Reims

After dealing with a day in rainy Paris, we opted for a day trip to Reims, about 80 miles northeast of Paris.  It was a cloudy day, but thankfully, it was dry.

We came to see Notre-Dame de Reims. 

The current cathedral dates back to the 13th century, which was built on the site of the original cathedral, dating back to c.400.  Amazing!

Unfortunately, the cathedral did sustain damage during World War I, but efforts to repair the cathedral began following the war and still continue today.

We also visited the Saint Remi Basilica and Museum before heading back to Paris.  It's not a popular tourist site, so we pretty much had the place to ourselves.

It wasn't raining when we returned to Paris, so we decided to make our obligatory trip to the Eiffel Tower.  We skipped the ride to the top since we've done it before.  I was a little disappointed in the pictures I was getting, until I switched them to black and white.

The first floor is being redesigned, so right now there is some narrow scaffolding at the base that I removed with Photoshop.  Five years ago, we were in Paris during the Rugby World Cup, so there was an ugly sponsor's blimp in all our Eiffel Tower pictures.  Ugh.

A young couple asked us to take their picture, so we asked him to return the favor.  He snapped the photo with the tower growing out of my head.  Thanks a lot.

We strolled back toward the Louvre for some evening shots of the pyramid and kept on walking until we reached Notre Dame.  It was a long walk.

Once again, we've been to Notre Dame before, so it really wasn't on our list of things to see again.  But we recalled that there were decent free public toilets just outside the cathedral. 

Yeah, we went to Notre Dame to use the loo.  And we got some fantastic photos of Notre Dame at night.

However, the toilets are closed in the evenings.


Coming next...To Chartes to see another cathedral.

Rain!

Waking up from a nice long sleep, I look out the window on our first full day in Paris and see this:

Rain!  Lots and lots of rain!  And it's Monday, which means most of the major museums are closed.  But the Musée de l'Orangerie is open, so we grab our umbrellas and hit the streets.  I've packed the same pocket-sized travel umbrella on numerous trips over ten years.  When I opened it, I laughed when I saw that it still had the price tag on it!  My luck with the weather was bound to run out sooner or later.

When we reach the Musée de l'Orangerie, the line is long and slow moving.  We strike up a conversation with an American couple behind us.  It turns out that he grew up in a nearby suburb of our home city.  The time standing in line begins to go by more quickly as we swap our opinions of various Kansas City barbeque restaurants.

My husband and I take our time enjoying the artwork, hoping the rain will let up outside.  Leaving the museum, we stroll through the gardens toward the Louvre, which is closed on Mondays.

 

When I review the photos back at the hotel later, I realize I had taken pictures from the exact same spots five years earlier.

 



 

Booking this trip in October means we're missing two things back at home: The start of the big run-up to Election Day and autumn decorating.  I don't miss the politics at all (if you live in a swing state, I feel sorry for you).  I'll miss most of the colors of autumn at home, and there is not one sign of Halloween in France.  I kind of think Halloween has become over-commercialized, so I really don't miss it either.

 

 

We had some great photos of the Louvre's famous (or infamous) pyramid taken at night on our 2007 trip, so we decide to come back when it isn't raining for more evening shots and move on to revisit one of our favorite churches, La Madaleine which overlooks the Place de la Concorde.

 

 

Back at the hotel at the end of the day, we study the forecast for Paris, which calls for rain for the rest of the week.  We have three more nights booked in Paris, but the extended forecast shows rain throughout all of France.  What if it rains during our entire trip?  In a moment of panic, we consider changing our plans and heading for Spain or Italy if the rain continues, but it seems to be raining everywhere.  We've lived through one of the worst droughts ever this summer in Kansas, and now we can't get away from the rain.

 

In the meantime, there is only a slight chance of rain in Reims, about 80 miles northeast of Paris, so we'll catch a train tomorrow morning for a day trip.

 

 

Coming Next...Reims and the Cathedral of Notre-Dame of Reims.

 

Where I Have Been Lately

You may have noticed an extended absense from me.  There's a good reason.

I was in France.

Forgive me for not telling you about this trip ahead of time.  For our privacy and security, telling people about our seventeen-day trip was on a need-to-know basis.  I'm sure you understand!

