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An American Goes To Paris


So there's this restaurant in Paris called Ferdi and they are known for having the best cheeseburger in Paris. I would go as far as saying the best in the world. Nothing beats this burger. Not even a room service one. This place is impossible to get a reservation to because they only have about ten tables and when Kim Kardashian is in town, her butt takes up four of those. I made a reservation three weeks before and was able to get a table for an hour at the prime hour of 8 pm. Usually, I like to eat dinner at 6 pm, that way I will be hungry for second dinner at 9 pm. But, eating that early is not an option outside of Denny's.

Waiting until 8 pm was so so worth it though. I'm drooling just thinking about this burger. It's perfection. They won't let you change it either, no adding anything, no taking anything off. It's a sesame seed bun, a thin meat patty, grilled onions, cheese and about three pounds of secret sauce. It's so saucy that you have to eat it with a fork and knife.



I learned from our waiter that Ferdi is open on Saturday for lunch, no reservation needed. After learning that, we went out to celebrate our lunch plans. We walked from Ferdi, right behind Hotel Costes, to the Ritz Hemingway bar. It all felt very bougie and European. The Hemingway bar has been under renovation for the past few years so this was my first time. The walls are wood-paneled and all of the seats are brown leather. All of the drinks come with a perfect white rose in it. Which they should because each drink costs like $30.



The next night Ty and I went out with friends. I drank vodka and orange juice from a plastic cup. It tasted just as good as my Ritz spritz. And I drank fifteen of them for the same price. The next morning we planned to go back to Ferdi with a Ziploc to bring back some secret sauce. I woke up cheery and ready to eat both the cheeseburger and a side of mac and cheese. The walk from our apartment to the restaurant changed my mind. Something about breathing in second-hand smoke while hungover can really make your stomach hate you.

As soon as we were seated, I excused myself and slowly walked to the restroom. I then proceeded to barf. I made sure to run the sink while this was happening, as to not disturb the other people trying to enjoy their lunch. Like a lady. I didn't get to eat my cheeseburger.

The next morning I woke up fully recovered, so we headed out at 7 am to be the first people at the brocante. The early wake-up call was worth it. No one was there, it was just Ty and I haggling with the vendors in broken French. Our broken French seemed to have worked because I brought home some incredible antiques to share.






Another amazing find this trip was a cashmere brand called From Future. I was at the Bon Marche daydreaming of affording this amazing velvet headband that cost one month's rent when I saw a new booth that was just cashmere. Sweater, sweatpants, hats, scarves. Just to be mean to myself, I checked a price tag. It was only 80 euros!! I checked a cashmere beanie to make sure I knew how to read. 30 euros!!! I bought the most amazing, 100% cashmere emerald green cardigan that I have not taken off yet. Go check out their website, they ship worldwide! Wouldn't a cashmere beanie or scarf make the best Christmas present? Stop buying your gifts off Amazon already and get something personal that says I love you enough to buy you cashmere. For the same price as a Demi Moore's book.



After returning from Paris, Ty and I immediately booked another trip. This time for a whole month. The primary reason for the trip is to have weekly antique sales. The antiques will go straight from Paris and into your home. Please send me any requests and I will keep my eye out for you!

A few items from my trip in November have now been added to havedecorum.com GO GO GO!




Ty and I decided to rent an apartment for our upcoming trip. We used the website Paris Attitude which I highly recommend. It's perfect for renting an apartment for a week or an entire year, and the places they have ready to rent are much much nicer than AirBNB and extremely well priced. We chose a great studio in the Marais with a beautiful kitchen and huge windows overlooking the street. After everything was confirmed, we recieved the address of the apartment. Naturally, I Googled it. I had to check it a few times because I could not believe my eyes. My eyes have betrayed me before, I once read my boarding pass upside down and missed a flight. Another time I set my alarm in my calculator app. But this time, I was reading the address right. It was the same apartment building that I stayed in with my mom on my very first trip to Paris!!! Is that a sign or is that a sign!?!?

In big news for me, my book Shut Your Mouth When You're Talking To Me was featured in Santa Barbara Magazine's December issue's Book Club! Thank you so much for including me, it felt so surreal flipping through the magazine and seeing my own book in it. I used to intern for Santa Barbara Magazine when I was in high school and saw how much care and research goes into each item in their yearly culture issue, so thank you!



