Tresor Trouve

International Family and a '73' Bernina

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:11:00 +0000

Hello ~

It's a beautiful gray and white snowy day at the cottage. The sea is out there...somewhere beyond the many layers of the marsh...in the mist and fog.

Today I'd like to introduce you to an old and faithful friend.
My vintage Bernina. We go way back. She's not pretty or fancy anymore but she has good bones and comes from a good family in Switzerland. Bernina.

She was a big purchase when first married and has sewn many curtains, pillows, little girl dresses and now quilts for those little girl's (and boy's) babies!

Still in her original red case with a Bekins sticker. She's well traveled too. From coast to coast ~ California to Massachusetts.

and original red sewing box.

I'll think she'll be around for a long, long time!

Happy Weekend ~

Thanks for stopping by!

Roberta

Jeanne d'Arc February

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:10:00 +0000

Pre-order now for some Spring and Easter inspiration!

Sunday Comfort

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:38:00 +0000

A beautiful sunny and really cold Sunday makes for good picture taking inside. (I'll bet you thought I was going to say cooking.) Finally, an entire day to stay warm and comfy with no place to rush off to.

Feels good to putter around...take some photos and putter some more. See how the red keeps creeping
in? I can't resist a vintage French towel with some red. Especially a monogrammed one with my initials! This one is a favorite and Christmas gift from a good friend.

Took the time to set up the tripod for these photos.

This one was taken later when the sun had gone down so I needed the chandelier for light. It's tough to take pictures with the glare from the window or lights on my beautiful framed French letters. I still don't know how to remedy that. (Open to suggestions please:)

The crock came out of an old family barn. Uncle Joe was a milkman and as kids we were lucky to have the best of both worlds, the beach and the farm. I love the rustic milk crate because my daughter's name is Bethany and Rosehurst is such a pretty name for a dairy.

I made the awning in stripes for a French Cafe vibe in the kitchen.

Ikea has some pretty fabric by the yard! (yup, that's a spring rod!)

Thinking about some Sunday comfort food ~ whole wheat pasta with plenty of garlic, olive oil and parmigiano cheese. hmmm

I really love curtains hung like this in the kitchen! So homey and spring rods are the best invention! This is where I keep the trash can hidden. I can't do much else with this space since I have to be able to open the cabinet door.

And, my new favorite Portuguese cookbook. It has stunning pictures, a little history and some great recipes which I have not yet tried. I bought it for the beautiful cover and I love it. Tessa Kiros has other cookbooks which look wonderful too!

Well, that's my idea of a comfy winter's day. So glad you've stopped by!

YUM!
XO

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 02:31:00 +0000

Let's hope it's a good one my friends!

xoRoberta

the new babe and a peaceful christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 03:32:00 +0000

She is the sweetest babe and such a joy and blessing at 10 weeks. The most wonderful Christmas present of all and visiting from Oregon with my youngest daughter and son-in-law..

PEACE ON EARTH

a yearly visit from Jack Frost,

a French Champagne basket which is my favorite 2011 flea market find for only $5.00 ~

and a vintage ornament chandelier.

So much to be thankful for.

So many blessings in 2011.

Hurricane Hydrangeas

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 21:36:00 +0000

Hello Everyone! Just waiting out Irene at a friend's home after boarding up windows on the waterside of the cottage.

While the guys were doing their thing I picked up around the yard and cut hydrangea blooms that would surely not have been intact after the winds and rains.

The trick is to cut them when they are firm to the touch and I always have great success with them drying beautifully.

Since I didn't have much choice, they were picked at different stages and are spread around the house in glasses with a little water hoping for the best!

Wishing you all the best of luck with your hydrangeas!! (and with Irene)

xoRoberta

Love & Hidden Treasures in Topanga Canyon

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 13:56:00 +0000

It was great to be with the kiddos and grandkiddos on their turf for a change. While in Los Angeles visiting my sweet new Russi*n granddaughter, we drove to Topanga Canyon to a horse farm where Ali and Beth joined a homeschooling group to ride horses and get to know them for their gentle and healing qualities. I loved it in the Canyon. So peaceful and beautiful! The 'Love' sign and vibe here brought me back to the 70's!

