A Saturday in Autumn

A few photos of our weekend escapade - Don Valley's Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto.

Sprezzatura at its best!

Errol Flynn

P.S: Thank you, Cédric, for sharing this great picture!

Friday's Eye Candies /Histoires sans Paroles

Photo by Cédric Roulliat

Provocative Visioning Launches Speaker Series at OCADU

 'Hylozoic ground' by Philip Beesley architects for the Canadian pavilion at la Biennale d'Architettura di Venezia 2010 ( Photo Marco Jacob)

"The Goethe-Institut Toronto, in cooperation with the Faculty of Design at OCAD University (OCADU) and the MaRS Centre, present a speaker series as part of Ecology.Design.Synergy: Green Architecture & New Ideas from Germany & Canada. The series will launch with Provocative Visioning: The Artist/Designer as Eco-Provocateur, bringing together the remarkable creative explorations of Berlin-based Friedrich von Borries and Canadian Philip Beesley, with presentation of their work and ensuing conversation, at OCADU on Thursday, October 7, 6 p.m."

Read more on OCAD's website.

See you there...

The World is Ready for Luis Jacob

FYI: The Toronto Star recently published a great article about Luis Jacob's work. 

Read the article.

France-Italy, Summer 2010: through the arcades of my memories!

Last summer, my husband and I travelled in France (Lyon-Paris) and Italy (Torino, Milano, Verona, Venezia) to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary.
For your viewing pleasure, here are a few vistas that we contemplated.
Do you recognize any of them?

L'été dernier, mon mari et moi avons voyagé en France ( Lyon-Paris) et en Italie (Turin, Milan, Vérone, Venise) pour y célébrer notre première anniversaire de mariage.
Voici un petit pêle-mêle de souvenirs en images.

Marco Jacob's Public Displays of Affection in Toronto

 Edmond Place side chair. CNC routered baltic birch plywood (clear varnished or laquered)

Last Thursday, September 23 was the Opening Reception for an exhibition of Public Displays of Affection  at Toronto's Gladstone Hotel. PDA for Edmond Place is an exploration in community-engaged design. Over 60 pieces of locally designed and built furniture were on display.

My husband, Marco Jacob, presented the design of a new chair.

Mad about Mad Men, Soundtrack Vol.1

Just bought the album yesterday! My husband and I listened to it with a big smile on our faces, singing along while sipping from a glass of "brut" Champagne to celebrate the sweetness of our 1st wedding anniversary. A certain idea of happiness.

Now, there are 2 other volumes, one for Season 2 and another for Season 3...We will most certainly indulge, and this very very soon.
We need more music from that era. Any recommendations?

PS: (a few weeks later....) We ended up buying Mad Men, Vol.2 (not as good, but still pleasant!), and more Julie London, Her Name is Julie - absolutely charming!

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Nous avons tout juste acheté l'album hier! Mon mari et moi-même l'avons écouté, le sourire aux lèvres, tout en sirotant un verre de champagne brut pour célébrer la douceur de notre premier anniversaire de mariage. Eh oui, une certaine idée du bonheur.
Maintenant, il y a 2 autres volumes, un pour la saison 2 et un autre pour la saison 3...Nous pensons sérieusement nous offrir le plaisir de plonger tête baissée dans ces deux autres albums, et ce au plus tôt!
Nous aimerions découvrir plus de musiques de cette période. Des idées?

Over your cities grass will grow

Last night I enjoyed the screening of a documentary film that my friend Emilie Blézat (Sciapode Prod.) just co-produced:  

Sophie Fiennes’
OVER YOUR CITIES GRASS WILL GROW
at the Toronto International Film Festival
AMC 4 September 14th, 8:45 pm

AMC 9 September 16th, 6.00 pm
AMC 2 September 18th, 9.00 am
in the Visions section.

OVER YOUR CITIES GRASS WILL GROW bears witness to German artist Anselm Kiefer’s alchemical creative processes and renders as a film journey the personal universe he has built at his hill studio estate in the South of France.

I was very much interested in discovering the process of Kiefer's work, which I must admit I really did not know before. Sophie Fiennes's choice of Ligeti's subtle musical pieces achieved a perfect dialogue with the images.

Go see it if you can, and let me know of your impressions!

