Paris Parfait

Have theatre; will travel

1920s Guignol puppet theatre, Paris.

"Funny, it seems like just yesterday, we were in Paris."
"What are you talking about? We were in Paris. We flew, remember? The airline charged us excess baggage for the theatre, after trying to make us ride in the cargo hold with all that horrid luggage! Now we're in Tucson."
"Where is that?"
"It's in Arizona, you moron. You know - desert, mountains, heat?"
"Ah, oui the heat. I have heard about this phenomenon. We are in the Wild West, non?  But being a Parisien, it is my first experience with this, how you call it, countryside? C'est vrai."
"Don't worry, you can have some of Mademoiselle Vanessa's tea and you'll feel better."
"Ah, oui, c'est magnifique! It reminds me of the days of Prohibition when they were forced to pour vodka in their little teacups..."
"How do you know about Prohibition? You were in Paris, where anything goes! Remember the jazz?"
"Oui, bien sur, but I read about their problems in le journal. Those poor Americans, always brewing une petite tempest in a teacup..."
"Well it's not the '20s anymore. It's 2008! And Vanessa has prepared a beautiful feast for our enjoyment."
"Mais oui, she is quite the hostess. Perhaps we shall persuade her to accompany us to Paris. She could join us for tea and macaroons at Laduree."
"She doesn't have time to come to Paris. She's too busy hosting parties and creating art. She's famous, you know. I mean, just look at how many people have come to this party!"
"Certainly they came to see us perform?"
"What an ego you have! They're not even paying attention. They're having too much fun sampling the cakes and sweets."

"Why just last week, I was telling Ollie about the crowds, everywhere we go... Mon dieu! Wait a minute! Where do those girls think they are, the Folies Bergere? What are they doing with those little bird masks? I think they are confused. This is a tea party, not a masquerade party! They should go back to Paris!"
"Stop being rude. They're invited guests."
"C' est impossible! Who invited them? Were they on the same plane? We are the featured performers, after all. Ca suffit."
"Yes and they're here for Vanessa's tea and to watch our show. So shut up and sing!"
"Mon dieu - the nerve! Does anyone have manners in this country?"
"Of course they do. And they have been waiting patiently for our performance to begin..."

One-of-a-kind art dolls by Christine Alvarado.

Won't you join us for Vanessa's Mad-as-a-Hatter tea party at A Fanciful Twist?

Art of glass

The Dale Chiluly 30-foot blown glass chandelier suspended above the main entranceway at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London. An exhibition of Chiluly's work at the de Young Museum is currently enthralling San Francisco residents. The exhibit continues through September 28th.

Take a seat

An accordion box seat in the Fashion Building at the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD), Savannah, Ga.

Side view of a furniture design student's chair made from cardboard.

"This is not a chair," the sign says. So is it a table?

Another design student's table using mosaic inserts currently on display at The Jepson Center for the Arts, Savannah.

Laugh out loud

If you're planning a trip from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles, first check out this packing advice at Crooks and Liars.

Mauricio Planel: Bringing the social and political into art

I was in San Francisco when I got Brazilian artist Mauricio Planel Rossiello's message, complimenting my photograph from Bastille (at left) and asking if he could use it in his work. Upon my return to Paris, I sent the photo to Mauricio.

Late last week, Mauricio forwarded me the result from Rio: a wonderful collage incorporating images from the '40s and '50s, including Catwoman and an American farmer. The collage is currently part of a cultural exhibition in Brazil.

For nearly two years, I've admired Mauricio's work, which infuses art with social and political commentary. In his work, Mauricio creates bold statements that are not only beautiful and unique, but meaningful to our lives.

"I like to get old images and give them a new life and a new history," he said. "Regarding the collages' themes, they have my social-political vision inserted in them. I think that it's important to transmit it through my work."

"I know that it's an ant working - a Brazilian expression which means what I do is small in comparsion to the worldwide media," Mauricio commented. "But it must be done if we would like to contribute to a better society."

See more of Mauricio's powerful images and illustrations at his multilingual website El Collage.

Copyright 2008 Mauricio Planel Rossiello.

One of my favourite of Mauricio's collages, "Sepias," represents humans in modern society being overwhelmed and depressed by news of chaos and disaster.

"Breathing deep, raise the eyes and continue."

"Respirar hondo, levantar los ojos y seguir."

"Respirar fundo, levantar os olhos e seguir."

Vertigo

"It whispers of dinner at Vertigo on shaky ground.
The dusky garnets matched the merlot
at The Redwood Room,
where Gustav Klimt paintings
shimmered in the soft light,
jazz murmured like a fever
and your hand clasped mine."*

Vertigo brooch created by Jocelyn Krodman, in homage to the Alfred Hitchcock film noir masterpiece Vertigo. The pin contains lines from the movie and the man in the center spins around, just as in the Vertigo trailer and film credits.

