Home From A Grand Adventure

 Pink Door in Kensington ~ London  ~ Paris Atelier

Hello! I have been so absent from the blog that an apology doesn't seem to suffice {I'm sorry}! I have missed you so much and I have so much to share and to catch up on. I can't wait to visit you all!

Sentry of the Grenadier Guards posted outside St Jame's palace ~ Paris Atelier

  I have been on many adventures since the last time we were together and I have so many amazing pics to share with you. In the upcoming weeks I will be posting some of my favorites for you. 

Ladurée Carrousel du Louvre ~ Paris Atelier

From the installation of the Olympic rings over the Tower Bridge, tasty treats at Laduree, a magical masquerade ball and fireworks over the Grand Canal at Versailles, and a private tour of the Hypogium in the Roman Colosseum, I can't wait to relive it all. I do hope you will join me. 

Bubbles floating by the Latona Fountain ~ Paris Atelier

I have only been home for a short while and I am already dreaming of going back to Europe. I felt the ache in my heart the second I stepped aboard the plane leaving Paris! 

Wishing you the Best!

Home Sweet Home

Greetings! If you have been reading Paris Atelier you will know that I dream/ache to buy our own little slice of French property. I came very close this last year to making that dream a reality, but it did not happen {yet}. I have not given up the dream. When my husband and I are retired and our son has grown up I vow to be  living the dream in France! So today as I was looking at apartments in Paris, as I do every morning with tea. I just happened upon this little gem in Versailles. It could be my own personal Petite Trianon. This is not in our price range but a girl can dream. It took my breath away! Enjoy! 

This amazing mid nineteenth century home directly overlooks the Parc of Versailles and is offered by Sotheby's.

A simple addition of chandeliers dripping in Crystal and this could be my home!  

10 bedrooms, 10,807 square feet, a spa/hot tub, private gym, and indoor pool, a sauna, & hammam. Yes, I would say that is livable ;)

The outside has a guest house, an orchard, a well to water with, and a garden shelter. 

Did I mention that the home sits right in front of the Chateau? I can only imagine who has lived here and the soirées that these walls have seen.

~ Dreams Come True ~

Hello My Friends,

 Paris Atelier

I have been thinking of you all very much and visiting your sites for inspiration. However, I 
miss you. I miss the interaction with my special friends that I have met through this journey of a blog and I have to tell you, life is busy, so busy that I chose to focus on my family, career, and other priorities. I let the blog slip for quite some time now but I just can't stay away from you! So, I am going to try my hardest to make time for some of the things I love most and one of those things is my beloved Paris Atelier. 

Paris Atelier

My best friend, Michelle, and I just booked a trip to London, Rome, and of course, Paris for the Summer and I cannot process it in my head yet. I am so excited and inspired. Dreams really do come true. It has been over eight years since my last visit to that magical city of Paris and that was also the last trip I took with my Mom. I can't wait to go back for what I'm sure will be a memorable, emotional, full of wonder and laughter voyage.

  Paris Atelier

I hope you will join me in the next few months as I plan, dream, and prepare for this special trip. I would love nothing more than to share it all with you and hear about special dreams you've made come true!

Bien des choses à tous, Judith All Photos ~ Paris Atelier Please feel free to use, pin, blog, etc. with a link back to the original source. Merci!

Wishes

Kashgar Travel Journal by Laura West ~ Reverie Daydream Artisan Boutique

Hello! I am so honored to be a guest on the most lovely blog Reverie Daydream today. If you have visited Reverie, then I'm sure you have been enchanted and mesmerized by the lovely Melissa and her magical world. I am truly humbled and honored to have been asked by her to guest on her series Wishful Thinking. Over the years Melissa's words have been a constant source of inspiration and her blog a special place to revive my soul. 

Beloved Letterpress Card ~ Reverie Daydream Artisan Boutique

Melissa is the owner of Reverie Daydream an artisan boutique that offers beautiful, carefully crafted, ethically and environmentally conscious goods. 

Thank you so much to Melissa for allowing me to share a tiny place on her blog and world. 

Enjoy the post as well as the talented and wonderful bloggers in the Wishful Thinking series.

Exquisite Finery

Blue Silk Ballgown and Red SIlk womens stockings, with Gold thread embroidery

Bonjour Mes Amis! Recently I wrote a post (here) about visiting the new Resnick Pavilion in Los Angeles for the opening weekend. I was in awe of all of the beauty and history surrounding me. It was a spectacular experience and I am so excited to share these pics with you. 

Edwardian Lace dress and kidskin gloves/A stunning uncut pattern on Silk

The first of the three exhibits that we visited was this amazing journey through time, "Fashioning Fashion" European dress through the ages. I cannot tell you just how incredible these items were in person.  

