Quiddity 2

Chartres

2012-02-12T12:25:00.000-08:00

wonky little house in front of the cathedral

We chose to go to Chartres on this Photo Tour, as one of our guests had studied it in school, and wanted to see the cathedral that was so famous. Built around 1200, it is an exceptionally well preserved architectural tribute to the genius of the unknown architect who designed it, and to the men who built it over a 65 year span. The majority of stained glass windows are still intact, and there have been very few changes to the architecture.

I used to teach about this when I covered the Gothic era in Art History,

["Height, Light and Pointy Bits",as my students would learn to define it. Indeed, an inordinate number of my former students still refer to backsides as "flying buttresses"!].

I had been a few times before, but never had the time to discover what a charming town Chartres was. Interesting windows...

school boys...

sweet boutiques...

antique stores...

and tea across from the cathedral

at the cozy Café Serpente

where the owner's wife displayed her huge collection of teapots and coffee pots. I'm smitten with teapots [being somewhat shaped like one],so I was thrilled to find this little feast for the eye.

While we were there, we stayed in the cozy farmhouse

adjacent to this beautiful château, owned by a Russian man who visits alone for only three months a year. The other nine months the château is empty! Hmmmm...Do you think he could be talked into a Bloggers' retreat???

From here we go to Paris!

Oh, I'm working up my nerve to do my first giveaway! I just won something on a blog giveaway, and I want to pay it forward. Next time...

A demain, copaines,
dawne

Let Zem Eat Cake!

2012-01-23T14:38:00.000-08:00

marie antoinette's hameau at versaille
photo by my husband, romanced by me [ The photo. Not my husband. Although that has been known to happen,too.]

When last I left you, chers lecteurs, we were headed for Versaille. I taught about Versaille in my Art History class for years from this BOOK, which I bought for the class in 1991.
[ It really is the best book, and I think I'll buy it for myself.] But seeing this palace in a book, and seeing it in real life, are very different things. It's mind-blowing, isn't it? We went for the first time in 1998, and we've been there several times since. This time we didn't feel like going into the rooms, so we parted company with Marie and Christine, and headed for the"backyard".

Even in late autumn, in the rain, with no flowers in the beds, the gardens and grounds are breathtaking.

The original gardens were designed by Andre Le Notre

Now, I am always the navigator, because I always know where I'm going. Except when I get lost. And lost, I got. I took a wrong turn, Zigged when I should have zagged, and we ended up in a place where

NO Man Has Ever Gone

or so it would appear, because as we followed this path

through this hedge, and into what is known as

The King's Garden

The most peaceful park, with color to rival Vermont, and huge, majestic trees,

...there wasn't a tourist to be seen. Just a private place of touching beauty. Do yourself a favor, and get lost over on the left side of the back yard and wander into this private garden. I'll bet it's equally marvelous in the Spring.

After this we strolled back to the Petite Trianon and my favorite of all places on earth, the Hameau of Marie Antoinette. I won't write about the hameau here, as it opens a Pandora's Box of feelings about the rich, decadence and artificiality, and but do click on the link if you have an interest.

choux et poireaux

marlborough tower
m a r l b o r o u g h t o w e rm a r l b o r o u g h t o w e r
As for me, I'm just entranced with the fairytale feeling that this spot evokes.It's a photographer's dream.
And as for my title above, did Marie really say "let them eat cake"? Popular wisdom today says no, but who can say for sure? Here's one take on the subject. Personally, I think I prefer this take on Marie and Her Cake from the oh-so-talented Wendy.
I have more pix of the hameau to work on, and tomorrow we'll go to Chartres.
Thank you so much for all your sweet comments on my last post! We all love France, don't we!!!!

A bientôt,mes douces!

dawne

Back to France...again.

2012-01-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

o l d b o a t i n t h e M a r n e

Thank you so much to
all who wrote encouragement on my last post. I think your "favorite blogger" has agreed to help me with her words, but we'll not say more about that until later...:)

I think right now you all would like to see some more pix of our November trip to France, right? Okay, let's start with the first town we traveled to, Senlis, just an hour north of Paris.

Here are the two photo enthusiasts who traveled with us, and have become our great friends. They are named Marie and Christine, just like the name of a shop in town!

Senlis is a medieval town

If you remember , we went to Senlis also
in July , and I fell in love with this little antique boutique, but lost the name.

Well, this time I didn't lose the card. The brocante de charme is called

Le Clos Eglantine

and it is owned by
Nadia Hallers

Couldn't you just do some credit card damage in here?