Her bonding with Mommy and Papa has gone extremely well in the first month and such a blessing to see such love among the three of them already. Ali recently told one of her Russi*n teachers that

'she has a mommy and daddy now'. She's one lucky little girl and so are her parents.

While in Topanga Canyon we passed the cutest place and couldn't resist turning around!

It went on forever with a lot of outdoor space. The beauty of southern California!

'Petticoat Junction!'

The stone wave sculpture at the bottom of pic would have come home with me had it not been so heavy!

It looked like Hidden Treasures has been around since the 70's and had EVERYTHING from Victorian to Early Cowboy to Elvis and Marilyn and of course the fabulous Hippie era!

Ali had a blast with the vintage sunglasses. Too bad we left those heart ones behind!

If you ever find yourself on the twisting canyon roads of Topanga, look for Hidden Treasures. It was delightful!

baby beach bums

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 20:57:00 +0000

I'm in NC with the boys!

tatooed babies

what does this one remind you of?

love the motion in this one

the cling-on child. has been since he was born and of course I don't mind a bit.

the super, duper imaginitive child and the perfect dog

cherub

love these sugar sandy beaches, clear warm waters and beach baby bums

The Beach Cottage Rental and Missing Home

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 05:07:00 +0000

Hello Everyone! Just catching up after the photo shoot. Hope your summer is going well! Mine is.

well sort of....

You see, I had the idea to rent the cottage for the summer since I'd be gone most of it while visiting the kiddos. Before I knew it, the first couple to look, snapped it up for three months!

As soon as Fifi and Mark drove away at around six p.m. there I was like a wild woman with four days to prepare for the renters! With countless trips up to the attic, (probably a hundred) it is now filled to the brim with half of my belongings and I am staying with a friend. It's been nearly a month and I've finally recuperated long enough to write this post.

I really thought I'd miss it more, and have handled it pretty well...until now.

Yes, I miss my comfy, newly slipcovered chair in this fabulous gray and white cotton that looks like linen! At less than eight dollars a yard, the body of the chair is the same fabric but reversed which I love the look of. I first saw this fabric, or very similar, on a slipper chair here and was lucky to find it! I stuck a pretty pin in the center of this sweet pillow that I found at TJ Maxx and now it looks like a happy daisy!

And my bottle collection. I had these scattered about the house on ledges and window sills but it wasn't until I saw a pic in a book and my friend suggested that I display them all together that I really fell in love with them!

Oh, and morning coffee while watching the tide come up and hearing the seagulls isn't a shabby way to start the day either.

Somehow, more red snuck in the kitchen with the little awning made the day before the shoot. I also hung a curtain under the shelf to hide a bare space. Pretty but not practical since I couldn't open the cupboard door holding the pots and pans! It only lasted for one day but on second thought...hmm.

I was sorry that I didn't use my ironstone pitcher collection on the shelf with the cafe au lait bowls but it was too late by the time I remembered that it was displayed in the china cabinet in the dining room. (can't find the pic)

Well, I'll be leaving in a couple of days to see the little guys in NC and my daughter in OR to help her set up the nursery for a baby girl so I don't think I'll missing home too much!!

I'll be gone for a few weeks but will post from the road.

Hope you have a happy and safe summer.

So glad you stopped by!!

xoRoberta

shoot! the pink peonies were left out of the shoot!

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 03:31:00 +0000

Hello Everyone ~ I finally met sweet Fifi and had such a great day with her and Mark as they shared interesting stories about their ramblings across the USA together shooting for various magazines and Fifi's new book.

As Mark invited me to examine the 'captures' on the computer screen after each shot, I learned a few tricks while shadowing him! Fifi is a living doll with her charming French accent as she humbly goes about her styling and I so enjoyed sitting and chatting with her while Mark honed in on the vignettes.

We were off to a late start as they encountered horrible weather the day before but when they arrived, it was beautiful! Too bad we didn't start outside on the deck because as time wore on, the sun hid behind the clouds and when it began to rain, we hurriedly brought the curtains, linens and vintage wine basket with my garden peonies in to the bedroom. And there it sat as we continued on with the day....

