Mlle Magpie

Pastel Pretties

 

 

 

Working on a big clean up and organization of the house before my youngest daughter's First Communion and older daughter's Confirmation in May. So very busy with all my work outside of the house that I don't know how much I will get done at home. Will just keep plodding away at it...

 

 

 

 

This is a part of my vintage dress collection. So pretty to look at. They're not all fitting in my vintage prom dress closet so I had to buy a rack to hang some of them on. I think they look so nice in the family room in the basement, but husband doesn't think so, so out of the family room they will go... :)

 

Mlle Magpie

Wedding Anniversary

 

 

 

Whew, somehow I survived the ultra busyness of September. It's been just crazy at work and at home with the kids. Fortunately we will get a bit of a break as this is the Thanksgiving long weekend in Canada and we will be off tomorrow to visit my family in Toronto.

 

 

 

We'll be celebrating my parents' 50th Wedding Anniversary en famille.

 

 

(vintage wedding cake toppers from my collection)

 

 

Being married for 50 years is quite the accomplishment in this day and age...

 

 

Mlle Magpie

 

Colette's Creations

 

While in my hometown of Toronto over the Easter weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting up with the marvellous Colette Copeland. Artist, teacher and now friend. We met at Bizzy B's, a "stamp and scrap" shop near High Park where I got to buy a couple of Colette's fabulous stamps. She has designed a line of stamps for Stampington called "Carved by hand" and many of you may know that she is a frequent contributor to the Somerset publications. For example, Colette can be found in the current Somerset Studio magazine.

 

Here are a few of Colette's creations that I have collected over the past year.

 

 

I love that I have been able find vintage frames for her pieces from my frame collection at home.

 

 

 

 

 

We had such a lovely visit. I also received a gift from Colette as I was her 300th sale in her Etsy shoppe - this lovely creation using vintage paper and lace on salvaged wood. It's  perfect for me! Thanks so much, Colette!

 

 

I'm already looking forward to seeing dear Colette again when I'm back in Toronto this summer. This time I'm hoping to visit Colette in her studio and maybe learn a thing or two from this wonderful, delightful and generous artist. Lucky me!

 

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

Beth's Bags

 

 

Besides my penchant for pretty purses, I also adore bags and pouches. Especially handmade ones. These are from the Etsy shop of Beth of Gathering Dust.

 

 

All hand dyed and hand sewn by the lovely Beth who also has a thing for making lovely bags and pouches.

 

 

How sweet is this little Bee Heart that she included in my order?!! Love it!

 

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

 

Vintage Photo Love

 

 

Have been really loving vintage photos lately. Especially of little girls. By the way, that's a vintage French book page that Jeanne has embellished - she includes wonderful things like that with all her orders from her etsy shoppe, A Bushel and a Peck. 

 

 

Something about those bows in the hair as well. Maybe it has to do with the memory of my mother putting them in my hair when I was that small...  :)

 

Mlle Magpie

Summery blues

I love collecting things for (future) projects. Fabrics, ribbons, buttons... Just looking at them makes me happy.

Hope everyone has nice plans for the weekend, or no plans at all :)

Mlle Magpie

A Pile of Vintage Quilt Blocks

While treasure-hunting one day I found a whole stack of these beautiful quilt blocks. I believe it's the Dresden Plate pattern, using those wonderful feedsack fabrics from the 30's and 40's. Love that seafoam green center and that black blanket-stitched edge is a nice little touch. The pieces are about 12"X12". I think they would make wonderful pillow covers or look great framed and grouped on a wall. I had to buy the whole stack since they were being sold all together. Husband thinks I should keep a few for myself and open and etsy shop to sell the rest. In fact, husband thinks I should sell a lot of my stuff :) What's a vintage-loving Magpie to do?

Mlle Magpie