All of the furniture is vintage or antique,but has been painted in the loveliest shade of Paris grey.

I shared a few ideas about chalk paint with the owner. She may carry the paint someday. If you're ever in Senlis, it is at

1 rue de Beauvais,
right as you enter the town.

We had a lovely lunch at a tearoom across the street,

shopped for cheese

spent some time in the cathedral,

then headed to our petite château in the Champagne region

Le Château de la Marjolaine

there was a beautiful little chapel on the grounds

and a romantic gate leading to

a peaceful promenade along the river Marne...

before dinner in our own private dining room!
And what a remarkable dinner it was, served and prepared by jean Pierre and Bruno!!!

Tomorrow we'll move on to Versaille!
But now it's time to go and watch "Downton Abbey!"

A bientôt, mes amies,

dawne

The Book of Boo...

2012-01-05T11:38:00.000-08:00

"...head for the trees, BooBoo! I know those trees. We're almost home!"

I've never been one for New Year's Resolutions. They don't don't seem to have a good reputation for working. Instead, from a young age, I would start off the New Year with a fresh calendar and I would choose a date sufficiently far into the year, and write what I hoped would have happened by then. Like, at age 7 I might write on the Oct 13 square " I will have a pony by this day" or when I was 13, "Mark will be my boyfriend by this day" or when I was 21, "I will be engaged by this day". In the not so distant past, I have been known to write " I will weigh 107 by this day." [!!]

my yearly calendar

Sadly, I don't think any of those things ever happened by "that day", but yet, like Yonks, I'm decidedly optimistic about each and every year, even those "doomed" to be the end of all years!

I mean, I never actually got a pony, but I did end up with lots of horses. And I never actually ever got engaged, but I eloped with the man of my dreams,
[and after 4 decades it seems to be working].

John Upton
love struck hippies that we were

ANYWAY...

One of my favorite Bible verses is from Psalm 37

via

The usual interpretation is that He will give you what you want. That may be true. But I also think it means, that He will "place within your heart" the right desires.

So, as my family sat down to put out into the air our hopes and aspirations for 2012, and after we had expressed our prayer for Peace on Earth, and prayers for physical and emotional healing for friends and family, we each gave one special, personal dream that we would desire for ourselves this year...

and mine is,

[takes deep breath]

that I might see my photographs published in a real, appearing-on-Amazon.com-and-in-my-local-bookstore- book. Photos like the one on the top, which is part of a children's story called "The Book of Boo".

I won't place that in a square on my calendar, but I will voice it here. And I'll come back in a year and check to see what's happened.

Now if only I could find someone to write the words..

And speaking of books, maybe I've been inspired by this... have you ordered your copy??

And it is appearing on Amazon.com,here

Kristin's blog was the first one I ever read, back in 2005. This book is based on the delightful stories from her blog,
French-Word-a-Day
This book is a great read!

à plus tard, mes copines,

dawne

A New Year

2011-12-30T22:19:00.000-08:00

Our dear old Prissy, in honor of our new friend, Spotty!!

I have heard that number, 2012, soooo many times this year. The year of the Big Election in the states, the year the Mayan calendar says the world will end, [ha!], the year we will buy a château in France [ another really big HA!]. But in all likelihood, Lord willing, we will be living in this momentous year in just a few hours. And so, dear friends, and followers, and family who read this and smile

!!HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

may all your dreams come true, and all your prayers be answered in 2012

But before we move into the new year, I want to share a few pix of our Christmas, like so many of you have done on your inspiring blogs. We were thrilled to be part of the Christmas House Tour in our town this year, as a fundraiser for our historic Courthouse.

I got lots of great decorating ideas from

Like painting a poster board with chalkboard paint, and writing on it...

This one is mine, but I got the idea from bucketsofburlap.blogspot.com

And was inspired by the beautiful photos from the lovely Miss Glenda at

The Paper Mulberry

Among all of her Christmas images she showed a stunning pinecone wreath, frosted with white, which led me to the barn to dig up my old one and FROST it, too.

But when it actually came time to decorate, I ended up just doing pretty much what I do every year.

Vintage ornaments in urns, with white branches

vintage angels on the kitchen shelf

We always decorate my Mutti's bathroom...

and her bedroom. I made her the antique lace stocking in 1983.

we just love the vintage wooden angel candle holders.

[Mutti,is, BTW, my 94 year old mom.]

Here she is sitting by the fire.