The 1958 thriller, starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, was  filmed in San Francisco. I don't know if it's still there, but for a time there was a terrific restaurant called Vertigo at the base of the Transamerica Pyramid Building. For more San Francisco film noir history, go here.

I met Jocelyn - who graduated three years ago from the Savannah College of Art & Design - in Savannah, Ga. and bought the brooch, as well as some lovely necklaces and earrings she made. Photographs of more of Jocelyn's imaginative work will appear in an upcoming post.

Email Jocelyn here for information about purchasing her original creations or read updates on her website.

*Excerpt from the poem The Garnet Necklace by Tara Bradford. This is the second in a series of posts linked to San Francisco.

Bountiful treasures at Saint-Sulpice

A 19th-century stone angel between a wing and a prayer at Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons at the brocante at Place Saint-Sulpice, Paris. Monday's the last day of the 31st Foire aux Antiquaires, so best get your skates on! Last chance until 2009! Take the Metro Line 10 to Mabillion, then walk two blocks to the brocante opposite the Church of Saint-Sulpice. You can't miss it, thanks to the cranes and scaffolding still present amidst the church's long-term renovation effort.

A marble child's bust with straw boater hat.

Rush-seated and rustic wooden chairs.

A sparkling chandelier. Today a gentleman sent email saying he'd purchased one of the chairs photographed in a previous post about the brocante at Saint-Sulpice.

Mercury glass gazing balls for luck, candlesticks and assorted curiosities in a 19th-century armoire.

An 18th-century commode and rose-coloured paperback books, as well as 19th-century lamps made from zinc urns at another stand at Saint-Sulpice.

A scalloped painted cupboard and stoneware pots de confiture.

More antiques at Saint-Sulpice

Beautiful antiques and collectibles from Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons stand at Saint-Sulpice, Paris. The brocante continues daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through June 16th.

From vintage clothing to sports equipment and toys

Vintage clothing at the 31st Foire aux Antiquaires, currently underway at Place Saint-Sulpice, Paris. The event continues daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. through June 16th.

A 1950s mink stole, a white fur muff, a 1940s hat and a sparkly crystal chandelier accented with smoky quartz.

A 19th-century dresser and chair with a cane seat has been updated with paint effects. Advertising fans, as well as antique lace blouses are also on offer.

A wicker dress form with bowler hat, papier-mache horse and a vintage quilt at Sophie Pretalat's Anges et Demons stand at Saint-Sulpice.

A box of well-cared-for sports equipment, in butter-soft leather.

A painted wooden train car and strange puppet.

An ancient wooden horse at Anges et Demons.

A table of early 20th-century bright yellow pitchers.

More yellow pitchers.

A vintage Chatelet poster.

Shoppers go from stand to stand at the brocante at Saint-Sulpice in the sixth arrondissement, Paris.

The famous Church of Saint-Sulpice has been under renovation for more than a year.

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If you're interested in the American presidential election, check out Mark Benjamin's Salon article about John McCain's strong lobbyist ties and his aim to stir up Cold War-like confrontations with Russia.

I blame the jet lag

Never mind that I am an experienced traveler and know the tricks to avoid jet lag. Exhaustion after three weeks of non-stop travel must be the reason that today I couldn't resist this 1920s Guignol puppet theatre - which folds up like a suitcase! How convenient is that??!! Hello Ulla, Vanessa? I know you adore puppet theatres too. Wouldn't you have indulged a whim and taken this theatre home?

I found a few other little things such as rose-coloured 18th-century books, mercury-glass gazing balls in various shades of blue and green and heart-shaped silver prayer ornaments. Then there was that Spanish statute of the Madonna and Child. Er, ahem... Not all of it came home with me! Photos to follow.

Run, don't walk to the 31st Foire aux Antiquaires currently underway from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at Place Saint-Sulpice, Paris. Fabulous things to be had. The brocante is in the sixth arrondissement and admission is free, through June 16th. Check back later for more brocante photos, as well as images from my travels.

Little curiosities

Driftwood, along with an industrial fan and candlesticks at Une Chanson Douce at the Antiquites Brocante at Place de la Bastille. The event continues through Sunday.

Pharmacy jars, a vintage poster and shells comprise a charming composition.

More curiosities at Une Chanson Douce.

Tara Bradford is traveling. In her absence, timed posts should appear. She will post occasional updates from the road.

Sleepless in Savannah

A sepia-tinted photo of a crowned head, sculptor's model and assorted antiques at Anges et Demons at the Antiquites Brocante which ends Sunday at Place de la Bastille, Paris.

Am in Savannah in the midst of a mad whirlwind of activities surrounding my daughter Jordana's first fashion collection. Much excitement, nerves, high drama and thrilling news to report soon, along with photographs of Jordana's designs. And of course, I've been busy snapping pictures of the lovely city of Savannah. Next stop: "home" to San Francisco!

