While I drink my coffee, I take a respite and breathe with intent, engage in deep, sweet yoga asanas, water my herbs while the late morning light spills over and seabirds meander above. I meditate on clouds of delicately printed throw pillows before returning to work, anticipating reading beautiful stories, dreaming in French and dancing, when more time permits.
I am pleasurably stimulated with natural patterns; the swirls of smoke from my Tibetan incense, the dots and stripes of my plants leaves, the melted wax from an intensely burning perfumed candle, the breathing movements when I’m quiet, the shadows of the moon, the opening notes of my tiger lillies, the drop of fresh lemon juice on my salad dressing and many other iterations of form and substance strike my heart with their simple, enchanting, free beauty.
The Canadian fall weather decants the honeyed light upon our treasured trees, commencing a tender ritual of cozy fishermen sweaters, lush socks, hot teas and thick books. Though the wood fireplace nights possess their particular seduction, I miss Los Angeles and think of the the ethereal palm trees, dazzling pink bougainvillea, French style white rose gardens and perfume of dusty violet hazed hills, pacific moonstruck waves and the playful, dreamy California days, hoping I return one day soon.
I collect feathers, seashells, colored threads, wildflower specimens, rocks and pebbles, bringing these magical entities into my space to infuse with sheer, euphoric, intense, simple life, in the process I learn about the nature of the sea, of nature, of time and of peace. The rich potted garden soil, perfume of jasmine and lavender flowers, sounds of the sea and euphoria of distant waves and hints of birdsong in my decor inspire my work, whether legal or artistic. The passionate, reckless, mysterious beauty of the yogic, breathing world tends to heal city dwellers such as myself, tempering our routines with grace and evocative natural wonders.
I bought stems of star gazer lillies to ease the gentle lingering into a work week, the sexy pink and white dotted petals and burnt sienna pollen spilling over remind me, as flowers always do, of the fleeting and intense beauty of life. In my space, my mini fig tree trails intoxicating perfume, evoking my time in Marbella in Spain and the fireflies floating amidst the cypresses, I am eager for fruit one day. As the Sunday cathedral bells shimmer and ring, I spent a few moments practicing my two loves, calligraphy and French, hoping to improve both with time.
I have a happy memory that attempts to escape yet has an lingering attachment that returns unbidden, I remember a white bunny rabbit and a white painted ornate swing at my grandparents garden in Bengal, sheltered with coconut palms, mango trees, magically fragrant marigolds and forever summer pink bougainvillea, I try to hang onto the image of beauty encountered early and it permeates my current life, essentially seeking to capture the rapturous joy, exhilarating mystery and sweet wonder of a child’s garden memories.
I spent Sunday afternoon eating sun ripened dewy stone fruits from a farm stall, simmering garden lush tomatoes with garlic, olive oil and my purple basil, perfuming my apartment with Mediterranean beach nuances, dabbling in paint and gently preparing for a long work week ahead.
Some love affairs are akin to treasured books, one may seek to find new answers or novel adventures, but a classic only deepens in magic and intensity over times. I read snippets from “pride and prejudice” savoring the witty and intelligent banter and yearn for language and emotion conveyed in such sparking incarnations in my life, I also try my hand in different interests but the one for flowers and verdant cellular life is abiding and immutable. I lose myself in pastels hues but find incomparable passion in awaking to fiery immolated tones that permeate the spaces of lands that burn closer to the sun.
Arranging babies lips pink and long term love pink carnations were the perfect antidote for an over indulgent vineyard trip, replete in both white wine and the dreamy landscapes of fertile grapes hanging suggestively from grapevines.
Among the best advice, I read, was from Vogue Creative Director, Grace Coddington’s Memoir, “Grace”, she said to always keep your eyes open because you never know what may inspire you. I believe in also keeping your mind and heart open to experience, imagination, knowledge and energy. We have a limited lease on life just as a little bird, a prima ballerina, an arrangement of my parent’s garden blooms or summer hibiscus, but time itself is a riddle and beauty may be its solution.
I am enamored of honeybees and am in rhapsodies of euphoria when they share my spaces, these pollinating insects serve to intensify the heaven suggestive beauty of our natural world and also produce sweet, delicate, deeply nourishing honey. Though it is late summer and the trees are beginning a tender ritual of sun kissed madness, alchemizing to brilliant hues of autumn, I am already anticipating the wonder of the flowering cherry blossoms in due course. For my mother’s birthday, we celebrated with a few slices of cake, including a raspberry mango cheesecake, a strawberry shortcake and a carrot cake. I am convinced, that even in short notice, cake, garden flowers and candles constitute a party.
Rose pepper dark chocolate, rich midnight inky grapes and an exquisitely cute miniature violet, sourced from St Lawrence Market, were part of a recent present. I am also experimenting with water colors as a way to express emotions, however, oftentimes, a simple Connecticut blue berry pie is the answer for effectuated comfort, joy and sweetness on an early fall Friday night.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
After my family have drifted into dreams, I transform my space into a spiritual meditation sanctuary, I spark incense hand crafted by monks in Tibet in a pot of river stones from Canada, I light my prayer candles, I float a few blossoms in water and I ring my tingsha bells. With the elements of water, fire, earth and air and the quietness of the night, in a ardha padma (half lotus) seat, I alchemize to light, breath, peace and healing.
As a form of stress relief before exams, I bought my first calligraphy pen from Germany as well as a water color set from France. It is beautiful to dwell on ideas of love and of flowers. A little pond that began as a puddle in Connecticut has been named, “Laila’s Pond”, a natural, mesmerizing garden feature to dwell by water, among roses, fish and butterflies.
My breaks between notes are filled with the music of life. I tend my apartment garden and am rewarded with new shoots, spellbinding remuneration in leaves and petals and a healing atmosphere that translates the ecstasy of the light. I gaze at the lake and imagine seahorses and jellyfish deeper in the churning earthy waters, then I ponder the stars and await the sweet melancholy of the night. My sister visits me and brings fresh cookie dough, replete with chocolate chips, almond flour, walnuts and her talented hand, after baking them, we suspend the melting morsels in cold milk and savor our times together.
When I am out in the world, buying raw almonds or fresh beet juice, picking up my children or visiting a cafe for a delicious dark roasted coffee, I am sometimes distracted by my worries, at these moments, I remind myself to see clearly and become less oblivious to the ecstatic beauty and miracle of life, whether by noting the dew upon full blown roses, a charm of swallows or the music of vibrant city life. One may heal by being in nature, or the very least, by pondering its mystery.
I noticed that when I do wear patterns in corsets, dresses, skirts or blouses, whether to a case room or for a champagne cocktail, they tend to be of the petalled or leafy variety, in favored shades of black, whites, pinks, creams, grays and golds. When not perusing legal decisions, I unequivocally adore gazing at vintage wallpapers such as the ones from “cabbages and roses”.
Marigolds from my parents garden and lemons are permeated with shades so brilliant that they set fire to the muted, honeyed August light.
I miss the palm trees of LA, but have a small potted plant that similarly enchants the eastern sun rays.
I witness pudgy black and white striped bees lounge avariciously on flowering stalks, reminding me that my tedious labors will also be rewarded with gentle nectar, soft dreams and lingering tenderness.
I found an old piece of the cathedral at the park on a gentle evening walk. I am adding it to my tasbih beads and tingsha bells for my spiritual practices. I saw a beautiful butterfly soaring high above a large pine tree, filling my moment with unimpeachable bliss.
I was inspired to create a perfumed, magical, healing oil blend, “Butterfly Moon Oil” with grapeseed oil, coconut oil, rose, jasmine essential oils and more, to attract universal love and beauty.
I long to visit Madagascar, Morocco, Laos, Seville or Grasse, in the meanwhile I allow my sense of smell to take me to these places and imagine the sun flecked orange blossoms, the morning dew on rose petals, butterflies pollinating vanilla, lush jasmine bracelets at dusk in Cambodia as well as the afternoon lavender fields of Provence that inspired me to create this space. I use essential oils to heal, during meditation, for skin care, as perfume, for yoga and to scent my candles. These oils heighten my other senses and reconcile my dream states with the flickering realities of life. Above, are my favorites oils with east coast Ivy, Vancouver inspired ferns and California inspired cactuses.
