Dibgert Fanshaw Brownshaw

No need for his formal title.......Diggers to me and you...............

He was a rescue dog that had been abandoned in Poole (UK). He had been dumped tied up for three days before anyone realised he was alone. He has had a life of utter luxury with us for six years now and he my constant companion.  Oh how I LOVE that boy!!!

A demain mes belles!

Petite angelot...........

Sometimes it is the tiniest most insignificant find of the day that I love the most. I found this at the brocante this morning......................

It had an old damaged clip earring attachment on the back and I am going to try and find a way to rework it so I can use it as a brooch or something similar. If I cannot do that then I will try and use in with some 19th century faded floral on a heart or cushion.
Hope you are having a wonderful Dimanche mes belles!

Balleroy.....

Samedi matin 6.30 a.m.........into the warm sunshine and off!! The early morning brocante today was in Balleroy. I always adore this little "vide grenier" on either side of the main street leading down to the glorious chateau..................

Lots of stands and lots to see and search through...

We parked outside a gorgeous little shabby chic maison painted pale French grey with shabby distressed white shutters............................... such a pretty little place. I think the owners were still tucked up in bed as their shutters were still closed!

We bought Fresh warm croissants and a baguette at the patisserie........

Had a coffee sitting out at the pavement cafe on "Place du marche" and drove home with our finds.

A perfect start to the weekend!

Get your hooves out of my armoire..............

I have this secret armoire that I am sort of quite precious about. It`s filled with "stuff".....you know "stuff"!



Stuff I have bought over the years and haven`t listed it in my auctions. Stuff that might have come in a box with something else, stuff that I have bought at a brocante and thought I`ll list it when I find another and it will be a pair, "stuff" that is just a little morceau but absolutely divine, "stuff" I am sure only I find gorgeous. Just "stuff"......you know what I mean! There must be years worth of "stuff".


It`s a kind of a noo noo comfort blanket that I sometimes delve into say a few "woos and ahhhhs" and then close the door for another six months or so. Sometimes I just open the door and tuck something in after a brocanting trip and manage to get away without losing an hour or so because I know if I start delving how long I will be missing. Perhaps its my sort of Narnia wardrobe.



Kate froufrou is back from Paris and has been delving in there. I don`t know why but I feel a little like my secret place has now been discovered.

Excuse me Madamoiselle Froufrou but do you remember as a teenager you said you hated all my "old junk" and that when I was gone you would throw it all out and fill the house with Ikea furniture?



SO what are you now doing the "oooohs and aaaaahs" and listing some of it in your Ebay auctions? Are you starting your own secret armoire?



The last person to delve into my secret armoire grew hooves at midnight and how will you get your vintage shoes over them?

Get out of there before I call Mr Tumnus to get you!!!

Or have you already enlisted his help to take your parcels to La Poste?

Let me warn you madamoiselle.......you are turning into your own mother....scary eh?

You will find the intruder on Ebay as .................cafe-de-paris!


http://shop.ebay.co.uk/cafe-de-paris/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=1

The cheeky little minx!

I found this gorgeous picture on my travels last week and thought it was just a cute 1950s print. I adore the shabby old French grey frame and the soft hues............................

The glass was incredibly dusty and when I got home and cleaned it up I was over the moon to see it is a pastel not a print and a very well done one at that! I wonder who that glamour puss was the cheeky little minx?

Would you have the courage to bare all for an artist?

Cute vintage Paper Lanterns.........

Last week on my travels I found two boxes brimming with old paper lanterns.................

Lots of different bright and breezy colours and all very well preserved........

all with their little metal candle holders inside...( might not be using that facility!!).....and fine wirework hangers.....

There must be 40 in the batch and I adore them!!! I can feel another garden lunch coming on just so I can tie them along the bunting!
A la prochaine mes belles.................

Gorgeous weather and gorgeous friends.............

A long relaxed lunch today with some wonderful friends including my two long time textile dealer friends from the UK.  Linda Clift and Lizzie Drake were passing through en route to a vintage textile and costume fair.

It was wonderful to catch up on all the news from the UK and we sat overlooking the marsh for a good few hours. 

 As we sat down to eat a blackbird flew into the pear tree above and sang all afternoon! His song was so beautiful that I am sure they thought it was a recording that I had managed to conceal with speakers!!!

Perfectly timed birdsong......perfect friends and a perfect summer afternoon.

La belle France never fails to please!

Chez nous.................

Finally home after 4 days of truffling and the break was wonderful. Beautiful warm weather, lots of brocantes and the thrill of waking up in a new place each day with the promise of finding something wonderful hiding in a place I have never searched before. I most definitely have a bad case of brocantitus and I hope it is never cured!!
I have some divine treasures to list and here is one of my favourites.......

What shall I call her?

Itchy feet.................

I have itchy feet for new truffling ground so we are off on a little road trip trip for 4 days. I don`t know where but we are just going to set off and see what we find in the countryside and village brocantes en route!!!
Back soon mes belles hopefully laden with delicious shabby vintage treasures.....................

p.s. Thankyou Marianne for my cadeau...............I love it....grand bisoux!!

Will you be my neighbour?

The 'chateau' had just one neighbour - but old Jean-Jacques sadly passed away in January. He was born in  the old stone house and had lived there happily for over 80 years, his family having lived there before him.  Unrestored and crumbling it is now up for sale.

A huge rambling old "L" shaped 18th century building it has.......................

a pidgeonaire.................

barns, haylofts and outbuildings...............

...and archways where the horsedrawn haycarts of old would have passed through.

Two huge fields are now being reclaimed by nature so fast  that his few cows have gone too.

And the old doorways...........just divine.

It is for sale for £65,000 which seems so little but heavens - the work to restore it! I know that the ceilings on the first floor have fallen in but it didn`t seem to matter to old Jean-Jaques. He lived happily on the ground floor and hadn`t been up there for years!

Just the two houses at the end of the lane before the marsh sprawls out beyond us.

Would you like to be the next person to open the door and live here?

The Duke & Duchess with the Baron.................

She bores me.....................she really bores me! She is flapping about on the table above me photograhing some old textiles she found at a brocante. Totally ignoring "moi".....how rude.... does she know who I am?........I am after all Charles le Baron du Breuil!

Now she is harping on about a Duke and a Duchess and getting all excited....something about you don`t find a crown on a linen for 2 years then you find two lots in 2 weeks........honestly....she bores me......yawn!

Excuse me Charles your highness if I may step in here for a moment?  Crowns of aristocracy on any trousseau linens are so very rare that last week I was loop the loop to find the bed linen of a Count & Countess. It has been years since I found any.
And yesterday at a brocante, the last brocante of the day, I stumbled upon a set of six divine old table napkins with the crown of a Duke or in French Duc and Duchesse! It was way after noon and they had been sitting there all morning..........where were all the textile dealers?!!!!

Always five floral points on a crown for a Duke & Duchess.

And if I may be so bold your worship.......a Duke ranks higher than a Baron!

Talk to the whiskers `cos the face don`t wanna hear it!

La pharmacie Lesage...............

Whilst travelling between brocantes early this morning we had to stop the car when we saw this amazing Art Nouveau building..............

I had no idea what it was as I crossed the road with my camera.....getting closer I saw the Pharmacie sign.........................

We were passing through the small town of Douvres La Delivrande and I couldn`t wait to get home to find out more about it. The Pharmacie Lesage was built in 1901 by Georges Lesage.

It is famous for its flower grilles and petal shaped window.

 There is a superb inscription plaque......

and the interior is magnificent.

I have managed to track down an old postcard too

Amazing..................simply amazing!