I have loved the candles by Cire Trudon for ages, and I aim to return home with a wax bust by them this week. I have tried twice to get my hands on one, when in NY and Toronto, to no avail. So it is definitely a priority for my time in Paris this week.

Cire Trudon has been manufacturing candles in France since 1643, making them the oldest and most prestigious wax manufacturer in the world. Trudon came from humble beginnings as a grocer and wax producer but eventually became the suppliers of candles to the French Monarchy, and Napolean Bonaparte. It was these historical connections that maintained their business, despite the electric revolution at the turn of the century. In fact, Napoleon gifted his son with a custom Trudon candle when he was born, featuring three gold silhouettes of the Emperor.

While they have an extensive line of beautifully perfumed candles, their wax busts are my favorite. They are a true objet d'art. I can't wait to have a grumpy Napoleon greet me at the door every day.

Beautiful painterly iPhone cases by Jenny Vorwaller.

Available at Society6.

In memory of the incomparable Eva Zeisel, I wanted to share with you a TED talk that Eva did a while back, speaking of play and beauty and her continuous search for adventure.

photo via

Rest in Peace, Eva.

One of my favourite shops in Vancouver is Provide, which sells a fabulous collection of modern home goods. A few weeks ago, at IDS West, Provide announced their own in house brand called Provide Made, and are starting off the collection with a series of bold cushions inspired by the cube.

I love the colours, I love the geometric prints, and I love the graphic orange top stitching. The pillows are all made of silk with a duck/down insert. They retail for $170 for the 18" x 18" size, and $199 for a 24" x 24". I'd say that's pretty good for something that's all handmade.

Hello gorgeous!

Eames Lounge and Ottoman

Herman Miller, the manufacturer of many iconic designs, such as the work of Charles and Ray Eames and Isamu Noguchi, has introduced some fantastic new finishes to freshen up these classics. The new finishes include white ash woods, pearl leather upholstery and powdercoat metal finishes.

Noguchi Table

Here's an installation of the Eames Lounge and Noguchi Table complete with the Herman Miller Canvas Office system, and a Lindsey Adelman Chandelier, at the product launch in Chicago earlier this year.

Eames Aluminum Side Chair

It seems obvious really that these chairs have new powercoat options, as we saw this trend move through the plumbing world over the last couple of years. These Aluminum Group chair are completely reinvented with their slick monochromatic look.

Eames Soft Pad & Aluminum Group Management Chairs

Eames Aluminum Group Chair

All products available through your local Herman Miller dealer.

Photos courtesy of Herman Miller.

Yesterday I found the most beautiful book. No surprise, it was by Sibella Court, an interior stylist and owner of The Society Inc from Sydney, Australia.

It is called Stylists Guide to NYC and has been designed as a guidebook through Sibella's favourite haunts in New York City. (Where was this book 2 months ago!!!) The book carries forward with a similar art direction to her previous book, Etcetera, and website, having an assembled ephemera feeling. And it is just plain beautiful.

via The Prippy Handbook

When you flip through the pages, it already feels like an old friend. Sibella has carefully assembled her favorite shops into categories such as Furniture & Interiors, Oddities & Curiosities, Kitchen & Table Paraphernalia, and Haberdashery & Handmade. Even that list is delightful!

Sibella worked as a stylist for over 15 years in New York and shares many incredible finds here. She depicts the shops through photography, typography, and a collage of little bits and pieces along the way.

And it appears that another book is coming out soon! Nomad: A Global Approach to Interior Style will be available in November.

Fabulous.

Photos 3-13 via Notes to a Further Excuse

This week I headed down to Lightform to checkout their big showroom sale. The store will be relocating in a couple of weeks, and they are taking the opportunity to refresh all their showroom lighting. I thought I'd pop by to see what they had in store. And this is what I saw when I first stepped inside.

It is the Josephine pendant by Metalarte.

When I talk about delightful design, this is it for me. I just love that curvy shape. So this will go in either the office or the bedroom, depending on where it works best. I can't wait to show you when it's installed!

My husband and I are not the type of vacationers to just go and sit around and relax. In fact, our trips tends to be busier, and more jamb packed than our normal day to day. Originally, we were planning to go to Argentina. But our lives have gotten the best of us lately, and we just didn't have the time to plan a two week expedition through South America. But when we heard our friends had a condo booked in Maui for a week? That sounded like something we could handle.

My mom warned me before we left, to please take the time to relax and just enjoy ourselves. The last 6 months have been some of the craziest we've been through. Instead, we started the trip in our usual fashion.

We flew into Maui late, and spent that first night in an overpriced hostel close to the airport, with an exceptionally hard and squeaky mattress. It didn't take much to motivate us to get up for our 7:00 am wake up call to hit the road.

Our first two days on the island were spent driving through lush tropical rainforest on a windy narrow road, otherwise known as the Hana Highway. We had rented a convertible (yay!) as we heard that it helps with the car sickness on all the twists and turns. It also provides a full panoramic view of all the incredible flora and fauna.

There were lots of great places to stop, to see incredible waterfalls and the amazing lava formations along the rocky shoreline.

We think there must have been a lot of rain in the days prior as all the waterfalls were in full form.

Our big splurge was a night at the Hotel Hana Maui, which is an incredible spa resort on the east coast of Maui. Were were greeted with kukui nut necklaces, fresh pressed juice, and a refreshing scented towel. Who doesn't love those sweet scented towels?

This was our little bungalow.

After driving all day, we were keen to relax with some tropical bevvies, with little umbrellas, of course.

The next morning, we took an early morning yoga class overlooking the Pacific, followed by a dip in the pool. I wish every morning could start that way.

Then we continued along the highway, ending up at the Ohe'o Gulch, or the Seven Sacred Pools. While the pools are the most popular attraction along the road, we were much more interested in the hike up the mountain.

The hike starts with a trek through the tropical rainforest, following the valley and overlooking the water as it flows down the mountainside.

At one point in the trail, you emerge to find this most incredible Banyan Tree.

Halfway up, you cross a bridge, and are submerged into a richly dense bamboo forest. It seriously felt magical in there. The best part was when the wind blew, and bamboo would sway and knock together. It was absolutely enchanting.

And then at the top, there's this huge waterfall.

On the way out, we stopped to see the seven pools, which seemed to lose their sacredness when packed with tourists.

From this point on, the road changes as you move to the south side of the island. For about an hour you navigate an even narrower road against a rocky cliffside. At some points the road isn't even paved. A good opportunity to take it even slower and just enjoy the scenery. Eventually the road straightens out, and heads across the mountainside, where you can see the formations of the lava flows as they head towards the sea. Absolutely amazing. I swear my mouth was just hanging open for two hours in awe of it all.

If ever you go to Maui, I highly recommend the round trip. It should be on your life list.