Ancestors for sale...

As far as I remember, I always loved these big pictures of ancestors. Ofcourse, they are photographs, and not oil paintings... And we might easily agree that they have nothing in common with a De Laszlo signed portrait; They could clearly not imagine to stand next to a picture taken by Cecil Beaton...





Nevertheless, I think that they deserve better than to be forgotten in the attic or worse, simply chucked out by deserving heirs.






Of course, I understand that people would not accept to hang "portraits of foreigners" on their fabulous plasterboard walls... but for the others, for the one that are trying to give a bit of soul and ambience to their home, I think that antique portraits are perfects. 





They instantly make you feel like in a old "family house"... and this is were these are coming from, a big house surrounded by a park with high trees and box edges. It was a house lived in by four generations of members from the same family. It is going to be ripped off to make place for a road enlargment

and so, these ancestors are now in desperate search for a new place... 









Do you have any ancestors portraits to show to your descendant? Gabrielle used to tell me that in her mother's house, there was a long hallway from which the walls were covered with that kind of ancestors. It all burned to the ground in 1918...

Gifts from Madeleine...

A few weeks ago, I received a pair of prints from my Dearest Madeleine. As I was speechless looking at these romantic interior scenes she said " C'est romantique, n'est ce pas? Nous sommes de grands romantiques, nous!". 

So, is this what I look like? A romantic? I don't know...what I know for sure is that we are always having fun together and I love to go to the brocante with Madeleine. She speaks loud, she talks to everyone, she always haggles prices from the dealers in the most shamelessly way (2 euros, nothing more!) and can be very bad tempered (she often said that she is going to hit that one or kick that other...) and she even sometimes uses rude words making her grand-daughter very hangry at her... 

So is this being romantic? I don't know, but what I know for sure is that it is all Madeleine's fault if I love lace tableclothes...

Not for me, thank you... Really?!?

Telling that I love Yellow color would be a lying. Nowhere in my house could you find traces of yellow items or fabrics and I even avoid that color in the summer garden.

I think that yellow could be beautiful in someone elses'house, or in someone elses'garden,or in someone elses's clothes. Not for me, thank you...Et pourtant... et pourtant!





However, there is nothing more cheerful than the first daffodils. Yellow is great when it comes to these naked branches of forsythias brought inside to force them to blossom. 







Then, at that time of the year, I adore yellow and this is certainly why that vintage wallpaper caught my eye this morning at the brocante. Being listed soon on Etsy, as for me the "Yellow Season" is almost over.

Cosy inside or outside in the sunshine, have a wonderful week-end...

Two-way ticket to Brussels flea...

Back from Brussels...









What was I doing there? Well, this morning I woke up and tought:" A bit of brocante would be great today, don't you think?"
A voice answered: " Brocante today would be wonderful... and we are all ready for that! Definetely!"
But who had just said that? I could not tell if this was only one of the many voices in my head, or my shopping caddie (which was oddly standing on the doormat, ready to leave and go on its own), or my wallet (which was containing enough for bargain hunting.)



Nevertheless, I went to and went back from Brussels. 
Ofcourse,,the caddie didn't stay empty. I as usual filled it with linen... antique ofcourse... and also a bit of "reading" for later... and some of these delicious Belgian chocolates from Neuhaus (I'm mad about them!).


If the linen travelled back safe to home, I'm afraid that the Neuhaus did not survived the long way, and I only have the empty wrapping to show...








I might get back tomorrow and will try to be brave with the chocolates that time...

Derrière le voile

Derrière le voile, il y a un grand jardin plein de fleurs. La table est dressée au milieu de la pelouse et Gabrielle arrive, portant dans ses bras un énorme bouquet de roses de ses propres parterres. Le monde n'est plus que paix & amour & écologie, et mes murs sont couverts de papiers peint 1900, fleuris bien sûr. Il y a des Neuhaus pour tout le monde.

Et vous, que souhaiteriez vous trouver derrière le voile?

behind the veil...

Behind the veil, there is a world full of garden flowers. The table is dressed for a summer party and Gabrielle is approaching brimming with her a huge roses bouquet freshly cut from her own borders. Sky is blue and birds are singing. The world is covered by peace, love and ecology while my walls are covered with antique floral wallpapers. Pralines Neuhaus for everyone...

And you, what would you like to find behind the veil?

An unexpected and providential clearance...

On New-Year's Eve, I was talking with my good friend Caroline who told me that her auntie was clearing the nearby house of her step-mother. 













Caroline had already had the chance to get into that house and to choose a few items for her. As she is a fashion designer, she only took a few antique and vintage textiles for her. "Ben, you should see the house, she told, when I was in, I had the impression to be stuck in another era. It really is a "time capsule"... and you should hurry up because they are beginning to threw items away!".



















On Saturday morning, I was on the place and spend all the day truffling in the house. I went back on Sunday, and will be there next week-end too as the attics and the garden shed still need to be explored by your hunting dog...













Here are some pics of some items, the boxes still waiting to be sorted out in my entrance and a few pics of the lovely decaying flowers beds surrounded by gorgeous box edges (I would love to move them into my own garden!)