Sometimes it really is the little things ...

On a buying trip like the one I have just been on, racing around Paris and the french countryside, sometimes it is the space, the pause, the time to breathe that you really appreciate.  The pace is generally quite quick - there is so much to be done while I am there - that I do enjoy opportunities to slow my eye, and seeing the smaller things around me too.

Walking through the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, with the perfectly manicured lawns that you are not allowed to stand on; it brought a smile to my lips to see these little 'untamed' flowers poking their heads through the blades of grass.

And walking through the fields of Normandy, with acres and acres of farm field vista in front of you, there is still a smaller and quieter perfection to be found - such as in these details in the blades of wheat.

Or in the wild grasses by the roadside, or the detail of a wild daisy in a field.

And on seeing these pretty oak flowers, realising that the significant hum in the air, was actually a tree full of bees!

And today, I had planned to be taking photos of some stock to show you, before I put it in the shop.  However, the light is bad, it's raining on and off, and just not the day to be taking furniture outside!

So with a camera in my hand and nothing to shoot, it's made me look again, back home in Brisbane.  At our own hedge of azaleas, that don't quite know whether to flower or not, or whether spring is here, because of this unseasonal winter rain we are having!

And look again at how pretty they are laden with water.

It doesn't always have to be the grand gestures or the sweeping vistas that make your heart sing.  Sometimes it really is just the little things.

Jennifer.

x

{all images Vintage Finds}

Chagall Exhibition at the Musée du Luxembourg

I love to spend time in the Jardin du Luxembourg, my favourite park in Paris. Surrounded on its borders by the art galleries and luxury shopping of Ste Germaine, the uptempo life and restaurants of the Latin quarter, the student vibe around the Sorbonne, and Montparnasse to the south - the park is a haven in a bustling city. Such a welcome respite from the traffic and all that is just outside the wrought iron gates.

These 23 hectares in the heart of the left bank have so much to offer: row upon row of pleached trees, wide gravel boulevards, beautiful formal fountains and gardens, running track, tennis courts, playgrounds, orchards, pony rides, marionette show, sailboats - and even it's own museum as well.

The Musée du Luxembourg {on the north side on rue de Vaugirard, next to le Sénat} may be a small gallery space, with room for a smaller offering than the more famous museums, but is large on atmosphere and gives you access to some wonderful and changing exhibitions.   It was the first Paris museum to be open to the public, in 1750, and it annually presents several exhibitions, showing a wonderful caleidoscope of artists.

Currently on exhibit until 21 July is "Chagall: Between War and Peace" {open everyday from 10am to 7.30pm} illustrating four key periods in his work.  I love Chagall, his deep blues, and the 'dream-like sequence' aspect of his work - and so am going to enjoy seeing this in a couple of weeks.

Musée du Luxembourg, with it's great proximity to the Luxembourg Gardens, one is to keep on your 'Paris list'! It is ever changing and will always have something completely different to your last visit.

Jennifer.