• The Truth About Romance

    Romance for me is all about atmosphere.  It’s not necessarily defined by luxury and indulgence (although that works too).  It’s more about a warmth that is at once alluring and thoughtful.  And it can be found anywhere … Listening to a sexy mix on Pandora; alone on a cold night next to a roaring fire; at a breathtaking art exhibit; overlooking a misty river; in a tiny shop tucked away in a gritty part of London; or, of course, cozied up with your loved one in a hotel suite for the weekend.  The misconception about romance is that it’s exclusive to those with a black Amex or a wedding band.  It may smack a bit of  “personal growth”, but romance is everywhere.  We just have to recognize it when it’s in front of us.

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    IMG_8488  IMG_3451  az  KAP_9648[1]  IMG_4637  IMG_0220  IMG_0317   R30A6931   IMG_6257  IMG_6182  Paola Kudacki & husband James Penfold - So Haute  peonies   pendant  fire45  park  IMG_0268

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    Happy Valentine’s Day from Luxe & Lucid, XO

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    signeture

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    * All photos c/o T. Huntley save row 3, image 3.  Thank you Paola Kudacki & husband James Penfold for being the sexiest, most inspiring couple on the planet.

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  • Before There Were PDA’s

    I was a holdout.  I loved my daily planner and my stationary.  I never thought I would do all

    my writing via email and keep my schedule on a computer.  But I do.  To be honest, I couldn’t

    live — professionally at least — without Outlook and my iphone.  So although I’m highly organized,

    I miss the days when embracing your type-A meant a little more beauty and a little less technology.

     
     
     

    Southern accents nov-dec 04 - Copy 

    Remember when we used to sit at our desks and correspond? 

    I’m feeling so nostalgic — this is what my desk used to look like when

    I was a jeune fille.  Southern Accents Nov/Dec 2004.

     

     

    Smythson of bond street 

    I am IN LOVE with the new Malachite Collection from Smythson of Bond Street! 

    The classic stationer from London has taken a fashion-forward step and designed

    a collection that looks like it just came off the Balenciaga runway.

     

     

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    The Hermes journal I keep at my bedside. 

    It’s available in several gorgeous colors.  Mine is aubergine.

     

     

    Cards 

     Two graphic, modern selections from Simplesong Design.

     

     

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    Il papiro

    I picked up this notepad at Il Papiro in Florence.  I like to keep it with me, so I can

    jot down thoughts on the run — which is easy since it’s about as small as my eyeglass case.

     

     

     


    Buffet
      
    I installed this buffet at a client’s penthouse in May and discovered the inside was lined with

    hand-made paper!  It was a magical detail and an amazing surprise.

     

     

     

     

    Stationary signature

    What a great idea.  Send Dempsey & Carroll your signature and they will

    engrave their Classic Correspondence Card with your own personal John Hancock.

     

     

     

     

     

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    Paper goods (and memories) from my archives.
     

     

     

    Calligraphy

    If I could, I would write long letters in calligraphy to friends and family.  In another life.

     

     

     

    Nannette brown mrs john l strong pic by brad paris

    The end of an era.  Mrs. John L. Strong closed its doors in May after 80 years. 

    Nannette Brown said it best, “We don’t do trendy.  We do good taste.” 

    A girl after my own heart.


     
     
     

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