TRES-FRANCAIS: February 2014

When I pulled this huge beautiful Tapestry out of our stockroom this weekend in order to photograph and list on site,I started to do a little research on the signature to the Lower right hand corner....D'apres Alonzo Perez....imagine my surprise when I discovered he was an artist born in Zaragosa in Spain-where we went a few weeks ago to exhibit the dogs!!! What a conicidence! Featuring stunning scenic patternation and superb Boder this really is a beautiful piece full of faded Grandeur-I wonder which Chateau wall it may have graced as it certainly is quite Large for a normal sized abode!

The muted colours are really quite neutral for any Vintage Colour scheme or decor requiring French Influence-this certainly has it in abundance with its' grand buildings & wonderful characteristic ambience....

For those of you who are not familier with our site you can find this gorgeous piece here....http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Huge-Rare-19thC-Antique-French-Renaissance-style-Tapestry-dApres-Alonzo-Perez-/171250083339?pt=UK_Antiques_AntiqueTextiles_EH&hash=item27df4ce60b

Yesterday saw us out in the sunshine,strolling around the Tree-lined avenues of a glorious City a few hours drive south.....I LOVE my work!

We picked up a few new bits & pieces and today I will start to photograph them to mix in with what I already have lined up for this week-weather permitting of course.I love to stroll at my leisure,browsing the stalls,stopping for an Espresso and a pastry (the diet starts today also!) as strolling at my leisure isn't going to lose the extra pounds put on over the tempting festive season when everything was too tasty to resist! I still have an addiction to raspberries though,and as they are one of my five a day fruit and veg I can make excuses.......

OOPS!

As if that wasn't temptation enough,John walked in the house with this midweek-Look darling what I've brought you"...how can a girl say no?!

Actually I DIDN'T eat it all to myself (John doesn't like raspberries)...I took the remains of the pie and shared it with Valerie when we went to visit our "Grandson" ...the Special One...who was 7 weeks last week.......oh what a beautiful boy he has turned out to be...infact he's simply stunning...!

we are bursting with pride at what our Esto has produced....

He is going to his new home this coming weekend and I'm sure I will have withdrawal symptoms not being able to visit him on a weekly basis,though we will be kept informed of his progress by his new mum on a constant basis which is nice of her.

So Valentine's day came and went-it was our 11th Anniversary on the day.....gosh,you don't get that for murder do you?! Seriously I wouldn't swop him for the world-he's my absolute rock.....

and we seemed to have a Red theme going on last week for Valentine's......some beautiful Rouge treasures.....

But of course they've now been snapped up by some lucky customers...but there's plenty more Treasure for your perusal this week,lots more yummy things to ponder over.....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stunning-Chic-Shabby-Vintage-French-Crystal-Gilt-Toleware-Basket-Chandelier-/181330285855?pt=UK_Antiques_Architecural_RL&hash=item2a3820951f

A Petit Jolie gilt toleware casket coming your way soon...

also some lovely Antique Carved Rosary Beads from Lourdes.....

this delightful Antique Lace Cafe curtain...

I could go on and on but better still-just visit our site!....

so I'd better be off and get listing all the new delights...see you soon!

After nearly two weeks of Flu & Bronchitis we felt like we really needed a break & change of Scenery,and as we had entered a Dogshow in Zaragoza in Spain with the Russian Princess (her first) we decided at the last minute last weekend to go for it,even though we still wern't 100%....so we packed the van with all the essentials & set off for Sunny Spain........

We encountered every kind of weather en-route,it really was most peculiar! Leaving a dull and dreary Poitou-Charentes,we headed south where the Sun came out and it was so hot we were getting burnt through the windscreen-it almost necessitated rooting out the suncream!AND Sunglasses! But that soon changed and warning signs above us on the motorway urged caution as we were coming up to very hard rain......it was SO Torrential I thought the van roof was going to cave in and you couldn't see 2 yeards infront of you,despite the Windscreen wipers on full pelt......it was AWFUL!

That went on for quite a while then the skies cleared and we crossed the border into Spain,and started to climb up into the Mountains,where we ended up tailgaiting not one but TWO Snowploughs in a Blizzard! It really was unreal,like we were going through the complete changing of Seasons throughout a year-all in one DAY!.....

All we needed now was some Wind.....and as if on cue,it came with a vengeance,we felt like the Van was going to be swept up in a whirlwind and hurled away like Dorothy's house in the Wizard of Oz.....

EVENTUALLY....things calmed down and we felt like we were getting somewhere....

There is some stunning scenery along the way,and of course we stopped numerous times to let the dogs stretch their legs ....

We hadn't been organised enough to book a Hotel in advance for the night as we hadn't decided until the last minute to go anyway,so we had the venue to find for the Show the next day & a room at the Inn for us and the mutts....it was proving rather difficult as the Show Passes had no directions on them! So in desperation when we found ourselves side by side with a Police Car at the traffic Lights, I wound the window down and did my damsel in distress party piece and they waved us into the nearest layby to see what our problem was.....what a wonderful trio of young Spanish Policemen they were-charming and helpful they offered to escort us there,so we followed them for about 15 minutes & found the Exhibition Centre we would be attending the following morning.I was very impressed with their generosity to say the least! We were then told by the Security man on the gates that there was a Dog-friendly hotel 5 minutes away so we set off to the Huge Tulip Inn Zaragoza Plaza Feria Hotel which we could see looming in the distance.

We had no idea what to expect but the foyer was milling with all sorts of breeds of different dogs so we were with like-minded folk at least!

We were informed by the receptionist there was just ONE double room left so we took it,regardless of not having seen it.

We needn't have worried-Wow- we opened the door to a huge spacious room with gorgeous wetroom,King Sized Bed and Luxury Fitments & fittings-we were well impressed!

We always take dog cages,beds & blankets etc with us but there was plenty of room for us and three Dobermanns and our babies are always very well behaved anyway so we were very pleased.It was amusing going up and down in the mirrored lift to let them out for a wee and walk,as every time they met a new "friend" of a different breed-the Hotel was fully booked -they must do a roaring trade!

After settling down after a very cheap meal in the hotel restaurant later,we collapsed into bed ready for the next day.

The Russian Princess totally amazed us & took everything in her stride....she loved everyone & everything....

and imagine our absolute THRILL when she won her Puppy Female class,then went on to beat the Puppy Male to take BEST PUPPY IN BREED at her first ever show!!!! (Handled by yours truly!)

and so Dashuta makes her Debut and joins the Show Team in style!!

It has been a very tiring week since-and we have had the surprising down side of the Flu making its' re-appearance,so we hadn't been as fully recovered as first thought and as a consequence, items have been slow to be listed on the Auction Site but we are getting there.The weather has been horrendous raining all the time and it is difficult to photograph pieces to their best advantage but I had taken some pictures prior to Spain so it is catching up slowly but surely.I have been saving some special pieces for times like this....I'm sure you'll agree it's been worth the wait! Rare and Stunning Antique Ecclesiastical Textiles....