Tuesday, July 9, 2013

All Things French

What is it about all things French?  Particularly the south of France.  No I have never been there but I do love all things French.  Particularly the textiles!  They have such a sense of  history and so much  character.  This can be seen in the toile patterns and the bright sunny blues and yellows of the southern patterns.   I  really love the lace curtains!  Here are some photos of some windows in France:  Enjoy them!  Yes you can try to re-create them but you must have the old window first!

This is beautiful in all its French charm and shabbiness.


Beautiful blue shutters on a house in the south of France.  Lace curtains and plants complete it so beautifully.





I love this little kitty guarding the door of his home.  J'adore the creamy lace curtains in the door and windows again framed with shutters.





The simplicity of this French designed bedroom is so pretty.  The yellow walls and the rich antique paintings that are unframed and hang from a unique little railing over the bed.  Not to mention the beautiful elegant lines of the bedside lamp.


Then there is this getaway hotel in the south of France for fun.  Because you know that its not a matter of  "if" you go there it's a matter of  "when"  Ha Ha.... 

This bathtub!    As a matter of fact we once owned a house that had a tub like this.  It was a lot of fun and I miss those days with the kids at Pender Harbour.  Just imagine the ambiance you could create in this bathroom!
I can already imagine the days worries and cares floating away.... Well at the very least if you can't get the tub you could always aim for the French print on the wall and the amazing wrought iron chair!  Something to think about for that house I have always wanted to build...

Oh and while we are on the subject of French ambiance who can forget the lavender.  Lucky for us we have close relatives who live in a place where this beautiful flower thrives .
So have I piqued your interest enough?  Who doesn't love all things French.  I won't even begin to talk about the bread and wine and cheese...  That is for another post.

So if you love all things French and particularly love the textiles take a look at this gorgeous print.  It is out of print as they say.  Vintage of course!
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/155024486/french-provencal-print-dress-blue-floral?ref=shop_home_active


Au Revoir!  Until we meet again! 




Summertime and the Livin is Easy

Gershwin composed this song back in December of 1933.  How is it that I occasionally hum this little tune when the sun comes streaming in through my window on a summer's day?  How wonderful to think that some things are timeless.  Gershwin of course is timeless and so is a summer's day.... Memories are too.  I can remember waking up to a beautiful day in Southern California when I was in my early teens and feeling like the world was my oyster.  All I had to do was find the perfect cotton shorts set and the perfect novel and the perfect spot in my climbing tree to read!  And lets not forget the lilacs!  As we know they did not last forever but the thought of them outside our windowpaned dining room window sure has.

That was an era and it was marked by an age of innocence as well as the beginning of a period of turbulence in the 60s.  The innocence being the American Dream which was felt and is remembered by so many.  This dream came crashing down of course with the Vietnam war and the Nixon era.  And of course the racial tensions that arose. 

 But some of us can look back with fond memories too.  Being a kid meant that there was always hope on the horizon.  That game of tether ball, that favourite book, a bottle of ice cold 7 Up, the beach at Santa Monica, driving through the mountains in a cool light green 60s Chevy with your family.  My mom always wore one of those beautiful 60s scarves.  Often in a sheer fabric so that the heat of the day would not melt you. 
These 60s Styles Are Now Back!

http://www.dujour.com/2013-05/1089/summer-beauty-trends#07And there are so so many things you can do with a scarf!
Cheryl Tiegs was my favourite model back then.  How I adore this sheer pale green dress and scarf combination.
This dress is in my Etsy shop and is right out of the 60s too! 
It is made of a soft linen blend and would look amazing with your favourite heels.  The perfect go anywhere dress!  Don't you just love the 60s swan in the background!  Here is a link to find this dress.  I teamed it up with a fully adjustable soft kid leather belt in blue.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/127412523/60s-linen-spring-dress-leather-belted?ref=shop_home_active