What Would Carrie Bradshaw Do?

I've really got to stop watching Sex and the City and start editing my book. So, I went ahead and finished the series (again) and then booked a flight to NYC. Anything to stop having to remember how to spell 'unfortunately'! I'm headed to NYC in a little less than two weeks. I've already started packing. I have this great new blazer that I got at Nordstrom Rack and I'm excited to try it out, don't care that I'll have heat stroke. It's from one of my favorite brands Frame, except I didn't own anything from them until now because everything from that line is a million dollars. But, this blazer was marked down 90%!! I'm pretty sure it was a typo on the tag, because it went from $600 to $50. I love discount shopping.
I haven't been to NYC in about four years, and that's way too long. I'm only there for a long weekend so I'll have to fit in as many restaurants as possible. Even with all the gourmet food in the city, my favorite meal is always the balsamic chicken sandwich from Hale and Hearty's. I won't even bother trying to re create it because I'll just be disappointed.
In between finding the perfect outfit for my new blazer and taking online quizzes to figure out which character I am on Sex and the City (why does it keep saying Miranda!?!), I'll be working on the book.  But really, is being Miranda that bad if you take away her haircut and outfits like these...

Ok, yes it's still bad. Even though she was a successful lawyer and had the townhouse in Brooklyn, she was mean to Steve like all the time. I like Charlotte, even though she wasn't as cool as Carrie, her apartment was in "House and Garden" magazine. She was always a lady and always had a blowout. She probably smelled really nice too. To bring up my new blazer just one more time, it is defiantly something Carrie would wear. I hope. Or maybe Samantha would wear it with nothing underneath ha ha.
I actually will be working on the book, I promise. Still aiming for the September deadline. I didn't say when in September though, so I have some wiggle room. Most all of the actual writing is done, now I'm just trying to figure out what I can actually say without getting sued for character assassination :)
I also have some exciting news... The Have Some Decorum Shop will be coming to you in real life in November! I have a booth at the CALM Antique Show in Santa Barbara!!! My mom and grandma used to have a booth at this twice yearly sale back in the early 2000's. So, it's come full circle and I'll be setting up shop November 9th, 10th and 11th at the Earl Warren Showgrounds. Make it if you can! There will be lots of antiques to easily take home with you!! And my French Bulldog, Blu, will be there to great everyone and ask if you have any potato chips to give him.
Oh yeah, I'm also doing a mini sale tomorrow, surprise! I usually try to have about ten items each sale but I thought it might be fun to do a smaller sale with INSANE items this round. I try to always keep things timeless with the items I choose, they can be weird and interesting, but they better not be trendy. Trendy just isn't a word that should be used to describe your home. I like the word eclectic. Fun fact, Circa was almost named Eclectica. I prefer homes to have the juxtaposition of different time periods. A home that is all from one year is never a good look. That's where collecting comes into play. The items I put up on the shop I hope will be collected, whether it's the chinoiserie or ex-votos or oil paintings, the more the merrier. I have so many chinoiserie boxes that I just started stacking them on top of each other. And I couldn't be happier.
I was planning on taking a break for a hot minute to get back on the book route, but then something incredible happened. I found the best item this store will ever see. I'm not kidding. People travel across the world trying to find this one particular item. But because I already have one, this one goes to you.... A zebra rug!
Zebra rugs were a staple in my house growing up. There was always one in the house. Sometimes it was in the living room, sometimes the kitchen, and once it was in the bathroom.
There are many ways to style a zebra rug, not all are good. My mom wrote a whole blog about the do's and dont's that you can read HERE. I thought I'd share some more inspiration pictures for whoever the lucky (most likely) lady is who purchases this. Since I was able to score this piece for an incredible price, of course I'm going to sell it for one too. The woman who sold it to me said it had been in her family for years but she just didn't 'understand' it. As soon as she said that, I was already handing her cash.
1st dibs is the best place to really learn if you got a deal or not. I'm gonna say, this is a deal. 1st dibs sells authentic zebra rugs from $2,500 all the way to $4,800. The way to determine if said rug is authentic is pretty obvious. First, the shape. Sometimes a cow hide will disguise itself as a zebra, and it's pretty obvious.
Here's a zebra print on a cow hide:

And here's a real zebra:

Pretty obvious, no? If that has you fooled, then the second way to authenticate is by the face. A zebra rug will almost always have the head of the zebra on the rug. Not in a bear skin rug way though. The zebra's face will be flat. Then there's the tail and the mane. What I'm saying is it's pretty hard to fake. Don't fake it with a zebra print rug either, it's not good look. Now, without further adieu, here is the rug for sale.

