Paris Parfait

On the agenda: Montreuil-sur-Mer

The narrow door isn't crooked, but the window shutter is...Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.

An attic window in a 19th-century house in the city that inspired Victor Hugo's Les Miserables.

A tower at the 10th-century St. Saulve Abbey, at sunrise.

Papyrus and cherubs supporting a fountain.

A residential street lined with lovely homes.

 

Baskets of spring flowers adorn a wall.

 

Today is our anniversary and we are off to the charming city of Montreuil-sur-Mer in Northern France, as well as to England to visit family. Back soon with tales of a brocante; Jane Austen's house; an exhibition and more...

Corner focus

My friend Gabrielle lives in a gorgeous renovated chateau near Versailles, France. This is just one elegant corner of her home, which is filled with character and an artful blend of modern items with antiques. I'll be photographing her chateau soon for a magazine feature.



Gabrielle is a former antiques dealer, with superb styling skills. The coral on a Napoleon III stand was a gift from me. The nacre fish inside the antique globe is from the same period. The framed 19th-century plant examples are from a French pharmacy.

About Pinterest: An open letter to my readers

It's not you; it's Pinterest. I've written a few posts about Pinterest, photography and copyright infringement. I've written about why I don't want even one of my photos on Pinterest. Yet few people seem to be paying attention. Within the past 18 hours, I've had to issue Digital Millennium Copyright Act (copyright infringement) notices for each and every photo which appear in the 19 screen shots (below) and more. This tedious process required hours of my time and effort.

While linking to each instance of my copyrighted photos - used without permission - I discovered that in numerous cases, credit for my work was claimed by naturaldetails.tumblr.com and midnightcurls.tumblr.com.  Other Tumblr accounts also claimed credit for my work. In other instances, no source was provided. In still another example, a photograph of lit candles in Nepal erroneously was referred to as India and repinned over 150 times! (I had to provide each of those 150+ links that I could find to Pinterest, to have them removed). (And on Tumblr itself, this image has been reblogged over 10,000 times, with no credit to me).

One of my copyrighted photos pinned without permission was taken from a book already published. Two other copyrighted photos which are appearing in books later this year also were "pinned. And photos taken from a book that I publicized on my blog were listed under my name.

I am not interested in negatively impacting Pinterest's business. I am trying to prevent my original work from losing its value by being pinned (and uncredited) numerous times on multiple Pinterest boards, amidst groupings of dubious quality and origin. Pinterest is a big company with massive funding and I am one small business owner, simply trying to protect my livelihood. I receive no benefit whatsoever from my photography appearing on Pinterest. Quite the contrary: it costs me time and money trying to combat hundreds of copyright violations!

I've deleted my Flickr, Tumblr and 500 px accounts to stop my photos from being pinned on Pinterest. After seven years of blogging, must I stop that too?

I urge all you Pinterest fans to act responsibly and seek permission from the photo source before you pin. Would you want someone else appropriating your work without permission??!!

Click to view screenshots in detail.

Further reading:

Picture this

Has it come to this??!!

The continuing saga of keeping my photos off Pinterest

Trésor parfait

Gold pendant, found in a 1920s sewing chest from a Paris atelier. Photo © Tara Bradford from the photographic series Trésor parfait.

 

If you're in Paris later this month, you'll have the chance to find your own perfect treasure. My favourite brocante at Chatou begins March 15th and continues daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through March 24th.

The 86th Foire Nationale aux Antiquites a la Brocante et Produits du Terroir (affectionately known as "the Brocante and Ham Fair") is a popular showcase for more than 800 vendors offering many of France's much-admired antique and vintage furniture, housewares, art and decorative items and curiosities. You'll also find delicious hams and other treats to take home.

Be sure and visit my friend Blandine Bavoux's Jolie Trouvaille stand at 8 rue de la Gaite. She has fantastic enamel coffeepots, tiffins and other vintage delights to add charm and character to your home. My own kitchen has quite a few of Blandine's cherished collectibles.

Tickets for Chatou are available at the gate. From Charles de Gaulle Etoile metro, take the RER A1 train (direction Saint-Germain-en-Laye) to Rueil-Malmaison or Chatou-Croissy. For the latter, follow the signs at the exit and walk across the bridge to Ile de Chatou. Or, if you exit the station at Rueil-Malmaison, a petit train will take you by land to the main entrance at Pont de Chatou.

Hoppy hunting! If you're traveling and can't attend this event, you'll have another opportunity this fall. The 87th Brocante and Ham Fair is scheduled September 27th through October 6th.

Illusions of time

Remnants of fallen empires, the Citadel, Amman, Jordan. Photo © Tara Bradford. Click to view detail.



"...I give you the mausoleum of all hope and desire...I give it to you not that you may remember time, but that you might forget it now and then for a moment and not spend all of your breath trying to conquer it. Because no battle is ever won...The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools." - William Faulkner, The Sound and the Fury

Uneasy lies the head...

"...Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." - William Shakespeare, Henry IV.

 

Antique French Madonna crown from my private collection, now available at the Paris Parfait etsy shop.