Can you guess how much I love my Santos cage doll, given to me by my darling Jill?

This is our daughter's Photography studio

...painted grey even before she knew it was de rigueur! Thank you so much for taking all these pictures, Crickett!

So bring on the New Year!!! All we need now is some snow!!

2012 Big Hugs,

dawne

Silent Night...Holy night...

2011-12-23T14:48:00.000-08:00

...all is calm, all is bright

May the Joy, Peace and Love that comes from our Lord and Savior be in your hearts during this Christmas Season.

Love to ALL of you, my dear friends who email me when you read my posts,

and thank you, to all who have become my dear NEW friends, through the blogosphere! Your comments and your blogs have given me so much happiness this year!
Bisous amies,
dawne

So, finally...

2011-12-17T14:10:00.000-08:00

Taken at Galleries Layfayette, last month in Paris. Oh what a store!!!

...I'm taking a short break from my Christmas preparations so that I can finally continue with my part of the award given to me by the very sweet Irina last month: The Blog on Fire Award. She actually awarded my Photography blog French at Heart , but I don't write on that one, so I hope it's okay to write from here... Thanks again for the honor, Irina!

If you recall, I am supposed to tell you 5 things about myself that you don't know, and then award 5 other blogs that I think are just amazing, and they will tell you 5 things about themselves. So here goes:

1. I live in a 170 year old farmhouse with 4 generations under one roof..5 to 95. We're sort of a crazier version of the Waltons.

2. I didn't go to college after high school...I went to Hollywood to become a star. Fortunately Johnny Matthis talked me into going home. He said Hollywood would eat me alive.

3.I was caught in quicksand when I was 9. I was up to my chest. God saved me by a miracle. He had plans for me.

4. I was the class clown when I was in school. Oh, not as a student, but when I was the teacher.:o)

5. I've see The Bourne Identity 37 times. When we rent a car in France, and pull back into the underground garage in Paris to return it, we always wait a beat, and then my husband says, "We can never come back to this car, understand?" Then he makes me change my hair color.
This will only make sense to those of you who have seen The Bourne Identity 37 times.

So, now on to the awards!

My first award goes to
Zsa Zsa Bellagio

ZsaZsa says that her blog is "like no other" and I must agree. You HAVE to check her out!!! This spectacular collection of images comes into my inbox everyday and simply blows me away!! Each day is not just one post, but 10 or 12 posts of some of the most beautiful images on the web! Not a lot of talking, just the best eye candy imaginable!! ZsaZsa, I applaud you and can't wait to find out who you are and much more!!

Next, I have to honor another friend who shows up in my inbox each morning, Maureen Bower of

Eclectic Revisited

Maureen is indefatigable, searches out all the best interiors, and always gives me a little dose of decor with my morning coffee

whether it be romantic

sophisticated

Frenchified

or just plain...ballsy

Her decor offerings are simply top-notch, and always eclectic! She's had lots of blog awards, but I do hope she shares 5 things about herself.

Next award goes to another decor blogger, but one who inspires me to

RESTORE INTERIORS!!!

Kelli Wright is a true artiste when it comes to restoring vintage and just plain old furniture. She is a whiz at painting with chalk paint, and one of these Wednesdays I'm going to gather my courage and link up with her
Restored It Wednesday

Doesn't it just make you want to go out to the barn or to a tag sale and get an old piece of furniture and just start painting?
*******

My 4th pick for great blog goes to one of the most whimsical, féerique, enchanting blogs on the net

merveilles en papier

I love the world that Laetitia lives in...it is truly a French Fairytale, populated by fanciful creatures and delightful domiciles, all created from Papier Maché. Her larger pieces are for sale at La Maison du Roy,

24/26 Passage Jouffroy

75009 Paris

I really hope Laetitia tells more about her artist's life in France! Oh, and her blog is written in both French and English, which helps those of us still struggling with those French idioms!

My final blog needs no introduction, for EveRYoNe knows AniTa Rivera of Castles, Crowns and Cottages!!!!!

But don't try to follow this link, because the most awful thing has happened...
Someone has hijacked her URL!!!!!
I know that things will work out with Blogger eventually, but it is so frustrating not to see her most recent post, which starts out so beautifully, until it switches to some other interloper's site. Still I must award this award to Anita, because she has been so sweet, and is really responsible for me even being in the blogging world, and most of you who follow me came here through her. Is there anyone more faithful in commenting on everyone's blogs? Is there anyone more enthusiastic? So Anita, dear, even though you've probably received numerous blog awards, and even though you are a legend in the Blogosphere, I have to honor you and thank you in this most public way...
God Bless you, and lets get that blog back!!!

