Vintage lampshade repairs

After weeks of letter box checking, waiting, some more letter box checking, more waiting, I finally received my Canon close up 250D lens in the post last week and have been madly putting it to the test. It has taken a little getting used to, but from what I have seen so far it makes macro shooting much cleaner and more enjoyable. I thought I'd try it out on my latest project - reworking a vintage lampshade. I found this shade at the local markets - I loved the shape and brass bulb fitting, but it was looking a little tired and worn out, with a few holes in the netting and splintered weaving. It didn't need too much work, so I bought it anyway (for a whopping 10 euro) and used left over lace from my wedding dress to set about fixing it up. I kept it simple with minimal lace and wove plenty of twine around the frame. Here are a few pictures of the frame during the weave and the finished, hanging product. It looks magnificent when lit up and the light bounces off the netting & through the lace. Bisous x

left over wedding dress lace & broderie anglaise

close up of weaving twine around the splintered frame - courtesy of my new macro lens

a small piece of crochet to hide a gaping hole

macro shot of the fantastic brass bulb fitting

hanging in the berdroom

the finished product

Alsace, France

It's so easy to take weekend trips from Paris and with the ever growing list of places we want to visit , I thought it best we start now. First stop: Colmar, in the Alsace region of eastern France (not far from the German boarder). Colmar is the capital of Alsace and a beautiful, fairy-tale-like town of half timbered homes, bier houses and small canals. We stayed here for a couple of nights and spent our days driving through the most beautiful wine country I have ever seen. The 'Route du Vins' (Wine Road) starts in Colmar and heads north through a dozen or so picturesque little villages, rolling hills and hundreds of local cave à vins (cellar doors). We were surprised by how strong the German influence is over this side of the country - most people spoke both French and German (but not English), boulangeries were full of pretzels and we were spoilt for choice with bier houses and pubs! It was nice to get out of the big smoke for a few days and see some of the beautiful French countryside. We are already planning our next few trips ... I fear this could be an addictive habit! Bisous x

New kitchen, new boxes

We seem to be gathering more boxes faster than we can fold at the moment. I have spent all day cutting and stacking them into neat little piles for recycling, but for every box I cut, we acquire another two. It's an endless pit of cardboard in our house and so we are spending our time sifting and weaving through the mess, in order to get from one room to another. The good news is, our kitchen renovations finally started this week! Our Kiwi builder Josh, has been busily laying the new parquet floorboards and knocking all sorts of things together in our pokey little cuisine. It's only been a couple of days, but he has made good progress and it's already looking brighter and more enticing. Currently the walls of the kitchen are an awful navy blue, so tomorrow morning we will paint them white and then start assembling the pantry and cupboards. For now, just a few pictures of our hoarded boxes and the start of the kitchen facelift. Bisous x

the mess we call home

ay ay ay ... 

my attempt at culling the boxes

Josh starting work in the kitchen

parquet & old parisian pipes

new parquet floorboards complete

Superbe vintage couch

We finally decided on a couch for our main room and whoopee! it arrived last night. After trawling the streets of Paris and being repeatedly deflated by the inflated price tags of vintage sofas, I found a German website selling wonderful retro furniture and household bits. I fell in love with this old beauty and luckily enough the owner, a kind German man named Horst, was happy to drive halfway across Europe to deliver it last night (which of course, sounds much further than it really is). The sofa was designed in the 50s by Knoll Antimott and has been lovingly restored by Horst to almost new condition, retaining its original upholstery and beautiful frame. I plan to spend the next few days making some cushions for the arms, but here are some initial pictures from last night and I will update with more shortly. Bisous x

Restoring our chandelier ancien

We've been thinking of replacing our trés ancien chandelier that hangs so low in the middle of our lounge room (and occasionally whacks us over the head). But today I thought that rather than replacing the old beauty, perhaps it could just do with a small revamp. After all, it would be a shame to discard something which seems to be as old as the building itself. The brass and crystal needed some heavy duty polishing, the light sticks needed straightening and fixing and I couldn't stand the yellowing colour of the sticks. So out came the gloves, the spray and the paintbrush and I set to work. I polished each and every jewel and painted the sticks white, so that they blend more smoothly with the walls. I'm sure it's some sort of faux pas to paint an antique chandelier ... Nevertheless, I think it was necessary. Here are some photos of the improvement, however small. Bisous x

the old duck in need of repairs

tools for the project

half way through painting the sticks

sparkling crystals and white candlesticks

left over and broken crystals

the finished product

Le Puces de Saint Ouen

Oh yes, Le Puces de Saint Ouen - the biggest and most famous flea markets in Paris and the world (le puces literally means 'the fleas'). Scott and I took a trip out there on the weekend to see what all the fuss is about. Fuss? Mon dieu! The place is incredible and seriously huge, we spent hours there and really only scratched the surface. It's located just outside the northern periphery of Paris, near metro Porte de Clignancourt. From there, it's a short walk further north and before you know it, you're in the thick of traders and markets and wonderful vintage fleas! It's a place where antique collectors, designers and shop owners from around the world come in search of unique vintage furniture and accessories. There are several of these markets around Paris, but Saint Ouen is by far the largest, so I will need to return several times in order to do it justice. Here are some quick photos I took during our visit, as well as a detailed map and directions on how to get there, which may come in handy during your next Parisian visit. Bisous x

shoe lasts & letterpress. how great.

I really should have bought this chair

my lonely purchase. he needs a friend

It's difficult to find any clear or detailed instructions on how to get to these famous flea markets, so if you are ever interested in visiting Le Puces de Saint Ouen, just follow my lead - 

Le Puces de Saint Ouen - Rue des Rosiers, 93400 Paris.

1. Take metro line '4' to the last northern stop 'Porte de Clignancourt'

2. When you get out, orientate yourself - you should see a McDonalds directly across the road

3. Cross the road and spot the sign that says 'Le Puces' with a direction arrow

4. Follow the direction of the arrow north up the main road 'Av. de la Porte de Clignancourt'

5. Pass under the overpass / bridge, which has round circles on it

6. On your left, you will see Rue des Rosiers. Voila, the start of the fleas!

Remember to take cash or a cheque book, as there are only two ATMs and they get mighty busy!

map from metro Porte de Clignancourt to Rue des Rosiers

Candelaria - A Mexican Feast in Paris

We've heard a lot about the 3rd and 10th arrondissements lately, they seem to be areas in Paris that are full of interesting restaurants, innovative ideas and good simple food. So last night, Scott and I decided to jump the metro and check out these spots for ourselves. A few metro changes later, we popped up in the middle of the 3rd and strolled the streets to see what we could find. As usual, we were spoiled for choice, with restaurants and bars on every corner and down every lane - most serving up international dishes and with enticingly simple, eclectic decor. After a short walk, we found a tiny mexican restaurant, bursting at the seams (perhaps because it seated no more than 10 people), with diners spread across the bar and gulping down their fajitas at a small communal table at the entrance. It would be easy to walk straight past this place, dismissing it as a take away joint. It was simple but colourful and the food smelt amazing, so we decided to give it a go. We managed to find a seat at the only table, sat down, ordered a mix of everything on the short blackboard menu and waited for our food with a Mexican beer and tequila cocktail. Yummo. The food was fantastic and we woofed it down in no time! Afterwards we slipped through a nondescript door at the back (searching for les toilettes) and found a hidden bar, serving delicious and potent! cocktails. We stayed for a few & will return for more. x

Candelaria - 52 Rue de Saintonge, 75003 Paris.