Perspective

Today I had to disappoint a publisher's assistant, who asked me to read a novel the company is about to publish. To put it politely, the book seems meant for those with a romanticised view of Paris, who seldom - if ever - travel. Probably the book will be released to reasonable success, but only to a limited audience, in my view. In good conscience, I couldn't recommend the book, but telling her that made me feel bad. It's my Southern upbringing and focus on good manners: "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

Speaking of manners, for purchases made from my online shop, I always include a little gift. I've noticed that less than five percent of recipients even bother to acknowledge this little extra, much less thank me. Seems good manners are falling by the wayside in a world of increasingly short attention spans.

When clearing out books in my office, I came across a hefty volume on Middle East peace, given to me when I first started out as a reporter at the United Nations. The book is signed by most of the principal players in the conflict. Sadly, all but one are now dead, without seeing their dream realised. And it seems the peace process is dead as well. So in disgust, I threw the book in the recycle bin.

I felt upset, as today has proved to be one quiet disappointment after another. I started looking through my photo files, hoping to find something to lift my mood. And I came across these examples of exquisite craftsmanship at Reales Alcázares de Sevilla. Centuries ago, artists took the trouble to create extraordinarily beautiful works of art, often in obscure places that few people bothered to look (i.e. the ceiling in a corridor, above).

Hand-painted intricate tiles (top photo) were applied to a wood base that's today riddled with woodworm. But the room is still standing, despite the centuries that have passed and the ever-changing occupants of the palace. As a World Heritage site, it just needs a little maintenance and no doubt will last for more centuries yet.

So maybe the Middle East peace process isn't dead, but temporarily stalled. Maybe I'm wrong about that publisher's book and it will entertain many readers and bring both author and publisher success.

(And maybe, just maybe I will stop obsessing over things that I can't control. One can only hope)!

Little Treasures Made by Hand

Have you heard about my friend Pia Jane Bijkerk's latest book project Little Treasures Made by Hand? Learn how you can participate here.  I own three of Pia's books; all are beautifully-photographed and packed full of information and delightful stories. If you're not familiar with Pia's lovely books or her fabulous blog, you're in for a treat!

As always, click photos to view detail.

Hello February!

Thankfully, the ice and snow melted this week, replaced by grey skies and rain. But February brings us one month closer to spring - at which time more house renovations will commence.

The steam engine zinc weathervane once graced the roof of a Paris chateau. The vintage metal train on the windowsill also is French. This is the view from the second-floor "Light Room," so named because of the Cecilie Manz-designed Caravaggio lights that dominate the small space. At some point we'll probably knock down the wall between the "Light Room" and my office, creating one large room.

When the Caravaggio lights arrived from Denmark, it was obvious I had underestimated their size. So I bought a Dutch vintage industrial table and the room now serves as a small media library/workspace. The 1930s French mercantile cabinet holds DVDs.

My collection of art and pottery from Santa Fe also is in this room. Sadly, part of it "went missing" in the move from Paris. The chairs and stool are vintage Tolix. Six of the chairs (only two are pictured) are from the Pauchard family's private collection and marked VA for "Villa Autun," their home in Burgundy, France.

The "Louis Louis" desk chair in my office was a gift from my talented friend Di Overton (check out her stylish creations at Ghost Furniture). The black-and-white Paris images are by photographer Peter Turnley.



This is a portion of my office (the linoleum floor both here and in the "Light Room" has to go! We're still considering alternatives). The 30-drawer chest painted in Farrow & Ball's Down Pipe, was handmade by Luke Ellis of Kent & London in Whitstable, England. The chest holds my cameras and photography gear. The vintage French chest next to it stores office supplies.

The zinc ART letters atop the tall chest were found at a Paris brocante. The "City Sunday" magazine racks are from Finnish Design Shop in Helsinki. And a Napoleon III chair holds books and a favourite photograph taken at Reales Alcázares de Sevilla.

Now to replace those floors! Any ideas for something hard-wearing and low-maintenance? Do tell!

Terms of service: Why we should pay attention

Aventurine stones, an antique French iron door knocker and glass negatives circa 1906 on my office windowsill. Aventurines are said to be lucky talismans for travelers and who am I to argue?!


Terms of service: that annoying, but oh so important fine print that we agree to with all social media usage. Yet how many of us don't bother even reading the TOS? One of my partners-in-vigilance when it comes to copyright and other intellectual property rights is Alexandra of Alexandra Wrote. She contacted me last year when I wrote about copyright issues on Pinterest (whose staff addressed my concerns).*  So I was delighted to see Alexandra's take on Vine, the new six-second blink-and-you'll-miss-it video service.

Alexandra points out that by agreeing to Vine's TOS, you're basically relinquishing all rights to your own videos. Read her excellent post here. And check out Alexandra's informative If Emily Posted series on intellectual property.

A king for the Netherlands

Here in the Netherlands, the media's buzzing with news that Queen Beatrix is abdicating the throne in favour of her son, Crown Prince Willem-Alexander. The prince officially will become king on Queen's Day, April 30th. Years ago when living in New York, I met the prince - who was then just 14 - at a summer house party in Connecticut. He was accompanying family friends, who owned property on New York's Madison Avenue. At the time, I never dreamed I'd be living in the Netherlands when Willem becomes king!

