making silk banners, beautiful david austen roses

hi,
 hope you are all doing good and having a great week!  Mine has been a bit traumatic with my mum going to hospital, but looks like things are improving there.. 

Have been trying to get time to make some more pretty banners.  All in silk...   

 

I was searching online for some pretty german souvenir cups and they inspired these 'forget me not' banners.  I cant wait for my cups to get here!  they are so pretty!

The David Austen roses were on special this week at the flower market!  They smell so sweet!

 

Lots of bdays in the family this week too, have been doing lots of pressie shopping!

 

this one I dip-dyed in petal pink - it reminds me so much of the little german cups, love... this would be sweet in a little girls room i thought..

 

 

 

some more china to add to my collection; found this pretty powder blue set in a chemist near the hospital my mum was staying at.  They have so many wonderful gifts there!

 

 

                                               A fleur de lis banner...  Need to finish these ones off!

                                                Have a truly fantastic week and weekend everyone!!


                               Linking up to Shabby art boutique - where i was featured last week!!!
                                                        Also linking up to pink Saturday!

little treasures and flowers

                                                               hello there!

  found this cute little wooden caddy yesterday at Typo... perfect for flowers and pretty glasses..

 

 

 

will be doing some sewing this weekend; a couple of pillow slips and a ruffled table runner!

 

I also got these soft hand towels with the tassels from Paris.  Just in a grocery store.. no where special!

 

Have lots of pink roses from a bridal bouquet I made at college the other day...  I always keep them for home after I have played with them for a bit!

 

 

I also got a couple of cute little glazed dishes for candles and my favourite vanilla bean candle.. smell good enough to eat!

 

 

Have to find somewhere to hang this picture...  cant decided on where to leave it.

 

Had a few hydrangeas left from last week; they lived a lot longer than I  expected!

 

 

 

The floral pillow above was also a flea market find in France... love the muted colours!

 

I have a busy weekend lined up; hope you all have a great weekend too!

Laura xxx

 

pretty autumn days...

Hi everyone,

wow, had a lot of problems loading pics here today... i spent an hour earlier then lost them all when i tried refreshing the page!

heres hoping for some better luck this time!

 

been tidying up my alfresco and prettying things up.  as i was away for a week and a half, the house was full of boys and i can sense the lack of femininity!!!

 

 

Here on the wicker chair i put a few pillows that i bought in france.  Not vintage, but new and fresh and clean!

 

 

 

 

I sent some postcards to my sons ; they only arrived yesterday!

 

 

I found this pretty telegram at the flea market.  I dont think it is an original, but its sweet!

 

i had some roses left over from college this week; so pretty and sweet smelling!

 

 

 

Loved these tiny flavoured bon bons i bought at Printemps in Paris!

 

 

trying to dye my carnations blue/lilac, but its taking so long!!!

 

I bought myself and my mum and sister in law a great shopping tote; the large black one) from Laduree.  They are so useful.  .... I havent taken a pic; too dark inside!

 

 

also pictured a really beautiful silk scarf I bought at the Brocant market in Paris...

 

 

Macaron selection!... I had the marie antoinette, the rose, chocolate, and a couple of others!! so delicious!

 

 

 

I bought this little Limoges trinket box at a different Brocante marche...  there are a lot around and a lot look very similar.. however, i was attracted to this one as I could tell it was ULtra old!

 

 

developing a deep love for all things old and beautiful.......

 

 

They seem so much more valuable to me that something new, even if its designer...  its just not the same!

 

What a busy week; had a crazy few days finishing a huge assignment that I was meant to do during the holidays (but i couldnt as I wasnt there!)  so nice today to sit back and relax a bit!

 

have a wonderful weekend everyone!

 

(PS, if you would like a copy of the Telegram - pictured above, I can copy it and send it to you! email me your address if so!)

 

hugs!

Laura xx

 

 

(linking up with Fishtail cottage Garden party

and Shabby Art Boutique)

 

brocante shopping in paris!

                                                   Happy mothers day everyone!!

I realise it may not yet be mothers day in some parts of the world but I hope you all have a great weekend...   I have been so jetlagged the past few days and cant get into a normal sleeping pattern!

I wanted to take lots of pics of my brocante purchases from Paris but just have nt gotten around to it!  The times  I have had the energy its been too dark!  Anyway, I took a few snaps this evening just as the sun was about to disappear!

I did have  a few little Laduree macarons, but of course, they are all gone now!  pretty boxes though! I love their packaging!  I  Love the little florentine tray.  It came from a flea market I went to on a very chilly morning in Paris and was so awesome!  Seriously, the best flea market ever!! It was full of treasures..  so many gorgeous pieces of furniture, masses and masses of  dinnerware and porcelain; loads of Limoges !  If only I could have shipped a whole container load~~ !!! I know many of you with a passion for brocante and vintage beauty would have been in heaven!!

