Picture This

It has been said that one's obssession with a country/era is linked to a past life. Thus I like to think I was a personage of importance in France in a prior incarnation on this earth.

In all seriousness I cannot explain my passionate obssession for anything French. French movies, french music, french names for my cat, old french books, french writing on objects that are not even remotely french...all are fair game and justifiable purchases (in my head anyway).

Possibly the seeds were sown when I watched the movie Amelie for the first time (my all-time favorite that I could watch over and over). Maybe it was the discovery of a little shop (that has since closed down - I am still devastated to this day) in a tiny country town filled with objects d'art that called to my soul and filled me with happiness. Or it could have been an Yves Saint Laurant advertisment I saw in Australian Vogue many moons ago of a model posing in garden at night the Eiffel Tower brilliantly lit in the background. My absolute dream would be to elope in Paris or somewhere picturesque in the French countryside. I can only hope this wish will be granted one day.

Until that happy day arrives I will have to comfort myself with looking at the lovely vintage prints of Paris I ordered from Vintage Venus a couple of weeks back to decorate the bare walls of our home.

It has been difficult to find art work to decorate the home. As I have dabbled in painting in the past I wanted to do some of my own rather than buying just another abstract oil painting or a mass-produced canvas that screams tackiness. So I decided to order a few posters. The print quality is fantastic and the package arrived within a week. The search is now on for the perfect picture frames to complement the lovely posters.

Another idea I had was to cover a canvas with this amazing vintage wall paper my Aunt Patrizia and I found on our travels (read: curbside) a couple of months back:

The alternative is to display this in a frame but finding a frame to complement the print will be difficult.

Other ideas to decorate blank walls?

      *Cover a canvas or use a complementing frame to display a lovely piece of fabric

      *Paint a canvas in a complimentary colour and arrange wall decals over the top for a cute piece that can be moved at will

      * Vintage plate display - these are easy to find at the local op shop for couple of dollars a piece

      * Print any one of the million free pictures off the internet and frame it

      * Frame some cute postcards

      * An interesting display of mirrors/clocks/wall sconces would make a pretty focal point

      * A gorgeous piece of clothing can look nice hanging on the wall from a nice hook - I have a lovely handmade vintage nightie in the bedroom near my improvised dressing table. Catching a glimpse of it brings me far more joy than wearing it.

     * Water features look amazingly dramatic and the sound of running water is surprisingly relaxing

The next step for me? Learning to use a drill...

Beware of the Black Cat(s)

I would like to formally introduce my beautiful kitties to the land of blog.

My darling Voltaire:

Voltaire is a sweet natured, placid cat who is approximately one year old. He is very affectionate and well-behaved. He has been recenly diagnosed with IBD and it has been a long arduous journey to find out what is causing the problem and how to best treat it.

The adorable Spider-cat:

Spider-cat is the cheekiest, smartest, most inquisitive kitten I have ever met. He is approximately eight months old. He is so affectionate that he will wake me up at all hours of the night trying to rub his head on my face while purring in my ear. He has taught hinself to fetch. He also used this as a ladder to get up onto the bench from the day we bought him home:

(He was too little to jump so high at the time - bless!)

Fred has put him on the ceiling and sang the Spider-pig song from the Simpsons movie. Except, of course, it has been changed to cat.

Both of my furry babies were dumped and we adopted them both from the same local vet clinic. Voltaire was an older kitten when found and as such no one wanted him which broke my heart.

Spider-cat was found in a local park winter last year. He was little more than four weeks old.

Black cats are the hardest to re-home as many people seem to think they are unlucky. A shame really as black cats have the sweetest natures and are really very clever.

May I say how sickened I am by the heartless cruelty perpetrated by humankind towards animals. On the bright side they now have a happy comfortable home with almost every whim catered to and lots of love and affection.

From the albeit crappy quality photos I have posted it is easy to see that the colour scheme of the house is neutral. Big mistake. Black cats and pale colour schemes do NOT go together so well. Especially at coat-shedding time:

(One of the decorative cushions from the master bedroom)

I wouldn't have it any other way.

For the Love of Books

As hinted in the title of this post it is safe to say that I love books.

If, in fact, I was to be totally honest, I would say my love of books is equal to that I have for my fiance, family (including but not limited to my kitties), and my collection of sewing machines.

My kitties seem to love books as much as I do - as evidenced by the chewed corners decorating some of my collection:

I like to display my books rather than hide them away on a shelf. Or in my case, shelves. Knowing that I own some amazing and unsual books brings me great pleasure. Looking at my lovely books makes me happy. Thus I try to match the type of book with the room.

I have a stack of my prettiest cook books on the kitchen bench.

I have worked my old French books into a display in the living room:

(Please excuse the electrical cords)

Coffee table books on my makeshift coffee table (remember my vintage suitcases?):

The top of the suitcase is badly buckled from water damage. I needed to find something that would hide it yet still show the vintage beauty of the suitcases.

