Indochine...

Sometimes, I take for granted the things that are "in my backyard", festivals and events that I have grown up with in my hometown. Tyler, Texas is known as the "Rose Capital of the World" and the annual Rose Festival is something I have seen my whole life.

I couldn't ignore going this year though, with the theme being "Indochine-Year of the Dragon"! The weather was perfect for the Queen's tea, so I and about a zillion other people fought the traffic and crowds to attend.

It was so worth the effort. Pagodas and dragons abounded along with red lanterns and lovely bouquets of roses in the colors of the court.

The Queen and her attendants (seven attendants, nineteen ladies-in-waiting and twenty-three duchesses and their escorts)dress in resplendent costumes that illustrate each year's theme. Mandarin collars, coral and dragons were interpreted through textiles and embellishments in the court's gowns.

The detail was amazing. Layers and layers of silks, beaded voiles and fur told the story of Marco Polo's travels from Turkey to India, southeast Asia, Japan and finally, China.

The tea is held in the Tyler Rose Gardens throughout the grounds and inside the museum itself. An Asian backdrop with the floral arrangements was the main photo op spot as the girls took turns standing  for photos.

The details are what always attract me. Nothing is half way done. The gloves, necklaces and shoes were all perfectly coordinated to each costume.

The line for the Queen was almost an hour long, so here is a back shot of the train and her inner court!

I did shoot this cute boy, one of her attendants, still smiling for the camera after sitting there for three hours! 

Peles Castle....

The Romanian castle Peles has 160 rooms...and each room was decorated to reflect a different European country.

flickr-sincretic

The exterior is in the German neo-Renaissance style with rich, darkly carved wood, spires and murals in the inner courtyard. (source) 

Flickr-Espino Family

Built for King Carol I, this was the first castle in Europe to have central heating and electricity. 

Flickr-Alex_Pink
German architect, Johannes Schultz caught the king's eye by combining his love of different classic styles and created a grand palatial alpine villa

source

Between three and four hundred men worked on the construction .With Queen Elizabeth of the Romanians being a patron of the arts , detail was not spared on the exterior as well as the interior.

flickr-engineoyle
Look at the trompe l'oeil stonework. Crests and window ornamentation also decorate the facade.

flickr-nickhall

A quote from Queen Elizabeth of the Romanians during construction helps define the architectural style-Italians were masons, Romanians were building terraces, the Gypsies were coolies. Albanians and Greeks worked in stone, Germans and Hungarians were carpenters. Turks were burning brick. Engineers were Polish and the stone carvers were Czech. The Frenchmen were drawing, the Englishmen were measuring, and so was then when you could see hundreds of national costumes and fourteen languages in which they spoke, sang, cursed and quarreled in all dialects and tones, a joyful mix of men, horses, cart oxen and domestic buffaloes.

flickr-John Connell
If you can get past the exterior, check out the inside. Beautiful gilding, and mural work along with ornate carved wood fill every corner of the walls.

flickr-madgrin
And if you can't get there in person-check out this youTube video!

Paris on my mind.....

Paris is on my mind because I have two friends in Paris right now and have been receiving emails and photos on a daily basis. Admittedly, I am a little jealous. I would love to be there seeing the sights and eating wonderful food.

But, I have Paris all around me...I am a gatherer..... I gather things as I travel and fill my home with memories of my journeys.

Like the tiny Eiffel Towers and the lovely package from the Crillon.....

My Murano chandelier purchased at the Marche Puces (flea market) that I held through three flights to keep it safe....

The rootstock cork screw that makes me smile whenever I look at it....

Even the "kitschy" things , like the reproduction clocks I bought in a tourist shop...

Paris is all around me...in the sepia engravings I purchased at the Louvre...

and even the small sugar collection in my kitchen! I will board a flight ...in time...to go back, but for now, I am content to stay home and enjoy my part of Paris.

Metrocon Dallas 2012

Metrocon is a design related regional expo/conference formed from a collaboration between the ASID(American Society of Interior Designers) and IIDA(International Interior Design Association).

Ed Mattingly, over Faux Impressions  with Sherwin Williams invited me to hop over to Dallas and view the Expo. It was  also good to see the Sherwin Williams Texas designer executive, Ashlynn Bourque.

 I found some incredible sources and trends for home and office interiors! Take notes on this post, lots of good sources here!

I didn't have to walk far to find inspiration. Zazilkin creates decorative resin panels  embedded with fibers and texture that are only limited by your imagination. I personally have seen them used in the Hilton Garden Hotels as dividers between lounge and eating areas. A local "green" grocery store in my home town also has a huge end wall of them in their store. (Fresh) The panels combine green technology with decorative art and offer filtered light with interesting designs for ceiling application or other back lit installations.

 How can you walk past a display of Kenneth James wallpapers? They offer smart looks similar to  Maya Romanoff and other cutting edge designers.

Very sophisticated metallics with glass beads.....

Can be purchased through Brewster Home Fashions....

Local based Dallas company,  Glass Recycled offers green decorative solutions by using recycled glass.

Crushed glass is used in terrazzo fashion to create almost limitless designs and colors.

Almost fossil like appearance, this is crushed flourescent tubing...

You must click on the enlargement of this photo! All kinds of bits of colored glass are embedded....Give them a call or check out their website for countertop and flooring ideas.

Speaking of glass, my mind went wild over Clarus glass boards. This is such a clean, updated solution for a dry erase or chalk board.

This product appeals to both right and left-brain people! Without checking their website, I knew Apple (tm) had to be a client for this product!

Glass boards can be traditional white, or almost any color of the rainbow.

Clarus  has so much potential for decorating, these panels function as wall art when not in use.

 Blame it on a combination of growing up in the 60's and watching the Jetsons that made me give Loft wall a double take.

They have some interesting products for dividing space with creative solutions.

Panels range from color blocks and woodgrain to more modern graphic designs.  Go to their website and see the potential!

My heart stood still when I saw Studio art's desire.  Owner and creator Freda Vaughn seeks unique artists that offer "dimensional, tactile and visceral" custom installations for her clients.

Featured felt artist Audrey Legatowicz had several samples of her fabulous work....Forget wall installations, I wanted to wear them!

Also featured were embossed and textured art glass. Studio art's desire should be a solution in your creative files.

Do you need a source for antiqued or decorative mirror for an interior? Mark Anthony Portolano owner and designer with Blue Sky Glass Design is waiting. Based in Texas, Blue Sky Glass can etch, stencil, antique or sandblast a project for you to create "eye candy for the soul"and promises to always think outside the box!

Ok, I saved the best for last! Meeting Dawn Cleaves, Chad Paulson and Samantha Murray of Artisan Finishes was just icing on the cake.  This is a group of artists with exceptional diversity able to translate your dreams into reality. With backgrounds in theater art, clay and plaster troweling, traditional and modern faux finishes , Broadway scenic shop work and film work, these artists are the trifecta in creative solutions. Dallas area based, they offer yet another source for interior spaces. I would love to work with this crew to create some magic!

Ok, this last shot was hard to capture....see the photo at the top of the post? This is a glass fragment from the Vetro glassblowing booth. They engraved it for me...."artlvr"....(see, at the top?) Overall, I had a wonderful day, came away with new friendships, and loads of sources that I hope you, too will enjoy.