cardinal - from Charley Harper An Illustrated Life
I bought this book last Monday while on my 2 hour shopping extravaganza in the giant mall. Actually I purchased the book across the street from the giant mall - at Chapters - sigh (a most favourite shopping, browsing destination). I've had my eye (and wallet) on this over sized, hard cover, all full colour tome for quite sometime. This book first published in 2007, originally retailed for well over 100.00, in the beginning close to 200.00 - a crazy price for this designer gal to ever consider paying for a book. It's been reissued this year and I can't tell you what the difference might be but the price has dropped to a quarter of the original hefty price and I snapped up a cellophane wrapped copy to put under my own imaginary Christmas tree.
Being an independent, tres self reliant, single for a waaaayyy long time girl and someone who has very loose-ish family ties - I'm quite used to purchasing gifts for myself and treating myself this time of year to splurgey items. This gorgeous book for 1 - Charley Harper an artist/illustrator who put the style in stylized. A book I'm confident I will pour over many, many times. 2 - a big tube of luscious 18.00 hand cream - oh you crazy girl ! and 3 my own two layer tin of Belgian chocolates which I devoured in less than three days and did not share a one bon bonne with the cowboy (and he loves chocolate) how terrible is that ?
He an I will not have anything resembling a Christmas tree and we will not be exchanging gifts. We will go to the big nearby town early next week and to my favourite grocery shopping destination La Super Store and we'll go mad, crazy grocery shopping. We'll get more Belgian chocolates (to share this time), and the fixin's for a roast chicken dinner with dressing and all the trimmings, we'll write out our menu plan for those few holiday days and make a list, check it twice and we'll cook and we'll eat' til our heart's content. We'll curl up on the sofa under a wool crazy quilt which has survived beautifully from his childhood. A heap of tired happy dogs and a* cat (Oliver) around us and we'll watch movies (avec surround sound) ... and this will be one of the best Christmases I can ever remember.
* the other two 29 Black Street chats (BleetNess & Gussie) will no doubt continue to be ensconced in their own second floor Pied à Terre, complete with toilet and kitchenette.
Excellent shopping Madame. I wish I had been there to critique labels.
ReplyDeleteNothing even close to a christmas tree??? Tres dommage...the tree is just another structure for the lovable twinklers.
ML
I just discovered Charlie Harper and he SO ROCKS. I am also in lust with that very book. The Owl on the Prowl...amazing. Or any of his wren series (Wrented...Wrenovation). Love.
ReplyDeleteYes, must be the Retriever thing!!! My mom is keeping her toes crossed that dad Santa has tucked that very same book under our tree. She just scored some CH postcards while on a girl's shopping adventure trip to Boulder, CO... As for me I am wishing for some more birds to add to my special flock.
ReplyDeleteTail Wags,
~Moose
i bought the CH book too! after seeing it at anthropologie i ordered it for half the money from amazon.
ReplyDeletemy mom was cutting edge: see bought me an original charley harper print when i was in high school -later stolen (!) from my college apartment.
neat book, thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteBenny & Lily
I always shop for me... always have.... that way I get what I want.
ReplyDeleteIt's always fun at the shops too... when they ask if I need a gift receipt...// hahhaha...nope...this is for me. They still seem nonplussed and say...lucky you. Guess they haven't quite got the whole idea figured out yet.... maybe they never will. It is sooooo much easier.
Mr. B.V. and me .. well, we always get ourselves so much during the year... for the house....we call it our year long Christmas gifties to us. And, besides,... how much stuff does one person need anyway? I am so happy I have a lovely warm roof over my head...a special guy to share my life with and best of all...no drunk falling into my Christmas tree.... how I love my life.
I absolutely have to have a tree each year though ...even all the years I was on my own... loved to have my very own little tree... probably just to be able to say...hah! there ya go... mine survived intact for 3 whole weeks.... as a matter of fact, even over many years with several cheeky cats...I still have some ancient ornies that I bought all those years ago too. Greg and I make a little ritual out of the decorating... we spend a few hours at it... making it all just so.... and enjoy plugging it in for many days before, during, and after, the actual day..... I love a sparkly tree... and I love making some little ornaments for it too... you can never have too many ornies.... this tree we splurged on is almost 7 feet tall... has lights already on it and plenty of area to decorate... . An easy "put up"... 3 pieces that store in a good sturdy box in the storage area ... yup gotta have me a tree.....
I've never heard of this artist before but I have to say as good as he may be I definitely like your style better, so there you go!
ReplyDeleteMoisturiser cream as an extravagant gift to oneself? I would not have thought of that as splashy. Every gal needs hand cream, right?
Well, it does sound like you will have a most excellent xmas bundled up cozy there, surrounded my your furry loves. How blissful is that? Ahhh...