A Gathering of Tearful Beauties

More Musings - France April 2011

  Un Beau Soir à Paris

This is the only nighttime photograph I took while in France, don't ask me why.  I should have taken many more but in hind sight we weren't out alot in the evenings as we were so exhausted from our daytime activities.  My cousin had me hopping with visiting two and three museums during the day and spending our fair share of time sitting in the sidewalk cafes watching people go by - a national passtime in France. 

  "Au Printemps, nous avons des vêtements!" - Grand Magasin Printemps, Paris

Besides people watching, we spent time window shopping or window "ogling" as I call it.   When you can't afford what's in the store you appreciate it from outside the store.  I was really more fascinated with the bouquet "heads" than the clothing in this window.  The "Printemps" Department Store is a national landmark in Paris and has been in business since 1865. "Au Printemps, nous avons des vêtements!" was one of their original advertising slogans. 

The spectacular stained glass cupola in the tearoom in Printemps

My picture doesn't nearly do this iconic structure justice.  This stained glass dome is more belonging in a cathédrale or château than in a busy downtown department store.  One more reason why people visit Printemps more to "ogle" than to shop. 

One of the many ceilings of "Fontainebleau"

My physiotherapist became my best friend upon my return from France.  Taking pictures of the ceilings at Fontainebleau and the other chateaux et cathédrales certainly wasn't the best thing for my neck, but it was well worth the headaches.  Take a few minutes and just stare at this picture, take it all in and then try to put it into words............an impossible task. 

  French Flea Market Find - Antique Beaded Trim - black bugle beads

I am still posting items from my french flea market days in my Etsy shoppes. This beaded trim is in my ParisPerfection Etsy Shoppe .

Authentic French Post Card

I also returned with a large quantity of authentic french post cards, some dating back to the late 1890's and early 1900's.  I am posting these lovelies in my BeJoyfulVintage Etsy Shoppe .  All include handwritten notes in french.  I am trying to provide translations in the descriptions for each post card. 

Je suis épuiser. Cela est temps d'aller au lit.  Bon Soir! 

A Collector's Prayer - My Silly Time

  
 
Art Deco Milk Glass Spice Jars

Every once in a frequent while I get silly and decide to write some poetry.  I wrote this Collector's Prayer this evening and posted it on Twitter.  Who knows if anyone read it, and even if they did, did they understand it?  You'd have to be a collector of some kind, right?

A Collector's Prayer

Vintage near, Ever dear, Quells my fears of night's dark tears, and Wipes away to see new day arrive, Rejoice, Collect anew!

 
Engraved Loving Cup

 
Vintage Boyd and Bond Brooch

 
"My Dog Collar Pearls" Vintage Faux Pearl and Brass Necklace

Having my online Etsy vintage shoppes allows me to collect a bit of everything, but never fear becoming a hoarder as I can always find a new home for my treasures with people that love them just as much as I do. 

Sweet dreams my dears.

BeJoyFul!

BarbaraDoone au Paris

BarbaraDoone in Paris

I wasn't kidding!  I am in Paris!  I still think I'm dreaming and we've been here for a week now.  Here I am standing on the steps of Sacré Coeur Basilica at the top of Monmatre.  This picture is courtesy of my darling cousin Billie Anne who is obligingly showing me the sights of gay Paree.  We have walked a million kilometres and are seeing Paris through our own "rose coloured glasses".  Divine, carefree, opulent, breathtaking, to die for et. al. are some of the words that can only begin to describe what have seen and have yet to see.

Grumpy Parisians!  No way!  The residents of Paris are the most accommodating, friendly individuals willing to share their fabulous city and lifestyle with all who come.  They are also teaching us what's fashionable and cutting edge in terms of clothing and bijouterie.  Boots are everywhere.  Long, straight, silky hair reigns.   Understated personal adornments are in.  Lithe and confident women are everywhere here.  I'll be doing a separate posting with pictures on the Paris fashions that we have seen when I return. 

Bon Soir for now and one can't help but to BeJoyful when in Paris!

Winter Redeems Itself

 

WINTER REDEEMS ITSELF

Winter leaves little to be desired for me,

So I search about in this life of mine and,

When I think all is lost,

I see.

 
Do you see what I see?  How many? 

Our beloved cardinals only seem to show themselves when the snow is falling.  Even then.......as the pictures show........they're elusive and try to mask themselves by their surroundings. 

BEJOYFUL!