As a child I learned to embroider tiny flowers, I miss the endless summers ofchildhood to craft, dream, imagine and create beautiful worlds. I still find time to draw calming pieces, as “rosebud dawn” above and read delicate, light infused poetry.
My moments are happiest when I witness bee’s greedily imbibing of sun soaked blossoms, seemingly innocent to the potential mundanity of life. For these bees, every day is an intoxicating, romantic adventure courting the daisies, sunflowers and clematis in the parks. I am always inspired by my children, and when they offer me a gentle respite, I sketch abstract patterns or arrange flowers. My father gave me majestic deep purple dahlias from his garden, I took a few which I arranged into a tin vase I decorated with my tiny flower drawing and gave to my sister for her peaceful dwelling.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
My sister, Shusmita, returned gorgeously tanned and illuminated after a sea holiday in Tulum, Mexico. She brought me back a few gifts including a heavenly “flor de naranjo” or orange blossom perfume from Coqui Coqui as well as a magic doll that wards off bad dreams. I detect intense pleasure in this perfume oil that I’m certain will channel joy, healing and ecstasy.
My favorite activities include decadently long hikes in the woods, with ferns, tree shade and a companion of the heart.
I am also learning about “Maya” the concept of life as an illusion.
My childhood memories are laced with travels, my parents were adamant adventurers and took us with them across the peripatetic earth. I remember among other impressions, wild green parrots on bamboo green mango trees, antique cotton sailboats floating melodiously upon the Sydney harbor, keyboards and harmonium lessons in Hong Kong, vivid colors of Indian doorways and an abiding desire of dancing in the rain.
I am working intermittently on a book about Poise, here is a paragraph on breathing:
“7) Breathing: Through yoga, meditation or learning mindful breathing techniques one may achieve serenity, this glow transforms into poise and vibrancy. Breathe slowly and deeply at points throughout the day. It is important to relearn the basic qualities of breath, the calming effects attained by a deep and slow breath in, the balancing moments of holding this shared air, the gentle and lingering abysmal exhale out, a soft and delicate awakening ritual that flows as certainly as the light and as fleetingly as time.”
Happy Breathing.
I dream of being a writer, musing endlessly about the far reaches of the human heart, the justifications for romance and the sentences of bliss and pain. Ideally, I would be a florist/writer, passing my time visiting orange groves, palm forests and swapping waves for case briefs, dances in the moonlight for white papers.
White wine, seagull feathers, bed side white roses, delicate flamingo pink cotton teeshirts, a sun yellow rubber puffer fish bathtime toy, patisserie almond croissants, gourmet chocolate and evening candlelight spells have been my supporting cast for seductive early July days and sparkle dusted nights.
A dreamy July weekend is delighting many, mine comprising of wildflower arranging with flora gathered from a long romantic hike, thus bringing the woods and meadows into our urban space, choosing a new cactus that looks deceptively like a chive plant for my California inspired cactus garden, sighting a few swallowtail butterflies and imagining the highly aesthetically sensitive, the ones that create the treatises on roses.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
I savor ecstatically illustrated children’s books, I perused, “The Story of Mademoiselle Oiseau” by Andrea de La Barre de Nanteuil and Lovisa Burfitt, and for a spell, fulfilled my deepest dreams of Paris, with secret chambers, feathers, pearls, birds, cats, flowers, perfume, poetry, lost time, magic and mystery. I highly recommend adults and children alike to float through the pages of this profoundly beautiful gem.
My wanderlust, gypsy rich, artist and thinker inspired gene was tantalizingly activated while savoring “The New Bohemians” by Justina Blakeney, here the design philosophy of Bohemianism is discoursed and illustrated. I learnt about various bohemian spaces, and was awestruck with pictures of shelters shimmering in the intense light of crystals, herbs, patterns, Turkish poufs, Persian rugs, Japanese screens, books, candles and plants. I learned about the roots of free thinking habitats within different areas of design, such as Romantic Bohemianism which is the genre I am currently drawn to, I encourage a perusal of this book for travelers such as myself, whose homes reflect their yearning for bewitchment and wonder.
I enjoy long walks in nature, whether it is hiking the trails in North Vancouver in Lynn Valley, or catching a sun soaked breeze in Runyon Canyon in LA, or meandering walks while on far flung holiday, allowing the cultures sounds and sights to permeate my consciousness. In NYC, a delightful date experience is walking the Highline while the flowers are in bloom. One may note a vast variety of grasses, blossoms and plants in a sleek, modern designed space that mingles the old New York subway tracks with a paved way that echo’s the current energy of the worlds most dynamic town. In a city that provokes thought, innovation and ideas, the Highline is a stunning example of a considered homage to living art.
During my first year of Law School in Manhattan, my contract law professor, Professor Goodrich, would repeat a beautiful line by Blaise Pascal “Love has its reasons, of which reason knows nothing”, while lecturing us on the fundamentals of contract law, this line is deeply meaningful to me as I try to comprehend the infinite boundaries of love the finite realm of reason and everything that lies between.
Houndstooth patterns are traditionally Scottish, named to resemble the tooth of a hound, while herringbone patterns resemble the shape of a fish or herring, both these shapes impart elegance, tradition and classic moods when appearing in textiles, home designs, logos and on clothing wear. I imagine wearing these prints in neutral tones with pearls, offering an English countryside, tea and scones with cricket or hunting for mushrooms in the rain aesthetic to our urban adventures and encounters.
I perused through “Paris Views” by Gail Albert Halaban in gentle ecstasy, this book is the peak of indulgence for lover’s of Paris, France, Parisian lifestyles, architecture, ambiance and more. The book is a collection of moments looking into the apartments of those who live in the city of light and capture a variety of experiences of life that are universal yet nuanced by the setting. One is offered surreptitious glances into moments of peace, respite, calm, anxiety, pain, disillusion, surrender and other complex to simple elements of existence within the boundaries of personal and unique space. I encourage a careful viewing for details, such as the steam rising from a morning coffee, a tight embrace, a slow dance alone in a room as well as a transcendent peek into the majestic and ethereal light framing the living spaces, in this magical pictorial narrative of Paris.
The April light was sweetly drenched in mist, as I went out for a glass of white wine to a few neighborhood bars this weekend. I enjoyed myself immensely, and was reminded of how sweet and beautiful life is, and how exceedingly brief.
Attending a rose festival in June, perhaps in Bulgaria, would be the epitome of delicate, sensual pleasure, I vividly imagine the gusts of freshly born roses, the transfixing hues of petals adorned with light, the energy of an ethereal space and time, a brief encounter with the sublime, when the roses grace our world.
Though, I find writing and dancing to be my favorite arts, I often doodle simple patterns or shapes, as it is soothing to repeat a beautiful symbol or idea during our waking dreams. Here are pieces I created in Vancouver, that I happily discovered among my pictures in Toronto.
Where ever in the aquamarine earth I may dwell, I find sanctuary among books, candles and flowers. My space begins to delicately enhance my consciousness when I am around my favorite things, a rose garden, a Parisian bicycle, a view of merry clouds, the dew on the balcony at dawn, thus I collected an ivy plant, a babies tears, a mini fern collection from the local florist, to inspire me as they drink in the daily lingering April light and penetrate my reveries in emerald splendor.
If i had to be a color, I would be the very faintest, most delicate, fragile pink. This experience of illuminated magic, speaks to my yearning for beauty, my quest for peace and pleasure, it lingers in the newborn rays of morning light, the whisper of entrancing roses, the hue of romantic hunger, it is a tale of falling in love in Paris in the spring, the color of the dress for dancing in the moonlight and signifies the manifestation of innocence in each new moment.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
In order to cast a spell of romance, one must always have roses and potent perfumed candles in their recipe. During my stay in the south of France, I lit purple and pink candles by my vase of white roses, these heightened the summer sea breezes, the feeling of happiness and love of life that catch us unawares in the midst of beauty. I am convinced that the acts of nurturing our setting, with ambient lighting, richly scented votives and a prayer or a wish, enhances peace, wellbeing and joy in these ever mysterious times.
