Happy Bastille Day birthday............

Happy birthday and Bonne Anniversaire to my gorgeous daughter the delectable Miss Frou Frou......

Born on Bastille Day 25 years ago - and she has been causing fireworks ever since!!


a la prochaine mes belles


xx

Professor Snape...is that you?

The start of the week saw me struck down with the dreaded Summer flu and I spent 2 days in bed feeling very sorry for myself!  However, the weekend had been planned for many months; a very special trip to the UK for a reunion at Mark's school. I was planning to stay at home but Mark mentioned we would staying close to a  huge department stores in the UK - and when you live in rural France a large store is heaven! So, at the thought of a little retail therapy, I decided that I would crawl on hands and knees or as a last resort be stretchered out to the car!!


We arrived at our hotel in a beautiful tree-lined avenue within walking distance of his old school. An old stone building with stained glass windows and  a carved crest at the door. All very impressive and I was looking forward to our weekend. The reception area had period fireplaces, a huge staircase and large gilt mirrors. We were given the key to our room and dispatched through a doorway - only to enter what can only be described as one hideous mess of a corridor! Filthy dirty carpets and wallpaper hanging from the walls. I assumed that they were decorating but when we arrived at our room to see the door handle hanging off and a hole in the door badly patched up  the alarm bells started to ring.


I.m not joking; the room was hideous! The curtains were hanging down, the carpets filthy and stained, the toilet dirty, the shower mouldy - and the smell left something to be desired. We were so shocked.  How could this be so different to the facade and reception area. We switched on our  laptop and looked at "Tripadvisor.com" and realised we had made a huge mistake. The hotel didn`t have one good report; to the contrary,  everyone had stated how disgusting it was.  We also realised that with  the Olympic Torch  being carried through the town the next day we would not be able to find space in any other hotel.


I checked the bed.  The bedclothes seemed clean so I told Mark that we would have to manage as best we could. Mark got changed for an evening concert at the school and I decided to stay in the room; the last thing that the musicians would want  was me coughing like an old cart horse all the way through it.


Shortly after Mark left I sat on the bed reading and something inside one of the pillows caught my eye. I peered inside and saw that the pillow pads were dark brown with staining and grime. That was it! I decided that it simply wasn`t good enough, I grabbed the keys and stomped off down the tree-lined avenue to see what I could find. 


Amazingly just a few doors away was a charming family- run guest house who managed to find us a room for the weekend. Heaven! Spotlessly clean and comfortable. I went back to the hotel from hell, packed up our cases and left  a note on the door for Mark when he came back to find the room empty.


The owner of our new abode managed to convince me to go back to the hell hole and  demand our money back. So I stomped back preparing my speech as I walked. I managed to find the lady who had booked us in and told her why I had left and asked to be refunded. I was ready for some stiff resistance and was ready to list each fault - but it wasn`t needed. She simply said "I am not the owner" and immediately refunded me! Something I think she must be used to!!


I decided to walk into the school grounds to meet Mark after the concert just in case they had removed my note from the door and he couldn`t find me! I was amazed to see it was pure and simple HOGWARTS!!!  I followed the sound of music to the Great Hall and sat outside on a moss-covered stone bench in the few minutes of the day's sunshine. If a unicorn or owl has passed by I would not have been surprised at all!!


Today we go back for a tour of the school and various events in the marquee. How do I stop myself shouting "EXPERIAMUS!!"? How will I find my wand? Will Professor Snape be there? How will I find Hagrid? Shall I introduce myself as Hermione?!


I shall tell you how it went tomorrow, mes belles!!
Have a great weekend
xxx

Plenty more .................

Well the footstool was not to be.......................sniff! Madame loved it  as I knew she would.

 Oh well.....plenty more fish in the sea, croissants in the oven, macaroons in the patisserie, stools in the chateau and all that!  I will keep truffling until another comes along.

I shall console myself in the newly sanded floor. I am amazed at how all the old dirt and grime has lifted.

Next the floor will be sealed and waxed, then we paint the walls, windows and large arched folding doors. The fireplace will be erected and the new log burning stove will be installed. 


Then............................ooh la la! I can really start !!! I have been hiding a host of treasures for years waiting for this room to appear. I have stashed away velvet and silk embroidered portieres, silk lampshades,row upon row of old timeworn leather books, a pair of silk damask sofas, a divine gilded coffee table, wall sconces and chandeliers. I have almost forgotten what they look like now.