The Elusive Last Rose of Summer and my Elusive "Ever Blooming" Self

 
New Dawn

There I was standing at my kitchen window yesterday and I saw it........the elusive "last rose of summer".  I purchased my husband a gorgeous curved metal arch a few years ago for his birthday and last season we planted a New Dawn climbing rose at the base.  Well, over last and this summer, it has almost covered two thirds of the arch and been a spectacular ever bloomer.  Well it's now won the crown for being an ever bloomer in my books.

 
I'm not much of an "ever bloomer" myself especially when it comes to my blog.  I'm so thankful you've put up with my abrupt "starts and stops" since I started this creative venture. 

I was a fabulous multi-tasker when I worked full time.  I managed a full time career, spent time with my husband, raised two children, took care of a 2500 sq. foot house, nurtured 4 cats, had extra-curricular activities and so on.  Now that I'm retired, multi-tasking has become elusive to me like that last rose of summer.  Seems I can only focus on one thing at a time......and.....slowly........at that. 

My last blogging absence was due to my "focusing" on my Open House, which, by the way, was not extremely well attended but was sooooo successful from a sales standpoint.  Now that that's done, my mind is arguing with itself over what to do next - catch up on my home's chaotic state, get ready for the next show I'm doing in Coburg on November 21st (details to follow) and then in Solina on November 27th , clean up my studio, post more items in the shoppes, call and reconnect with my friends, beg forgiveness from my husband for my lack of attention to him (which should be on the top of my list) etc. etc. etc.

Those of you who are now retired after years of corporate or out of the home work, are you having the same problem?  I need your help!!!!!!!  Talk to me, please!!!!!!

 
Mini Rose Pink

Sorry, I lied.  After taking the pictures of the New Dawn rose I found another "last rose" in the other garden bed.  This is a lovely mini rose that was gifted to us by our friends Arlene and Al this summer.  Just a bud, flanked by "the truth" about this time of year - a "spent" mini rose and utterly dry liatris spicata bloom. 

Talk to me you guys!

BJF!

Repurposing with Love

 
Electric Light Fixture or Candleholder or Planter

 
Egg Dipper or Picture/Card Holder or Table Centerpiece

 
Condiment Dish or Pet Water and Food Station or Planter

It's no wonder that the love of vintage things has surfaced, with bravado, in the artistic community of late.  The creative and artistic mind sees usefulness in the damaged, cast-off, time worn pieces from the past.  The creative mind sees beauty and whimsy where others see trash and darkened, sad images.  The creative mind wants to parade and display these lovelies so that others can learn to see the same usefulness, beauty and whimsy, pride and passion that we see.    

Is there still hope?

BJF!

What I Saw When I Took a Closer Look and "What Is This" Contest Update

I was adding several new lovelies to the BJV Etsy Shoppe the other day and as I cropped numerous pictures I noticed something fun about this etched britannia metal teapot.  Can you see it?  Where ARE my peanuts?

Of India and Elephants

 Just a reminder to take time to smell the roses and to ponder the many beautiful and unique views that we allow to slip by us on a daily basis. 

The September "WHAT IS THIS" Contest 

Get ready for the September "WHAT IS THIS" contest!  I've delayed it a few days so that anyone on vacation will be home to have a chance at the big "guess". 

BJF!

Crop It!

 

I love taking pictures for my Etsy shoppes and I think the main reason why is that I get to use my Photoshop Cropping tool.  If I don't like what I'm seeing in the bigger picture then I just "CROP IT".  This simple action can change the whole perspective, the whole feeling of the picture.  It can change an ugly jumble of stuff into a breathtakingingly beautiful portrait. 

So when I can't handle the bigger picture in my life, why don't I just "crop it", take it down to something more manageable, easier to handle?  Use my life's "cropping tools".

 
I'm going to have to think about this a little bit more.  Simple concept or is it? 

I think I'll crop another picture.

BEJOYFUL!

BarbaraDoone Behind the Lens or Photo Taking for my Etsy Shoppes

"Show Stopper" - Recent Photo of a BeJoyfulVintage Etsy shoppe item

I've been working very hard lately to take better and more "artsy" photos for my Etsy shoppes BeJoyfulVintage and BarbaraDoone .  I think the photo display of my shoppe items is one of a package of many steps that make for a successful online business and really reflects the pride I take in what I do.  

Since I started my shoppes even I can see the improvements in my photos.  It took me a while to understand that my mission to provide romantic and shabby chic items needed to be reflected in the set-up of my photos as well as in the vintage items themselves and the words I used to describe them.  