I wore “Dior Cherie” while in law school in NYC. The rich, hypnotic, feminine white florals and rose scent represented a time of heady possibility, reckless opportunity and unknown avenues, I truly felt as if I was soaring on the energy of the city and the deepening intellectual boundaries, fully partaking in the cultivation of political, literary, artistic, fashion and other cultural tastes. Isn’t it a mystery that perfume take us to a singular moment in time and space and the memory reverberates with the notes, all the while creating a new experience?
When I ponder the beauty, magic and intensity of the ephemeral dance of life, I often am led to the delicate work of ballet. I sometimes dress in fragile, wispy tulle skirts, soft ballerina tee shirts and ballet slippers with a tight bun even though my day may comprise of reading, writing and little children. I long to gain the sensibility and dedication of a Parisian ballerina, the pivotal concentration, the utter grace and the lightness of existence they represent. As butterflies, dancers float on waves of euphoria and I am chasing them in my dreams.
Roses are my favorite flowers and I am always enchanted if I stumble upon a hotel room, doctors reception room, spa or other space with prints or paintings of roses. The motif and medium of these flowers break the ennui of life, dispelling our boredom of the everyday in their utter beauty. While I always yearn to have roses in my room, these representations also uplift our consciousness into heavenly plains.
One wintery night, I heard a beautiful voice singing a bittersweet Fleetwood Mac song on her guitar, “you can go your own way, you can call it another lonely day”, on the street, in our busy city scenes with people rushing towards love, heartbreak, new love, sadness and many combinations of emotion and choice, the lyrics remind us of the consequences of holding onto love or of letting go.
The phrase above by Voltaire, translates to “we must cultivate our own garden”, it resounds earthily with me as I navigate this dreamy, flower and tree speckled life, watching as the first pussy willows bloom, the sky turn bluer and the spring dawn upon us. It reminds me that life involves the stages of birth, death, regrowth, new opportunities, new chances, uncanny encounters, whimsical mysteries, flights of luck, occasional despairs and a constant need to care and tend to ones soul, passions, needs and hopes, in all seasons and in all times.
I read “Ask The Dust”, by John Fante, in Los Angeles, it was especially enticing, taking in the story that is redolent in memory, time and place as I was also submerged in the LA summer spell while reading of another long ago experience, of the dust blowing everywhere from the desert, the palm trees, the empty downtown, the miles of beaches, the travails of a writing, of love and discovery and adventure that have always been the mark of ones days in Los Angeles.
Aphrodisiacs are named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, consuming these potent and mystical foods result in amplifying love indulgent experiences, I am especially fond of oysters, which combine my two favorite subjects, love and the sea. Chocolates and walnuts also create sparks, so these must also constitute ones preferred luxurious, romance inducing nibbles.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
“Scatter My Ashes At Bergdorfs” is a fun, witty, engaging and style infused reading experience, where one may drop into the iconic Manhattan department store through the tales, memories, insights and meanings offered by various tastemakers, socialites, artists and fashion fanatics. The book details intimate musings and contemplations of individuals who often describe their initial encounter with the magical space, their relationship and inspirations with Bergdorf’s that shaped their own artistic and fashion careers and their deep love, joy and contentment through their relationship and memories of the famous address.
After my days living in Hollywood, I succumbed to the BKR bottle trend and am excessively happy with my delicate pink hued bottle, “pout”, the beautiful, simple, functional and minimal design of the bottles designed and launched by two attorneys inspires me to hydrate and think of new ways to approach the most basic needs for life, health, beauty and sustenance. I also am testing skin brushing which when brushed towards the heart is noted to have various beneficial healing results on our skin, energy and other physiological systems.
I seem to be in a permanent cloud of wanderlust. Perhaps its my disorientation from birth as I moved to Hong Kong when I was six months old, and have traveled from place to place since, but my suitcases are well trodden, and I am happiest when I know another journey is upon me. Though I also crave stability, the urge to wander, experience, explore, submerge, float, intertwine with new cultures and vistas pulse through me relentlessly. However, whenever I am in a state of inertia, I indulge in travel memoirs and adventure stories of kindred wanderers always yearning to see the quality of the sunsets and the magical stars under different skies.
I adored reading about the colorful, sensual, heady, decadent life and times of Lilly Pulitzer. Her aesthetic pulls my heartstrings, with vibrant hues, sweet designs, florals, sea motifs and other happy symbols. Her biography details the lifestyles of the American elite classes in their holiday enclave of Palm Beach with orange gloves, palm trees, bohemian and diamond heiresses and a free spirited enjoyment of life, color, scandal and fashion. The book highlights the formation of the Lilly brand and values that have transcended generations, defining the mix of preppy, energetic and highly emotive sugary attire and accessories.
I wear a pair of Tiffany diamond studs, that I received as a gift, whenever I yearn to imbue elegance, I often combine it with a strand of Japanese pink pearls. These elevate my mood, catching the light, denoting the strength, brilliancy and innate intelligence of women and the charms of the sea.
I felt as if I were taking a beautiful, cinematic journey while I read Diane Von Frustenberg’s, evocative memoir,“The Women I Wanted to be”, the designer relates her motivations, inspirations, experiences and cultural influences that enabled her to raise her children and create an iconic brand. DVF, describes how she developed her personality as an early age, explored European aristocratic worlds, landed in NYC and worked with many of the artistic trailblazers of her time. DVF, encourages women to achieve their ambitions and strongly advocates having a finely honed vision that leads to the path of emotional, financial, creative, social and artistic success.
“Salad days” is a Shakespearean idiomatic expression to refer to a youthful time, accompanied by the inexperience, enthusiasm, idealism, innocence, or indiscretion that one associates with a young person.
I love the expression above, connoting the highest points of any life, the wonder and hypnotic potential of youth and time, the cascades of possibility and the untrammeled laughter, dance and song.
While reading the book, Deluxe: How Luxury lost its Luster, by Dana Thomas, I learned about the feather makers, fabric flower makers and embroidery masters of Maison La Marie, Guillet and Lesage in Paris who still make small quantities of exclusive and very intricate feathers, fabric flowers and exquisite embroidery for design houses such as Dior, these houses have been producing in small ateliers over a long period, and have honed their craft to a fine point, the pieces that are affixed with these handmade pieces are rare, expensive and haute couture.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
The cabbage roses used in Chanel No.5 have always remained the same, they are grown in Grasse, in rich soil, sheltered from the sea breezes under a heady sun, the roses are from the same grower used in the original formula even though it is cheaper to source rose ingredients from elsewhere, but it is a pledge of quality and reputation that motivates the perfumers to use the same grower over so many decades, to maintain the magic and integrity of the product. Joseph Muls roses are cultivated exclusively for Chanel, each rose possesses a hundred petals, and blooms only once a year for five weeks between May and June. I dream of smelling the roses at peak bloom, imagine it to be deeply evocative and mysterious, as they are packed into burlap sacks to be extracted for perfume to be misted by women for unbearably beautiful sensory pleasure.
What could be more enticing then looking at a chart of blossoms or shoes? Perhaps it the scientist in me, or the girl who wears five inch stilettos to review litigation documents on Wall Street, the one who is invariably seduced and calmed by roses or dreams of growing her own while wearing fabulous shoes that is enchanted by these charts.
The charming idea of a pumpkin that turns into a carriage, the maddening twelve o’ clock hour, the fantasy of a maid turning into a princess and falling in love with a prince, a glass slipper and more are tales that enchant all ages with the lush possibility of love and magic.
As my sister, Shusmita and I are both very literary, we spend much of our time buried in a beautiful book, additionally as she works as health researcher at a hospital near our Alma Mater, The University of Toronto, she also carries a pile of scientific articles, her laptop, novels and more, while I am usually either at a NY or LA law firm, a bookstore, writing at a cafe or traveling to a seaside. These LLBean Boat and Totes truly helps both of us carry our dreams and our work as well as lend a very New England Preppy vibe wherever we may dwell.