Brocante beauty at Bastille

An artful arrangement of urns, sculptures, busts, 18th-century books and a sculptor's model at Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons stand at the Antiquities Brocante at Bastille. Pretelat's eye for acquiring unusual antiques and curiosities - and her styling skills - are frequently featured in books, most recently in Secrets d'interieurs by Michele Lalande and Gilles Trillard.

A 19th-century urn filled with lovely seashells. The brocante at Place de la Bastille continues from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through May 18.

Stone and plaster birds, an antique birdcage and candlesticks and lamps at Anges et Demons. Visit Pretalat's shop at 14 rue Notre Dame in Cunault, France.

An antique column, 19th-century frames, rolled-up tapestry and an embroidered altarcloth.

Mercury glass candlesticks, a hand-etched frosted-glass goblet, 18th-century books and a framed portrait make up this table display at Anges et Demons. Many more brocante photos to come!

Mother's Day / Fete des meres / Dia da la Madre

A vintage wooden toy truck at Geraldine Michaelis's stand Une Chanson Douce at the Antiquities Brocante at Bastille.

To my maman and all mothers and grandmothers who have tried their best to insure children have happy, healthy childhoods, then go on to lead productive lives and contribute something valuable to the world: Thank you. Merci bien. Muchas gracias. Bonne fete! Happy Mother's Day!

A brocante, a sculptor's model and pickpockets

Parts of 19th-century zinc weathervanes, along with an 18th-century wooden religious retablo, a copper figure on horseback and a 20th-century architectural model of a spiral staircase at the Chinez toutes les Tendances stand at the Antiquities Brocante at Place de la Bastille. The event continues daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through May 18th. Tickets are available at the door. Check back Sunday for more brocante photos.

Be aware the "rakkai" or pickpockets are out in full force on the Paris metro, particularly on Lines 1, 8 and 9. Today I was returning from Bastille, carrying an antique sculptor's model. Two guys tried to grab my handbag, but I'd spotted them already and was prepared. I threatened to hit them with the pot. They grinned and said in French, something to the effect, "You'll break it!" I replied, "Et votre tete aussi (And your head too)." They laughed, but jumped off the train as the doors were closing.

Antique original sculptor's model for a piece ultimately made in silver. I found it at the inimitable Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons at Bastille. Thankfully, I didn't have to use it as a weapon against pickpockets on the train!

Spring brocante at Bastille

Early 20th-century advertising poster.

If you're in Paris over the next few days, you may enjoy attending the Antiquites Brocante at Place de la Bastille. The twice-yearly brocante offers some of the best antiques and vintage pieces in Paris, from a wide variety of vendors. Stop by Stand 514 on Boulevard Bastille and say hello to my friend, Monsieur Pettersson. He sells wonderful and unusual antiques and objects d' curiosite - and he speaks English!

The brocante begins at 11 a.m. Thursday - meet me there? - and continues daily through May 18th. Take the Paris metro lines 1, 5 or 8 to Bastille and Quai de la Rapee or bus lines 76, 86 or 91. Parking is available at Opera Bastille. Tickets are available at the door.

A rather weathered toy boat.

A vintage basket contains spools of thread and ribbon. Old tole lampshades are also on offer at a local brocante.

Check back Thursday for photos of Asian-inspired windows at Galeries Lafayette. No time to post them today!

Larking about London

Scaffolding props up the facade of a 19th-century building on Oxford Street, London. Behind the facade, construction is underway on a new space, which will retain the historical facade. In the building at left, a flag is reflected in the window's glass.

A jumble of cooking wares caught in a fisherman's net at Divertimenti in Knightsbridge, London. The Brompton Oratory is reflected in the glass.

The spring-themed window in an upscale charity shop on Brompton Road.

A giant lipstick tube - Heatherette for M.A.C. Cosmetics - in a window display at Selfridges on Oxford Street.

Banners advertising an ongoing exhibition at the Natural History Museum on Cromwell Road.

Children and their parents line up for tickets to the giant maze and butterfly house at the Natural History Museum.

Boxed plants suspended from iron railings outside buildings on Cromwell Road.

Sunday morning at Puce de Vanves

An antique dealer entertains shoppers with his guitar skills Sunday morning on Avenue Marc Sangnier at the Puce de Vanves. Susan of Soozphotoz and her daughter Sara and I spent the morning shopping and chatting and shopping and chatting. No, I can't show you my purchases, which are for friends I'll be seeing during my travels in May.

A curious keyboard on wheels on Avenue Georges Lafenestre. The flea market at Vanves is open every Saturday and Sunday morning. Plan on arriving early for the best choice.

A group of cane-bottomed bistro chairs.

