2013: Things To Embrace & Anticipate

Hello beautiful readers. Have I told you how great you are? 

Okay, so the pic is a gratuitous one of Mr Redford (the blog's unofficial pin-up boy), but it's to illustrate how I feel about your kindness over the New Year. (Plus we saw lots of RR films last week –The Candidate, Barefoot in the Park; oh, if only I were Jane Fonda...) Thank you to those who sent notes, vouchers, gifts, and money to Miss Jane, and also to those who left a little morale-boosting comment on her blog. You literally gave them a Christmas to remember. More than three dozen of you responded. You are what makes this blog worthwhile.

(While we're on the subject of Tassie, haven't the bushfires been devastating? If anyone needs accommodation and can make it to Melbourne, email me. You're very welcome to stay here. We'd love to have you.)

Now. I've been trying to do a post for days – DAYS – but blogspot is clearly p*ssy that it's 2013 and that everyone's using that quick-fix, cheap-thrill Instagram tramp. Grrrr! I'm almost ready to join the Insta slumgullian. Watch this space.

In saying that, I'm not going to complain because 2013 is here and it's going to be a GOOD year! Don't you think? To paraphrase Carly Rae Jepson, "we woke up on the right side!" For us, this year is shaping up to be a surprisingly big year, and boy are we glad because 2012 was Hard Work. This September, my partner turns 50 while I turn (mumble mumble) XX on Feb 5. And in between those dates we have a lot of ground to cover. Literally. I may not even come home.

Okay, that's enough dull waffle from me. Let's get on with 2013. Starting with Things To Embrace And Celebrate. Wave those leftover sparkles around people. 

THINGS TO EMBRACE AND CELEBRATE

THE NEW LOUIE RESTAURANT

A bloggy friend recently commented that Melbourne restaurants are "cut and paste pastiches of the tackiest decorating eras in history". (Actually, she wasn't as harsh as that. That's my journalistic embellishment.) With due respect to this girl, as she's lovely, I have to disagree. I think it has some of the most beautiful bistros in Australia. Places like Pearl, The European, Cookie, Comme (the old Mietta's), and The Press Club are some of the most stylish in the world. In. The. World. And now Louie can go on The List. The former Millswyn, this newly revamped hideaway sits opposite The Botanic Gardens and is one of the prettiest places I've ever seen. The aesthetic is Old Australia: wide verandahs; cute awnings; lots of sunshine. It's just (re)opened this month. You'll love it.

CHANEL FOR LITERATURE LOVERS

Have you seen all the fashion inspired by literature lately? I'll do a post on it soon. This Chanel is slightly old, but it was one of the forerunners, along with Kate Spade's Classic Penguin Clutch Bags. There's now a spate of book-inspired frocks, scarves and other things easing onto catwalks. Who said fashion was shallow?

BLACK AND NAVY

Navy is set to be strong this year, but black and navy continues to EXPLODE. Who knew these two went together? Blair Eadie shows us how it's done. With class.

DOWNTON ABBEY

Here in Australia, we still haven't been privy to Series 3. (They have to row it over on the rowboat.) So until it comes, we'll just have to be content with The Spoof from Bad Bread. It's rude, so if you're prudish, do look away. {Link}

ROMAN AND WILLIAMS' NEW BOOK

I was lucky to receive more than a dozen books for Christmas (thank you so much L, N, P and mum), but this was perhaps my favourite. One of the best design books ever produced. The page design alone is pure perfection. Then again, it is Roman and Williams. Just look at their own library, above.

Here's another of Roman and Williams' projects, the John Dory Oyster Bar in New York. (If you look closely you can spot Stephen Alesch himself in the corner.) It's old Paris with a New York kick. Chic, no?

THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

Prince Harry's designing a garden. We're all going. I might even try to find some of Manolo Blahnik's vintage botanical heels (above) to really show my horticultural support for the 100th year. Come and meet us in South Kensington. We'll be the ones dressed in the brightest colours.

MANUEL CANOVAS

One of the world's great fabric houses, Manuel Canovas, turns 50 this year. I think the Paris party might even be this week? Happy birthday MC. Your 50th Anniversary Collection is one of the best yet.

COUNTRY STYLE MAGAZINE

Have you heard the news? Vogue Living has appointed a new editor. It's none other than the current editor of Australian Country Style, Victoria Carey. I can think of no one better. 

International readers of VL may not know of her, but she's been at the helm of CS for years and has turned it into a superb read. She's overseeing them both as editor-in-chief. I wish her well.

This cover is why we love Vogue Living so much. David Clark, you were great too. Hope Hawaii is treating you well.

