lean on me.

I’ve been on vacation for too long. Upon entering the 332 this evening, I had a legitimate panic attack. How in the name of all things holy am I supposed to move an entire apartment from North Carolina to Washington D.C. in one teeny tiny little Audi without Lil Ma telling me how to load my trunk? (I mean seriously, if you have an answer, let me know.) In my tazmanian-devil-style-raid, I reached for my phone and sent soultmateHBG a strand of nearly a dozen text messages. My tension traveled from the Dash to the Big Apple in no time flat. Her advice? “Just think positively and act proactively.” The chic is like the damn Dalai Lama. Not entirely sure what I’d do without her.

The best part? Girl’s rollin’ in with GT in tow on Friday for a weekend of patriotism (and furniture shopping) in our nation’s capital. I feel a trip to Eastern Market and Cady’s Alley coming up very, very soon. Now back to packing…

an apple a day.

I just made the most exciting discovery I’ve made in quite some time. I logged onto HarryandDavid.com to order a bulk case of my favorite Sweet Red and Ancho Chili Pepper Spread (seriously you can slather this on anything… a turkey sandwich on wheat berry bread, baked fish, an english muffin,  or with cream cheese on water crackers) for the new place in Kalorama Heights when I stumbled upon the most ingenious idea Harry and David have had in a while: the customizable Fruit of the Month Club. Choose from 3 or 4 in-season fruit options for every month of the year and once a month, wait patiently for your freshly-picked fruit to arrive on your doorstep. So savvy of you, Harry and David.

tgiff.

Happy Friday, kids. I plan on passing out at the beach for the next three to five hours, scraping myself from the sand around happy hour, and then heading to Wise Guys with Anna Ruby and Hannah Zoe for tapas and drinks. I’ve been feeling exceptionally lackadaisical with the absence of a true schedule as I transition from my college life to the real world so a trip out should be the perfect elixir to excite my senses. Cheers to an entertaining weekend!

a room of one’s own.

I was right. A little smog did me good. With slightly dirtier lungs and a few blisters on my feet from bouncing around the city streets in my Cynthia Vincent (cough, for Target, cough) platform wedges I decided that a little beach air would do me good, too. So after a wicked weekend spent in the Big Apple with soulmateHBG, I decided to make a pit stop on the island to surprise Big Man for Father’s Day.

I love the beach, truly I do. But there are a lot of really off-putting qualities about being here during the on-season. Namely, screaming children, humidity indexes that have higher digits than the thermometer display, and lastly, more screaming children. To avoid the heat and the offspring, I stopped by J Banks Design Group to order some furniture for the new place in Kalorama Heights. Remember that Julian Chichester bed I was salivating over? I picked one out that puts it to shame. A new gold bed is on its way along with a super chic nightside table and a desk that I’m particularly excited to make use of. The focal piece of the room? The sweetest silk-screen print donned with a branch full of hand-painted birds (photos to come shortly). Below is a swatch of fabric that I plan on using as a bed-length bolster pillow. I’ve decidedly been ignoring the rest of the apartment until I perfect every detail of my bedroom oasis. I’ll eat on the floor for months if I have to as long as I can have a space for writing and blog surfing.

green party.

I’d really like to think that I’m environmentally aware. But knowledge isn’t always power (well, most times it is… but power doesn’t always yield action). Just because I know that I should buy those fancy lightbulbs doesn’t mean I don’t buy the $1.99 4-pack or that just because I know that I should use a Sigg bottle doesn’t mean I don’t have a landfill full of Fiji water bottles stacked in the back of my car (and no, it’s not a Hybrid). So what? Maybe I am having a “green party,” which, according to Dr. Thomas Friedman, is the detrimental practice of focusing too much on the “fun” stuff that makes the earth healthier by only a very small incremental degree and ignoring the need for the “big stuff” like government policy. Dr. Friedman would maintain that buying those cute Marc Jacobs canvas bags instead of using those awful plastic Target bags or switching to toxin-free laundry detergent and cleaning products doesn’t matter. Well, Dr. Friedman, may I let you in on a secret? The beauty of increments is that they eventually add up. The little things we do on a daily basis do matter. Just ask Malcolm Gladwell. So go ahead, people, recycle your Diet Coke cans and buy Greenworks products. Don’t let Dr. Friedman make you feel inconsequential.