Vintage Barbies, complete with original box. Susan and I remember the Barbies in the yellow-and-white lace dress and strapless striped one from childhood.

Brocante basics

I am off to London until Sunday, so here are more photos of the recent brocante at Chatou, France. All being well, timed posts will appear daily in my absence.

A gilt mirror frame and painting from Brittany are among the antiques on offer.

I adore the cherry red wooden chairs!

Vintage drawers and cabinets offer storage space for cuisine or office.

A variety of traditional French pottery on offer at Chatou.

Chairs aged with a paint effect and recovered in a floral brocade.

Two marble Grecian-style panels, a chest of drawers and Flemish chandelier.

A Napoleon I Empire chair and Egyptian-influenced stone urns.

A desk from the British ship HMS Portsmouth.

A small circus ride for children features a horse, bear and elephant.

An alabaster bust, twin vases and a decorative fan-shaped panel adorned with gilt cherubs.

A bow and arrow astride two endtables.

Salvage and pirates

A prototype for a light wing aircraft is among the many salvage items on these barges. Currently, the vessels are floating next to peniches or houseboats along the River Seine.

Speaking of salvage, certain officials are determined to save France's reputation. Some government officials are outraged about the French entry's English lyrics in the upcoming Eurovision song contest. Quel horreur!

And the six Somali pirates who seized a French yacht and held the crew hostage for a week have arrived in Paris for police questioning.

The French parliament has banned websites and magazines that promote anorexia among teenage girls. The French blog, Be Perfect, Be Pro Ana, encourages teenage girls to refuse food, make themselves sick and take laxatives to emulate the body shape of their "thinspirations" such as Nicole Richie and Victoria Beckham.

Government figures suggest between 30,000 and 40,000 people in France suffer from anorexia. Most are female aged 12 -19. French advertisers, model agencies and fashion houses have agreed to sign a government charter to "refuse to publish images, especially of young people, which could promote an ideal of extreme thinness."

Obviously this problem is not limited to France.

Wicked game

A leather case of vintage Bingo and other board games at a French brocante. Chris Isaak sings about the only Wicked Game worth playing.

Pathetic. Is this what Hillary Clinton considers leadership - twisting and manipulating someone else's words, taken out of context - rather than come up with solutions for those people losing their jobs and homes? The ad - and Clinton's focus in her recent speeches - insults voters' intelligence. Oh and one of the so-called Pennsylvania voters in the ad is actually registered to vote in New Jersey."Bitter?" You betcha! Seriously, who isn't disappointed about what's happened to our country under George W. Bush (other than his rich and getting richer cronies)?

John Baer of The Philadelphia Daily News responds to Clinton's latest campaign tactics:

"Some thoughts on the latest diversion of Campaign '08, a campaign apparently hell-bent on keeping the nation mired in its own stupidity. As a native-born, small-town Pennsylvanian, a son of native-born, small-town Pennsylvania parents - one from the coal region, one from Lancaster County - let me assure you that the so-called offensive, condescending things Barack Obama said about the people I come from are basically right on target.

"Bitter" perhaps best describes my late mother, an angry Irish Catholic who absolutely clung to her religion. Dad, also a journalist, wasn't really bitter as far as I know, but he sure liked to hunt. So, despite carping from Hillary Clinton and annoying yapping from her surrogates (really, it's like turning on the lights at night in a puppy farm), I take no offense. What's offensive to me is suggesting that small-town, working-class, gun-toting and/or religious Pennsylvanians are somehow injured by a politician's words.

"Are you kidding me? They're injured all right, but the injury is long-term and from lots more than "just words." They've been injured from decades of neglect by political cultures in Washington and Harrisburg driven by special interests. They're injured by a system of isolated, insulated political leadership that protects itself and the status quo above all else.

"They've been harmed by a lack of political guts to fix a health-care system that works against the poor and forces middle-class families to pay more for less, while at the same time giving politicians the best coverage taxpayer money can buy.

"They've been taken for granted by political parties and candidates who stay in power by - and this was the apparent gist of Obama's remarks - forcing attention and debate on issues tied to guns, religion and race (precisely because such issues resonate) rather than real problems such as health care and the economy.

"They've been consistently made fools of by their own elected representatives who, year after year, pull fat salaries ($169,000 for every member of Congress; $150,000 in salary, perks and benefits for every state lawmaker) with automatic raises no matter how little gets done.

"A new Associated Press poll shows Congress' approval rating at 23 percent. And don't even get me started on the Pennsylvania Legislature. Insulting? What's insulting are the sizes of salaries and perks of politicians in a state where the median household income is $43,714. What's insulting is the ongoing failure of elected "leaders" to deal with long-term, working-class worries while insuring their own futures with hefty, over-rich pensions...

