Paris Parfait

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!

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!

Aging beauty in the city that inspired Les Miserables

The 10th-century St. Saulve Abbey in the charming medieval city of Montreuil-sur-Mer, France. Read some of my previous posts about this walled city that inspired Victor Hugo's book Les Miserables here,  here,  here,  here and here.

The fashionable spectre of Daphne Guinness

At Printemps, Paris current vitrines are devoted to "Visions Couture," a collaboration between Nick Knight and socialite and fashion icon Daphne Guinness.

In Paris, the Irish-born Miss Guinness has been the subject of speculation and gossip as the very public mistress of French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy (better known locally as BHL). Levy remains married to the much-admired French singer and actress Arielle Dombasle; consequently popular opinion has not weighed in Miss Guinness's favour. It seems rather provocative of Printemps to devote a series of windows to Miss Guinness's art project.

The displays feature fashion, sculptural ghost-like three-dimensional figures and ever-evolving screened images that interact with passers-by.

Some screens display collage-like images depicting Miss Guinness's background, as well as aspects of fashion and politics. Click photos to view detail.

Images of Daphne Guinness appear throughout the exhibit.

A silhouette of Daphne Guinness.

A familar sight

La Tour Eiffel, Paris. I must have seen it 40,000 times, but never tire of looking at Gustave Eiffel's cultural icon. This shot was taken last week while leaning out a fifth-floor window of my hotel in Passy. My eyes were still dilated from an opthamologist visit that afternoon.

Shimmering at the top of the hour. This shot was taken through glass.

Later that night the same view, but this photo was taken through a different window.

Despite the numerous shopping temptations on rue de Passy, I resisted!

Check back soon for more Paris photos.

Paris-bound

Miniature garden gnomes at a brocante at Chatou, France.

 

IF there's no train strike tomorrow morning, I'm off to Paris. Don't these garden gnomes remind you of Amelie? That film makes me smile, no matter how many times I watch it.

Back later this week with photos. Au revoir!

Moving house

Polka dots and graffiti, Delft, Holland.

 

After weeks of packing boxes  - and broken nails and box cuts and paper cuts to prove it - our moving day begins at 8 a.m. tomorrow. Hard to believe this is twice within a year we've moved household! Thankfully, this should be the last move for a very long time.

David and I will be staying in a hotel before our belongings are actually delivered to the new house. In the interim, there are appointments, including a meeting at the notaire to formally receive the keys; a second meeting with the painter and at least a dozen errands. On Monday I'll be off to Paris for meetings, then back to Amsterdam later that night to continue unpacking. I'll have limited internet access for a while, but will blog when I can.

Here's hoping this move goes much more smoothly than the chaotic one from Paris!

Happy birthday, Jordana!

My daughter Jordana, pictured in May making cake balls for her grandfather's 80th-birthday.

 

Please indulge a little sentimentality as I wish a very Happy birthday to my wonderful daughter! I couldn't be more proud of her.

This is also the day David and I signed the final documents for the house we're buying just north of Amsterdam! All being well, we will move on January 26th.

Later in the year, Jordana will spend her vacation time with us in the Netherlands. I suspect we'll also take a quick jaunt to Paris (where Jordana graduated high school).

Happy days! We are truly fortunate.

Pinning Pinterest: Copyright protection for photographers

 

In 2009, I took the above photograph in my Paris apartment, using my Sony A900. I posted the photograph on my blog Paris Parfait. But the image you see on today's post didn't come from my photo files; instead I downloaded it from Pinterest.

How did it get there? Someone "pinned" it, giving another photographer credit. That photographer is Lara Rossignol, who happens to be a brilliant photographer and author of the lovely blog Piewacket. Lara owns a pink Royal typewriter exactly like this one. But she didn't take the photo; I did (and Lara has no direct role in this comedy of errors). Yet on Pinterest, the photo source is listed as "From Google.com" and the credit given to "Lara Rossignol."

