an old angels refuge

When I go to the brocante, I always try not to buy broken things. Today was not exception… at least not untill I discovered these little cherubs in the bottom of a box marked “1 euros/ piece”. I can see me holding these 2 in my hands and thinking: “No, absolute NO, you are not going to buy these! Ofcourse they are late Victorian, but they are so damaged! No, you can not do anything with these ruins!”. Meanwhile, my inconscious other Me had already found 2 euros in my pocket and was handling them to the dealer. They were bought while a part of me was still trying to persuade me that this was not a good buy, you know with argument like “the house is already so filled!”, “keep your money for something better”, “they are irreparable”, “You are not going to pay that! They can only be given for free, in such a state!”… Too late, they were bought. And found their place as soon as I got back home, in that old concreet vase, with fallen leaves and green moss. I love them there, even with their broken wings. Aren’t they lovely? They might well stay there for a while, even after Haloween…

Dear little angel, never never never loose hope and faith! Even with broken wings, there is a lovely place for you in this world… 

At home again...

Back from Italy since yesterday late evening, I already went to the brocante early this morning...











I wasn't disapointed, here are some pics of today's harvest...

By the way, Italy was GREAT GREAT GREAT!!!

"I've got something for you... I think..."

Pfffff, what a weekend it has been! Yes, I know, we are almost done with the week and I'm still talking about my previous weekend... It simply was a good one and I'm still happy thinking about the great times that I had then.

You certainly guessed it: I went to the brocante! Well done, yes, I did, and I even did twice! First on Saturday and then on Sunday...

To be honnest, the Saturday one was a bit "by chance" but nevertheless I found one or two lovely items. A bit of textile, a few antique Christmas baubles and a pair of antique bronze curtain holders... but what a pair!!! 

The tiniest ones I've ever seen! They are so lovely, holding in one's hand, and they are simply gorgeous. I'm still trying to find a window here at Papignies where I could use them but I'm slightly coming at the end that I haven't enough windows here... But... Hands off!!! They 'll stay in my "trésor" for a while, we never know, I could (and I will!) find a use for them here!

I also bought that little cover, with satin threads and patterns of roses. The color is a sweet "Paris pink", very girly... Maybe not a very rare design but I had never seen it in that color before.

On Sunday, I went to another brocante where I should met a dealer friend... as was agreed week before. To start at the beginning, I had met her two weeks ago when she told me about some antique textiles that she had set away for me. 

"I've got something for you, I think..." she said. And we agreed then to meet a few day's later at the fair where I was this Sunday and where she would have brought with her the famous textiles. Very good, isn't it? Well, the fact is that I completely had forgotten... 

Don't know what I had in mind but it was gone. Textiles? Which textiles? For who? For Me?!? What a strange idea!

So I was there, Sunday, lost in my confused mind and thinking about the spring garden flowers when someone catch my arm:

"At least you're here! I was slightly worried and even began to think that you would not come anymore!!! But I manage to bring these textiles and I even refuse to sell them yesterday as I was waiting for you!" 

(So, I had forgotten about these textiles, and I even was wrong with the date! It was the day before that I should have been there!)

Ashamed, embarassed and lost in my apologies, I look at the pieces that she had brought for me... And gosh! I'm so happy that she did wait for me! So happy!

"I've got something for you,I think..." she said! But you were thinking right Madame! Absolutely! I take everything! And this is how I managed to buy all these fabrics this weekend... Do you want to see? Here are some pictures...

I've got something for you,I think...

Vintage huge "Toile de Jouy" Curtains, padded bedcover with roses and ribbons, doily, tablecloth, gold metallic fabric, embroidered seat covers, wall hangings, ....

Pfffff, what a weekend it has been!

 

Patterned life...

Brocante after brocante, I love them more and more... And you, what do you think about patterns?

This week, as we had a generous winter (!) sun, I've been lucky enough to go to the Brussels Flea-market on Thursday... and on Friday. Two very different day's, with very different treasures but at each time a feast for my patterns greedy eyes!

Roses, Flowers, Lilacs, Scrolls,... I love them all...

Here are pictures of my new cherished ones. 

Some are to be found on antique boxes, or inside some antique trunk...on a vintage huge lampshade or even on a kitsh sixties electric plates warmer... 

RED, RED, RED.........

Valentines'day might well be for in a couple of days but this is only a coincidence... 

A pure coincidence, really...

It's only a coincidence if these last days I found some red items...

I've been dreaming of it since a while but I finally found it! An old sofa with period velvet! I knew it would be great in the boudoir de la Marquise!




The next day, I wasn't shopping for antiques, just having a little walk in Mons (2015 European Capital of Culture ) when I came in front of that antique shop. I haven't been there for so long that I didn't resist, opened the doors and went right trough the shop to their antique fabric "shelf". These were there composedly waiting for me: a quartet of antique quilts in red printed fabric. Couldn't leave them there...Could I?

Only a coincidence, only a good luck, only a chance...


A dear friend told me a few days ago: "You attract what you love the most!" However can you guess that green is my fav color? It really is!







All the while, the Marquise under her red quilt on her red sofa is reading a red book in her red room... Not drinking red wine, no: she prefer strawberry juice. Better for her diet.

Sweet-peas and antique wallpaper...

From the latest clearance, I brought back a little box of old wallpaper... I really did not know what kind of patterns were tucked inside but I was pretty sure that there was nothing antique and I thought then that I wasn't going to find anything interesting in it. 

But as you all know, I love wallpaper, vintage or antique, and I simply could not leave the box there. 

I forgot the box untill this morning when I finally took time to investigate. What I found first was not exceptionnal but...

Well before telling more, I should remind you that Sweet peas are amongst my favorites flowers (the first ones that I grew as a child with my beloved Grandma)... and that I love a hint of black color in decoration...

Look what I found! Look what kind of paper was hidden there! Ofcourse it's only a tiny piece but with such a lovely design! I love it! Oh, yes, I almost forgot to tell that it's marked Sanderson! So happy with my old piece of paper...

Promenade in a Belle Epoque garden...

While some were sleeping on this Sunday morning, early at the brocante I've been truffling pictures... I found that little album and since then I can hardly look at something else.


It is filled with sepia pictures taken around 1914 in Belgium... The Belle Epoque Promenade begins at Ostende, on the beach and at the terrace of the Villa Laura... Then we can see Minou and Annette with their nanny and with their familly in the garden... and what a garden! 

Pictures location is Thuin, a very picturesque town of the rural Belgium and here are even some vistas of the town taken by the photograph. Thuin is still well known today for its terraced gardens. And the familly here seems to have been owning one of these at that long gone era. 










We can see these "Edwardians" in front of their greenhouse and obviously there was nothing missing in their terrace's decor... 

Look at these chairs, at these furnitures, at the planters, at the cast edges... The "Belle Epoque" really earned her name. Everything was such elegant.









But then the war came and who knows what happens to that happy familly...