Gobble Gobble

Bonjour y'all!!

First, thank you all for your support of the book. I'm so so happy you are enjoying it and understanding my brain. I don't really have the words to thank you enough for purchasing my words! I always wanted to be a writer, I just assumed it would be for TMZ. This is so much better.

If you haven't purchased your copy yet, you can do so HERE. Makes a great holiday gift, if I do say so myself.

A few weeks ago, I did my first antique show. And I can happily say, it will also be my last. Not only because I was told I am not invited back, but because antique shows are a thing of the past. There was no one there, only a few people who were clearly there only for the snack bar. The first day I was hopeful, my booth was adorable and not overly cluttered. I spent 6 hours setting up, buying fresh flowers, lighting candles, doing everything to make my booth feel like a home. It was not worth it. Ty and I sat at my booth for 8 hours for three days, and no one came. I almost cried right there. Instead, we snuck wine in styrofoam cups and drank.




At the end of day three, we started to pack up an hour early. I was then yelled at by the show coordinator that I was not allowed to leave.
"Am I being held hostage?" I asked.
"You're not allowed to leave until the show is over."
I thought being an adult meant leaving whenever I wanted to, but I was wrong. We left early anyway. I don't care if I'm thrown in jail, as long as I don't have to look at another antique turquoise jewelry booth ever again! The next day, we were on our flight to Paris, where the antique show couldn't find me.

We returned from Paris just in time for Thanksgiving. The French don't know what stuffing is, so I had to say au revoir. This year, Ty and I are taking on the task of helping with Thanksgiving. Usually, we are at my grandma's house where no one is allowed to step into the kitchen from Wednesday-Friday. We will be spending the holiday at Ty's parent's house in Los Angeles, it is currently sunny and warm but I'm hopeful it will snow by Thursday.

A huge part of this holiday is the table. If your table doesn't feel warm and inviting while also making you afraid to break anything, you're not doing it right. Here are some of my grandma's tables for inspiration. Don't feel bad, no one can do this like she can. Take a look at the paisley throw tablecloth, are you kidding me, it's too good! Don't be afraid to have assigned seating, it always is a good idea. My favorite part, and the only part I was allowed to help with, was the seating arrangement. It helps children understand that some people don't get along with others and to seat them near the bathroom.






I love Thanksgiving. I love everything about it. The food, the fighting, and the turkey hangover. Ty and I have pulled some recipes from Bon Appetit to test out this year. He's going to handle the turkey because I don't want to stick my hand inside its butt. Bon Appetit has a great recipe for a spiced and glazed turkey that's cut up and carved before you serve it. It's supposed to allow every piece to get the attention it deserves. It will also get rid of the fight over who gets to carve the bird at the table.

If you're into this idea, here's the recipe we're following. CLICK HERE



Doesn't it look beautiful? I'll post a photo if ours turns out anything like this. If it doesn't, you won't be hearing from me for a week.

For my portion of the meal, I'll be doing the Bon Appetit mashed potatoes with a crunchy top layer. It's not Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes, specifically mashed potatoes that are 2/3 butter. This recipe has that. The top layer adds a little crunch to each bite without changing the staple dish too much. Plus, the recipe calls for potato chips, so I'm in.

Here's that recipe. CLICK HERE



The final recipe we're copying is the gravy. It has MSG in it, so you know it'll be delicious. I used to not be allowed to go to Panda Express because of the MSG, but look at me now!!!

Gravy recipe. CLICK HERE



The rest of the recipes will be from my mom's cookbook, Surviving Thanksgiving. If you end up using any of the O'Connell recipes, please send me photos! You can email me at havesomedecorum@gmail.com

We usually eat our feast at 4pm on Thanksgiving. That way seconds can be served before bed and you have ample time to prepare for Black Friday. I went Black Friday shopping with my mom once, it did not go very well. We drove to the Best Buy early in the morning, saw the line, drove right home and bought everything online.



