Bienvenue a Dallas: The Latest from Kitty Stuart

Style Scout Post #5



Bienvenue à Dallas: This Style Scout May Have Found Her Calling



 



Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it.
- Danny Kaye








Kitty Stuart, Style Scout                           


Bonjour mes amis,



If you asked me a week ago what my future plans were I probably would have smirked, given you an awkward chuckle, and started rambling in some incoherent answer… a.k.a., I had no idea.








 







I mean I could always list off the several things I dabble in and maybe exaggerate a couple of one-time experiences to enhance my nonexistent resume but that wouldn’t have been fair to you, my loyal readers. It wasn’t until this last weekend that I realized I might actually be good at something that has been staring me in the face for… oh, my whole life. 






 

Yep, you guessed it, Interior Design.
  

Say whaaa’… No way!  It can’t be.  


I’ve rebelled from the idea for so many years it became second nature.  The idea of working for the family business, with albeit a brilliant designer, Sherry Hayslip (Granny shout out!) seemed less than impressive. I mean who doesn’t ideally want to go off and make something of themself, by themself?  Although, it’s not every day that one is handed a white-gold diamond incrusted platter and instructed to EAT.  Now, to clarify, while I admit I have been resisting the ever changing dynamic that is our family business, I have been working as an ‘Administrative Assistant’ at Hayslip Design Associates since I returned from Paris. Of course after telling people that’s where I work I would add, “It’s only temporary.”  Well folks, maybe it’s not so temporary after all.

  

As I said, it was only a week ago that I realized I might have a place in this kooky family affair.  I was invited to go to Colorado for an installation that I have been helping with.  Not only have the clients become quick friends of Sherry and Cole, their daughter is a co-worker and has become one of my very close friends.  So to set the scene: Breath taking views, perfect weather, impressive architecture, some work but definitely plenty of play. 



 



 



 



 



 




Entrance to the project. 



 



Not a bad way to spend your days at work if you ask me.  


I’ve always enjoyed decorating.  Whether I wanted it to or not, I think the urge has always been in my bones.  Basically I’ve discovered a new disease: Designernucleosis – it’s not very common, but when you catch it must be treated.  Symptoms include mild to moderate urges to reorganize tabletops/shelves, stating ideas about how to improve your surroundings, and in severe cases actually moving furniture, accessories, and fluffing pillows in public places.   



The problem is I’ve never had any actual, let me give you money so you teach me, design training. I don’t know how to use CAD, which from what I understand is a relatively essential skill.  I’m not very good at accessorizing and I recently found out that I am NOT good at, nor do I have any desire to understand RUGS.  They are my Everest!!! 



 




… and they don’t call it the Death Zone for nothing. 



 


Despite all of my shortcomings I like the satisfaction of Interior Design.  During our first installation in Colorado I think Sherry, my co-worker, our trusty movers from Eveready Services, and I wanted to kill each other.  There was chaos, unknowns, and frustration, minimal tears and doubt.  Naturally, Sherry could see the end result from afar, however I was struggling to see how we would get out alive.  But then again I’m near sighted so I struggle with that a lot….   



Last weekend we returned to Colorado to finish what we started.  We knew what we were getting into this time and luckily we were just filling in the gaps. 



 


A downstairs game room before: The walls were bare, the furniture a little bland.  Overall, not a very playful atmosphere.



 


An upstairs hall: Bare walls, no rugs… nothing to brag about.  



The downstairs seating area is one of my favorite areas.  I love how the addition of the painting behind the bar.  I love that the simple addition of art adds a pop of color and helps create a nice place to socialize. 



 




  



 


We had a few pieces of furniture, a few more RUGS, a lot of art, and Sherry’s trademark: minerals. The difference this time was that by the end of the first day I could see everything coming together. 

 



 

This is an area that shows how great a rug can be.  Throughout the lodge the floors were bare when we began.  Although I don’t enjoy dealing with rugs, when you find a good one, it makes all the difference. 

 



  



 

I love the colors in the seating area.  The turquoise against the brown leather is soft but still catches the eye.  This view also shows the beautiful cabin-style architecture including thick beams and high ceilings. 


My mind kept jumping back and forth between the blank canvas we started with and the masterpiece we created.  It was pretty darn impressive. 


