"Vide Grenier" anyone?

A "Vide Grenier" literally means to empty the attic in French and is the equivalent of the American 'garage' or' lawn' sale and the British car' boot' sale. It seems to have become quite a pass time in France with people leaving very early in the morning to try and nab a "find" before anyone else; grabbing some lunch and a taste of wine on the spot as these tend to take place in beautiful rural villages. I spotted this well worn wrought iron rack and bought it for 5 €! Brought it back to the UK on top of the car, gave it a Farrow and Ball makeover and tada: a charming vintage piece of furniture to grace my home.

Diane Toury's paintings.

Little clip showcasing Diane Toury's animal paintings. The music is by the Jackson Five.

French Art de Vivre: For eyes and ears!

French Art de Vivre: For eyes and ears!: Had fun creating this clip with photos of FrenchCachet's vintage French crystal chandeliers (it's not perfect but the next ones will be bett...

For eyes and ears!

Had fun creating this clip with photos of FrenchCachet's vintage French crystal chandeliers (it's not perfect but the next ones will be better!). I will eventually make clips of individual items also.  The creative beast has been unleashed now that I know how to use the movie maker on my computer!

Opulence

Open any interior decorating magazine and you're bound to find crystal chandeliers used in many areas of a home.  Sometimes even the bathroom.  Chandeliers are versatile, they can be opulent and lush or simple and restrained.  As always, it comes down to personal taste.  I happen to like antique or vintage crystal chandeliers for the the lustrous richness of their crystal pendeloques, icicles, tear drops, stars, flowers and beads.  Modern chandeliers can be dazzling but sometimes have a 'bling bling' quality to them that does not suit every home.  As an interior designer said : "Crystal chandeliers are like jewels for the home".  The ones in the pictures are the newest addition to www.FrenchCachet.com.

Art de la table or table decorating

Has anybody noticed that many things in France become an art form?  I mean we have 'art de vivre', 'l'art d'´écrire' and now 'art de la table'.  Any dinner party in France will be an excuse to pull out all the stops as far as table decorating goes. So besides china, silverware and flowers you can pick a theme and  rush to one of my favorite places in Paris:  Point à la Ligne, where you will find the most fabulous and tasteful choice of candles and table decorations from classical to the most original.  I've added a picture from their catalogue along with some photos of beautiful crystal and silver swan salt cellars and 18th century style blue glass and silver salt cellars.  Get into party mode everyone!

Penmanship or l'art d'écrire

Trust me, I 'm the first person to advocate the speed, efficiency, immediate satisfaction of e-mailing, texting, messaging, in-boxing and so forth,   however there are moments when nothing beats writing with a  fountain pen in richly colored ink on smooth as satin paper (personally, my "lefty" handwriting takes on a more sophisticated appearance !).  One such occasion is the writing of what the French call the "lettre de château", this is a thank you letter you send to your hosts after a week-end in their country home (even when it is not a château!).   And, though I don't yet qualify as an antique,  I remember writing such letters when I was a teen!