Traveling France ….l’Objet qui Parle in Montmarte

I haven’t posted on my blog since last summer I think. Not having the store here in Collingswood kind of slowed me down…not kind of…it did.

I saw a picture on Pinterest of a shop up in Montmarte in Paris. The name of the shop was l’ Objet qui Parle and looked so charming. I thought, I’m going to that shop on my next trip which happened to be just back in March. It is such a fabulous store and it’s only about 200 sq ft if that. These are some of the amazing things you will find if you get there!

  

It was such an amazing shop with so much character, and so many fabulous finds.

This was the weekend before I was heading South to the flea market so I didn’t buy much, which was a bummer!!

I did get a few egg cups and a painted piece of mirror.

(all pictures by me)

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Traveling France…Cowboy boots and medieval doors

Last August, Amala and I went on our buying trip to the South of France. Our wonderful brother-n-law, Jim, went with us on this trip and added such great energy to our trip. He is so easy going…

We were staying in a medieval village and I decided I wanted to take pictures of my boots against all the many wonderful old medieval doors. There were so many doors of different colors, some more weathered than others, and Jim was so patient…we were on a round about walk around the village to get our car. He just waited patiently as I would get myself and my cowboy boots situated to take a picture…

Here are some of the doors…I missed this really fab purple door…I’ll get it this August.

Then I noticed this little look out…love!!!

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Traveling France…my ideal trip

Recently I was talking with someone about imagining my ideal trip to Paris. It was a put yourself there in your mind kind of thing. So many images came to me.

What stood out in my mind was that I love just walking around Paris. The architecture fills my senses and my soul. Everywhere you look there is some small detail that makes you think…wow, just that little detail is a gem. It could have been so utilitarian. A korbel with winged dragons holding up a balconey…

Looking up on our way to Montmarte after taking the bus, I had never taken a bus, and seeing these beautiful iron railings with incredible flowers, this you see all over.

Finding beautiful cathedrals…one of our favorties is Saint Eustache. It has incredible stained glass and it feels more intimate than Notre Dame. We went to mass there on our last trip and the priest asked when he gave us communion…’American’? haha! I wonder how he new.

Stopping about five times a day for a yummy cafe creme!!! Love, love, love!…and there’s the Amala enjoying hers!

Then I was thinking about my ideal place to stay. You could say the Four Seasons, it’s beautiful, it’s big…but I love the little boutique hotel where we’ve been staying. It’s charming, intimate, friendly, and has crystal chandeliers in every room, (which I LOVE) and a few antiques!

This April we’re heading back to Paris. I so psyched, I can’t wait to discover new places and neighborhoods, AND the cafe cremes of course. And ending our day standing on a bridge looking over the Seine, soaking up all the lights.

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Traveling France…another look at the garden in the medieval village of Lussan

I was looking through my pictures from our trip to France this past April and came upon these pictures of the garden at the Gite where we stay in Lussan. It is soooo incredibly beautiful and peaceful.

I know I’ve posted some of these before, but they are worth seeing again…at least I think so. Ya?

 The view of the countryside from inside the garden…

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Traveling France…

This past August, Amala and I went on a buying trip to Paris and the South of France. Well, we don’t buy much in Paris…it’s too expensive, but we do in the south.

Anyway, I was looking at my photos and forgot about these pictures, some really touristy stuff near Notre Dame…these flat plastic maleforms were all from different stores…mmm

They could be male AND female forms….mmm

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The ‘Traveling Boots’…traveling France

I LOVE cowboy boots and always take them along on my buying trips to France. And since I’m heading back in August, I’m on the look-out for another pair to take with me.

Since I’m not in Texas, I have been looking online for days and days for the perfect boot, while on an antiquer budget. And unless I want to spend gobs of money, there are slim pickin’s. I can’t believe how many ugly cowboy boots are out there. I think there’s definitely a HUGE HOLE in the boot market.

I found this pair in the new Flea Market Style magazine. Are they not the most fab boots ever??? The owner’s house was featured in the magazine. They’re Lucchese…so I track them down and find out they are discontinued. MERDE! I had my heart set on these. So, I searched online hoping someone had an extra size 9 in the back of the back of the back!

Well, by some fluke, I FOUND them…ordered them, the site took my credit card, thanked me for my order…we’re all happy. Then they call to tell me they are discontinued. DOUBLE MERDE!

Well, I had posted a few on facebook BEFORE I found the most perfect pair ever, and now the pair that is my second choice…is NO LONGER showing up on the website. TRIPLE MERDE!