In my opinion Sherry’s ability to see the end result from the beginning is what makes her so successful. While stress is an obvious side-affect to high pressure situations [and Designernuecliosis] she never has to question that the final product will be amazing because she has already envisioned it.  During this installation I realized that I was part of the creative process.  Mostly just trying to keep myself busy, I would pretend I was a professional designer and act like I knew where the large turquoise vase was supposed to go.  Then I tried out my ability to compliment one accessory with another.  Shockingly, the items I was messing around with DIDN’T GET MOVED!  Well, not all of them anyway… 


My point is: I never really gave this whole design thing a try.  I’ve been harping about how I want to be a famous event planner.  Well, EARTH TO KITTY, what do you think event planning is, dummy?



 



 

HELLURRR!!! 


The only difference between the two is after you plan a beautiful event all of your hard work is packed up and disappears. 


I know I have a lot to learn and perhaps I’ll find that this isn’t what I’m supposed to do either.  Although I think I do have a pretty darn impressive teacher.


In other news I just signed a lease on an apartment with my best friend. It is way out of my budget, seeing as how I don’t have a budget. I also don’t have any furniture, yet.  HOWEVER, Sherry graciously offered to let us borrow furniture that she has in storage to furnish our living room!  So this is my first attempt at decorating my first grown up apartment.  Obviously I’ll be working side by side with Sherry but this is the real deal people!  I mean we’re working with fabric samples and everything.  FABRIC SAMPLES!  


I’m 24, I’m broke, I don’t know what I’m doing with my life, but I have an apartment.  Let this new phase of the circus that is my life… BEGIN!  (Obviously I’ll keep y’all posted.) 

 



 



 



 



 



 



 

Stay classy and stay cool.  



À la prochaine, 

Kitty  





Posted: October 1, 2012 



 









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Style Scout Post #4

On a cold windswept street, this was a warm, cheerful place with a big stove in winter, tables and shelves of books, new books in the window, and photographs on the wall of famous writers both dead and living. The photographs all looked like snapshots and even the dead writers looked as though they had really been alive."
 - Ernest Hemingway on Shakespeare & Company, A Moveable Feast



Kitty Stuart, Style Scout





Bonjour mes amis,





In case you haven't figured it out by now, I am in Paris studying French.  I am taking classes at EF (Education First).  It is an immersion program which offers courses all over the world in almost every language.  Not only do you take language specific classes but they organize "field trips" to the museums, local attractions and even weekend trips to other countries.  To sum it up I'm pretty much living the life over here.  I'm living in Paris, taking classes I look forward to, learning and attempting to use another language and making lifelong friends from all over the world.

Not too shabby.

In the midst of my intensive studying I have developed a passion for reading… something I never thought would happen for me.  Throughout all of my years of school, reading has been not only challenging but something I learned to avoid.  I dreaded reading assignments.  Let's just say that Spark Notes and I developed a very serious relationship throughout my studies.                

It wasn't until recently that I started thinking about all of the classics I missed out on.  I went to a highly acclaimed private school in Dallas, Texas.  The school prides itself on its high standards of excellence and ability to prepare the students for college, specifically in English.  My point is that the books we were assigned over the years were meant to serve a purpose.  A purpose against which I chose to rebel from the beginning.                

When I think back to some of the books we were assigned I am shocked at what a high standard we were held to.  


All good books have one thing in common - they are truer than if they had really happened.
 - Ernest Hemingway                 

Note from Sherry:Paris has inspired and been the setting for many great books.  One would have no trouble cobbling together a wonderful reading list to get one’s Parisian juices flowing… Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame immediately springs to mind… Set against the backdrop of Paris’ most famous cathedral, the novel follows the story of  poor Quisimodo and his love for the beautiful, good-hearted gypsy, Esmerelda.







Another book, one of my all-time favorites, The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery is filled with erudite characters with allusions to literary works, music, films, and paintings all set in the wonderful neighborhood of the Left Bank.







Les Liaisons Dangereuses  by Choderlos de Laclos is a wonderful account of the machinations of a wicked pair of French aristocrats set against the backdrop of the Ancien Regime of France.