It measures 7.3 feet long, 5.1 feet arm to arm, 4 feet middle to middle and 4.9 feet back leg to back leg. Zebra's can be either black and white or brown and white. I personally love a brown and white zebra rug, which is great because this is a brown zebra. They're much more rare than the traditional black zebras and slightly more understated in a room, while still being a focal point. The rug is small enough that it can be layered on top of any rug already in your house, it looks especially nice on top of a sisal. The best part of a zebra rug is that it really can go anywhere style wise. It doesn't look out of place in any type of home, it only enhances what is already there! Zebra rugs also age incredibly well. The more wear and love it receives, the softer it gets.
Since I love you all, the price is $1,800. I want you have this rug in your house! Just look at what you can do with it.

OK OK OK now, the next huge item! A massive antique Kashmir Paisley. This is an item to collect, I have three of them, all proudly stolen from my grandma's house. The first use of the paisley pattern is unknown exactly, but possible theories state that it dates back to 1700BC from the ancient Babylon empire or from the Persian empire in 200AD, either way, this print as been around for a long time, even longer than Prince Phillip (if you can believe that!). From there, the paisley pattern has been produced all around the world, with the East India Trading Company importing paisley textiles from Kashmir and Persia to Europe, where it became a status symbol for the elite. Oh la la. The traditional paisley patterns do not depict any recognizable natural images, as it is against religion. These textiles were painstakingly woven and took more time than the average bossy French woman could wait, so it became popular to make a quilt like paisley, where multiple extra pieces from the looms were sewn together into one piece. When Napoleon went to Egypt, he brought some back as gifts for his "lova" Josephine. Josephine was often depicted wearing them as shawls or draping them along furniture in her portraits. She loved the paisley so much that she began collecting them and even would pay 80,000 euros for a single throw! She can be credited for starting the major trend of the paisley in France, as she would turn her throws into pillows, bedding, clothing, etc.

This piece is an authentic Kashmir paisley textile that's all one piece, no quilt bullshit. It would be perfect as a tablecloth since it is a very long rectangular shape. It is mainly an orange/red color with greens, blues, white and blacks throughout. The fringe at the end of the two sides gives more detail about what color threads actually went into the textile. At the center, there is a black background motif with a signature sewn in white. I couldn't tell you what the signature says though. I have an arabic tattoo on the back of my neck, it matches my moms, David's and Jenny's. But, it was translated wrong, probably because we used Google translate. Whoopsie. So, I'm no expert in language.
These Kashmir paisleys are so rare to find in such good condition, actually, they're just rare to begin with. There's a few small holes near the center, but nothing noticeable. There's also two small drops of candle wax, which makes me love it even more. This piece is from the mid 1800's and purchased in France. It measures 11 feet long and 4.8 feet wide. The paisley patten is often reproduced by dumb places like Pottery Barn. Don't be dumb like Pottery Barn, be like Josephine Bonaparte. This is an item that can be passed down for generations and generations, or stolen from you. Sorry grandma!

I especially love when it's used as a blanket, like in Martyn Lawrence Bullard's Hollywood home. We'll is actually used as more than just a blanket, the whole room is paisley and it's to die for. Now Martyn Lawrence Bullard works for the Kardashian's and his aesthetic has really gone downhill while his relationship with Kris Jenner has gone up. 

The next item is something that I went back and forth with selling. I love small landscape paintings, but what I love even more are portrait paintings. These are much harder to find because they're usually all so wrong. I hate when they're overly detailed and realistic. Those are usually the ones that make you think someone is in the hallway when it's dark. When I found this portrait of a man, I knew I had to have it. I've never seen something so perfect. The brush strokes are thick and wide and the colors are perfectly muted without being dull. He's also quite large, 2.1 feet tall and 1.8 feet wide. I especially love unframed paintings. This painting has three pieces of wood nailed into the sides as a makeshift frame. Again, it's perfect. It's unsigned which adds a little bit of mystery to the piece. Every time I look at it I say, "No wait, I'm keeping it." And then I remember that I already have a few portrait paintings and this is now my job. So, this will also be for sale tomorrow. Love it like I do is all I ask.

