The Comfort Zone

Every day, I am surrounded by bold colours, patterns and textures.  This morning, I woke up longing for a little peace and quiet…  So I dressed in black and white, kept my hair down and ate a grilled cheese for lunch. Ah, the comfort zone…    

All images can be found via my Pinterest – feel free to follow me! Do pay special attention to the wonderful astronaut on the first row. I’m in love with Sophie Jodoin’s artwork. In. Love. For all you Montrealers, check out Battat Contemporary ASAP.

Klein Blue

Recently, Hubby’s colleague asked me “Hey Emily, do you know Yves Klein?” As an art historian, this is the kind of question I get a lot. “Do you know Picasso?” “Do you know Salvador Dali?” Anyways… do I know Yves Klein? Yes – a colour was named after him: International Klein Blue. Turns out, the reason he was asking was that his grandfather was Klein’s judo teacher in the late forties. (OK… that’s super cool!) To be clear, the practice of judo was highly influential on Klein artistic practice and often credited as being his first experience with “spiritual space.”

There are two points to my story (of which none is judo).  1) I truly believe in the concept of “six degrees of separation” (whaa! I’m connected to Yves Klein!) and 2) After all these years, how incredible that an artist would have enough influence that a colour would be named after him? Still today, we see Klein Blue pop up in art, fashion and home design. If you had to lend your name to any colour, which one would it be?  

Forth image: detail of Marc Seguin’s Sabotage 11 found at Galerie Lacerte.

Fifth image: Thierry Bisch’s Mr. Cute Blue found at Dimension Plus.

30 minutes - Feel the Burn

I just realized that I haven’t given you music to energize your workout this month! I’m on it! Tired of these songs yet? Rock out to these hits and feel the burn during your next cardio routine! (P.S. Seriously, I don’t know what’s gotten into me… some of these choices are freakishly girly. But hey, try them out, and let me know!)  

Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill you) 3.41 

LMFAO – Sorry for Party Rocking 3.23

Bob Sinclair featuring Pitbull & DragonFly – Rock the Boat 3.12

Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe 3.13

Katy Perry – Part of Me 3.35

Havana Brown – We Run the Night 3.38

Will.i.am featuring Jennifer Lopez & Mick Jaggar – T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever) 4.47

Flo Rida featuring Sia – Wild One 3.57

Nuit Blanche

I’m psyched about Montreal’s Nuit Blanche this weekend. I am planning on seeing as much as I can. Here’s Saturday night’s hectic schedule:

7pm:  First stop, a dinner reservation at Le Balmoral, a non-profit restaurant for which all surplus revenue goes to helping finance the Jazz Fest.  

8pm:  Starting at 8pm, Bran Van 3000 will play at Quartier des Spectacles. (Oh my, years ago I had such a Bran Van phase – I’m really looking forward to this show.) It’s free, people! Don’t miss out! After Bran Van, we’ll be jetting off to the Belgo and doing a quick tour of the galleries. And by quick, I mean that at....

10pm:  We’ll be heading down to Art Souterrain, where we plan on getting lost in an incredible maze of art. On the top of my list? I want to catch De A à C, an artistic project held at the ARTVstudio. Maybe I'll get my picture taken with Antoine Tavaglione’s Richman. While walking through the Art Souterrain site, I’ll be trying to spot the forty miniature portraits Sylvie Cloutier scattered across the site. (An art hunt? Count me in!)

12am:  Next stop? Mathieu Grenier’s Le cube blanc (O’Doherty). Viewers can meet the artist between midnight and one.

1am:  Catching a free subway ride, we’ll finish off at DHC/ART, open until 2am.

Lippy

It’s so infuriating when you spend good money on beauty products that don’t give you the results you had envisioned. Last month, I gave you my Top 10 beauty products, but Hubby is my witness that I have so much (much) more. Eek. Next time you are shopping for a lip gloss, keep the following suggestions in mind. I encourage you to let me know about your must-have beauty products in the comments below.  Cheers, E.

(1) At a recent birthday party, someone (you know who you are!) told me that my Top 10 was on the pricey side. Clearly, this selection is not helping my case… but Revlon’s lip gloss in Pink Pop is a fantastic and inexpensive choice is you want a nice pop of colour. Revlon also came out with a wonderful lilac coloured gloss… Lo-ve-ly! / (2) Ah. I love this one: Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip Balm in Rosy Glow by Givenchy. I wore this on my wedding day… so I have an extra soft spot for this gloss. Its formula contains pigments which are guaranteed to work with your skin tone. The colour is rich and surprisingly long-lasting. (3) Rouge Allure Velvet in Cambon. Between a red and a fuchsia, this lipstick is a must have. (4) Lancôme Juicy Tubes – Ultra Shiny Gloss in Berry Bold. The name says it all: juicy. If that’s not your thing, stay away. (5) Bobbi Brown Pretty Face Palette. OK, this one isn’t fair because it has eye shadows, blush and lip glosses. Not the most practical in my opinion, but Brown scores points for quality and creating such wearable colours. (6) Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in Baroque by Nars. Love. This. Product. Super practical, easy to apply, great finish. Enough said: you need it. (7) Yves Saint Laurent’s Rouge Pur Couture in Rose Vinyl. Gloss and stain – YSL is a mind reader. This product lasts all day. But like any lip stain, I feel that it’s a little too drying to be my number 1.