UPDATE!!! YAY! Anita's husband found the bug in her gadgets [ whatever that means!] and her blog is now back in the Land of the Living! Now you can follow the link!

Bisous à tous,

dawne

Back From Paris....

2011-11-20T06:53:00.000-08:00

Sacré Cœur from the Musée D'Orsay

...and I will be posting about that really soon for all you Francophiles!!! But, on this Sunday morning how could I not share this? Seen it already? Me too. But it's worth seeing again!!

[And what an amazing Teacher, cast, and concept!!!]

Hallelejah!

Praising Him today!
dawne

These three girls...

2011-10-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

...were sitting out in front of my gazebo tonight...

[I don't do witches, but I DO do weird...]

I was so honored today to be the recipient of Irina's Blog Award

[The award was actually for French at Heart, my strictly Photo blog.]

Click on the link to visit her wonderful blog, and then follow the links to see her other two. They are all beautiful and inspiring. And also please visit the other 4 lovely blogs!

Thank you, Irina!!!

And when I get back from France I will play the game, tell you 5 things about myself, and choose 5 other blogs to give this award to. And I will dedicate a blog to Palomasea [Irina]:)

Also, tonight, this photo was featured on RedBubble's Front Page
[ one of the young girls from my church]

n e v e r m o r e

So, there was more excitement around here today than just packing! I know I owe some blog stops, and I will try to do that from my iPhone in Paris! [ That should be interesting!! :O ]

Have a fun night, and I'll see you when I return!

Boo!

dawne

Bayeux and Beyond...

2011-10-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

g o o s e g i r l i n b r i t t a n y

As I'm getting packed to leave for Paris, I realize that I never finished showing you the rest of the trip we took this summer through Normandy, Brittany and the Loire. This is a trip that I would recommend to anyone, as it was easy, affordable, and sooooo beautiful. Have any of you ever done this trip? I know a few of my friends who read this blog actually live there!! You know how envious I am of you, don't you? :) My trip to Paris next week is a little Photo Workshop, but I really want to lead one through this part of the French countryside next summer! Stay tuned!

The opening photo is a fantasy, of course, and parts of the composite were shot in France. But little goose girls are hard to come by, so I used a painting of a Breton girl by the Victorian painter George Clausen.

Anyway, , here are a few shots from the beautiful medieval town of Bayeux, home of the Bayeux Tapestry, where I met these charming children on holiday from the UK. I wish I were their teacher!!

[I can't help it. I gravitate to kids. This is how I used to photograph my own students when I took them on EuroTrips. Sniffle. I miss it.]

Bayeux had lots of sweet boutiques, with many devoted to needlework

This one was my favorite. Ooo, the dentelles!..

inside the shop.

I bought my one frivolous item on the trip here from this adorable shopkeeper: very jazzy French leggings. I really wanted her dress!

Never, ever, ever stay at this hotel: La Maupassant. Even though it is extremely cheap and you feel very virtuous for being so frugal,[ because you are going to spend the farm on a chateau the next night] and they promise you a bathroom and shower in your room, don't believe it. You will lie awake ALL night long, staring at the sink

and taking pictures of your feet with your iPhone,

and hang out the window taking pictures of the building across the street,

afraid to go down the hall to la toilette,

and at the first hint of light you'll creep out of bed, so as not to wake the sleeping giant next to you, and tip-toe downstairs to go out photographing those...

Blue Buildings at dawn.

But, in truth, it really wasn't so bad.

So...

Off to Dinan,in Brittany, where things were decidedly Old World. What a charming city!

Isn't it straight out of a fairytale?

And speaking of fairytales, have you visited

le Château de Chenonceau? I think it's the prettiest of the big chateaux,

and I'm smitten with the kitchen, downstairs, under the main floor

this is where the scullery maids peeled vegetables and threw the peelings out into the river

I love this little scene

isn't this a homey centerpiece for a kitchen table?

this is a bit out of focus, but I had to show you massive fireplace where they cooked

and baked bread

Gasp!

These were some pottery jars that I thought looked so beautiful

If I could BE any piece of furniture, I would be this. In fact, I look quite like this...

There are beautiful flower arrangements all over the chateau

and all of the flowers are grown in the chateau greenhouses and gardens

I had to play with this photo that my husband took of one of the gardener's cottages...

and turn it into a bit of a fairytale

the gardener's cottage

********

!!!!Late Breaking News!!!!!

