Simply having a Wonderful Christmas Time.............

We hope that all our customers have had a Simply Wonderful Christmas and that you are all still enjoying the Festive Cheer which of course will be carrying on up until the New Year......for us, it has just meant having a few odd relaxing days eating (far too much) drinking and being merry with Friends and family and curled up all cozy  infront of the Logburner watching films on the television.........

Whilst I've had a few minutes spare I have been wandering around in our "packing room" having great fun looking through boxes of items we have bought all through the summer months at the Brocantes and stowed away until now-it is almost as exciting as when we first discovered objects & purchased them as I have forgotten about half of the items I'm finding! Unfortunately the Gorgeous Framed Religious Wool Tapestry of Madonna and Child was only just found accidently the other day behind a box-it would have been more appropriate to have been found earlier & listed in say-November,-ready for someone's Festive decorations but is such an Emotive piece it will appeal to many at any time of the year-such wonderful colours!

Getting back to normality-if there is such a thing in this house of ours with our mad pup-she obviously thought the Christmas Tree baubles looked good enough to eat-lovely crunchy treats fresh off the tree......a friend of mine suggested maybe she thought they were Brussel Sprouts?!.............

Happy New Year everyone!

Festive Family Birthdays............

12 months ago....on a Snowy Night in December, 5 weeks before the due date, my little Princess Granddaughter Erin made her entrance into this world,catching her Nanny out because SHE had just returned to France after visiting the family & precisely planning her next trip which was to arrive in the UK two weeks BEFORE the due date-nothing EVER goes to plan does it?! So this time, in our eagerness to get it right on the visiting front,with first birthday party looming, my dear other half mistakenly booked me on my outward flight from Limoges TWICE on the same flight!(either that or he was VERY determined to get rid of me!)

Anyway-the reason there has been no blog is that although I have been merrily attending Xmas Playgroup & Birthday parties-I did take my laptop with me but left the charger & leads behind as my darling puppy Dita was merrily munching away on them whilst I was trying to pack my case-and as a result of removing said leads from her mouth & moving them to a safe place,-duly forgot them and left them behind in France.Oh well-I am back now and ready to catch up with my work. I have just had a delve into the first box of tricks I have come to.......... 

......and found this old Petit School Satchel...so am off to see what other delights I can uncover to tempt you with once more. Strangely enough-we have a Vintage School Uniform dress on Auction at the moment,they sort of go together don't you think?! Anyway,it is so close to that special day where we all down tools and feed ourselves silly with Turkey and all the trimmings-we would like to wish all our customers old and new a very Happy time and Best wishes for a Happy & Prosperous New Year!

Add some Sparkle to your Life!..............................

When I spotted these stunning Chandelier Wall Lights at one early morning Brocante a few months ago,emerging from under cover of Vintage Bedding & Textiles they'd been wrapped in for protection-I went into overdrive,-pouncing across a table that was being gently perused through by two elderly French Dames......I completely forgot my manners! My head was saying "GOTTA HAVE THOSE!" and everything else went out of the window so to speak. I have always despaired in the past at desperate people who dive into carboots before the poor owners have even had chance to steady themselves on their feet back in the UK,thinking it rude,unneccessary,and quite uncouth-yet here were these beautiful objects staring at me from beneath Shabby-Chic Textiles and I just couldn't stop myself. They were twinkling at me in the early morning sun and all I could think of was how utterly magnificent they would look on on some lucky person's wall who would appreciate them as much as me.Sometimes I hate this job because I can't bear to part with the stunning pieces we come across on our travels-but at least we get to keep and admire them for a short while........

On talking with the Vendor at great length later, he told us he and his wife had been to a Chateau Clearance sale in the Dordogne & his stall was brimming with wonderful textiles and Lace pieces as well as these gorgeous items,plus many heavy stone Garden Troughs & pots which of course are impossible for us to send due to excessive weight involved.These delightful wall-lights are currently on our Auction-site...so at least I can watch them sparkle for just another weekbefore I bid them farewell.........

..........they are much better than a Christmas Tree!!



Breathing New Life into Old Treasure..................

