“In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines…”
It may not be old, or in Paris, but I’ve always loved the aesthetic of the Oceana Hotel in Santa Monica. Greenery engulfs the entire façade, reminding me of the Madeline children’s book series I adored so much as a child. The story centers on the adventures of a precocious little girl in a Parisian boarding school with eleven other enfants and their chaperone, Miss Clavel.
Madeline, the book that launched a thousand spin-offs.
The original story was published in 1939 by Ludwig Bemelmans, and has developed into a full media franchise—including sequels, spinoffs, an animated 1990s limited tv series narrated by Christopher Plummer (aka the studly Captain Von Trappe from The Sound of Music), and a 1998 major motion picture— ever since.
On a different note, I’m also loving the romantic elements of this silky Bardot midi dress, which reminds me of a refreshing scoop of glâce de pistache, or the interior of Ladurée.