This is just one example of erroneous photo credit on Pinterest.com. In a Pinterest search I found hundreds of my photos displayed under Paris Parfait and Tara Bradford. I don't have time to check every photograph; a quick run-through suggests most images have proper photo credit listed. But I noticed a few "pinners" list Google as the source and no direct attribution is provided. Obviously, Google is not a photographer and doesn't take photographs (other than for Google Maps).

Some people argue that having one's photos used on Pinterest is good publicity. Maybe, but only if proper photo accreditation is provided. I found several Pinterest examples where another photographer's work is listed under my name! For instance, photographs from the divine Fifi O'Neill's book Romantic Prairie Style - used in my blog piece, with permission - are wrongly listed on Pinterest as mine. Instead, they should be credited to Mark Lohman, who took all the photographs in Fifi's book.

To report a copyright violation, Pinterest requires filling out a separate form for every single image wrongly attributed or falsely credited. This seems like a lot of paperwork (and time) to safeguard images already protected by copyright law. It's no wonder many photographers are dismayed by having to track their images on Pinterest.

So all you lovely people who see online images that interest you, if you want to use them, make sure you give the photographer proper credit. I have a Creative Commons license, which means my photographs may be used in an attribution share-alike sense, only for non-commercial purposes. You are allowed to share the images in public forums - with attribution - but you can't put my photographs on posters or greeting cards or any other commercial ventures. If you would like to use them for a non-profit campaign flyer or in a theatre production program, etc., kindly email and ask permission.

If you want to "pin" my photographs on Pinterest, please provide proper photo credit! I would never use your work without giving you credit; please show the same respect for mine.

In two extreme cases, I applied for a Google takedown notice. After finding my photographs used without permission or without credit, I emailed the sites in question, politely asking that the photos be removed. The site owners ignored several requests, so I issued takedown notices. They were forced to delete my images.

Read more about copyright protection:

The Electronic Frontier Foundation: Teaching Copyright

The Digital Millenium Act

The No Electronic Theft Act (NET Act)

Creative Commons

Merry-go-round

Carousel horse, vitrine, French quarter, New Orleans.

 

Am finding life a bit dizzying at the moment - as though I'm spinning on a never-ending merry-go-round - thanks to a whirl of Dutch house-buying bureaucracy. Hoping the wild ride stops soon and cool heads prevail.

Meanwhile, am honoured to be included in Christine Mason Miller's Five Six Things column today. It was such fun to be part of her Global Inspirations series for Create Mixed Media. Read about Christine's virtual book tour for her latest creation Desire to Inspire here. You can pre-order a copy here.

Other inspirations:

Gaza's little surfer girl

Harrison Solow's The Birthday Present

Haruki Murakami's 1Q84 trilogy

Longing for Paris? See Eugene Atget's iconic photography in Paris: 1898-1924

How exercise benefits the brain

A trio of frosted and mercury glass candles on a windowsill.

Of hearth and home

Fireplace mantel in our current 200-year-old maisonette. Click photo to view detail. French gilt and mercury glass mirror circa 1830 (found at Marches aux Puces at Clignacourt, with bits of the frame missing; restored in 2001). From left, 19th-century French beaded handbag; Raku pottery from Northern California; 18th-century Tibetan monk's worn turquoise-lined copper and enamel food bowl and woven carrying basket with leather strap; 18th-century French books; Pomegranate pottery from Whitney Smith, Oakland, CA; small Dutch pottery piece; framed butterfly; pottery bowl handmade by Riley Salyards, Amsterdam; early 20th-century French Art Nouveau iron candlestick; 19th-century French carved wooden easel holding hand-tinted postcard illustration of Reales Alcázares de Sevilla.

 

You may recall we've been searching for a house, as our current abode has been sold. On Wednesday, we met the owners and signed the papers to purchase the lovely house just north of Amsterdam that caught our fancy! The charming owners graciously are donating the rowboat, which they say "belongs with the house."  So barring any unforeseen catastrophe or bureaucratic muddle, we should be moving in late January.

There's no fireplace, but the house has ample room for our global treasures. At last I'll have a proper office, complete with balcony and canal view. We'll make one bedroom a dressing room, so we can find the clothes we need (without searching through suitcases, due to one tiny closet here). We'll also have a guest room with its own balcony, for family and friends!

