"A truly elegant taste is generally accompanied with excellency of heart."
Henry Fielding
A package arrived, one full heart and of good taste, a feast for the eyes. Creamy flowers to pin on a hat or a lapel, a black silk box tied with a satin ribbon and inside a paper-weight to artfully display on my desk. A hand made card, full of heart.
Gifts from the heart from little Augury
I cannot exactly remember when my obsession with "taste" entered my realm of being. I do however remember being fascinated with those who exuded good taste. My quest began at a young age to learn about what connotes having good taste. Creating a life of good taste, wearing a strand of pearls, a satin ribbon, using fine china, linens, sterling all conjure up images of honoring good taste.
What are some things that bring good taste to your life? Are you a tastemaker or are there certain people who surround you emulate a taste for finer things. Do you look to them to share a certain savoir-faire, a vivre for easy elegance? What are some things that touch your heart, and cause you to elevate your elegant self?
As a child in the 1950s, my mother's bridge friends were my tastemakers. The were always immaculate and scented, wore 'afternoon dresses', seamed stockings, discreet high heels and sometimes fur or astrakhan lamb coats. I know, I know..
ReplyDeleteI particularly remember their manicured nails clacking against the cards and a charm bracelet bouncing off a glass of gin and tonic.
My Mum is definitely mine...she exudes taste...she has a flare for knowing what works and at the best price.
ReplyDeleteMy Mum will spend hours at flea markets(but in England they are true Antique Markets) and in Charity Shops...she'll always find the best finds.
Did you receive Sara yet??
Hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend.
Char.
I have always felt that less is more.
ReplyDeleteQuality over quantity.
True classics are always the best bet, especially when it comes to friends.
Thanks for reminding me.
Cheers!
Flowers and good manners....
ReplyDeleteKindness, and a good manicure.
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ReplyDeleteAs a preteen, my eyes opened to the world. I fell in love w/my Mother's pearls, and the color pink. In my twenties, I read about Coco Chanel via magazines, and I went out in search of a b/w houndstooth skirt and a crisp white blouse. I wasn't trying to copy her, I was thanking her for opening my eyes even further. I gravitated to what I thought was simple and pretty. A handpainted cake pedestal, and the way my Dutch art history teacher always wore her hair in a pretty bun at the nape of her neck.
ReplyDeleteThis week I will be blogging about a friend who introduced me to flower gardening, a big part of my artful life.
I thank all those special people who helped to teach this flower to bloom.
Manners, knowing when to speak and when to stay quiet. Less is more- when it comes to dress and speaking. A good white shirt, pearls and a smart haircut doesn't hurt.
ReplyDeleteRose-
ReplyDeleteYour comment is wonderful, I can picture your mother and her bridge friends - all playing in good taste.
pve
Char.-
yes. yes. Sara arrived and the lovely drawing and I am working on sending you a wee bit of pve.
have a lovely day!
pve
Abby-
Quality, I love that word.
Thanks for your comment, each one is like a classic.
pve
Pamela-
yes, and Edward after a grooming, he must be so elegant.
pve
Purple flowers,
good taste is an art - one to be cultivated.
pve
Debra-
yes, less is more. Have a wonderful week ahead full of good taste, nice things, and true quality,
pve
Having just spent a week in Charleston, where good manners are a way of life, has blown me away as it alwys does..where else does someone run up to you in a supermarket and begs you to pack your bags for you??
ReplyDelete:0)Tara
My mother has been a strong influence on the development of my taste & sense of style, especially regarding interior spaces. But i think my love of textiles, my preference for old over new, my focus on fewer, finer things is from my dad. I remember shopping with him on weekends at wonderful old shops around Hartford that smelled like bay rum & cigarettes. Stackpole, Moore & Tryon, Allan Collins, Henry Miller. I'd sit in a big, cracked leather chair and watch him choose glen plaid for bespoke suits, Harris Tweed for jackets, and camel hair for a winter overcoat. Quality over quantity. That's the way I live today.
ReplyDeleteI think being kind to others, showing good manners and I agree with the commenter of quality over quantity especially when it comes to accessories shows good taste.
ReplyDeleteMy dear friend BJ always elevates my awareness of taste. We had dinner yesterday at her home. It is so much fun to help in her kitchen. Drying her china and silverware yesterday I felt so very elegant!
ReplyDeleteMy Mother and older cousins always were my mentors. Even while growing up and not having much in the material sense. My Mother taught me to sew( I don't anymore sadly. I made very classic pieces even when young!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with all of the above, but another thing that touches me, and causes me to elevate my elegant self are old hollywood movies with for example Gregory Peck, Jean Harlow, Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Clark Gable, Audrey Hepburn, Joan Crawford....you know what I mean!?? ;-)......Such Class, such Style...magnificent.
ReplyDeleteGood taste is natural but it can be cultivated further observing, reading, traveling. Taste to me is avoiding trends and fads or interpreting them in a personal manner. I am for timeless style.
ReplyDeleteGood question....for me a classic style that has been infused with someone's own style is appealing. There are so many of the old movie stars that have great style. For lack of better description...classic with a twist.....casual with a touch of unexpected glamour.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm... I think there's a fine line to with taste... Good taste makes me think effortless, beautiful, elegant, classic...
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother has always been one of those people with amazing taste. The way she speaks, dresses, moves, entertains, decorates... it all feels so natural & effortless.
Always a hand written note, or some unexpected lovely little thoughtful something in the mail...it just makes my day, and elevates my impression of whoever is responsible (although the people who are thoughtful enough to do this sort of thing hardly need any elevation for the most part).
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with good manners! I was at a business meeting today with a non-profit client...and after it a committee member (whom I had never met before) said, "clearly you were raised well." I thought that was such a compliment! I was flattered, as if she had said I looked like Kate Winslet (which...admittedly may have been even nicer ;-) Without manners you are nothing.
ReplyDeleteI think my Nana was the first person my sister Mandy and I emmulated. Her perfectly manicured nails, flawless skin, the reversible circle skirts and the Jaques Cohen espadrilles in every color. When entertaining she always had a raw bar set up on the porch with Rose shucking Chincoteague oysters. For this Eastern Shore gal, that will always be the peak of chic.
ReplyDeleteAs you know Mrs. PvE, this is one of those things that so obsess me, too.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, I thought my parents very glamourous. But I remember things being a bit different back then. Everyone seemed to try a bit harder and good taste was something worth cultivating.
These days, I find that two of my closest friends continue to elevate my game. They lead, seemingly effortlessly, by example. I always say that I am simply trying to channel them when I post!
Having said that, there are certain blogs (present company included) that really are fighting the good fight! I learn so much each day I open the reader.