We had a big birthday and a big anniversary to celebrate this year, so we decided to take a big trip.  We went to Paris five years ago, but there is so much to see, so we knew we'd have no problem filling two weeks sightseeing throughout France.  I'm very excited to share our experiences with you!

Since we had seen most of the major Parisian sights on our earlier trip, we opted to focus on revisiting our favorite places and seeing a few things we missed the first time.  Plus, we had a couple of day trips planned.

We've made several trans-Atlantic trips, and we've found the best way to spend the first day is to take a casual stroll, exploring nearby neighborhoods.  Since we caught an early flight, we arrived in the city mid-morning.  Nothing like a couple of cafes and croissants to start shaking off the jet lag!

There was a nun circling this fountain in quiet contemplation in the Place de Vosges.  I could walk circles around it, too.

Unlike most tourists, we don't rush off to the Eiffel Tower. Been there, done that. We just enjoy the nearby gardens, fountains, and monuments until we can check into our hotel, shower, and find an early dinner.

 

 

Coming next: A slight change of plans?

 

 

I'm linking up...

Le Chateau Des Fleurs

Red Chippy Box

During this summer's drought, I only watered when absolutely necessary, so the garden is looking pretty shabby.  This winter I'm going to plan for an overhaul of half of the backyard next spring.

In the meantime, I've been slowing cleaning out the garden, and I decided this planter box has seen its better days.

I built it about 11 years ago out of scraps from a deck and fence project.  I really didn't have any sort of plan when I built it, so I'm pretty amazed it held together for so long.

I unscrewed the side panels, trimmed the weathered ends and built a little box.  On a whim, I added the little feet.  Aren't they cute?

 

I used a palm sander and a Dremel to wear down all the edges.  Originally, I was going to leave it natural, but the wood was so bowed from being outside, I had to use a lot of wood putty to fill the joints.  Now, I'm so glad I painted it.

 

 

It took the better part of an afternoon to get the effect I wanted.  It was worth the time spent!

 

So how did I get the look?  Chalk paint?  Milk paint?

Nope.  It's all just typical craft store stuff!

Start with a brown acrylic craft paint for the base coat.  Follow with black acrylic craft paint for the second coat.  I think starting with brown keeps the black from seeming too stark when the layers are sanded away.

Next, apply one coat of Weathered Wood Crackle Medium (follow the directions on the package).  Top coat of Cadmium Red acrylic craft paint.

Sand, sand, sand.  Complete with Minwax Paste Finishing Wax.

I can't describe how amazingly soft the wood feels.  The wax really makes the box feel old.

Then again, I used 11+ year old wood to build it.  Let's see those feet one more time.

 

 

I'm linking up...

Funky Junk Interiors

Mary Carol Garrity Fall Home Tour, Part 2

Welcome back for part two of last weekend's fall tour of Mary Carol Garrity's beautiful home in Atchison, Kansas.  You can see part 1 here, which featured the interior.

Today, we're going to visit the garden, beginning with the screened in porch.

I get so overwhelmed in some of these spaces, especially when I'm trying to take it all in while surrounded by dozens of chatty women.  I overlooked this little fellow until I was reviewing the photos after I came home.  Look at that little pumpkin he's holding.  So sweet!

The southeast exposure is probably what allows her to use such lovely pieces in an outdoor area, especially in stormy Kansas. Mary Carol mentioned that some storms rolled through during the open house on Friday afternoon, and the tornado sirens were activated. She recalled the next day, "I have all these people in my house, and I don't want them to see my basement!"

While this lantern and the urn separately are lovely pieces, putting them together makes quite a statement. 

There's one of those orbs again.  I know I'm going to regret not buying one.

Many of the items she was featuring were already sold out by the time I arrived Saturday afternoon, but I did study this take on a baker's peel as a charger at Nell Hills.  This would be an easy DIY knock-off.

Another orb (sigh).  I looked at the birds at the store.  I really liked them.  A lot.  They were about $35 each, so they didn't come home with me.

However, if she was selling this wine-toting statue, he would have come home with me, regardless of the price!

