Quote of the Week - Christian Dior

Elegance may be audacious but it can never be extravagant because extravagance is bad taste.

Design Lover: Rainaldi's Ptolomeo Wall Bookcase

Ptolomeo Wall

I have 28 years' worth of Vogue and Elle sitting in milk crates in my storage unit. 

How sad is that? 

After having bought a few cheap parquet board bookcases, I wanted to get something sturdy and stylish. The Sapien bookcase by Bruno Rainaldi initially caught my eye, but upon further investigation into this Italian designer's work, I came across the Ptolomeo wall bookcase. 

I prefer this piece. Why? I don't know, I just do. 

Maybe it's the unfinished concrete wall in the photo?

Bruno Rainaldi Sapien Bookcase

Top 10 Rude Behaviours

* This list was compiled by the collaborative work of P.M. Forni and the Civility Initiative at John Hopkins and the Jacob France Institute at the University of Baltimore by ranking responses to an informal survey on Yahoo.com and an online survey presented to workers at two Baltimore based companies and the community of a Baltimore university. The question asked was, "What act of rudeness bothers you most?"

1. Discriminating in an employment situation.
2. Driving in an erratic or aggressive manor that endangers others.
3. Taking credit for someone else's work.
4. Treating service providers as inferiors.
5. Making jokes that mock another's race, gender, age, disability, sexual preference, or religion.
6. Behaving aggressively toward children or bullying.
   
7. Littering (including cigarette butts, spit and pet waste).
8. Misusing handicapped privileges.
9. Smoking in a non-smoking place or smoking in front of non-smokers without asking them first.
10. Using cell phones or text messaging during conversations or during an appointment or meeting.

I'd like to add mine:

1. Clinking the spoon in the cup while stirring.
   
2. Smoking while standing at the entrance/exit of an establishment.
3. Throwing plastic bags of garbage in the recycling containers.
4. Any noise made by sucking in the cheeks - usually done while eating.
5. Snorting. Remember that noise Brad Pitt's character would make in Kalifornia? That's the noise I'm referring to.

How should your shoes fit?

For her MOMA at Gravity Pope
or
For him MOMA - CALFSKIN BOTTALATO LACE-UP SHOES

snuggly at the ball and heel

with enough room for the toes to move forward as you walk

with no gap between the arch of the shoe and your arch

with a break just over the joint of the large toe, if it breaks back of that it's too big

like a glove. Don't sacrifice your feet for a bargain - there's a reason they're a bargain

I am Verushka that comes from the border...

I dressed all in black and went to see all the top photographers, like Irving Penn, and said. 'I am Verushka that comes from the border between Russia, Germany and Poland. I'd like to see what you can do with my face.' Verushka von Lehndorff via Zebra Mascara

Verushka in Michelangelo Antonioni's highly lauded Blowup (1966). View it here or below.

Quote of the Week - Will Rogers

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.

Vintage Dior

1980
Marc Bohan

Tip of the Week - Clothing

Add a 1/2 cup of baking soda to the wash when you add your regular liquid detergent. Baking soda helps keep your whites their whitest and brights their brightest.

On Vacation

I've been doing a lot of winter beach combing lately, I'd forgotten how inspired I get at the edge of the sea. Yesterday I explained the concept of wish rocks to a little boy - he was confused as to why I was throwing rocks at the ocean. My explanation was quite contradictory as I don't believe in wishes per se, I simply look at them as goals only we can achieve but I didn't want to get into this with a six year old at the time.

I've been blogging for almost two years and have written close to 500 posts - now it's time for me to take a break. I'm not tired of it, I could write all day and night, however, if you don't go out and throw rocks at the ocean you won't have anything to write about.

I'll be back with more inspired content soon. I bought a little Flip video thing two months ago with the point of doing video blogs but I haven't even turned it on yet. I enjoy receiving your emails so drop me a line at bijoulivingatyahoodotcom. The chances I'll be sharing tidbits on the Bijou Living page on Facebook are quite high. So pop by, share and keep the conversation going.

In the meantime, I've left a pile of wish rocks for you down by the Squamish First Nation Welcome statue at Ambleside Beach.

Quote of the Week - Jackie Stewart

It's good to remind yourself where it all began,...My life has been like a magic carpet ride ever since.