Great Finds No. 1.

I need a break from Normandy at the moment so I thought I would show you some of my great finds that I am having fun with at the moment.....

Please note that my '2 pound man' does not actually weigh 2 pounds, but as I have an Australian keyboard I cannot type the pound sign!

Little trophies from the 2 pound man at Portobello Market.

Love commemorative china!

Napkin rings from the 2 pound man.

Little candlesticks - a couple of pounds.

A fantastic index box!

Found this Spode sandwich plate at a carboot sale for 1 pound.

Old photographs in miniature - Portobello Market.

A U.K. map and more 2 pound trophies.

Silver-plated pocket ashtrays.

Mood boards.

I just thought I would sneak in a couple of shots of my mood boards that is part of my homework for my decor8 blogging course. I could only post one on the flickr photostream and found it hard to make a decision as to which was the better of two evils. I found this task really challenging as I am never happy with my final product. I have had it all laid out on the dining table for weeks, but could tweak no longer! What do you think?

This one is inspired by Sibella Court...so I had to include lots of interesting detail that directly relates to the things that I love to decorate with. The background is a piece of linen, the colour of which works so well with the red accents that I like to use around the house. The religious items are a few that I have started to collect as I plan a 'religious wall', somewhere in the house. I love maps and this page torn out of a mag has good ole Aus on it...

As you can see, this one is far less cluttered. It depicts some possibilities for my 'religious wall'. I will definitely include crucifixes, of which I have more, as the main items, but perhaps I could frame some religious music paper and some baptism medals. Of course rosaries are a must and I am constantly on the look out for more.....

Normandy - Part 2.

In search of a pretty place to have a late breakfast, we visited the picturesque port of Honfleur. This town is located on the southern estuary of the river Seine, and it's little harbour is home to many little yachts and fishing boats.

Sainte-Catherine's church dating back to the 15th century, is the largest wooden church in France. When we stuck our heads in the door to have a quick look, we noticed a family gathering around a baby that had just been baptized. Imagine being baptized or married in a 500 year old church!

The inhabitants are called 'Honfleurais', and the word 'fleur' means stream, running into the sea.

Many artist including Claude Monet, painted there and the Honfleur School or 'ecole de Honfleur' contributed to the appearance of the impressionist movement.

Looking across the harbour.

We had breakfast just there...somewhere.

Lots of shops and gorgeous buildings.

Sainte-Catherines - the bell tower at rear.

Front entrance to Sainte-Catherines.

Old building right on the harbour.

 

 

Now I can't finish this blog without showing you a purchase I made in a little antique store in Honfleur. I originally entered a larger store full of curiosities and when I enquired about a terrific looking metal crucifix to a very large and scruffy looking Frenchman, it became clear that he didn't have a word of English in his vocabulary (or perhaps it was the Australian accent that threw him). He promptly dragged in another shorter scruffy looking Frenchman who did in fact speak English, but unfortunately he didn't have a clue as to the price of the item, so I left empty handed. However, a little further down the street I found a delightful store which stocked an odd collection of vintage kitchen wares, haberdashery items and all sorts of bits and bobs. I finally spied an old hatbox which was made more interesting because it had a lock with the KEY ATTACHED! So I snatched that up, paid the very nice lady, who kindly threw in a free tape measure that I had been looking at, and I marched out the door, very pleased with myself. I'm sure the crucifix was probably hugely expensive anyway!!!

My new hatbox goes beautifully with my old cases....

Normandy - Part 1.

Entrez s'il vous plait..

  
Last weekend I visited the region of Normandy in France, primarily to see the D-Day landing beaches and the Australian and U.S. memorials, all of which were very moving and emotive. Whilst I think about what I will post in relation to these sites, I thought I would share some of the photos taken at the various villages and towns in the region.


On the Picardy coast, the pretty village of 'Saint Valery-sur-Somme', which means St. Valery on the Somme River looks out over an estuary and across the mud flats towards distant towns. It is quite a moody sort of scenery especially when the tide is out, however the river fills up quickly and very soon there are little yachts and fishing boats cruising by.

Walking around the village is a lovely experience as the outlook changes from one overlooking the mudflats and banks of the river, to pretty streetscapes showcasing a mix of old buildings and houses. There is even a ruin of a prison where Jeanne d'Arc was imprisioned prior to being burned at the stake in Rouen.

A gorgeous leafy home.

A little shabby around the edges!

What's behind those doors! 

Closed for business!

Lovely chairs behind the gate!

A shop front.

Don't you just want to buy some cheese!

Muddy flats!

ETCETERA etc.

Today I thought that I would tell you about one of my favourite books, released only this year in the U.K. It's called ETCETERA etc. The author is a well known stylist and now shop owner in Australia named Sibella Court.

This extremely interesting and stimulating book is packed with Sibella's very unique take on decorating. In her own words "this book is about slapdash styling and deconstructed decorating solutions". Its divided into five parts or chapters with titles....'Foundation'...'Indigo Blues'...'Travellers & Magicians'...'Paperwhites' (my favourite) and 'Tradewinds'. These names alone ignite the imagination well before you have had a chance to delve into the book.

 

Gorgeous photography (all taken by Sibella's brother Chris), depicts the various elements and staging, sometimes layered, or seemingly haphazardly placed, but always enticing us to look further into the shot. Every time I look at this book I discover something new that I had overlooked before.

The book has the feel of an old scrapbook full of the ephemera of Sibella's life and travels. Antiques, junk shop finds, collectibles and curiosities make for a stimulating read.

Sibella writes about her life as a bowerbird and how she has translated this into a career as a stylist and shopowner. She opened a store in Sydney called The Society Inc. where she develops four distinct themes or societies each year. If you would like to see some great photos of her home and shop have a peek at designspongeonline where you will wet your appetite for more Sibella!!

ETCETERA etc is available in the U.K. and the U.S. at Anthropolgie stores (what a great excuse to visit) and I think from most book stores in Australia. Don't forget the online stores...I pre-ordered mine from Amazon!

Just a little photo test!

This is just a little test to see if I can post a photo onto my blog. If this works you may see a lovely snowy shot of yours truely and eldest son playing in our village just before last christmas. This was our first experience of snow in England and we were all very excited to 'go out and play'! Here goes....

Playing in the snow.

Phew!!

The blog is in the making!

I know, I have no photos and no content to speak of, but I am back here on my own in the U.K., with no blogger helper son, so I have enrolled in an online course with http://www.decor8blog.com to help me on my way and although it's early days I'm having lots of fun and am very confident of being able to turn out an outstanding blog at the end of it....I think. I will also learn not to write such long sentences!!