STRIPES

This is such a fabulous topic for a book! I wish I'd thought of it. Published by Monacelli Press and written by American journalist Linda O'Keeffe, it's a look at the history of stripes. I've lost the pic of the cover, but it's covered in – you guessed it – stripes. A must for the design library.

THE AMPERSAND HOTEL LONDON

London saw a spate of new hotels last year, in time for the Olympics, but this bolthole in South Kensington was the prettiest. Our tour group would be staying there, but it's slightly above our budget. Pity.

THE ROYAL BABY

Oh, what joy this news has brought us. Now that Kate is getting over her queasy state (fingers crossed for her good health) we can all start planning. I love this photo of the glamorous threesome. Doesn't HM look beautiful? Camilla, too.

BLUEPRINTS

These are everywhere at the moment. Everywhere! As stylish prints on stylish walls. As art in bars. Even as section dividers in Roman and Williams' book (above). I love the colour. Why don't architects do blue anymore?

THE BLUE AND WHITE PHENOMENON

Phenomenon is such an overused word. But it's perhaps apt for the blue and white trend that's sweeping the globe. 

The latest to join the China porcelain/Delft craze is Boston's MFA (Museum of Fine Arts), which is preparing to open a show dedicated solely to the two shades. 'New Blue and White' is a must-see if you're near New England in the first half of this year. From Feb 20 until July 14, 2103. 

Here are some previews of it...

Rodarte's exotic heels.

Rodarte again.

This frock is not in the MFA Boston show but it should be. It's an exhibition on its own! 

Oh blue and white, let's hope you stay around for a while...

{Lost the credit for this when Blogspot had a tantrum. Will find and insert.}

I know this is Giorgio Armani. Love this. Wouldn't it look cute in Capri? (Not that I've been.)

And J Crew. Just beautiful.

FAR-FLUNG VACATION DESTINATIONS

This trend seems to be growing in popularity. I know of a few people who are jetting off to places that aren't even on the radar. Even Viceroy Hotels (Kelly Wearstler's hubby's projects) are getting in on the act. This is the company's new Maldives outpost. But it's their just-opened St Lucia one that's really raising eyebrows. It's British colonial meets James Bond.

BELLE MAGAZINE

I love this magazine. Hasn't it come in design leaps and bounds this past year? It was always gorgeous but now it's downright sexy. Vogue Living, you'd better watch your rear. I think Belle may be moving ahead of the publishing pack.

COLOUR

I know I've posted these Blair Eadie pix recently but look at them! Have you seen such colour? I predict colour will be BIG this year. 

ELIZABETH GILBERT

Miss Gilbert has been quiet of late. Well, she doesn't need to work, does she? Not after Eat Pray Love. But she's been working on a new novel, which is out this year. It's called The Signature of All Things and it's about a 19th century female botanical explorer. It looks extraordinary. Elizabeth has obviously gone back to her journalistic roots to investigate it. (Here she is in Tahiti, chasing botanical things in the name of research.) I predict this book will be good. 

HERMES SCARVES AS DRESSES

This trend has been emerging for a little while now. You may have seen glimpses of it on frocks in the High Street. But it's gathering speed as people pull out their old Hermes scarves and re-fashion them into wrap skirts, cute dresses, bodysuits, blazers and all sorts of sartorial, swathe-y things. Hermes's own designer Christophe Lemaire leaned on the look for his Spring 2013 collection, translating the house’s iconic printed silk scarves into a wide-ranging collection of modern clothing. I love the book-lined scarf above. I'd love a summer frock in that for some cocktails somewhere. Imagine wearing it to The Library's or The Nomad's book-lined bar in New York. (I'm not sure if that's ironic or not?)

SARAH TURNBULL'S NEW BOOK

Sarah Turnbull is the former SBS journalist who wrote a book about moving to Paris and living as an Australian expat. It was a superb book. So good, it sold something like 200,000 copies. This is her sequel. Set in Tahiti, it follows Sarah and her lawyer husband's life as they cope with the tropics. Certain to be an interesting read...

Life & Lessons From 2012...