So, I’ve been on the hunt again, through hundreds of ugly boots…

But now my focus has changed a bit, I’m looking at boots that are a bit more … well more. I found these, waaaay different from anything I’ve been looking at, except the brown, they’re quite safe. 

        

The blue…wow! Do I have the guts? And in a size 9?  mmmh I LOVE the color….so…I ordered all three, and we’ll see if ANY work.

 

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Traveling France…Fabulous Antique French Wall Sconces

As we travel through Paris and the South of France, and the Savoie region, searching the flea markets and shops as we go, we find some incredible things. Some of my favorite finds are beautiful wall sconces.

LOvE, loVE, LOVE these sconces. Our trip in April took us to Aix les Bains in the Alps. Just a bit of the treasure we found. They will go out on approval soon. Merde!!…No, I’m really happy they’ll find a happy home.

Oo La La! We found this pair at the Vernaison Flea Market in Paris. I love crystals.

This is one of three we found in Paris also. More crystals, and of course, some French dust & dirt!

This charming sconce, one of two, we found in Beziers, in the South of France at the antique fair. Clear and amythest crystals, love!

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Traveling France…beautiful garden in a medieval village in the South of France

Last September, Amy and I went on a buying trip in Paris and the South of France, and hit the Paris Maison et Objets. Way cooool!

Well, when we were tooling around the South, on our own for the second time, (Jean-Pierre was otherwise engaged) we went to Lussan, our favorite medieval village. It is small, charming, stone everywhere, painted shutters, gardens, and an incredible view of the countryside all around. We were determined to stay there on our next buying trip…which was this past April.

I couldn’t find my brochure for the hotel in the village, but luckily I had taken a picture of what I thought was a Spa/Salon. I looked up the Spa to ask what the name of the hotel was, and it turned out to be a place to stay, and not a Spa. Was I in LUCK! So, we booked rooms. When we arrived and went inside we were so enchanged and the garden, well, we fell in love.

I took a video of their incredible garden…

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The ‘Traveling Boots’…on the move around France

A few years ago, on one of our buying trips to France, I started taking pictures of my COWBOY BOOTS  for fun. I really don’t know how it happened. I guess I could ask my friend Diana, she was there when it all started.

            

I wear cowboy boots because they are STYLIN’ … hahaha!! … I can wear them all day at the flea markets and fairs…and there’s that Texas thing! I now have four pairs and I’m always on the look out for more. I’d really like a pair with red cactus on them, or Our Lady of Guadalupe with a bit of chartreuse, but we’re talkin’ custom.

    

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Traveling France…Touvet Castle in Savoie overlooking the French Alps

When we were in the French Alps, staying at that fabu Chateau, Stephan, the manager, suggested a few castles to tour. We picked Chateau du Touvet, a medieval castle built in the 13th century, located between Grenoble and Chambery. It looked more like a chateau to me, but what do I know growing up in Texas. It has been in the same family for 500 years, and they open parts of the ground floor to the public on Sunday afternoons. I think you can rent the first floor for weddings and soirees.

It was BEAUTIFUL. The color of the stone was a beautiful light gray/brown. The design simple and elegant. The roof was a dark material with a shiny finish on it, wonderful contrast. Walking up to the castle/chateau you can see the turrets with the French Alps behind them. Stunning. And I love the pebbles.

The gardens were awarded the ‘Remarkable Gardens’ label by the Ministry of Culture. They were laid out mid 1700’s and have fountains that are engineered to work with gravity and a holding pool up high, that is fed with a natural spring…that’s my explanation, not so graceful I’m affraid!!

There were wonderful stone walls with wisteria in full bloom. Walls with wood doors, iron door, and just arched openings. I think the stone walls are what capture my attention the most. One of my goals is to have a stone wall in my garden…I have the fabulous French iron gates in my garden from a past trip. (check out post of my garden)

Of course, hanging with Jean-Pierre means silliness. I had my cowboy boots in the car and had to run get them for my ‘Traveling Boots’ saga. As I was pulling them on he made the comment….”Jenny, if you didn’t exist, we’d have to invent you!” He’s so funny! I was able to get a few pictures before the tour started. The tour guide caught me with my boot in one of the gardens when we were all waiting for the fountain display. But I think he was just amused…I couldn’t understand him since I don’t speak FRENCH yet! …I start lessons next Wednesday merci beau coup!

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