museum quality
brrrrrrr! it’s downright bone chilling cold in paris! today was our final day trudging though the slush and snow at the markets all weekend but i can definitely say our mission was accomplished!
i was fully focused on shopping with the crew so didn’t get much but photo memories which is somehow ok, at least this way i’ll have them forever.. and as my guy always says, you can’t buy it all!
going through the shots i couldn’t help but see that this trip i was attracted to art, paintings, sculpture and architectural artifacts…
the markets are so rich and thick that it really feels like a living, breathing museum. it’s a place where you can find junk juxtaposed with truly fine art.
and it’s not what a piece is worth but the joy it brings
and who makes the decisions as to what’s valuable if not the beholder?
the way the market vendors curate their booths is much more than you’d expect at a typical flea market and this year many sellers are really stepping up their game.
all sorts of busts and statuary are displayed as if they’re uber important pieces in super simple vignettes.
of course you can always find the funky, fun stuff
and the french certainly have a sense of humor about their past!
and one piece can really set a regal mood. you’d never know these were flea finds!
i guess i do wish i could buy it all and surround myself in my own tiny museum
but for now i’ll settle for just enjoying the pics and thinking about ways to incorporate more art in my world.
as for the gang, we finished up our weekend with stephane who always brings the market to life and today he greeted us in the cold with champagne and oysters, using snow in an ice bucket and along a huge silver tray for the shells he shucked. we had a ball and everyone left happy and well overfed. i’ll clue you in when the time comes as to what we all did but for now it’s off to bed, a couple pounds heavier but i guess that’s what winter is for, n’est-ce pas? enjoy the rest of your weekend!
the other side of paradise
greetings from paris mes amis! it’s beyond cold, in fact it’s downright bone chilling! but not cold enough to stop the shopping and yesterday was an incredible adventure.
we went to visit my friend stephane blanc’s warehouses in a tiny village an hour outside paris. it couldn’t have been more picturesque and even better, full of surprises.
you never know what’s behind big old doors and we were not disappointed when he opened the vaults to the 1750s barns where he and his father have gathered incredible treasures from french châteaux and estates over the years.
stephane brings pieces back to paris and restores them to sell at clignancourt in his tiny, curated booth on rue paul bert. my mystery guests and i were the first to go behind the blue doors. although he was casual about the enormity of his collection, we were blown away.
every kind of imaginable style is stacked up in chilly, cobwebbed rooms filled with furniture, mirrors, doors, chandeliers, artwork and toys.
we must have been there for 5 hours going through every nook and cranny in the cold.
no one left empty handed and at the end of the day we were exhausted and tired but happy with our treasures.
as someone who loves to restore old pieces, i couldn’t help wanting to take it all home and bring it back to life myself.
still, my philosophy these days is ‘no projects’ especially since i’m preparing for my OKL sale in just a couple weeks.
so at least for now, the clocks and tables are safe and sound, sitting quietly in wait.
and until i have the chance to come back (hopefully in warmer weather)!
i’ll just settle for getting pieces that are ready to go like these little treasures we found at the market. we’re heading out again tomorrow and sunday to vanves and clignancourt for a big day of shopping and shipping so i’ll keep you posted and take lots of shots! have a great day and happy weekend!
minuit à paris
pinterest.com/pin/29414203788016995
allo tout le monde! how’s your winter wonderland? i hope it’s warm and cozy in your world. i wish i could say this was me in the shot above but alas don’t think i’ll ever be that girl…but i just landed in paris and am about to go on the adventure of a lifetime.
i left miami today and snap, it’s midnight and i’m in gay paree! i vowed never to come again january but my most exciting flea market tour ever is about to go down. i don’t mean to play coy and am dying to drop the bomb on who i’ll be with but haven’t got the OK (hint hint) to post about it yet!
thefancy.com/things/274434105/Paris
we’ll be traveling to the markets and also going to the outskirts of town with a friend/merchant who’s had a stall passed down for over 3 generations at clignancourt. it’s a place i’ve always wanted to check it out and now finally have a reason to go.
pinterest.com/pin/130534089171308132
it was snowing earlier but once the jet lag hit i crashed and didn’t get to run around and shoot the beauty that is paris in the snow.
so instead of reinventing the wheel i searched for images of paris in winter and came across so many wonderful interpretations and moments captured over the years.
parisianfields.files.wordpress.com
while i’m here, i’ll be shopping for my next OKL sale which is scheduled for the week of march 3rd. if you want me to look for something special let me know!
pinterest.com/pin/417427459181689619
for now it’s off to bed. it will be nice to have the next few days at lorraine’s place with not too much on the agenda except enjoying the city for a change.
i’m hoping to get some flowers and take shots of her pretty little pied-à-terre that she has so beautifully maintained over the years. it’s like coming home and just knowing it’s here is such a dream. it’s right in the heart of the marais at the place des vosges.
