French Fancies

I'm afraid moving house and a holiday in wifi-less rural France has put paid to my blogging of late - and I now have a backlog of lovely things to post. The Dordogne provided plenty of vintage inspiration - flea markets, faded antiques, medieval market towns and some suitably chic boutiques.

 La Petite Minoche in the picture-perfect village of Daglan is a lovely hat shop where the young milliner creates vintage-style panamas and cloches, as well as contemporary looks from her atelier within the shop. Her wares are displayed on vintage hat stands, with framed antique fabrics and pressed flowers on the walls. Milo loved the little play area set up for mini hat lovers (although, he only likes his bike helmet at the moment.)

Vintage luggage

Milo's Godmummy over in NYC found this fabulous vintage suitcase and her talented sis stencilled Milo's initials on the front - a treasure to be kept forever (and useful too!)

The antiques shop with no name

The antiques shop across the road from my house always has a treasure or two in its window or on the pavement outside, and I've been meaning to take some pictures for too long to mention.

So I popped in the other day and told the owner (a very charming silver-haired gent) about my blog. He  was delighted for me to take some pictures, with the understanding that I don't include the name of the shop. But, I ventured, don't you want the publicity? Oh no, he said, we don't like any kind of publicity, we only do word of mouth!

So here you have it - some anonymous pictures from the antiques shop with no name (on Friday Street, Henley) - shhhh!

Vintage books

A pile of beautiful old books from quite possibly the best second hand bookshop I've ever come across - Richard Way's, a few doors from our house. 

It's a wonderful little place - crammed from floor to ceiling with books, but surprisingly easy to find exactly what you want. So far I've bought antique maps (ideal man gifts), vintage children's books, a wild flower annual for my mum and some beautifully covered pre-war Oscar Wilde classics. No website I'm afraid, so you'll just have to come and visit.

Moving On

No sooner do we arrive in a new town and new home way out west in Henley-on-Thames, than I discover that our new street is home to an aladdin's cave of an antique shop (already purchased wooden toy trolley and blocks for Milo), an old-fashioned sweetshop, a fantastic second-hand bookshop (watch this space for the blog posts) - and that the cafe across from our house was hosting a vintage night. I think I'm going to fit right in!

Run by the Ministry of Vintage, there was champagne flowing, lots of designer vintage gear and lots of lovely people to meet. They'll also have a stand at Henley's very own vintage fair at the town hall on November 26th.

 

An Alpine retreat

Just returned from a blissful holiday in the Alps, a perfect combination of fresh air, french food and mountain walks. We celebrated Milo’s six month birthday in possibly the most inaccessible restaurant I’ve ever been to - perched atop a mountain peak. The safest route involves clambering up a hillside to reach this little oasis of rustic charm - a wooden chalet and sunny terrace with views across the valley, plus traditional homecooking from the region (local ‘black’ tomato salad, creamy gratins, sausages and dumplings - not for the calorie-conscious).

Inside, La Ferme des Vonezins is like Hansel and Gretel’s house with cosy miniature dining rooms decorated with french antiques, pots and pans hanging from the ceiling, hand-painted pottery in wooden dressers and huge hams smoking in the chimney, and there are also two beautiful guest rooms. Outside, ingredients are grown in a cottage garden, and goats scamper about the place (and hide in baskets). It’s a little eccentric bit of paradise.