Celebrating Life's Moments - Our Toile 'de Joy'

Hard to believe it has been a year since our daughter Erin was married in France! It was indeed a fairy tale, one in which every participant felt whisked away into a magical kingdom for the weekend!

I have a very good friend and designer colleague, Pamela Copeman. Pamela is an artist as well and her art has always held a special place in my heart. She has a true gift for capturing the bright and light of landscapes and moments while allowing for whimsy (like in the beautiful piece she created of our home The Turn Cottage). One day over lunch with Pamela and some other fellow designers I was sharing my excitement for the engagement of my daughter and her upcoming wedding in France in October. Pamela in her true dramatic style looked at me and said “We must create a toile”!

Toile is a French word meaning "linen cloth" or "canvas," but most folks know it as that beautiful pattern repeated on the fabric. Typically, the pattern depicts a highly complex, detailed, pastoral scene with colors like blue, green, or red in patterns over a white or beige background. And for those of us who love vibrant design, toile is a true love. There’s something so magical about the sketches of life in the countryside or a bucolic scene from a seaside. I have used it across many of my designs to add visual depth while still maintaining a serenity. Architectural Digest did a deep dive into the history and story behind this art from.

So when Pamela volunteered her talent and time to help me create a memorable toile to mark this momentous occasion in our family I was in! The process started by my sharing some inspiration through photos, links and stories about things that were special to Erin and Jay.

*Erin and Jay were to be married at the simply stunning Château de Jalesnes just outside Paris.*

Pamela and I met at the Design Center on a warm August day and she shared her truly incredible drawing of the very personal and beautiful Erin and Jay toile. When she showed me her work I burst into tears! It was so special, so personal, an incredible way to mark such a special moment in all our lives. She captured everything so perfectly - the Château, the tiger under the Eiffel Tower, the wine glasses. The scene was bursting with the story of Jay and Erin in Pamela’s unique and fanciful style.

Pamela and I set out to select fabric for the print. Of course we had to coordinate with my cowboy boots! We also chose a beautiful silk that we could have printed for Don to sport as an ascot. I could barely wait to see the finished product - a beautiful tea length skirt that could showcase the toile in perfect form.

*Erin was beaming throughout the entire magical weekend - there is nothing more profound to a Mom than to see your children truly happy.*

The entire weekend was a wash of joy, overwhelming love, festive celebration, fine wine, dancing, dining and embracing life’s beautiful moments. Erin and Jay beamed with pure happiness so wrapped up in love with each other and surrounded by those who love them both so much. I am so grateful that I now have such a special memory and work of wearable art to remember this incredible moment in my family’s life. Here’s to embracing love, life and design!