DoggyHop

If you happen to live near Louisville, Ky., come

join us on Barret Avenue Saturday, June 23rd

for the DoggyHop

All kinds of goodies for the pooches!

You can get more information by going to

http://www.doggyhop.com

Should be a fun day!!

A Little Inspiration

These are little details of some items I brought

back on the latest container from France.

Enjoy!

On my next trip, I plan to post a journal with

pictures for those of you interested in the

adventures of an antiquarian who travels

the French countryside.

It's time for me to retreat to my little corner

of the world.

bonne journée

The Beginnings of Ambiance

Most of us that enjoy decorating would agree that

it is a form of Self Expression. All artistic endeavors are.

Being a shop owner I am constantly redecorating my rooms,
( there are 12 by the way and two garden areas). My goal

is that I will be able to visually communicate and create

an ambiance, in which my customers can experience

the countryside of France. I want them to feel

sensations that are untouchable, through my vinettes.

My rooms are extensions of my thoughts and

for my customers, a pied-a-terre.

My vinettes are those culturally enriched moments

in time that I experience, my memoirs, imported

in my head.

So, I commence to share with you my journey.

All those bits in my head that will transform

into globs of color liken to those found on an

artist's brush.

Colors speak. Just as a complexion reveals character,

colors reveal personality. There is a special beauty

that is reflected in complexions that have weathered

time.

I have found over time that most people seem to

recognize beauty when it is presented as such.

For a perfect example of what I mean, read the

Washington Post article about Joshua Bell at

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

Interesting article.

So as I ponder my next wall colour, come with me.
Fetch yourself a tender buttery croissant,

a strong black expresso, and a piece of blank

canvas from the creative vault in your mind and

muse with me.

These are my inspirations

I hope you Love my Stuff

"My Stuff"

I love owning my own shop. One of life's greatest
pleasures is being able to pursue your passions.
I always feel as though I'm on the right path when
people tell me, they "love my stuff."

My stuff, happens to be all things country french.



A three day excursion to France from London
in 1997, landed me in the small ancient village
of Senlis, France. Senlis lies just a bit north
of Paris, but has escaped modernization. If
you care to take a promenade, visit the
website at http://www.ville-senlis.fr

My promenade literally changed my life.
Every bend in the rues de pavé rond,

greeted me with detailed surprises.

Shutter dogs masquarading as soldiers
guarding windows to protect the occupant"s

belongings.

Weathered bottle carriers posing beside

doors, awaiting pints of lait.

Patinaed metal signs, proudly displaying

the name of the atelier, swinging on

their graceful iron rods.

Every detail was turning up the volume

of my inner voice until it was screaming,

"I've Got to have this Stuff."

Since that day I've imported 42 containers

of French and Italian antiques and brocante,

or "stuff " as some would call it. And, that's

okay by me, because I consider it a

compliment when someone tells me,

"I love your stuff."

Below are a few pictures of my stuff I

sell in my shop. I hope you like it!

Through my Eyes

As a rule, I travel to France two to four times a year in search of all those goodies that catch my eye. I've been told by many of my customers that I have a wonderful eye, or that they like my eye. I tend to think also, that I have a "Good Eye" or as the French would say, "avoir le coup d'oeil."
I don't quite know how I acquired good eyes. What I do know is that I feel through my eyes.
When I gaze into an 18th century mirror, I tend to see more than the image it reflects.

That silver coated glass seems to morph into the silver screen and reveal unto me, great stories.

You know the cliché, "the eye is the window to the soul."
Mirrors have peered into a great many souls, played an important part in history, (In 1919 the First World War officially ended when Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors) and let's not even talk about the power they possess over people, only capable of seeing the faults with the immediate image.
I much prefer referring to mirrors as "looking glasses." I wonder why we ever stopped calling them that? Oh well, someday I'll look into that. If anyone knows, feel free to post!
So the next time you gaze into the looking glass, look not just at the eye, but into it.
In the meantime, reflect on some of my favorites...Enjoy