Inspirational Holidays!

I am back to Toronto.

The least I can say is that I had a very refreshing and inspirational month and a half travelling in France and Italy. To share the joy, I will soon post a very strict selection of photos.
Every year, it is the same. After the big summer break I look forward to the back-to-school excitement that September brings. I like the idea of starting anew: I have reorganized the plants, scented candles, and framed pictures in our apartment, refilled the spice rack, weeded through my shelves and wardrobe, and I feel ready to let new ideas in.

I am in a very soft dusty pink mood for this September season...

Now just for your viewing pleasure, let me show you the trailer of a classic, The Thomas Crown Affair (by Norman Jewison, 1968) which my husband and I savoured a couple of nights ago. A lesson in style with the breathtaking Faye Dunaway and Steve McQueen, and the most erotic scene over a chess board ever, well that is according to me...

Frankreich: Vacances à la Campagne!

Vue de ma chambre au réveil, ce matin 8h.

 En vacances en France pour un mois, je me repose à la campagne, chez mes parents.

Ce week-end, je vais aller passer une semaine dans les Hautes-Alpes, à la Joue du Loup, pour profiter du bon air de la montagne et faire de belles randonnées dans le Massif des Ecrins, et peut-être même aller faire un tour du côté de Grasse et de Nice...

Puis, lorsque mon cher et tendre époux m'aura rejointe, ce sera l'Italie pour une semaine!
A suivre...

Top of the morning to you!

These last few days, I've had to rest at home for health reasons (thank you very much, I am perfectly well now!;)).

The experience reminded me of my childhood's sick days when my mum would tuck me in bed and bring me a very comforting bowl of soup (little alphabet noodles were one of my faves) or a plate of ham and mash.

This time, my mum had been replaced by my loving and caring husband, but the scenario was quite similar: "Lie down and rest!" I have never felt bored when obliged to rest, it is just that now I feel more... restless, and it is more difficult to stay in just resting...So just like when I was a child, I took a good pile of books and magazines to go through, and asked my husband to pick up a short list of musical comedies to cheer me up. And it worked! 'S wonderful!

Here are 2 of them for your viewing pleasure:

Top Hat


An American in Paris

Friday's Eye Candies /Histoires sans Paroles

Photo by Shayne Gray

The Secret in their Eyes & Nine Queens

The Secret in their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos), directed by Juan José Campanella (2010):

 & Nine Queens (Nueve Reinas), directed by Fabián Bielinsky (2000):

Happy Birthday Get-Away Weekend!

1812 Antiques Shop, Grafton, a treat for the eye curated by Patricia Poussin, a British lady from Tunbridge Wells, Kent

  The gardens of 1812 Antiques, Grafton.

The underwoods leading to Cherry Hill Antiques, Grafton.

 Cherry Hill Antiques, Grafton

Last Thursday, July 1st was Canada Day, but most importantly to me, it was my husband's birthday!

To celebrate we decided to get away, which happened to be a wise decision knowing that the weekend would not be quiet in our neighborhood. Toronto's Pride Festival, with its million participants, celebrated its 30th party all weekend in our back yard, so to say.

Our trip through the picturesque countryside of Ontario took us to Cambridge, Elora, Port Hope, Grafton, and finally to a cottage in rural Hastings, along the Rice Lake.

 Marco and I relaxing at the beach, Port Hope.

On our way, some of our favorite things : antiquing again and again, in Port Hope and Grafton; walking along the beach of the Marina in Port Hope; gaping at the stars in a pitch black sky in rural Hastings, marveling like kids in front of the beautiful local fireworks (supported by a band of ecstatic fire-flies flashing their lights in the bushes); sleeping overnight in a wooden cabin-style cottage, and waking up at 7AM in the midst of nature; observing the porcupine move slowly in our friends' cottage's garden; improvising a stop-over at Barnum House museum (on Highway 2) to enjoy a tour of the house and a scrumptious tea party in the front garden of this gorgeous historical house.

All of these mentioned above and a little something more made it a unique and memorable celebration!

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En français s'il vous plait... 

Ici, au Canada, le 1er juillet est synonyme de fête nationale, mais pour moi, le 1er juillet, c'est avant tout l'anniversaire de mon tendre et cher!