Monday, Monday

Here’s a visual recap of my wonderful weekend. It started off with a pre-made gin & tonic waiting for me in the fridge. Now that’s service! For all you makeup lovers out there, I finally purchased Naked Palette 2 by Urban Decay. Why I debated this purchase now blows my mind. I’m in love. Other great purchase: BeneFit’s Boi-ing concealor. I’m looking bright eyed and bushy tailed!

All images via

Happy Birthday Lookbook

As previously mentioned, this weekend is my friend D’s big 3-0 birthday party. Here are a few fun facts that you should know about D: For one, she’s absolutely lovely and has been my friend since forever. We met in high school; she thought I was cool because of my bouncy ponytail. (What can I say? Friendships are often based on the most ridiculous of circumstances). Other important information: D is a “yes-girl”… and before I hear you chuckle, let me explain that a yes-girl is a girl who’s always in the know and on the go. You want to jet off to Vegas for the weekend? D’s your girl. You debate whether to buy that new Coach purse or not; D’s right there saying “Doooooo it.”

Based on what I know about D’s closet (she has great little black dresses, a fantastic collection of evening purses from Coach, amazing sparkly jewelry from Isabelle May, an intense love of purple, etc.), here is a little fashion homage to D and her birthday weekend:

Friday night look: Outfit from Bedo, Jewelry made by Isabelle May, makeup from Sephora, shoes from Nine West. Saturday night look: Dress from Zara, clutch from Coach, makeup from Sephora, Revlon lip gloss, shoes from Nine West.

Wear it or hang it?

Check out Nicholas Ruiz’s bow tie collection. Ruiz, who works for MoMa in New York City, first created a guitar pick neckpiece to commemorate the museum’s exhibit titled Picasso: Guitar 1912-1914. Over the course of the year, Ruiz created 11 bow ties, one for every event hosted by MoMA.

“Do you wear it or hang it?” asks MoMA. “The choice is really yours,” says Ruiz who was sporting his Lego bow tie during the interview. In fact, when the Bow Tie Collection is exhibited later this spring, it is planned for each piece to be framed with a special back panel allowing for easy removal. Click here to read the article.

1. The Armory Show, assembled in March 2011 / 2. Picasso Guitars 1912-1914, assembled in February 2011 / 3. Talk to Me: Design and the Communication between People and Object, assembled in September 2011

Spade Love

I’ve been feeling very Kate Spade-y this last month. Perhaps it’s my upcoming trip to New York with the girls that has me dreaming of spending some money! Check out these images and you’ll understand why I’m lusting over the new collection.

via

via

via

Happy Valentine's Day!

Credits go to Atlantic-Pacific – wearing a wonderful pink tulip dress from Zara / Cookie cutting and ribbon images are from Cupcakes & Cashmere / Pink roses from Damask & Dentelle / Text from Ornamelle / All others from my Pinterest

Hot Dot

Is it just me or do polka dots never seem to go out of style? As soon as I think they are over, they reappear on the runway. Bold dots or micro dots, we love them in any colour! Prepare for the spring/summer collections, I predict they’ll be everywhere.

1. Marc by Marc Jacobs shorts / 2. Dolce & Gabbana scarf / 3. Kate Spade shoes / 4. Kate Spade iPhone cover / 5. Loeffler Randall shoes / 6. Marc by Marc Jacobs bangle / 7. Equipment blouse / 8. Polka dot Lip tattoo from Violent Lips / 9 . Current/Elliot skinny jeans

Zara / Forever 21 / Mango

Art for the fashion lover

Meet Antoine Tavaglione:  Fine Art’s equivalent to Karl Lagerfeld. OK... not yet... but I bet he’d love that analogy. Tavaglione, also known as TAVA, is a Montreal-based artist who playfully subverts popular brand imagery. The first piece I saw of his was LSY, a tongue and cheek appropriation of Yves Saint-Laurent’s iconic logo. Add to all the initial glitz and glamour the artist’s political agenda and a touch of irony and there you have it: TAVA. Louis Vuitton beware, he hasn’t found you yet!

(All images via)

TAVA, signing his Double C silkscreen, at Station 16.

The artist recently tweeted CHANEL, linking an image of HIS Double C’s. Love it: How to use social media as an artistic performance!

