be sent to the sweet people in your life

on the green strip of paper, I've written tu es ma douceur (you're my sweet)


Douceur again for these glittering candies


but my favorite is the lollipop Pour toi



The little hearts are more classical and claim Doux amour (sweet love) in pink and Amour passion (passion love) in red

the romantic series shows happy, dreamy women from Vogue covers in the 30s

the rose shocking series with paper ribbon whispers words of sweet love Plus je t'embrasse plus j'aime t'embrasser (the more I kiss you, the more I like kissing you), cynical love Amour toujours...je t'aime..moi non plus (love always, I love you..me neither), love hate Je te hais..je te hais tellement je crois que je vais en mourir (I hate you...I hate you so much...I think I could die)

but the most important thing is to love, isn't it ?

Wish you a happy start of the week !
I will put the cards on the etsy shop verrrry soon
in case you want some candies with pearls
and some ribbon with candies

pics by me

Jumpophile

We all have names of animals in my family and my sisters baptized me le chat (the cat) because I usually choose the best spot for a nap and have a slight tendency to laziness. I'm not quite plump but I like to picture myself as a big quiet fluffy cat. This morning though, I feel completely electrical, just like one of the three cats below photographed by Philippe Halsman next to a jumping energized Dali.

I'm being hurled into various projects and may need to dive my head into a big bucket of cold water to feel serene and cat-zen again.

Oh...and the reason why I didn't post photos of the Valentine's cards is simply the lack of sunshine this morning. I don't like taking pictures under grey weather (luckily I don't live in the Northern hemisphere, I wouldn't be posting at all, then). So, just a little patience is needed and hopefully his excellency the sun will shine again soon and I'll be able to take some pics and show you the results of an intense meditation on the theme of Valentine......

in the meantime, have a delightful week end !

pic : Dali Atomicus, 1948 by P. Halsman

Is it just a question of style ?

Today I meant to post about Tennessee Williams play The night of the iguana and the brilliant movie John Huston made after the play with Richard Burton and Ava Gardner (1964).

but then I started to click click click on my fave French fashion blogs and this is how I met James, absolutely cool James on Garance's fab blog. She simply titled her post Oh James.

Well, I can simply say Oh Garance, how lucky to meet such cool elegant dudes !

ok..to be sincere I'm not too keen on overly polished shoes but I love the chapka and the gloves...

well..actually to be entirely sincere, I'm not too sure if I don't prefer the coolness of Richard Burton on the first pic. How about you ?

sorry for digressing...I didn't meant to approach the Night of the iguana on this angle...

Briefly, let me explain why I wanted to post about the Night of the iguana. My friend Gym (the blond lady standing on my banner) had the great idea to set up the play. Of course, it's a total amateur project and we need to find amateur actors willing to take part to it. I only wanted to ask you if you ever saw the play on stage, and where and I would be happy if you had any kind of indications....Thank you !

pic of James on Garance Doré

Of little hearts and sweets.....

This morning, I'm stuffing my head with little syrupy sentences like Amour toujours.....Je t'aime moi non plus....

I'm trying to get into the Valentine's cards making mood and it's just not happening !

I hate you...I hate you so much I think I'll die from it.....(I always loved that line in Gilda)

All week end I tried to get the inspiration but I just couldn't ....I thought listening to Cecilia Bartoli's Italian songbook or watching my beloved Catherine Deneuve in Indochine would give me a kick of exhilaration but it only made me melancholic and now I feel like designing Valentine's cards for lonely hearts, broken hearts, hearts on the mend....

so here is a start with vaporous flowery ribbons


lots and lots of sweets


yes...the world is definitely in need of sweets

that's it for today....I will show you more by the end of the week.....

and....wishing you a sweet start of the week !

pics by me

Gar Anat hotel in Granada

As promised and late as usual, here is a small recap of our enchanting one night stay at Gar Anat hotel in Granada. This charming hotel situated in the Realejo is the little brother of El Ladron de Agua. We usually spend the night of the Reyes at El Ladron de Agua which gave us a wonderful new year's gift by offering us one night at Gar Anat. We were all the more so pleased as frankly we were about to skip our Reyes night ritual in Granada this year.

So I'm very happy to take you with me....Please follow the virtual guide alias Monchéri and welcome to Gar Anat hotel !

Gar Anat means "colony of pilgrims". It's just opened a few months ago on placeta de Peregrinos.

once you check at the reception, a glass door lets you enter into a traditional Andalusian luminous patio with columns and fountain

white is the predominant color and the transparent curtains give a feeling of intimacy

the patio is covered with a simple velum

a metallic tree baptised "el arbol de los deseos" (the wish tree) has been transformed into a very minimalist Christmas tree

the entrance of the library is hidden by white curtains

I love libraries in hotels. For me, it's the little plus which makes you feel comfortable


and now is the time to get on the first floor

and enter the Serena suite

Cuban-born Andalusian painter Pedro Garciarias created two paintings inspired from the verses of Spanish poetess Elena Martin Vivaldi which can be read on the wall

the bathroom is just....great...simple, practical but the hydrojet bath is simply great !

and look...our guide here will won't say to the contrary !

besides the usual basket filled with zillions of body care products, we really appreciated the slippers wrapped in recycled paper and the little bottle of Scottish Hendrick's gin....

the nightcap and the colorful sky above us made us sleep tightly

in the morning, as we opened our door, we discovered los Reyes had left us two more chocolate gifts wrapped in a colorful paper. So sweet !

then we made our way to the dining room to have a solid breakfast of jamon serrano and cheese, fresh orange juice, melon, torrijas (which is the same as pain perdu), tea, coffee and of course the traditional Rosco de Reyes

oh....we were a bit sad to leave our yellow room. We loved it so !

solo vibra el color......only the color vibes

if you happen to be in Spain in january and particularly in Granada, the hotel has some very special prices at this time of the year. I know...the post-Christmas period is always difficult. Here we call it la cuesta de enero (uphill january)

I have a special question to my Spanish-speaking blogging friends. I didn't dare translate the lines above of Elena Martin Vivaldi because I'm not that good at translating Spanish-English. So if anyone has a suggestion, I would be very grateful !

the verses are as follows :

Gozo de la nostalgia y el nacer de un otoño

Amarillo triunfante....

Sólo vibra el color

La musica callada

Have a great week end !!

pics by me
except photos # 11,12,13,17 from the hotel website

Gar Anat hotel
http://www.hoteldeperegrinos.com
tel : 00 34 958 22 55 28
Placeta de los Peregrinos,1
18009 Granada