I concocted a delicate after shower oil to apply luxuriously after a steamy exfoliation in the bath or shower. I added half cup of olive oil, 10 drops of Lavender essential oil and 5 drops of Neroli essential oil and allowed it to rest overnight. Later, I massaged this dreamy, South of France and sea beach fragranced oil all over and felt as if I was a butterfly drowsing over a lavender, orange blossom and olive grove as well as having very creamy, smooth and moisturized skin.
All throughout my nomadic childhood, books were the fixed and immutable constants, my family visited the libraries and book stores in every city that we lived in, and through the changes, new schools, friends and experiences the excitement of beginning or discovering a beautiful book remained the same. As an adult I also live a very peripatetic life, in the last years living between New York, Marseille, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Toronto, Dhaka and more, thus having an actual book collection has been a challenge, therefore I collect most of the books I read on Goodreads. I thought I would share my list, as I often review my favorites but I have many more that I enjoy.
Shammari’s Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1977150-shammari-khan
I use rose water spray on my skin throughout the day as a vibrant burst of aromatherapy and moisture, it is so enchanting to use the flower water as it immediately carries me to rose fields in Grasse as well as helps soothe, moisturize and tone my visage. I enjoy the shimmering, petal infused glow immediately after and am constantly reaching for my next blast of blossom seduced mist.
School days and the teachers that shaped our responses and interactions with the world manifest in each persons life in innumerable ways, thus many tribute their teachers with their avocations, dreams, aspirations and philosophies. I enjoyed reading, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark, as it narrates the whimsical, unique, charming and delicate instructions of a teacher with her female students, the book leaves one yearning for the days that minds and hearts are more malleable and innocent. This is a beautiful book highlighting the magic of youth and the promise and expectations of the future beyond our school days.
Though I may not always be in the city, I subscribe to the newsletters to some of my favorite bookstores, these beautiful missives detail events, book readings, cultural insights, book reviews and suggestions and allow one to feel the pace, energy and literary scene of the place. I highly recommend the newsletters for various bookstores including 1) Shakespeare and Co, Paris 2) Jackson McNally Bookstore, NY 3) Skylight Books, LA 4) The Corner Bookstore, NY.
I enjoyed the Monocle Guide to Better Living while living in Vancouver, a city that focuses on lifestyle, design, environment, art, social entrepreneurship, health and wellness in its mountain misted and seagull strewn days. Enjoying coffee and watching the bicyclists and yogis, I learned of other cities where much thought and design is placed in producing handmade goods, designing functional city amenities, sustainable agriculture and many other ideas on how to live innovatively and well with the global resources at hand.
During my summer in the South of France, when I commenced writing in this space, one of my daily habits was to walk about the little Provencal towns and purchase a single rose stem from the florist to bring back to my room, over the course of my stay I adapted pretty juice bottles, teacups, mugs, glasses, ashtrays and more from the hotel dining area to fill my collection of pale pink, pastel peach, vibrant pink and pure white roses in different stages of bloom, later at night I would light my perfumed candles and read, write, practice yoga or take a rose scented bubble bath and my room would be a rose sanctuary. I highly recommend buying a single stem or borrowing from a Dahlia or Peony blessed neighbor whenever one can to adorn their rooms and heart.
Though I am a proponent of white walls as I find they best reflect the light and help keep the mind clear and unadulterated, I find certain wallpaper prints to be beautiful and am tempted to experiment with a few rolls in small spaces such as a reading nook, boudoir or laundry space. The enchantment of a lovely space permeates our days and dreams and creating lovely vignettes reminds us to treasure the time and our shelter.
There is intense and evocative charm in a room lit with a vintage baccarat chandelier, such a magical fixture churns the light in shimmering agony and pleasure, setting sparkles, glows, shadows and corners for the scenes of life played below, there is also decadent bewitchment as a breeze sets the crystals to music. I am captivated by flower chandeliers as well, as flowers possess light in intangible and elusive ways that also capture heady perfumed heavenly beauty.
When I remember my days living in Greenwich Village during law school, I remember the copious amounts of tea and cucumber sandwiches I would consume. The preparation of delicate slices of cucumber, thin white bread with a delicate wash of cream cheese cut into dainty little sandwiches, accompanied by earl gray or orange pekoe tea, eased the agony of reading pages and pages of appellate decisions and the general stress of legal competition. My passionate adoration of tea rituals is also evidenced by my collection of vintage and modern day tea towels, these linens effectively decorate my kitchen, offer a touch of art and become a part of memory.
Before encountering the first sip of coffee, bird tweets or morning roses unfurling in rapture, our initial confrontation is with our vanities, it is the same affair before we drift into luxurious slumber in the evening, it is here that we nurture our souls as well as our visages. The vanity reveals much about a women’s whimsies, desires, dreams and aspirations. I adorn mine with candles, vintage perfumes, a paper flower crown, seashells, a vase of flowers, angel wings and my hopes.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
I miss Montauk, though a worldly beach bunny, certain expanses of ocean and surf render experiences in the heart in intense and powerful ways. Montauk is particularly poignant as the unique salt, mist, light and seaweed of the Atlantic ocean seems teased by the stars, enchanted by the moon and beguiled by the sun.
“His eye lit on a cluster of yellow roses. He had never seen any as sun-golden before, and his first impulse was to send them to May instead of the lilies. But they did not look like her — there was something too rich, too strong, in their fiery beauty.” — from The Age of Innocence
The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton is a compelling, candid, explorative depiction of the Gilded Age in New York, where manipulation and social engineering subtly steer the lives of its members. This story explores the social norms of the day including the taboo of divorce, the strictures of marriage and status and the sacrifices of forbidden love. I was illuminated reading the trials of the characters because many of their struggles, motives, restrictions and goals reflect our own challenges in building and leading a unfettered and happy life in our present day.
Along with dancing, gardening, yoga, baking and reading, my repertoire of treasured leisure activities include spending time with my sister, Shusmita. When we are apart, we exchange gifts that remind us of the innocence and happiness of our global childhood. I am giving her a beautiful cashmere throw to keep her warn by candlelight and flowers in her new apartment. This time of year is rich in its own joys and merriments, especially with candy hearts, drooping and lilting indoor tulips and the excitement of the spring inevitably rushing towards us.
I came across a very old vintage bottle of Jean Patou’s “Joy” perfume in my mothers perfume collection, I applied a very little and was deliciously transported to memories of childhood as I realize how popular and heady the scent had been. It was renowned as the worlds most expensive perfume, using very precious ingredients such as Grasse jasmine and roses. I detected scents of deep powder, fresh roses and old fashioned charm, elegance and grace in my whiff of an old treasure. I am also transfixed by vintage Patou couture gowns as the attention to detail, the styles and the imagination in the designs are mesmerizing.
I first encountered Edgar Degas paintings at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, as many great artists had before him, he decided against legal education to train as an artist and subsequently became one of the founders of impressionism. He painted in a studio in Paris and trained in Naples, he was influenced by Japanese prints as well as the work of old masters. He painted scenes of ordinary women and life, including his most famous, of ballet dancers in unique viewpoints. These beautiful pieces capture the light, movement, essence and alchemy of dance.
I regret that pink is an experience that we merely see. I wonder, what would pink smell like? perhaps the most heavenly pink rose? how would it be to touch? maybe as a pink baby lamb cashmere blanket, it would taste as a summer strawberry, and sound as a sea at dawn, but one thing I am certain of, is that pink would feel of love. I toast la vie en rose.
It is so entrancing to embrace the sweetness of life with time spent unaccountably and pleasurably at a cafe or garden. In the springtime, I treasure my trips with my blush pink umbrella to cafes such as the Belgian restaurant, Le Pain De Quotidien in the Upper East Side and then walking over to Central Park to enjoy the sparkling trees, lakes and flowers in magical bloom. The pursuit for such peaceful passings heightens the beauty of experience, as we sensually capture the fragrance of baguette with butter and jam, a deeply frothy cappuccino and the breezes wandering through blossoming tree lined avenues encountering our own transcendent morning ritual. I recommend such sojourns whether in Paris or London or Istanbul, as birdsong and crumbs manifest universal auras of delight.