Hermes – Crooks & Automoblies

Louboutin

My pants are not too short, I'm European

Like this artwork? ME TOO! I've pre-pinned it on Pinterest, click here to view.

Interview with Keren Blankrot

I met interior designer Keren Blankrot (Upstage Montreal) several years ago as she was trekking throught the snow with an adorable purple coat. Not one to shy away from talking to strangers, I walked over and said something profound like “cute coat”. How I ended up visiting her apartment, meeting up for dessert and wine, discussing interior design, I cannot remember. But since, I’ve turned to Keren for any interior design or home staging question.

Check out the Upstage Montreal website for more information

What’s great about your job as an interior designer?

I love bringing out the best in a client’s space – making it as comfortable and as beautiful as possible. Clients trust me to create a space that will reflect their taste and personality. The entire process is satisfying for me; from meeting with the client, interpreting their desires for their space and creating a unique vision, to putting together all the pieces of the puzzle and then, finally, leaving the client with a space that is uplifting, where they can live elegantly and graciously.

What would you say influences your style?

I’m inspired by the patterns and colours I’ve encountered through traveling. On a drive through the desert during a recent trip to Israel, I was mesmerized by the vastness and barren quality of the land. You could see hints of pink in the sand; various shades of grays and muted blues in the sky. It was hypnotic. This is a color combination that I will replicate or draw from in my work as an interior designer; most likely when I have a task to create a serene space.

Do you have a go-to designer you turn to for inspiration?

I think Karl Lagerfeld is brilliant. One of my favourite interior designers is Kelly Wearstler. She weaves glamour and colour seamlessly, creating spaces that are modern and minimalistic, but with a touch of vintage and nostalgia.

Fashion-wise, what is your most cherished possession?

My sister got me this perfect buttery brown leather purse from Italy. It looks like a mini piece of luggage and has a removable strap so you can wear it across your body. I wouldn’t dream of parting with it.

You know I’m a big music fan. What are your top three songs?

At the moment, my number one song is Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Nigg*s in Paris. The beat is addictive. It’s a party song and makes me want to lose myself in the music, and perhaps… be a bit debaucherous! I also love Not Over You by Gavin DeGraw. This song pulls at my heart strings. And finally, I’d say Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up) by Florence and The Machine – their music is dreamy. I love running to it at the gym.

What new and upcoming trend for interior design are you the most excited about?

Using things in a different way. For example, I turned a silk scarf and a wall hanging into pillow cases. Repurposing and DIY seem to be very de rigueur. It’s good for the planet too!

A little Monday sparkle

As a non-Monday-fan, I try to make the first day of the week extra special by adding a little pizzazz to my wardrobe, makeup and even my food... KD and Toblerone for supper! Hey, it’s Monday, I’m pizzazz-ing it! But seriously, glitter-up next Monday and you’ll see how great it will make you feel. And cheer up, Tuesday is just around the corner.

Selected images via

Eye candy - Tome II

I don’t believe in waiting for a significant other to make February 14^th a special day. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t exchange Hubby for anything or anyone, but I believe in extending the Vday cheer to friends and family. This year, why not send out homemade Valentine’s Day cards, wear that fantastic dress you’ve been saving for a special occasion or bring cupcakes to work? ...and treat yourself to something special! Here are a few gift ideas from you to you. (But hey, if you’re a purist, leave your computer screen open to this page... and cross your fingers he gets the hint.)

1. My absolute favourite coffee table book; Linda McCartney: Life in Photographs / 2. Michael Kors’ heart bracelet / 3. Oui-Non leather paperweight from Chapters-Indigo /4. I love love love Harry Allen’s piggy bank / 5. A Kate Spade necklace, from her new collection / 6. Hot pink blazer from Jacob / 7. My number one perfume; Chance by Chanel / 8. Macbeth by Butter London

Social Media

This week was a big week for PartyMixTape: A new Facebook page, a Twitter account, and now a membership to Pinterest. Follow me on any which one – I’d love to get your feedback! To be truthful, I'm slightly obsessed with Pinterest, a virtual bulletin board... or pinboard, as they call it. Check out the lovely discoveries I made this week:

 via

via

via

via

Eye candy - Tome I

February, already! The Valentine buzz is in full force – scaring our men and delighting the ladies. Hubby and I are known for our annual V-Day party, for which we request a pink and red dress code, serve red coloured drinks, encourage guests to eat just one more cupcake and convince them to dance all night long. This year, I’m forgoing this tradition for something even better: celebrating D’s big 3-0… but we’ll talk more about that later.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on this: my Eye Candy Tome I – the ultimate guide for your Valentine’s Day splurges!

1. Love at First Blush, lingerie crafted in Montreal / 2. Louis Vuitton… the ultimate luxury / 3. Ross Menuez’s Fawn pillow, from Areaware / 4. Antoine Tavaglione’s Valentine’s Day limited edition print I Scream and Melt for You, from Station 16