Afin de le célébrer cet anniversaire dignement, nous avions décidé de partir en week-end pour nous mettre au vert, loin des foules agitées de Toronto et de notre quartier qui, aux mêmes dates, célébrait la 30ème édition de la  'Gay Pride'.

Notre escapade bucolique nous a permis de mieux découvrir de magnifiques régions de l'Ontario. Au programme, Cambridge, Elora, Port Hope, Grafton, et pour finir en beauté, un BBQ festif que nous avons partagé avec des amis dans  un 'cottage', ou un chalet, situé dans la commune de Hastings.

Voici en résumé quelques uns de nos meilleurs souvenirs glanés sur le chemin du retour : les multiples magasins d'antiquités découverts à Port Hope et à Grafton; la promenade le long de la plage de la marina à Port Hope; l'étonnement enfantin ressenti face aux feux d'artifice de la commune de Hastings (accompagnés par les feux intermittents des lucioles, cachées dans les buissons du jardin); le fait de s'endormir dans un chalet en bois et de se réveiller au milieu de la nature; l'observation méticuleuse mais prudente de mon premier porc-épic rencontré dans le jardin de nos amis; la pause-thé improvisée au Musée de la Maison Barnum (sur l'autoroute 2) où nous avons pu profité d'un délicieux thé après une visite guidée de cette résidence historique.

Tous ces merveilleux souvenirs, et un petit je-ne-sais-quoi de plus, ont fait de cette célébration une occasion unique et mémorable!

La Terra Trema in Toronto!

Yesterday, at 1.41PM, the earth shook...I was working at home and for a very short lapse of time (probably less than 20 seconds) I felt the floor, the walls and the ceiling move. I understood it was more that the metro vibrations we sometimes feel in Toronto, si-si, la Terra trema in Toronto!

I stood up to stand under the frame of a door in the living-room. That felt weird. Fortunately enough, the Victorian house we live in was built on solid foundations and resisted the magnitude 5.0 earthquake.

To read more, click here.
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En français, s'il vous plaît
Hier, à 13h41, la terre a tremblé... Alors que je travaillais sur mon ordinateur à la maison, j'ai senti pendant un bref moment (probablement moins de 20 secondes) des vibrations dans le plancher, puis dans les murs et enfin dans le plafond du salon où je me tenais. J'ai compris que cela n'était pas les vibrations du métro que parfois nous ressentons à Toronto, non. C'était bel et bien les ondes d'une secousse, la Terra trema à Toronto!
Je me suis alors levé pour aller me placer sous le cadre de la porte du salon. Un drôle de sentiment. Heureusement, la maison victorienne dans laquelle nous vivons a des fondations solides et a pu résister sans sourciller à cette secousse de 5,5 sur l'échelle de Richter.
Pour en savoir plus, cliquez ici.

Happy Papa's Day!

"Her name is Barbarella, and she makes science fiction something else!..."

"Elle s'appelle Barbarella et, avec elle, la science-fiction devient quelque chose d'autre!..."

Friday's Eye Candies /Histoires sans Paroles

Cédric Roulliat Photography

Film Noir du Soir

Last night, we watched the epitome of Film Noir, The Third Man by Carol Reed (screenplay by Graham Greene) with Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles and Trevor Howard. A masterpiece. And the unforgettable musical theme by Anton Karas on his zither, which I am sure you know...

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Hier soir, nous avons regardé un film noir, Le 3ème Homme de Carol Reed (scénario de Graham Greene) avec Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles et Trevor Howard. Un chef d'oeuvre du genre.

Et la partition inoubliable d'Anton Karas au zither, que vous aussi connaissez sûrement sans même avoir vu le film...

Bewitched by Haider Ackermann A/W 2010 Show at the ROM

Last night, I headed to the Royal Ontario Museum to attend the Haider Ackermann A/W 2010 show. It started at 8PM and was a total experience: I was bewitched! The sophisticated elegance of the styles, the sharp choice for the models (an Elmer Olsen model exclusive show- Ahh, Tara Gill!) and the powerful music (exact same soundtrack as for the show in Paris- I Put a Spell on You + other piano and cello variations) made this show a very theatrical & very well structured entity... 

More photos from Style.com for your viewing pleasure.