And so we come to the end of another year. We survived the apocalypse, applauded the Olympics, waved at the Queen on her Jubilee, smiled at the royal pregnancy, cried at the effects of Hurricane Sandy and mourned the Connecticut kiddies. We saw Obama re-elected, Jill Meagher die a terrible death, and Julia Gillard hold her own against some misogynist pollies. It was a year of heartbreak, happiness, more heartbreak, hope, a little more heartbreak and then, finally, a hallelujah that it was all over.  (Incidentally, have you seen 'The Voice' singing Hallelujah in tribute to the kiddies of the Connecticut shooting? It's beautiful. Link here: Hallelujah)

But 2012 was also a year of something else. It was, in a strange way, the year of kindness. Don't you think? Looking back, I think that's the only way we managed to survive 2012. Kindness. Lots and lots of it. Several months ago, checking out of the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York, one of the loveliest hotels in the world, I jokingly asked the concierge how they coped with the diva-esque VIPs? "Kindness," he said with a smile. "We win them over with kindness." I've never forgotten it. Next year, we'll be running our Garden Tours with the same aim. In fact, we've already started implemented it into our company philosophy. {Beautiful 'Looking for Love' Paris street photo by Irene Suchocki from Etsy.}

And now, as we look towards Christmas, and to 2013 beyond it, I'd like to encourage everyone to do one thing on the 25th. Be kind. Compassion. Courtesy. Consideration. Respect. Even humour. They all go a long way in life. Don't let others' negativity and criticism get you down. Keep your dignity. Keep your spirit. Keep your happiness about you. But most of all, be nice. It doesn't take much. Truly. A word. A gesture. A hug. A note. A hello. As Robert Alan once said: "The flower of kindness will grow. Maybe not now, but it will some day. And in kind that kindness will flow. For kindness grows in this way."

On this note, I'd like to thank you all for dropping by The Library this year. So many people have emailed to say hello, while others have been kind enough to comment, and all of your notes have lifted my spirits and kept my soul joyous this year. They've also kept The Library blog going through all the 2am nights. I very much hope that The Library has inspired and enlivened you all in return. 

I know I promised to post some 'insider' tips about Paris, plus details of our lovely new tour, but I hope you'll forgive me if I leave it for a fortnight. It will really need a special post on its own. And it will offer some holiday reading over the New Year!

In the meantime, I'd like to show you a peek at what's happening in 2013, as it's shaping up to be an exciting year. Hopefully, I'll also be able to hold my earlier promise of featuring more interviews and even more exciting interiors and gardens here on the little old Library. 

Until then, wishing you and your loved ones a very happy Christmas. And a heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you. 

With love, from my family to yours. xx

Mock-up spreads for a beautiful new cookbook and memoir from The Landing Hotel and Restaurant in the Bahamas. The Library is very lucky to be involved with this project, which will be the first in a series of exciting new projects, and I look forward to showing you the evolution of this lovely, incredibly luscious book as it unfolds, page by page. Oh – and you'll love who's writing the forewords too! (Clue: An Officer And A Gentleman.)

More mock-up pages from The Landing's beautiful book. {Dummy spreads only}

Dummy spreads from another whimsical but lovely little book, How To Live A Beautiful Life: Following In The Footsteps of Chanel. 

I'm also going to show you this as it unfolds, so you can see how a book is produced, from conception through contents to photography, page design and production. 

" The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. "
Coco Chanel

The Art of Travel, Part 2: The Glamour

If you still think travel is tedious and exhausting and packed (pun intended) with emotional nights, long days (and delays) and extended difficulties, let you persuade you otherwise...

Oh – and the next post – the last for the year – will be a beautiful one about Paris and France. It will also include some details of how you can see the best of it next year in a wonderful tour we're organising. Do stop by if you fancy a once-in-a-lifetime journey to the gardens of France. We'd love to have you come along with us.

The beautiful, whimsical, travel-inspired windows of Hermès' flagship store in Paris. I'm not normally an advocate of using taxidermied animals in store displays, but I suspect this was an old exhibit from Deyrolle on the Left Bank. Look how magnificent he is! Look at that luggage! {My photo from archives}

A wonderful, wonderful video about luggage and Christmas and coveted orange boxes that will make you laugh, also by Hermès. Link here or here – www.youtube.com/user/hermes

The sexiest camera ever produced... Leica's Hermès limited edition version. Would buy it, but would have to sell the husband for it. Then again... www.leica.com

Another fabulous camera... Paul Smith's version of the Leica. Look at the whimsical detail. The sketch of a light bulb that appears on top of the pop-up flash was drawn by Mr. Smith himself.  leica-camera.com {Via The Wall Street Journal}

And if you can't afford the tangerina Leica dream, here's a mobile / cell phone cover made to look like one of the coveted cases. Love this.

Louis Vuitton's windows in Paris: luggage stacked to look like the Eiffel Tower. Isn't this lovely? {My photo}

An uplifting video (so to speak) about the beauty of travel... Louis Vuitton's hot air balloon video 'L'Invitation Au Voyage', shot in Paris. Just beautiful... Link here or here – www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-JgJGU5wXo

Karen Blixen's luggage. This has also come via Hermès. It was specially designed for the author by the French company. There were two pieces made. Reportedly the latter consumed 368 hours of work and was an extraordinarily complicated piece of luggage, truly worthy of an aristocrat facing the demanding African landscape. This makes me want to read Out of Africa all over again.

