Heureux paques..........

Non mes belles!!!! The stork has not laid an egg already! Is that mademoiselle a contortionist? Who knows?!

It`s simply a Happy Easter message from Le chateau!

No chocolat eggs for me.....I`ll settle for this divine reliquary heart.

Have a wonderful weekend

p.s Ooooooooh  la la   www.kalimbaka.com....... how I love you!!!

xxxxx

The Titanic mystery box.....

Do you remember the trinket box of Caroline Endres?  Here is the last blog link

http://simply-chateau.blogspot.fr/2012/02/mystery-of-titanic-proportions.html

The box has sat looking accusingly at me for 12 months and I simply have not had time to investigate any more.

So I have decided to put it out of its misery and I have listed it in my auctions.

I hope someone has the time to do it justice!

A la prochaine mes belles

xxxx

Squatters.....

It is always wonderful to set off for a few days truffling with the anticipation of what I will find. But, even better is arriving back at the chateau with a car loaded with treasures.

We were late home so went straight to bed. But the next morning as we lit the log fire I glanced into the garden and saw we had squatters!!

Mr and Mrs Storkington appear to have moved in and set up home within 3 days!

They must have worked really hard to build such a comfy nest in such a short time. I wonder if they had a designer in?

Even more interesting is..........when do the babies arrive? What do do call baby storks.....storklets?

I am now photographing and listing the latest treasures but it is quite easy to be distracted by the newly weds!!

A la prochaine mes belles

xxxx

I cannot be cured..........

I have a very, very bad case of brocantitus and as you know it`s incurable. You just have to learn to live with it!!!

I realised I had the illness many years ago when I received this message from an old friend.


Dear Shirley
It is not madness or indeed old age, it is in fact Brocantitis. A little known disease discovered by Dr.Herbert dim. With very little warning it hits antique dealers after around 25 years of trading, and is particularly virulent after several years of selling on ebay. Dr.Dims paper published by the G.M.C in 1971, symptomizes the truffling in old dowry chests filled with vintage French fabrics, delving into boxes of ormolu bronze fittings and grabbing Gustavian grey pediments often distressed with the passing of time. He goes on to warn of the dire consequences of haberdashering, the collecting of passementerie, buttons, trims and lace. Dim claims this all confuses the brain and eventually forces a shutdown, unless, while there is still a glimmer of hope, a period of abstinence from buying is enforced and a holiday taken for at least two weeks.


If there is no cure other than missing the brocantes then I am afraid I will have to suffer it and if it is infectious then I may be a " carrier" !!!!

I am not sure that abstinence is the answer - I feel that more brocanting is a good medication!!

Soooo...............mes belles I am off for a few days truffling for treasures.


Back soon laden with scrumptious finds. Please behave whilst I am away!

I am leaving at 4am in the morning, so, if you are coming with me please be here by then!!

A bientot mes belles

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Le Taupier

There is a tiny cottage tucked away down a winding track at the edge of our village. There is a little hand made sign attached to a pole that says "MONSIEUR LEBRUN TAUPIER". I have never seen anyone there but there is a thin wisp of smoke that comes from the chimney.

But a " taupier"......a mole catcher!!

 

I wonder if he looks like this and does he wear moleskin trousers too?

 

Those little furry taupes need to get their " lunettes" on and avoid him!

 

 

A demain mes belles
xxx

Secret amour...

I wonder which mademoiselle was the recipient of this divine boudoir etui in the early 1800s....

Mother of pearl with gold and enamel decoration...........

The contents although now timeworn are the finest quality........

 

 

 

 

But hidden below the lift out tray in sepia and faded ink are declarations of love dated 1824.

 

 

 

Oooooh how I would love to know who sent it and who received it and did their love endure?

 

Being listed this evening.

 

Bon weekend mes belles

xxxx

 

The track to the chateau.....

Any offers to dig us out?

Merci Monsieur!!!!

 

A grand merci to the monsieur with the snow plough!!!! The electricity has also been restored and a hot bath was heaven!!!

 

The supermarche shelves are almost empty and the freezers and chiller cabinets are totally empty, perhaps everything perished with no power for 4 days?

 

Then Rhonda tells me they have a cool 88 degrees where she lives.........feeling somewhat chilly again!!

 

Trying to catch up now mes belles

 

xxxx

SNOW!!!!

