Small Talk

Whether hosting a Paris bash, summering on the Riviera, or having a few friends in, what good is a party without stimulating, intoxicating, heart-stopping small talk. We’d love to hear yours. Drinks on the EA.

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23 Responses to “Small Talk”

  1. from gerard in SF Bay Area…. the photographic imagery on this site is so spectacular .. and i enjoy reading the postings that accompany them. particularly loved the images of the Yemen women and also the tiled arches. great place to stay current with culture art, travel and trivia. definitely the work of a very discerning taste. have also enjoyed the links to other sites. I’m definitely going to keep visiting.

    gerard said this on 08/21/07 at 02:08:24

  2. Thanks Errant Aesthete for the great virtual cocktail party Friday night…. sans the hangers-on and hangover… the drinks were perfect… I was tempted by that glorious, marvelous martini, but succumbed instead to an aperifif …. loved being reminded of that oh so civil French ritual … my mouth savored once again the Lillet I hadn’t had in years…made me want to go to Paris tomorrow. My eyes roamed over the guests….. great to see Katie Couric bringing some celeb power to Iraq, that place can use it….and the US does it so well. Ralph Lauren still putting out class for the masses… Jimi Hendrix and Coco reincarnate…. nostalgia for that time when we thought the world would change… for the better… and when elegance reigned supreme…… and every party needs a Femme Fatale with red hair draping over her martini glass … in perfect tableaux. And of course some serious talk of new beauty and healing for New Orleans, optimism for the soul city that’s reminding us that we’ve lost ours. Loved every minute. So thanks again for a great lift after a long week. That’s what a good Friday night cocktail party is for. judith in Mill Valley, CA

    gerard said this on 08/31/07 at 08:08:32

  3. I like the site. Perhaps a day should be set aside where there’s an actual cocktail party going on. Where readers can interact with one another. On line. I enjoyed the Bond martini…keep up the good work.

    Larry said this on 09/03/07 at 10:09:37

  4. I love this site! Food for thought for the thinking person.

    Mark said this on 09/07/07 at 10:09:40

  5. The Errant Aesthete is like having my own personal editor…..who culls and collects only the choicest bits of intelligentia…. the best of the Internet….erudite, arty and witty, always entertaining and visually stunning. My information trivia and intellectual quotient has just jumped exponentially and I haven’t had to spend precious hours surfing and sorting. EA is my favorite bookmark.

    Elaine reports said this on 09/10/07 at 09:09:34

  6. Eclectic, eccentric collection of not uninteresting information. Attractive to the eyes and thought provoking.

    Candy said this on 09/14/07 at 06:09:10

  7. This is a really interesting and complex web site with alot of information to sort through. I haven’t seen any other web site like it. Lots to read. Very nicely done.

    Lynne said this on 09/16/07 at 11:09:19

  8. Let me set my ‘tini down before I start. Where has this site been all my internet-life? So much beauty and knowledge is available to us, but who has the time to go chase it down? The Errant Aesthete (had to check the address bar to make sure I spelled it correctly) has opened a window in my world, allowing a breeze of loveliness in. I get plenty of information in the course of my day. But how nice to have access to reports that stimulate my little pea brain, make a seismic register on my emotions. Well done and bravo. I may have to make you my home page. Cheers!

    Anna said this on 09/17/07 at 12:09:36

  9. EA … instead of channel surfing on TV to relax at night… mostly trying to avoid tasteless, “too cute” commercials ….. I browse this wonderful site… and am always astounded at the beauty… and wonderfully stimulated and refreshed from having visited …. what an accomplishment EA…. this is my favorite place to relax and fill myself up again after a busy day. Thank you, thank you

    JG in Marin, CA said this on 09/19/07 at 10:09:31

  10. I’ve got my eye on that vanilla crepe recipe. It sounds and looks yummy. Even though I’m quite challenged in the kitchen, and my cooking skills leave much to be desired (on a good day, I might add), I’ve been studying that recipe and trying to decide if it’s something I can master without (a) hurting myself and/or (b) setting the house on fire. Please keep it on EA for a while so that I have time to copy it and give it a whirl. Thanks!!!!

    Lynne,
    You needn’t worry. It won’t be going anywhere. Just scroll to the bottom of the page for “previous entries.” Or better yet, go under “Epicurean Epiphanies” (Categories) and you’ll find it under the title, “Connubial Crepes.” And let me know how it works out. Bon Appetit! — EA

    Lynne said this on 09/24/07 at 04:09:45

  11. A beautiful and inspiring site. I’m going to spread the word about your site far and wide. Keep on bloggin’!

    RDC said this on 10/05/07 at 04:10:51

  12. Just discovered this very intelligent and interesting site and was struck by the item on Angkor Wat in Cambodia which we had the happy experience of visiting ! I look forward to discovering new and different stories for this traveler on this amazing web site. In fact we will be telling our friends not to miss this site !!

    tony p said this on 10/20/07 at 10:10:38

  13. Wow! This is kind of great! Essentials for the cocktail swilling savant. Perfect. And I love the name — the errant aesthete. The whole thing is good to look at and the articles so different and varied, I could spend days searching through these archives. Got to say whoever the errant aesthete is, s/he or they’ve got a wry sense of humor. Loved the two lampshades in bed together on the story about introverts with the quote from ‘Waiting for Godot.’ “Don’t talk to me. Don’t speak to me. Stay with me.” (Laughed out loud on that one).