A surefire way to make sure everyone’s on the green party bandwagon? Make us feel like we’ve scored a deal while still giving back to Momma Earth. During the month of April at participating Aveda locations, your $40 donation to the Earth Month campaign will score you a 30 minute facial, 30 minute massage, or a new hairdo and help people without access to clean water (1 out of every 7. Scary, huh?).

Perhaps you’ve heard of the crisis on cork? Yes, I mean the same cork that plugs the top of your favorite Pinot Noir. And yes, I am implying that the crisis could make your Friday night wine-o parties a hell of a lot more expensive. But lucky for us (and the Earth!) Firefly restaurant in Washington, D.C. will take $1 off your bill for every wine cork you opt to recycle. What’s even better? Those donated corks will be repurposed into new corks, helping to drive down the sky-rocketing cost of the material and helping your friendly alcohol dependency subsist. See Dr. Friedman? Green parties really are win-wins. So go get a facial, knock back some Merlot, and know you’re doing the world some good.

rich. bitch.

Yeah, someone took this blog’s title in English. So I translated it to French. On freetranslation.com. So sorry if it’s grammatically incorrect. The only French I’ve ever spoken in my life was during a six week stint in Bordeaux that consisted only of requests for “un verre de vin rouge.” And yes, I had to use freetranslation.com before I typed that phrase, too. Here are some disclaimers that I should divulge before we begin:

one. Sometimes I’m cynical (sorry I’m not sorry).

two. I have a penchant for luxury items. Most of which I can’t actually afford myself. It doesn’t mean that I appreciate them less, though.

three. I have a tendency to abandon blogs. Maybe this one will be different. No one likes a bastard blog.

four. I have no idea what direction I’m taking with Chienne Riche. But if you’re willing to subscribe, I promise it will at least be entertaining.

five. The blog title is somewhat of a misnomer. I’m not a bitch. I’m just rich in life, lucky for what I’ve been given, and fortunate for my wolf pack, my soulmate, and my family (Lil Ma will undoubtedly be making cameos in the near future).

With that out of the way, let’s get down to business. Picking a topic for a first blog post is arbitrary at best. So let’s just start with what’s fresh on my mind: I can’t stop thinking about Kelly Larson’s lithography prints. They’re absolutely captivating. I stopped by the studio today to peek at her newest work: a copper lithography plate etched in abstract paisley. With graduation right around the corner, I’ve commissioned a work themed in old gold and black… I’ll be sure to share when the piece arrives. I’m hoping it will be the perfect artifact to commemorate my last days as a Demon Deacon.

With the move to my new apartment in Glover Park, D.C. (and when I say “my apartment” I actually mean the one I’ve yet to find but am praying will just magically reveal itself to me) only weeks away, I’ve been up at night deriving the perfect wall display to hang above my headboard. I’ve got three yards of the most beautiful gray and white Marrimekko fabric that soulmateHBG bought at a brick and mortar Marrimekko store in Switzerland, some charcoal pieces from my undergraduate studio class, and my Kelly Larson print. The perfect way to display them all together is still fleeting me, but I can imagine they’d look stunning nestled above this Julian Chichester bed. Seriously, I’m hyperventilating. JC is showing at High Point Market as I type this… maybe I should run by and put the money down for the bed now. For some good coverage of the market, check out apartmenttherapy.com. Everything I’ve seen so far is Saltine-and-water-diet worthy. As in, I’d forgo a healthy meal for that circle and square Natural Curiosities print pair or that white lacquer Cisco brothers sofa table.