"...So the question is whether Obama effectively defuses this, as he did the controversy surrounding his former minister. And that remains to be seen. Just don't tell me that he insulted a state or, given his background, that he's an out-of-touch elitist. And I especially don't want to hear such arguments from a candidate who spent decades in the bubble of a governor's mansion, the White House and the U.S. Senate and under the blanket of $109 million income during the last eight years.

Pennsylvanians might cling to religion and guns. I hope they don't cling to stupidity."

Here are some excellent points about the disingenuous actions of both the Clinton and McCain campaigns and the media's unwillingness or inability to cover the stories.

Curiosities at Centre Pompidou

Some curious sculptures and works of art at the Centre Pompidou, Paris.

This made me laugh out loud.

And I find it so refreshing to hear a politician speak the truth.

Taking us for a ride

Pedicab for sale at a brocante at Chatou, France.

At Truthdig Marie Cocco writes about Seven Years of Scandal. Infuriating and mind-boggling.

Nancy Pelosi takes a principled stand. If only more people in government displayed such courage!

On a lighter note, my friend Tangobaby has posted some great photos taken in the Sunset District in San Francisco - which just happens to be my old neighbourhood. Yes, I am homesick!

When traversing the Paris Metro on Tuesday, I learned a little about the plight of an Iraqi refugee and her young daughter. The contrast of the woman's pitiful state with two American women, dressed in furs and Gucci made me want to scream at the far-reaching and terrible implications of George W. Bush's war. Tonight I opened the book Soul Food: Nourishing Poems for Starved Minds to find Naomi Shihab Nye's poem, which struck a chord:

"Before you know what kindness really is
you must lose things
feel the future dissolve in a moment
like salt in a weakened broth.
What you held in your hand,
what you counted and carefully saved,
all this must go so you know
how desolate the landscape can be
between the regions of kindness.
How you ride and ride
thinking the bus will never stop,
the passengers eating maize and chicken
will stare out the window forever.

"Before you learn the tender gravity of kindness,
you must travel where the Indian in a white poncho
lies dead by the side of the road.
You must see how this could be you,
how he too was someone
who journeyed through the night with plans
and the simple breath that kept him alive.

"Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside,
you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.
You must wake up with sorrow.
You must speak to it till your voice
catches the thread of all sorrows
and you see the size of the cloth.

"Then it is only kindness that makes sense anymore,
only kindness that ties your shoes
and sends you out into the day to mail letters and purchase bread,
only kindness that raises its head
from the crowd of the world to say
It is I you have been looking for,
and then goes with you everywhere
like a shadow or a friend."

Vintage dolls and seeds of possibility

Today I have been a busy woman, writing up a storm; chasing away gloom; dispelling doubt and planting magical seeds of possibility. I've also been listening to this song, an old favourite.

Photos of vintage poupees from the recent brocante at Chatou.

Religious icon.

Elfin dolls.

Southern belle.

Two quirky dolls in a wicker wine crate.

Dutch treats in wooden clogs.

Two real live dolls, although one doesn't seem very happy.

Industrial chic at Chatou

A tall chest with original numbers revealed by a paint treatment at Julie Isore's Agape, pictured at the recent brocante at Ile de Chatou, France. (Yes, that tall chest came home with me - and there is no room for it anywhere)!

An industrial steel serving cart and hospital sidetables.

Original Tolix stools and blue bobbin chests.

A vignette of bottles and books at Agape.

A zinc industrial barrel turned into a light fixture. Check out the Hermes-orange numbered lockers in the background.

A zinc patterned l'oeil du boeuf from Geraldine Michaelis's Une Chanson Douce.

Oeil du boeuf zinc window casings that once graced a chateau.

An old stove and a hodgepodge of rusty watering cans and other utilitarian items.

Zinc buckets in an iron daybed frame at Chatou. Another brocante at Chatou is scheduled in September.

Good for what ails you

Vintage French pharmacy bottles at the recent brocante at Chatou, France.

Today I received an anti-Obama email from someone with whom I grew up... It was one of the most racist, right-wing, revisionist pieces of garbage I've ever seen. I know I should consider the source: someone who grew up in a wealthy household with a full-time black maid; who has led a privileged life and was a George W. Bush supporter. But these are the kind of deliberately wrong-headed Republican-fueled attacks we can expect as we move closer to the election in November.

No matter what candidate you support in the presidential election, I urge you to pay attention to the facts, not the rumors and innuendo. If you don't know where a candidate stands on certain issues, go to their official website; read a variety of newspapers, magazines and blogs. Check out the candidates' Senate voting records. Think for yourself! Don't accept as fact a distorted bunch of words combined in mean-spirited and ignorant attacks designed to rip the country apart, rather than bring us together.

If there's anything we've learned in the past seven-plus years of an incompetent Bush administration, it's that we must stand together to combat extremists and special interests. We cannot allow further erosion of our civil liberties and Constitutional freedoms by those who stand to profit from our complacency.