 

 

I did buy a couple of  pretty vintage sconces, some silk scarves, a little limoges  trinket box, a little telegram print,  but dont have pictures of as yet...

 

 

I was very pleased with this little perfume bottle; I really liked the colours and the pattern and when i got back to the hotel i looked up the marking on the back...

 

to my pleasant surprise i found that it was made by a company called Sevres who used to make  porcelain for the French Royalty.!  I have yet to decipher the details but will continue to research!! The top has a bit of a crack, but it really didnt bother me!

 

 

I made another cute little florentine find;  It seems to be very old and not in the best condition but I love the cracks and chips!

 

 

And a few snaps from a pretty little flower shop we found in Reims on my last day!  A pretty all white display out the front!

 



 

Love the rustic boxes and buckets! peonies and large headed roses with such a sweet scent!!

 

Have a very happy mothers day !!!

 

xxxx laura xxxx

 

Pretty, pretty Paris! and my first days - alone! yikes!!!

Hello long lost friends!!

well, tonight is my final night in paris and i fly out early tomorrow, so very settled in at the hotel next to the airport.

Having a lovely glass of champagne and hooked up to the internet checking final flight details, and although i cannot wait to see my beautiful boys again, i feel sad that my french getaway has come to an end all so quickly!!

I cannot even begin to round up my trip in one post.. I think we must have taken over a thousand photos and stayed in Paris,  and two other little french villages; one in the burgundy region and the other in the champagne region! 

My first couple of days in Paris were spent alone!!!! quelle horreur!! as my husbands work dragged on longer than planned!

I felt like a lost lamb but  managed to 'fumble' my way around spending way too much money on taxis and walking for many, many miles!!

I took some pics in the first days; here are some of my favourites things!

It is springtime here in Paris, but I guess its just the very beginning! many of the trees and bushes were coming alive with blossom, pinks and lilacs, pretty tulips and camelias all around.. in the parks the gravel was dotted with petals like confetti and the afternoons were warmer...

 

My favourite shop without a doubt was Laduree... This one pictured is from the Printemps store (massive, beautiful department store)

 



 

Such a beautiful pink macaron display... carved marble tables, delicately boxed champagne and sugared almonds!

 

 

 

There were two outlets in this mall, by the time I made it to the second, I had large shopping bags and wasnt able to properly look at the gorgeous candles (below) but I did decipher that the rose candle scent was just heaven!!! if i get a chance, i may be able to get one at the airport tomorrow but not sure if there will be any...?

 

 

the rows and rows of macarons!  how gorgeous!  but I think what I loved more were the pretty pastel ribbons and boxes!!

 

Another amazing display! imagine the wonderful job Head Merchandiser of Laduree has?!  and apparently no photos were allowed but I had already taken many by the time i heard the Salesperson tell someone else! He kept insisting that it wasnt his rule, so i got the impression he didnt agree and only told customers on the odd occasion!  I got that feeling all around Paris to be honest! Photos were not allowed in many places!

 



 

On my second day, I accidentally stumbled upon the pretty flower market outside of the Madeleine Cathedral.  How pretty to see all the flowers outdoors in the cool and the amazingly large roses! if only ours were so huge!!

The peonies in bud, always my favourite! displayed outside instead of deep in the freezing fridges as they are in Australia!

 



The prices were pretty comparable I have to say; for most things.  However, I think that Australian florists have higher overheads (air con, wages, rent produce etc) and being a florist in France could be way more financially viable!  I love flowers though and wouldnt give it up now for all the tea in China!

 

fell totally in love with this dress and the lacy headpiece! so amazing!!

 



 

Another pretty window in Printemps I should not have been taking pics of!!! whoops!!

 

My third day in Paris was a public holiday; May day.  I am not sure of the reasoning but everyone was giving, selling, buying these pretty little bunches of lilly of the valley...  I was given this by the garcon at breakfast in the hotel!!! I love lilly of the valley! so delicate! and the smell is divine! once again, very rare to come by in australia!

 

 

Every time I ordered room service, I had a pretty bunch of freesias on my tray; like the pink ones above!  The hotel was amazing and treated me like a princess!  My husband and I got an upgrade to the penthouse which was totally amazing!!! it was a three storey gatehouse seperate from the rest of the hotel... I was nervous about that to start with until I saw the place~~!  It was amazing!

 

 

This is a pic from our lounge room on the first floor! we had three floors of luxury; but i will have to tell you that in another post!!!! (you can just see my husband in the mirror; he is always getting in the way!)

 

Have so, so , so much more to write!!! our visits to the landmarks, brocanting!my treasures and finds!! the pretty villages.. etc etc!

 

Sorry that I have not been around to visit you all; i do mean to catch up really soon!

 

bonsoir mes amis!!!

 

Laura xxx