La Belle Brocante

Acute Brocantitis {a diagnosis}

There will be a lull in blog posts while I recover from a little personal cutting and pasting.

My heart is intact, I just can't turn down a beautiful engraving.

Regular programming will resume mid-May, so please check back.

 

All will be well.

 

xoxo

 

Grids and Tables and Numbers {Oh My!}

A book.

Handmade.

Hand ruled.

Hand written.

Immaculate acidy sepia script.

And stuffed to bursting with tables.

Facts and figures regarding steam machinery.

Carefully noted and recorded in 1870.

Table after table.

After table.

Rather lovely, non?

 

 

The Adolfi Process

A new pet in the bottle department. 

The Adolfi Process: The only reliable medium for Painting in Oil Colours on Satin, Silk, Paper without cracking.

Fresh off the plane from Britain and getting acquainted with the studio.

Welcome, Little One.

 

Communion

Such a demure boy.

Prissy, almost.

He always carried a pair of pristine white gloves to Mass.

Even though he only ever needed one.

 

Update

So it's a wick snuffer-outer, but not a cutter. 

And upon closer inspection it does have a thin film of burnt wax around the rim. 

Merci to Colette in South Africa and Richard in Vancouver.

 

xoxo

 

Qu'est-ce que c'est?

This is not a guessing game.

I do not know what this is.

I found this nifty little tool at a local shop.

It was $6.

No tag. No identifying information.

Then at another shop, 15 minutes later, I found another pair.

With a tag saying: Pair of What-Is-It? and a price of $30.

So. What IS it? Well worn and obviously well used. Fill me in.

 

This is where I admit a poor understanding of my own local history. My heart keeps getting distracted with French history.

And for your peace of mind, I bought the $6 pair.

 

xoxo

 

Optometrique

Antique optometrist lenses.

Scuffed velvet.

Worn leather.

Gorgeous embossed numbers.

Pure confection.

 

Encore

Another batch of beautiful French enamel number plaques.

Your lucky number in crisp black and white.

Antique and original ... what could be better?

For sale as soon as they make it to the top of the list ... 

xoxo

 

Ouverture

Apparently, in some parts of the country people are freezing their unmentionables.

So let this be an Ouverture to Spring.

To warmer days.

To an unfurling of what is new and precious.

To new beginnings.

 

xoxo

 

Spring

I know it is Spring when my front yard explodes with cherry blossoms.

Flamboyant swags of petals adorn every branch.

They bring their own celebration, brass marching band included.

At this time of year, pink goes with everything.