(Kitty resumes)
So after all of the years of avoidance I'm beginning to make up for lost time.  Since I've been in Paris I have read seven books and have begun three more.  When I was originally planning for my trip I didn't think I would have much time to read so I only packed a couple of books.  I started my voyage with a light read, My Booky Wook by Russell Brand.  







It is a raunchy story of Russell Brand's life, "A memoir of sex, drugs, and stand-up."  The book was pretty funny and nice to pick up after a long day at school.   Next I read A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway.  







I wanted to read something set in Paris and this book was a perfect pick!  I had never read Hemingway before (although assigned several times) but I think he is wonderful.  I love his writing style.  It is so simple and to the point yet he phrases things beautifully.  It seemed as though he was describing the changing seasons in Paris as they were happening now.  I loved being able to walk through le Jardin du Luxembourg knowing he had walked the same steps.  


Madame, all stories, if continued far enough, end in death, and he is no true-story teller who would keep that from you.
 - Ernest Hemingway 


As my small collection of books was coming to an end I knew I would need to find some more books to keep me reading!  My friend, Liane Michnoff suggested a book called Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay because it is set in Paris.  It is a story about occupied France during World War II.  I decided I must figure out how to find this book in Paris!







I figured in Paris it would be easy enough to find a book store with some English books so I Googled and found several suggestions.  I found one called Gibert Jeune it has books in all different languages and is relatively close to Notre Dame.  Unfortunately they were out of my book but the very kind sales woman offered to order it for me.  I was set on purchasing the book that day so I asked if she could suggest another book store that might have it.  She told me to try Shakespeare & Company.  She gave me terrible and extremely general directions on how to find the store but I went searching anyway.                

Needless to say, I got lost.   

Please refer to my last post regarding my geographic challenges. 

I tried to follow the woman's vague directions but that ultimately got me more lost.  I would also like to add that I had no idea what I was looking for.  All I knew was the name of the book store.  After walking around for a while I found the cathedral of Notre Dame directly in front of me.  I thought, "Oh there's that beautiful cathedral again but where the heck is this book store?"  As I was thinking that I turned around and saw an old English style building directly in front of me… Shakespeare & Company!







This little bookstore is the coolest place ever!  Every single wall, hallway, stairwell, and room is filled with books from floor to ceiling.  Upstairs holds even more books and quiet sitting areas where you can read or just think about life.  Everyone who works there speaks some dialect of English and there are only English language books.











I loved this bookstore.  I had no idea that it was special but apparently it has been around for decades.   

Note from Sherry: What a thrill that Kitty was able to find her way to this literary institution.   Shakespeare & Company has been selling books in its location at 37 Rue de Bucherie since 1951.  Originally called Le Mistral, the name was changed to Shakespeare & Company in 1964 as a tribute to the original bookshop, owned by Sylvia Beach, which was a haunt for the “Lost Generation” such as Ernest Hemingway, Ezra Pound, and Gertrude Stein during the 1920’s.  Sadly, the original Shakespeare & Company closed during the German occupation of Paris in 1940 and never re-opened. The current incarnation of Shakespeare & Company maintained the traditions of the original.  Not only a book store, it was also a lending library, and provided a place to stay and work for young writers.  In the 1950’s and 60’s it became a home-away-from-home for many “Beat Generation” writers such as Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs. Today Shakespeare & Company hosts regular poetry readings, writer’s workshops, and still has beds to accommodate writers in need of a creative place to work. 

Although the woman from the other bookstore's directions didn't help me, I'm so glad I finally stumbled upon this little place.  They ended up having my book and I've been back several times since.  Right now I am in the process of reading The Good Earth by Pearl Buck,







The Prophet by Kahil Gibran,







and, for a little humor, Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain.  







Thanks to Shakespeare & Company I have been able to enjoy a little taste of home.  

À la prochaine, 
Kitty 

Posted: 11-7-11





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Style Scout Post #3 -






“We’ll always have Paris.”
 - Rick Blaine from Casablanca






Kitty Stuart, Style Scout 

Bonjour mes amis, 



I am beginning the first day of my sixth week in Paris.  It is officially fall.  The trees are colorful and the air is crisp and cool.  We've had several days of rain which quickly changed the city from très chaud to très froid!