Sweet Ria, from the lovely blog

It's Me

is doing the most delightful
GIVEAWAY!!!

Wouldn't you just love to own this book? Ahhh. That Scandinavian Style that we all love so much...
Just Click on "It's Me" and leave a comment and find out how you might become the winner!!

*****************

So, mes amies, we're off to beautiful France again on Tuesday! Wish you were all coming along with us!!!!! Maybe on our workshop in April, hmmm????
See you in two weeks, Lord willing,
Love,dawne

The Thrill is Gone...

2011-10-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

...b u t t h e a p p l e s r e m a i n.

This is my friend Val's front yard. I go there for a women's Bible study every Monday, and it's like getting a little taste of Heaven...Her husband built the sweetest house for them right in the middle of an antique apple orchard...

The great crescendo of fall foliage is over. Many of the brilliant leaves have fallen, and a lot of the trees are bare.

But the late October season has its own kind of beauty.

A l' s c o r n f i e l d

t h e r o a d t o e v e r a f t e r

I love walking in this type of weather, with the fallen leaves swirling around my ankles, and the smell of woodsmoke in the air. Yesterday I took my iPhone with me and took some shots...

Up at the end of our meadow, processed with the app Picture Show.
I am still in awe of all the photo apps available, and how I can take a snapshot, and process it like I would in Photoshop, but right in the palm of my hand as I'm walking!

a bare tree in the pasture...

...processed with Picture Show

sun setting over on the ridge

and this one is processed with lemeLeme

[Anita and Violet, this is how I email them to you!]

But after a long brisk walk at sunset, nothing feels quite as good as coming home to our own cozy farmhouse, where I know that, inside, the fire is crackling and the wine is being poured!

Bisous, mes amies,

dawne

October Valentine

2011-10-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

e v e r a f t e r f a r m

It's here. Peak Foliage. Today. Everafter Farm is ablaze with color.

O n e T r e e

We always know the foliage is at its peak when the One Tree on the brow of the hill on the neighboring farm turns

bright orange

We call it Al's Tree

The story goes like this

On the ridge behind our farm there used to stand a hedgerow of old trees. The landowner wanted to extend his fields, so he asked a neighboring farmer if he would cut down the row. The farmer, being of an artistic and sentimental nature, asked the landowner if he might spare just one tree. The landowner, himself a kindly soul, consented. Now that One Tree stands as a sentinel over our farm, and, in autumn, a beacon of flaming orange for us as we come down our lane. Rare is the day that we don’t cry “there’s our tree”, as we return from away, and feel a little jolt of gratitude for that wise farmer.

Dean Polis

my husband's digtally painted version

Our country lane

Add to the vibrant colors, the

GLORIOUS

80 degree temperatures

and you've got what I'd call,

a pretty perfect fall.

Happy October Valentine's Day!

Bisous,

dawne

...to the Crazy Ones

2011-10-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs tribute

logo created by Jonathan Mak, a 19 year old in Hong

Kong

Steve Jobs is number 7 on the list of the 10 men

who changed my life.

The top 3 include Jesus, my

father, and my husband.

I won't share the whole list,

But he was number 7.

October 1...

2011-10-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

...and it finally feels like fall. Friday night was warm and windy, but today has turned cold and blustery. Rain predicted for next 3 days. I finally put on a fleece and my winter socks for the first time.

The fall wreaths are on the double front doors

...and the pumpkins are on the porch

It really wasn't a good year for our pumpkins, considering that Irene flooded the potager, and then the following days of rain kept it flooded.

But friends have come and given us some, and we'll go to a neighboring farm and buy some big ones, and some Little Jack Horners, and the white Baby Boos,

Baby Boo Pumpkins by our daughter, Crickett Polis

Little Pumpkin in the barn

Soon they'll come and cut our corn , but right now is when I think it looks its most beautiful...

c o r n f i e l d a t s u n s e t

Still standing tall and strong, a little tattered, a bit weathered, but still full of life and ready to give its best at the end. Quite like some of us femmes d'un certain age,
n'est-ce pas?

Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
John 4:35

Au revoir mes amies,

dawne

It's Officially Autumn...

