Swede

Paris: Grand Trianon at Versailles

 

Continuing along with more photos of our trip to Paris, I am showing below some of the furniture at the Grand Trianon on the Versailles estate property. This is where the king and queens went [across the property several hundred yards, maybe] to get away from the goings on at the palace.  I am only showing furnishings in this post as the gardens were not planted yet so no flowers in bloom to speak of for vast colorful sweeping views.

I thought the chairs in the first photo above were totally unusual with the pierced seats and backs.  I've never seen anything like them.  Very intricate carving.  They also had small benches in the same design.  I like the ormolu trim on the table's rim but not the urn and pheonixes on the stretcher. There was a time in my past that I would have liked the savonnerie rug, but not now -- just too much color and too much pattern.  This estate is a good place for it to be together with those rose damask chairs.

This is one very large sitting room.  You could probably entertain 100 guests here for cocktails. Notice the lavender paint trim on the chairs.  Very unusual don't you think paired with the turquoise damask?

Of course, you have to see the queen's bedroom.  I don't think I could do the gold room either.  Just tooooooo much.

Nice console table but I probably would get tired of the swags. Some more unusual chairs.  They said that during the revolution most of the furnishings were looted and they have slowly gotten some of them back by donation or acquisition.  Some pieces were brought here from other palaces that they owned in the kingdom.

I enjoy looking at the interiors even though much of it is not my taste.  What I did love, though, were the doors, interior shutters and door hardware --  oh! much to love there.  Look for a later post of those objects.

I did also want to mention that it was difficult to get great photos inside the palaces because of the light.  It was either too dark with the drapes pulled, or too bright with so much light flooding in.

Summer

Photos: www.swedefurniture.com 

 

Paris: Versaille's Petite Trianon

 

Love this staircase -- honey can we have one like it in our next house?

For love of white and iron, this was eye candy.  Do you ever think about who the craftsmen were who made things like this?  In the 1700's no less.

Summer

Photo: www.swedefurniture.com

 

Paris: Collage of Beautiful Things

 

Below is a collage of photos I took in Paris the past few weeks.

There is the rear courtyard at Versailles, an interior door at Versailles, a ruin wall overdoor from the remains of a chateau in the town of Roissy en France, and an old French document dated 1741 that I purchased at the Vanves fleamarket.

Just starting to sort out all the 2,000 photos. Enjoy!

Summer

Photos: Swede

Bringing Paris Home: Simple Pleasures

 

Here is a fun way to recycle.  I like to use empty wine bottles as vases for single tall stems of flowers, like these Hydrangeas, which were in full bloom when we got back from Paris this week.  I particularly like wine bottles with insignias in the glass.  Mr. Swede knows to look at the bottle instead of the label when purchasing bottles of wine, so he can bring back the empty bottles. Not exactly what a wine connoisseur would do, but he knows I am happy with them. The Paris grocery stores' wine section had a surprising variety of bottles with the insignias.  I like the ones with crowns. 

Such a simple and easy pleasure.  Above are two soda bottles with sexy curves and two rose wine bottles with insignias in the glass holding single stems of Hydrangea.

Shown with the wine bottles are French demijohn bottles in aqua and green in various sizes as a grouping on the console table in the hallway. The huge ones are on the floor underneath. I have no idea how many gallons of wine these once contained, but I know that I would not be able to lift one full of liquid. I designed the console for Swede Collection HERE.

I could use any vase for these flowers, but I get enjoyment from such simple bottles.  I have kept the paper labels on the wines to remember when and where we enjoyed the vintage. You can see how big this aqua demijohn is compared to the size of the wine bottles.  The aqua ones are my favorite.

Some people use the wine bottles to hold candles, but I have difficulty finding candles the correct size to fit the various diameters of the top openings.  So this is my recycling alternative.

Summer

Photos: Swede

  

Memorial Day

 

Hello everyone.  Yes, we are back from Paris. I say "we" meaning Mr. Swede and I as my luggage decided it wanted to stay longer. Delta promises to find it and bring it to the house.  Paris was exhausting but very fun. I haven't posted for over a month, so wanted to quickly post the patriotic pleated bunting I got for our back porch as a surprise for Mr. Swede.  I was going to not install it until Fourth of July, but decided Memorial Day was also fitting to use it.  Mr. Swede got the three panels hung on cup hooks before leaving for Honolulu this afternoon. I needed a couple days before going back to work to get my days/nights straightened back out.  We took over 2,000 photos so it will be slow sorting them all out, but I will start posting the Paris shots soon.

I thought our back porch would look best with three panels of bunting between the columns.  You can see that they reflect in all the windows.  I first saw this bunting in a neighborhood near me last year and was too late to find it in stores. So I decided to order it early this year before it was sold out. The two-story homes I saw it on placed the bunting on each of their front windows. We have a large number of bikers and walkers on the greenbelt trail behind the house, so it will get lots of lookers.

I got the 72"x36" one with the stars in nylon so it wouldn't fade so much.

Here is the link to where I purchased them from Independence Bunting. HERE  If you like this idea you can probably still get them for Fourth of July if you order now. I love ours so am passing along the link.  I certainly don't get anything from this comany for promoting them here.  If you order three you get free shipping.  