*That being said, I just found multiple instances of my photographs being pinned on Pinterest without permission. I have again contacted Pinterest asking for that my images - often uncredited - be removed. 

Collected.

"...the home should be a collected assemblage of treasures meaningful to the homeowner. ...better to have an empty room than an instant room. Forgo the immediate and embrace the lasting." - Darryl Carter, author of The Collected Home.



That being said, for the past two years I've been on a mission to cull my collections - amassed mostly during my travels abroad and while living in Paris - and keeping only sentimental and favourite things. Our house is three floors, but like most Dutch canal houses, it's not very wide and stairwells take up considerable space.



More pictures of areas of our eclectic salon/living/dining room. Our home really isn't decorated in a formal sense; I've simply arranged and displayed collections.



"An environment should reflect the homeowner and not the hand of a designer." - Darryl Carter.



Minimalism just doesn't work for me. I've found too many treasures!



Thank you for the good wishes for my husband, who quite unexpectedly needed surgery this week. Thankfully, he is recuperating and feeling better.

Cabinet de curiosités

Antique French and Spanish Madonna crowns and tiny Louis Phillipe scales for measuring gold are among the ever-evolving collectibles in my Napoleon III cabinet de curiosités. I'm lucky to have seven bound Arts & Crafts volumes of The Studio, featuring Aubrey Beardsley illustrations. Click photo to view detail.

Sneak peek

Part of our salon/dining area - blending modern design classics with antique and vintage treasures - at our canal house in the Netherlands. Click images to enlarge. Stay tuned for more glimpses of our home, coming soon.



Details, details! Early 19th-century child's mannequin pinned with antique French and Italian prayer ornaments and milagros; Napoleon III glass-fronted cabinet de curiosités; Carl Hansen CH25 chair; Isamu Noguchi coffee table; Beni Ourain vintage Berber rug adorned with "magical" talismans; vintage Moroccan sequinned wedding blanket; custom-made sofa and hand-embroidered cushions from Jordan. Spanish wrought iron candlelabra, made into a lamp; 1940s French office cabinet; custom-made bookcase; dining table and chairs from Bali, via London and Tolix chairs (set of 6) marked VA (Villa Autun, the private residence of the French family who created Tolix chairs).

Crystal and beaded pendant lights from Italy; antique French and Dutch baskets; French pottery/water jugs from a vineyard in Bourgogne; framed Lehnert & Landrock photograph of a bookseller in Cairo and antique Spanish lithographs and azuelos from Sevilla. Mirrors from Spain and Jordan; sculpture from Sevilla: an ode to Velasquez's portraits; British cannonballs; iron rattes from a Bourgogne wine cellar; hand-turned wood pieces from Devon, England and San Francisco and French and American wooden pins.


Mirror image - French mercury glass giltwood mirror circa 1830.

Merry and bright: looking for the light.

Candlelight and Christmas crackers at home...

Glittery trees and a reindeer in Marken. Click photos to view detail.

A winter wonderful under a blanket of stars in Marken.

Lights over the canals in Delft.

A string of lights reflected in another canal in Delft.

Twinkling lights in the trees and stars overhead.

A giant Christmas fir in the market square in Delft (with the gorgeous town hall as the backdrop).

A Christmas tree suspended from the ceiling at Magna Plaza, Dam Square, Amsterdam.

An upside-down Yuletide tree in Marken.

A flower-bedecked tree at a restaurant in Marken.

19th-century lights festooned with decorations and greenery.

A tree viewed through stained glass windows at the Grote Kerk in Marken.

A chandelier dripping "icicles," Amsterdam.

Christmas tree lights in a window of a house of traditional Dutch architecture, Delft.

A boulangerie filled with special Christmas breads and pastries, as well as nougat-filled snowmen and chocolate sheep.

Glitter and glimmer, Delft.

Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus at a shop in Delft.

Red stars topped with candles.

A design tribute to Johannes Vermeer and his painting "Girl with a Pearl Earring."

Megawatt smiles in Delft (my daughter Jordana with her friend Andrea).

 

A private residence in Marken, bursting with Christmas finery.

Evening light and little trees near the seafront, Marken.

 

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

We have many blessings for which to be thankful this Christmas, our first in our new home in the Netherlands. Wishing you and yours the happiest of holidays, wherever you may be celebrating. Let's hope that the path forward - into the bright, shiny new year - brings us "more light; less noise," as Abraham Lincoln said.

Lighting the way through darkness

Handcarved wooden Dutch girl, with lantern aloft amidst a sea of candles. Click photo to enlarge.

 

"We cannot hold a torch to light another's path, without brightening our own." 

In numerous recent events in the US, innocent children and adults have been victims of gun crime. Isn't it time that we shine a light on politicians, forcing them to strengthen gun control laws to protect us? It's past time the US Congress stands up to the fear-mongering NRA (National Rifle Association) and addresses what matters: public safety.

One has to wonder about where lawmakers' loyalties lie, when the day before the tragic school shootings in Connecticut, the Michigan legislature passed a bill allowing guns in classrooms. How many more mass murders will devastate families, before politicians find the courage to act??!!

