Heaven Scent

The light in the house, here in England, has improved dramatically with the advent of  Spring and the help of daylight saving time. We're having some beautiful sunny weather and it has encouraged me to start snapping away inside once again.

I started with a pot of flowering cactus in the kitchen,
sitting on a little green book which I picked up
for a song the other day...

I couldn't resist such a pretty book called Holiday Chaplet...with stories such as "The Pic-Nic"; "The Thicket of Furze" and "Never Mind Scoffs".

I then spotted my perfume bottles, with the light reflecting on the mirror on which they are sitting...

So of course I got carried away, rearranging...
practicing my photography skills...

I really love my collection...usually selected for their
interesting shape and colourful label or stopper...

Two smaller bottles on a Victorian hand mirror in ebony...apparently after Queen Victoria became a widow, all such accessories were produced in sombre black finishes...

But it's not all sombre in my household...I love displaying things on mirrors as the glass really bounces the light around...

Old tarnished lids on glass...

and on a cushion...

A simple frosted glass dressing table container...

This little atomiser is my favourite...but there's a story...

I actually bought it by default many years ago...thought the tag said $35...didn't have my glasses on...it actually cost $85 but by this time I was at the cash register and I had fallen in love with it...

Linking up with Sarah for Good Life Wednesday.

A Right Royal Celebration

What a lovely wedding...impressive venue...gorgeous groom....cute groomsman...stunning bridesmaid...beautiful bride...

A truely memorable occasion!

Window shopping in Paris.

Okay girls, lets go window shopping...

Beautiful flower shops with gorgeous blooms...

'Cartier' on the Champs Elysees...the closest I'll get to the merchandise...

Hubby simply wouldn't budge on these beauties...

A glimpse into a coffee shop...

This shop was full of treasures....

When I go shopping, food is never far from my thoughts...

Macarons to die for...

And the Piece de resistance...

Galeries lafayette...

This is a bit rushed as I have a Right Royal Knees Up event to go to...
at the village hall to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of Will and Kate!

Have a great weekend!

Les Puces

Flea markets in France are full of the most wonderful things....not junk, as my hubby was muttering all the way around Port de Vanves, last week.

I took him along as my 'official' photographer...

to record my first foray into a French Puces...

I found these glass frames...

and after a little negotiation...I came home with these..

I then discovered a number of beautiful stalls with old textiles...

including haberdashery items...

and I wanted to purchase so much...but I was very well behaved...

I found these little collars in the finest cotton...

I thought they would look beautiful framed...

and lastly this doily...I just couldn't resist that little rosette.

So needless to say, I did happily get on that train to come home, having achieved my goal to check out a French flea market.

However, next time I'm taking a truck!


Before I close this post I have to tell you a funny story...

When we got back to central Paris, we took a stroll down to the river, and as we walked we passed by a little fenced park. People were just sitting on benches in the sun and it all looked very peaceful, when suddenly I spied a bench covered with books. They were just strewn everywhere and there was a lady bending over apparently browsing...selecting one here...one there. Well I couldn't get the gate open fast enough (in fact I nearly couldn't get the gate open at all)...I rushed over and asked who the books belonged to...the lady said that someone had put them there for people to take, rather than throwing them out. So without hesitation I grabbed an arm full! My mortified husband was hiking up the street as if he didn't know me by this stage...and as I called out to him I spied a supermarket type bag blowing around...so I grabbed it, turfing the apple core out that was in the bottom and promptly stashed my newly acquired books in. Meanwhile hubby was valiantly trying to put as much distance between us as he could...

All in all it was a very productive day...I was very happy with my purchases and who doesn't love a freebie!!