2011-09-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of Autumn on

Everafter Farm

f a r m f e n c e a c r o s s t h e r o a d

o l d b a s k e t, o l d t r o w e l, o l d s q u a s h

m u s h r o o m i n t h e w o o d s

s u n f l o w e r s a t t h e i r p e a k

t h e s e p t e m b e r g a r d e n

a s t e r s, m u m s, a n d o r n a m e n t a l c a b b a g e

Do you all love autumn as much as I do?

Especially the month of September. Oh, October is more dramatic, with all of the flaming Reds and Oranges, but September has my heart. Sweet memories of Back-to-School Days,red plaid dresses, new red shoes; fond memories of being a young bride [ our wedding day was on an August 30], wonderful memories of my own teaching days,of new students whom I would come to love; of Harvests and Heartbreaks [9/11], of a September 19 so many years ago when our daughter came to live with us and made our family complete.

September. The end of the summer. A bittersweet month. And this song always makes me cry.

September blessings to you all,

dawne

Honfleur, la mer, et les amoureux

2011-09-15T01:09:00.000-07:00

h o n f l e u r i n t h e r a i n

La mer. The seashore. The Coast Of Normandy. A little French fishing village. Those are phrases that have enticed me ever since I was a child. And the next stop on our trip, the tiny coastal village of Honfleur, did not disappoint us. It poured with rain while we were there, but, really, that only added to the charm.

o u r b r o t h e r b o b a n d h i s n e w u m b r e l l a

We ducked into a charming bookstore, and I could have stayed there all day looking at gorgeous books like this, the French version of

The New 18th Century Home

[which I bought in English, as soon as I got home. But not with this pretty cover:(]

haha! I'm looking at this picture now and seeing the book under it:"365 Games to play on the Toilet!" I did NOT buy that book!! But it does sound intriguing... :))

The rain did let up, eventually.

As we walked around the tiny bay I spied the sweetest couple, young lovers,les amoureux, sharing a delicious concoction of cream and fruit.

"Would you mind If I took your picture". I asked, in my best tourist Franglish. [Something like "Bonjour. Voulez vous permettez moi por takee votre picture, s'il vous plais?"

And, sweet things that they were,not only did they let me take their picture, in minutes we were playing iPhone games and becoming Facebook buddies. In fact, the young man is using this very photo as his Fb profile picture right now!

Off to the next sweet seaside town of Trouville. While it rained too hard to entice us to get out of the car at Deauville, it was quite lovely in Trouville. Wonderful shops there!

I would have loved to have taken everything in this shop home to Everafter Farm. [Except for that adorable little French boy. I don't think his maman would part with him.] Don't you just love that screen?

There was a branch of the wonderful Parisian store, MERCI,

And across the way from that shop there was an enchanting window display. No store, actually. Just this romantic scene.

Only in France!

Bisous, mes amies
dawne

Safe from the Storm...but not all were...

2011-09-02T10:44:00.000-07:00

p a y s d e l y o n s - a n d e l l e

I shot this peaceful scene in the French countryside last month. How different it is from the devastation that Irene wreaked on beautiful Vermont last week-end.

Here is a video shot by my friend and former teaching colleague, Bill Muench, showing just a small portion of the flooding in Manchester , Vermont

Aug. 28, 2011 Irene hits Manchester, Vermont from Bill Muench on Vimeo.

We,here on Everafter Farm, just across the border from Vermont, were not touched by the hurricane, thank God. But our hearts, prayers, and support go out to those who were.

...and now we wait for Lee.

Have a safe, and restful Labor Day weekend

Dawne

Back to France...where was I..?

2011-08-24T15:54:00.000-07:00

G e r b e r o y

A S t o r y b o o k V i l l a g e i n F r a n c e

...Oh, right...I was going to tell you about the rest of the trip. It wasn't all Châteaux and Chandeliers, but it was all magical, just the same.

We picked up our rental car upon landing at CDG, and drove 30 minutes north up to the medieval town of Senlis [you pronounce the last "s"], the pretty town where over 100 movies have been filmed. Maybe I was delirious from jet lag, but I really forgot what century I was in. What an atmospheric place! It rained while were there, and we all loved that. It truly added to the romance of the cobblestone streets, the market in the town square, the majesty of the beautiful old cathedral.

t h e b r o t h e r s

And in addition to all the cultural and romantic beauty, there was also this most wonderful antique boutique...

Look at those zinc garlands! I could have fit them in my suitcase!!!! [ Slaps forehead.] Well, we are planning to go back to this town in November, and maybe they'll be there then. And maybe I will find out the name of this sweet shop. Because, although I took a business card from the charming owner, I gave it to my darling husband to hold, and he put it in his jacket pocket. Then proceeded to lose his jacket at our dinner restaurant. And the card. So if the charming owner ever sees this post, [ and I gave her the name of this blog] I hope she will get in touch with me and tell me the name and address!!!!!