One of my favorite restaurants in Manhattan is The Gramercy Tavern. The experience of dining at the sumptuous and elegant establishment lingers in all of ones senses, the muted and classical decor, the refined hospitality, the fragrance of flowers and Greenwich Village, the feel of thick linens and cutlery and the crowning glory of the cuisine leave deeply embedded impressions. I am eager to return to taste their dessert selection, especially their upside down pineapple cake and also the muffins they offer for the next glorious NYC morning.
Dancing and traveling comprise two of my beloved activities. There is such euphoric joy that can uniquely be expressed in movement, the culture of dancing revolves around happiness, pleasure, romance, heady abandonment and freedom. I especially enjoy whirling in the rain, ideally in the monsoon if I am lucky. Traveling by train also conjures up images of adventure, self discovery, acceleration, parting or meeting with love or sadness. The steam whistle blows, the mist descends, the conductor calls and one experiences different worlds and gains exposure to new ideas and possibilities of incandescent encounters.
I have been drawn to purchasing pink and purple carnations the last fortnight, these regal flowers exude a lush and entrancing beauty that is soothing, the wispy thin leaves, the long stems, the elongated buds and the ruffly petals are drenched in charisma.
I am torn whether I should renew my French Vogue, as I truly believe it improves my French reading comprehension as well as ongoing education in fashion, culture and aesthetics. However, I am aware I could easily read one of my beloved french literature novels as well. But, as an avid francophile, perusing a new edition while sipping on a dreamy concoction is an intangibly soothing and luxurious way to savor my time.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
I recommend, “Color Moves: Art and Fashion by Sonia Delaunay”, by those fascinated by pattern, light and vivid color. The french artist was known for her geometric shapes and intense color schemes in textile, art and set design. This artist created her own art movement, known as orphism, her version of cubism. She had lived in Paris was was heavily influenced by artists such as Van Gogh, Matisse and Ganguin.
Though I never attended art or fashion school, I consume books on fashion, editors, designers and style as a fervent hobby. Whether learning about Vreeland, McQueen, Chanel, Balenciaga or Prada, I find deep connections between cultural identity, historical ramifications, symbolic meaning and expression at all levels that inform one of our basic needs, clothing. From the emergence of cotton spinning, to the trade of silks to current fabrics and materials, rise in online shopping to the taste making functions of magazines such as vogue, I am endlessly fascinated with every aspect of clothing and fashion. I am excited to learn more about Elsa Schiaparelli, a iconolcast who shaped the course of fashion with her wild vision. I already know we share a love of pink, I remain eager to find my exact pink one beautiful day.
I return to thoughts on the healing aspect of flowers on almost every occasion that requires introspection on sadness or anxiety. The magical reality of roses or fields of wildflowers soothes ennui and dismay. I believe that flowers are a potent charm that crosses the boundaries of dreams and illusions. Together with candlelight, a pink cashmere blanket, a steaming cup of Tetleys orange pekoe, a tantalizing memoir or novel, we harness the gentler moments of respite while we each wage a battle with our individual circumstances of life. I vowed this year to treat my purchases of flowers as essential as buying fruits and vegetables, especially until I regain a tiny plot of land and sunshine to grow my own tokens of love and grace.
I am achingly inspired by the art of the Ballet Russe’s, conceived by Diaghilev, the traveling ballet challenged the edges of the art of its time, changing and deepening the cultural meanings within the visual, musical and design realm with pioneering modernism and creativity. The work reached epic proportions of collaboration, working with otherworldly visionaries such as Chanel, Matisse and Picasso. The phenomenal artistic moment culminated with a fusion of dancers, composers, designers and conductors bringing an intensely magical vision of dance, design and music to reality.
Perfume, fashion, art, illustration are an intoxicating realm that convey the nuances of our heart in symbolic and mysterious ways. Fashion houses such as Dior, capture the essence of natural beauty and simple lines that resemble our intense longing and understanding of beauty in tangible form. Much of the excitement of life occurs from savoring the joyful experiences of attiring for an enchanted evening, aiming to grace a space and the company with our quintessential charms, conversations and ideas accompanied with champagne and shimmer.
The dreamy experience that will remain with me from the year 2014, was not the small gain, such as studying for and finding out that I passed the California Bar Exam to stack along with my New York law license, but encountering a large heady tuberose arrangement in the Raffles Hotel in Cambodia. The scent was definite magic, mystery and unattainably fleeting romance and sweetness. I will always try to capture such sensual affirmations of life. I also adore white doves, reminding me of the quest for inner freedom, peace and grace, qualities I hope to cultivate in the new year. Many happy tidings for 2015!
I spent my earliest days in Hong Kong and Korea, where my parents adored taking me to trips in the region such as to Japan and to gardens dreamily misted in cherry blossoms, pagodas and koi ponds. Thus, I am drawn to these memories and initial visual encounters with nature. Koi fish swim upstream and represent luck, success, prosperity and perseverance.
“Water for Elephants”, is one of the contemporary literature novels that struck me with its poignancy, beauty, imagery, subject matter and narrative. The story of wild and passionate love, pain, choices and retrospection involving the circus, workers and performers leaves one enthralled by the sensual magic and freedom in the pages.
I was inspired by the beautiful memoir, “My Life in France”, by Julia Child who gracefully, wittily and richly described her global adventures with her husband to various locales, as a gypsy myself, I was comforted by her experiences of setting up in new homes, making new friends, savoring novel passings, vistas, encounters and episodes that fully highlight an exciting and dynamic life. Child described her long and steady collaborative work towards her famous cookbook, her inspirations and motives for her definite creation. As a francophile, who started this space while in Aix En Provence among lavender and cypress trees, I am infinitely attracted to the French ways and this book highly satisfied that particular craving along with insights into food, culture, travel and loving relationships.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
I enjoyed reading 84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff in NYC where I would often pass the building on the Upper East Side where the author lived, this book is lush with letters and books, two of my favorites pastimes, it details a long correspondence and friendship between the author and an antiquarian book store owner in London, it relates memories of WW2 rations, friendships cemented over an ocean by discussions on varied topics and an exuberant love for books over time, distance and trying circumstances.
Old Hollywood captured an era of simple, pure, incandescent charm, beauty and grace, typified by the films of Audrey Hepburn. While I live in LA, I am always noting the lasting impressions of one women’s intelligence and inspiration. It is tempting to dwell on the manners and perspectives of an artful and decadent time that seem beyond us, yet still cast shadows on the present creative moment.
Some Saturday’s are intense with sweet and pleasurable activities, such as my trip to the sea. Such days are replete with cream puff pastries, walnut caramel tarts and hot chocolate at Santa Monica, followed by a very long walk on a Malibu beach, by fiery bright green seagrass melding with lacey foamy waves, a sandscape spotted with deep veined blue mussels clustered in ornate patterns upon rocks, and collecting beautiful sea rocks embedded with pink and green stones, the trip is topped off by a stroll on the Venice Boardwalk at sunset buying flower crowns and exotic incense. I wrote, “L’amour” on the sand as I always do, but the tides washes it away, reminding us that nothing is permanent, but coming home to my fairy light and old french literature art piece and lighting the incense serves to draw out the magic of a golden full moon evening a little longer.
On the rare rainy days in Los Angeles, I watch the tall, leggy, ever reaching palm trees toss and turn in the jagged mist, but, I find myself missing Manhattan in the clouds. The trips to The Plaza Hotel at the Palms Court for afternoon tea evoke a sense of history, time and place, situated as a haven of luxury and comfort minutes from law offices in midtown Manhattan where I worked. My forays there sparkle with a genuinely calm grandeur, replete with art and decadent possibility. I enjoy the Assouline bookstore, where one is welcome to browse pictorial fantasies on a variety of subjects, eat a cupcake at the food hall, or meeting friends for a flute of Rose champagne under the chandeliers by perfumed bouquets, watching the wanderers and travelers reveling in the beauty of the time.
