The Winner Is...

"Marcello! Marcello! You are not listening to me...."

"Aspetta amore, I am trying to hear who won the Giveaway...
La Dolce Vita, tu sei...
Chi ha vinto?
Who won?"

AND THE WINNER IS..

pve design!

Grazie, merci to all for entering!
 It was alot of fun, and I am thinking up something fabulous to do another VERY soon, so keep your eyes open...

In the meantime, keep your eyes on Marcello...
sigh ~
Part of the reason for my son's name!

Happy Tuesday!

Nathalie

Breakfast Fit For A Queen ( and King)

Happy Memorial Day weekend to my US friends!
I hope yours is coming along as well as mine ~ I awoke yesterday to such a special surprise from my boys... Breakfast all ready for Mom and Dad...

Toast, jam, and bananas, accompanied by sparkling mandarin water with whip cream....

Huxley the mouse  (our mascot), holding the menu...

Oh  I forgot to mention the appetizer of carrots and hummus!

Priceless!!!!

I hope you are relaxing and taking time to smell the roses ~

And if you haven't yet left a comment for my Giveaway below, it ends tomorrow night ~ Winner announced Tuesday!

xo
Nathalie

Victoria Day to Memorial Day Giveaway!

Giveaway Time!
In celebration of holidays, and also my new
" European Holiday Sachets,"
I have decided it would be fun to do a Giveaway ~

A Lovely Seda France Candle...
citron du sud, grande size
light it and take yourself away to Provence

Some exciting music to take you away to Roma,
in the days of Sophia Loren

And....
A $50 credit to use in my shop, however you like!
Do you want to create a Custom lavender sachet, eye pillow, or pillow, in your choice of colours?
Or are you in need of a Custom baby gift, from my baby heirlooms?
Dolce Dreams
Take a peek ...


To Enter:
The Giveaway starts today, Victoria day, in honour of my Canadian heritage, and will end on Memorial Day at midnight...
Winner will be announced Tuesday, May 31st

*********
Please leave a comment that you are a follower of Dolce Dreams to be entered
(one entry only please)

However for a second chance, leave me a second  comment that you "Like" Dolce Dreams on Facebook
click here

And if you post about this I will give you a third entry ~ let me know!

Be sure to include an email address if it is not on your profile...

Who doesn't love holidays traipsing through France or Italia...

Bonne Chance and Buona Fortuna!

Have a delightful week,
Nathalie
I think I am not alone in having some Blogger issues with leaving comments? I have tried visiting many of you and am unable to comment (continually re-directed to sign in)...If you are wanting to enter the Giveaway, but unable to comment, please e-mail me on my contact info here, or leave me a comment on my Facebook page...
I have enjoyed ALL of your posts, and am anxious for them to get this corrected!

House Hunting in LA?

If you are looking to step into the "LA Life" and make a move, this 1920's Hancock Park home will put you right into the picture....
Seven bedrooms and seven baths, with a Rolls Royce Phantom 5 parked in the garage...
Sweet!
All for 8.265 million ~

Some photos of current owner Christian Audigier's decor...

This room was described elsewhere as "tacky"...
I like it, it's LA...
perfect!
Of course I am a fuschia, animal print and mirror lover too though...

The rest of the house is pretty tame...
Awesome chef's kitchen!

Gorgeous landscaping...

Can you say POOL PARTY...a dream!

Outdoor kitchen to die for...

Lots of light for an older home ~

Love this room too!
To see more pictures click here.

Do you find it tacky?
Just curious...
I love all things classic but do find myself drawn to some out there design sometimes...
it's too boring to just stay in the box.

Not to gossip BUT...
The former mansion of Arnold Schwartzenegger and Maria Shriver is currently on sale, for 23.5 million...
This is where it apparently all started...
And that's as far as I'm going, as I find it in extreme poor taste, what is in the tabloids at the moment.

Personally, I would prefer the Hancock Park home...or any home in Malibu, but then living in Malibu is like running the gauntlet during earthquakes, mudslides, fires, really a nightmare ...


Have a great weekend!
I am thinking it is time for a giveaway, check in next week to see...