At one point Fifi was looking for something tall for the desktop as the perfect vintage wine basket with the beautiful pink peonies sat forgotten on the bedroom floor.

Of course I shot dozens of pics soon after they drove away and more again today. Preparing for a photo shoot is hard work and as much as one prepares there is always something you would have done differently. Oh well. What I'm looking forward to is seeing Fifi and Mark's work in print. I know it will be fabulous and I'll have no regrets!

Thanks so much Fifi! I enjoyed every minute of it!

xoRoberta

Lilacs and the photo shoot

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Tue, 24 May 2011 03:05:00 +0000

Hello Everyone!
My lilacs have finally bloomed! I planted this bush outside the kitchen window three years ago and I can finally see the starburst blooms while washing dishes! Why did I wait so long? It's been so cool and rainy lately that I haven't been tempted to open the window for a whiff of their lovely scent though.

Instead, I'm very happy to cut my first blooms for the coffee table. What a difference fresh flowers make!

The sparkling crushed shells make a nice base to place some pretty things on. Very beachy and I love the texture. I found it at JoAnne's Fabrics.

I need to find a bigger candle for the glass holder before the photo shoot with Fifi & Mark in June. Just working on some last minute things now. One more piece of furniture to paint, a chandelier to hang and the search is on for the perfect pair of panels for the bedroom door. A great opportunity to get some things done that I've been wanting to accomplish for a while now!

Tracey from French Larkspur just had her photo shoot with Fifi. Can't wait to see her beautiful home in an upcoming Jeanne d'Arc magazine! AND, I'll be featuring Tracey's mantel for June so be sure to stop by for that next week.

Hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend! I'll post some pics of my trip to Bountiful in Venice, CA soon.

Roberta

The guest May Mantel

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Mon, 02 May 2011 01:37:00 +0000

Hello Everybody! I've been creating and posting monthly mantels on my website for nearly six years so I've decided to change it up and invite some guests! I was getting tired of changing my mantel so often, but each time I considered 'retiring' the 'Mantel of the Month' feature I'd have a few gals email and say how they loved it!
So, my guest this month is Jo-Anne Coletti from Vintage Rose Collection. Hop over to the website and check it out. She is one talented cookie!

Have a great week!

Roberta

Jeanne d'Arc 'French Atmospheres' to be released in English!

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 06:39:00 +0000

Good news followers of the French/Nordic style of decorating. The original 2007 Danish book has been translated to English

and is available for pre-order now to be released mid August.

I am always striving to blend this gorgeous French/Nordic style of decorating with my favorite seaside items! A work in progress stepped up a bit since Fifi will be coming to photograph my home in June! I'm almost done painting and the 'spring cleaning' is just about finished!

We'll see how my bleached seashells and vintage faded turquoise and purple bottles play with the French cafe au lait bowls and farmhouse linens! Add lots of flowers, a chandelier here and there and I think it will be beautiful! Wish me luck!!

So Glad

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 01:37:00 +0000

So glad it's Friday ~ .

Just a glimpse of the tidy side of the kitchen. ha. I use my French press for coffee every morning so that stays out. The 'favored' bowls are stacked in my Belgium crate from French Larkspur which I love, love, love and I soooo lucked out on the Ironstone pitchers which I found at a yard sale!

I'm in the process of painting the last piece of 'ivory' furniture here at the beach cottage. It's the very pale gray that I used on the cabinets in the kitchen but I'll have to wait for morning light to put the second coat on. I'll show you when it's done.

Have a great weekend everybody! Roberta ~

'Sea Glass' Vintage French Ribbon

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 01:53:00 +0000

Picked up some beautiful vintage French Ribbon in my travels this weekend and the color and swirly patterns are so current! ~from beachy to bohemian ~

The turquoise feels like summer to me and plays well with my beach bottle collection.

These would be great for trimming curtains ~

Or for wrapping a special gift with ~

What would you do with a roll of this beautiful French Ribbon?