Over these last few weeks I have experienced an array of emotions accompanying this whirlwind experience.  At first I was excited, nervous, and shy.  That's a laugh, me shy?  The first week I was here, you would be lucky to get a full sentence out of me.  Meeting so many new people and being thrown into classes of another language can be very overwhelming!  After a week or two I was settled into the routine.  I settled in to L'hotel Geoffroy Marie and I made several friends to explore Paris with.  Around the third week I experienced the dreaded "homesickness."  I was certain that I had signed on for too long and that I was going to be miserable for the rest of the trip.  Blasphemy!!  I know… how can you be miserable in Paris?  Please forgive me!  Despite how ridiculous it was, it's the truth.  So that week was spent going to class and sulking around my room….

But now those days are over.

Last week I was feeling very independent and adventurous.  My roommate, Michelle and I have conflicting class schedules so it is difficult for us to make plans during the day.  A little alone time never killed anyone anyway so I decided to embark on en adventure toute seule!


It’s me, looking tres chic J





I realized that after living in Paris, fashionista central, for five weeks I HAD NOT BEEN SHOPPING!  A travesty!  Of course I've done general shopping: post cards, street art, groceries but I had not spent a dime on clothing!!  That of course was quickly changed.



Now, for those of you who don't know me all that well, I am terrible with directions.  I mean HORRIBLE. When I first began driving solo it took me 20 minutes to get home from school… I lived less than five minutes away….



ANYWAY….               

I had scoped out my destinations: H&M, Stradivarius, Mango, and Pimkies all located on Rue de Rivoli.  It all seemed easy enough.  I had class at 3:00 pm that afternoon and as my GPS (for walking) indicated it would only take 15 minutes to get there.  I left at 12:00 pm giving myself ample time to have a leisurely walk, wander through each store, try on anything I found interesting, and walk back with 30 minutes to spare.  Good joke, Kitty.  Something I didn't take into consideration: Construction.

It all began according to plan.  I started down the Rue de Montmontre (the street I live off of… easy enough).  I was taking the time to enjoy my walk, to look around and just enjoy Paris.  Lunch time in Paris is always a busy time.  Every restaurant you walk by has a line of business men and women gossiping about the drama at work that day.  Then the first challenge arose…  "Take a slight right at Rue de Louvre." In Paris a "slight right" is not very specific.  If you don't go far enough you’re likely to end up on the same street you started on, it just curved a little.  If you go too far you could end up on an entirely different street all together.  I went too far.  Of course I didn't notice this until I came upon a construction site. Merde!               



This little mishap deducted a good 20 minutes from my agenda.  I walked around the construction; it should be a lovely development when it's finished by the way.  At this point I was extremely lost.  I decided to take advantage of my situation and continue to enjoy the Parisian sights.











I walked by a lovely area with a fountain full of different exotic sculptures.  The sculptures had vibrant colors and were all different shapes and sizes.  Upon closer examination one was of a frightening looking skull that spun around… weird.  



Note from Sherry:



Kitty stumbled upon the Stravinsky Fountain just outside the Centre Pompidou.  It is a public fountain with whimsical, kinetic sculptures by Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely.  The sculptures were inspired by Igor Stavinsky’s Rite of Spring, as well as his other major works. 



On the sidewalk next to the fountain there was a man doing street art. They were both giant and impressive drawings he had created using chalk.  I stopped to admire his work and the whole scene I was surrounded by.








This, I felt, was truly Paris.                

As I continued on my way, trying to find la rue avec du shopping I stumbled upon a hideous looking building.  The exterior appeared unfinished and seemed to be held together by scaffoldings.  How could a city as beautiful as Paris allow such a monstrosity within its city limits?


Oh mon dieu, c'est Centre Georges Pompidou!!!





Note from Sherry: The Centre houses the Bibliothèque Publique d'Information, a vast public library, the Musée National d'Art Moderne, which is the largest museum for modern art in Europe, and IRCAM, a centre for music and acoustic research.  Completed in 1977, it was designed by Renzo Piano with  Su and Richard Rogers, Gianfranco Franchini, Edmund Happhold, and Peter Rice.





