My Witty Title Would not Work

This entry is supposed to be titled...

Picture Pitcher This..

I was inspired by a recent tag sale find...

(the brown transfer)

And the impromptu visit from a friend and her daughters yesterday.

Apparently I have a thing for pitchers.

I didn't realize it!

No Collections Today...Just a little Golf...

So sorry ladies...

I am in the middle of projects, projects, projects...

all for the glory of the Farm Sale!!!  

It's all for YOU!

But let me just say this to see if I can get a rise out of you...

Am I the only person who is mortified that our President played golf while Poland was mourning the other day????

Really?

Golf?
Aren't we all supposed to be sacrificing???
Golf?

Not a visit to the Polish Embassy to sign the condolences book?
And, even though he seems to have such a hard time picking a church - don't you think he could have found a Polish church and attended a Memorial Service???
Maybe he could have just stayed HOME and led a whole 5 minutes of his life without a camera in his face???

Dugh.

Once again - I am embarrassed by our Presidents actions.

Sigh.

The Collective Collector's... Chandeliers

I am going down with the ship...

This "Collective Collectors" thing has not taken off as I would have hoped.  I was so looking forward to enjoying everyone's "stuff" - but I know us girls are busy... I have even felt a little boxed in knowing I "had" to blog about a such and such on a given day... but nonetheless I am going to keep at it... at least for a few more weeks... I mean come on, I have not even shown you my Strawberry Shortcake collection yet!

As usual, if you would like to show the world one of your collections use Mr. Linky down below and grab the Collective Collectors button on my sidebar.  Tell us all about your Collection, how you began, what you pay... how addicted you are, etc.  And for heavens sake - do it guilt free.  Yes, you're American - that makes you materialistic by default.   Just because you collect things does not make you a hoarder, it doesn't mean you waste your money, it doesn't mean you don't care about other people.  People that act holier than thou cause they don't collect anything bug me.

I don't know about you but I get sick of looking at the same stuff in blogland homes all the time and I do feel like after all my "Design on a Centime" posts that you are probably sick if seeing the same shots of our home... but I do collect "Chandies" so to make a just a bit more interesting these photographs are taken at night... and then, I swear, I won't bore you with my lighting again... until I get a new one that is!

The first one.  Years ago desperate for a cool light in our old townhouse we went to a ladies home who sells chandeliers and choose from the few we could afford.  $100 for this silver plated, circa 1930 beauty.  I love the shape of the crystals... I have only seen that shape a few times since.

This one -affectionately known as the "big mammer jammer".  It's brass with gorgeous rosettes and verdigris patina here and there.  My contribution to our painting business is faux finishes and murals.  A few years ago I was painting a mural in a teens room; a palm tree.  Nothing amazing but the mom and I got to talking about the style of our home and she mentioned she had a huge chandelier in a box in her garage.  She did not want it but it was her aunts and she wanted it to go to a "good home."  I offered to take $50 off her bill... et voila.  I am so over the blue crystals that I made but I have to find some to replace them.

This little gold leafed wonder was hanging at a local, horrible resale shop.  I cleaned like crazy and added the shades.  It's one of my favs.  $75.

This one, though without crystals is super cool.  It's "original" to the house.  We are the fourth owners of this 160 year old home - I would guess 1920's for this light - it looks a little art deco to me.  What do you think?  The second owner of the home, now my friend took it with her and I bought it back from her for $50.

Bought this brassy babe at my Mom's old shop.  The cute shades are from Hobby Lobby.  It now hangs dramatically in our Moulin Rouge inspired powder room.  $150.

Les Jumeaux.  It's amazing how things work out.  I was dreaming out twin chandie's for our kitchen.  During a visit at my BIL's home he took us down to the basement to view his "getting rid of it" pile.  These two were laying there.  Filthy, crystals in a pile and in need of professional re-wiring.  FREE!

Aidan was about 3 months old and we were out garage saleing a mile or so from here.  Low and behold there on the ground was this dirty, lonely chandelier.  I offered the owner $40 and she bit.  It's missing roping and cups but you will see I patterned them to every other arm et voila... it looks gorgeous in our hallway.  FORTY DOLLARS!  This would have been $300 at our local antique mall!

When your hubby is a working man he brings home goodies from the job every great once and awhile.  This mini chandie was one of those goodies.  I added the Parisian shades and painted the crystals teal to go with our bedroom.  FREE.

Another one from my BIL's basement.  I spent hours cleaning it and $180 to have have this one and the twins from the kitchen re-wired.  That is still a great deal.  This one would have been $500 at least at the antique mall.

OK so not a chandelier but I could not resist... the shades I got in Paris and the light was part of a barter with a friend.

Bought this from my Mom who was selling it for someone else.  It's little, patinaed and darling... it dramatically hangs in my CLOSET!  $50.