I throughly enjoyed reading the remarkable fashion editor, Diana Vreeland’s, autobiography, D.V. The writer describes a sensational and heady lifestyle lived deeply and richly across Paris, NY and also her travels around the world. With her beautiful and simple language she vividly notes encounters with the mystical, the maddening and the surreal. Vreeland also describes her friendships and influences ranging from the Windsors, Chanel to Andy Warhol. It is inspirational to learn more about a fantastic wit, charming personality and well read and experienced women who thrived on the culture of the moment and helped to define it.
I am a great proponent of almonds in all its forms, cakes, croissants, milk, sweet almond oil, scents and am especially enamored of marizpan. Almonds are a deeply healing food, with nutrient advantages in many forms for the heart, brain and other functions. As it contains vitamin E, it is particularly nurturing for the skin and hair. Almonds blossoms and trees also symbolize knowledge, birth and renewal. It has also inspired beautiful art such as the Van Gogh and Andy Warhol prints above. I am savoring these magical gifts of nature during my time in California.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition, “Death Becomes Her”, contains dresses of mourning shades of mauve and violet sequins worn by a queen and other exhibits of mourning culture, prints, costumes and symbolism, these evince the temporary nature of life and the rites of letting go of loved ones. Also, the Sotheby’s auction of Bunny Mellon’s estate unveils the extremely beautiful collection of a women with exquisite taste, funds and drive to amass and collect art, such as the the Rothko painting. Both, serve a testament to the definite nature of death and also the temporary meanings given to life through art and fashion.
It is inspirational to read of lives past that have manifested intense roles in fashion, imagery, fantasy and culture, one of these is the accessories designer and YSL muse, Loulou De La Falaise. A model, fashionista, Irish, English and French aristocrat, Loulou, possessed a wild, poetic, bohemian, eccentric, maximalism aesthetic that influenced YSL Rive Gauche and the crystallized the sensibility of NY and Paris of her époque. Her influences, personality, wit and creativity tapped into her families wealth and fashionable history, with associations and collaborations with trendsetters, idea makers and beautiful visionaries of the times. Every generation has a few that capture the unreconcilable sparkle and magic of the light and in the perfect moment, mesmerize and energize the yearning to create gorgeous art forms.
As a child one my sweetest holiday memories would be asking my grandmother for candy or chocolate that she would keep in her steel cabinet, after handing us sugary treats that she received from dignitaries and visitors from Europe or the US, she would open her little jewelry box with the dancing ballerina. She would be delighted by the dance and the music and we would also be enchanted by her innocent love of a beautiful and magical keepsake box. As a gentle and whimsical pack of girl cousins growing older on such visits, our nights would be filled with slumber parties where we danced all night and read books till dawn. During this time we were fascinated by ballet by reading classics such as “A dream of Sadlers Wells”, we were mystified by the delicacy, competition, magic and intensity of young girls who were ballerinas. Years later, I attended my law school graduation ceremony held at The Lincoln Center, the home of the New York City Ballet, though my grandmother had passed I’m sure she would have been happy to see me share the same stage as those dreamy ballerinas that she always adored.
My father always wanted me to learn to play the sitar, but while I trained in Indian Classical music on the harmonium, with my music master, I never learned the sitar. These days I am immersed in worlds of ideas, thoughts, notes and literature. When I feel creative, there is is the art of writing that I indulge in to weave scenes, dreams, encounters and emotions in words.
I bought a box of Danish Butter Cookies to enjoy with French and English tea’s in the mornings. It is cooling in Los Angeles with dreamy mists, shimmering delicate gold light and drifting late year whimsies, these gather to early violet sunsets. I notice brightly hued roses growing in thick, fragrant bushes in my neighborhood, heightening the beauty of Hollywood.
I read “The Motorcycle Diaries” by Che Guevara while visiting Costa Rica and “On The Road” by Jack Kerouac in Manhattan. Both these books describe the heady, gypsy free and light experience of movement and encounters with beautiful vistas that is the prize for traveling wherever our feet and eyes lead us. Each book possesses intense resonances with the space and time they describe. I often remember scenes embedded in my memory describing the sea coast of a South America nation or gallivanting through all American meadows and fields. Though I have been traveling and living in various countries from a young age, such gems of unencumbered wanderlust, wild adventure and the narrative experience of seminal journeys, soothe me during times when my suitcases are stored away, always in anticipation.
Though I live in Hollywood among screenwriters, novelists, short story crafters and many more, I long to be in Paris, drinking tea in a cafe or a blooming garden, during the time of Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Fitzgerald and others of the Lost Generation. I imagine and read of charged and adventurous times, surrounded by creative souls, painters and other artists, discerning the heady quality of the light, dwelling in bohemian simplicity and churning ideas and works of unreasonable beauty, passion and imagination.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
Persuasion, by Jane Austen, is a book, I savor repeatedly, because of the enchanting depiction of steadfast and passionate love. Here, the heroine suffers pains and agonies for a decision she comes to regret, the story features new chances, English manners, timelessness of devotion and the sweet anticipation of romance.
Monet depicted heavenly images of women in the garden and also painted heart rendering and ephemerally beautiful images of his own gardens in Giverny. It is challenging to every truly capture the soul of flowers, the changing shades of green or the innocent energy of blooms, but in painted form they capture a light and vision of beauty that transcends the time, place and moment. Looking at these paintings is pure joy, and imagining such a garden, a lingering dream.
In historical movies and literature from the 18th century, the heroines are attired in beautiful and simple dresses in the summer, evoking freedom, movement, delight and youth. Many of the printed cotton were imported from India, with names such as Calicut and Indiennes. These historical traditions of cloth arriving from distant and exotic shores mirrors the present where many of the clothing is manufactured in far away lands for the west, while the design are perfected in Paris and New York.
When I muse on my favorite experiences, it is often the whimsical, fleeting, incandescent ones that remain with me, such as galloping on a gentle and playful horse on the beach on a misty dawn in Montauk, or releasing pink balloons into the air at a midsummer lavender twilight as the fairy lights turn on, the night birds sing songs of farewell and the night jasmine bloom. Such magical moments enrich ilife after they pass as they become reminisces of peace, joy and contentment.
I imagine the life of a ballerina living in Paris, her grace, romances, beautiful ways and dedication to her art in the city of light. Though it may be too late to train as a dancer, I am yet to skydive and I know when I do will have a pink parachute to bring be back down softly from heaven.
As it cools down subtly in Los Angeles, I rue the fact that I left my cashmere and silk scarves in storage in Manhattan and Vancouver, oblivious to the truth of chilly Southern California nights. Warm scented bubble baths with my favorite essential oils, luxe candles from Diptique Paris, an indulgence of plush pillows, tea and books seem uniformly appropriate pastimes for the shorter days and deeper, sweeter nights.
There is something effervescent and exhilarating about wearing a sequined dress. Simply gazing upon my Alice & Olivia baby pink or caramel gold sequined little dresses thrills the senses, as the light and shimmers evoke celebration, decadence, bewitchings, Parisian parties on the Seine river, high art, voluptuous roses in full bloom, ethereal perfume and utter hedonism. I suggest every women collect a few of these for rendezvous, fairy tale balls, nights for proposals, witty laughter, surreptitious tears or for forgetting whatever happened but for the dress.
I often dwell and linger on images and fantasies of escaping the normal for an existence lived on the very edges of chance and romance, yearning for an unfettered time on earth. Thus reading about heroines who jilted conventions and breathed and experienced life intensely colors and fragrances my own adventures. I recommend Out of Africa, by Isak Dinesen, this book floats and murmurs as a faraway dream with the first line, “I had a farm in Africa, at the foot of the Ngong Hills”, here Dinesen weaves her history, her beautiful prose, her relationships with Africa and its people, a love story, changing times and captures the illumination of a magnificent space and mysterious time.