And I'm still so upset by that vile message, am off to listen to Earth Wind & Fire's That's the Way of the World, for many years, my favourite peace of mind song - followed by a lap or two around Longchamp.

Joys of spring

Vintage doll repair shop, 17th arrondissement, Paris.

No matter the every-five-minutes fluctuations of Paris weather, I am smitten with spring fever and its accompanying delights:

Anticipating a long, eventful journey that begins in just 42 days - yes, I am counting the days.

Randall LaGro, one of my favourite artists, offers a peek into his studio, while talking about his work.

Thanks to Sharon for sending news about Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the 88-year-old San Francisco legend and founder of City Lights Bookstore. His new poem -with a nod to Khalil Gibran - mirrors our troubled times:

"Pity the nation whose people are sheep
and whose shepherds mislead them.
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced
and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.
Pity the nation
who raises not its voice
except to praise conquerors
and acclaim the bully as hero
and aims to rule the world with force
and by torture.
Pity the nation
that knows no other language but its own
and no other culture but its own.
Pity the nation
whose breath is money
and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.
Pity the nation - oh pity the people who allow
their rights to erode
and their freedoms to wash away.
My country tears of thee, sweet land of liberty."

On a brighter note, my friend Michelle French sent this Leningrad version of Sweet Home Alabama.

And the ever-entertaining Robin Williams gives an impromptu performance on BBC.

Best of the brocante

My Swedish friend G. Pettersson - who has an extraordinary eye for beautiful and unusual objects - at his booth at the brocante at Square des Batignolles, Paris. While Monsieur Pettersson lives in the Southwest of France, you can telephone him if you're interested in purchasing anything you see here: (011) 33.6.11.19.89.86. If your French is a bit shaky, not to worry - he speaks excellent English! And if you're in Paris in May, you can check out his wares at the antiquites brocante at Place de Bastille.

Meanwhile, the brocante at Square des Batignolles continues daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. through April 6. Take the Metro Line 13 direction Asniers Gennevilliers to Brochant.

A handsome pair of English Chippendale chairs, recently upholstered in plaid.

Another view of the chairs, as well as a small cabinet, perfect for artist's supplies.

The Napoleon III globe, two petite confits de canard and blue pharmacy jar came home with me. Before I'd even paid for the items, two French women offered to buy the confits de canard from me. I declined, as the small ones are rare and will increase in value.

Monsieur Pettersson shows a hat rack to a customer.

A grouping of unusual frames and objets d'art.

An aqua crystal flower chandelier.

A vitrine filled with beautiful frames and precious decorative objects.

Out and about Paris

News kiosk, Paris, March 29, 2008.

Impromptu performance by an all-girl brass band, Square des Batignolles, 17th arrondissement.

Vintage bicycle hoisted over a wooden fence, alongside paintings and a mirror, antiquites brocante.

Wrought iron baby bed draped with purple tulle and flowers. Check back later for more photos. The brocante continues from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through April 6th at the Square des Batignolles, Metro line 13 direction Asnieres-Genevilliers to Brochant.

Feeding the ducklings, Square des Batignolles park.

A pigeon in the park.

Sign over a doll repair shop, 17th arrondissement.

Strong women and society's dictates

Perhaps this is some French guy's subversive sense of humour or even a political statement - a naked and battered female doll suspended by her shoulders from bungee cords at the recent brocante at Ile de Chatou, France. Whatever impression the seller was trying to make, the rather disturbing doll certainly attracted attention - most of it negative - from passers-by.

Here's Johann Hari's insightful article in The Independent lamenting the demise of strong women as portrayed by both Hollywood and the media. I agree with the premise that society's dictates, particularly in Hollywood (and in politics) often undermine women and their talents and strengths. What do you think?

Spring fever

Have just come home absolutely drenched from a walk in the rain - the pouring-soak-through-your-shoes kind of rain that leaves puddles of water everywhere - but I am smiling, because it's spring, with all its accompanying joy and possibility.

Flowers are blooming, new chapters are being written and leaps of faith taken. The heady delirium of spring fever can't be diminished by a few rainshowers. And listening to this makes me happy. What is making you smile today? Whatever you're doing, hope you have a lovely weekend ahead!

Chantepleure

Vintage French dress forms at the recent brocante at Chatou.

The French word chantepleure means to sing and weep simultaneously - something most women completely understand. What the article doesn't discuss is how French women often adopt an air of bravado to mask deep insecurities, including uncertain situations in their marriages. French inheritance laws provide for the children, not the wife. In the event of divorce, it usually proves difficult for the wife to assert her rights and achieve any sort of financial parity with her husband. So it would seem that French women can never get too "relaxed" when it comes to their assets, physical or otherwise. They typically have more at stake than their British or North American counterparts.