On Thanksgiving day (!) we'll complete more paperwork to help make the dream a reality. Am hoping and praying all the seeds we've sown come to fruition. My daughter Jordana reminds me to "visualize, visualize."  Meanwhile, your good wishes will be much appreciated!

Random reds

Travel agency vitrine, Utrecht, the Netherlands. As always, click photos to view detail.

Canal barge unloading cargo, Utrecht.

If you dig too deep in the Netherlands, you're likely to find water!

Sidewalk lady bug, Utrecht.

Bakery window, Delft.

Tablescape, Paris department store vitrine.

Memorial to soldiers who died in World War I, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.

Red epaulets, Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

Bullfight, Plaza de los Toros, Sevilla, Spain.

Red door, Sevilla.

Sculpture, New Orleans.

Feathers, New Orleans.

Mardi gras costumes, New Orleans.

Tabasco and other Louisiana hot sauce, New Orleans.

Red beads, New Orleans.

Monastery door, Himalayas, Nepal.

Lighting candles near the Tibetan Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu.

Lighting candles on a Hindu religious holiday, Bungamati, Nepal.

Lady in red, Bhaktapur.

Bird on a pavilion, Kathmandu.

Curious child, Kathmandu.

Woodworker, Bungamati.

Community, Bungamati.

Raking grain, Bungamati.

A woman's work is never done, Bungamati.

More raking grain in a main square.

...while other grain is covered by tarpulins.

Meanwhile, the men play cards, Bungamati.

And a woman waits near a public bath and toilet.

In Bhakatapur, the same scene is repeated, with women turning the grain in a main square.

Street market in a Nepali village.

Bolts of fabric and beaded slippers, Bhaktapur.

Strings of beads, Bhaktapur.

Bangle bracelets, Bungamati.

In Bungamati, a woman proudly holds her baby, whose eyes are kohl-rimmed "to protect the eyes."

Curbside tailor, Kathmandu.

Motorcycles, the most popular mode of transport in Nepal.

Flowers in a private garden, Kathmandu.

Walking uphill, Bungamati.

Clowning around

Musicians clowning around for the camera at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Longchamp, Paris.

 

Wishing you a lovely day, full of joy! If the events on this train journey don't make you smile, nothing will!

Young married woman, Bungamati, Nepal.

And this photo is a happy one on so many levels.

Candlelit elegance

Recently we dined at a 19th-century brownstone restaurant which was so beautiful, I skipped the first course to go home and get my camera. The main dining room is accented with bronze candelabra, gilt mercury-glass mirrors and bronze wall sconces dripping with crystals. As if that's not enough glamour, white roses tumble out of a silver champagne cooler and hand-appliqued gold leaf fleur-de-lis accent the pale gold plastered walls.

White roses fill a black glass urn on a fireplace mantle and a tall iron stand holds a whimsical arrangement of ivy and white flowers. An appliqued chandelier enhances a sliding door, echoing an antique crystal chandelier reflected in the glass.

An 19th-century crystal chandelier and framed tapestry are reflected in the mirror's mercury glass.

A 1940s French crystal chandelier highlights a private dining alcove. I have a pair of 1940s crystal wall sconces from Paris modeled on this same design. It is hoped I'll find space for them in our next abode.

The restaurant's ceilings are centered with a gold leaf-etched Art Nouveau design, next to a moulded wooden cherub. Not only is the interior an aesthetic delight, the food is superb.

Wishing you some candlelit magic of your own this weekend...

Missing the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe

With the exception of 2006 when I was in Seville, it's the first time in 11 years that I'm missing the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris. It's disappointing not seeing the beautiful racehorses and the unusual hats in person. So I'm doing the next best thing and watching the festivities on television.

Here are photos from the 2010 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (click images to view detail):

Trying on hats.

A little girl looks through a hatbox of fascinators.

Race winner.

Serving Belgian waffles.

Buying sweets.

All photos from the 2010 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

News and blooms

Hortensia blooms in muted colours.