With Love from Mother Nature

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:53:00 +0000

"The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing. It is the heart which perceives God and not the reason. That is what faith is: God perceived by the heart, not by the reason." Pascal

Julie's Waterside Shanty Makeover

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:37:00 +0000

Evening Gals. I did a post on this makeover when I was blogging on Typepad but that's gone forever so here goes. Welcome to Julie's Waterside Shanty.

Very New England and cute right?

She told us that she was bringing things in to the Shanty with no rhyme or reason and was getting frustrated not having the time to organize since this was her second home. She was coming down from Boston on weekends but not enjoying her coastal gem.

Of course we talked about the budget and what was to stay and what had to go. This was a one day re-do with not much dough for thrills or frills. Her husband was promising to paint and refinish the floors but she had waited long enough!

Can't miss the orange life ring. I would have tossed it out the galley kitchen window into the water but Julie wanted us to use it.... somehow.

Good thing Carol was with me.

This life ring actually saved the day don't you think? It's so much fun!

I had the chandelier in my car at the ready, never expecting it to look this darned cute! The white wicker desk lamp was the perfect thrifty score for this corner and we found the matchstick blinds in the closet!

We placed the two wicker hampers for recycling bins right by the kitchen door. Love that idea!

And did you notice the piles of fabric in the before pics? We wrapped the chairs at the last moment to unify the dining area and to give Julie some ideas when she was ready to recover them.

before: okay, there's the dining table before on the right. Now keep your eye on the green dresser on the left.

Party central, a pretty place to store linens and a pinup light to create ambiance! (the frig is to the left).

The rooms all have a purpose now and flow nicely.

A nice gathering spot for guests while Julie is preparing dinner.

before: note the bookcase to the right side of pic

after: the nice painted cabinet that was in the working pantry resides in the dining room now showing off some of Julie's favorite things.

and the bookcase was moved into the waterside room to create a comfy reading nook

Julie loved it all but we all thought that the new life we gave to the life ring saved the day!

more red

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 03:27:00 +0000

I'm taking a photography class to learn more about my Nikon and one of the homework assignments was to take 25 pics of something 'red' and submit one. I've been embracing this color since I found my red and white body pitcher, so I bought red tulips for even more inspiration.

My vintage French monogrammed ribbon tied around the vase helped me determine that I was focused! The tulip wilted for lack of water but I thought it pretty enough to be photographed this way.

Truth be told, I've been telling myself for so long that 'I really don't like red' that I'm taken by surprise to be enjoying it so much and the tulips have actually made me quite happy! (It may be because we've been covered in so much snow lately!)

Another lesson learned....to be open to possibilites, no matter how small!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Happy 'French Candlemas' or 'Jour des Crepes'!

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 03:43:00 +0000

Candlemas as it is known in France, is honored on the 2nd day of February by eating Crepes!!!

The origination of this Catholic holy day was when Mary first presented her baby Jesus in the Temple 40 days after his birth.

And since it is otherwise known as 'jour des Crepes' and la Chandeleur, let's light our candles and chandeliers, and eat crepes on Febuary 2nd in celebration!

                                                    I may even celebrate twice in one day!
                                                                 (it sure beats ground hog day)

Red Chair Antiques & The Red Pitcher

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 22:46:00 +0000

Last week, Carol and I received our post cards from Red Chair Antiques announcing their move to Hudson, NY. We were restless as we planned for the three hour drive up to New Hampshire last Friday hoping to come away with a few treasures. It's a trek we've taken a few times since discovering Josie's place a couple of years ago. French grain sacks, monogrammed sheets, cafe a lait bowls, ironstone, Swedish furnishings....

You've probably seen her home and shop in a recent magazine. She's been featured in a few of them.

She's a sweetheart! Josie will be open until the end of January, so there's still a little time to score a treasure or two. Give her a shout and wish her luck!

I walked away with this beautiful enamel body pitcher that was hidden. I almost missed it and luckily spotted it on my third pass around the shop.

Now I'm not one for red, but it seems as though this color has been sneaking up on me lately. This one stole my heart and has added a little color to my otherwise white and gray abode. I may even add a little more of it soon with some red striped dish towels used as napkins for a table setting.

Josie sent us on our way with a hug and a set of petite lavender sachets as a thank you.

What color has snuck up on you lately?