This year, you don't have to drive to Best Buy, or Target, or Zales, or whatever giant store still does in-store deals. It's all about online baby. The Have Some Decorum shop will be having a huge, HUGE, Black Friday sale all weekend long. Everything will be 50% off, yes everything! The paisley throw, 50% off. The oil paintings, 50% off. The Santos statue, 50% off. The sunburst mirrors, 50% off. You get the idea. Make sure you're subscribed to the mailing list over at havedecorum.com to be the first to get your pick.



Most of the Paris trip was spent at the Puces, brocantes and the boulangerie. The Have Some Decorum shop is back! I brought an entire suitcase home filled with antiques for you!!! Stay tuned for next week's blog where I'll tell you about throwing up in public and all the antiques!!

Also, Frances says hi!








Shut Your Mouth When You're Talking To Me.... The Book Is Here!!!!

So, Ty and I just bought tickets to Paris for November. We haven't purchased return tickets, because I plan on being on living there until the government catches me. Ty suggests we make it back to America before Christmas and before we get deported. We'll see what happens.

We were watching Midnight In Paris and all I could think was, "I want to go to there." So we are, and I couldn't be more excited! Paris is my home, even if I butcher the language and hate the smell of camembert. The happiest I have ever been and will ever be, is walking the streets of Paris, breathing in second-hand smoke and saving my euros to eventually buy a Chanel bag. It's pure bliss.

I'm also counting the trip as a little congratulations to myself for releasing my book. Yep, the book is here. Really, it is!!




There are three options to purchase: a hardcover, a softcover and an ebook.

It's a little different than my mom's book. This is a collection of thirteen essays with lots of photos, some flattering, some not. It's all in here. Learning about my mom's diagnosis, Paris, Paris, Paris, the robbery, surgeries, goodbyes, therapy, my asshole dog Leo and enough Real Housewives references to count as another season.

This was hard to write. I wanted to be honest. The years this book covers, from 2007 to 2017, were not my best years as a human. I was in the middle of learning who I was and what I wanted from life, I made some mistakes. I wasn't always the best daughter. I didn't always have the best hair. But, writing this book and looking back at moments with my mom somehow made me remember moments that I thought were lost in my mind forever. It was like there was a little Tivo in my head that I couldn't record fast enough. All of a sudden entire days with my mom were being recalled. For the past year, all I thought about was this book. Thinking of stories that would interest people other than myself, things my mom said, titles for chapters, it was all-consuming. I would be driving and have to pull over to write the beginning of a chapter in the notes app on my phone. I didn't want to forget anything.

And now, all those notes have turned into a book. A 240 page book. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Actually, I hope you enjoy reading it more than I did writing it because sometimes I was so miserable trying to spell words like unfortunately and the difference between effect and affect that I considered going back to college.

I want to also thank every one of you for all your continued support. This is for you. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I'm giving you an inner working into my thoughts and not all those thoughts can be nice.


I'm So Happy Charles Manson Is Dead

Oops, I disappeared. I planned on writing a blog 3 weeks ago and then changed my mind and read Helter Skelter instead. Have you read that? Scary stuff. Charles Manson really is the devil. I like to read it in the dark with only the glow of a lighter and the crunching noise of my flaming hot Cheeto's. I also read How To Murder Your Life by Cat Marnell, Not That Kind Of Girl by Lena Dunham and I Like You Just The Way I Am by Jenny Mollen. All three of those books I have already read twice, but just wanted to read them one more time. I tend to reread my favorite books (or whichever books are downloaded on my Ibooks library) every year. I highly recommend all of these!! I probably should be reading political novels and books about how to make it in a male dominated world, but I like hearing an amphetamine addict talk about high end conditioner and the Cielo drive murders in extreme detail.


When I wasn't sitting in bed reading, I traveled. Somehow my one week break from writing my book spiraled into a full blown vacation. I went to New York City and hummed the Alicia Key's song the entire time. Then I drove to Portland with Ty and ate donuts. Then we went to Chicago and stood in line for the Sears Tower.
My friend Louisa and I share the same birthday, August 10th, so I treated myself and flew out to NYC to celebrate. We made reservations to go to L'Avenue in the Saks store on 5th avenue. L'Avenue is a French restaurant owned by Costes in Paris. It's a Kardashian favorite, but I had never been. Shocking and an outrage. L'Avenue opened their second location of the same name in NYC a few months ago.
We sat down to our table and looked around, "Where is everyone?" It was 8pm on a Friday night and only one other table was booked. Then we looked down at the menu and saw that a side of avocado was $12.00. That's why.
The food was eh but the restaurant was beautiful.