L. Blue Mademoiselles Giroux Dress c. 1880 made in LImoges France  made in the Princess Line, named after Princess Alexandria of Whales.

This stunning display exhibits European Dress from 1700~1915. All of the very most romantic eras are represented here and one could get lost in the glamour and the romance of it all.

I apologize for the hefty amout of photos in this post, I had a really hard time editing some out. I have loads more but decided to spare you! My best friend had my camera so I took these with my phone but you just can't hide the fact that the fashion was divine!

Fashion from some of the most famous and luxurious fashion houses and designers in history are on display: The House of Rouff, Émile Pingat, Giroux, and so many more. The above Pink gown is from the 1830's and is decorated with a sea of faux pearls that  would weigh down the sheer overlay and make a delightful clinking noise when the lucky wearer would move. The faux pearls are glass filled with a mixture of fish scales and glue. The story behind this is remarkable, I could do an entire post over the discovery of this process by a French rosary maker.

I wish I could write about each of these pieces, however, I think I would both bore you and take hours to write. Each piece has a truly remarkable history and the process of creating these works of art are incredible.

The contents of these Silk~Velvet lined boxes are amazing! The larger box contains jeweled buttons for a mens suit from the 1700's, the missing ones are on display on the suit next to this box. The smaller boxes contain jeweled shoe buckles! If I could only just hold one for a moment! Too beautiful!!!

I have been holding back writing that "this photo is my favorite"because it feels like they all are but I really do think this one is my favorite. Those bustles are fantastic and the colors! Oh my!

18th century Robe à la Française. Cream Silk with Handpainted details. The colorful florals are woven in to the fabric but the Green/Yellow leaves and bows are handpainted. Just amazing!

The thing that struck me most about everysingle piece I saw was the detail, the hadmade aspect of everything, the fact that every pleat, bead, ruffle, and delicious piece of golden passementerie, has been perfectly placed is mind blowing. Seeing gowns and suits worn at the most luxurious courts in Europe was a special and treasured treat. The true luxury of the textiles, lush trimmings, and artistry of each piece is intoxicating.

All of these pieces and so much more (a vest from the Revolution in France, children's clothing, capes lined in ostrich feathers, etc) are currently on display at LACMA in Los Angeles until March.

All Photos ~ Paris Atelier

It's Raining, It's Pouring...

Image via Life.com

Bonjour Mes Amis! The weather outside is dreary and wet to say the least here in California and across much of the Nation. The perfect opportunity to cuddle up with the Boys and drink some hot cider. I can't wait to run up to the mountains for a snow day! I love this weather.

Image: Source Unknown

Here are some pics of The Eiffel Tower in bad weather. Isn't she grand and beautiful no matter what the weather!?!

Image via Flickr

To all of you in this wet and snowy weather, please stay safe and warm. It's the perfect opportunity to take a leisurely day to cuddle up with the ones you love and enjoy a little rest and enjoy the storm! Best wishes to you all!

A Little Bit of Pretty....

Image via Flickr ~ Juicy Couture chair

Bonjour! I have been a bit MIA lately, so sorry! I have been potty training my little Prince and it has been quite a chore. If you Moms and Dads out there have any advice, I would love to hear :)

Vogue ~ Romeo & Juliet spread

I just needed a little bit of pretty today, so I'm posting some pics I've saved just because they were pretty. Enjoy!

Image via Flickr

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture. It is perfect! I adore the colors.




Via Flickr


Backstage at the Dior fashion show

Flickr

This is the cutest cupcake I have ever seen! A Cancan dancer and a sweet treat! CUTE! ;)







The above pic is from a fabulous blog A Paris Dasant. Her photos are heavenly!

And, of course a dose of Laduree. I know I feel better now! :) A bit of Paris always has that effect on me! Have a lovely weekend my friends and I'll be back on Monday!

XOXO

Judith~

Bonjour Friends,

Whew! What an incredibly busy (but great) week, it is so good to get back to the blogging world. I have been just aching for Paris lately (what's new, right)! I always get a pang to go when I read your beautiful blogs, see gorgeous photos, and look at fine art.

During a conversation with my husband over dinner tonight, I thought a lot about the painter Jean Beraud and his subtle and elegant paintings. Here is a little bit about him and some of his work. Enjoy!

La Soiree

Born in St Petersburg in 1849, the son of a French Sculptor, Béraud moved to Paris to complete his law studies at the Lycée Bonaparte. Béraud exhibited his paintings at the Salon for the first time in 1872. However, he did not gain much recognition until 1876.

Béraud's work was greeted with great enthusiasm and he was welcomed into Parisian society receiving many commissions for portraits from famous figures such as the Prince d'Orleans and Prince Troubetskoy. He attended many of the evening soirees arranged by the popular hostesses of the time and frequently depicted these scenes in his paintings.

