Sunday, February 28, 2010

Art Deco / born in the wrong era

sass and bide art deco
from sass and bide ‘future grand’ autumn/winter 2010

By seven o’clock the orchestra has arrived, no thin five-piece affair, but a whole pitful of oboes and trombones and saxophones and viols and cornets and piccolos, and low and high drums. The last swimmers have come in from the beach now and are dressing up-stairs; the cars from New York are parked five deep in the drive, and already the halls and salons and verandas are gaudy with primary colors, and hair shorn in strange new ways, and shawls beyond the dreams of Castile. The bar is in full swing, and floating rounds of cocktails permeate the garden outside, until the air is alive with chatter and laughter, and casual innuendo and introductions forgotten on the spot, and enthusiastic meetings between women who never knew each other’s names.

The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun, and now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music, and the opera of voices pitches a key higher. Laughter is easier minute by minute, spilled with prodigality, tipped out at a cheerful word. The groups change more swiftly, swell with new arrivals, dissolve and form in the same breath; already there are wanderers, confident girls who weave here and there among the stouter and more stable, become for a sharp, joyous moment the centre of a group, and then, excited with triumph, glide on through the sea-change of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light.

Suddenly one of the gypsies, in trembling opal, seizes a cocktail out of the air, dumps it down for courage and, moving her hands like Frisco, dances out alone on the canvas platform. A momentary hush; the orchestra leader varies his rhythm obligingly for her, and there is a burst of chatter as the erroneous news goes around that she is Gilda Gray’s understudy from the Follies. The party has begun....

The Great Gatsy by F. Scott Fitzgerald – tho having it in your hot little hands is better, you can read it on line here


in order of appearance: 1. acrylic on canvas from merz 4 2. box purse from silly rabbit vintage 3. czech button from 51 moozle 4. cocktail decanter from susantique 5. harlequin box from sister butterfly 6. golden age print by caitlen shearer on pepperminte 7. klimt bird pattern from stitches by kryss 8. lantern earrings from ivy and willow 9. bird linoprint from bizarre galah 10. red knives from italian country girl 11. spoon ring by goorsend jewelry 12. table from right at home vintage 13. silk dress from wonder wardrobe

17 comments:

DANDELION DAYDREAMER said...

Thank you for including my wonder wardrobe dress in this lovely post! All the best, Sorcha x

Sam said...

Oh that was a total treat Chrisy!! That Sass and Bide dress - makes me want to run out and get my hair cut into a bob! Love the slide show too - especially teh silver coffee pot - I really wound't mind owning that at all! So classy!

Gorgeous gorgeous post as always!! P.S. I think the tsunami came and went - hope it was OK in your neck of the woods...? XOXo's

studioJudith said...

Chrisy dear ... .

Thanks for checking in, I must admit to being a bit busy of late.
In fact - I actually had W O R K .
It's rather rare these days!

Such a lovely journey to the
world of Gatsby --- -

Hugs to you -

Judith

Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...

Hello Chrisy,

What a great book..it keeps you on the edge of your seat...beautiful writings.

I love that dress too.

Thanks so much for coming over for a visit...yes, those PiNk silcone dipped bulbs are just delicious! :0) I also got some white dipped ones too.

Have a lovely week!

♥ Love & Faerie Dust ♥
Stephanie

Hey Harriet said...

Some lovely finds featured in your slideshow! Enjoy the rest of your weekend Chrisy. They whoosh by far too quickly... :(

Jeana Marie said...

love this post Chrisy, so much fun!

Lisa Lectura Creations said...

Hi Chrisy! That dress is fabulous! It's been awhile since I read The Great Gatsby! Thanks for sharing such lovely eye candy as always! Love those lantern earrings from the slideshow! Have a great great weekend sweetie! :)

Rose said...

Ohh I love the silk dress and the harlequin box is amazing.
And you asked about my boots, theyre from Harris Scarfe! They also have a beige/brown type of colour which I actually proferred, I just thought the black would go with more outfits :)
Hope you are going well Chrisy!

Rose

Hot Fudge said...

I don't quite go back to the Great Gatsby era, but that silk dress sent me on a nostalgia kick way back to the Swinging Sixties, when I was a mere slip of a girl, having the time of my life. Thanks for the ride!

Kitty Stampede said...

Gorgeous slideshow!!! I love art deco..I have a bunch of books but need to get some actual decor from that era. I love that picture with the girl and the cat, just lovely.

Joanna Jenkins said...

Hi Christy, I'm just back from vacation and so happy I caught this post. "The Great Gatsby" is a favorite read. And, as always, your photos are amazing!

Hope all's well with you. Have a great week.
jj

SoCalWendie said...

Whenever I see the light from my dock I will think of you Daisy,,,uh I mean Christy

cabin + cub said...

great slide show of some very fun finds! makes me want to read the Great Gatsby all over again. ;)

Couture Carrie said...

Gorgeous post, darling!
Love Art Deco!

xoxox,
CC

Jo (ruby-jo) said...

I haven't read the Great Gatsby in years. I studied it in school and I am sure I still have it somewhere. Great sideshow to compliment the text.

Artsnark said...

fun finds - off to check out these shops

Evie said...

gorgeous finds! such a lovely post x