Miss Dior Cherie

I felt so inspired by the latest "Miss Dior Cherie' campaign starring the lovely Natalie Portman I decided to buy a bottle of the perfume as I raced through the duty free at the airport. The campaign, shot in Paris by Sofia Coppola of 'Marie Antoinette' fame is pretty and romantic. The clip features Natalie and  a handsome young  newcomer, twenty year old Alden Ehrenreich. The background song 'Je t'aime' by Bridgette Bardot and Serge Gainsborough also just happens to be one of my favourites. This is the first time Natalie has ever endorsed a brand or a product so she also must think it's pretty nice fragrance!

 Here is a little preview of the ad.

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know

By the name of ANNABEL LEE;

And this maiden she lived with no other thought

Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,

In this kingdom by the sea;

But we loved with a love that was more than love-

I and my Annabel Lee;

With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven

Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,

In this kingdom by the sea,

A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling

My beautiful Annabel Lee;

So that her highborn kinsman came

And bore her away from me,

To shut her up in a sepulchre

In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,

Went envying her and me-

Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,

In this kingdom by the sea)

That the wind came out of the cloud by night,

Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love

Of those who were older than we-

Of many far wiser than we-

And neither the angels in heaven above,

Nor the demons down under the sea,

Can ever dissever my soul from the soul

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes

Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,

In the sepulchre there by the sea,

In her tomb by the sounding sea. 

By Edgar Allen Poe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, here's a handkerchief, dear. I'm sobbing my eyes out too. But, this is my favorite poem of all time, so I love it anyway. Why? I think it is beautiful and tragic, and I love how their love is undying even after death. How lovely ♥ However, I would like to make it clear that I don't agree with all the theology in that poem: I really don't think the angels in heaven were jealous, and I am sure they were *way* happier in heaven. ;) What is your favorite poem?
Blessings! 

Tahitian Girl

This beautiful Tahitian wedding shoot epitomises everything that made me fall in love with Tahiti :- tropical flowers, perfect white sand, coconut palms hung with hammocks gently swaying in the breeze, jewel coloured waters, thatched huts, friendly locals and a simple, relaxed way of life. After looking forward to this trip for so long I am hoping it lives up to expectations!

Golden Dreams

There is something amazingly sophisticated about black and gold. The combination is always striking and elegant and never fails to impress. For instance, take a simple well cut black dress then add a gold clutch, gold heels and gold jewellery and it's instant after five glamour. Using gold in design whether it's fashion, interior design, homewares, packaging or invitations the result always feels timeless and stylish with a touch of opulence.

Beauty

For lovely eyes, see the good in all people.

Remember if you ever are in need of a helping hand, 

you will find one at the end of your arm.

 For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

 For poise, walk with the knowledge that you will never 

walk alone, for the Lord is always by your side.

As you grow older, you will understand that you have two hands, 

one for helping yourself, and the second for helping others. 

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

 

{From Godey's Lady's Book, 1856}

Blessings :)

~Southern Belle

Blushing Beauty

There is something very feminine and alluring about the delicate shades of blush, tea rose and peach. These soft, romantic,  ultra feminine colours conjure up images of lace, milliner's netting, fabric roses, long satin gloves, hat boxes tied with satin bows, powder puffs, silk negligees and old fashioned roses. It makes me think of elegant ladies sipping tea in their parlors with French chandeliers and silk upholstered antique furniture. 

 

Rouge Coco

Vanessa Paradis, French actress and singer has a long on-going relationship with both Chanel and, more famously, Johnny Depp. She is the current face of Rouge Coco lipstick as well as the Chanel 'Cocoon' handbag line. The latest advertising campaign is both romantic and ethereal. I now feel like shying away from my soft neutral lipstick palette and moving into something more adventurous like the coral tones of  'Mademoiselle'. Rouge Coco is available in thirty shades and is named after details that define Coco Chanel's life like 'Camelia', 'Paris' and 'Gabrielle'.