I now regret selling that matched pair of ivory silk chateau curtains..............bring them back immediately!


So............Let the fun begin!!


A la prochaine mes belles.

A Ninja at the chateau!!

Is that a highly trained Ninja at the chateau? 


Or even worse a masked intruder making off with my textile archive in a sack?

No......it`s Mark! As you can see the mahogony parquet floor we bought from an old chateau has now been laid - and I adore it!! 


We have hired a sanding machine for the weekend and despite there being a bag to collect the sawdust poor Mark is still getting it in the face. We didn`t buy any face masks so he is making do with a 19th century damask napkin................monogrammed of course!!!


I called into a local brocante today about half an hour after it had opened. 


I stopped in my tracks as I saw the most divine tapestry covered old gilded double stool that I have ever seen. It was edible..totally edible. Faded chippy gesso and wonderful distressed tapestry that was possibly Aubusson. All original and totally stunning. I knew I had to have it and it would sit perfectly at the end of our bed.


I imagine my face when the brocanter told me that just 10 minutes earlier a man had reserved it for his wife to go and see on Sunday to see if she likes it or not.......... please make it be "not" !!!!


So now I have to wait until Sunday to see if madame wants it..........will she want it?  ( sniff.....slight sob!)


Will it be mine? If not then it was not meant to be.( more sniffs...a gulp....and a wail).....if so....WHOOPPEE!!!!!!!!!!! 


I will keep you posted mes belles!!

18th Century Boudoir prints...........

Although  lashing with rain ( yet again; will it ever stop!) we set off at 6.00am Sunday morning for a brocante - if only to see if anyone was brave enough to unpack their wares. Only a few brocanteurs had decided to unpack, but from under a sheet of plastic covering a host of boxes I saw something that looked 'delicieux'!!

A batch of soft green-coloured floral covers with scrolled and curled lettering and I could just make out the words -"Dix huitieme siecle"........................18th century". I pulled out a batch of these wonderful albums and knew I would buy them just for the covers.....I didn`t really care what was inside them.

But when I opened them up I was amazed! Each album was brimming with beautiful boudoir prints. Some softly coloured, some black & white, some with poems and crests and some bedecked with winged cherubs.

I know that had it not been raining they would have been snapped up the minute they were unpacked and I would have missed them.


I have kept some albums for myself so I can frame the covers and some of the prints; the others I have listed  on my Ebay site.


For once the rain at the brocante was a good thing!!


A la prochaine mes belles
Bisous
xx

Blog cheese...............

I must stop buying fromage just because I like the packaging!!!

Petite cafe check parcels that look too good to open!!


A la prochaine mes belles


xx

Aller au dodo..............

I love the French word "DODO"


"Aller au dodo" means "go to bye-byes".


I found this wonderful advertisement in an old theatre programme dated 1912.

The latest design "DORBIEN" combinations for children!!


What do you wear when you are "pret au dodo"?


Bon weekend mes belles


xx

No......................not the mat!

Its raining yet again here in Normandie.


I don`t mind a little rain....that`s why it`s so green and luscious here and our cows are the best fed girls who give us divine milk, cream and butter.


But I DO ATUALLY MIND the rain...............

....................on my new door mat !!!!


( yes I know its a little over the top but it HAD to be bought....... didn`t it?!!)


A demain mes belles
Bisous
xx

The Paris news............

I simply had to bring these home at the weekend. !

Bundles and bundles..... of bundles of old Parisian journals from the 1940s.....................

Timeworn....foxed....old tea coloured and tied with twine.................

The seller apologised for their condition and was a little bemused when I told him that, had they been pristine and white, I wouldn`t have wanted them at all!!

Selling them on both Ebay and Etsy.... Hot off the press!!!

A la prochaine mes belles

Bisous

xx

xx

Sunday truffling at the chateau...........

I love Sunday for truffling!!

6am through the chateau gates........................

Past the empty moat..............................

And you are in!!!

Treasures galore........

You know I have a problem with old chippy paint period doors. So,do I really need  another? NO!!! Walk on!!

I wonder if the Betty Ford clinic would treat me for a crumbly paint addicition?

So much to see so switch on your best bartering head!

Keep going until the car is full and then a steaming hot cafe with the typically French ever smiling Gaston!

How did your Sunday go?