 

On today's radar:

Putlizer Prize-winner Jhumpa Lahiri: Trading stories

Inside Libya's notorious Abu Salim prison. Two brave men I knew are believed to have been murdered in the prison massacre. They are mentioned in my 2006 poem Dead or disappeared.

Palestinians say they are victims of collective punishment, as the pro-Israeli US Congress withdraws aid to the West Bank and Gaza. The move follows the Palestinian's president's statehood request to the United Nations.

Labor unions plan to join Occupy Wall Street protests. And you can send pizza to protesters at Liberty Square!

If you're a fan of the late singer Ella Fitzgerald and the Paris-based Hermes, act fast to bid on Miss Fitzgerald's handbag at auction in New Orleans.

The contrarians: 18th-century furnishings in a Chicago apartment.

This video filmed in Paris is achingly beautiful in its wistfulness.

All hands on deck

Vintage glove molds at the Foire Nationale aux Antiquites a la Brocante et aux Jambons, currently underway at Chatou, France.  

 

"If you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm."- Yiddish proverb

Love Paris campaign: Fall brocantes in full swing

Les poupees at the bi-annual brocante and ham fair at Chatou, France.

The 83e Foire Nationale aux Antiquites a la Brocante et aux Jambons starts at 10 a.m. Friday at Ile de la Chatou. It is filled with antique treasures, unusual collectibles and some real bargains. Read more about it, as well as my other fave brocantes at Any Trip's Love Paris campaign here.

And get your skates on for Chatou! Tickets are available at the gate.

Les Miserables

Reflection in a traffic mirror at Montreuil-sur-Mer, France. Victor Hugo's novel Les Miserables is said to have been inspired by his September 1837 visit to Montreuil-sur-Mer.

Each year, Hugo's Les Miserables is performed in an outdoor son et lumière show at the end of July and beginning of August.

The distinctive late 18th-century and early 19th-century architecture and cobblestoned streets remain largely unchanged from Hugo's day.

The late-afternoon light highlights the brickwork and crooked shutters. Flower-filled window boxes  are de rigueur in this "ville fleurie."

House numbers at the second-floor level.

One of Montreuil-sur-Mer's oldest hotels.

Photo taken from steps leading from the ramparts down to a main street.

The 11th-century St. Saulve Abbey, photographed in early morning light Sept. 2, 2011 from a window at L'Hermitage.

"I met in the street a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, his cloak was out at the elbows, the water passed through his shoes - and the stars through his soul." - Victor Hugo

Renaissance angels

Madonna and lumiere at the 11th-century Saint Saulve Abbey, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France.

 

We remember. Please take a few moments to watch this slideshow of images taken last week at Saint Saulve Abbey, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France and in May at St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans.

A quick jaunt to France and England

A faint glimpse of the Eiffel Tower through streetlights on a pedestrian bridge, Saint Cloud.

 

Am off to Montreuil-sur-Mer for a couple of days, then London and Guildford. Hope you make the most of this last "official" week of summer!

Play pretties

Dolls and furniture at the Foire Nationale aux Antiquites a la Brocante et aux Jambons, Chatou, France.

 

Today would have been my late grandmother Lucille's birthday. As children, when my brothers and I spent the weekend with our grandparents, Grandmother would bring a wooden table from a carport closet and set it up in the driveway. She also provided us with old enamel and aluminum dishes and utensils for making mud pies and hosting tea parties for dolls. Grandmother referred to our toys as "play pretties." She called little beads of caked dirt on our necks - after a day of playing outdoors in heat and humidity -  "dinah beads."  She made sure we scrubbed ourselves clean in the bath.

I've written previously that she was a talented seamstress and made a wardrobe of beautiful clothes for my Barbies. She also made a dress like one I admired on the cover of Seventeen magazine and later, a dress copied from the pages of Vogue.

She and her friends had occasional "quilting bees" and Grandmother's attention to detail resulted in beautiful and unique quilts. She sewed most of her own clothes, until her eyesight worsened, making sewing difficult. She always took pride in her appearance, visiting the hairdresser once a week. On Sundays, she donned her finest clothes for church.