We have been snowed in now for 3 days with no power. Fortunately we have lots of logs and are keeping warm but as night falls it`s candlelight!!
We have managed to walk to the next village to access a pc so please bear with us for replies to emails.

We got to the top of our drive and met a 7 foot wall of snow drift!!! How I wished I had the camera with me!

I have been told that the post offices and shops are closed so please bear with us......

Normal service as soon as mes belles


xxx

Fete des meres........

Miss Frou Frou made me a mother`s day special high tea today......

Home made scones, jam and cream, some dainty sandwiches, fresh strawberries and the odd chocolat rabbit or two!!

 All served with antique linens to the sound of a chicken tapping the window with his beak. I think she wanted to come in and taste the treats!!!

I had to bring some back to the chateau for Mark as he has injured his back and can hardly move. It is looking like a doctors visit tomorrow. He carried a large parcel that was not heavy but an awkward shape and as he put it down he must have pulled or twisted something. He has been in pain ever since.

Did I eat all of those scones AND a chocolat rabbit? Well I had a good attempt! It looks like I will be carrying the parcels a la poste this week with Mark out of action so I will need the extra strength......almost a good excuse!!

A la prochaine mes belles
xxx

Nooooooooo.....not the girouette!!

I have been watching the renovations of the old house close to us. You may remember a year or so ago It was for sale and I asked on my blog " would you be my neighbour?"

http://www.simply-chateau.blogspot.fr/2011/05/will-you-be-my-neighbour.html


Work started on the roof last week and the adorable old zinc weathervane that dates from the early 1800s was still in place.

This morning Sir Digbert Fanshaw Brownshaw trotted around there so I went to locate him.

Imagine my horror when I looked up to see that the girouette had gone.

 I found it smashed to pieces on the floor having simply been thrown down from the rooftop.

Admittedly it was full of bullet holes from the local hunters taking pot shots at it for fun but I would have found a way to restore it.

I found all the pieces I could and asked the new owner if I could take them and he was happy for me to help myself...... he couldn`t understand my fascination for them. I dragged it home with Sir Digbert in tow. He sat patiently while I tried to figure the parts out.

I managed to save a few zinc flowers and acanthus leaves. I am sure that someone will love them as much as I do!

 

 

I am sure there were a couple of crossed arrows on the top.....I will go hunting the next time the new owner arrives. He already thinks I am mad so I may as well just confirm it for him!!

Bonne weekend mes belles

xxxx

La maison de ma grandmere.....

With the first sunny day today for what seems like years we went out for lunch!

Le Rideau Cramoisi is a local bar and restaurant that does not cater for the tourist market and serves good hearty French fayre. It is always packed to bursting with locals which always a sign of good food!

As we ate the most beautiful young girl entered the bar, she had that wonderful natural flair that French women seem to have without any effort! Totally stylish with her curls in a topknot tumbling around her face. I commented that she was so typically French and so beautiful.

After the meal as we prepared to leave the same girl rushed over to us and asked where we lived as she thought she recognised us as the people who live in her old family home. It turned out that she is the great-grand daughter of Madame Guerin who was the last person to live in Le Petit Chateau!

She told us she had walked down the lane a few weeks ago and had stood outside but did not have the nerve to come and knock the door. I told her that she MUST come and see us and look at the renovations.

But, secretly more than that I want to photograph her face to show you!!! She is THE most typically French belle that I have seen! She could have been wearing a period gown with a parasol and would not have looked out of place! I will wait till she arrives then photograph her by the chateau gates and I can post the photograph here!!!

Have a wonderful weekend mes belles
xxx

Little boy lost.............

I found this old oil on canvas discarded in a dealers van at the Sunday brocante......he had sold the frame and cut the painting out!!

Distressed and alone I simply had to rescue this young monsieur!!

I hope someone will work him into a project or restore him, He needs a new home!!

A la prochaine mes belles

Bisoux
xx

What`s on the menu?

I am sorting through a petite attic clearance which was a very welcome surprise to say the least!!

So I have some very gorgeous treasures to list this week and there is quite a mix!


I found a collection of old menus wrapped in tissue. All from the 1880s onwards and all totally divine! Who could resist an invitation to dinner with such delicieux invitation?

 

 

But my favourite must be Mademoiselle Bumble bee. Can bees wear a corseted bodice I wonder?

 

 

 

 

I love this seaside scene.

And this quirky card is such fun....a petit monsieur in the clutches of a lobster!

 And lobster didn`t even feature on this menu!!

A la prochaine mes belles
xx