Happy Valentine’s Day! We put together a little playlist of some favorite songs about love and loving.
You can listen to it here, if you like:
For a little pre-Valentine’s Day shopping inspiration, owner Cindy and a few of our staff each compiled selections of Eden merchandise that we imagine would make dazzling, singular gifts to a beloved. Two Eden jewelry designers, Jess of Jesseca Anne Jewelry and Brehan Todd of Brehan Todd Designs threw in their picks. Next, we requested a little more input from multi-talented blogger, stylist and yogi Allison Jones of Allison Jones Design, who obliged us and rounded out the list to an even six. Here they are:
-Cindy-
Eden’s owner Cindy chose this vintage toy soldier marionette ($150,) who could be gifted as a lovely symbolic gesture for hard-earned love and affection. Jesseca Anne’s bangle bracelets ($45) feature delicate chain tassels which provide a feminine touch to a classic and versatile style. Maison Bouche is an Oakland based chocolatier and these cat’s tongue chocolates ($14.50) are a sweet and sentimental gift for the cat lady (or cat man) in your life. Brehan Todd’s Volcano cuff ($112) represents a bold new direction for the Portland designer, who used glass, crystal, coral and bullet-shells on a vintage metal bracelet in this piece.
-Julie-
Julie always curates beautiful vintage and vintage-inspired outfits, so it’s no surprise that her Valentine’s selections are also heavy on the vintage side! Jan Michaels lariat necklace ($85) features a beautiful brass rope chain, smooth tumbled onyx beads and little chain tassels – Michaels draws inspiration for her jewelry from Art Deco and Art Nouveau designs. Tocca’s Cleopatra perfume ($68 for 50ml) is a full, deep fragrance with notes of grapefruit, greens, cassis, white jasmine, peach nectar, tuberose, patchouli, amber and musk. A beautiful silk robe from the 1920s ($275) displays a floral arrangement embroidered at front and back panel, with long tassels which swing as you walk. A colorful vintage tray ($68) shows an elegant lady out on her veranda on a bright day and could serve a number of purposes around the house (vanity table, serving cocktails, etc.)
-Molly-
Butterflies, slightly out of season in February, seem all the more poignant and interesting for Valentine’s Day. I also love the idea of a Valentine (such as this framed pair, $165) that could double as art to hang on a wall. This vintage glass vanity set ($85) is so darling with it’s tiny pink flowers and heavy glass stoppers (bonus points if it’s gifted full of a favorite candy!) The butterfly trend isn’t over yet – check out these wonderful, heavy metal bookends ($85.) Colored glasses make beautiful gifts, and the lily of the valley print screened on these ($8 each) makes a sweet present (these flowers symbolize sweetness and the return of happiness.)
-Jess-
This brass mirror ($95) would add charm and elegance to a dresser or vanity-top. A vintage Indian quilt ($165) is a thoughtful gift in which to curl up with your sweetie, and the romantic color palette of this quilt, in shades of charcoal and coral, make it a Valentine in itself. Serge Lutens Ambre sultan ($120 for 50ml) perfume is an irresistible, woodsy, spicy amber scent. Voluspa’s Mandarino Cannela candle ($16.50) provides a spicy, citrusy fragrance that when lit, transforms a space to be instantly cozy and inviting.
-Brehan-
For the Valentine who loves editorial artwork and the printed word, La Vie Pariesienne ($39.95) provides a memorable glimpse at life in Paris during the early 20th century. This vintage lamp ($78) featuring an Art Nouveau lady against a little moon is small enough to fit into most any decor scheme and would make an original and unforgettable present. La Maison de la Vanille’s Absolu de Vanille ($100 for 100ml) is an incredible scent that blends woodsy and spicy notes against a vanilla palette. Maison Bouche chocolates (featured above in Cindy’s picks) also makes chocolate bars ($6.50,) including a limited collection for Valentine’s Day. With a number of incredible flavors (ranging from Creme Brulee to Violette to Rose with Mint) and sweet illustrated wrapping paper.
-Allison-
Allison Jones impeccable personal style is showcased in these selections. Mon Bijou’s Cort bracelet ($98) is sleek and modern, so you might not imagine that this design is actually based on an antique Turkish one! If you’re planning a Valentine’s excursion, this snakeskin print train case ($68) would be much appreciated (and useful.) Maripol: Little Red Riding Hood ($60) is a wonderful resource for style and fashion-history buffs. Voluspa’s Warm Perique Tabac candle ($28) has garnered a lot of nostalgic reactions from people reminded by the scent of growing up in the south, or those who say the scent (with notes of leather, wood and tabac) is strongly reminiscent of a man in their lives.