Grandmother had carpentry skills, making lamps out of unlikely objects and side tables out of stacked wooden cable spools. She filled these tables with her collection of little porcelain figurines. A perfectionist, her home was immaculately kept. She was a good cook, making the best caramel pie ever (no one in our family has been able to duplicate it, using her recipe). Every year at Christmas, I make a "refrigerator roll" dessert using Grandmother's recipe.

Grandmother also had a green thumb: her house was surrounded by gorgeous hydrangeas and rose bushes. And she and Granddaddy planted a huge garden full of vegetables. 

Our grandparents loved me and my brothers (and later my baby sister) unconditionally - but not uncritically. I wonder what Grandmother would make of me living abroad. I know she was proud of me and supportive when I went off to journalism school and later to New York to pursue my dreams. Still she worried that I wouldn't find a good man to take care of me - not understanding I could take care of myself. I think she'd be happy I've accomplished many things on my own, plus I married a good man.

I'm sorry Grandmother didn't live to know my daughter Jordana, who has inherited her amazing abilities with a needle and thread and a sewing machine.* They met briefly, when Jordana was a baby. By this time, Grandmother had suffered a series of debilitating diabetes-related strokes, but she managed to say, "My, doesn't she have such pretty eyelashes!" Just thinking about that episode brings tears to my eyes.

Throughout the years, I've often felt Grandmother's presence, as though she's watching over me. In her memory, I'm off to buy a huge bouquet of hydrangeas (or hortensia, as it is known here).

*Jordana is a young designer for an American fashion house.

La Fête Nationale: Vive la France!

Scanned image of handwritten 18th-century sheet music and a tattered 19th-century linen flag for national holidays.

Happy Bastille Day to our French friends and neighbours!  

For all you Francophiles, someone sent me this list of 50 books about France. 

Scroll down the page for another post today.

Bonne fête! Happy Independence Day!

French exposition card from 1881.

 

Wishing my fellow Americans a safe and happy July 4th celebration!

Amidst the celebrations, let's take a few moments to reflect on our heritage and history and the wisdom of Thomas Jefferson (which is appropriate, considering current events):

"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country."

"Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor."

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."

"Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first and then corruption, its necessary consequence."

"All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect and to violate would be oppression.'

Eclectic style

The genius Dutch florist's creation of the day, in a Waterford crystal vase.

 

"Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." - Confucius

On the 1930s library table, covered with French linen: 18th-century hand-written sheet music; my friend Pia's beautiful new book, "My Heart Wanders," as well as books featuring the work of photographers Tim Walker, Steve McCurry and Reza. In the background, an English Arts & Crafts chair is covered in original William Morris Strawberry Thief fabric and a 19th-century Chinese Buddha head rests on a Napoleon III stand.

A royal wedding

Put aside the media hype and hoopla and speculation and it all comes down to a boy, a girl and love. Wishing Prince William and Kate Middleton much joy in their life together.

19th-century French Madonna crowns from my private collection.

The heart of the matter

No matter how you look at it...

...this way or that...

...from left or right...

Peel back the layers...

...and at the heart of the matter is love for one another.

 

My friend Marianne Elliot reminded me today that in the face of fear and hatred, the only way forward is love. So when I read about this tragedy and that one; about hubris and greed; when I see willful ignorance celebrated while freedoms and environmental protections are eroded; when racist morons try to rewrite or reverse history; when it appears that too many people seem to be sleepwalking, rather than taking to the streets in protest, as things fall apart*.. I remind myself that change begins with each of us.

It is up to us to speak out and do whatever we can to effect change and counter manipulation, stupidity and evil. "Every individual has a responsibility to help guide our global family in the right direction. Good wishes are not sufficient; we must become actively engaged." - the Dalai Lama.

Silence is not an option.

 

*"Things fall apart" is from the William Butler Yeats poem The Second Coming 

Pictured: 1940s French coffee table; Dutch roses in Moroccan tea glasses found in London; Louis XVI chair and 1940s French crystal candlesticks; teal pottery bowl by Riley Salyards, Amsterdam and wool rug, handmade by Bedouin women on Bani Hamida Mountain, Jordan.

