And one hundred posts later ....

Are you very good at stopping and counting the milestones?  Or giving yourself a pat on the back for achievements?  I must admit I am not.  Much happier to acknowledge that they are reached, but there is always more to be done, and I am much more comfortable to just get on with the task in hand!

Blogger lets me know that this is my 101st post!  Who would have thought, with my attention span, that I would have kept going this long!  And still feel I have something to say?!

I don't know what my expectations were coming into this ... and I am still somewhat unsure as to where it is all going! ... but I still seem to find things I wish to share with you!  I probably originally thought I would share just a few pics with you of the stock I had in my little store within the Woolloongabba Antique Centre in Brisbane, Australia.

But once I started, I found I had so much more I wanted to share than just a few product pics!

This is my last post before I am on the plane to France and England for this next buying trip - my fourth in two years - so here's a toast to wherever this journey of blogging takes me next!

{I thought of calling this post "by the time you read this I will be gone" but it seemed to melancholy to me.  Although it's appropriate at the time of writing as I am feeling a little sentimental about leaving my family for a few weeks!}

Your fellow traveller in life's interesting journey,
Jennifer

Shhh, Secret Sale ... Or ... To Share or Not to Share!

Should I share my secret lists?  My insider knowledge?  My little black book of go-to's?  That is the question!

This pop up shop in the foyer of Unique France is always a bit of fun.  Once a year, one weekend; genuine discounts off some lovely french designers - my personal favourite Athe by Vanessa Bruno!

So if we both I like it, I have first dibs because I have shared this one with you!

Jennifer
x

Off to France ...

Marcigny, France image Vintage Finds

I am off to France very soon for more gorgeous french vintage finds.  I have been putting this trip off for a little while, as we have had a lot on this past year with travel to Africa and Japan, and all sorts of changes in our lives; I wanted to go at a time which was easiest on the whole family - not just good timing for me.  Well, my universe has aligned and this trip is falling into place rather fast.

Will update you more as I book.  But too excited not to share straight away!

Jennifer
x

Les Tatin aux Echalotes and a busy weekend!

With the warmer weather arriving in Brisbane, and the school holidays coming up, we have launched back into dining outside on the verandah.  It's still a bit coolish as soon as the sun dips, so I was looking around for inspiration for an early Sunday evening dinner, that would work for children and adults, and that would be a little hearty.

{image Vintage Finds}

Et voilà! my lovely friend Sharon Santoni, who writes a gorgeous blog My French Country Home, about her life with horses, children and dogs in the heart of Normandy in France, posted a fabulous recipe for tarte aux échalotes - slowly caramelised shallots made into an upside down tarte (similar to tarte tatin but savoury).

I made these in individual tartlets to accompany a lemon and garlic roast chicken, homemade chicken gravy, roast potatoes - and to lighten the meal a little - a 'fresh from the garden' lettuce salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice.

I had every intention of taking 'cooking in progress' photos, but after a few Pimms and lemonades in the lovely weather, and chatting to good friends, as always - that went out the window!   So instead I only have Sharon's lovely photos, and her post and recipe can be found here!

Ooh, and my shipment from my buying trip in France in May has now arrived at port and will be arriving here shortly - so expect lots of lovely photos to come both here and on FB!


Have a lovely start to your week!
Jennifer.
x

Merci ... Thankyou

On one of my many wanders whilst in Paris, I stumbled across a great concept store Merci (thank you) that I have been wanting to check out for awhile (111 boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003).

Concept stores abound in the Marais and the difference with this one is they aim to make a difference.  First of its kind in France, 100% of the profits of the store go to a humanitarian association working for the children of Madagascar, a country where every five minutes a child dies from malnutrition.

Created by the founders of the beautiful children's brand Bonpoint, Marie-France and Bernard Cohen, this inspiring store stocks items from interior design to a perfumier, from stationary, furniture and flowers to fashion, has two cafés and one restaurant, and a used book library.....all within a great exhibition-style space. Whatever you are looking for, the most 'design conscious' example of it, is the one to be found here.

The store offers exclusive designs by Yves Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney, Isabel Marant, Paul Smith and many other brands at prices significantly below their own label stores.  The pair have leveraged their goodwill, and have convinced numerous brands to join the project by also giving to the charity their profits generated in-store.

I ended up wandering around from space to space with an almost visual overload! Everywhere I turn there's a well designed or beautiful object to catch my eye!  I bought some great industrial lighting that I will show you once it arrives home and is installed ... also so many gifts here that I couldn't resist.  And they are the gifts that will keep on giving...