Allison Jones keeps a terrific blog, which you can see here – it’s a great resource for dressing, decor and color design. Jewelry designers Jess and Brehan also keep blogs that track their inspirations, see Jess’s here and Brehan’s here.
Interested in something you see but no link to buy? Call the shop at (503) 222-2285 or email info[at!] edenportland.com with inquiries.
While having some much needed R&R with our family over the holidays, we engaged in a favorite pastime: watching old movies together. By old, we mean really old – before the advent of talkies. Seeing a few legendary silent film actors and actresses inspired a bit of research on some of the most notable names and we thought to share some interesting historical tidbits here!
- Rudolph Valentino -
While Valentino is still a household name (and perhaps the most famous of the silent-era film stars,) much of his filmography is lost to history.
Despite being typecast as “exotic” and “the Latin lover,” Valentino held progressive, humanist ideas about foreign cultures, and did his best to humanize the characters he was cast as. For example, when interviewed about his role as “The Sheik” and asked if his love interest would have fallen for a ‘savage’ in real life, Valentino stated that “People are not savages because they have dark skins. The Arabian civilization is one of the oldest in the world…the Arabs are dignified and keen brained.” This frustration plagued Valentino for most of his short career and it was only with the guarantee that he be allowed great latitudes in costuming and scripting that he agreed to reprise the sheik role in Son of The Sheik, his final film.
Valentino also was keen to be involved in other elements of the film business besides just acting. While earning today’s equivalent of $130,000 per week, Valentino created an award for acting that preceded the existence of the Academy Awards. The Rudolph Valentino Medal was given for artistic accomplishment in film and determined by Valentino, two judges and a vote of 75 critics.
Valentino died in 1926 at the age of 31 from complications related to appendicitis, gastric ulcers and an abdominal infection. His death caused pandemonium as much of America fell into chaotic, despondent mourning for the star.
- Mary Pickford -
Canadian-born Mary Pickford is perhaps the most famous silent-era film actress. Known as “the girl with the golden curls” and “Blondilocks,” she enjoyed unprecedented popularity with American audiences. Despite her waning popularity as an actress following the advent of “talkies,” Pickford continued to be instrumental in the film industry, helping found United Artist pictures as well as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Pickford’s marriage to actor Douglas Fairbanks cemented their position as the first “Hollywood Royalty” – she was once described as “the best known woman who has ever lived, the woman who was known to more people and loved by more people than any other woman that has been in all history” and when she and Fairbanks returned from their honeymoon abroad, people clamored in the streets to see them. Pickford used her fame to garner support for the military during World War I by selling liberty bonds, raising an estimated five million dollars and being named by the Army as an honorary colonel.
After her divorce from Fairbanks (who went on to wed Sylvia, Lady Ashley,) Pickford became a bit of a recluse, seldom leaving her estate (nicknamed Pickfair during the time of her marriage.) When she was given an honorary Oscar in 1976, a film crew set up inside Pickfair to record her statement of thanks and provided American audiences with a glimpse of the legendary abode.
- Gloria Swanson -
One of the most prominent silent film actresses, Gloria Swanson enjoyed a career which spanned beyond silent film and is best known for her role as fallen silent film star, Norma Desmond in David O. Selznick’s Sunset Boulevard.
Though she began work as an extra, Swanson rocketed to movie star status within a few years of working at Paramount. Working under directors such as Cecil B. DeMille, Swanson gained an incredible amount of artistic authority and leverage with the studio, though films she had a hand in making had varying rates of success. Following Sunset Boulevard (which was made when Swanson was only 51,) she toured through talk and variety shows discussing her silent and sound film career.
Married six times, Swanson notably had a famous affair with business partner Joseph P. Kennedy, father of future president John F. Kennedy. Throughout her life, Swanson advocated for a healthy diet, including encouraging others to try macrobiotic diets and vegetarianism (Swanson became a vegetarian in her late twenties.)
- Clara Bow -
Clara Bow garnered the title of the original “It” girl after appearing as a spunky shopgirl in silent film It. Cartoon character Betty Boop was also modeled after Bow, who embodied the sex appeal of the 1920s with her bob haircut and flapper style. This style helped the young star rise to tremendous fame, becoming one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars and receiving 45,000 fan letters in January of 1929.
Bow became known for her frank behavior and bohemian lifestyle. It was said of her, “Clara is the total nonconformist. What she wants she gets, if she can. What she desires to do she does. She has a big heart, a remarkable brain, and the most utter contempt for the world in general. Time doesn’t exist for her, except that she thinks it will stop tomorrow. She has real courage, because she lives boldly.” She said of herself, “They yell at me to be dignified. But what are the dignified people like? The people who are held up as examples of me? They are snobs. Frightful snobs … I’m a curiosity in Hollywood. I’m a big freak, because I’m myself!”