{Via Luxury Insider}

Antique luggage used as bar carts and other irreverent things. We saw this at the Nomad Hotel earlier this year. Each room had a magnificent vintage steamer trunk upended to create a mini-bar. So inspiring... {Via Jennings and Gates' lovely blog}

A glamorous ONA camera bag, as seen on A Cup of Jo's blog. {www.onabags.com}

Be still my beating heart... Have you ever seen such a beautiful camera? This is an antique Leica from the early 20th century, which has faux-lizard skin and gold plating. There were only 95 of these early models made. This one was sold recently at Bonham's auction house, and expected to fetch $230,000. Still, that's a bargain compared to the rare 1923 prototype camera which a Chinese bidder paid $2.8 million for this year. I'll just breath out now.

More converted luggage, this time as wardrobes, although I'm not sure what they're doing out in the snow? {Via Jennings and Gates' beautiful blog – jenningsandgates.blogspot.com}

Mai Tai's Picture Book is one of the most instructive blogs on the Internet, full of great advice on how to travel without looking like a troglodyte who's just come out of a hole (or economy class). Her trick? A gorgeous scarf. She even takes special scarf holders when she travels. Her work is impressive. {maitaispicturebook.com}

More cheeky, irreverent travel stuff from Louis Vuitton. These are 'bag charms', which you attach to your handbag or luggage to identify it. Here's the video about them. I love the palm trees. Link here  or here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ5STIqA99Q

Me too.

And lastly, two Library readers challenged me (in good humour) to illustrated how you can pack for a 2-week holiday using just a carry-on bag. Put my money where my mouth is and all that... 

Last time I did a post on this I used mostly winter clothes. So here is how I'd pack for a holiday that encompassed city and beach, with some garden visits and perhaps a few evening shows scattered in between... Little tip: Pack hybrids, or clothes that can go across not just one, but two or three situations. I toss in oversized scarves that can double as beach wraps, frocks that can go from day to night, and handbags that can switch from casual to business meeting. It's difficult, I know. But it just takes some thinking... Here are some ideas.

Colour: Keep your colours to a minimum, so everything matches. I usually use navy or black as neutrals and then toss in a colour, such as orange or pink. Everything has to match with everything else. Everything. If it won't socialise with the rest of the clothes, toss it!

INVENTORY FOR A CITY/BEACH HOLIDAY WITH GARDENS VISITS AND EVENING SHOWS IN BETWEEN

Lightweight trenchcoat (orange for glamour; this was one $5 from Chapel Street). Essential for showers in London or Paris, additional layering on chilly days, or to cover a dress that hasn't been washed for 2 days and is showing the rigours of long-haul flights. (Only pack if you think the weather is going to be at all chilly, otherwise it just takes up space.)

Flat loafers. Flat shoes are essential for flights and walking. (Ballets are no good because they don't have adequate soles. And your ankles will likely blow up in-flight, making their tight curves hard to slip on for a day or so afterwards and therefore contenders for blisters.) Loafers are my choice, but there are lots of pretty flat shoes around,

Espadrille wedges. Brilliant 'cross-over' shoes that are smart enough for both daywear / beachwear and business meetings. (Well, my casual publishing ones anyway; you may wish to include a pair of 'proper' heels for more formal appointments.)

Smart sundress. Find one or two frocks that are dressy enough for evenings as well as daywear. Include a belt and accessories to jazz up for business meetings or shows.

Tailored blazer. I always, always include a blazer or jacket. It will immediately smarten up any outfit, and be a glamorous safeguard if you find you want to suddenly attend a tradeshow or business meeting, have a date with an ex-boyfriend, go to an evening play, or simply try for an upgrade in a hotel or flight. Try to find one that's well cut (this is my favourite Armani); that way, it will hide the cheaper lines of any $50 frocks. 

Navy linen 'boyfriend' shirt-dress. Shirt-dresses are great because they're easy to wear on planes (throw some leggings underneath if you're cold); they're smart for cities (enhance them with lovely chunky necklaces), they're fab for slipping on beside a pool or walking along a beach, and can, if desperate, be used for dinner wear. (Just wear some fancy jewellery – say, a gold cuff and some dangly earrings.)

Two colourful dresses. These are great to wear around the pool / on the beach, but will also suffice for city walks.