Louisa is a New York native and knows all the best spots. To continue our Paris in New York adventure, we went to Lucien downtown and drank red wine and ate French bread until I announced that my skirt was digging too far into my stomach to breathe.
The next day, we got ourselves up and headed over to the Met. Louisa used her mom's membership and got us in for free. The camp exhibit was still up and wowza, what a treat. This was the first time I have ever seen one of the Met Gala exhibitions. The place was relatively empty too, it almost felt like we were celebrities perusing the gallery during the event.



I had chosen to wear these cute Helmut Lang heels that day, so went we left the museum, I was barefoot. We cabbed it over to East 68th street, my old home turf. Everything looked the same, it was like I never left. Even my favorite hot dog vendor was on the corner like he always was. I teared up a little looking at my old building. I imagined what it would be like if my mom never got sick, she probably would still be living there. Still working for 1st Dibs. Still walking my dog Leo when I refused. My life would probably be completely different. But, I'm happy the way it turned out, so I didn't know whether to be thankful or angry. I was just confused.
I walked the long walk to the building next door to my old High School. I hated that school. I hated how we had to call the nuns "sister" and let them teach us geometry. I hated that there was one staircase for going up, and one for going down, and if you got caught using the wrong one, you got detention. I hated that I had to drop out because my mom got sick.
I put my shoes back on and took a photo outside.




When I got home from my trip, I sat Ty down and explained to him that we needed to move to New York.
"It's where you go to be someone." I think I pulled that from the Delta in flight magazine.
He agreed, we decided to move there this year. Crossing our fingers for December. I have so many coats that need to be worn!
"And it's a much quicker flight to Paris." He added.
A few days later, Ty and I drove to Portland, Oregon. I always thought I liked Portland. I had been there once before and had a good time and ate good food. I changed my mind on this trip.
We checked into the Ace Hotel for our first night. My dad had warned me that it wasn't as nice as I believed it was, but I didn't listen. A signature of mine.
When we entered our bedroom, we shot each other a look that said is this for real? The room was the size of a Poptart and had one window that didn't open because the radiator was outside. A green wool blanket covered the bed, it looked and felt like we just arrived at Elis Island. This trip was supposed to be part of birthday week, it was supposed to be perfect. I called the front desk and to my surprise, upgraded our room without me even threatening to cry.