Fifi O'Neill's Romantic Prairie Style

 

My blogging friend Fifi O'Neill has taken her great style and magazine editor experience and put together a fabulous book, bursting with beauty and design inspiration! Fifi's ideas prove you don't need tons of money to decorate your home. Romantic Prairie Style shows that simplicity, using charming - and often weathered - things at hand and adding elegant little touches of beauty can make all the difference in a relaxed and comfortable personal space.

The book is packed with Mark Lohman's beautiful photographs taken at homes and farms throughout the United States. I could spend hours with this book, reading, daydreaming and plotting subtle changes to my own home's decor.

J'adore this charming farm table, the enamelware coffee pot and the vintage cheese mould.

I have a vintage French linen cupboard in this seafoam green shade. Love these soothing colours!

This comfy, cozy kitchen and the chippy paint pink table make me want to bake sugar cookies.

...or a pie filled with lemony goodness!

Imagine a festive outdoor dinner in the simplest of surroundings. So romantic, especially when lit by candlelight.

A favourite pair of boots filled with flowers...an easy way to add unique style.

Shades of blue and white on this lovely front porch, inviting lazy conversation and iced tea (or perhaps a mint julep or two).

Love this sleeping porch! Before air-conditioning became commonplace, homes in the South often featured beds on their front porch, as it was too hot indoors to sleep.

How adorable is little Amelie??!!

An abundance of beauty, with pillows handmade from vintage fabrics.

Since I now live in Holland, couldn't resist posting this photo, with its Delft blue pottery!

Indulge in homemade treats and fresh iced tea, surrounded by nature's beauty.

The talented author Francoise Fifi O'Neill, former editor of Romantic Country magazine. The Paris-born Fifi is working on a second book, among other exciting projects. She is a force of nature, constantly on-the-go or creating something clever!  You can follow Fifi's adventures on her popular blog Chez Fifi.

Fifi's fabulous new book can be purchased at your favourite book store or online here (US) or here (France) or here (rest of Europe). Fifi's first book-signing will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at Posh on Palm, 33 Palm Avenue, Sarasota, Florida.

All images by Mark Lohman, courtesy of Ryland Peters & Small/Cico.

Merci bien, Fifi! Felicitations!

We are here.

Yes, that's a gondola on the left bank. Usually it's in the canal; now it's out for spring cleaning.

A 17th-century church. Its bells ring every 15 minutes. That can get annoying after hearing "If I Were a Rich Man" several times a day for an entire week (the bells' playlist changes every Monday).

A month ago, I endured the most chaotic and stressful move of my life, thanks to French movers showing up a day early and resulting kerfuffles galore. The movers managed to damage antiques; break rare porcelain and worst of all, lose seven pieces of my beloved Nelson McCoy pottery collection. Currently I'm wading through a maze of French bureaucracy to settle the claim.

Now we live in a 200-year-old maisonette in this charming little village (a city in terms of population, but it feels like a village. It's a brief train ride from Amsterdam). Some highlights:

Fresh stroopwaffels...caramel goodness impossible to resist, made in front of you.

A florist who is a design genius, has impeccable taste and sells exotic blooms I'm seeing for the first time. The entire staff is friendly and helpful (not pictured; will do a photo essay about this third-generation florist soon).

Sunny bay windows filled with orchids: magenta; fuschia; yellow and white - a flower until now I've never successfully grown.

Climbing steep and dangerous stairs 20 times a day (the up side means I have tightened my belt a notch. Hooray!)

Bureaucracy: I was unprepared for bureaucracy that rivals the French (although the Dutch are in a better humour, when administering it)

An award-winning baker, selling a variety of truly delicious breads.

Friendly neighbours and helpful locals.

Possibility.

A simpler, cleaner look...90 percent of my art is NOT on display. Suddenly I don't need all those collectibles that filled our Paris apartment; it feels lighter and freer.

Exquisite light for photography.

Canals. Water, water everywhere.

Bicycles...my bike has been for a tune-up and now sports a basket to carry my camera gear.

Airy, light-filled space - even on grey wintery days (interior photos to follow).

The historic town gate; the River Lek lies less than a mile beyond it.

