Beth Arnold

The Yves Saint Laurent-Pierre Berge Sale Sizzles in Paris

Cover of Yves Saint Laurent (Memoirs)

Check out Vogue Daily here for the next three days.  I'll be sending dispatches about "the sale of the century"--the Yves Saint Laurent-Pierre Berge sale of their art, objects, and furniture--from the Grand Palais in Paris.

Update

Here are my YSL pieces and photos on Vogue:

Day 1 of YSL sale

Day 2 of YSL sale

Day 3 of YSL sale

                                                                                 ---Beth Arnold

Letter From Paris: Homage to Dina Vierny, An Artist's Muse

Image by courambel via Flickr

This column first appeared on HuffingtonPost.com.  Comments not included here.

Last night in Paris a homage was held for Dina Vierny, the celebrated muse of French sculptor Aristide Maillol, who spent her life promoting his oeuvre and renown, eventually creating the superb Musée Maillol on the rue de Grenelle in Paris. Vierny died on January 20th, five days before her 90th birthday. But what a life she led! Former French Minister of Culture Jack Lang spoke at the crowded memorial, which was filled with a who's who of the French art world, as well as others from around the globe. Ms. Vierny's sons, Olivier and Bertrand Lorquin, generously presided over the celebratory event that was held in the main gallery of the museum their mother founded. Stories were told, and warm funny memories recounted of this extraordinary woman who lived her life in the service and promotion of art.

For the Dina Vierny homage at the Musee Maillol

A Valentine's Day Hint: The World's Best Pedicure

Image via Wikipedia

This column first appeared on HuffingtonPost.com.  Comments not included here.

Ladies, who among us doesn't love a pedicure? Manicures are nice and all. I'm happy to get one, but someone fluffing up my feet and putting them back in shape is the next best thing to a full body massage. With Valentine's Day coming up, you get what I'm saying?

There's something truly luxurious about someone handling our body's mules with velvety care and attention. Not to mention how sensuous it is to slip pedicured tootsies into slinky stilettos (that is, if you haven't thrown yours all away because they either kill you or are too hard to wear).

From iPhone/Orange Smackdown to Mickey Rourke Does Paris

Image via CrunchBase

This column first appeared on HuffingtonPost.com.  Comments not included here.

As we all know, American culture is taking over the world. France is no exception, although it has its ups and downs here. While the America of George W. Bush was heartily rebuffed--not just in France but across the globe--the Obama era has ushered in a renewed French love affair with us. Every front page in France, including the first seven pages of Le Figaro, were devoted to the Obama Inauguration, and Obama's actions are closely followed. The Sarkozys are hot, but the Obamas are smokin'. Barack and Michelle are the new Jack and Jackie Kennedy, as much as some here might like to claim Carla Bruni Sarkozy as the inheritor of Jackie's stylish legacy.

Obamas or not, if there's anything the French take seriously, it's their culture. In the centuries that the Gallic cauldron has been brewing historical events, the country's arts, sciences, fashion, gastronomy, language, and more have cooked up a feast. The French may be prim and proper, but they're decadently sensual, which is one prime reason everybody in the world loves to come here--eat, drink, see, touch, man, woman, wine, and French lingerie... Feel free to add what I've left out.

"I WANT MY BAILOUT MONEY"

I WANT MY BAILOUT MONEY by Michael Adams, the Health Ranger Mike Adams is Editor of NaturalNews.com. Check out more about his song here. The Wall Street Journal wrote about his song and others commenting on this big Wall Street mess here. If you're on Facebook, join the Bonus Busters: Make Wall Street Pay It Back! group to help us all make our point--and, hopefully, make a difference! What is wrong with these (WS) people!? ---Beth Arnold

Bonus Busters: Make Wall Street Pay It Back!

Image via CrunchBase

Cross-posted at HuffingtonPost.com.  Comments not included here.

Don't we all want our voices heard?  But this shameful billions of dollars that were deposited in the bank accounts of Wall Street/financial industry types and that came from the backs of the American people just about takes the cake and makes us all want to raise the American roof with our shouts--until they give it back!

Billions of government bailout dollars going the way of financial industry bonuses?  It's wrong.  We all know it's wrong.  But what is any person or regulatory group or government entity going to do about it?  From "Few Ways to Recover Bonuses to Bankers" in The New York Times:

“Shameful.” “Outrageous.” “The height of irresponsibility.”

President Obama had some harsh words on Thursday for bankers who paid themselves billions of dollars in bonuses despite the sweeping government rescue of the nation’s financial industry. Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut said “every possible legal means” should be used to claw back the money.

But the sober reality, compensation experts said, is that most if not all of the money that the banks have paid out is probably gone for good. The “legal means” Senator Dodd referred to are few. Unless actual wrongdoing is uncovered at the banks — and so far prosecutors have not disclosed any — the case for clawing back past pay is weak.