On a completely unrelated note, watch this very clever video!

And here's a scary video about a serious subject that directly or indirectly affects us all.

The bliss of unexpected finds

Last week when giving blogging friends a brief tour of Ile Saint Louis, we discovered a little antique shop on a side street. My lucky finds included this 1906 Art Nouveau silver-plated claret jug, made by the German company WMF and an 18th-century French beaded bag in near-mint condition. Above is an illustration of the claret jug from the book Art Nouveau Domestic Metalwork. I have a small collection of six WMF-produced Art Nouveau pieces, all but one found in France.

March winds and blogging friends

Flowers at the park at Notre Dame, Paris.

It's not feeling much like spring here, with high winds whipping around corners and chilling us to the bone. Have been busy photographing Paris department store windows, then meeting a blogging friend Beth of The Salvage Studio and her husband Raoul for tea and a brief tour of Ile Saint Louis and environs. I took them to a little antique shop - one I'd never noticed before, on a side street on Ile Saint Louis. And who snapped up two remarkable treasures in five minutes flat? Not Beth. More about all that in an upcoming post.

Beth and her husband Raoul at Notre Dame.

And watching this makes me smile. Hope it brings some cheer to your day as well.

Antiques for an artist's dreams

Imagine the art supplies this early 20th-century printer's cabinet could hold! It was for sale at the 76th Foire Nationale aux Antiquites a la Brocante et aux Jambons at Ile de Chatou. If there had been any possibility I could find space for this marvel, it would have come home with me. But I couldn't locate the owner to discuss the price or prospects.

This printer's document block is so heavy, I could barely lift it.

More storage for paints and arts and crafts supplies in these vintage La Poste mailboxes.

A sorter cabinet from an old French post office and a vintage cinematography light.

A large model of the famous Paris landmark, l'Arc de Triomphe!

Last weekend to visit brocante at Chatou

A trio of 19th-century globes at the 76th Foire Nationale aux Antiquites, a la Brocante et aux Jambons, underway from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. through Sunday at Ile de Chatou. If you get a chance to go, don't miss it! Tickets are available at the gate.

Today at La Poste, was sending something to Georgia and the clerk next to me overheard and started singing "Georgia." Then these two postal clerks wanted to know who'd made the song famous, so we talked about Ray Charles - all of it in French. Small world, eh? I'd hoped to have the opportunity to post more brocante photos and catch up with other blogs today, but no such luck. Am busy racing around Paris, being tour guide and will be at the brocante again Saturday. Will catch up with all of you soon! Bon weekend, as the French say.

Spoiled for choice at Chatou

An early 19th-century marble statue representing La France is flanked by parts of zinc weathervanes and alphabet letters at the 76th Foire Nationale aux Antiquites, a la Brocante et aux Jambons at Ile de Chatou. These photos were taken last Friday, opening day. This morning my Canadian friend Meg and I braved gale force winds, heavy rain and three trains to visit the brocante - only to find it closed, due to gale force winds and heavy rain! Weather allowing, the brocante continues daily through Sunday, March 16th.

A handpainted puppet theatre, with handmade marionettes.

A large marble garden urn surrounded by 19th-century French furniture with modern reupholstery.

An ornate giltwood mirror is accented by handpainted gilt pillars. An 18th-century wooden Baby Jesus figure from a French church is placed on a pedestal on the marble table.

A cane sofa, lace cloth, oval giltwood frame and wooden kitchen utensils at the brocante at Chatou.

This early 19th-century cane sofa has seen better days, but could be easily repaired by a skilled artisan. Check back daily for more brocante photos.

Chatou collectibles

A marble bust, table and assorted beautiful objets d'art at the 76th Foire Nationale aux Antiquites a la Brocante, now underway at Ile de Chatou. On opening day on Friday, I shot nearly 200 photos. Check back every day this week for more brocante delights. No time to edit and post more today, as I'm going to a birthday party/early dinner.

My friend Kelly sent me this delightful Open Your Heart video, along with the message, "If Suzi Blu doesn't make you smile, than your smiler mechanism is on the fritz and you should really get that thing fixed!" Thank you, Kelly!

24 hours to love

A 24-hour French clock face from Une Chanson Douce, the lovely Geraldine Michaelis's rue Gaite stand at the 76th Foire Nationale aux Antiquites, a la Brocante et aux Jambons. Check back later for more brocante photos.

This poem was inspired by the word "shimmer" glimpsed amidst a jumble of words here. As it developed, the poem became about an unspoken promise unfolding. While written two days before the Writers Island prompt "Rising" was posted, it seems to fit the theme.

Shimmer
like the star that you are:
wrap yourself in the blush of candlelight,
dance through the moonbeams,
soar high above the horizon
in a blaze of shooting stars.