 

Quote by Ben Sweetland. Photo in our canal house in the Netherlands.

Reflected light

Chandelier suspended over a stairwell, Henry VIII's Hampton Court Palace, England.


“No one lights a lamp in order to hide it behind the door: the purpose of light is to create more light, to open people's eyes, to reveal the marvels around.” - Paulo Coelho

Just back from London and I'll be posting more images soon. Meanwhile, some readers may remember my 1920s French Guignol puppet theatre. It's featured on the Etsy blog.

P.S. It's my beautiful baby sister's birthday. Happy, happy birthday, Renee!

Writing our own history

 

Happy days are here again!

Congratulations to President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on an historic re-election victory! It's thanks to the millions of voices of hope and reason - that proved stronger than corporate cash and extremists' fears - that our country can move forward.

After the rejoicing, time to work together "...for all and not just some..."

The best of brocantes

An extremely rare commemorative cafetiere Parisian (coffeepot) at Blandine Bavoux's Jolie Trouvaille stand at Chatou. It is a souvenir of L'exposition Universelle de 1900, le Pont du Trocadero, le Palais de l'Electricite, Paris.

 

If you're lucky enough to be in Paris, my favourite brocante begins Friday, Sept. 28th at Chatou. The bi-annual 85th Foire Nationale aux Antiquites a la Brocante et aux Jambons  - fondly known as the Brocante and Ham Fair - starts at 10 a.m., with tickets for 5 euros each available at the gate at Ile de Chatou. And do try the ham on offer from France and Spain - superb! You won't be disappointed.

The brocante is always packed with amazing antiques and vintage collectibles from all over France. Be sure and visit my friend Blandine Bavoux's stand at 72 Allee Nouvelle. She has beautiful treasures for the home. Believe me, over the years I've collected quite a few treats from Blandine! She has a great eye for quality, as well as charm.

The brocante continues from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Sunday, Oct. 7th. From Charles de Gaulle Etoile metro station in Paris, take the RER A1 train (direction Saint-Germain-en-Laye) to Rueil-Malmaison or Chatou-Croissy. Follow the signs at the exit and follow the signs - and the crowds - across the bridge to Ile de Chatou. You can get a taxi from Paris, but don't expect to find one to take you home, unless you've pre-booked.

A selection of colourful French enamelware and patterned porcelain at Blandine Bavoux's kitchenalia-filled stand at Chatou.

Blandine and an American client.

Enamelware soap containers.

Vintage embroidery thread.

Art glass at Gunnar Petterssen's stand.

Zinc weather vanes that once graced the roofs of chateaus.

Zinc industrial glove moulds.

Vintage shutters and assorted collectibles.

Mounted animal skulls.

Theatre seats.

Friendly food servers.

A small sample of the lunch selection.

More delights - and you can take some home with you!

Summer's last gasp

The last hortensias (hydrangeas) from our garden (in vintage French pharmacy bottles and a Dame Jean jug).

Fruits and herbs.

Chilies and dried spices in antique apothecary jars.

Hidden delights.

An antique post box.

Baker's vintage dough cutters from Paris.

Nambe candlesticks from Santa Fe (a gift from my daughter); a Dutch Arts & Crafts pewter candleholder and modern Moroccan-inspired votives on a Mexican silver tray from Sevilla, Spain.

Hope you enjoy these last days of summer!

P.S. It still amazes me that people who profess to be leaders can be so disingenuous. Our forefathers surely would be shocked by the distinct lack of truthfulness in current American election campaigns. We deserve better than men with no reality-based ideas or solutions of their own making vague, empty promises and platitudes.

Dance card

Dance card, 1910, Paris (available here).

I don't know about you, but my dance card has been pretty full lately. As one might expect, there has been some clumsy stepping on toes; some missteps; at times, even the wrong tempo! But my favourite season is just around the corner and September is bound to add many uplifting melodies to the mix.

Hope you are dancing merrily through these last few weeks of summer!

A reader's alcove

As a child, I dreamed of a home with big bay windows with cushions, where I could read and gaze out the window. The reality of our canal house in the Netherlands is a bit different, but I can still recline on cushions, read and dream (and look out the glass door to the garden).

This little alcove/reading nook in our home features treasures collected while living and traveling abroad. The wool rug is handmade by women from the Bani Hamida Women's Weaving Project in Jordan. It took six months for several women working with the Jordan River Foundation to hand-embroider scenes from The Arabian Nights for the tapestry. Different sections were then hand-appliqued onto a raw silk background.

The charcoal linen daybed is from a Dutch department store. The pillows are a mix of modern and vintage. The vintage Moroccan wedding blanket is one of several I've collected through my friend Maryam's Red Thread Souk.  The Moorish table at left is circa 1903 and the Syrian mother-of-pearl inlaid table is from 1905. Both were purchased from Liberty of London's 2011 Arts & Crafts Exhibition. The vintage 'winged" chair is from Barcelona. The antique wooden mosque model (next to the chair) is French.