We had a welcome phonecall at the weekend from a wonderful dear old French Lady who became one of our very best friends when we first arrived here in France, to invite us for dinner. She was, and still is, a Brocanteuse & unbelievably still works the Antiques markets & Fairs at the tender age of 74 yrs, going out in all weathers with her trusty dog at her side-she is quite amazing. She once owned her own large roadside Brocante where she lived in Normandy before moving south & her wonderful home here is like a treasure trove of history & memories of her past life. Whilst we were there she asked if we were interested in purchasing some Textiles from her, as she had too much stock & would never get round to selling it all herself-WOULD WE EVER???!!! Oh my-it was like all our Christmases had come at once!! I literally sat on the floor of her Chambre, surrounded by  a mountain of  material,lace,curtains,vetements,& things I had never seen before, her various cats making an apperance from time to time to see whatever was going on,whilst we squeeled with laughter at some of the items we uncovered which had sat neatly folded in Armoirs for many years. There were lots of  giggles at some of the undergarments,corsets etc-My other half stood at the top of the stairs taking boxes full which we had trawled through & chosen, back to the van.We had a wonderful time in such wonderful company-she is a true darling of a Lady who rambles on to us at great speed in French, forgetting we are not (& never WILL be) fluent, but despite us only having a limited vocabulary ourselves, we all eventually grasp the conversation as she slows down & reverts to some English once again.We did not need to venture out this weekend, so we stayed at home and have been sorting through our Textile treasure-as you will see over the coming weeks.We took some photos whilst we were there-she is so lucky to live opposite &  facing a wonderful Chateau which lies empty for the most part of the year-just occasionally visited by its' Parisian owners to keep it ticking over....what a waste,we would SO love to live there.......!!

Time-warp.....................

                Imagine looking through textiles we have bought & stored for years in our Rummage room full of treasures,and finding the very same piece of Antique Toile de Jouy that we have a reproduction piece of, on our Auction site! The chances of that are quite remote don't you think?! The Original is unfortunately just a small remnant-seemingly once perhaps used as a piece of a curtain but is much more detailed than its' modern adaptation-which of course is lovely-as these fabrics are,but still not QUITE the same....the many delightful scenes featuring Children and water in such a small area of Fabric render it quite a collectable and interesting piece and it dates circa.early 19th Century...it is now online for your Perusal!........

Before Sunrise..............................

My first Sunday back from the UK & I got turfed out of bed mega-early by my other half thismorning with......"come on-hurry up-it takes you forever to get ready".....so blurry-eyed I crawled into a warm dressing gown & downed a lovely cup of Yorkshire Tea (can you TELL I've been back to England?!) to wake myself up with. With seemingly no time to spare, the minute I was washed & dressed,off we embarked south to Angouleme. The orange Sun was creeping through the blackness as we arrived & off we tootled, the puppy in tow-(who was equally wondering what she was being dragged round at that unearthly hour for)...for a first scan of what might be uncovered as the trestle tables were still being brought out of the vans..................

We purchased some nice bits & pieces,and Dita got lots of nice comments & strokes, though after her initial enthusiasm to meet new people got the better of her,we decided it was safer to put her back to bed for a while before she brought somebody's precious display table down or worse. Centred around a market square & superb Ancient Église, the clear blue sky eeventually merged when the sun rose & cast its' warm glow over everyone present and it has been another beautiful November day!......

Reflecting....................................

Having just returned from a week's visit to the UK, I am in somewhat of a reflective mood thismorning.......it was brilliant to see my young family-especially my gorgeous Grand-daughter who I was so glad hadn't forgotten me since her short holiday here in September & who greeted me by now crawling up to me at a great speed & shouting "hyeee"-with a big smile on her face.That in itself is just priceless.Of course I missed my other half-left here on his own to babysit all the animals including Dita-who is doing a great impersontion of the "puppy from hell" at the moment,-enough to try the patience of a saint as they say,but it was lovely to visit friends,parents,go shopping,etc.Then there was the serious business of work which has unfortunately taken a back seat this week as we have only been able to list just a few new items during my stay in England. But today,back in sunny warm France,I feel revitalised,full of enthusiasm & I am going to get started and make a concerted effort to catch up & bring you all a whole new "choix" of new and interesting French Finds over the coming week which we have been storing up during the summer-ready for the Winter Months ahead-so have a good rummage and find something different,unusual or uniquely French to pop in that Xmas stocking for your loved ones!A Bientot!!

Chatting with the neighbours..........................

Walking down the lane with the pup yesterday evening she spotted this small herd of ten handsome guys as she passed the entrance to the land at the back of our house which borders onto the farmer's field. She has never seen a cow close-up so I walked up to the fence & she was curious,but more bothered about what had been walking across the grass she was standing on. These Limousin cattle were quite a way away and I stood there pondering whilst watching Dita dart around like something gone daft.Imagine when I turned around and came face to face with all ten of them-who must have tiptoed across that field in double-quick time to come and investigate US because I never heard a THING! (and you can hear a pin drop in these parts it's so quiet!).

With only a barbed-wire fence inbetween us and ten yearlings-it was a bit daunting I can tell you....................but they did venture very tentatively for a sniff....!

I must admit-I'm a sucker for animals.

Anyway,I was rummaging in the "back room" today and found a bag full of Lace Collars I'd forgotten I'd acquired (last year or thereabouts) so have been busy photographing thismorning ready to tempt you with later........so until then...A bientot!

HATS OFF!...................................