Inside the city's gates is the Town Hall complex (with a white stork's nest on the roof).

A bronze horse and a box of wooden birdhouses outside one of the town's florists.

The obligatory Dutch cheese shop featuring large wheels of Gouda.

Spring touches on a bicycle.

Flowers in unlikely places.

Wreath of roses.

Serenity in a private garden.

A beautifully-paved brick-and-cobblestone street on a foggy afternoon.

Au revoir Paris!

Wild roses in the city.

 

Au revoir Paris. Merci d'enrichir ma vie. Vous serez toujours à mon coeur.

Les nouvelles aventures en la Hollande bas attendent. Donc on y va!

Five. Cinq. Cinco. Vijf. خَمْسَةٌ

Dixieland jazz band at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

 

Today marks five years of blogging from Paris: 2,210 posts; many new friends; much travel and unexpected opportunities.

Five is my lucky number. And I look forward to discovering what the next five years will bring! Thank you for your continuing encouragement and support. Hope you'll come along on my journey to Amsterdam and beyond...

Solidarity with the Egyptian people

Egyptian antiques, Chatou, France.

 

Whether or not you're intrigued by Egyptian politics, I think you will be touched by this heart-felt video interview with Waseem Wagdi filmed during protests at the Egyptian Embassy in London.

Peaceful protesters were chanting anti-Mubarak slogans today at the Egyptian Embassy in Paris. And in the Paris Metro, someone pasted a white piece of paper with the words "Egyptian Revolution!" over a Cairo travel poster.

La vie est belle

Coffee shop at a ferry crossing, Amsterdam.

 

Mais oui, la vie est belle - if a bit hectic. David and I are just back from a lovely trip to Amsterdam, bearing red ribbon-tied keys for our next abode. Alas, our Paris apartment now looks as though a cyclone hit, with things piled everywhere, waiting for the moving company to bring boxes.

In Amsterdam, we went to the Rijksmuseum yet again, where an exhibit of Gabriel Metsu's paintings was the star. I never tire of the Dutch masters and their remarkable use of light, particularly Johannes Vermeer. I could look at his paintings for days. Both The Little Street and The Milkmaid are on display;  Girl with a Pearl Earring is at The Mauritshuis Gallery inThe Hague. Oddly, none of Vermeer's paintings are at the museum in Delft, where he lived and worked. Perhaps it's an insurance issue.

One of the Rijksmuseum's most famous attractions is Rembrandt's The Night Watch. A group of schoolchildren, probably 8 or 9 years old, was sitting spellbound on the floor beneath the wall-size painting, as their enthusiastic teacher told them stories about each person depicted in the painting.

The Rijksmuseum also has recent photography acquisitions on display, including abstract architectural images from Man Ray and black-and-white documentary photographs by Robert Frank and other 20th-century greats.

In Holland, we had casual lunches at bistros in Amsterdam and Utrecht. I bought glittery magnolia blooms on sale for half price. We had dinner at an old favourite (where lobster bisque is my standard choice) restaurant in the Museum and Fashion District.  The next night, we enjoyed a more festive meal with new friends in a bijoux town. Earlier, we bought an American retro-looking chrome refrigerator, to be delivered the day I arrive to greet the movers.

One afternoon we walked down a cobblestone road to find a ferry crossing flooded, with deep water standing in riverfront property. Only the tops of fenceposts were visible. Later when we mentioned the flooding to Dutch friends - who are used to dealing with wayward water - they shrugged. Apparently such flooding is seasonal and to be expected, as snow melts.

Am looking forward to more intriguing aspects of life in Holland. Now if I could just finish packing...

Hello, hello!

This mural in Centraal Station, Utrecht, Holland roughly translates to "Peace in your heart."

Hello! I've been so busy preparing to move, I keep forgetting to blog!

Am distracted by a million little things requiring my attention, not least dividing my possessions to go to three separate homes: some to my friend Gabrielle's house near Versailles; more to my friend Charlotte's home outside Paris and most of it to our new abode in the Netherlands. Gabrielle and Charlotte will babysit some precious and sentimental things until 1) we move to a larger place or 2) decide to sell the items. I've also had a scary dental appointment, a routine doctor's visit and photo shoots and edits. The hairdresser was a bit too scissors-happy for my liking, cutting off at least four inches and leaving me with an unintentional new look.