Snowy Day Outdoor Fireplace

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 23:02:00 +0000

It's a snowy day. A day to just Be. To be happy to relax at home on such a beautiful day...to be thankful for heat...and plenty of food in the pantry. just be... One of my first winters at the cottage was spent bundled up in my big comfy chair directly in front of the fireplace trying to stay warm. Of course that was after I brought the wood in and built the fire. And of course it wasn't all winter. Just the week of Christmas!!

So today, I took advantage of the stillness and shot a few pics. The Cardinals love to hang out in this bush but they were in hiding today. Just this one first thing in the morning.

I thought my (faux) pink berry wreath would look pretty on the fireplace, so I banged a nail in the mortar and hung it for a little color. The birds would have had a ball so I took it down right away as not to get their hopes up!

It's been a perfect Snowy Day! I hope your day was as good as mine!

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:39:00 +0000

Happy New Year Girls!

Just back from a week with the little guys in NC and loved every minute of it! Both are as sweet as can be.

Irie is 10 months and taking his first steps while Silas is a rough and tumble two, almost three year old talking up a storm. Like me, he loves his time alone. One morning I asked if I could sit with him in the big chair and he said very nicely, "I'd like to be alone Bella". (okay guy, I understand)

This little one reminds me of his Papa at this age. Super sweet and he adores his big brother.

And this one? Loads of energy, smart and fun! Just like his Mama!

Anyhow, I came home to very little Christmas decor since I knew I wouldn't be home until the eleventh hour. Literally.

I recently framed three vintage French letters for the buffet wall in the kitchen and I love the look and feel they give the space. Simple, serene and sophisticated. I wonder what the letters are about in the beautiful script on handmade paper...

Lot's of glare going on but hope to remedy that with a course I'm taking to figure out what all the bells and whistles are for on my Nikon.

It's always good to get back home. Thanks for stopping by and I hope this year is a happy, fulfilling one for you.

xoRoberta

Vintage Dom 1973

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 03:55:00 +0000

Hello! Greetings from snowy southeastern Massachusetts!

I've been wanting to show you my 'vintage' 1973 Dom Perignon bottle for a while now.

A real beauty, bringing an air of dignity

and celebration

to my holiday table

but wait! what's this?

ahha! an edible champagne bottle ~ clever!!

have you ever???

I just had to show you this one before I eat it... (tomorrow:)

Made by Carol, and the label is edible too!

December Mantel ~ two styles

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 14:25:00 +0000

Good Evening Curly Q's...Playing around with my holiday mantel this fine evening and the star of the show (besides Madonna of course) is my new/old Belguim crate shelf! The postman just dropped it off and up it went! In the knick of time too because I was desperately needing some inspiration for that Jeanne d'Arc French Nordic style that I adore.

Shall we go serene or add a bit of whimsy? I like them both!

Look at my snippet of vintage French monogrammed ribbon ~

As I was tying it on the pitcher, the lollipop that was reserved for a special little boy's package worked it's way up there! His mama & papa will be happier this way.

So what do you think? I'm leaning toward the lollipop look...

Hope all your days are merry & bright!

xo Roberta

Portuguese Farmhouse Handwoven Rug LOVE

noreply@blogger.com (Roberta) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 17:12:00 +0000

Two days ago, this gorgeous handwoven rug was sitting at the bottom of a friend's hope chest filled with the most beautiful handmade linens. When she got to this piece she told me that she would not use it since it wasn't her style and that she had another still in the old farmhouse in Lisbon. Her grandparents were sheep farmers.
I could see it in my mind as she told the story.

At that point I was so grateful when she told me that she would part with it! I would have loved it if I found it anywhere else but to know the history of it and that it is from her family makes it even more special to me. A connection. A blessing. Something that I will surely treasure.

I adore the colors in it, as if it were made just for me and it looks perfect under my new beachy coffee table.
( A Restoration Hardware acquisition from their summer sale at a drastically low price!)

A beautiful textile handwoven by a Portuguese woman possibly used as a horse blanket, a coverlet or a floor covering now sits contentedly as a rug in my beach house. It's pieced and faded and I couldn't love it more!