As an ethereal mermaid, I long for the ocean and its intoxicatingly beautiful, floating, swimming and drifting creatures; Octopus; are moon beings, symbolizing mystery and illusion, they float with their eight appendages behind them, living briefly, often six months and with mating hastening their demise, they are also very intelligent and possess memory. When escaping predators they inject ink. Starfish are another favorite sea habitué, they are magical and sensual creatures that symbolize love, healing, sensuality, beauty and wonder. Sharing a world with starfish may be natures way of easing troubled times, inspiring brilliance and intuition in our daily activities. Starfish are sensitive to their environment, they reproduce both sexually and asexually and are preyed on by seagulls, sea otters and fish, but as such whimsical creatures, they compel our imaginations with them, upon the unknowable sea waves in their sparkling wake. Another gallant of the deep, Seahorses, symbolize luck, protection, awareness, patience and contentment. Seahorse engage in courtship dances, afterwards, the male carries the responsibility for caring for the young. They live in shallow waters, in seagrass and coral reefs. These mystical and dreamy sea dwellers heighten our appreciation for beauty and our blue green marines dazzling array of life.
It is entrancing to search deeper into the brand names of various companies to the source of their inspiration from the ancient world. Godiva, the Belgian chocolatier established in 1926, celebrates the ride of Lady Godiva, bare but for her long hair through the streets on her horse, to protest her husbands taxation on the poor, using the story of such a feminine yet brave women transcends the experience of chocolate to sensual and meaningful heights. Versace, the Italian couturier uses the symbol of the Medusa, a vision of beautiful and terrifying womanhood on its company logo, Versace used the Medusa as she symbolizes beauty, philosophy and art. In Greek mythology, the Medusa was a monster but in classical antiquity, her head appeared as an evil averting device. The house of Versace’s use of her form, drives the power, wrath, beauty, horror and elegance of womanhood in the brand. Hermes, the French fashion house, uses the name of the Greek god who was the messenger between the worlds, a God of transitions and boundaries and the conductor of souls into the afterlife, it is fitting name for a brand that crates exquisite art that may have been crafted by goddesses, and are protected for the blessed in the earthly realm. Thus, the aesthetics of modern commerce and goods tingles in the light of long held beliefs and suffices the current moment with mystery and wonder.
Why I Read & Write: There are compulsions and roots behind my desire to read to engage with reality during my waking hours and also write to express and comprehend my world. Both literary pursuits are rooted in my itinerant global childhood where books were often the constant. However, my craving for books were often tempered by my maternal grandfathers admonition to write, he insisted that my female cousins and I write a few lines everyday, we even started a clubhouse in the little room between the floors on the staircase, the purpose was to write stories to share with each other, yet we often veered towards indulging in whatever books we could obtain during those holidays in Dhaka. Later, I remember by father telling me that, “a person who has read a 100 books will have a different perspective of the world than one who has only read one”’ this numerical figure began to compel me to read even more, harnessing my natural competitive tendencies. But, two summers ago visiting a rose strewn Knightsbridge in London for a few weeks, I spent many days in a charming attic room in our rented house on Cadogan Lane, in the atmospheric June rain and all the memories of my favorite English literature began to permeate the air. I lit a candle, made earl gray tea and first started to write pieces, struck by the energy and mood of the days and nights in such a historic town. Thus my journey to twine my heart with my pen commenced and now I try everyday to add a few more words to match, decipher, heal, transcend and become the moments of our life.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
“If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.”–Emily Dickinson. While in Manhattan, I savored this beautiful collection of Dickinson’s letters to her family and friends so much that I had to give a second copy as a gift to a girlfriend. I enjoy epistolary writing because it permeates the moment with the personal insights and personality of writers. Dickinson possessed a wild and sensitive imagination that she conveyed in her correspondence. One may delight in her vivid imagery, responses to nature, whimsical ideas, delicate sensibilities, profound observations and New England environment that contributed to the illuminating beauty and brilliance of her poems and writings.
As one is entranced by the light, one may also be pulled into the irrevocable shadows. The practices of mysticism, occultism, alchemy and sorcery bewitch me, a spell for love, an incantation for healing or a prayer for grace, all of these encapsulate our yearning for piercing the mystery of the unknown and the unseen. I light candles, learn about the healing qualities of herbs, flowers, perfume, colors and symbols in an effort to deepen the meaning of life and it’s possibilities.
The ancient art of Kama Sutra translates to “string of desire” from Sanskrit, the work describes the philosophy of pleasure, healing, virtuous life and happiness. I imagine the sensual realm as a heavenly union amidst blossoming trees, pleasant breezes, redolent fruits, angelic music and beautiful partners achieving ecstasy on earth.
Chloé founder Gaby Aghion passed away, as one who is enamored by Parisian artists and visionaries, I am eager to learn more about her life and influences. The Chloé aesthetic encapsulates femininity, modernity, lightness and joy. Gaby incorporated her deep intellectual capacities into her brand, naming her styles after artists, writers, cultural diaspora, natural objects, locations and others nominers that crossed her bright mind and intelligent curiousity. I am fond of many of the brands trademarks including simplicity of style and form, gracefulness of hues and celebration of nudes, flowing, diaphanous shapes recalling the deserts of Aghion’s Egyptian birthplace, emphasis on softness and roundness which uplifts and defines feminine mores in its most beautiful attitudes. We should be thankful for the creator for enriching the world with such incandescent shades and glimpses of heaven.
The most evocative experiences involve the ephemeral memories and energy of perfume, while searching for a new treasure at Nordstrom at The Grove in LA, I received a sample of Joe Malones, “Wood Sage and a Sea Salt”, this creation captures ideas of a windswept ocean of a British beach, as one who is always at peace at the sea, I enjoyed the sensation of fresh redolent sage with the sea salt crystals tied with a ribbon of seawater and green trees, so one can float and challenge waves even when far from the edges of the marine.
WELCOME TO THE CITY OF ANGELS: I took about two months off from contributing to this website. During this time, I moved from Vancouver to Los Angeles. I currently live in Hollywood, with low gold dusted hills, palm trees, four seasons of bougainvillea, incandescent sunsets, and sizzling dreams and energy. Ideas and images, scenes and fragments flow through this town of freeways, ocean breezes and creativity. I hope to add more dreams and musings during my time here and in this space.
As a itinerant unalterably in the throes of wanderlust, I am not in one place for very long, but when I manage to root, I often gravitate towards an ethereal and delicate atmosphere, as a butterfly I am attracted to the gentle, dainty fairy lights and the pale French chiffon insubstantiality in bed dressing in dream spaces. These heighten my reveries of Paris and of summer laughter trickling through sands in a faraway beach.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
“A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth is one of my favorite novels, I read it during law school in Manhattan, in between thick casebooks that almost rivals the voluminous nature of this story. The book features four families in India around partition, the awakening of a new independent nation, class and societal conflicts, religion, family dynamics, the search for love and the elegant, heartbreaking and shimmering choices/tears that fall upon a life.
The Armchair Book of Gardens, is a pleasurable reading experience, perhaps akin to visiting patisseries and gardens in Paris on a June afternoon. This book explores gardens in various cultures and civilizations, its historical roots in fantasy and in mythology and provides insights into the philosophies of many green thumbs of arts, letters and science.
Reading “Quiet Days in Clichy” by Henry Miller, I shared the free-spirited adventures of artists in Paris in a bygone era, this book is a jaunty, lighthearted and descriptive memoir embedding memories of youth, hedonism, freedom, art and friendship, it offers an evocative image of an unforgettable place, memory, energy and experience, and highlights the qualities of self discovery and the magic of encounters that one remembers for a lifetime.
Though I am yet to set foot it Africa, I mystified by its possibilities, lush history and traditions. My design sensibilities are attracted to Casbah design, recalling the bohemian free spirited era of Talitha Getty, with romantic tents, silks, Moroccan tiles, lanterns, desert dances, hookah smoke and desert starlight.
Delft blue and white pottery embodies a time of cultural expansion, beautiful art and discovery, pottery designed in Delft, Netherlands, was later inspired by Chinese traditions, a merging of east and west though the Dutch East India company in 1620.