It has been well over a week since our last blog, but we were ultra busy preparing for our puppy's debut in the Showring last weekend (where she won "Meilleur Puppy" at her first ever attempt!) & I have to admit-I actually FORGOT to take the camera with me on this Sunday's Treasure Hunt.. AND my mobile phone wasn't charged up-so no photos there EITHER (what a SIN!)........I could have cried, because we have visited such a beautiful village in the Vienne department that photographs would have been lovely to share with you all.......ISN'T that just TYPICAL?!...oh well, I will have to see if I can find some on the net........talking of net, I have dusted off a collection of Hats bought a long while back and decided to list a few this week for a change. Wonderful Vintage styles & colours-with net veils & scrummy designs. I have to admit,it gets very hard to part with some of the things we purchase as they are so fascinating-particularly our fab Paris Leather Hatbox & Top Hat within........the Textile lined box fascinates me-I wish I could get hold of a good length of that gorgeous Fabric!..................

Gorgeous Rich colourway..........

..................................................................wonderful Vintage Paris Logo..

Fabulous weathered Leather Patina!

FALLEN ANGELS................

I honestly couldn't leave them behind.......whilst delving through house clearance items strewn all over the floor at the Brocante we visited on Sunday,I saw these two absolutely delightful casualties in the bottom of a box-they had been literally thrown in amongst other heavy objects and had had their wings "clipped" as a result-what an absolute travesty...I was heartbroken-I mean just LOOK at those angelic faces and delightful curls upon their heads.....one bears a mark on the base similar to Meissen and they are a Pair. I am going to offer them for Auction at a silly starting price in the hope they find the home they deserve-where maybe they can be brought back to their former selves-I am all for rescuing poor souls who have suffered bad luck along the way in life...let's hope these Fallen Angels find their sanctuary......!

Off the beaten track........................

We got up,got the dogs & cat fed & watered & set off Sunday morning to a Brocante in an area West of Niort in the Poitou-Charentes. After a few hours of scouring for new & interesting items for your perusal over the coming week we decided to take a detour & went to investigate the Village of Coulon on the way home.What a BEAUTIFUL day it was yesterday aswell which made this gorgeous little place look even nicer. Coulon is a famous Tourist attraction-situated within the Marais-Poitevin it is an absolute must to visit if you ever get the opportunity.The second largest wetlands area in France after the Carmargue it is steeped in important history. The network of canals runs for miles and miles and can be explored in traditional large flat boats called "plates"! Stunning marsh houses can be seen at the water's edge & it is bordered thoughout by the most gorgeous huge pollarded Ash & Poplar Tress & weeping Willows.It is also a paradise for birds.....it is like a green aquatic forest and known locally as Venise Vert.....

Of course the youngster had to come with us-as it is like having a baby to look after....the oldies prefer snoozing in their armchairs until we return home......

I could move to this place tomorrow................................

but instead of dreaming.....I'd better get on with some work.................................

Protection Suit whilst fighting for Bargains at Brocante.......!

....we had a tootle off down to a beautiful village South of Limoges this weekend called Saint Martin de Terressus where a French Working Trials Championship was taking place for dogs.We wanted some information for the future training of our youngster Dita- whose parents are Champions in both Beauty & Working. There was a stand run by the Army who had a demonstration of Vintage Protective clothing apparatus for both humans and Canines...........what I would give to get my hands on THAT!........

Dita took particular exception to the "dog"..............well I suppose in her little mind-it was slightly peculiar......especially when it didn't respond to her inquisitive sniffs..........which of course brought plenty of smiles to passers-by. Sunday morning it was up with the lark again (I HATE getting out of bed at 5am when it's getting chilly and it's so dark-much prefer to wallow under the duvet..) but of course when we reach our destination-a two hour drive North to a Brocante brimming with treasure just waiting to be discovered...I come to life.I dived into an old chest full of gorgeous Passementerie Trims and Textiles and I was away....it seemed a very RED day yesterday! Well better get off and take some photographs or you'll never get to see it -will you?!

                                                                                                                                                    

"BLOG CAT"..the most effectual Blog-Cat...

..whose intellectual close friends get to call him Matisse....(provided it's with dignity)......I'm sure there are many of our customers who won't want to admit to remembering "Top Cat"....but our own Top Cat has been helping with the photo shoots thismorning...

....................but he got bored pretty quickly and went on his merry way after I scolded him for getting too close to the Vintage metallic Tassles..........

you won't believe it-but we actually bought him from a Brocante.........he was sat in a cage-the most beautiful face peering out......our friend Kay,who was with us at the time, pointed him out as we had recently lost our Siamese cat.....& said "have you seen that kitten" (which I hadn't )-it looks like a Siamese"...and that was it-we got talking to the Vendor who showed us pictures on his mobile phone of the parents (Siamese mother/Burmese father)......and we came home with a different kind of treasure that day.He is a real sweetie & the only cat we've EVER known to have Curly Whiskers.........!