Off to Paris and Petite Palais

My son Michael and his lovely fiancee Becky have decided to get married..... IN PARIS!!
They will have the ceremony there and then have to come back to Canada to do the legal bits but we are so excited nevertheless! 

Having never traveled before and not being fluent in the language, they confessed to being more than a little nervous. Andrew, my husband and I have been to and LOVE Paris so when they asked if we would tag along we didn't hesitate in saying yes. So there you have it, I am off to Paris again!!!  I am so excited to see my first child tie the knot and I can't think of anything more romantic than Paris in the spring.  

I really don't expect that I will be much help with the language barrier as I seem to only have the ability to suss out French when it is written and don't understand much Parisian French when it is being spoken to me. Oh, well, at least I can stop him from ordering Cuisses de grenouille (frog legs) or Lapin (bunny rabbit) so that is important.  Becky is vegan, gluten free and non-dairy so yikes, it will be hard finding appropriate meals for her.

Anyhow, I just received my new dollhouse kit from Petite Properties, it is the first in their dollhouse series and oh so French, La Petite Palais.  It is so pretty but I can't start it until I have finished my small-time miniatures French townhouse.  The rate in which I am acquiring projects vastly exceeds the rate in which I am finishing them but I am planning on having a long and productive old age though so it is all good.

Newman Collection

Just thought I would take a minute to show you how far the Jane Newman addiction had progressed.  I now own a dresser in every size including two of the large.  Plus about 3 tables, chairs, two washstands, dressing tables, stools, coffee grinder, linen racks etc.  I haven't bought any for a while and have yet to complete a house to put it in but it is all sitting there looking so pretty with my Stokesay ware just waiting.

The Upside/downside of everyday in an auction house

 Sometimes things come into the auction house that you just can't resist, especially if they are going for a song during the sale.  This Asian inspired antique mahogany cabinet called to me when I first saw it at the estate.  I had problems but so much potential. I like not only the style but the fact that there was so much display room and a cut out middle shelf for displaying taller treasures.

 

  The day after the sale I stopped and picked up some fabric on my way into work and proceeded to strip and reline the back and shelves in a beautiful robin's egg blue (it looks paler in the pictures.)

It also received some minor repairs to it's finish, plus a little oil to freshen up the finish  plus a tiny blue tassel for it's key and today I brought it home. I loaded it up with some of pretty porcelain I have been collecting over the last few years (Yes, I may have a slight porcelain  addiction... did I say slight?)  I am so pleased with my efforts and everything looks so pretty, I love the pretty candy colours!! and it fits in so nicely exactly where I wanted it to! 

A little progress

A little progress is being made on my tiny French townhouse.  Unfortunately my eye sight isn't what it used to be and time being an issue, the details aren't as great as I wanted.  Still I am pleased so far.

Starting again... but small

I can't believe it has been nearly a year since my last blog update... who does that?
Anyhow, I thought I might get back into miniatures but start small.  Since I have had my Smalltime miniature French townhouse for well over a year or more, it seem like a good way to start again.

I am such a disaster when it comes to making or doing anything.  I am not tidy.  My husband jokes I can use every pot in the house boiling an egg and when I sew I pull out reams of lace and fabric so I can gain inspiration and co-ordinate everything before beginning.

After working on this sweet little house most of yesterday I am going to have to find a little box to keep it tidy in as another long work week approaches with no play time insight so.....

FYI: I just found some teeny tiny dollhouse sized lace doilies that might pass a curtains. Hopefully this project will not take me too long and I can start to tackle some of the other miniature kits I have purchased over the years and finally finish my dollhouse.

New curio cabinet and doll shoes.

A bought a little cupboard to showcase some of the pretty things I have just sitting in boxes waiting on the dollhouse.  I don't think I will ever finish it!  There really isn't that much to do, but I am working too many hours to find the time to do anything these day... with the exception of internet shopping.  I always manage to find time for that.  Speaking of internet, I have managed to set my google to a language I don't understand and can't seem to get rid of it, plus I can't get into my email.  Some people shouldn't be let loose with technology and I am one of them.

I may have finally purchased the one Jane Newman dresser that seemed to always elude me!  I am excited and can't wait until it arrives, only problem I haven't heard back from the seller and there is no tracking number.  I am a little nervous.

Although not miniature related I have decided that you all have to see my Enchanted doll's new sterling silver Art Nouveau helmet and because a girl can't have too many shoes, we have been shopping for those too.... I don't think I would ever spend as much on a pair of shoes for myself!  One pair is sterling silver and matches her helmet, there is a pair of Rose gold shoes and a pair of gold and pink enameled shoes.  They are so wee and pretty!
www.enchanteddoll.com

Not so miniature

 If you look at the frequency of my posts, you might assume that I am bone idle, but alas that is not the case.  I just have too many things taking my focus away from miniatures.  My favorite distraction of course is dolls.  This is my resin Enchanted doll by Marina Bychkova.  I did have a porcelain one prior to this one but alas sold it.  (Selling that doll is my biggest regret and I will never forgive myself or get over it completely....oh, the drama).
Anyhooo... this is my new resin doll and I have just finished making her a beaded crown and I am quite chuffed with it as I think she looks rather handsome.  She is wearing a simple lawn dress as I am still working out the pattern for her real dress but I think I shall stick with this design, I feel it is quite regal.       www.Enchanteddolls.com

I am expecting some miniatures by post but alas they seem to have gone awol and I am very upset about it because it contained a...  gasp Jane Newman table !  Admittedly it is very much like my other three Jane Newman tables, but still  slightly different.

  I did receive a china cabinet today, actually an "Empire style china cabinet with triple glazed doors, mirrored back and gilt decoration", can you tell who has been cataloguing antiques all day today?? It arrived broken, and my choices are to repair it and keep it or return it, pay the shipping back (which is about 1/4 of the price of the item).  I am keeping it but am a little miffed.