I am sorry I have not been blogging much lately. After a whirlwind of nesting energy, I have gutted closets, cleaned out drawers and reorganized just about everything I could get my hands on. My husband and my house appreciated it but my back did not…so I’ve been trying to take it easy this week. Hormones are pretty damn powerful, that’s for sure!
Anyway…I finally got around to editing some more shots from my Paris trip and I wanted to share them with you. Paris, at night, takes on another level of beauty and grandeur…
I can see why they call it the City of Light! Isn’t she beautiful?
Have a wonderful week! Baby Claire is due in 18 short days so I will keep you posted as best I can but if it seems I have dropped off the face of the earth – you will know why! ;)
Hello there. How was your week? I hope it was lovely! So, I promised I would share some shots from my shopping experience at the famous Les Puces de Saint-Ouen – so here you go…
Oh, but first a little background. This expansive market is actually an entire area made up of several markets – each one, having its own personality and specialties. The entire area encompasses over 3000 vendors, so to say it’s large is an understatement. I recommend picking out a few of the markets within to focus on rather than trying to do the whole thing at once. We visited Marché Vernaison, Marché Paul Bert and Marché Biron. We may have stumbled into a few of the other areas too…but at least we tried to stay focused. One could truly get blissfully lost, meandering the alleyways and admiring the sheer variety and beauty of all the treasures to be found. A big tip…get this book!
It was a wonderful help planning this trip.
Okay on to the photos…
Almost every vendor had a little scruffy dog. Most of them had as much personality as their owners and it was quite impossible not to smile when we got the pleasure to meet these beloved French pooches. This guy was perfectly content perched up on his antique chair!
Here are some of the amazing treasures I unearthed on that day…
All in all, it was another amazing shopping day! I have to thank my friend, Annie again for documenting our adventure with her trusty camera!
Okay, so I haven’t been holding out on you…I just haven’t had much time to process everything from Paris! So many photos! The images I’m going to share with you today were taken by my dear friend, Annie. She so graciously documented our Parisian shopping adventures for me. Overwhelmed and completely giddy, I knew I couldn’t shop, barter, attempt to communicate with the vendors AND take pictures so I will be eternally grateful to Annie for capturing these.
This was the first market we hit – Porte de Vanves Marché – in southern Paris. This market has been around since the 1920’s and is one of the best! Smaller and less intimidating than the famous Marché aux Puces St-Ouen de Clignancourt, I felt this market was a good place to get my feet wet.
It was a beautiful, crisp, clear morning. We arrived a little before eight. Vendors milled around, unloading their little white vans. Smoking cigarettes and sipping coffee while they set up folding tables and began the process of displaying their wares. Piles of linens, stacks of ancient looking books, jingling mounds of old French silverware, tired chairs, wearing their original velvet attire, gigantic mirrors, rows of earthenware dishes and bowls, vintage postcards, photo albums, bowls of skeleton keys, sparkling chandeliers – all these magical items unfurled as the sun rose and warmed our backs.
I got to try out my French…although most of the vendors spoke a little English and were happy to bridge the gaps in our communication. I wanted to buy all this gentleman’s dishes! What a treasure trove he had!
That cake plate went home with me and sold in minutes after listing it in the shop…pretty isn’t she?
More shopping…
and a little live music…courtesy of this guy…
By mid morning, our accumulation of goods was becoming rather heavy…but nothing was stopping us! I look so serious in this shot, as I scan the tables for precious items, while my friend Sherry (behind me) looks completely blissed out – and she was carrying the really heavy stuff! She’s a brilliant shopper, such a trooper! And my thanks to my fabulous flea market photographer, Annie! Thank you girl!
It was an absolute delight to shop this market and a successful outing – I managed to come home with many gorgeous items that are listed in the store now…
Getting back to our flat was another story…after attempting to lug our caravan of treasures back to the train station, we gave up and hailed a taxi! It was SO worth it.
How has your week been? So far, so good over here. Got my family coming in today to celebrate Grace’s upcoming 6th birthday. Can’t believe she’s turning 6! I haven’t had much time this week to edit my plethora of photos but I wanted to share a few with you today.
While walking the streets of Paris it was impossible (at least for me) to watch where I was going…it’s a bloody miracle I wasn’t run over by a mini or ran face first into a local Parisian! I did almost walk into several poles, however – but it was all worth it – my eyes were on the absolutely gorgeous architecture all around me. Doors, windows, gates, cobblestone alleys, gas lamps, scrolling ironwork. It was a visual smorgasbord and my camera couldn’t get enough…
Bonsoir my friends! Happy Easter! I hope you all enjoyed the holiday weekend.
I returned from Paris on Monday and I’m starting to get back into my groove. Forgive the delay in posting pics! I do have over 300 images to edit and it’s a rather daunting job, not to mention the mounds of Parisian treasures unearthed at the flea markets that need to be photographed and listed on my Etsy shop! It’s been a busy week but I couldn’t be more satisfied.
Paris was…amazing, dreamy, surreal, inspiring, overwhelming, breathtaking, exhausting, life-changing and incredible. I could go on…but I think you get what I mean.
We arrived at 2 pm. Dropped off by a friendly, somewhat amused (at us) cab driver in front of our Paris flat on Rue de Grenelle in the 7th Arrondissment. I felt like I had landed on a different planet. Jetlagged, pregnant and stupefied, I was overcome with how surreal it felt to actually be in Paris. My head was swimming as I took in our surroundings – beautiful old buildings with ironwork filigree, a quaint cafe across the street bustling with locals, a fruit vendor rearranging bunches of white asparagus, the aroma of fresh bread and flowers and the ever-present, gentle hum of the French language buzzing around us. I must have looked like a deer in headlights. I was in Paris. For real.
After settling into our apartment, we headed over to the corner bistro. Terrified, I approached the gentleman at the door.
“Bonjour?” My voice was barely audible. This whole language barrier was freaking me out…even after all my French practice.
He smiled and said in English, “Table for two, for lunch?”
I must have sighed rather loudly, because he chuckled. I nodded and he seated us at a sidewalk table and handed us English menus. Were we that obvious? I guess so.
With shaking hands, I managed to wolf down my first Parisian meal. Roasted chicken, scallop potatoes and a salad. Not that interesting but it did wonders for my blood sugar.
With a full belly we decided to stroll over to the Eiffel tower, ten blocks away.
Here comes that surreal feeling again. I stood in awe, gazing at this beautiful structure – the one seen through out my home on coasters, prints and pillows. There it was before me. Let me tell you, it is truly stunning!
As night fell, we headed back to our flat to (hopefully) sleep! I have never felt more exhausted and giddy all at the same time.
Here was the view from our bedroom window…
Sleep came quickly but I awoke at 11 pm to this sight…
Hi there. I'm Ivy and Welcome to my blog! I'm an Artist , Art Instructor and Creative Guide. I believe we are all creative beings. By sharing my creative journey, I hope to inspire, uplift and shine light on others and their own unique gifts. I love featuring other artists that inspire me and you will see me posting my own creative projects, info on upcoming workshops and other goodies. Enjoy and if you have any questions don't hesistate to email me ivy@ivynewport.com
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