After lunch in Beauvais, we headed deeper in the lush Picardie countryside to arrive at the Storybook village of Gerberoy. I gave you a link to Gerberoy in a previous post, but I had only read about it then. I had no idea that it would be such an enchanting place...

A village festooned in flowers...

and filled with the sweetest cottages...

Hollyhocks and Cobblestone lanes...

I could live here...

This is the most iconic house in the village, and it was right opposite the window of our cozy B&B,Le Logis de Gerberoy owned by Cécile et Olivier Gréboval

This is part of the gardens of Henri Le Sidaner

And this is the ruined chateau which he bought in 1900 and eventually turned into a dreamy garden filled with roses. Every year the entire town hosts a Rose Festival in honor of him and these roses. I edited this shot below to make the opening photo to this post, because I felt like I was truly in a fairytale.

Despite our luxurious bed and comfortable room, I was too wired to sleep. Couldn't get over this view, so I hung out the window for quite a while...

What is it with French houses that they don't need screens? Here at home I have moths beating themselves senseless on my screens all the while I'm reading in bed. Don't they have bugs in France? Don't a few bats want to get in bed with you? I pondered these deep questions for quite some time, and soon it was morning...

After a wonderful walk in the woods...

And the most delicious French breakfast of freshly baked,flakey croissants, homemade confiture, and cafe au lait served to us by our sweet host, Cecile[we all loved her]...

...we were ready to head out to Honfleur and la Mer!

Je reviendrai bientôt, doux amis,

dawne

A Wonderful French Artist...Jean Boccacino

2011-08-17T09:40:00.000-07:00

A few posts ago I mentioned the French photographer who had photographed the collection of "reliquaires d'amour", here, Jean Boccacino.

Well, Jean is also one of my favorite Mixed Media painters

There is something so ineffably French about his paintings...

Can I just say that I LOVE this work of art?

He is also a wonderful art photographer.

I have put together a Gallery of his work, which you can see

HERE

To see more of Jean's work, and learn more about him, check out these links:

fr.blurb.com/books/1701848
fr.blurb.com/books/1606266
boccacino-galerie.blogspirit.com/
circus.hautetfort.com/
lesangesdebocca.canalblog.com/

Thank you, Jean, for allowing me to post your work!

plus tard, mes amis,

Dawne

Back From France...the rest of the chateau

2011-08-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

It's time to leave the chateau, but I must share some final parting shots

My favorite bathroom in a visual sense, was this one that I saw posted on Sharon Santoni's wonderful blog My French Country Home

Her photo came from the Mires Paris website, and as soon as I saw it I recognized it from the La Verrerie website. But you'll notice that the towels are not rolled up in the urn. I mentioned that to Bruno, and he seemed surprised that I would notice that. But not half as surprised as the Brothers, who looked at each other as if to say "Who IS this woman, and how does she notice this stuff?"

But seriously, I missed seeing those rolled up towels!

The bedroom that goes with this bathroom is the Yellow room

the dream kitchen

Look at the size of those two chandeliers...

and that's a Lacanche under that hood...

a peacock in the morning room

But as splendid as the inside of the chateau is, it's the neighboring outbuildings that captured my heart. Arranged like a petit hameau, such as one would find at Versailles, each barn, cottage, stable and folly was...well, if not decorated, then at least "arranged" in the most fascinating way, with artful vignettes to be peered at through the windows. Like this view

of the workshop

or this view through the window

of this sweet little unoccupied cottage called "la petite verrerie"

...little hidden corners...

Amuse Bouches with Bruno and the boys...

And then there's the potager...

...but I must stop. I feel I'm being a bit unfaithful to my own humble, but beautiful

Everafter Farm. It's not a chateau, but it's a warm and cozy home. God gave us this farm, and living here has been a joy for the last 9 years. Maybe these words say it best

Off to Boston tomorrow to visit friends, and then I'll be back with more of our trip to France!

Au Revoir, mes amies,

dawne

Back From France...Part 2: Les Chambres

2011-08-05T10:06:00.000-07:00

Night in the Marais [in Paris, naturellment! ]

Yes, we did get to Paris...eventually. But that story comes later. Today I want to show you our bedrooms at the Chateau.

