Longwood Gardens

 Who among us doesn’t love walking among exquisite fragrant flowers, streaming water, and towering trees where nature is at its best…sound, movement, texture, color, and line all merge in a magnificent horticultural display.

 I would like to share with you some photos from my recent trip to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. There you’ll find acres of outdoor plants, in addition to the beautiful indoor gardens. A great American gem. Enjoy!

The Italian fountain garden, similar to the layout of the water garden at Villa Gamberaia near Florence, Italy

 Peirce -du Pont's house, the founder of Longwood Gardens

 

 Topiary Garden

 Live music!

 Chimes Tower

  The Conservatory

Photography by Amal for Picture of  Elegance Blog

Dior at Versailles

When the ambitious Louis XIV decided to transform his father’s hunting lodge into a monument that symbolized the royal power, he surprised the people and built Versailles mostly as we know today.

I had the pleasure of visiting Versailles a long time ago and one of the most stunning rooms in there is the Hall of Mirrors, which was designed by the French architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart. Mansart transformed what was originally a terrace into a spectacular space. It has seventeen dazzling arched windows that offer spectacular views that are reflected in the parallel seventeen beveled mirrors.

 The ceiling is covered with paintings by Le Brun

So now, it’s Dior’s time to surprise the world with their new fragrance ad in the Hall of Mirrors. The ad was launched a few days ago…Check out Dior's website.
                                                 

Photo: unknown

New York: A Holiday Experience

A few days ago, I came back from my annual Christmas trip to New York City. The holiday season and the creativity level through out Manhattan was simply amazing. The spirit of the season was so profound, you could see it through the decking of the streets, parks, theatres, restaurants, and most all of the legendary window displays. Bergdorf‘s windows were lavish as usual, and full of fantasy and sophistication.

Different holiday perspectives at Berdorf's

The Cartier building

St. Patrick Cathedral

I also had the time to visit the New York Public Library and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I will be sharing my photos with you in upcoming posts.I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas as I did with my family. 

Photography by  Amal for Picture of Elegance Blog