At the age of 28, Bow retired and became a rancher with husband Rex Bell, a cowboy actor. They had two sons. Bow later suffered chronic insomnia and abdominal pains. Upon examination, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Her poor health and heart conditions could have been genetic – it is suspected that Bow’s mother was also a schizophrenic, who unfortunately never received treatment. Bow died at age 60 of a heart attack.
• • • • •
Love the silent film style? Eden can help you incorporate a glamorous Art Deco influence into your home and wardrobe.
Claus Porto Wild Moss Soap, $12 • Jesseca Anne Pisces Earrings, $65 • Vintage leather evening bag, $125 (call 503 222 2285 for details) • Fur and silk collar, $65 (call 503 222 2285 for details.)
Found image post cards, $2 each (call 503 222 2285 for details) • Ostrich feathers, $12 each (call 503 222 2285 for details) • Vintage silk scarves, $24 each • Serge Lutens Arabie perfume, $120.
Art Deco Textiles book, $29.95 • Jan Michaels cuff, $92 • Vintage shawl, $210 • Lily Lambert No. 33 perfume oil, $42.
This week, our gift guide focuses on lovely presents for people who are in the process of nesting because of a new home or a new baby. With a little originality and planning, gifts for friends and loved ones facing exciting transitions can be some of the most rewarding to give, and most treasured for years to come!
For new homeowners:
Artist’s Handmade Houses – An inspiring collection of one-of-a-kind, truly handmade artist homes sure to get your new homeowner friend’s creative wheels turning.
Turkish glasses – These bright, gilded glasses are a simple, yet much appreciated hostess or housewarming gift and are available in red, purple and teal.
Vintage Turkish suzani – This bright, extra long, intricately embroidered suzani would make a stunning wall-hanging or an original table runner or window valance.
Golden Cypress candle – With its smell of fresh snapped needles, this candle conjures memories of forests and holidays past. The perfect touch for a new space!
For the new parent:
Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm – This book brings together two dozen classic Grimm fairy tales in an all-new translation. Containing a by some of the most famous illustrators from the 1850s to the 1950s, this compilation also includes beautiful silhouettes culled from original publications from the 1920s.
Turkish Suzani Duffel – Large enough to function as a diaper bag now, and a carry-all or overnight bag later, this brightly embroidered duffel is made from vintage Turkish suzanis. A stylish piece that is sure to remain a keepsake for any parent.
Vintage Bolivian blankets – Cozy and versatile, these deadstock Bolivian blankets can also function as rugs, providing a soft and cozy space for a nursery or room with hardwood floors. In a number of bright, striped colors, they happily complement any decor scheme.
A Child’s Garden of Verses – This beautiful board book features eight of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic poems with antique illustrations by some of the best-known children’s book illustrators of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Check out our previous gift guides: 1 • 2 • 3
Coming this Friday: gifts for academics and archivist / collector types!
We’re continuing our holiday gift giving guide this week (click to see parts 1 and 2) with a selection of thoughtful presents that would be ideal for coworkers or extended family who you’re really close to.
For your favorite in-law:
Seaworthy “Time Stopped” necklace – A hand cut brass square is imprinted with a design inspired by textiles from the 30′s and 40′s. The brass square is then accented with links of vintage chains and new brass chain.
Filles de Iles Flower Chic perfume – This flirtatious French scent carries notes of Brazilian orange, ginger of the indies, tequila sunrise, passionfruit, hibiscus, cedar and Virginia praline.
Maria Evora soap – Maria Evora’s famous black soap features notes of myrtle and carob, invoking the salt of the sea and sand of the Spanish coast.
Truffles – Delicious single chocolate truffles wrapped in decadent paper and sealed with a gold foil and tissue bow.
For your friend at the office:
Leather Traveler’s notebook – With an imprinted leather bound cover, the Traveler’s Notebook is made with blank, handmade paper that offers the perfect vista for any memory, adventure or creative thought.
Geisha Green perfume oil – The key aroma of this fragrance is absinthe – the tart, licorice-flavored liqueur, gently sweetened with black currant, mandarin, and violet, and softened with amber and tonka bean. Famed as an aphrodisiac, absinthe is also a legendary creativity enhancer.
Hand of Wisdom – Symbolic of the wheel of law and intellectual discussion, the Hand of Wisdom is a Buddist gesture connecting the thumb and index finger of both hands into a circle pattern.
The Cloud Collector’s Handbook – The perfect incentive for keeping your head in the clouds, The Cloud Collector’s Handbook is a whimsical guide to the wonders of the sky.
Our next gift guide will feature present selections for new parents and new homeowners. Check back for it next Tuesday!