Sweet Things

image from Sofia Coppola's film Marie Antoinette

from poet Rabindranath Tagore:

When I bring sweet things to your greedy hands

I know why there is honey in the cup of the flower

and why fruits are secretly filled with sweet juice

---when I bring sweet things to your greedy hands.

~~~

Échelle Stomachers

painting of Mme de Pompadour by François Boucher, 1758-59

"Stomacher" is perhaps not the loveliest word, but it can be a lovely fashion accessory. Recently I've become obsessed with a very specific style of this rococo must-have.

Dresses in the 18th century are often designed like a robe which does not quite reach all the way around, so there is an open strip down the front of the dress. This front opening is filled on the bottom half by a petticoat skirt, and on the top half (bodice) by a panel called a stomacher.

Échelle is the french word for ladder, and describes the "ladder" of ribbon bows that scale the bodice of this particular style of stomacher. The bows seem designed to emphasize the alluring swell of the feminine figure, as they gradually increase in size from the smallest (at the tiny corseted waist) to the fullest at the bust.

Soothing Ceremony

painting by Mary Cassatt

Whenever I feel unsure of what to do, I put the kettle on and have a cup of tea. It's a small kindness to myself, a comforting ritual that allows me to regain my composure. As I focus my attention on brewing and sipping the warm liquid, my thoughts settle and my mind becomes spacious and clear.

In the Sanctuary of My Boudoir

illustration by Georges Barbier

My boudoir is my private oasis, a place of renewal and haven of serenity. The time I spend here is devoted to savouring that which I find most beautiful.