Light twinkles
in your shining eyes
that look at me expectantly
drawing me into the magic,
enveloping me in warmth,
writing a new chapter.

Glimmer
and shine
with dawn's sunrise surprise
as the sun's rays catch fire
while bouncing off the stardust
that still glitters in your hair.

Mystery as day deepens,
unfolding with hope:
tantalising fruits of possibility;
whispered promises
that echo long past starlight
and ripen with the sun.

Moonglow
as twilight falls.
Love breaks free
from our guarded hearts,
sealing our fate:
love grows.

Gone treasure-hunting

A late 19th-century collapsible daybed, sans mattress. I bought it three years ago at Clignacourt; ever since it's been in the cave (wine cellar)!

Today I am treasure-hunting at the 76th Foire Nationale aux Antiquites a la Brocante et aux Jambons at Ile de Chatou. Want to join me? Better get your skates on - this is opening day, when the best and most unusual items are on offer. Gates open at 10 a.m. and close promptly at 7 p.m. But don't despair - if you can't get there today, the brocante continues daily through March 16th. Tickets are available at the gate.

While you're there, be sure to check out Julie Isore's Agape stand at 1, rue de la Gaite. If you're mad about kitchen collectibles, see Blandine Bavoux at Jolietrouvaille, 10, rue de la Gaite.

To get to Chatou, take a taxi from Paris or the RER A1 train, direction Saint-Germain-en-Laye to Rueil-Malmaison or Chatou-Croissy. Then walk over the bridge to Ile de Chatou. But at the end of the day, don't expect to find a taxi willing to take you back to Paris - you'll need to take the train, no matter how much treasure you're carrying!

Check back this weekend for photos from the brocante.

Sunday sampler

This morning I was struck by the fennel's sculptural symmetry, courtesy of Mother Nature.

The pottery bowl is from Italy, by way of London.

Visit my friend Maddie's Persisting Stars for an uplifting start to your day, "When the world opens up."

Here's one writer's take on why we love vintage. "Retro is about rediscovering an everyday beauty we may have missed first time round. Retro is a loving exhumation, a bringing back to the light, of the world we saw – or fancied we saw – around us, before the modern world kicked in and we had to grow up and take responsibility for something called The Future," John Walsh writes.

Read about the curse of the yummy mummy, that ridiculously unobtainable fiction.

Rarely have stark bare trees, blue sky and hawks looked more appealing than in Stephanie's photographs from Colorado here.

Check out this article about Barack Obama by one of his friends and fellow law professors. (With Super Tuesday Part II coming up, you didn't think I would forget about politics, did you?)

And consider Rumi's words from The Book of Love:

This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture, still,
treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing
and invite them in

be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Spiritual symbols and religious icons

A tableau of religious icons beneath the apartment's foyer wall of crosses, milagros and prayer ornaments. The pewter tulip tray at right is by Serge Nekrassoff (1895-1985), the Russian-American metalsmith. It serves as a catch-all for mail. A 19th-century French church altarpiece, stitched in gold threads is beneath the trays.

The tray at left with angels at either end is Mexican silver, found in Sevilla, Spain. The tray contains various glass and hammered-silver candleholders, as well as tin milagros from Santa Fe; a 19th-century French silver and gold religious icon; a 19th-century cobalt glass and silver Spanish communion chalice, found in Sevilla and a Spanish crucifix icon of tin and brass, the latter found at the secret brocante in Passy, Paris. The tray also holds an antique French ivory-and-silver rosary and a modern aqua-beaded and silver Spanish rosary from a convent in Sevilla.

A white folk art cross from Guatemala, also found in France is flanked by two silver hearts linked by a chain. One of the hearts still holds a handwritten prayer request. The hearts are from a former convent in Marseilles, France. The wooden monk figure is from a former French monastery. The silver cross draped around his neck was a gift. The framed drawing of a hand holding a pen dripping blood was a gift from Syrian opposition political cartoonist and publisher Ali Ferzat, with an inscription in Arabic.

No, I am not Catholic! As a child, I went to a Baptist church; when I was nine, my mother took us to a Presbyterian church, of which I am still a member. But I am drawn to religious icons and symbols from world religions. One of the things I like about Santa Fe (which of course means Holy Faith) is the little prayer niches or shrines in so many beautiful old adobe houses. Some of these homes even have their own chapels. Two of my favourite books about collecting religious icons are Mary Emmerling's Art of the Cross and Laura Cerwinske's In a Spiritual Style.

P.S. Speaking of religion, John McCain has made a bizarre choice in embracing the endorsement of Rev. John Hagee of Texas. Hagee advocates wars based on Biblical mandates; rants against the Catholic Church, as well as Islam and claims that Hurricane Katrina "was, in fact, the judgment of God against the city of New Orleans." Really, one has to wonder about McCain's judgment in aligning himself with such an extremist.