Mlle Magpie

Lovely Living Rooms

 

Loving these living rooms...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1,2,3 - Country Living, 4 - inthefunlane.com, 5 - White Living, 6 - unknown)

 

Comfortable, a little bit country, a little bit French and a lot of vintage and white. 

 

Mlle Magpie

 

Doll Head Fun

 

 

I have a collected a few vintage doll heads over the past year. I am one of those people who love them - the rest of my family not so much. They think that they're a bit creepy, but I think they are so funny and cool. This little guy has been hanging out in our living room lately...

 

Mlle Magpie

Party Purses

 

 

Husband and I don't go out much, but I have a collection of party purses at the ready nonetheless :)

 

 

I've hung them up in our bedroom. Below these stylish French mademoiselles of days past.

 

Mlle Magpie

Pearls and Paris

 

 

On the topic of white, I sure do love my pearls. Again, this is one of those things that one can never really have enough of, don't you think? I keep my faux pearls on Big Mama who presides over our dining room. 

 

 

Big Mama reminds me of one of my favourite cafes when I lived in Paris. The cafe was in the 5th arrondissement on a tiny side street near the laboratoire where I did my graduate research. We would sometimes go there for lunch (always with a few glasses of wine, bien sur) and in the hustle and bustle of the lunchtime crowd, there would be Big Mama, the matriarch of the cafe doing whatever needed to be done to keep things running smoothly. Whenever my Mother would come to visit me in Paris I would always take her there for lunch. This woman was very tall and large, but moved around that cafe with such authority, efficiency and elegance - we just loved watching her in action. To this day, whenever my Mother brings up Big Mama we remember her fondly. Ahhhhhhh, Paris. And what could be better than thoughts of Paris in the springtime...?

 

Mlle Magpie

 

More White

 

 

Although I (and everyone else!) am dreaming of springtime, Mother Nature has different ideas in mind. We are in the middle of yet another snowstorm up here in Quebec. Yes, more white.

 

 

I do love white.

 

 

I think in decorating, one can never have too much white. But outside, by the month of March it can start to get a bit overdone if you know what I mean...

 

Mlle Magpie

 

p.s. these photos from Vintage, a fab European blog

Thrifted Flowers

 

 

 

As I think about gardening and flowers to get my mind off the cold and all the snow outside, how perfect that on my latest thrifting adventure I found this.

 

 

 

 

When I saw this old oil painting at my favourite thrift store, I grabbed it. Maybe a bit more colourful and exuberant than what I would normally go for but according to all the magazines out there, colour seems to be a big theme in decorating this year. This painting is a nice size at 18 X 24 inches and it was only $15 (!). A happy vintage find.

 

I do hope I'm not the only one who found something wonderful this week...

 

Mlle Magpie

 

Out of the Office

 

 

I will be out of the office for a few days. Getting on a plane to go South for some much needed Sunshine Therapy in Florida with husband. See you when I get back.

 

Mlle Magpie

 

p.s. image from British Country Living 

Dreaming of Summertime

 

 

On a particularly cold day in the middle of a snow-filled winter, I start to fantasize about warm and sunny days and al fresco dining...

 

Mlle Magpie

 

p.s. sorry source for this fabulous photo unknown

 

My Gifts From Denmark

 

Husband came back from England and Denmark and I have been waiting for even a bit of sunlight so that I could photograph the gifts he brought back for me from Denmark. The bad news is that he was not able to find the Jeanne d'Arc tea towels and the new edition of Jeanne d'Arc Living magazine is not yet out. However, he did manage to stumble upon a wonderful antique shop that was in the Jeanne d'Arc style. The owner told him that many of the people whose homes are featured in the magazine do shop there. So what did he get me?

 

 

I received a few beautiful vintage French monogrammed tea towels. They are so wonderful. I'm not yet sure what I will do with them, but I'll think of something special for them. Perhaps one of them will be used to reupholster a chair seat cover... The shop owner also wrapped up this vintage catalogue for me as a little gift. How kind of her.

 

 

 

 

It is filled with wonderful illustrations such as this one. They will definitely be fun to use in projects.

 

 

And voila, the piece de resistance!

 

 

 

A huge vintage Belgian grain sack. I had a long body pillow that I was planning to sew a cover for so that I could place it on our vintage guest bed in the basement, but lo and behold, the grain sack fit perfectly!

 

 

 

 

Husband is gone again, this time to San Francisco, but in a couple of weeks he will by travelling to Paris and Munich for a short business trip. I am just wondering if he will have any time to pop into a brocante while he's in Paris...?

 

Mlle Magpie

 

Jeanne d'Arc Living Land

 

Husband is travelling again for business this whole week. Today he is flying from London to Denmark, the home of the infamous Jeanne d'Arc Living.

 

 

 

He just doesn't realize how exciting this is for me.

 

 

 

 

While in Copenhagen he will buy the latest issue for me and my B.F. Apparently, it's available everywhere in Denmark, from grocery stores to magazine stands. 

 

 

 

 

And perhaps he will be able to find some of their beautiful products in a shop...?

 

 

 

 

Like this lovely linen tea towel. Note how I'm always thinking of my husband - this wouldn't take up much space in his suitcase at all :)

 

Mlle Magpie

 

p.s. we're in the middle of the snowstorm that has come all the way over from the Midwest of the U.S. - hope everyone is staying warm and cozy

 

(all photos courtesy of Jeanne d'Arc Living)