Here's a few ideas I found of how to style the painting even though it would look amazing anywhere. I love when a painting just rests against a wall, not everything has to be hung up! You can frame it if you want, since the wood side panels will easily pop off, but I think I would leave it unframed.

All of these items will be for sale tomorrow morning at 6am PST plus a few other special items. But if you have to have something right now and don't want someone else to get it first... email me at havesomedecorum@gmail.com
There's still lots of beautiful pieces available online right now too though! Here are just some of the ways to imagine them in your house.
I was reading THIS Architectural Digest article when I spotted a tortoise shell! Perfect example of how it can be treated as a piece of art.

A large wood Santos statue is still available as well! The best inspiration photo of how and where to style a Santos statue comes from Diandra's house in Mallorca. She used two in the bathroom on either side of the sink. This one is incredible since it comes with a base. The base almost looks like the shape of a book, so great.

Another Diandra inspiration comes from her collection of altar candlesticks. She might be the only one in the world that not only has the altar sticks, but the actual altar as well.  It would be perfect for layering or even standing alone on the ground.

I like to think that these are all pieces Carrie Bradshaw would have in her apartment. Especially if she actually moved into that pre-war building with Mr. Big in the movie. Carrie's adventurous style would translate well into an apartment. If we ever saw more than her closet, I think she would have animal prints and paisley throws and Dyptique candles everywhere.  I have to start reminding myself sometimes that they're not real people.
Ok, I'll let you get to shopping and I'll get to book writing. Email me at havesomedecorum@gmail.com if you would like to purchase anything or have any questions. Some of these items are already available at havedecorum.com but the new pieces will be added tomorrow morning at 6am PST! Don't be late! And for exclusive updates, follow Have Some Decorum on Instagram HERE
P.S. I was catching up on the Real Housewives of New York City, I'm on the episode where everyone goes to Dorinda's Berkshire house, so you know it's gonna be a good one. And what do I see in the background?! A zebra rug and tortoise shell! Dorinda is my favorite now, move over Sonja.
XOXOXOX

Y'all Know Where To Get Pimento Cheese On The West Coast?

I just got back from Charleston, South Carolina and have a real hankering for pimento cheese. I don't care what form it comes on, a ritz, white bread, a spoon, whatever, I just need it again, like now. I know that I can make it, but because I am lazy, I think it tastes better coming straight out of the plastic container. The brand "Palmetto Pimento Cheese" is the best one. Since that might not be possible over here, I guess I'll settle for homemade. So, before you read the rest of this blog, please make yourself a pimento cheese sandwich first. Or if you're lucky enough, just drive over to the grocery store and buy it in bulk.
There's a couple different recipes for pimento cheese, but I like this one best because it's simple, the way it should be.

4 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
7 oz. jar of diced and drained pimentos
2/3 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Large dash of hot sauce
Ground pepper

Stir everything together and refrigerate. Then eat!

But, if you're feeling adventurous, here's a few other fancy ways to make pimento cheese. I'm calling them fancy only because some add cream cheese or dill.
The Lee Brother's 
Food Shark's 
Miss Mattie's (Someone try this one and tell me what you think!)

Most of my trip to the south started out with one questions, "What are we going to have for lunch?" The answer was usually BBQ. I would skip breakfast every morning because I prefer to be starving when I order, it makes things taste better. The question that usually followed was, "Will there be air conditioning?" The answer was always yes. Coming from spending four summers in France, I sometimes forget that America no longer runs on Dunkin', but rather air conditioning. The heat wave going through Europe right now has me stressed out and I'm not even there. I already decided that if I was there I would either be first in line at Darty's to buy a window unit, or blow all my savings and go stay at the Ritz. I would probably end up going to the Ritz because the amount of Chanel products from the Spa that I would steal would pay for the room itself. But back to the BBQ... I started out being a lover of a pulled chicken sandwich, but I've made the transition to brisket because I am now an adult. As for the sides, just get them all.