At left are early 20th-century framed Lehnert & Landrock images taken in Tunisia and Egypt. The  modern black and silver bowl is from Morocco, via Paris and is filled with antique silver bracelets and necklaces from the Middle East. The antique hand-embroidered Palestinian headress is on a vintage French hatstand. The alabaster bowl is from Cairo.

An English silver Arts & Crafts bowl holds five handmade wooden hearts and an antique Arabic seal.

The hand-carved and stone-studded seal from Jordan can be worn as a cocktail ring.

Years ago, I found this circa 1903 Liberty of London hand-painted vase on eBay! Its value has increased dramatically.

A jumble of Jordanian, Palestinian, Bedouin, Moroccan and Yemeni jewelry in a hand-painted and signed ceramic bowl.

A 200-year-old Bedouin silver and Italian coral necklace draped over a French wrought iron sculptor's model.

This traditional cross-stitched Palestinian woman's wedding hat is from the 19th-century. It is rimmed with heavy silver coins, most dating back to the Ottoman Empire. The hat's design includes lucky talismans, numbers and flowers. Such hats are increasingly rare; most are in museums. I was fortunate to purchase this one from an antiques dealer in Amman.

Click photos to view detail. Our house is very much a work-in-progress. More pictures soon.

Transparent webs and secrecy

Spider's web across the garden path in late-afternoon sunlight. Click images to view detail.

                                                                                                                               Photos © Tara Bradford

 

This week has been a bit like Christmas at our house.  On Tuesday, our Isamu Noguchi coffee table arrived via Germany (despite the irreverant coffee table reference, have you seen this hilarious Tumblr site?). And today, our custom-made sofa was delivered  - finally, we can put aside the stylish, yet uncomfortable Napoleon III cream linen-covered chairs! Soon they'll be off to an Amsterdam antiques shop, awaiting their next owner.

On a more sombre note, have you ever wondered where old computers and electronics go to die? Nyaba Leon Ouedrango's powerful photograph depicts the harsh consequences for Ghana.

If you're planning a visit to Amsterdam, you might find this tattoo museum intriguing.

As a night owl, I can identify with the lovely sentiment here.

My friend (and talented artist and writer) Christine Mason Miller suggested this gorgeous book and I'm so glad I bought it. The Divine Home is of a similar nature. I collect handmade Spanish crosses, Italian and French antique prayer ornaments and Madonna crowns. I find these heartfelt symbols of reverence and devotion not only beautiful, but somehow reassuring.

The secrets of the rich and unaccountable

Alas, I see nothing reassuring about Mitt Romney's presidential candidacy. If he has nothing to hide, why is he so secretive? Mitt and his advisors really should study geography and history, as they can't seem to grasp how the world map has changed.

Ann Romney is with her expensive horse at the Olympics in London, denying all photo and interview requests for "you people."  But Romney claims to know little about their prize horse. Meanwhile, so much for Anglo-Saxon heritage and diplomacy: Romney made multiple gaffes, offending his hosts in Great Britain.

For someone running for the highest office in the land, Mitt Romney doesn't seem to know much about anything, i.e. how much money he has in offshore or Swiss bank accounts; how much income tax he has paid; how long he was CEO for Bain Capital. He appears to have a bare-bones minimum grasp of foreign policy.  One has to wonder what Mr. Etch-A-Sketch believes about anything at all, with his adamant refusals to 1) reveal financial and tax records 2) declare any policies his administration would follow or 3) propose actual solutions to any problems currently facing the US.

Think Progress has compiled a remarkable list of 99 Facts about Mitt Romney. Would you really want such a crafty chameleon as president??!!

Vive la France!

Bon fête mes amis!

 

Photo of 19th-century French books and papers and an early 20th-century charm.

Tea and sympathy

Tea and sympathy at my friend's petit chateau near Versailles.

 

Bonjour les tous! In Paris, I had the great pleasure of spending time with my dear friend Gabrielle in her gorgeous, newly-renovated home. Gabrielle met me at Gare du Nord. But our rendezvous turned out to be a comedy of errors, thanks to the Thalys train's hour-late arrival; my phone's lost network coverage and mad traffic jams in the city. Of course the main purpose of the trip was visiting an ENT to determine the cause of recurring dizzy spells. Initial tests suggest it's an inner-ear problem; further tests are scheduled next week.

Also in Paris, I had lunch in my old neighbourhood, then stood in line for ages during les soldes. En route to Amsterdam, Thalys abruptly decided to end its service at Schiphol. Passengers were sent first to one platform, then another to catch an inner-city train to Amsterdam. I felt sorry for all the confused and angry travelers scrambling with their luggage, with little advice and no assistance from Thalys staff. Upon boarding the inner-city train, most passengers were left standing, trying to balance their luggage all the way to Amsterdam.

Again, we were well past our scheduled arrival at Amsterdam Centraal. Habitual delays seems to be a problem with Thalys. Their Ill-timing is due in part to slow-moving trains through Belgium, with international and local trains sharing a single track. Belgium really needs to get its act (and its government) together. These days, traveling through the country either by rail or by car (every journey interrupted with multiple roadworks and diversions) is rarely pleasant.

