Just when I thought I'd seen it all, from shabby chicks to shabby chic, along came the Shabby Sheik:

A rustic, shabby sheik timber cabinet.  What is a shabby sheik?  What decorating movement does it represent?  Broken tiles?  Ornate but mud covered mosaics?  Or perhaps the seller was someone mysterious but well known...

I love the shabby sheik movement, I intend to decorate exclusively in this style.

And, to follow the immortal words of the man himself,

You are what you is

And you is a bad speller

technorati tags: shabby chic, shabby sheik, shabby chick, frank zappa, sheik yerbouti

It's amazing what a difference one letter can make.  I've always thought of the term "shabby chic" as a bit of a self gratification session (I'm trying hard not to swear!)

There is also some kind of brilliantly simple diabolical thinking going on here.  Whoever came up with shabby chic is one clever monkey.  I'm going to take a guess as to what prompted this movement.  One woman or man had a garage full of stuff.  People came and viewed the stuff at a garage sale and said "wow, your stuff's really old, rusty and the paint's peeling off.  I wouldn't give you 20 cents for that rusty oak barrel or that crappy sign that says "flour" that has cobwebs all over it.  Your junk sucks."

So this woman or man, after not selling a thing at their garage sale, developed a plan.  S/he would put a display ad in the local paper, showing all the old rusty, paint peeling crap in a large country-style room, complete with polished floorboards, lace doileys, white tablecloths, white curtains, another bunch of doileys, a couple of pot plants and a headline for the picture "shabby chic".  And thus, the shabby chic movement was created, giving all people from all walks of life the opportunity to sell a rusty bike on ebay for $400 to a clueless yuppie who is willing to buy all your paint-peeling, oxidising junk at premium prices.  And everyone was happy.

And hey, if you want to make your place into a Jane Austen on coke meets Barbara Cartland nightmare then go ahead.  I have developed an irrational fear of lace, doileys and all-white rooms.  And floral bedspreads.    So a shabby chic room for me would be like some kind of interrogation room.  I'd end up telling everything, even though nobody would be asking me any questions.  I'd tell where the gold is buried and the combination to a non-existant jewel safe, just to get out of there.  If someone brought out the iced Vo-Vos I might even scream.  Or run.  Or both. 

What I love even more is when people get this wrong.  Apparently you can buy a table from a "shabby chick", which is in my opinion, too much information for a simple buyer/seller relationship.

I do appreciate her honesty, though.  If you want to create your own shabby chic wonderland, more power to you.  Just don't be too surprised if one of those creepy-assed dolls moves when you're not looking.

technorati tags: shabby chic, shabby chick, rustic, provincial, french decorating, home, decorating, rusty, overpriced

Have you ever wondered about the difference between caffe latte and cappuccino? Many don't know the difference, including the people who serve them.

Let's start with cappuccino. Cappuccino comes from the Capuchin friars - some say it refers to the colour of their robes, others say it refers to the friars' distinctive hairdo - bald in the middle and hair ringed around the head like a headband. Whatever the reason, we have the wonderful caffeinated beverage, coffee, steamed milk, and a large head of foam topped with a ring or a pattern of cinnamon, cocoa or chocolate sprinkles.

Latte, or caffe latte means "coffee and milk". So, unsurprisingly, the drink consists of coffee and a boatload of milk. This is often served in a glass with a napkin wrap to stop you burning your fingers. It is more similar to a flat white than a cappuccino, only the caffe latte contains more milk. According to Wikipedia, the drink was popularised in Seattle in the 1980s and is still hugely popular today.

Which brings me to my daily battle with take away coffees. I love to drink a take away cappuccino, lift off the lid and lick off the foam and chocolate from the inside. Perhaps not the daintiest look, but that's how I do it.  Only a cappuccino can provide this experience, so I order a cappuccino every time I get a coffee.

For some reason, my saying "Cappuccino" sounds distinctly like "Caffe Latte" to the person behind the counter.  I walk out only to find that I have a milky coffee and no foam, no sprinkles, no fun.   Apparently the rise of caffe latte in Seattle was so powerful, that nobody believes you anymore when you ask for a cappuccino.  They think "poor thing, she's obviously not keeping up with the times.  I'll do her a favour and make her a latte so she won't be excruciatingly embarrassed."

I would like to release an open letter to my particular local cafe, however this can apply to cafes around the world:

Dear "Barista",
You are actually Italian, so you should know better than to confuse a cappuccino with a caffe latte.  I know it's hard for you and that I am the only person since 1989 to ask for a cappuccino since everyone is sooo hip to the latte thing, but I-don't-care.  I want my daggy outmoded cappuccino, I want it brimming with foam and chocolate sprinkles.  Kindly make mine frothy, I don't want a hot milk with a dash of coffee in it, I don't care if Kate Moss is doing it.


sincerely,
Proud (if not fashionably challenged) cappuccino drinker

technorati tags: cappuccino, latte, caffe latte, cafe latte, capucin, friar, barista, cappuccino vs caffe latte, coffee, cafe