He frequented the same cafés, restaurants and theatres as Dégas, Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec and was close friends with Manet.

La Modiste Sur La Champs Elysees

He exhibited with the Society of French Watercolorists at the 1889 World's Fair in Paris. He painted many scenes of Parisian daily life during the Belle Époque in a style that stands in between the academic art of the Salon and that of the Impressionists.

He received the Légion d'honneur in 1894.

Béraud's paintings often included truth-based humour and mockery of late 19th century Parisian life.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Béraud dedicated less time to his own painting but worked on numerous exhibition committees, including the Salon de la Société Nationale.

Béraud never married and had no children. He is buried in Montparnasse Cemetery beside his mother.

La Bal Mabile

The work of Jean Béraud is represented in museums in Liège, Lille, Tours and Troyes, France.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

XOXO

Judith~

Missing Paris...

Bonjour Friends! It's been a busy, hectic, great week and it feels great to get back on the blog. It's an even better feeling to get out there and read some of the posts by all of you that I have been missing :)

It is no secret that I love Paris and miss it everyday. I have been missing one very strange thing the most lately, a baguette!

I know, I know, I can go to the store and just buy one, but for some reason it is just not the same for me.

I miss that scrumptious smell as you walk by, the inviting bread all stacked up calling you to come inside, I even miss waiting in line to buy my bread! It's true! :)

I miss the taste of those delicious, mouthwatering, croissants. I miss breaking bread with good friends over a bottle of wine and fantastic conversation. I miss the whole ritual of it.

It all just tastes better in Paris, yes... even the bread.

Okay, the above picture is not an actual Boulangerie but it is very pretty.

All of these beautiful images are via Flickr

So incredibly worth a trip to Paris! I can't wait to get back.

Have a fabulous weekend and thank you all for all of your support and friendship!!!

XOXO

Judith~

The BIG reveal, My 100th Post, and a Giveaway!

Bonjour!!!

I am So excited to write this post today! It is a day filled with news.

Today is my 100th post and to celebrate I am going to reveal my surprise! I cannot keep my secret any longer...I'm afraid, I might have built the news up a bit much...

Today is the Grand Opening of my new Etsy shop!

Paris Atelier

As you might know I have been setting up an online E~boutique and while I am in the process of doing this, I thought I would open an Etsy shop with a small preview of what I will be featuring in my online boutique. You have all inspired me so much over the last months that I just couldn't wait to share with you.

The shop consists of vintage treasures, object d'art, and Estate finds from around the world. Many of the items were found in Paris and abroad. I love the glitz and glamour of these special items and now I want to share them with you!

I am afraid that I have not yet listed some of the juiciest items that I have, so I have decided to do 2 giveaways. The first today and the second at the end of the week when I have added more items to the shop.

The first giveaway starts today! Just pop over to the new Etsy store then come back here to this post and leave a comment and you will automatically be entered to win, if you would like, you can post about the new shop and you will be entered twice more.

The first giveaway includes this gorgeous vintage Marcus Brothers ~Miami basket. You can't tell in the photo (Tim Walker, I am not) but the basket has a pale Pink satin lining with a corded drawstring that is beautiful! The front of the basket is covered in stunning vintage flowers.



To fill this pretty vessel, I have placed a very petite vintage miniature Louis XVI style chair, a pair of vintage Italian Bernard White leather gloves, a vintage French petit point handbag, two gorgeous vintage ladies handkerchiefs,
and I've tucked in a for more surprises for the lucky recipient.




Here are some pics from the new Etsy shop which you can view here. I love Marghab linens.

Of course I had to add a little Marie Antoinette flavor in there! ;)

Just some beautiful and fun stuff to add to your maison and your collections. I have SO much more to list, and quite frankly, I think I am saving the best. I have amazing textiles (glamorous Pink Satin and Silk textiles from the 40's *sigh*), Estate jewelry that is gorgeous, fine Silver pieces, tons of vintage accessories and linens...so much! I hope you enjoy!

Thank you so much to everybody! This community and circle of friends in this blog world is amazing and I am so grateful to have met you and been inspired by you. This has been an amazing journey for me and boy... What a fabulous adventure! I can't even express in words how much you enrich my life! Thank you!!!!

A HUGE thank you to Catherine at A Thousand Clapping Hands. She gifted me with the beautiful picture that greeted this blog post! She customized it and everything just for me! Thank you Catherine not only for the beautiful gift I received in my inbox this week but for your friendship and support, always.

Don't forget to watch out for giveaway #2 at the end of the week! Check out the new

Paris Atelier

Etsy shop here!

Thank you!!!

xoxo

Judith~