Falling into the canal

At home Saturday, I went in the back garden to inspect the hortensia (hydrangea) growth. Suddenly I felt dizzy, lost my balance and fell backwards into the canal! Needless to say, a very long hot shower followed.

Now I'm trying to catch up with ongoing projects and correspondence - with time out to photograph the summer's first  "Kasemarkte Marches au Fromage" in Edam -  before the next dash to Paris.

Wishing a very Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans!

Paris bound

18th-century satin shoes at Sophie Pretelat's beautiful antiques shop in the Loire Valley, France.

 

Off to my old stomping grounds - and staying at a friend's petit château near Versailles! Back soon with photos. Bon weekend!

Attention to detail

Oak door of a private residence, Delft, Zuid-Holland. I love how the bronze letter slot has similar lines to the wrought iron trim.

 

I've spent my entire life paying attention to detail. This focus has served me in good stead, both as a writer and a photographer.

While living in London and particularly during ten years in Paris, I collected many, many beautiful antiques and vintage items for our home. I never imagined that moving to a canal house in the Netherlands would mean my tastes would change dramatically. While retaining an appreciation for all I've collected, I have a strong desire for a different aesthetic.

It began with admiring lights (old and new) by Danish designers Louis Poulsen, Louise Campbell and Cecilie Manz. The interest grew into obsession, fueled by watching Danish political thriller Borgen (I & II) and crime dramas The Killing and The Bridge. I began reading Scandanavian design books, magazines and blogs.

The Danish and Swedish designs perfectly suit the clean, modern lines of our house. They also reflect the more relaxed way we're living in the Netherlands. Slowly, many of the French antiques are being replaced with design classics, which blend well with my favourite pieces collected during years of travel and living abroad.

Relaunch of a Swedish design icon

Thanks to reading Scandanavian design blogs, I was excited to learn about the revival of the iconic Swedish Triplex lights. It's a true labour of love for these talented creators. I have reserved a lamp from their first production, due later this summer. It will be a welcome addition to my office! To request your own Triplex lamp, contact Ulrikka Kullenberg.

New design magazine

My friend and interior designer extraordinaire Francoise Murat and her colleagues Kate Thompson and Sam McArthur have started a new digital magazine, STUFF UNCOVERED. They bill it as "a celebration of the unusual, the eclectic and the downright daft." I especially like Francoise's account of the Mid-Century Design Show in Dulwich, London and Kate's round-up of Britain's summer festivities. Read the premiere issue of STUFF UNCOVERED here.

Paris Parfait on etsy

P.S. What am I doing with all the French antiques and vintage collectibles I don't plan to keep? Smaller items are for sale on etsy, while larger treasures and furniture will be sold to an Amsterdam antiques dealer. If you don't see something you fancy, stay tuned...many more items are yet to be listed!

Igor Josif and a shared design obsession

It started with this feature on photographer Stella Harasek's lovely home that both Igor Josif and I saw - unbeknownst to each other - on a couple of Scandanavian design blogs. When I saw Igor's post, I sent him a message that I was mad about the City Sunday magazine rack and had ordered two from Finland for my home office. Igor responded, "You mean it's possible to buy something like that?" And ten minutes later, he'd ordered one too.

Here are the magazine racks at first blush. No doubt the contents will evolve on a regular basis. And follow Igor's Happy Interior blog for his version of the City Sunday magazine racks. If you fancy your own magazine racks, they're available at Finnish Design Shop.

In my magazine racks: (top) French enamel sign; French francs price tag from a Paris shop; David Burke's Writers in Paris; a photograph of a Paris milliner's salon in 1944 by Lee Miller; the book Thinking in Type and a small poster for Linotype: the Film, for which I am happy to be a backer. (Bottom): Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, one of my all-time favourite books; a photograph of Afghan children given to me by Marianne Elliot; a Christies auction catalogue featuring mementoes of adventurers and explorers, including T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia); the latest issue of News Photographer magazine; Mary Oliver's poetry book Evidence; an art piece by my friend Christine Mason Miller and a notebook.

Where Women Create

French glass negatives from 1910 and 1914 framed against the window in my home office. Light filters through, illuminating the images. One of the photos shows a French family in formal dress inside a Native American tepee - in France!

 

Today my favorite item in my typography-mad office - the alphabet chest - is featured in Where Women Create. I've been a fan since getting a signed copy of Where Women Create in Savannah, Ga. in 2005. It's still one of my go-to books for inspiration. So it's an honor to have my office featured on their website.

This weekend we're off to England to see family. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, filled with delights. And to all the moms out there - including my own amazing mother, Cherie - Happy Mother's Day!

Re-opening my etsy shop Paris Parfait

Et voila! I have re-opened my etsy shop Paris Parfait to sell some of my way-too-many French treasures collected during ten years in Paris.

These photographs show some of the items currently for sale (19th-century Jugendstil Art Nouveau claret pitcher above and French enamel cafetiere below, in the highly-sought-after stripes and floral pattern). I'm happy to report that I sold a wooden angel to a woman in Japan, while still loading photographs for the shop!

Vintage French perfume bottles. See more antiques and collectibles on offer here. Please check back often for new listings!