she rents it out so if you come to paris and need just a little place to hang your hat, retreat or write, this is it. luckily not too many people want to come in january so this week it’s all mine!
pinterest.com/pin/180003316328262507
the clock is about to strike midnight so i’m heading off to dreamland, have a beautiful night and sweet dreams to you my darling friends!
the women who started it all
hey guys, how’s your day going? we’re in full swing chez nous. tomorrow we’re heading out to the maison objet for opening day. our client has arrived and will be shopping for her store so it will be fun with miles and miles of eye candy. i got a press pass so i’ll take lots of pics and hope to share them, at least a little each day. till then i’m trying to keep up with packing and before these goodies got bubbled and boxed i thought you’d enjoy a sneak peek of some of the stuff for the OKL sale coming up in november. claudia’s finds are a great addition and made me see think about the women who really started the trends we still follow today! anyway it’s back to le bubble! have a great nuit!
jupiter aligned with mars
hey guys, happy thursday. what do you have planned for the weekend? i hope a whole lotta nada or major productivity, whichever you prefer! i’m about to have a full house so it will be hard to get back here much. these last couple hours of solitude are going way too quick! i had to come by, regroup and keep track of what’s happening.
it’s been a whirlwind putting the trip itinerary together. there are so many connections between all these incredible women that have happened in one split second. i want to remember the path as it’s wonderful circle of friends and i had no idea it existed.
over the past couple years i’ve met up with some of my blog buds and have always wanted to meet with others. sharon, for example. we briefly met at the bloggers’ cocktail party in paris but didn’t get to chat much. but we kept in touch a bit and i always loved her site. turns out she’a the local brocante expert and also knows melanie. check out her site, her life and photos are pure soul food!
is this even real? she gives brocante tours so keep her as a reference if you’re in the provence area. and that’s not all.
PHOTO: hipparis-normandy
turns out my girl erica from haven in paris has been antiquing with her in normandy and they had a ball:
mimi of belle inspiration (another blog bud turned hard core friend)! mimi has been giving my flea market tours when i’m not in paris and is my soldier on the ground.
ok well that’s officially full circle and would be enough but i’m sure it’s going to get even thicker!
this image was taken by dash who is in the region now. well, it’s getting late and i officially better jet. have a great rest of your night!
where the days go
hey guys! how’s your week going? i’ve been running around like crazy cause phase one of the event i can’t yet mention is coming quick. we shoot on february 13 and 14. so i’m upholstering, making pillows, editing spreadsheets and almost too tired to blog. but when i was going thu my phone i thought you may enjoy a little of it. i have about a minute left to share it. (my guy and i said no computers after dinner tonite so it’s now or never)!
we cracked open the warehouse and there are lots of pretty things but everything needs to be tweaked so i did some fabric shopping today. i love graphics and a few of these vintage benches above could use a mod pick-me-up!
i didn’t even get any of these but it was funny to see what i shot at the end of the day. actually i did get one
i was getting into the linens
and prints
this one was embroidered. it’s the one i got (for a long lucite bench)
scenes from the warehouse
tiny chandeliers
palm beach green circa 1970!
feather tables
well my date’s here, gotta go, more tomorrow!
an ocean away
thepursuitaesthetic.tumblr.com
good morning guys! how’s the week going? i’m wrapping it up over here and getting ready for a long weekend in paris with clients. (i’ve always wanted to say that and it’s finally reality :)
we’ll be shopping the markets and i’ll be hunting for gems for the ‘event’ that cannot be mentioned yet happening in early 2012. my sister in law suggested shopping early so the container would arrive way before so i invited her along and she accepted! we’ll be staying with my peeps at paris perfect and i’m looking forward that!
carlalovesphotography.blogspot.com
i’ve been trying to slim down so i can get back to my diet of cafe and croissants on the go…
liz helped me pack this time, determined to make me a fashionista. uh huh! i promised to try even if it is sans le birkin. well, better get to tying up those loose ends. i really wish they’d bring the Concorde back so the trip could be just 3 hours over the atlantic. how can we get that great technology up and running again and why did we have to scrap it altogether?
let me know if i can bring you something back for you. more from the other side!
one of those days
hey guys, happy sunday. how was your weekend? mine flew by and has been chock full every hour. yesterday was its own adventure that’s already dust in the wind. i figured i’d post a little right here right now before this day ends and becomes ether too! it was a great day of sunday shopping. this morning we went to the warehouse of a window display artist who’s been in the biz for decades. he’s in the process of emptying out after 30 years. it’s filled to the gills!
there was so much stuff there it was incomprehensible.
we couldn’t see half of it and we had flashlights!
i did make off with a couple things. now that i look thru the pics i want to go back…
here’s some of it~
anyway it’s supper time now, don’t want to miss that! have a great night!