I dwelled upon the sweet pages, ideology, history and singularly beautiful perspective of, “Living Life Beautifully” the new design book by the owner of Cabbages and Roses, this book has stunning photographs that encompass the gentle English country and garden home design, with delicate floral prints, vintage furniture, sea, farm and garden symbols and ornaments and also layering of pieces to create a natural, leisurely, tea, crumpets and tiny faded floral print bunting effect.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
During my itinerant childhood, in Sydney, our family had a lambswool rug, the rug came with us in our moves, and I have many sweet and fluffy memories on it, singing, playing, reading books, cocooned in immeasurable softness.
The Roosevelt Hotel is one of my favorite destinations for a cocktail in Los Angeles, the authentic west coast charm mingles with the old American establishment, it’s history encompasses the birth of Hollywood, the dreams and fantasies of lovers, visitors and creators, a sense of time and place manifests in its Spanish colonial architecture, fading tapestries, lush, fragrant bouquets and the poolside lounges under the California stars.
I have been endowed with ecstatic, sweet and gentle memories at my favorite Canadian hotel brand, The Four Seasons, starting from the first in Toronto to my sojourns in LA, Vancouver and beyond, the evocative quality of luxury, decadence and charm is captured in this distinctive hotel label, whatever the state of the atmosphere and trees.
Design Brooklyn leaves ones mind and perspective irretrievably explanded, this book details the powerful, innovative, crafting and historic energy of Brooklyn embedded in the new design frontier in many of the renovations of old buildings, it reveals utterly creative use of space, engineering, technology, architecture, light, local and green elements into the canvas of the modern day borough, home to the living/work spaces of an engaged artistic and culturally sensitive community.
Many of life’s pleasurable experiences involve movement, including dancing, walking, hot air balloon rides, surfing and more, a Parisian carousel evokes the gentle, effervescent joy and amusement of a fixed orbit, adorned with flowers, beautiful creatures, enchanting music, it is blurring spaces, a microcosm of life, round and round, an unerring dream.
Orange blossoms inspire my imaginings of heaven and incandescent light. While I wait for my Mayer lemon tree, which are a cross between lemons and oranges, to bloom, I simmer orange blossom water to perfume my space and shift the atmosphere of drifting, fragile moments.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
Atonement, by Ian McEwan, is a compelling book with vivid images of war, class distinctions, unhappiness and confusion of childhood, regret, mistakes that shape destiny, power struggles, love and the fleeting moments that are questioned for a lifetime. It is a beautiful and sad book, and captures the quality of melancholy that pervades the human condition.
A Room with a View, by E.M Forster, melds a story of love, travel, adventure, discovery, Italy and the English countryside, it’s delicate sensibility, beautiful language, conveyance of emotion and entrancing depiction of time and place, embeds it in my heart as one of my favorite books.
As the night becomes darker, deepening into the midnight hour, I dwell on my longings, as a child, I grew up around the world, and the rush and thrill of a new space holds me captive, I am endlessly drawn to the gypsy ways, the simple, minimal lifestyle, traveling, dancing, flower selling, healing and fortune telling, pulling me into a world of magic, dreams and ethereal starry beauty.
Lingerie parallels the hidden truths of a woman’s soul. The fabric is immaterial, dainty, fragile, wispy, drenched in the lightest hues, delicate beads, feathers, pearls, silken threads and crafted handmade art for a private, imaginative world. A visit to the Kiki De Montparnasse boutique is entering a misted Parisian garden, lush with butterflies and sensual, simply magic.
Perfume is an intoxicating art, ephemeral, fleeting, dazzling, embedded with imagery and emotion. I read, Perfumes, The Guide, by Turin and Sanchez, and found many of their perspectives illuminating, though their tone very condescending, and criticism unduly harsh, as scent, as an element of beauty is subjective and varied in understanding and appreciation as all of nature and its gifts. This is a good book to improve ones knowledge of perfumery and its strange, exhilarating, ethereal charms.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
I miss Montauk and remember the lilac blossoms in late May. I use the Pacifica French Lilac body wash, light the Yankee Lilac Blossom candle and seemingly flit as a dawn tinted butterfly among the unbearably enchanting scent and hued flowers as I anticipate the bloom by the Pacific mountains.
Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf, is a beautiful book, narrating the events leading to a party, it struck my heart with its simple and evocative prose, detailed imagery of flowers, nuances of time and place, delicate thoughts of the main character, social interactions and depictions of an enchanted era.
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This gorgeous book eased the cold winter in the northern hemisphere when garden dreamers wait for the dark soil to thaw and green life to gently return. The book describes the planning, organization, research, design and ideas for Marie-Antoinettes gardens in her palaces and petit trianon. The plates and botanical illustrations are stunning and very inspiring for gardeners and flower adorers alike.
✿ ♥ ♛ ♪ ☁ ☾ ☰ © Shammari Hook 2015
After my date with the study nook at the Los Feliz library, I treated myself to a luscious chocolate eclair and a second hand book, I found a copy of “A Painted Veil” by Somerset Maugham, while I read the book after I watched the film, I enjoyed the novel’s simmering character descriptions, colonial era setting, fraught love story, revelations of duty, and conflicts between the heart, mind and soul. The title is derived from a mysterious sonnet, “Lift not the painted veil which those who live / Call Life”-Percy Bysshe Shelley.
Here are a few of my favorite books for an English Country sojourn:
Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte: One may hear the voices of anguish over the misty heather.
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen: A visit to country dances and long walks over which to fall in love.
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier : Wishes, dreams, fears and the past merge in this luscious tale.
Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh Frolic across a vast estate, gardens and fountains through a long ago remembered summer.
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte: From orphanages to huge homes to country cottages, the setting informs the drama of hearts and minds.
Howards End, E.M Forster: Bearing witness as the old English values merge with the new.
The Mill on the Floss, George Eliot: Recreates scenes of innocence among fields and meadows of innocent summer blossoms.
During my days in NYC, I was often lingering and perusing titles at many of the bookstores in Manhattan.
Here is a sample of a few of my most treasured rendezvous with the written word,
1) The Corner Bookstore on the UES: I have made many small trips to this incandescent gem, on a quiet part of the UES, with an impressive and well curated selection of fiction and children’s books, I especially enjoyed the special events and readings of new books, the ambiance and vibe remains with you after your visit.
2) The McNally Jackson Bookstore in Soho: A quintessential NY bookstore, with unique categories of books, I was astounded to find a Canadian and a South Asian literature section among others. McNally Jackson has very special events for writers, readers, thinkers and bohemians in the vibrant and energetic Soho neighborhood.
3) The St Marks Bookstore in Greenwich Village: A liberal, free thinking, hippie vibe pervades this bookstore at the famous St Marks Place, a few stools always lay about encouraging reading while the hectic world spins away.
4) The Strand at Union Square: A large bookstore, known for its massive selection and non-trendy, authentic, second hand vibe.
5) The Barnes and Nobles at Union Square: A huge bookstore, though corporate, has an inviting and welcoming edge that many New Yorkers savors.
6) The Barnes and Nobles at UES at 86thstreet: I spent many hours at the Starbucks café, people watching, prep school children, nannies, socialites, matrons, oligarchs, punks, med students and more, only slightly less compelling then its literary offerings.
7) The Crawford Doyle Bookstore on UES on Madison: This little bookstore on Madison Avenue is a sweet stop to pick up a new title on French Literature or poetry while museum hopping or café date with friends.
Hearts
Blossoms
My favorite symbols, include, bees, ladybugs, hearts, waves, clouds, Fleur De Lys, roses, butterflies, hook & anchors, seagulls, trees, macarons, the Eiffel Tower, cupcakes, candles, musical notes, Buddha’s, lotus’s, shamrock, scales of justice, balloons and seashells. I adore these as they represent the sweetest ideals of luck, love, grace, beauty, justice and unparalleled imagination.
A few of my favorite color combinations include:
-Chocolate and tiffany blue.
– Pale pink, lavender and white.
-Navy, forest green, eggshell, white & baby blue.
-Black and white and pink/purple.
-Peach, lavender, purple, baby pink and fuchsia.
-Lime green and chalky blue.
-Pale yellow and baby tangerine.
-Black/white and gold.
-White and baby pink/baby blue.
-Emerald and white.
-All black.
Originally published at www.thesweetblossoms.com.
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