Nathalie

photos via refinery 29, huffington post, realtor.com

Let There Be Light...

crimean pinecone lamp by pavel eekra

A shortage of light is rarely a problem here in the desert....however, today, I could use one of these gorgeous light sources! It is mid May, and 61 degrees today...? I don't mind cooler temps, as I know what is coming...but really, our weather is on a roller coaster ride, up and down and up and down.
How's your weather? Alot of ups and downs where you are too?

ruffled table lamp, zipper 8 lighting

spikey white paper pendant, zipper 8 lighting

anna marie chandelier, revisions



profile candlesticks, revisions

I hope your day is light and lovely,
Nathalie



Mesmerizing Monday

While out gardening in my yard this weekend,
this gorgeous beauty opened for me... when the winds picked up, I picked it and brought it inside, and have been mesmerized with it's scent since...

waves at midnight box elder bowl

Like the scent of the magnolia, I find these "wood turned" pieces by Greg Gallegos at Natural Selection Studio  just as mesmerizing ~

Violaceous Box Elder Vessel

Kabuku XVIII

Don't you find them exquisite? They remind me of blown glass, perhaps because of the colours but also the light that resonates through them....
They are available for purchase here.

Cowhide rugs have never really been in my decor scheme, but after seeing these
by Kyle Bunting I am really intrigued! The colours and workmanship are
truly mesmerizing ( my word for the day!)

Gorgeous!

I hope your Monday is off to a mesmerizing start too, and that my magnolia's scent is wafting through to make your week heavenly ~

Nathalie

kyle bunting via contemporist

White With Green

Stiletto Planter by Giddy Spinster

Twenty four hours without Blogger??? Of course it would happen when I had time to sit down and set my cruise control through blogland, and visit. S-t-r-a-n-g-e. Reminder to save everything on my computer that I think is safe.

I have a ton of gardening to do this weekend, therefore have "green" on the brain...
and in the midst of the gorgeous spring/summer colours all over, am just loving
the simplicity of
  white... and green....

Hanging Air Pod Plant by Mudpuppy

Sculpted Planters by Collaboration


Aren't they wonderful? I think I would like a whole garden just in white and green, with stilettos throughout...

How did you survive the blogger blackout?

Wishing you a green weekend,
Nathalie

Dreaming in Chanel...

Oh j'adore Chanel! J'adore Cap D'Antibes...

 I know the show and pictures from it have been everywhere, but I can't get enough of this dream...

sigh....

I hope your week has been coming along quite nice ~

I honestly don't know where mine has gone, it has flown by...

My mother was in town for a few days, so I got to enjoy some female bonding of the best kind!

Now...back to Chanel...

Can't you just picture yourself in one of these stunning ensembles, with one of these svelte bodies,

perhaps accompanied by one of these charming gents ...

Would you be poolside?

At dinner?

Dancing?

Enjoy,

Nathalie

via thevoguerussia, you tube

Street Art On A New Level

alexandre farto in italy

Alexandre Farto, aka Vhils, a Portugese artist now based in London, is really amping up the look of street art. He actually sculpts and carves into old buildings to create these incredible works. I find them reminiscent of an old fresco in a way. And am blown away at how he can create such depth on such a large scale with the materials that he has to work with.

alexandre farto in london

alexandre farto in london

alexandre farto in moscow

I am completely enthralled with these... I am a sculptor and work with alabaster ( although it has been far too long since I have picked up my chisel and hammer...I have 4 large stones in my little work area in my yard begging to be finished, and this process of him sculpting into an old building is so intriguing! Maybe I should try my hand on the walls of my house ....
or then again...
maybe I just need to admire his work some more!
To see more of his masterpieces, visit his website here.

A little sharing on another topic...if you are into being ecologically friendly, and still being fashionable and chic, check out EcoStiletto...I came across them today. If you sign up for their newsletter, you have a chance to win some killer shoes...and they offer lots of info and savings.
Visit their site here.

See one of my pieces on this post ~
And this is another of my favourites I did on this post ~

Have a great week! May is starting off strong!

Nathalie

photos from alexandre farto, via flavorpill

In Celebration of Mom



Lovely Mom card from Red Bird Ink

Happy Mother's Day!

To all of the Mothers out there,
have a fantastic weekend...

Some photos of extraordinary mums that nurtured extraordinary children...



Helena Bonham Carter with her mother,
Elena 



Cher with her mother, Georgia Holt



Andy Warhol with his mother, Julia

Sean Lennon with his mother, Yoko Ono

Mick Jagger with his mother, Eva

Oprah with her mother, Vernita Lee

Michael Jackson with his mother, Katherine

Natalie Portman with her mother, Shelley

My mother Caroline and I



Moi et Maman by Her Painted Word

Mother and daughter, always connected...heart connected

Happy Mother's Day
Caroline
xox

Nathalie

photos via flavorwire