Alas, he must be from her personal collection, not for sale in her stores.  Isn't he adorable?

 

Speaking of adorable, this little fellow is also precious.  I love how he seems to be studying something in the leaves.

One thing I really like about Mary Carol's style is how effortlessly she marries together current trends with the tried and true, like this wire lantern set on a very traditional iron birdbath. 

A closer look...

One comment I overhear from other lookie-loos is that Mary Carol's style can seem cluttered.  That's OK.  It's her home, and she's obviously comfortable in it.  Regardless, I think she sets a good example of how to let your home evolve, where to invest money in timeless pieces, and how to use today's decorating fads as fun, pretty accents.

 

If you pin, please be sure to give Mary Carol credit for her work.

Mary Carol Garrity Fall Home Tour 2012, Part 1

The autumn-like weather yesterday was absolutely wonderful, perfect for driving to Atchison, Kansas, for the fall home tour of Mary Carol Garrity, founder of Nell Hills.  This tour featured only autumn decorating since there will be another open house in November for the holidays!  You can see the spring tour here and last year's autumn tour here, which also featured Christmas decor.

The stairs to her home were flanked by two large lanterns.  Notice the pumpkin inside perched on top of a small mercury glass pedestal.  Love that!

I'm always in awe of the architecture of her home.  Atchison is filled with historic homes and grand buildings, a lasting legacy of the city's prosperity during the overland trade period of the mid-1800s and early industrial era of 1870-1900.

 

Most of her fall decorating was the abundant use of floral stems, pumpkins, and pinecones.  Mary Carol said in the past she and her decorating team used pipe cleaners for constructing the displays, but now they use zip ties.

 

 

Mary Carol named a few trends for decorating this season, including mercury glass, and she said that "orbs are the new lanterns."  These orbs were flying out the door at her two shops, Nell Hills and Garrity's.

 

 

I couldn't decide how I felt about them.  I'll probably regret not picking up one.  Let's go inside!

All the sparkle wasn't limited to mercury glass.  Check out this huge silver bowl.  Besides the colors, I think I love decorating for autumn because it's so easy.  A good faux pumpkin can be prettier than the real thing.  Gourds last for weeks.  Twigs are free, and pinecones can be a one time investment (and good for Christmas decorating, too).

 

A small den is off the grand foyer.  Don't let this photo fool you.  It's a dark, masculine space, but I love all of rich textures.  Mary Carol almost always has a display on top of her cabinets, like this dough bowl overflowing with the colors of autumn.  By the time I find one of these at a price I'm willing to pay, the trend will be long gone.

 

 

In contrast to the den, the living room is filled with light.  Not much new here by way of comparison this fall, but I did admire the mantel.  Notice how the asymetrical display frames the artwork, the twigs wrapping around the image.  Gorgeous!

 

 

Let's check out the dining room, which always promises to be dramatic.

 

 

Remember the secret?  Zip ties!

 

 

Lots of mercury glass on the table.  I always see those over-sized martini glasses at hobby stores, and I think they look so tacky.  Here, they are actually pretty.

 

 

After all the grandeur of the exterior, the foyer, the living room, and dining room, I'm always happy to see the kitchen.

 

 

As in most historical homes, the kitchen is pretty darn small!  I happened to catch it when no one was in there so I could get a good picture.  Even though it's small, it is full of practical style.

 

 

And yes, those glass containers filled with dishwashing liquids aren't just for looks.  They appear to be used everyday.  Who wouldn't love to cook here?

 



 

Be sure to check back on Tuesday for the garden tour!

 

If you pin, please be sure to give Mary Carol credit for her work.

 

 

 

I'm linking up...

Between Naps on the Porch

Savvy Southern Style



Another Fine Mess

As I left my studio this evening...

One project underway, one waiting in the wings.

I finished one stained project this weekend.

 

An old plate, which is my favorite paint palette. 

 



Spool of thread from sewing a button on in hurry Sunday morning. A pile of fabric that will some day become a quilt. Some day. Can of oops paint for the benches I rescued when a neighbor was putting them out for trash day. Three benches. One painted, so far.

 

Despite the mess, this is my happy place.