I promise it didn't take me long to realize what I had stumbled upon.  I've only studied about this building in every single French class I've taken since 5th grade, but if you're not looking for it, it can sneak up on you!  Once I made my discovery I took the time to really admire its facade.  I examined its exterior from the back and the front of the building.  Sure, it's an interesting approach on architecture and it is "different" but I must admit I still find it ugly.  I do appreciate it for what it is, but why in Paris?  I understand wanting to accomplish something different and it certainly stands out, but I can't wrap my head around how it was approved to be built amongst all of the other beautiful and historic architecture!





Controversial from the moment of its unveiling, the New York Times

noted that the design of the Centre "turned the architecture world upside down."  The Pritzker jury, who awarded the building’s design the Pritzker Prize in 2007, said the Pompidou "revolutionized museums… transforming what had once been elite monuments into popular places of social and cultural exchange, woven into the heart of the city.”  Others, who weren’t quite so fond of the design, decried it as a “Utopian oil refinery” and some area residents referred to the structure as “the monstrosity.”                

Despite discovering my visual disapproval I believe Le Centre Pompidou was my lucky charm.  As soon as I was done giving Paris a mental "shame on you" lecture, I looked to up find Rue de Rivoli!!!  Store after store appeared!





Stores I hadn't planned on popped up with 50% OFF SALES (uhhhh, yes please).  I became slightly overwhelmed.  Getting off track cost me an hour and a half longer than the 15 minutes I had originally allotted for.  However, I was determined to return home with a bag in my hand!!  As I suspected H&M and Stradivarius were my discount heaven…  I ended my shopping excursion with three new tops, a skirt and a handful of rings.




(Note to SSHS, aka Sherry Darling, aka Graaannnnddmaaaaa: Only 45 euros for it all…. you know I've always been down for a deal! ;-) )




In the end it was a successful day.  Yes I did get lost (which, by the way, I should have planned for), but I managed to find my shops, boost the Parisian retail economy, and explore Paris… oh yeah, and practice MON FRANCAIS!




Usually, I am constantly scolding myself for getting lost.  I still get lost in Dallas.  Heck, I still get lost in Oxford, Mississippi… but in Paris, it's not so bad!  I feel like I'm frozen in time.  Living in Paris still hasn't become a reality to me.  The days get fewer and fewer and my desire to stay grows larger and larger.  I would gladly stay lost in Paris.  Send me on a wild goose chase; give me a destination that doesn't exist for all I care! 







Paris has secured a special place in my heart and I know it's going to be difficult to let it go….




In this fast paced, never sleeping, ancient beautiful city I feel like anything could happen, everything is possible, and the world is at my finger tips!



À la prochaine,

 

Kitty 


Posted Oct. 19, 2011 



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Style Scout Post #2 -

“The proper words in the proper places are the true definition of style.”
Jonathan Swift





Hello, again… your intrepid Parisian Style Scout here… I have just begun my third week in Paris.  L’Hotel Geoffroy-Marie in all of its prison-like-glory, on rue Geoffroy-Marie, has become my “home base.”  Last weekend my friend Deborah and I decided to get away for a few days to visit Amsterdam.


Amsterdam at Twilight



First thoughts on Amsterdam: 


• nearly naked women (dare I say prostitutes) in windows: CHECK

• “Coffee shops” à la Bob Marley: CHECK

• Large groups of older than appropriate men: DOUBLE CHECK


Yep, I would say that all of my expectations were met.                

However, I realize that Amsterdam is more than a city with low morals and lowered inhibitions.  I would like to do my best to redeem this surprisingly beautiful city’s reputation.  

Obviously, I am not the first to recognize Amsterdam’s more family oriented features.  The local to tourist ratio is extremely unbalanced.  I seriously wonder what would happen to the city’s economy if no tourists were allowed to visit.  

In the center of the city is the Royal Palace.  It is very large but seems much more modern than palaces in other countries. 



The Royal Palace 


The Anne Frank museum is a must.  We waited for almost 40 minutes in the wind and rain, but it was worth it.  I was overwhelmed with emotion as I walked through the building.


The Anne Frank Museum

Knowing I was walking where Anne Frank and her family walked, ate, and hid gave me chills.  There were quotes from Anne’s diary posted on the walls throughout the house and it saddened me to think that a girl so young had to be frightened every day.  The fact that she understood she was in hiding to save her life and to know it was because of her religion is extremely upsetting.