Ten.

Antique prayer necklace from Yemen.

 

Forgive me for indulging in a little sentimentality. Today marks ten years of marriage: much love, hope, prayers and dreams come true. David and I celebrate our good fortune on a regular basis: we know we are blessed and take nothing for granted. On this special anniversary, we raise our glasses in a toast to the next ten years and beyond...

Little gems

Boats viewed from a small bridge in Edam, Noord-Holland.

The small bridge...

...with a tall arch.

Another bridge over the same canal.

Bicycles everywhere....

Edam cheese and bottles of wine. All that's missing is the bread!

Living over the shop.

Rustic charm.

A permanent letter box.

A photograph of Volendam's origins as a fishing village on the side of one of the houses in the picture.

A plaque indicating the house was built in 1935 and the family's work involved horses and sheep.

Reflections in a shop window in Volendam. The girl in the striped shirt reminds me of my fearless friend Gillian.

This week I am re-opening my etsy shop to sell many French antique and vintage treasures from my personal collection. Check back soon for the launch and link.

An afternoon in Delft

Reflections in one of the historic city of Delft's canals. I shot these pictures strolling around the city centre, while our guests visited an exhibition at Vermeer Centrum.

An Italian Fornasetti plate is artfully framed in a private home's window.

Trees reflected in a canal.

Delft blue ceramic messages embedded in the sidewalk.

An original apotheek (apothecary) sign from 1759 opposite the tower of Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) in the city's famed market square.

Antique and vintage Delft porcelain in a store vitrine.

Art Nouveau architecture at a Leonidas chocolate shop.

Chinese herbs.

A stack of wooden crates in a bar window.

A patiently-waiting father staring out the window in a children's store.

A mercantile selling molds, fabric, yarn and sewing notions.

A mannequin wearing 1970s thrift-store fashion and vintage scarves tied to a chair.

For more glimpses of Delft, go here, here and here.

Hello, May!

Miniature windmills at Kinderdijk, Zuid-Holland.

Fresh fruit and vegetables in Delft.

An arrangement of antique glassware on a windowsill in Edam.

 

It's the merry month of May - hooray! - and I'll be back shortly with more photos and posts.

Meanwhile, if you live in one of the cities in Maryam's book tour  - now underway in the US - don't miss a chance to meet her! Maryam is as charming and clever in real life as one might expect from reading her lovely blog My Marrakesh. Feast your eyes on her stylish book Marrakesh by Design, availble from various booksellers.

The art of display

Artful displays at Sophie Pretelat's antiques shop in the Loire Valley, France.

Sophie - who lives in a magnificent chateau filled with fantastic and rare collections - has a real talent for arranging seemingly disparate objects into intriguing tableaus. I am lucky to have purchased some treasures from Sophie's antique shop, as well as her stands at brocantes at Bastille and Saint-Sulpice.

One of the eye candy books waiting in my "must read soon" pile is Creative Display by Geraldine James. The book is packed with ideas to mix it up a bit, with items both precious and sentimental.

Another book in my mailbox this week is blogger Nichole Robertson's Paris in Color. It is filled with whimsical themed photographs that will make you long to wander the city's streets at leisure, soaking up every beautiful detail.

John Baxter's The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris is also awaiting my attention. More about this book later; I'm hoping to catch up with all these delightful echoes of Paris soon.

An unlikely makeover

When I noticed the house on the Dutch realtor's website, a dirty white brick wall screamed out at me. My initial reaction was to find out if the wall could come down. When I saw the house in person, that idea was reinforced; the wall was horrid and dated. But we bought the house and there were so many cosmetic improvements needed, (thankfully, the house is structurally sound) the building work involved in knocking down the wall seemed like a tedious process, not to mention an unnecessary expense. And after moving twice in one year, we really didn't want to spend weeks living amidst construction chaos.

So rather than knock down the wall or try to mask it with art, I decided to make it a feature. I chose a teal blue inspired by the Rijksmuseum (much to the dismay of the painter, who clearly thought I was mad). The teal matches the William Morris Strawberry Thief fabric in the Arts & Crafts chair. I hung the circa 1830 French gilt mercury glass mirror and pushed the Napoleon III glass-fronted bookcase (bought from the grandson of a professor, who had it in his office at the Sorbonne) against the wall. Then I put the 1930s table in front of the mirror and topped it with glass scientific specimen globes to reflect more light. The arrangement of antique globes containing various curiosities are a winking nod to Miss Havisham's table in the latest BBC production of Great Expectations. A Napoleon III "bamboo" stool and a matching stand (holding an antique Buddha head) complete the grouping.

The rest of the room is a mixture of modern design and influences from the Middle East and Andalucia, Spain. It's an eclectic combination, which seems to work.

In case you didn't notice, the perfectionist in me is compelled to point out a pair of eyeglasses on the table that should not have been in the photograph. But in my bid to quell these annoying perfectionist tendencies, I am posting this photo, rather than take a more "perfect" one.