Translated from their website: Luxury and humanitarian reconciled ... it's already a dream of a better world ...

Have a great weekend!
Jennifer.
x

Back home again

Isn't wonderful to travel ... to anywhere ... for any amount of time.

A country stay for the weekend, ... the beach for a day, ... or a work trip to country France and Paris for a couple of weeks.  Your heart soars, your mind clears and the ideas flow so fast!  And you are so determined to cling on to this 'new state' of mind on your return....

Eiffel Tower in Rain, David Lebovitz

But once the unpacking is done and you're back into your normal routine, whatever that entails, the 'envigorated mind' starts to settle and it begins to feel that you never went anywhere!

I've been back home to Brisbane for a couple of weeks, and have made lots of notes of ideas and creative influences - I am hoping that my buying trip will stay fresh for a little while longer.  I met so many creative people with many different ideas for me that they were perfectly willing to share - I truly hope to just capture one or two of these!

That is what I love most about what I do, it is the wonderful people I meet and that cross my path in this new venture!  My customers are such wonderful souls, from all over, and I love hearing their stories of their ideas and what they are looking for and sharing the history (as much as I can) on the pieces I find.

Normandy

And the dealers, shippers and other contacts I have met are some fabulous like-minded and extremely creative individuals both here in Australia and overseas - it's such a treat to be able to catch up and see some of them each time I return to France.  And it's so wonderful to have the opportunity to reinvigorate friendships from when I lived in London many (many) years ago.

9.00pm: Last night in Paris ... out to dinner with friends.

Isn't it amazing how our furniture and interiors, around the world, can start conversations of our hopes and dreams for our lives...

Thankyou, merci, for your comments and requests and suggestions!  All the best for the start of your week!  I hope you can retain a little magic from your own last 'escape'.

Jennifer.
x

Jardin du Luxembourg

Sunny Sundays ... Porte de Vanves

My favourite Sundays in Paris are strolling through early morning flea markets, hoping to unearth something wonderful!  I love the thrill of getting there and not knowing if you are likely to find anything at all!  And the most enjoyable of these are the smaller and more casual brocante markets you find in the suburbs; where items are available are less reliable, but the prices are better and there can be some very interesting things to see.

One of my favourite is Porte de Vanves, on a prettily shaded and tree-lined street, in what feels like the middle of suburbia in Paris' south west.

Me ... on the hunt ... in my favourite market!  You can't tell but that bag is already very heavy loaded with a service of silver cutlery!

The stalls can be very specific - antique linens, silverware, antique and vintage toys, 35mm cameras, china, house number plaques, vintage posters, war memorabilia and more.  And there are lots of stalls that have a mix of it all!

Hunting around in unlikely boxes it's amazing what you can find.  Like these hand stitched, unused kid leather gloves from 1900.

And inevitably there are the stories of the 'one that got away'.  This set of pretty embossed blotter and desk items from the 18th century, was bought and paid for whilst I was looking at it!

What do I see?  I love the shapes colours and textures of all these wonderful items that have their own story.

And after you have bargained a great price - don't forget that you have to somehow get your purchases home!

My bargain metal light fixture  ... will update you in how it turns out once it arrives in Australia!

Happy brocante-ing!
Bisous,
Jennifer.

Walking in Saint-Germain-des-Prés

One of my favourite mid-week walks in Paris is through the 'left bank' quarter Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

Au nom de la rose, rue Tournon

There are so many of the places I like to stroll past; galleries, cafes, boutique de fleurs (flower shops), french interior stores, fantastic luxury boutique window displays, the famous Ste-Sulpice and the oldest church in Paris, St-Germain-des-Prés.

Past the stunning Musée d’Orsay building; once a Belle Époque train station (with its glass roofing and cast-iron pillars) scheduled for demolition in the 1970s, now transformed into one of the world's most beautiful museums.

Intellectual tourism abounds with Café Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore (made famous by the patronage of Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Hemingway and Picasso) clustered around the intersection of St-Germain des Prés and rue Bonaparte.

There is so many interesting and varied window displays and so many lanes to explore!

Cotelac

Camper

Hermès

Hermès Store, rue de Sèvres

Chocolate hippopotamii, Patrick Roger

Patrick Roger, chocolate artist, 91 rue de Rennes

Librairie (bookstore) Chantelivre, rue de Sèvres

Catherine B Les 3 Marches, rue Guisarde, specialising in vintage Chanel and  Hermès

Le Bon Marché, rue de Sèvres

Prada and Yves Saint Laurent

Have a great weekend!
Jennifer.