We are a very patriotic family with many members serving in the armed forces for generations.  This is our tribute to those who died serving their country.  Here is a link to the meaning of Memorial Day. HERE  When I was a child, my Mom called it Decoration Day and it was also the day to place fresh flowers on the graves of all family members, not just those who were in the armed forces.

Hope you have a great three-day weekend.

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Paris in May

 

Can you believe it???  Mr. Swede and I are spending May in Paris "together". He was there last week and again at the end of this week on business, but we are both taking vacation and going together with no work worries.  We didn't do anything to celebrate our 20th anniversary in December, so this will be it.  I'm working this week, then we leave for the City of Lights.  I'm back May 29th.  We will be there long enough to get several Saturdays in at the Vanves flea market.  I sure hope to find something fabulous. My main goal is to photo every piece of antique and vintage object of beauty I find -- every rusty door hinge, door knob, or architectural element. Paris has been there as a settlement since 250BC as Parisii founded as far as anyone knows by the Celtic people of Ireland who came across what is now the Celtic Sea.  I love the Haussmann buildings from 1853-1870 as well so hope to photo all of their elements. Our apartment is on the island of Saint Louis whose buildings are mostly from the 1600's.  St. Louis, Missouri is named for this island.

Ile Saint Louis is the smaller natural island behind Ile de Cite shown in the foreground [you can see Notre Dame on the right].  I got this photo from the Internet, so apologize for not citing the original photographer of this aerial photo.  The Seine River goes around on both sides of the island.  This is in the center of Paris.

In this photo you can see the Seine and the stone work around the island. There is a road around the edge. Sorry, again - I don't know who took this photo.

Here are some photos of the apartment Mr. Swede got for us last week.  It is one bedroom, one bathroom with kitchen and dining-living area.  Very small.  Yes, only 410 square feet.  Most of the island is residential --constructed in the 17th century.  You can see the tall ceilings with wood beams.

White settee in front of the bar area.

The marble fireplace and desk with Aubusson rug.

Here's the kitchen area.

The sink and cupboards in the galley kitchen.

The white tiled bath with the washer.

We will be doing all the tourist things like Versailles, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and hanging like we're locals on the island.  And, since the best ice cream shop in Paris is on the island, Berthillon, we will have to walk past it each day--lucky for our calorie consumption it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

I'm looking forward to an exciting time.

And, last, here's today's Daily Thing of Beauty, my neighbor's Queen Elizabeth Rose.  I used picmonkey.com to add the marbelized vein effect.

Summer

Rose photo: Swede

 

Easter Greetings

 

A lovely Iris blooming in the yard this Easter Sunday. Love the ice cream colors.

Summer

Photo: Swede

Gardening: Black Velvet Iris

 

This is for Mr. Swede who is in San Francisco this Easter weekend and missed the opening of Black Velvet.

All the Iris plants are in full bloom now.

Summer

Photo: Swede

 

Gardening: A Nursery Rhyme

 

Probably my favorite nursery rhyme as a child was The Little Red Hen. This rhyme teaches independence in doing things yourself and other virtues to childen.  The book has been illustrated and rewitten many times.  I'm not sure there was an original author to credit.  I have had to be The Little Red Hen on many occasions during my adult lifetime.  Mr. Swede became very familiar with the book and its morale after we married.  He did not know the book as a child.  I highly recommend you find the book and read it, even though you are not three any longer so you understand this post and read it to your children or grandchildren.

Once upon a time The Little Red Hen had a beautiful Weeping Peach tree in her yard.

 
The Little Red Hen went to the nursery, purchased the tree, lugged it home and planted it all by herself.  The tree grew and grew and grew into The Little Red Hen's favorite tree.  She LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the tree each Spring when it bloomed.

Then a very nasty bad fungus came and killed the beautiful tree. 

The Little Red Hen was SAD, SAD, SAD.

So as the nursery rhyme goes, The Little Red Hen asks for help removing the tree.

No, said the strong Ox.

No, said the mighty Horse.

No, said the helpful Cow.

So, The Little Red Hen says, "I will do it myself".  And she did. She sawed off all the dead branches and drug them to the street for garbage pick up. Did I mention how huge those limbs were????

Who will help me take down the seven foot trunk? 

Not I, said the strong Ox.

I will use my chainsaw said the nice neighbor if you will help me cut down my Pine tree limbs. And, he did. [I don't think that was an even exchange on my part!]

Who will help me take out the big stump?, said The Little Red Hen. 

Not I, said the strong Ox. Nor the Horse, nor the Cow [you get the rhyme  by now].

"So I will do it myself", said The Little Red Hen.  And she did.

It had roots to China.

Now I have to fill in the hole. It doesn't look it from this view, but it is about 10" deep.

Here is another photo of the stump for Mr. Swede who is in Taipei today.

I have been killing myself in the yard the past two weekends.  Went to the nursery and got 12 flats of annuals and 5 shrubs, so off to fill the hole and do some planting.  Hope you are having fun!

Summer

Photos: Swede

 

Daily Beauty: Love These Terms

 

Her name is No Down Payment.  Great terms. Lovely lady.

Bearded Iris. Usually blooms in May -- wayyyyyyyyy early this year.

Love the apricot colored ruffles.  Reminds me of organdy fabric.

Deliciously beautiful.

Summer

Photos: Swede