The next room was much better. Big window overlooking the city, white fluffy bedding and Malin and Goetz products in the bathroom! We grabbed a drink in the lobby before going to Living Room Theater. I had heard good things about this movie theater and the name implied that it was comfortable. Their website recommended arriving 30 minutes before the movie so you could order your dinner while the lights were still on, then a waiter would bring it to your seat. I wouldn't shut up about how excited I was to eat pasta while watching the movie.
There was a large handwritten sign on the door when we entered, "we don't do table service anymore." The line to order was long and we were late, so we opted to just go sit down for the movie. I might have had my hopes too high, but they should change their name. I have never seen these chairs in ANYONE'S living room, and I've been to a frat house. Worse than normal movie chair seats.
We decided to go against our better judgement and stay. I had been wanting to see this movie ever since I saw them filming on Sunset blvd. It was Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.
It was getting late and I was getting hangry, so when we left the movie I declared, "I thought Tarantino would finally be the guy brave enough to graphically show Sharon Tate getting murdered. I guess I was wrong."
I came to my senses when we saw it for a second time a few weeks later, "Thank God he made the right call and didn't show Sharon Tate getting stabbed, it just wouldn't be right. Tarantino is better than that." I bought the book instead to get my gore fill.
The next day, Ty took me out for a birthday dinner. I made a reservation for a new Italian restaurant that had a tasting menu with 8 courses! Then, I must have been hit in the head with a bat or something because I canceled that reservation. I changed it to a place we had driven by earlier that "looked good", then I changed it once more to a place that was near our hotel. I came out of my reservation k-hole and decided to stick to my original plan. I tried to change back to our original reservation, but damn, it must really be a good spot, because they were now completely booked up.
I do this every time I'm in charge of choosing a restaurant for a special occasion. I always think it's not going to be exactly right and try to change it at the last minute, always leaving me disappointed. Last year, I made a reservation for Ty and I to go to Craig's in West Hollywood, but in the end, we found ourselves eating cold bolognese in an S&M themed restaurant with $23 cocktails.
We walked over to the restaurant, hopeful that maybe this place was nice, besides, I had selected patio seating so it should be romantic. We we arrived, we saw a table haphazardly thrown on the side walk in front of the tram stop. That was obviously for us. We stood outside for a few minutes deciding whether or not to ditch, but ultimately stayed because they would have charged us $50 for canceling at this time. It's never a good sign if a restaurant charges you to cancel. That means they are desperate for people to be there. A good restaurant will have no problem filling that table if you don't show up.
While the tram running by us every 5-7 minutes was not very romantic, the food was actually pretty good. But, just as I was blowing out the candle on the chocolate souffle, I head a noise behind me.
"Bleeeeeuugh"
I whipped my head around to find an old woman vomiting a few feet away from me. Her husband followed her outside and sat her down at a table. He went back inside the restaurant to presumably finish his meal, while she kept vomiting on the sidewalk. Every few minutes, I would hear her barf hitting the cement. I kept turning my head to shoot her a dirty look, hoping she would get the memo that it was time for her to get in a cab and leave. But she didn't. She just kept barfing. Then she fell asleep.
I decided I didn't like Portland.
A few days later, Ty and I went to Chicago to go to his grandmother's funeral. This was the first open casket funeral I had ever been to and it wasn't as scary as I was expecting. I don't want to be buried though, I'm worried I'm going to come back to life and be banging the inside of my casket and no one will hear me. This is in my 10 ten list of fears. Right behind getting a paper cut on my eyeball but before falling off a rollercoaster.


After the funeral, Ty leaned over and told me, "When I die, just throw me in the trash."
We had a free day before our flight home, so Ty and I went into Chicago to see the sights. We went to the Art Institute Museum and had a lovely Italian lunch after. I decided when I saw the Sears Tower for first time, that it has always been my dream to go to the top. We bought our tickets to go all the way up and stand on the glass platform that hangs over the side, and then we saw the line. But since we already paid, we figured we had to stand in the 2 hour wait so we could have 60 seconds on the platform. When it was finally our turn, Ty looked down the 102 floors and became paralyzed. He didn't move until they told us our turn was over.


I'm realizing that having to pay ahead of time, never ends up well for me.
During all this traveling, I somehow forced myself to edit the damn book. And guess what, it's almost finished!!!! I just need to do some final tweaks and add in photos. The book itself has changed courses many times as I wrote it, but the final stage is here and I don't want to toot my own horn, but it's pretty damn good. It's a collection of short stories about me and mom and some other people. It's funny and it's sad and it's mean. Just like my mom!
Another important part of my summer was the discovery of a Moscow Mule, well actually a London Mule. A Moscow Mule has vodka in it and a London Mule has gin. I still find myself ordering a "Moscow Mule but instead of vodka can you use gin?" Because I feel like a prick asking for a London Mule.
They're also basically the easiest cocktail made other than just pouring a straight shot.
Here's how I've been making them:
As much gin as you can handle - Hendrick's if someone else is paying, Bombay if you are, but honestly, they all taste the same.
Half the juice of a lime
Fentiman's ginger beer
Ice - crushed ice from Sonic tastes the best, but regular freezer ice is fine.


So easy, so good. To really set the mood, order some copper cups on amazon. There's not really any other way to make a mule, maybe add some mint or fresh ginger. I once made one when I was low on supplies with just ginger ale and gin and it tasted great!
I promise the next time I post on here, the book will be done! Ok, I'm going to go read Free Gift With Purchase by Jean Godfrey-June because I also decided I want to work in magazines in NYC even though print is dead. Viva la magazines!!!

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