What did I do? 

I carefully studied the photos used by other Etsy artisans and shoppe owners and other blogsters.

I changed the setting on my camera to one that provides a softer finish on the photo. 

I started adding vintage silver platters, vintage linens and lace, old sheet music and catalogue pages,  tattered and torn antique books and an old distressed, chipped muti-paned window as backdrops. 

I tried different natural lighting levels and even allowed them to be distorted slightly i.e. use photoshop to overbrighten portions of the shot. 

But, these last two things have made the biggest impact on the interest and character of my photos -

ANGLING THE SHOT.   There's little or no character to the "straight on" photo shot unless it's something like a book with a stunningly beautiful cover.  Move around the item, shoot from above, shoot at table level and shoot from below.  Not only the angle is changed but the lighting and mix of items  showing up in the frame are different; and

CROPPING!  Cropping your pictures is one of THE most IMPORTANT tools in your little box of photo taking techniques.  Who says the book has to be right in the centre of your picture?  Who says that the coffee pot has to be shown in its entirity in the shot? 

Here's a few of my more recent photos that I think illustrate all of these techniques and what beautiful, highly interesting pictures they achieve.

Bottom line - sure, you can take a course at the local community college or online, but you can also learn from others work and learn simply "by doing".

I'm by no means an expert now and have much further to go in my photo taking journey but I think I've learned these few things "by watching" and "by doing" and they are worth sharing with all of you.  I hope you agree!  Let me know what you think.

BEJOYFUL TODAY AND ALWAYS!

 

My Tearful Beauties Tell Amazing Stories

Amazing things have been happening to me and my Etsy shoppe lately and I'd like to take some time and blog space to tell you a couple of stories that have touched my heart and just confirmed for me that this is where I'm meant to be and this is what I'm meant to be doing right now.

The Poodles Adore Pastries oil painting by Janet Hill

I have a new Etsy friend, Janet Hill, a very talented oil painter and print maker.  Above is one of her latest oil paintings.  Here is her Etsy shoppe  JanetHillStudio  where she sells her original oils and prints and her blog Janet Hill's blog . 

The reason this painting is so special is that Janet purchased the poodle salt and pepper shakers used in the painting from my Etsy shoppe BeJoyfulVintage .   What also makes this an amazing story is that when she purchased the shakers my daughter and I were just about to leave for her town for some antiquing and to see Kiss Me Kate at the Stratford Festival Theatre.  I was able to hand deliver the poodles to her husband at his bookstore on the main street in Stratford, Ontario.  Unfortunately, Janet was out of town and I could not meet her in person but that too will happen some day soon.  We've been e-mail kibbitzing back and forth since then, great fun!  Now, how would I have met Janet otherwise?

BTW she posted the painting in her Etsy shoppe earlier today and I just saw that it has already sold.  Congrats Janet! 

Here's a picture of the original shakers.  So, my final word is that if Janet painted a sliding glass door and propped it against a wall, there's no doubt in my mind that I would try to walk through it.  That's how talented she is and how utterly silly I can be!

I'll share one more amazing story with you in today's posting. 

Songs of the Ettrick Shepherd

This is a beautiful, gentle book of Scottish brogue poetry and songs penned by Jame Hogg who was actually considered to be, by many, "The Ettrick Shepherd".  There are 5 mystical colour drawings included in this book by Jesse M. King.  Stunning pictures.  A lovely lady in Santa Cruz, California purchased this book and asked me to ship it to a dear relative in Scotland.  Not a problem, we ship just about anywhere around the world. 

But the reason she purchased the book is the the "icing on this cake".  The Scottish relative lives on the same street as the illustrator does, or did, in Scotland, at the time that she did the drawings for this book.  How amazing is that?  What are the odds of me posting this book for sale and her finding it to give as a gift to the Scottish relative?

 
 
My tag line for the BeJoyfulVintage shoppe is "A Gathering of Tearful Beauties" which grew out of a self penned phrase -  "beauty can bring one to tears as easily as to joy". 

The items I sell in my vintage shoppe are my "tearful beauties" and when I can tell you stories like these two, I believe the relationship to tears is moreso appropriate.  Some would say these are coincidences.  I like to believe that these happenings were meant to be therefore I am meant to be here on Etsy, selling my wares so that these wonderful coincidences can occur.   Very poetic, very lovely, very mystical, don't you think?

BEJOYFUL today and always!