To date I have only seen one article on how to decorate with books. This is in the current issue of H&G and it was not helpful at all. It was rather misleading I felt as it focused more on adding some flair to bookshelves rather than displaying the books themselves.

While this may not be the traditional way to decorate I firmly believe if it looks good and suits the asthetic...why not?

Oh and my favorite author of all time? L M Montgomery.

The Three R's

I am a firm believer in recycling, reusing, and re-purposing.

Admittedly I am almost obsessive about sorting out the garbage to ensure every single item that can possibly be recycled, is. Lecturing (for lack of a better word) those who mix up the rubbish in my specially purchased dual bin has been known to happen in this household.

Therefore it never ceases to amaze me how wasteful people can be! No matter though as wastefulness/lack of creativity/laziness = my gain. And what a spectacular gain it has been! Especially where the ceilings of my home are concerned.

This lovely light fixure is presiding over the entry way:

This amazing one is awaiting installation over the dining table:

(I have been debating whether or not to paint the gold to match the one in the entry way.)

Recycled? Tick! Re-used? Tick! Suits my style asthetic? Tick! The added bonus? I did not pay a cent courtesy of the local curbside collection!

It takes a healthy dose of courage. A willingness to follow some simple ettiquette. A keen eye. The ability to see items not for what they are but what they can be. Most importantly, a sense of humor, wet wipes/anti-bacterial gel and a down to earth companion.

There are many out there who will laugh and make snide comments. However I smile, nod, and comfort myself with the thought that I have awesome stuff and they haven't. I am serene in the knowledge I am upholding my personal values.

And that, in my humble opinion, is well worth the fleeting embarrassment.

Damn Electrical Cords

Nothing irks me more than seeing a beautifully decorated room with electrical cords in plain view.

Have you ever noticed in interior styling programs/magazines/etc cords seem to magically disappear? Floor lamps are lit from within. Wall mounted flat screens truly do appear to be a modern art work strategically placed in a home theatre. Kitchen appliances are powered seemingly by air.

After being inspired by the successful foraging of the overnight case (more about the actual who/what/how/when/where/why at a later date) I decided to spend my day yesterday re-styling the open plan living and dining area in my home. I like to fiddle with my treasures until they are displayed just so - a process that can take weeks.

I finally put together these two gorgeous floor lamps I purchased a couple of weeks ago:

 They look stunning and match my style perfectly - until one looks at the floor to see the stupid BLACK electrical cords running against the wall to the nearest powerpoint. The floors are an off-white colour tile so the contrast is so obvious I cannot bear to look in that general direction.

And this lovely fiberglasss water feature I purchased with my long suffering finace Fred originally intended for the garden?

My intention was to relocate to the wall between the dining and living room windows. Until I realised that my only options to display this are either some sort of pedestal (hidden electrical cord) or on the wall (visible BLACK cord). Neither option really appeals.

So until I find a viable solution my hatred of electrical cords is doomed to increase tenfold daily.

(Please note better photos will be posted as soon as I get my new digital camera)

Vintage Luggage: A Curious Obsession

I have a confession to make. I adore vintage luggage. I love the look. I love the feel. I love the whiff of far flung adventure and the musty odor of a life well lived. And not just any vintage luggage will do. It has to be the old sturdy cardboard suitcase that all seem to have the varying shades of  the same green pattern.

At the moment I have three suitcases in different sizes. The largest I found in a dingy second hand store with no EFTPOS facilitlies. I had to borrow the measly $10 from my sister because I was desperate to have it.

The medium sized one belonged to my fiance's late father. It came out to Australia many years ago when his family immigrated here. We found this in his mothers shed being used to store old wire coathangers. And I loved the idea of using this family heirloom (of sorts) as decoration in our home. This was the first in the collection (and the start of my obsession).

The smallest suitcase is more of an overnight one. It is square rather than rectangle like the others. I found this yesterday on the side of the road awaiting the council pick up. Why anyone would throw this out I will never know! Especially when I have seen similiar for sale at the local vintage markets for the pricey sum of $50!!!

Strangely enough I detest flying and I will freely admit to being a neurotic traveller. I love the idea of exploring what the world has to offer. However take me out of my comfort zone and I tend to freak! But there is something about vintage luggage that makes me sad. Is it the idea that most of these suitcases have been tossed in a corner well forgotten? Or that the previous owners are no longer around to tell the amazing stories?

Salutations!

Welcome to my blog - a treasure trove of the beautiful and inspiring. Collecting the cute and quirky, revamping old into spectacular, styling on a budget, and loving all things French is what Le Papillon Parisien is about.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Last but not least I would like dedicate this to my beloved grandfather who recently passed away. He will be remembered not only for his beautiful handcrafted pieces of furniture but his gentle soul.