"A boy is holding a girl so very tight in his arms tonight..... A girl knows that not anybody or anything can seperate WE - not even the stars - and that WE belong to each other for ever. WE love each other more than life so God bless WE. Your David"Written from Edward, Prince of Wales, to Wallis Simpson on July 23, 1935 at 1:00 AM aboard the HMS Faulknor. Possibly THE greatest love story of the 20th century.
6 months later, days before becoming king upon his father's death, Edward's thoughts were only of Wallis as he wrote from his fathers deathbed:
"My own Sweetheart, Just a line to say I love you more and more and need you so to be with me at this difficult time. There is no hope whats-soever for the King it's only a matter of how long..... You are all and everything I have in life and WE must hold each other so tight. It will all work out right for us. God bless WE. Your David"And it did, sort of. 
The top photo is a 1930s piece of Minton I have on my coffee table with some Valentine's day themed red candies as my gift to you! It reminds me of something Syrie Maugham might have used when she decorated Wallis's flat (and her second husband, Ernest Aldrich Simpson). This is where Wallis would come to entertain and become close to Edward, Prince of Wales. 
I hope everyone has their own great romance come true: Happy Valentine's Day!
quotes from "Wallis and Edward, letters 1931-1937" Edited by Michael Bloch
Just beyond the Loggia from the living room is the small Music room, which acts as an anteroom to the Dining room; an impressive march from pre-dinner cocktails to the meal itself sure to impress the guests!
Continuing the total mix of styles, the music room is a cozy little room straight out of a Venetian palazzo from the mid 18th century, pure frivolity and mood.
The designer, Chalfin, was said of this mood "Some one seems to lurk here, wearing old creamy satin, looking into dim mirrors at strings of pearls and corals upon a narrow and corseted bosom, ready with facile musical sighs" A tad dramatic maybe but very evocative; it is after all a very dramatic space.
The walls are paneled with scenes painted on canvas and surrounded with gilded wood moldings, seashells, coral and 18th century Venetian blown glass flowers. 
Contemporary furnishings of the time period join a host of antiques including an Adam harp, a 17th century Italian spinet and a gilded Italian zither giving the music room its name. 
The 18th century Venetian chandelier adds some more frivolity to the space; talk about letting them eat cake! 
After the beautiful fluff of the music room, one moves into the rational of the Renaissance once again in the dining room,or as Chalfin liked to call it, the banquet hall. 
The decor dates to the mid 16th century and features Flemish tapestries from that time period, among the great treasures of the estate. Marble floors in the music room give way to staid Floridian terrazzo (admittedly still marble, but a different variation). 
Scavenged Roman columns again hold torchieres as in the Living room; I like the continuity.
The ceiling is a copy from the Palazzo Gonzaga in Mantua but the furniture is authentic; ranging from the 15th thru 17th centuries, much of it originating from monasteries.
While certainly impressive, it's not a very cozy or welcoming room and was rarely used. Rather, Deering preferred to eat al fesco in the courtyard or on the terrace.
"It was a singularly mixed world composed of all the talents and tarnished by all the vices; a world where the same fatigue and the same fever appeared in every face" Emile Zola in 
While reading these lines on the beach last week, I immediately thought of the Palais Garnier in Paris, otherwise known as the Paris Opera House. Indeed, the whole book has me thinking of the age of opulence.
Rather than talk about the ornate-ness of the building, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.
The famous grand staircase, rather dimly lit and hard to capture with my little camera.
One of many hallways meant to contain crowds gathered here to socialize; love the oak chevron patterned floors.
The grand foyer, possibly the most over-the-top room I've ever set foot in; it took my breath away.
The article is really useful for anyone who is thinking about painting a room with tips from practical application to color options. In the 2nd half of the article, he asks some bloggers we all know and love for their opinions (cleverly typed out in the very colors we recommend!).
I recommended the use of a lovely warm French gray.
On June 9th at 8:30pm, the film 
Or fantasy could be as simple as dressing up in costume for the evening: full of high hopes for the future and escaping the past year.
Whatever form your fantasies take or whatever you may wear, I hope you have great New Years celebrations!