We chose to stay in the Parma, mainly because it was in my favorite colors, lilac and lavender...

look at those dear lamps, that sweet bust...

the parrot sconces were special...

...our bath was pure luxe,

and I almost drowned in the tub [ too short to reach the other end to brace myself!]

There's another chandelier [sconce] on the back wall. 3 in one bathroom! The silk pouf curtains made me want to play Scarlett, and rip them down and wear them to dinner...

But my favorite part was the tiny "chapel" that separated the bedroom from the salle de bain. I'm stunned that I didn't photograph the

prie-dieu, with the antique Bible open to 1 Kings, but it looked a bit like this

You can just see the cross peeking up at the bottom of the image. [At the back, behind the gorgeous silk curtain is the cooler/bar. A chapel and a bar! whoa!] I did a video of this and posted it on my Facebook page, and at the time I couldn't remember what the Globes de mariée, "reliquaire d'amour" were called. I did

remember seeing, a year or so ago,[and becoming smitten with], a wonderful set of photographs
of these wedding bouquets on Flickr,
photographed by Jean Boccacino, which you can
see here.

Also the lovely blog Fete et Fleur has a post on the Globe de Mariage here.

Now, what I found interesting is that Jean photographed them at a market in Angers, and that city is but a hop and skip from the chateau. I wonder if Bruno bought his in the same place? As a member of a family of wedding photographers, if I could collect anything, it would be these!![ I do have a collection of vintage wedding cake toppers, but they pale in comparison.]

So, I had the lilac room, the chapel, the globes de l'amour, AND, while I was bathing for dinner, the FM station played one solid hour of "Amazing Grace", as performed by a variety of artists! Was I blessed, or what!!! Merci, Dieu!

Our brother Bob stayed in the Blue Room

with the spectacular bathroom in the turret...

Here's another little "jerky" iPhone video of the room and bath.

Coming Soon: The rest of the rooms!

Adieu, mes amies,
dawne

Back From France...

2011-08-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

...Well, my body's back, if not my spirit. I just keep looking around for a baguette.

mont- saint-michel

This is the only image I've really worked on since I've been home, but it looked so "storybook" that I knew exactly how it would look after I edited it. And indeed, it was a magical place, as was every single place we visited.

For once Paris took a back seat to quaint

medieval villages, a vast patchwork of wheat

and corn fields, and the romance of Mont-Saint-

Michel. I have many posts in my head, and I

will tell you all about the wonderful trip that

I took with my two favorite men, the Polis

brothers. But, I just can't wait to share this,

the highlight of our trip, the pièce de résistance,... our stay at

le Château de la Verrerie

the allée

My heart was racing as we approached through the allée of plane trees. Had I built this up too much in my mind? Would this be as wonderful as I had imagined it?

the approach

And as soon as I saw those silver balls,I said "Uh huh. oh yeah." And I knew it would be.

the front of the Chateau

If ever a chateau could be called "storybook", then this is the one. Just look at those proportions! I had dreamed of this petit chateau ever before I saw it, and when I laid eyes on it, it was a true coup de foudre.

the view from our chambre window

The chateau belongs to Bruno Dujardin, and he and his partner bought the estate in 2000. At the time, Bruno was living in Paris and was the still life photographer for L'Oreal cosmetics. Every weekend for 8 years he came down to the chateau to renovate and restore what was then an empty shell of a building. Three years ago he left his career and Paris, and moved down to run the Chateau full time as a bed and breakfast. Bruno is quick to say that he is a photographer, not a decorator, but it is apparent that he is an artist in both professions. Every room has been uniquely painted and stenciled by his hand, and every piece of furniture is an antique purchased at local brocantes, antique stores and monthly flea markets in a nearby town. His photographer's eye serves him well in the mise en scene that he creates in each room. Balance, harmony, coupled with whimsey and luxury, all combine to reflect the impeccable taste of a host who offers only the best to his guests.

This is what greets you as you enter the reception hall.

Is it coincidence that Bruno and I both have a goose in our foyer? [Okay. So mine is a plastic light-up goose and it's in our mudroom. And she isn't sporting a diamond choker. But we're both thinking fois gras bienvenue:))]

Right off this room, in the lower part of a turret, is Bruno's office. I'll risk a bit of humiliation and show you the little iPhone video I made of it. [ You might want to take some dramamine before you watch this.]

Tomorrow I'll try to post the photos of our bedrooms, où nous avons eu de beaux rêves!

Au revoir, mes amies,

dawne