Joyeux Paques a tous!

No Parisian Easter celebration is complete without an assortment of croissants! Plain, almond and chocolate croissants. Our favorites!

Vignettes

Recently, my husband suggested a side trip to San Diego on our way to Maui for a family holiday, I have to admit that my only thoughts were "now I can go to Vignettes!" I have had their blog as a favorite for a while but nothing compares to being there in person. If you are ever in San Diego area make sure you stop by, you will not be disappointed. And one more tip...let your husband go golfing that day, you will not want to be rushed!

Wooden Shoe Forms, why we love them!

Wooden shoe forms were used by cobblers in early 1900's to make hand made shoes. Often found with punch holes and covered with metal along the soles. They were used to help cobblers create hand made shoes for adults and children. They come in all shapes and sizes, round, pointy...we can't get enough of them.

Why we love them...
They look and feel like history. Tattered, worn, and full of wonder. Ever wonder who's shoes were made on the old worn wooden shoe form you are holding in your hands. Wondering if you should but them or not.
I remember, the first pair of old wooden shoe forms I ever saw were at an Estate Sale we came across on a trip to Scottsdale, Arizona a few years back. There were five or six pairs piled into a metal bin. I thought to myself, who gets on an airplane with luggage filled with wooden shoe forms? Always a dilemma on travels...what gets to come with me and what do I leave behind.

Toile 101

Many people have asked us what Toile is. Is it a type of fabric, is it a print,how many types are there? So...we thought that we would take advantage of the fact that the March 2011 cover (featured above)of Country Living magazine features a great example of Toile. To start off our lesson, here is some background information on Toile.

Better Homes and Gardens has defined Toile as the following:

The popular print that most people associate with the word Toile originated in a town in France called Jouy-de-Josas in 1770, by a man named Christophe-Philippe Oberkamph. He developed the print and named it Toile de Jouy. Translated, this French term means, cloth of Jouy; the place in which it originated.

Typically the cloth is made of cotton or linen with the print over a white or light colored background.

There are various themes in the world of Toile. Most typical are Toile fabrics showing an outdoor scenery including foliage, trees, and men and women. It is common to see two lovers or a gentleman trying to woo his sweetheart.

Collage

Free picture collage generated with Smilebox

Little bites of Escape at Everything Toile

No, it's not a patisserie or a petit four, although art can be sumptuous. We are working on a collection of art work inspired by vintage paper. There's nothing like beautiful, old, fragile paper to get us into a creative mode! Paper is a part of history, has a story of it's own...reminds of times past. Since we feel it is important to surround ourselves with things that are beautiful and inspiring, all of these works of art will look delightful on an inspiration board. I have bits of these at work, they are like little bites of escape during a busy day at the office.

What to do in the dead of winter?

One can count the days left till it gets warmer... I mean really warmer. OR...we can plan for Spring! Let's see there is Vintage Chicks coming up in June and we will definitely be there! There is Farm Chicks in June....ROAD TRIP! Who wants to join us?
There are a myriad of events coming up in Spring and Summer, so don't be discouraged! We are working on a number of projects getting ready for a Summer of Shabby! Photos to come soon! A bientot!