So cool but I think I am done with it and may be selling it at the Farmhouse or on the Farm Sale very soon.  Should I keep it black or paint it Robbins Egg Blue with gold leaf highlights?... I can't decide.

Amélie's room.  PINK!  Part of a barter with a friend who had a shop - I fauxed her kitchen cabs and got to choose from stuff in her closing shop.

Another shot of the "mammer jammer" reflecting in a perfectly distressed mirror...

Almost all of our chandeliers are on a dimmer... there is something so delightful about putting them all to a romantic setting after sunset.  You can see our lights from about every window in the house... I feel a "moral obligation" to have them gently lit at night for those driving by... I know if I saw such cozy lighting in a home as I drove by... it would make me feel good and think, "Oh, that's nice."  Corny I know.

Your turn!

The Collective Collector's... Courtship Scenes

I love the word courtship.

It conjures up the romantic process... the way it "should" be.  Did you know "dating" is a word associated with prostitution?

Courtship?  Well... think Jane Austen.  A process of getting to know each other and fall in love that includes enjoying nature, music, poems and most importantly... each person's families.  To me the word implies a sense of propriety and simply heady romance.

I love courtship scenes and you will find them all over our home from plaster reliefs to tiny little framed pictures that are easily overlooked yet so important in creating the homey, romantic, French look that we love.  

I was pressed for time this morning so pardon my late post and my uninspired photos but here it is:  I know you have seen most of theses delights in other photographs our of home but here is my collection for this week...

What's yours?  Use Monsieur Linky and show your stuff!  Please be sure to Link Back to Parisienne Farmgirl... and if you'd like, grab the new Collective Collector button on my sidebar!  Merci!

The Collective Collector's... You Can Choose Your Friends...

...and thank goodness you can not choose your family.

I would have never dreamt it could be like this...

Since a collection is 3 or more of anything I would like to take this Wednesday (yes I know it's Monday but I am giving you a few days to get your collection together this time!) to highlight the joys of my life...

I know I said this week's collection would be Courtship Scenes but I'll do those next week.  I simply could not resist these memories from the last month...

Big Daddy

Momma's little "helpers"

Our littlest ones sleep in the middle til they are 6 months old...it's magical!

Juliette's first bottle...she took it!  YEA!

Everyone got a turn.

Aidan took this of Joel.

Mini Joel???

Amélie wearing vintage Calvin Klein.  This was my jean skirt when I was a child.  Momma saved it.

Braids are very trendy this spring...here is Amélie's first french braid.  SO TEENY!  SO CUTE!

"Mon lapin."  Says her jumper.

More like "mon ange"

Too bad she didn't make The Sartorlialist is this little number.  Garage sale Chic!

Aidan's favorite color is orange.  He loves it and since his name means "fiery"  it suits his spunky little personality very well.

I'd kill for those curls.  The poor thing stops traffic where ever she goes.

I imagine this one will too!

Pigs and baby hairs.

Squeezable.

Juliette and the "Baby Whisperer" - Aidan has a real gift with his baby sister.  It is really amazing...he can even just about change a diaper by himself!!!

When he is not building Legos that is.

Her nickname is Miss Kitty.  Her Auntie bought her a corny meets cute little Hello Kitty ensemble for Christmas...the boots were a gift from a friend who found them at the Thrift Shoppe for the dress up box - Amélie is head over heals in love with them and insists on wearing them all the time.  They are four sizes too big.  Sometimes I want to pin a sign on my kids that says, "I dressed myself.  My Momma had nothing to do with this."

Baby J's first walk.

The darling dress made by her Momma and... those boots.

Mon TouTou.

Aidan...my heart.  My heart.

Finally, a photo of me -n- the babes.

Mes Filles.

Daddy and his Princess.

Speaking of the "Family Bed."

LeeLee and I watched the Red Carpet together for the Academy Awards...this was her ensemble.  She didn't even have to rent the rocks...she totally wins best dressed.  non?

You should see the rest from this little impromptu shoot that her and I did!!!

Sisters.

The Girls' hands.

They fight over her at night - she has to snuggle in at least one of their beds or else no one is happy.  This was LeeLee's turn.

Aidan can now undo the gate and the top of the stairs... and VERY quietly... this is how I found them the other morning at 6:30... already fully immersed in Lego Land.

I finally finished Aidys' pyjamas.  Ticking and John Deere.  He is so proud of them - can you tell???

"... and on His Law shall he meditate day and night..."

Kiddo is forever hugging and kissing his sister, usually making her squeal in frustration.  Here, she seams happy to receive his affections.  Thank goodness.

Baby J.

In my 20's I was totally addicted to "All My Children"  - move over Erica Kane, you ain't got nothin' on these babes.

Long One.  

Our kids are going to tower over us.

So unfair.

Scale.

Cache Cache.

(French for Peak-a-Boo)

What's your Collection for the week???