There's a place in Savannah, Georgia that is home to my mom's all time favorite restaurant. I think she's mentioned it before, Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room. This restaurant is responsible for about half of our family recipes. We always eat her sweet potato casserole for Thanksgiving. But, the thing is that not that many of us have actually been there, we just took her word for it. My entire life I have been taught to believe that Mrs. Wilkes is the only restaurant that was worth anything, and I hadn't even been there. About five years ago, my aunt and I decided it was time for me to experience Mrs. Wilkes for myself. Her restaurant is only open for a few hours a day and there's usually a line, so timing is critical. We woke up early to a slight rainstorm, got in the car and started the 2 hour drive to Savannah. About 45 minutes into the trip the rain turned into a hurricane and we couldn't see the road. So we settled for Chick-Fil-A and turned around. Now, 5 years later, we decided we have to go or else I would be haunted. We got up early on Saturday and drove to Savannah on a sunny day. The drive over to Savannah is mainly on a small highway that passes through some towns that would scare even the biggest hillbillies. Have you ever seen the show True Detective? Well, I'm pretty sure we passed Ledoux. He was on a lawn mower and everything. I loved it. Then we passed some hand drawn signs to "turn right for moonshine". We didn't turn, but thought about it. Then we passed a strip club in the wetlands. I already loved Savannah. The second purpose of the Savannah leg of our trip was to antique shop. We had done our research and carefully planned which ones to go to first. The first stop was actually not so much a shop, it was a listing on Craigslist.
We pulled onto the street and immediately began looking for something that could be used as a weapon. Starbucks napkins would have to do. This woman was selling a dining table, six chairs, an armoire and buffet table for $450, it was worth more than our lives. My aunt checked it out in the room that doubled as their hurricane food room while I kept guard. The first thing you have to do when entering the home of someone from Craigslist with a too good to be true ad, is assess the decor. Do they have family photos? Is there a TV? Are there any muffled screams from the second floor? Then, locate the exits. It's similar to the safety demonstration on an airplane, but no brochure. Everything went fine thanks to my ocular pat down and the dining set looked great. My aunt told the woman we would think about it and come back with a larger car to pick it up maybe. We walked to the door we came in from and it was fucking locked. My mind raced back to my safety training and if I still though I could do a back handspring. Just as I finished my stretching, she said, "Oh, sorry it locks automatically," and opened the door. Moral of the story, I'm crazy and not everyone is a killer.
The next few hours were spent going antique shop to antique shop where I got enough pieces to fill an entire imaginary house. This next Have Some Decorum sale is going to be insane. Just wait.
It was now 1pm and we were starving, it was finally time for Mrs. Wilkes. I pulled up the address on Google. Closed. Closed? CLOSED?!
Mrs. Wilkes isn't open on a Saturday. Dumbass.
Usually something like this would make me cry. Instead, I burst out laughing. Was my mom playing a cruel joke on us? Probably. Or we really are just dumbasses who didn't check the hours before driving to a different state. So instead of sitting in the car in sorrow or getting Chick-Fil-A again, we went into the historic district of Savannah to a famous antique shop called "Alex Raskin Antiques."

Shop might not be the correct term actually, it's an entire townhouse that hasn't been touched by a contractor since it was first built, it's perfect. Alex Raskin has filled the entire mansion with the most beautiful antiques from the floor to the ceiling. It was heaven, or so I heard. I haven't been because it was closed!
The next few hours of the day were spent wondering in and out of other OPEN antique shops and sweating through my pants. Savannah is actually an antique mecca, there's even a guide, a real printed up guide of all the antique shops within walking distance.

We went to one that was filled with the most beautiful and delicate dishes. There were little passage ways all throughout the rooms with dishes everywhere, even on the floor. Also, the floor was tiger print carpet, I loved it. Until I overheard someone arguing with the store owner over dishes they had broken when browsing. My aunt and I left carefully while trying to stop our shopping bags from swinging. It was about time for lunch anyways. We decided to try Paula Deen's Southern buffet style restaurant. On the drive over there, we remembered she was raciest and made a reservation somewhere else.
The Grey is a new restaurant in Savannah that's inside of an old Greyhound bus station. There's a huge buzz surrounding this place since the chef was voted one of the best new Southern chefs. Here's what the website says about this new spot:

"Bonded by a common viewpoint on what makes for delicious food, Johno Morisano and Chef Mashama Bailey partnered to build The Grey in Historic Downtown Savannah. Occupying a 1938 art deco Greyhound Bus Terminal that they painstakingly restored to its original luster, They Grey offers a food, wine and service experience that is simultaneously familiar and elevated. Bringing her personal take on Port City Southern food to a city of her youth allows Mashama to tap into all of her experiences to create dishes that are deep, layered, and soulful in their flavors. With a penchant of regional produce, seafood and meats, guests will find a melting pot of surprising and conforming tastes in all of Mashama's cooking with something new revealed in each and every visit. A focus on European wines, Atlantic Trade liquors, and warm, old-world hospitality are the additional elements necessary to provide a complete experience for guests. The Grey continues the building's long tradition of transporting people to a destination, but that destination is now one of elevated hospitality and intrinsic satisfaction."

Sounds great right!?! Again, I would't know. We sat at our table for 30 minutes before ordering. That's not that bad, it was busy and new, give them a break. We finally ordered some fried chicken sandwiches and an appetizer. Well, another 30 minutes went by, no food. Finally our toast arrived, which was just a piece of bread and some ricotta on top. Uh... ok. It wasn't good either. When the waiter dropped off the piece of bread, he asked if we would like to order and was not aware that we already ordered, 30 minutes ago. We canceled our order instead and left. We were hangry.
So now it was 4pm and we hadn't eaten anything and had sweated out all the iced coffee we had drank. But, there was one more antique shop to go to! Again, shop might not be the best word, this was a warehouse. Thinking about it already stresses me out so here are some photos instead.

So, we got home from Savannah starving but with loot. We ended up eating at Whole Foods. I give that meal a 10/10, would recommend.
If you know me even just a little bit, you know I love ghosts. So when I heard there was a haunted jail tour in Charleston, I had to go. If you're in Charleston even just for an hour, go on this tour! You can find out more about it HERE. You won't regret it. The guide takes you through the abandoned jail, room by room, and tells what creepy shit happened here hundreds of years before. The entire time I was inviting the spirits to send me a message or the very least take over my body, but unfortunately, that didn't happen. It was extremely spooky though. The guide at the end takes you down to the morgue and turns off all the lights. I didn't want it to end! They also do midnight paranormal hunting with night vision and everything, but I'll save that for my next trip.

I'm now back in Washington where there are considerably less ghosts. I'm working on the next sale though! So, like always, I wanted to give you a sneak peak. These are some of my favorite items. Everything will be available next Tuesday. I changed the sales from Mondays to Tuesdays, because Mondays are my self tanning day, so it's difficult to do both in a day.

The first items here are not actually for sale, I just want to show you them. One lucky lady already snagged these. It's a pair of French early 19th century cathedral candle holders! I had one that my mom had found in Paris about 10 years ago and thought I would never see another. Then, in a tiny shop in Savannah, I hit the jackpot! I will now forever be on the hunt for more of these, I'm making it my life's mission.

Ok, so this piece is actually for sale. It's a large plaster and horse hair column capital. When my mom and grandma were buying for their store Circa in Paris, they came across a dealer with all these beautiful plaster casts and pieces. One of my favorites that they purchased was a plaster bust without a head wearing military armor. The inside was hollow so at the store they filled it with beautiful flowers or an ice bucket with champagne. I don't have any photos of it in the store because it sold during the first 30 minutes the store was open. This capital can be used the same way! It's deep enough to hide the vase or ice bucket, so only what you want to show, shows!

There's also a tall bronze alter stick. I clearly have a thing for alter sticks. This one is a little different than the normal painted wood ones though. I hadn't seen a metal alter stick before so I was a little surprised and intrigued by this intricate piece. Then, in Charleston, I went to a beautiful but way overpriced home store where a man was selling almost these exact alter sticks! His were actually not as good as mine, but I wasn't about to say that.

The last item I'm on the verge of keeping for myself is this antique Bareuther Bavaria china tea set with thirteen pieces! There's a tea pot, a sugar pot with a lid, creamer and four tea cups with saucers. Just imagine this set being pulled out on a tray to the snotty members of your bookclub, it would impress! Gold really does go with anything, but I think it would look especially nice on a Chinoiserie tray or maybe a clear lucite one.
There's still some items online from the last few sales at havedecorum.com like a dark brown tortoise shell, cathedral style outdoor sconces, landscape oil paintings and much more!
Get ready for Tuesday, 6am PST xoxox