My September brocante tour - just a couple of places left!

I am busy at this season hosting guests who wish to buy brocante.  Some of them professional, wishing  to stock up a store back home, and some individuals simply enjoying finding a few treasures to take home as a souvenir de France.  

I am really looking forward to the group brocante tour I'll be hosting here in September, when I'll  team up with Tea Garden Travel, who specialise in travel for women.

The group will only be eight ladies, who will arrive here on a Thursday morning, and stay until the following Monday. 

They'll stay in this stunning chateau which is close to my home and in their 4 days here we shall visit brocante stores, tour a huge brocante fair, see Monet's garden at Giverny,  buy at a farmer's market, visit a château, have some time out for shopping in town, eat good food and drink fine wine in lovely restaurants and also enjoy one evening for dinner here at my home.

There are still a couple of places left on the tour, so if you would like to come along on your own, or with a girlfriend, daughter, niece or aunt!  just drop me a line or contact Michele at Tea Garden Travel directly.

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Jeni's spectacular loot shoot

So I told you yesterday that Jeni from Found Vintage Rentals was here for 24 hours, shopping for vintage and brocante items for her business.    Today I get to show you what she found in one afternoon and one morning.  Quite a few pictures here, but that's because there is so much to show!

YES, you read that right, Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning and we found her this lovely loot.

On Saturday afternoon I introduced her to my favourite brocante stores.  As you can see she made friends pretty fast and in a couple of hours she found enough to fill our giant van.

She loved all the stores I took her to.  They were very contrasting in styles from Christelle's so chic boutique ...

..... to Laurent's very full antique shop where she found two beautiful desks .....

....to Jacky's bursting-at-the-seams aladdin's cave store.  I can tell you that there is enough antique furniture here to keep Jeni happy for years to come!  :)

Sunday morning we were at the first fair before dawn, but when the sun rose it revealed this beautiful view.

Here Jeni was lucky again as she found more treasure including a mannequin that she really wanted, a selection of charming vintage chairs and some stunning linen baskets.

I always think that we have more fun shopping in beautiful surroundings!  :)

 then home to unpack and repack and list and count and sigh and enjoy .... 

 These brocante trips are really fun.  I always combine a variety of places to visit, and the timetable is tailor made to my client's wishes.   If you would like to come brocante shopping, or garden visiting with me I have some dates still available for day trips from Paris, or for an overnight trip.

If you would like a slightly longer stay, there are also still places available on the brocante tour that I am hosting here in  September.  This will be a wonderful tour including accommodation at the chateau  d'Emalleville belonging to my friend Frederique,   Antique shopping in local stores, a major antique fair and a couple of smaller fairs.    A meal at my home and visits to places of interest in our lovely valley.  If you'd like more information don't hesitate to contact me.

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lifting the curtain on the new brocante season HOORAH!!

The first fair of the season this morning , (well almost, I could have gone to one last week but it was -15°, and the fair was outside so ... no ... I didn't think so).

This morning I was out before dawn.  Not many photos to show you I'm afraid, mostly because I didn't have my camera with me when I got up at 5 .   Why no camera? ...   Because it was raining!  the sort of ultra fine, misty, trickling-down-your-neck sort of rain that  cameras are allergic to.

So a few quick pics of the goodies I came home with, just to warm us up for the coming season. It wasn't a huge haul, and strangely monochromatic, but it sufficed to  make me happy.  

See what you think ....

An old cup commemorating Napoleon's Egyptian campaign. 

A sweet little water edge landscape

A very badly damaged, but amusing view of the Champs Elysees, as I have never seen them!

 Some bistrot brulot, I like these more and more and buy them whenever I have the chance

Some pretty coupelles for candle holders, a ton of ventouses for individual flower heads

 and a lovely old piece of toile de Jouy.

 and finally

rather a nice old perfume box, by  Jean Patou

Voila!  .... My son has just looked over my shoulder and said "they don't want to see all that stuff Mummy!".

If he is right, I apologise, if he is wrong then thank you for reading down to the end!

And finally, don't forget that if you would like to treasure hunt here in September, there are still a few places left on the brocante tour that I will be hosting for Tea Garden Travel.  For details click here!

Bon weekend!

PS.  It's a busy weekend so there's no way any of this stuff will be listed in the store before next week.  If something catches your eye, don't hesitate to email me and I'll give you the details.  Thank you!

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brocante hunting in Normandy

Twice a year, in a town not far from us, there is a massive brocante and antique fair.  Dealers come from all over France to show their goods, and it provides a unique opportunity to find so many specialists under one roof.

There are dealers selling silver ware, paintings, old dolls, jewellery, linen and a huge variety of furniture.

I spent some time there this weekend, and made a few purchases for our home.  In September I'll be returning to the autumn version of the fair, and if you wish, you can come too.

The American company Tea Garden Travel, has invited me to host a group of their clients for a short stay in Normandy, antique buying and visiting gardens.  Accommodation will be in a local château, and the programme will include brocante, gardens, shopping,  meals out and an evening at my home.  Michele Abrate who runs the company, will be organising the trip.  She has run tours and specialised holidays for many years, so I know that my guests will be in excellent hands.  It's going to be fun!

So whether your taste be more white lace and heavy linen, or old furniture with patina, or if you dream of taking home an old impressionist painting, this could be the trip for you!

For more details contact Michele at Tea Garden and she will explain how the trip is to be planned.

PS.  Just had to share these last four pictures, from a dealer I discovered, they are called Mon Ile Arzon - if you're in Brittany this summer, this is definitely an address to be looked into!

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