my favourite find

When I last visited my sister in Paris, we went to the 'Porte de Vanves' flea market in the south of the city.

As you can imagine I wanted to buy almost everything. Stalls stretched out along a quiet avenue, lined with trees selling all sorts from 60's and 70's furniture to linens, paintings and ceramics.

I fell in love with some beautiful fabric swatches, stitched on to paper with penciled notes written on them.

I didn't buy any, but now I wish I had! Instead I bought this cigar box full of old sewing bits and pieces which someone had carefully collected. Since then I've added a few bits of my own.  

a french moment ...

I'm having a bit of a french moment, I bought this compact form a charity shop at the weekend.

I think it's 1950's, someones souvenir of a trip to the Eiffel Tower. I don't know why I like it, maybe the colours and that it belonged to someone else once.

My sister lives in Paris, so any excuse I get, I try to visit. There is a great flea market near to where she lives, which is where I bought the buttons from.

summer holiday

Here are some photos of the house we stayed at in France. It's nearly 200 years old and has some amazing features, antique furniture, chandeliers, gilt mirrors and beautiful fabrics lining the walls!

This blue and cream fabric was on the walls in one of the bedrooms.

It was nice to escape the heat of the day in the cool kitchen.

Lazy summer lunch ...

The region is known for it's lakes and forests.

trip to france

Just got back from a family holiday in France. We stayed in a wonderfully quirky old house in a small town called Senonches, which is in the Eure-et-Loire region. We were visiting my sisters, partners parents for one week, i'll add some pictures of the house later.

Yesterday morning we went to the weekly market that runs through the town's main street.

There was stall after stall of vegetables, fruit, cured meats, cheeses, flowers and honey to name a few. I wanted to bring a lot more home, but I did manage to buy a few things on the trip.

This haberdashery stall was over flowing with ribbons, buttons, lace and beads.

I bought a selection of these embroidered fabric hems. Not sure what I will do with them yet, but they were so pretty.

We bought some things from the market to eat on the journey home on the Eurostar.

I brought back some other bits and pieces too. I love these packet designs

I always bring back a Paris Vogue

We also went to a bric-a-brac shop and found a flour jar to add to my collection and a little glass salt and pepper pinch pot.