{pulling it all together}

so far it's been a great deal of fun working on a project like this one remotely. i like the thought of pulling together an entire look for a new apartment without ever first stepping foot into it (i've been in the unit many times but before the renovations, i've not seen it new yet). i'm surprised that the room i'm having the most fun with so far is the bathroom. usually i steer far away from bathroom decor, frankly it bores me and i have a hard time really getting 'into' the look and feel of it. but for some odd reason, this bathroom has been exciting and fun. odd. not sure why the switch flipped but i'm glad it did. i want to share with you a few new items that i'm carrying with me to germany for my bath. i think they will really go nicely in there. i still have a few very specific things i'm looking for (wall hooks, a rug, trash bin, etc.) but those will come most likely when i get over there. first up is this charming straw tote from france with aged leather handles for $42. i love it, it's made very well, it's deep, the leather is gorgeous, and I like how soft it is. i've talked about these french totes on decor8 before, so this purchase has been on my mind for awhile now. i found it at red chair antiques, my favorite store in the entire state of new hampshire. there is no other store that even comes close to red chair. it's fantastic. and the owner, joyce, gave me an excellent tip on flea market shopping in europe - hit the sunday markets in a small town in belgium on the german border called tongeren. i'm already checking on train ticket prices and schedules. joyce has purchased things for red chair in tongeren, so i'm certain to find beautiful items there. the good thing is that i deposited money into my german bank account last year when the euro was only 1.30 to the dollar (now it is 1.60), so spending money in euros isn't so bad as i purchased them at 1.30 already last year. i'm glad i did this because i had a feeling the dollar would further sink this year. and it sadly has. by the way, if you would like a french tote like mine, you can order them at medina baskets. also at red chair yesterday, i found this vintage silver compote dish that i will use for displaying specialty soaps. it's lovely, don't you think? i love the patina. you can find one like it here or try searching ebay, they go as low as $20. i paid $15 for this one. joyce wraps everything so nicely, no matter how little or inexpensive the item, she takes the time to package it with care. see this vintage ceramic tag from france? it's no.22, my new apartment number. i will put this inside of my apartment, most likely in the hallway. here are the pretty things unwrapped. the soap is from switzerland and smells like milk and honey. the other dishes are vintage, i'll use them in the bath as well. my favorite, the vintage french tassel with the ceramic top. you can't find these anywhere. the soft cotton tassel is wonderful. at $24 each, i decided to purchase only one and hang it from the bathroom doorknob. it will coordinate nicely with the turkish tassel towels that i purchased from the netherlands. these soaps are handmade in boston by simplemente blanco. fernanda is the owner and a friend of mine, she is from argentina and not only designs all of her products but is a practicing interior designer and boutique owner in boston's south end. i'm having dinner with her in next week and picking up gifts for my german friends from her shop. i have some of what is shown in the above images that i've been saving. everything smells delightful, so natural and fresh. her aesthetic is wonderful, i mean just to die for. if i ever open a shop her items will be stocked. seeing this pendant at simplemente blanco over the winter, i've been wanting it ever since. now that i have a ruffle shower curtain in pure white, perhaps this as a pendant would be a lovely complement? i had a silver moroccan-inspired light in mind until i realized the one i like isn't really one but 3 pendants dangling from a single chain which would be a bit much for a bathroom this size (same thing for this white wood pendant, it comes with two, not one! errr!). i'm thinking more of a single drum shade pendant, chandelier, or something orb-like. this one pictured is quite lovely but hmmmm.... how to get it over there without crushing it - that's another dilemma. i'd have to ship it over. i like how soft and delicate it looks, that it is pure white but not 'cold', and the lovely looped fabric has a ruffle-like look to it... it's a nice way to soften a bathroom that currently looks like a sea of cold, sterile tile. of course, the diy-er in me wants to try my hand at making something for my bathroom with my own hands. so i'm thinking of a white rice paper lantern (round) and on it, sew (or glue) delicate white butterflies (not a lot, maybe 12 total) that are made from extremely light, almost tissue paper-like papers... i love butterflies, and think that if delicately used they would look lovely on a rice paper orb. almost a cross between this (without cutting anything out from the actual lantern!), this (my dream light) and this.