December in Paris...with French Humor

December in Paris...cold and snowy !

So cold, even the restaurant chairs in St. Germain are wearing vests and jackets....

And the pig has on his scarf !!

French humor always brings on a smile..

My toast for 2011... feel the joy!

Buying Groceries In France...On Your Honor

This time of year, the grocery shops are full and long check out lines await....

But not in France !!

In the south of France, I discovered the largest grocery shop I have ever seen...

So many aisles of yogurt...how would I ever decide??

But the part that really caught my eye....was their honor system

When you arrive at the shop...

you can choose to slide your credit card through a machine...

Select the hand held scanner that lights up...scan each item as you place in your cart....

When finished shopping, ...

Bag your own groceries...

Slide your card once again to say you have finished...

And go to your car !!!

No long check out lines !!!

To keep everyone on their toes ... there are random checks to be certain you scan all the items ;-)

Oh, how I wish my Atlanta shop would copy this system

Package Delivery With a French Twist

This time of year, we all see FedEx trucks at every turn....but have you seen one like this???

What a great way to maneuver the streets of Paris !

Christmas at Scott Antique Market, Atlanta

If you are planning a trip to Atlanta, consider including antiquing at the Scott Antique Market....2nd week-end each month.

Dealers this month are keeping Christmas in the air...

Margaret Bostick, The Silk Purse, shows her creative touch with pieces she discovered in France and Belgium.

I love the cranberries cradling the white candles, paired with oversized old books and interesting lamps from architectural pieces...

Or the small gilt wreath, she casually draped over the stone bird...contrasted by the antique red wood horse..

Simple but Elegant !

And ...you can find "me" each month on Aisle B3, stand 275

with my favorite French antiques.

Hope to see you

"What Is" ?? My New Favorite French Antique

Braving snow, rain, and cold in Paris....

my heart glowed when I discovered this gilt wood piece hanging in a dealer's shop.

I instantly loved it !!

The shape

The patina

The size....34" tall and 16" wide






The surrounding vine and fruit carvings
The front and back are the same






I could think of so many uses....
but how was it used originally in 1900??

I spoke to the dealer who explained....
then I loved it even more !!!

How do you think it was used ???