Trick or Treat!

  my sister and I, days gone by

When witches go riding,

and black cats are seen,

the moon laughs and whispers,

‘tis near Halloween.

~Author Unknown

I hope you get your share of treats today!

xo, Nathalie



Mirror, Mirror, at Place Vendome

Big mirror lover that I am...
The "Ring" Mirror Installation by Arnaud Lapierre, at The Place Vendome in Paris,
has me completely taken...

It was up from October 20 to the 23rd, and is Lapierre's first outdoor installation ~

If you are near  Paris, you may still see it at the Paul Ricard circuit in Castellet, where it has been relocated ...

These photographs taken by Eric Mercier are so utterly dreamy!
 I need to track him down to purchase and frame some of them... a whole wall of these, framed in mirrors? A thought!

I mean, really? Stunning!

In Lapierre's words:
'''The Ring' is an installation that takes into consideration the urban space networking: the rhythm, flow, organization and spatial hierarchy. The installation embodies a visual effect that is to connect all of these interactions through the implementation of an optical effect: the repetition of a cubic mirror to break the perception of the place.'

Read more about the Installation here.

all photos by eric mercier
via yatzer

I Am Dying To Do This!

The creative minds out there in the world never cease to amaze me...
The awesome image blog, "Dear Photograph",
is so brilliant!

Placing a puzzle piece of life in place...

Back in time ... just too cool!

You can share your "re-visit" in time with others at "Dear Photograph"

Or just check in to see others...

My mind is already buzzing with the possibilities! How about you?

Our newest addition, Maxwell, is warming up to Alba...Thank goodness Alba has the most loving soul, and alot of patience! It has been very entertaining!

I hope you had a relaxing weekend ~ it is so crazy to me that November is a week away, with the time change, christmas, and 2012 a whisper away ~
Where do the days go?

Make the most of your week and enjoy!

xo, Nathalie

images via lost at e minor, dear photograph, me

Breakfast of Champions

gucci loops


Are you looking for a fabulous new way to start the day?...

chanel cheerios

Do you want to channel your inner child, in a fashionably fun way...

louis vuitton charms

Chilhood favs gone chic...

cartier crunch

What would you do if you came across these in the shopping aisle? We now have designers everywhere from Target, Sears, J.C Penney...
Are grocery aisles the next stop?

burberry flakes

I even saw that Banana Republic is designing some wine labels for Clos du Bois Winery...
I prefer the artist labels from Mouton Rothschild myself...
or the Andy Warhol labels for Dom Perignon....

Food (or drink) for thought...

sweet angel courtland from green-eyed monster

Now this picture MADE my week! Yes, that is one of my creations being cuddled, and I just love seeing pictures like this...
Courtland's mom is hosting a Giveaway for a lovey and sachet of mine this week right HERE

Have a wonderful weekend! We have all sorts of exciting distractions going on in our house, with a 2 pound kitty and a 70 pound dog getting acquainted...Never a dull moment!

xo, Nathalie

designer cereal photos via refinery 29
sweet courland photo via green eyed monster

Rock Climbing, Alice?

A whole new take on rock climbing ...
Fun!
Inspired by Alice in Wonderland ~
Japanese firm Nendo designed this wall for the Illoiha fitness center in Tokyo's
Omotesando shopping center.

Pretty genius...
The sky's the limit...

Happy hump day,
Nathalie

via Design Taxi

Meet Maxwell

Introducing Maxwell, the newest member of our household! He is so tiny, he fits in my hands...and so adorable! What joy a little pet can bring into a home....

The introduction to his big sister is going slow though, baby steps...
Such a tiny ball of fur can pack a huge hiss!
Do you have animals in your home?
If you have a dog and a cat, how do they get along?

To be continued...

Wishing you a joyous day,

Nathalie

And The Winner Is....

For those that left comments celebrating my 500th Sale on Etsy, I thank you so much!
After a large Random toss of entries, the Winner of the $50 Gift Certificate in my Etsy Shop is ~

Anita, of
Castles, Crowns and Cottages!!!

And for those of you with comments on the post, if you would like to order anything, I would be delighted to offer you a 15% discount ...just send me a convo through Etsy before purchasing!

