BIJOU LIVING: 03.11

Mar 31, 2011

Quote of the Week - Benjamin Franklin

He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.

Mar 29, 2011

Vintage Universal Geneve

circa 1971

Mar 24, 2011

Inspiration - Robert Silverberg Cover Art

Robert Silverberg 1st Edition Covers

Contrast the 70s Space Age to the 50s Space Age. What a difference 20 years and LSD make.

Read about Cary Grant's 72nd acid trip here - and you thought he was just about cocktails.

Mar 23, 2011

Quote of the Week - Warren Buffet

No matter how serene today may be, tomorrow is always uncertain. Don't let that reality spook you.

Mar 22, 2011

From the Archives - 10 Unique Bedroom Ideas

Originally published in BL August 20, 2009
We spend the most time in our bedroom. Let's make it good.

Style. Get that television out of your bedroom now and put in a dimmer switch. Good lighting, texture and personal style can turn that rental white box you call a bedroom into whatever your fantasies desire. After all, it is the bedroom.

Ambiance. Reel to reel, projector, candles, mini bar and I'm sure there's a smoke machine somewhere in there.

Consistency. Let's say you love brown but have reservations about painting the entire small room brown. Why not take shades of brown and extend them throughout the space by using texture, accessories and furniture. Striped wall paper hung horizontally stretches a small room even further by the use of a mirror. In this room the lamps, clock, wardrobe fixtures, sable crushed velvet bedspread and mirrored vase play off the reflections of the mirrors and the silver stripes in the wall paper.

You. Remember how you decorated your bedroom as a kid. Collages of rock posters, fashion spreads, baby animals, cars, supermodels, or whatever, it set you apart from your parents. I remember the feeling of pride I had in my bedroom when friends would come over to listen to records, gossip or put together outfits. When I moved out at 19 a box of incense and a bag of candles were the first things I bought.

Mar 21, 2011

Design Lover - WWF Rattan Chair

note Suicidal Tendencies t-shirt.

Thanks so much to @Rachel_H for forwarding me this coolness via designboom. What do you say we bring rattan back?

ps - We picked up a rattan couch for free at a yard sale last summer here it is on its way home.

Tip of the Week - Choosing a Quality Dress Shirt

Please look for:

14 stitches per inch on the shirt placket indicates a quality garment. Fewer than 11 per inch signals less quality.
buttons will be attached with firm cross stitches and no loose threads.
tapering the sleeve into a cuff is a tailoring short cut. A better made shirt retains the blousiness of the sleeve by joining it to the cuff with careful pleats and gathers.
collars should fit snuggly and accommodate neck ware.
collars should be evenly stitched around the edges. A well made collar will have a line of stitching around the edge, as well as interfacing to give it shape.
check for single needle stitching - it's a more costly and time consuming method of machine sewing. There is less likelihood that puckering will occur.
a vertical seam down the yoke of the back of the shirt is a sure sign of quality.

Mar 18, 2011

How to Dress for a Job Interview

What do you wear to job interviews? I've been interviewing candidates for marketing instructor positions all week. There is seriously unbelievable competition out there. Now that I've personally interviewed who I've been up against I completely understand why it's so tough to find a job.

I spoke with the same number of men and women. When the competition is this tough use your outfit to make an impression.

Here are the stats on what the candidates I spoke to wore:

Women
blazers 100%
collared shirt 20%
dark trousers 80%
skirts/dresses 20%
long hair 60%
hair tied back 0
3" heels 100%
necklace or scarf 100%
earrings - didn't notice any
perfume 0
glasses 0
over coat 100%
over coat off before coming in 100%
took notes 20%
hardcover notebook 100%
Tip: Skirts and dresses can set us apart from the men.
Please don't cut your hair short to try and look professional, keep it tame and your color fresh.

Men
suit 80%
pin stripe suit 50%
light grey suit 50%
blue shirt 60%
light colored tie 100%
cheap ill fitting suit 0
facial hair 80%
short hair 100%
cologne 20%
glasses 0
over coat 50%
over coat off before coming in 80%
watch 100%
took notes 50%
leather covered notebook 100%
Tip: Your tie knot shouldn't be bigger than your chin.
As far as I'm concerned a bow tie - not a clip on - is perfectly suitable for a job interview. It shows you're confident, unique and creative.

Mar 17, 2011

Design Lover - Piet Hein Eek Burnt Wood Wallpaper

Now, how excited do you think I was when I opened my ELLE Decor South Africa feed this morning to find - wait for it - - - wood panel wallpaper! Remember, I actually love wood panelling. Not only is this stuff wood panelling, but it's scrap wood panelling. I can achieve squatter chic no matter what postal code I have!

Read my posts on how to wallpaper and recover with a newspaper here and here.

all images © Piet Hein Eek
available online at scrapwoodwallpaper.com

Mar 16, 2011

Quote of the Week - Byron

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

from Byron's "She Walks in Beauty"