The Diary of Anne Frank

As I walked through her dark house it was as if I could feel what she felt.  At the end of the tour I had an overwhelming feeling of the need to cry.  It was an emotional, exhausting and wonderful experience.  I would recommend it to anyone.  

Afterwards, we needed something uplifting… on we went to the Van Gogh museum! 



The Van Gogh Museum 


For those of you who don’t know Van Gogh’s history, he doesn’t have the happiest life story.  In his early 20’s he decided he wanted to be a painter despite never having painted in his life.  He learned from artists whom he respected and developed his own technique.  He lived for a few years in Paris and then in his late 30’s he committed himself to an insane asylum.  After only a year he decided he couldn’t bear to live there anymore so his brother Theo helped him move into a small house.  Shortly after, Van Gogh shot himself and died the next day.

  

Van Gogh’s life was brief but upon his death 800 paintings and some 400 letters were found in his house.  The museum is filled with paintings from throughout his life, accompanied by the paintings of the artists who inspired him.  You are able to walk through the different stages of his life and visibly see the changes he makes to develop his own style.  

Unfortunately, my visit was short and I was only able to visit a handful of things in Amsterdam.  

It goes without saying that the moral compass of Amsterdam is a bit skewed from that of…most… other countries.  Yet, the Red Light District is part of the experience.   



Amsterdam's Red Light District 


I wouldn’t suggest bringing your 13-year-old daughter along… which yes, I did see a mother and daughter, age 13ish walking amid the sex shops and endless windows of nearly naked women.  

And I should warn you that other unexpected “sightings” are possible…i.e., a man wearing fishnet stockings and a thong under his jeans…. only visible due to the adjustment he apparently had to make…  

Word to the wise: fishnets and small undergarments are generally not co-gender friendly. 



Beautiful Amsterdam 


All in all I am glad I visited Amsterdam.  I certainly wouldn’t invest a whole trip to it, but it’s worth stopping by.  Everyone there is extremely friendly and everyone speaks English so if you get lost it’s easy to get directions.  I understand why it’s often thought of as a place for a bachelor party or a group of men wanting a getaway. 

Side note: Men… women are not dumb.  We know you’re not going to Amsterdam to learn about its history.  

I returned to Paris Sunday afternoon and I must say it’s nice to be back in a place where window-shopping is something I can enjoy again! 



The "window shopping" is better in Paris. 


À la prochaine, 

Kitty 

Post date: Sept. 30, 2011 

 



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Style Scout Post #1

America is my country and Paris is my hometown.
 - Gertrude Stein



Kitty Stuart, Style Scout         

I have begun my adventure in Paris, France.  As I expected the views are mind blowing, the food is delicious and the image of the Eiffel Tower never gets old.
   

    


It is also a welcomed break from the treacherous heat of Texas and Mississippi.  However, one thing that my hot blooded, Texan born body forgot to consider…  NO AIR CONDITIONING!            

Now don’t get me wrong, it is considerably cooler here.  Paris actually experiences something called “seasons,” a concept those of us from the south tend to forget.  But there is something different about the weather in Paris.  At midday it is as if the sun is directly on top of you.  At first it’s wonderful, it’s warm and soothing.  But, you wait one minute more and you will begin to wonder if you’re melting! 


 


What I find extremely difficult to understand is how Parisians do not seem fazed by their lack of extra cold, electronically produced air!  They are perfectly comfortable opening a window for a slight breeze.  Of course if they have never experienced the luxury of air conditioning I suppose they don’t know what they’re missing.  Oh, but just think if they had a taste of that sweet, refreshing feeling on a hot summer day…  I think it’s safe to say that air conditioners would be in high demand!



As a student in another country I feel that it is my obligation to conform to this different culture for the extent of my stay. It is necessary to learn the history, try new food, and drink lots of wine (of course!). I might also attempt to learn a word or two of the French language… is that why I’m here? Oh yeah… 

I love Paris in the summer, when it sizzles.
- Cole Porter 

All of that being said, I think it’s safe to say that France and probably most of Europe and I will always disagree on one, not so little, thing… 

La climatisation est essentielle!!!  

À la prochaine,  

Kitty

Posted: Sept. 26, 2011

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