All this activity pales in importance with the recent deaths of two friends. Along with the tragedy in Tucson, these losses make worrying about what to do with too many possessions seem a ridiculous enterprise.

Much of this week I'll be in Amsterdam, but will post again soon. Meanwhile, some food for thought:

The bad:

Why you might want to leave your laptop at home when visiting the US.

The good:

The Babylon Lane Tales: without a doubt my blog find of 2010. Elsie Anderton is the English answer to Nora Ephron. Read her hilarious posts and you'll see why.

Barbie on skis at a French hair salon.

Diana Baur writes about the lessons of having more time at her lovely blog A certain simplicity.

A profusion of pink blooms.

Library emptied in bid to fight closure. I love how these Brits are fighting for their local library!

Merci magic

Minimalist pendant lights at Merci's soldes prives last Friday in Paris.

Happy...

Onze (eleven)...

A chandelier fashioned of sleigh bells.

A crystal chandelier influenced by tree branches.

Blue crystals enhance this more traditional chandy.

Modern ball lights.

A new take on chandeliers and bleached wood chairs.

A 1920s zinc dental cabinet with a marble top.

A zinc boulangerie cart.

Red metal chairs.

Pick a colour.

Child-sized wicker garden furniture.

1960s iron mesh patio cart.

Cushy sofa with hand-stitched pillows.

Pillows covered with vintage silk and lace trim. One of these came home with me.

Russell Wright-inspired dinnerware.

Frosted glass carafes.

A wrought-iron frame and wicker-and-straw protective cover over this 19th-century water bottle.

19th-century stoneware pottery jug on a rustic wood coffee table.

Merci cotton t-shirts.

Shoppers browsing sale items. Merci's clothing is also on special offer. The sale continues through February 15th.

Merci, 111 Bd. Beaumarchais, Paris. Métro Line 8 to Saint Sébastien-Froissart.

Time to lighten the load

Ever feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders?

Time to lighten the load.

 

No doubt about it: moving is stressful. I've lived in Paris longer than any place in my adult life, yet it never has felt like home. Amsterdam, where I've never lived (but have visited many times over the years) always has tugged at my heartstrings. Happily, we're moving to the Netherlands in just six weeks. And I'm on a mission to lighten the load!

Am going through possessions and giving many things away or tossing them. Am moving only my favourite and most necessary things (but four pieces of furniture and quite a lot of art must remain in France, as the beautiful criss-cross timber beams and architectural features of the Netherlands maisonette present decorating challenges).

Hard to believe that during my years as a reporter, my daughter and I moved to the Middle East and back with only four suitcases! I've spent the last 11 years in Europe frequenting brocantes, flea markets and antique shops - "nesting" - to make up for all the items lost during our travels.  Now I've collected too much, so am letting go of some treasures.

If you're in Paris, I have two huge stacks of design and decor books to give away. The catch is that you have to come pick them up - soon! Email me ASAP if you're interested.

Hope your year is off to a good start!

Photos (above) taken in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

Joyeux Noël et bonne année

Fenêtre de lumière, Printemps, Paris.

 

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." - Edith Wharton.

Wishing you and yours much love and light, at Christmas and the New Year.  

Galeries Lafayette and Christmas merriment

Galeries Lafayette ablaze with light, Paris.

Lights from Galeries Lafayette reflected in this Societe Generale entranceway.

Wings of a dove and dancing top hats in this Broadway-themed vitrine.

Hairspray.

Cabaret.

Singing in the rain (the sign in French says "singing in the snow.)"

Children admiring a wide variety of toys at Galeries Lafayette.

Children's faces bathed in a Barbie-pink glow.

Crowds of shoppers.

Bedecked and bejeweled, Franck et fils, Paris.

Frosty the Snowman in a snowy Boulogne-Billancourt.

For more Paris holiday vitrines, go here and here. For Amsterdam Christmas vitrines, go here.