After over twenty years in our house with now grown kids coming and going, I’ve dealt with the transition by trying to exact some new order to the home. But every time I try to giveaway, toss, or recycle…I find something that intrigues me or generates a new project.
My husband has always made fun of my “Boy with Finch” primitive reproduction that I bought at a San Francisco Galleria sale…so when I took it off the wall and propped it backwards behind some old cigar boxes I was covering, it just sort of triggered this sort of impromptu folly. I ordered my Napoleonic bicorne several years ago from Bell’occhio here. Don’t ask me why. I just had to have one. Bell’occhio is a fabulous San Francisco store filled with charming French bits and pieces.
Often antique paintings have pieces of ephemera stuck behind them. At a recent auction, I found the back of an 18th century French pastel portrait more intriguing than the front. I didn’t bid…because it seemed crazy to want it for the back. Love the pasted bits of old newsprint, discarded rough sketches pasted haphazardly on the back. Artful discards.
Boxes for collecting small bits…just your basic cut and paste hobby with photocopies of 18th century wallpaper and textile photos. I have a short list of items that I’m keeping my eye out for, but besides that I’m just working my closets. Exercising restraint. Though this is the perfect Halloween weekend for these incredible Pumpkin Cookies here. Happy weekend folks!
PS I love it when one of my reader’s starts a blog! Check out Nella’s blog here
Lovely!
Have a nice weekend.
Oh Trish, this is just too spooky about what you and I are going through right now. I feel like I am reading about myself. It must be fall, or the fall of our lives… without trying to sound too wistful or melancholy !!! I hear you. N. xoxo
Our son is launched as well, although his closets are prone to relinquish mundanethings such as old soccer shoes and and an occasinal dirty socks🙂 Seriously, it’s hard letting go of the things that evoke and recall what has defined your life as your children grew up. Sally and I don’t do a very good job of it either.
Cheers,
John
J’adore ces boites et les vieux papiers en général.
Les couleurs sont très douces et votre blog aussi.
Amitiés de Fine
Trish,
Your “craft project” is great. I actually thought that was old fabric scraps glued onto the boxes. I’m a big fan of boxes of all sizes to use as accessories or to store items in. I must look into creating a few of these, thanks for the inspiration.
I really like the staged image on top…you and Jermaine over at French Kissed never cease to inspire me!
Karen
I hope I have time to do something like that this weekend….. We just got cold weather…… I am going through my closets just putting winter things on and taking them off again to see if they still FIT! I just checked out Nella’s blog. She brought her friends in a while back what a fun bunch. Her blog is beautiful. I’m putting it on my sidebar.;)xo
Thank you for the vignettes–I, too, have lusted after either a bicorne or a tricorne. Will make the cookies tonight. Have a wonderful week-end. Mary
Trish, Great idea!! I have some boxes that I have painted, but yours look so much better. Great idea! I have another project, thanks to you- Meranda
You’re so cleaver Trish with the idea of turning a painting around to the backside. I have a few old pictures where the backside is better then the front and they’re now getting turned! You always have the best inspiration, I’m off to check out Nella’s blog.
Enjoy your weekend!
Hugs!
Debra
Love your “boy with finch” in its setting, on top of these very attractive boxes!
And, funny enough, I particularly like the back of antique cupboards and chests when they are hand made and slightly uneven. To touch and looking, inspecting them, just tells me a story….
Warmest greetings, my Dear,
and best wishes for a beautiful autumnal weekend,
xxxkarin
p.s. sorry for late comment, I’m in Germany at the moment for a little ‘wallpaper-change’ 🙂 🙂
HI Trish, lovely to see your Friday images, gorgeous as always…hoping this weekend is wonderful for you!
xo
Kit
I think your still life with the Napoleanic hat is not only a beautiful arrangement with some equally beautiful props, but it is also thought provoking. You have dozens and dozens of images on this blog that I find just as exceptional, many of them created directly by you. After periodically coming back to catch up on your posts over the last two years or more, I felt compelled to let you know that you have another fan.