LadyBohemia — Bohemian Charm & Vintage Chic RSS

My little home is not really my castle. Rather... my nest.

I'd like to share with you some pictures that possess a certain sweet & cozy bohemian touch that makes me daydream...

of tiny details making big statements

of dancing chandeliers with heavy teardrop crystals and vintage Murano glass beads...

of a studio of my own, no matter how little, where my ideas and dreams could go to hide...

of all those old treasures that have stories to tell and memories to keep - and therefore must be preserved forever.

Dreamy photos by Amy Neunsinger. ~*♥*~

A favorite find from the St. Tropez Christmas Antiques Market:

And Mamie's fireplace, one of my favorite places in the whole wide world. A perfect little moment of peace when life is beautiful...

~*♥*~

A few days ago we visited a Christmas antiques market in the brisk and bright sun of St. Tropez. A very sophisticated and refined aunty Thérèse - whom I admire tremendously and who in her youth studied "les beaux-arts" at the Louvre - visited the antique fair with me. She knew the story and background of every object at the market. I hung onto every word of hers, trying to learn and capture every detail. One of these years, I too will know something...

At this point, I only know what I like. That is these 1920's earrings created from deep burgundy garnets, marcasites and old silver. Beautifullll.... And even though Thérèse can spot a fake from a scary distance, she accepted my find :) :) :) .

We had such a lovely time. Thérèse kindly admired my taste and passion for all items worn and vintage, and I enjoyed her knowledge and expertise. Her talent, although a source of great fun, didn't make us very popular amongst the antique market people... Thérèse was able to blow the whistle on too many hustlers there... Still, I managed to find another pair of antique earrings to treasure:

These silver, crystal and marcasite darlings Thérèse declared unique, from the 1920's as well. The last piece of advice from Thérèse was that these earrings should be worn with a little black dress, when going out for something special. Promptly, I took them out yesterday, to Monaco. We went to see a modern rendition of the Swan Lake at the Grimaldi Forum with some friends. The tickets were a very thoughtful Christmas gift that I received, but.... Looking around I realized that Monaco truly isn't a place for vintage. It's for everything new, shiny, expensive, big brand names kinda place. Me and my little treasures, my earrings and a 60's vintage handbag borrowed from Mamie, were totally out of place amongst all the gliterrati. Nevermind, I decided. Elegance is an Attitude. Right? ~*♥*~

Rajasthan is renowned for it's exquisite age-old jewellery craftsmanship and traditions that aren't known even elsewhere in India. After all, Rajasthan was the kingdom of maharajas and they took great pride in wrapping their maharanis - wives - in the most spectacular jewellery of the world. Even though most of the maharanis lived their entire lives in purdah, meaning that no other man besides the maharaja ever lay eyes on them. In Pushkar, I too got inspired by all the smooth cool gemstones in all the colors of the rainbow, the tribal handcarved silverstuds, pearls, beads and enamelwork. And started making jewellery of my own.

I gave all the other pieces to friends, but this long necklace of rosequarz and tribal silverpieces I made for myself. The style is slightly inspired by the charleston era, but on a closer look the tribal handcrafted vibe gives it a a slightly wild and untamed touch that I love. I use this often when I travel, with light long white cotton strapless dresses and strappy sandals. My burgundy leather coat matches beautifully with it also. And Oona Elena Kassila's romantic lace tops, with fitting jeans... Hmmm... Getting inspired for the summer already... I love how each and every piece is carefully handcrafted. Often I'd sit and watch the silversmiths at work and admire their skills. Usually the families had been silversmiths for centuries and the skill was passed on from father to son. I'm so happy to have a tiny piece of that great craftsmanship and tradition here at home, in my cosy little flat in Kruununhaka. It's an amazingly small world, after all. ~*'*~

She's made of moonbeams, teardrops, starrrry nights and a touch of angeldust, with a tinyest glimpse of those perfect fleeting shades of of dusk and dawn.

I plan to wear it at Christmas, with my longestlong 1920's softwhite shammy gloves. The rest of the outfit is still... Hmmm... Honestly, I've got no clue and I don't even care. It's perfect already. So delicately delicious was this choker that before even asking, I knew she had to come from Paris. And so delicately delicious she was, that with equal certainty I knew she had to become mine..♥. ~*♥*~