[ flea-ing in Paris ]

IT'S NO secret that one of my absolute favourite things is to go to flea markets, antique fairs, auctions, thrift stores and yard sales ~ most of which don't exist here in Dubai. So I wasn't going to pass up visiting the big Paris flea market, Les Puces Saint-Ouen.

We took the Metro up to the Porte de Clignancourt stop, walked past all the cheesy clothing stalls and arrived in heaven...

If you've never been, this place is HUGE. Filled with alleys of permanent little stalls overflowing with French goodness...

Here's a peek at some gorgeous eye-candy for you...

Even a stall named after my guy...

Time to refuel...

This is one market that could easily use a couple of days to get through. There were many areas that we had to pass right by due to time {and our feet were hurting and noses were cold}. I would recommend the Vernaison area and the Paul Bert area for sure and then add on the others if time permits.

So after this overload of vintage goodness, what did I buy?

Well, let's just say that anyone who lives in Paris is very lucky ~ just have it delivered and furnish your entire place in gorgeousness. I wasn't prepared to start shipping anything to Dubai so I only ended up picking a few small items {some other things I would have loved to go back to get, but neither one of us felt like navigating back through the stalls at the end of the day}. It was overwhelming and after a while I couldn't even think straight! And I had to consider ease of bringing home in my suitcase with airline weight limits.

So I came home with:

a vintage enamel house number...

an old metal sign stencil in my initial {to add to a gallery wall}...

a vintage French book with beautifully aged pages {perfect for crafting}...

and a vintage price sign from a French meat counter {perfect to frame with my other quirky kitchen art ~ the old milk bottle tops and potato sack tags}...

I know, they may not seem like mind-blowing purchases, but I had an amazing day. A bit cold to do in November ~ definitely better in warmer weather, especially for anyone who's not quite a diehard antiquer.

Stay tuned for the next instalment ~ the Paris Christmas Market and a wrap-up of miscellaneous Paris prettiness!

lisa

[ a hankering for hankies ]

I'VE ALWAYS had a love for vintage hankies - perhaps it's the images they conjure up of ladylike olden days. I come across pretty ones every so often at antique shops and flea markets and it's such a shame to hide them away in a drawer or box.

How about making them into something so they can be admired? 

maybe some cushions...

or a table runner...

framed art...

or grouped as a headboard...

some pretty bunting...

a tablecloth or quilt...

a skirt...

or even a dress...

some lavendar sachets...

to decorate a party...

joined into a lovely scarf...

or charming curtains...

even if you don't sew, you can tie them like this...

So are you as smitten with these lovely girlie hankies as I am?

lisa

[nanasaidsew; martha stewart; country living; poppytalk; bellemaison23; etsy; 

polkadotchair; pinterest; thefabledneedle; skiptomylou; williamwedding; 

darbyharden; jollygoodegal; 2.bp.blogspot; themotherhuddle; nana'shouse]

[ call me ]

REMEMBER this little diamond-in-the-rough I picked up on our cruise day in Nice at the antique market? {see post here}

I know, the poor thing was looking a little unloved. But I knew that I could get her looking as cute as a button.

A bit of a scrub and....

How cute is she?!

I've given her a special spot in the living room and I think she makes a fun accent in the room.

She was a bit heavy to carry around that day and I got a few strange looks when my bag went through the xray when re-embarking the ship.

But for 20 euros, she was a bargain!

Now just to remember not to accidentally pick up her handset whenever my phone rings!

lisa

[ junquestock + celebrity sighting ]

ONE OF MY favourite shops in Muskoka is Simply Cottage and imagine my surprise when I discovered that they had purchased the old Muskoka Foundry building and had taken over the space...

I've always loved their mix of casual cottage furniture and accessories mixed with some quirky found antiques and this space is a feast for the eyes...

The fun thing about the weekend I discovered their new digs, is that they were having Junquestock in the back part of their enormous building...

a live band, a BBQ and all the antique junky goodness you could imagine...

And who happened to be there? Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott!

{oddly, this is the second time we've run into Tori ~ the last time was at the Bellagio in Vegas back in 2004}

Anyway, I could have filled a truck with all the treasures I came across, but unfortunately had to limit any purchases to my luggage allowance. What did I buy?

a cute honey tin...

and a couple of little bottles to add to my collection...

I know, nothing overly exciting! But it was cool to run into a couple of celebs and I can't wait to see what goodies I find there the next time I'm in Muskoka!

lisa