Coloured Bensimons. Pretty sandshoes are nicer than flip-flops, and will do double-duty for walking. (Flip-flops are not smart enough for cities.)

A cardigan. I love long ones that can do double-duty as wraps on planes. 

One pair of swimmers and two or three scarves, which can double as sarongs. (You can sneak in a second pair of swimmers, if you want.)

FOR THE CITY VISITS AND/OR FORMAL AFFAIRS (meetings, shows, etc): Wear the more-tailored dresses (with the blazer, if cold) and more formal jewellery and accessories.

FOR THE BEACH: Wear the brighter dresses (which can also cross over to the city; wear a cardi or trench, if cold).

FOR GARDEN VISITS: Wear the flat loafers or Bensimons (you won't need boots, unless it's winter or chilly; in which case pack pants too), with bright dresses and a cardi. Buy a cute hat somewhere to keep the sun off. Take the bright trenchcoat or bright scarves if it's cold.

Here's how it all fits into a small carry-on suitcase, together with toiletries and a travel umbrellas. (Note: You'll be wearing some of the clothes.) I can even squeeze in a tripod and a second handbag / clutch. This bag may be over the luggage limit so you may have to check it in, but it's still an ideal size for travelling.

Lastly, more than 40 people have emailed me to ask how they could help my dear friend Jane Green from Life on Planet Baby. (lifeonplanetbaby.com) Thank you so much. Your cards and notes will no doubt boost her and her family's moral this Christmas. My heartfelt thanks go out to everyone. Your new year has certainly started off in the right spirit! Sending you all a hug. xx

Tomorrow or Thursday: Preliminary details of The Grand Tour of Paris and France...

The Art of Travel, Part 1: Conversations

St. Augustine once said: "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” I've always loved this quote. Just as I've always loved Ol' Augustine. I thought it was a fitting line to introduce a post tailored especially for the holiday season.

I know many of us have been deeply saddened and heartbroken by the tragedy in Connecticut, so forgive me if this post seems slightly frivolous in a time of collective mourning. I, like thousands of others, have been sad for a few days now, and I just thought it might be nice to look at something besides news stories on semi-automatic weapons for a change. However, if it's not something you'd like to read; if you're still focused on those first graders, I will certainly understand.

Long-time readers of The Library may know that I'm a happy traveller. I'll happily suffer DVT Class for 19 hours if it means a week in New York at the end. I'll happily tolerate a cheap hotel in Paris for a few days if it means I get to stay on the Left Bank a little longer. And I'll happily endure a 2 hour flight, then a 13-hour one, then a 5-hour one, then a 4-hour car ride, if it means seeing the beauty of Connecticut during the annual Trade Secrets Garden Weekend in May. (For those who think Connecticut is simply a news story; it's not; it's one of the most beautiful places in the USA.)

For me, travel is one of life's greatest gifts. It broadens the mind as well as the soul. It shifts perspective and changes attitudes. It introduces a note of humility into life, and perhaps also gratitude. I've been to many, many places in the world, and have been so grateful for every single one of them. Without travel, I think I'd be in a very different place in life. Pun intended.

One of the best things about travel is that it teaches us to see and listen all over again. It forces us to really look at the world, and take note of what people are saying. When we travel, we engage in life, and in conversations that we perhaps wouldn't have if we'd stayed at home. We slow down. We chat. We ask questions about the world, and the people we meet in it. We hear stories – wonderful, memorable stories. We nod, laugh, and sometimes cry. And occasionally – actually more than occasionally – we meet people who enrich our lives. 

In fact, it's the conversations with the people I've met that I remember most about my travels. It is the conversations that have resonated long after I've come home and reconciled the Visa statement.  For some reason, they linger in the memory, like gold dust, adding value to both the journeys and the years. These conversations – and you'll no doubt have them too, on your journeys this Christmas and New Years – don’t always have to be about profound matters of existence either, or full of witty Beatonesque bon mots and piquant Oscar Wilde observations. They can be as simple as a casual chat to  the person beside you in the plane, or the airport, laughing with them about the agonies of long-haul flights. They can be as short as the interlude in a Broadway show, when you find yourself engaging in an impromptu review with the stranger seated next to you. And they can be as spontaneous as starting up a debate with the guy next to you at Balthazar's bar, arguing good-naturedly over the differences between Aussies and American cuisine.

Conversation—real conversation—binds us more than anything else I know. It brings us together, as a society. It is, I believe, the matter upon which happiness is based.

Wherever you travel this Christmas season, slow down and have a bit of a chat.

After all, isn't that what life's meant to be about?

{All images of Paris 'chatters' by me}