Have a wonderful week!
Nathalie

image via pinterest

Are You Planning an Event in Malibu?

www.jennifernaylor.com

Because if you are, you will want to give my friend Jennifer Naylor a call!
She is "The" premiere caterer in Malibu...
However, even if you are not in Malibu throwing a bash, you must check out her new blog here,  which is truly a feast for the eyes...and the stomach!

Her most recent post is about the food that she prepared for Kim Kardashian's Wedding Shower...
These beaded silver mint julep cups filled with the bride to be's favourite cookie dough ice cream, and topped with tufts of pink cotton candy look sublime!

jennifer and i in roma

Jennifer and I go way back, having worked together for years for chef Wolfgang Puck at Granita in Malibu. We both have a huge passion for Italy, and had a blast together in Rome. I was visiting her while she was studying/working under some of the best chefs in Italy.
 She is one of the most talented, dedicated hard-working chefs I know...

granita, malibu

Jennifer taught the most amazing cooking classes to all of the celebrities while at Granita, and I was fortunate to "tag along" as her Vanna White.... I learned so much from these days!
With the holidays approaching, I thought I would share two of my staple dishes from those days, that always get huge compliments...

If you can find watercress on the bulb like this, it has so much more flavour! The combination here of the pomegranates, fennel, walnuts, frisee, watercress, and then the ultimate flavor of the tartufato cheese (you will find this at a cheese store...a hard white cheese with white truffles...to die for!)
Absolutely incredible, and worth every minute of the prep time...

These cranberries are the best ever, and SO easy to make. "Agrodolce," "sweet and sour"...a combination that I love. Pardon my scribbled notes...one of which is that you can boil down some orange peels (sliced) in sugar water, and add it in at the end.

Please stop by to say hi, and get inspired by her wonderful passion for food...
Jennifer's Website
Jennifer on Twitter
Jennifer on Facebook

Have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

Take a bellisimo tour of Roma, by Louis Vuitton...
http://youtu.be/ymi7GGbRO3g


If you haven't yet entered my Giveaway that ends Sunday night, please scroll down to my Cinquecento Giveaway to leave a comment!

Ciao!
Nathalie

Fall

Some beautiful Fall inspirations that I found on Pinterest today...

Years ago I saw this banner above, and copied it...I bring it out every year for Thanksgiving, and just love it ...so I got a chuckle to see that someone else on Pinterest did the same...
What a small world it is!
We are all connected, in so many ways.

If you haven't yet left a comment to enter my Giveaway below, please do!
The winner will be announced Monday ~

Happy Hump Day,
Nathalie

images via pinterest

Cinquecento Gratitude Giveaway!

"Cinquecento" is one of my favourite Italian words...
and 500 Sales on Etsy is a goal that I have had in mind for quite a while...

I am so full of gratitude to have met my goal this past week!

And to celebrate, I am doing  a Giveaway of a $50 Gift Certificate,
towards any Custom piece(s)  in my shop!

To Enter:

Just leave a comment here on my blog, telling me what you would use the $50 towards from my SHOP...
For additional entries,
"LIKE" Dolce Dreams on Facebook HERE
and leave a separate comment to let me know that you have...if you are already a Facebook Fan of
Dolce Dreams, leave a second comment to let me know that you are already one!

And from the bottom of my heart,

merci

to all of my wonderful supporters!!!

xo, Nathalie

***Winner will be announced Monday, October 17***

Giveaway only for US and Canada

Chanel's Underwater Fantasy, S/S 2012

via Chanel

Karl Lagerfeld's aquatic inspiration for Chanel's Spring Summer 2012 collection has left me beathless...

via Chanel

The backdrop in the Grand Palais in Paris sparkles,  perfectly complementing the collection ~

via Chanel

I am usually one to choose black over white, but am in love with this...

via Chanel





via Chanel

What a gorgeous show this must have been! Take a peek...

My inspirations this week have been aquatic...I must be missing swimming in our pool! We had our last swim over the weekend, the temps have dropped here to chilly 60-70's, and the winter gear is coming out!

Peace...

Nathalie

pictures via anothermag.com