The ceiling is painted a pale blush pink, which helps "warm" the space in the winter. The pendant lights (of which there are six) are from Italy. The wool rug is handmade by the Bani Hamida Women's Weaving Project in Jordan. I'm looking for a different rug for this spot; ultimately the Bani Hamida rug will move either to my office or the guest room.

Stay tuned for more house "makeover" photos... Bon weekend!

One wall

Work-in-progress, my home office.

The bookcase contains language and photography books, an antique book press and my iPod. Vintage American typewriters from the 1940s and 1920s rest on an alphabet chest handmade by Luke Ellis of Kent & London. On the wall is an original Henri Cartier-Bresson photo of boats in the Bois de Boulogne, Paris (my old neighbourhood); a Mucha Art Nouveau alphabet drawing from 1901 and an oil on wood painting of nightfall over Santa Fe by Greg Moon of Taos, New Mexico. The 1950s Tolix stool is French and the Louis Poulsen suspension light is from Denmark. The colour-block tiles belonged to the house's previous owners; am still searching for a rug. The door leads to a balcony overlooking the garden and canal.

Vignettes

Vignettes from my home office space, the Netherlands.

As always, click photos to enlarge.

Waiting...

Restoration underway at Reales Alcazares de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.

 

Hello, dear friends and gentle readers! Despite my lengthy absence from the blogosphere, I haven't forgotten about you. While our house isn't nearly as grand as the Alcazar Palace in Sevilla, it has its own simple charm (and some antique tiles from Sevilla are part of our decor). For weeks I've been preoccupied with improvements and repairs. Waiting for tradesmen and builders to work their magic has been a slow and frustrating process, with delay heaped upon delay and a couple of incidents involving less-than-stellar workmanship. 

After our professional painter carelessly splattered paint on our home office floors (which two hours of scrubbing wouldn't remove, requiring rugs to mask the damage), we've decided to paint the guest room, the top floor and the stairwells ourselves. Also, we're tasked with touching-up several spots the painter failed to notice. Louis Poulsen lights from Denmark arrived two weeks ago, but the too-busy electrician has cancelled three appointments; hopefully the job will be accomplished next week!

But life is not all home-improvement drudgery. David and I are enjoying the birds (including a grey heron!), ducks and swans that frequent "our" canal and the lovely flowers and trees blooming in our garden. Hard to believe we're in a city, yet surrounded by nature. The winter snowstorm caused extensive damage to two palm trees from Northern China, so amateur-like, I've been trying to salvage what's left.  I've read at least five books (and promptly recycled them, in a bid for more space; less clutter). Slowly, but surely the house is starting to feel like a home.

Meanwhile, we're long overdue for a trip to London to see family and American friends arrive for a visit later this month. I'm hoping to get back to a regular blogging schedule, starting next week. Watch this space for photographs of our new abode.

Wishing you and yours a very happy, healthy Easter weekend!

A frequent visitor glides by our garden.

Ode to New Orleans: Happy Mardi Gras!

Today is Fat Tuesday! In honor of Mardi Gras, here are photos taken last year in the great city of New Orleans. Click photos to enlarge.

(Pictured above and below) Costumes for sale or rent are displayed in a New Orleans shop window.

A dress fit for a princess.

Mardi gras masks.

Gold and silver fleur de lys in many variations.

Alligator heads at the farmers' market.

"Alligator" jerky.

Ice-cold thirst-quenchers.

Palms for sale.

A Tarot card reader and passers-by admiring art pinned on a fence.

Street performers.

Mardi gras beads bedeck this balcony.

Saints country.

Christmas all year round.

Wrought-iron grillwork and greenery.

Reading on a balcony.

Green shutters.

Beads and flags.

A balcony weighed down with greenery.

Green is a popular choice for shutters in the French Quarter.

White pumps (thankfully, after Labor Day) dangling from a balcony.

Wrap-around balconies.

Les fleurs.

 

Grillwork, plants and flags.

Grillwork and green shutters.

Turquoise shutters enhanced by plants.

A sprig of green in a metal envelope.

Ode to Dixieland jazz.

Street life.

Horse-drawn carriage ride.

Pink bicycle to match the blossoms.

A private courtyard.

Reflections in a vitrine featuring a crystal chandelier.

French antiques shot through glass.

Reflections in the window of another antiques shop.

A child's wonder in a French quarter lighting store.

Wedding celebrations.

No visit to New Orleans is complete without a stop at Arnaud's.

A legendary restaurant.

Another popular local eatery.

Decorative lights on a lovely side street...

...and on the raucous Bourbon Street, which sadly has deteriorated into a loud, drunken tourist trap.

The New Orleans skyline.

The waterfront.

The Creole Queen.

The Steamer Natchez in the Port of New Orleans.

Happy Fat Tuesday! Happy Mardi Gras!

Fading beauty

 

Entranceway enhanced with hand-painted symbols meant to ward off evil and encourage prosperity and peace, Bhaktapur, Nepal.

And similarly-decorated portals in Bungamati, Nepal.

"The only lasting beauty is the beauty of the heart." - Rumi

 

A year to cherish

Antiques in a New Orleans hotel lobby. And a haiku for 2012:

 

Write the next chapter:

choose your own destination;   

treasure the journey.