Arts & Crafts with Dior

 

I was going to post something craft related today, but looking through older photos, I found some I'd taken at a past Christian Dior exhibit. It's not exactly crafts, but these dresses are works of art.

Dior's "New Look" was all about femininity: full skirts and cinched waists (if I recall correctly, he tried to bring back corsets). I totally understand why women didn't want to go back to these kinds of restrictive styles after the general comfort and freedom of 1930s and 40s fashions, but a part of me also wishes I could've dressed like this (the part of me that forgets how much I prefer being comfortable).

I love these ribbon details. If my sewing skills get a little better, I'm tempted to add something like this to a skirt.

I also think gloves should make a comeback. In this post-covid world, it only makes sense.

The dress above looks like something from a fairytale, and the one below looks like something Marilyn Monroe might've worn...

I'm not usually one for beading on my clothes (maybe I should be?) but the beaded collar on this dress is just amazing. I don't think my photo does it justice.

Speaking of beads, these necklaces were also part of the exhibit...

The exhibit also highlighted some of Dior's perfume bottles, which he designed:

This dress was included at the start of the exhibit. I don't remember if it's a Dior, or if it was there to show some of his influences, but I love it, so I'm sharing.

What do you think of Dior's New Look? Which dress is your favourite? And who is your favourite designer of the past (I also love House of Worth and Callot Soeurs). Share in the comments...

My Books

Love Lies Bleeding

Bleeding Heart

*Blood Magic

*Tooth & Claw

(Links take you to all available stores. Love Lies Bleeding and Bleeding Heart are also available in paperback.)

Cheers,

Aspasia

PS: Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com. 

All photos by Whimsy Bower/Aspasia S. Bissas.

Recipe: Goat Cheese with Raspberry Vinegar and Lavender Honey

I'm currently reading On Rue Tatin, a cookbook author's memoir about "living and cooking in a French town."

I'm enjoying the book, drooling over the nun's cloister she and her husband bought and restored, and wishing I had access to a farmers' market like the one in Louviers. On the other hand, the more I read, the surer I am that the French lifestyle is not for me (for a start, the process of buying anything at her local grocery store sounds painful). But one of the best parts of the book are the recipes included at the end of every chapter. When I saw the recipe for Goat Cheese with Raspberry Vinegar and Lavender Honey, I knew I had to try it right away as (for once) I actually had all the ingredients (and have been looking for a good way to use two of the three). This recipe is easy to make and delicious, so a win all around. Serve as part of a cheese platter or as a snack with crackers or a baguette or artisan bread. The author claims she even serves it as dessert sometimes.

Goat Cheese with Raspberry Vinegar and Lavender Honey

2 medium size fresh goat cheeses/chevre (about 11 oz/330g)

2 1/2 teaspoons raspberry vinegar

1 tablespoon lavender honey

Place the goat cheese in a medium sized bowl and, using a fork, mix in the raspberry vinegar. Pack the cheese into a small bowl and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

At least 30 minutes before serving, remove the cheese from fridge. Just before serving, heat the honey just enough so that it liquefies (if it has solidified), and pour over the goat cheese. If desired, you can garnish with a few fresh or dried lavender flower buds and/or fresh raspberries.

6 small servings

EDIT: I made only half the recipe. With the remaining goat cheese, I skipped the step with the vinegar and instead mixed in some freshly ground black pepper and minced fresh basil before pouring lavender honey over the cheese. This was also an excellent combination. I'm sure any good quality honey can be substituted for lavender honey. 

 

[Edited to update title and link. Follow me on my official site: AspasiaSBissas.com] 

Pere Lachaise: Part 4

When I went to Pere Lachaise, I'd asked to be taken to the entrance nearest Oscar Wilde's tomb. I had a plan to make my way through the cemetery to the Menilmontant entrance, and then go see some other sights from there. The driver never said anything but as I wandered among the tombs, I realized something wasn't right. Double checking, I found I had actually been dropped off at the Menilmontant entrance. I was annoyed that my plans had been messed up, and even more so that the driver hadn't said a word about leaving me at a different place than requested. Still, I was in an awesome place, beautiful, quiet, lots of isolated nooks where I could be by myself with my camera, so I didn't stay annoyed too long. A couple of hours later, after my camera battery had died and I was heading out of Pere Lachaise, I noticed this:

Mystery of the drop off at the wrong entrance: solved. Mystery of why the driver didn't say anything (perhaps "Be careful in isolated parts of the cemetery, lone female tourist"): no idea. Anyway, I was (luckily) fine and hopefully these "attacks," whatever they were, have been stopped, but it's a good lesson in always being aware of your surroundings, even in places where you feel comfortable and that seem perfectly peaceful and safe.

On that note, here are the last of my photos from Pere Lachaise...

From a distance I thought this was a church, but it's a tomb.

This avenue within Pere Lachaise is named in honour of foreign soldiers who died for France.

This is a church within the cemetery. I would have liked to take more photos but there was a funeral just letting out and I felt bad enough intruding on them to take this.

The grave of Honore de Balzac

The grave of Hubertine Auclert. I overheard a guide saying she is the reason French women got the vote. We all owe her and women like her a debt of gratitude.

Grave of Delphine de Cambaceres. supposed daughter of the Duke of Morny. Bust sculpted by Amedee Jouandot.

This is another angle of the tomb I initially thought was a church. Jean-Francois Cail was an industrialist. His name, among others, was inscribed on the Eiffel Tower by Gustave Eiffel in recognition of Cail's contributions to the project.

I snapped this with my phone on the way out because the tiles are too pretty not to get a picture of them. Next trip I take, I'm bringing an extra battery for my camera, although my SO actually thinks the problem is my charger. Either way, I don't think an extra battery would hurt.

 

 

 

And that concludes my posts on my trip. Although I didn't love travelling on my own, I would do it again in a heartbeat if it means getting to see and experience something amazing. If you have a dream and no one else shares it, do it anyway. If an anxiety-ridden homebody like me can do it, anyone can. I'm already planning my next trip to France...

Missed one of my posts about France?

Zen and the Art of Provencal Cookery, Part 1 

Zen and the Art of Provencal Cookery, Part 2

Zen and the Art of Provencal Cookery, Part 3

Zen and the Art of Provencal Cookery, Part 4 

Zen and the Art of Provencal Cookery, Part 5 

Zen and the Art of Provencal Cookery, Part 6 

Provence: Maison Trevier 

Provence: Carpentras 

Provence: Lavender 

Provence the Beautiful
Paris: Part 1
Paris: Part 2
Paris: Part 3
Pere Lachaise: Part 1
Pere Lachaise: Part 2 
Pere Lachaise: Part 3

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