    Anyway, consider me a regular. Would love to know who else reads this since I’ve got to think like attracts like and it would probably be a pretty eclectic mix. How about a forum?

    Meredith, your wish is my command. I’d been considering doing a forum for the same reason you mentioned. I think this could be a lively and interesting group and would love to know more. After all, what’s the point in having a party if there’s no one to talk to? In any event, I’ve got someone working something up for me and hope to have it in place over the next few weeks. Thanks for the suggestion and keep reading. –the EA

    Meredith said this on 11/14/07 at 09:11:03

  14. Dear EA Readers, Regulars, Occasional Viewers and Accidental Tourists,

    What better time than these days leading up to Thanksgiving, our first online, to offer special thanks and gratitude to everyone who has embraced the errant aesthete in its brief span of three months with the same dedication, appreciation and joie de vivre that has gone into its creation.

    Thank you for your encouragement, support and endless praise on our photographic choices, interesting and unusual content and overall design that is magnificently enhanced by our compatriot, friend and fellow swilling savant, Liz Dimmitt of Gawker Artists, a visual companion of unerring style and class.

    Happy Holidays!

    the EA

    eÆsthete said this on 11/16/07 at 11:11:23

  15. Dear Readers, Regulars, Occasional Viewers & Accidental Tourists,

    What a thrilling mention and unimagined honor the errant aesthete received today out of Things Magazine, which is comprised of a group of writers and historians based at the Victoria & Albert Museum/Royal College of Art in the UK.

    The Errant Aesthete was listed among a new breed of visual weblogs whose focus attests to the power of the image as a cultural marker of our time.

    “The common thread that binds these weblogs together is the single arresting image, be it a film still, flickr pic, piece of scanned ephemera or fragment of corporate identity or brochure. These are the new cultural hooks, one shot slices of instant visual gratification that get lodged in the brain, ultimately persuading you that somehow you have seen everything before and yet it all remains strangely new. … These modern compendiums are catalogues of contemporary culture, just as the Great Exhibition was a snapshot of mid-C19 century manufacturing excess.”

    For those of you interested in viewing the full article, you can find it on their website: thingsmagazine.net.

    Again, thank you all for bringing the errant aesthete to the attention of your family, friends and the world at large. It is humbling and gratifying to know that one small venture created out of interest, passion, and dedication can ripple across the universe in life altering ways.

    the EA

    eÆsthete said this on 11/30/07 at 04:11:42

  16. As a photographer, I’m already biased in my appreciation of image and it seems clear that the visual culture is not about to disappear. If anything, imagery and visualization are the dominating forces driving this century. In my view, digital imagery can only enhance, expand and promote rather than diminish or lessen. I agree that sites like this are the emerging catalogues of contemporary culture and hope to see a proliferation of them in the future. Well done.

    Jason said this on 12/09/07 at 12:12:54

  17. I love the Grace Kelly

    Gina said this on 12/26/07 at 02:12:59

  18. EA, I feel your pain! Had to laugh when I saw your posting under “submissions”. Think we all know what it’s like to slave at something you love and to end up being really, REALLY tired. Don’t give up, hang in there. Here’s my suggestion for a post:

    http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?ils:1:./temp/~pp_GwrO::

    From the Library of Congress, the Wright Bros. in flight!

    Anna said this on 01/17/08 at 04:01:36

  19. Love the EA Flix….. keep up the great work on this site…. we regulars have become quite enthralled and addicted………. and better informed I might add.

    Dearest JG, thank you for your lovely comments and for finding your way back here again and again. —the EA

    JG in Marin, CA said this on 01/22/08 at 11:01:51

  20. I’ve been a fan since discovering the errant aesthete about 2 months ago. Today I’ve become a bigger fan after seeing the entries from March 4. From the caricatures and art work of David Levine to the death of a memory to mac and cheese, and last but certainly not least, Jack (there’s only one) saluting Hillary, this is the best single day entry to date. As in Wow! As in, if you’re not on board yet, what are you waiting for?! As in way to go to the errant aesthete..Thank You!!

    Robert said this on 03/07/08 at 12:03:37

  21. I love the photo of the martini …. reminds me of my brother, who lives in Miami, Florida. He loves a good martini.

    Lynne said this on 04/16/08 at 07:04:14

  22. Where is everyone? (May 17)

    Mary Mary,

    I’ve been wondering the same thing myself. At the moment, I am on a small island off the coast of Thailand trying to beseech the connectivity Gods to grant me a window to post, but they seem to be
    obstinate of late. I had hoped to set up a travelogue so everyone could join me in my adventure and
    I still hope to do that over the next few days. But I’m afraid my posts will suffer from the absence of the errant aesthete. Perhaps you might consider starting a conversation to help fill in the time slot. Your participation and thoughts are most welcome.

    The Errant Aesthete

    Mary Mary said this on 05/17/08 at 10:05:25

  23. one oriental short-hair cat howling in the night is beseeching the connectivity Gods to grant him howling space over Thailand….. hi mom….. laps are warm, food so,so, life’s good…..but miss you!

    Miss you too sweetheart. Absence does, indeed, make the heart grow fonder.

    JG in Marin, CA said this on 05/23/08 at 09:05:52

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