Photos of Old Bottles

Old medicine bottles are among my absolute favorite vintage things to find. There is something infinitely mysterious and just a little bit menacing about them, I think. They aren't easy to photograph, though, especially the clear glass ones, which take in so much light.

Some of these bottles are still at available at the Vintage Home section of the shop.

Yesterday's Work

Friday was a good day.

I managed to sew a few cotton bags that I'll use for packaging my Autumn-Winter Collection.


I sent off the latest of my La Couturière, "The Seamstress," vintage sewing boxes with all kinds of notions I find in vintage fairs and flea markets. I am happy that these boxes are popular at the shop because I really take great pleasure in putting them together. This last one I finished off with an extra doily, and it reminded me of Star of the East's urchin jewelry.


Then to end my precious few working hours, I finished a bunch of Yoda Pears, which make me smile every time I look at them. I think they look fun and cool and modern. And they can be found here.
Now I think I'll relax, tonight invent a chicken recipe using rosemary (because I have four big bushes and I have to do something with all that herb!) and maybe visit the car boot sale at the Boudres quartier of our village tomorrow to see if I can find anything interesting for our vintage goods section. Have a fun and creative weekend, everyone!

Photos of Home (and a giveaway - again!)

We're advancing a little bit more in decorating the little home in the country we moved into three months ago - yey! While going through photos I've been taking of our interiors, I realized that our home actually looks like my shop - lots of whites and browns, lots of light, and an obvious love of empty space. Most of the photos you see here is actually for our vintage goods. So when you go to La Pomme, it's actually like you're visiting our home, and that's nice isn't it?



I take a break from all the serious wood-and-linen thing we have going on by going for unexpected décor pieces, like one of my own plush pears and a bird from Abby Glassenberg on top of the fireplace. Still in very restrained colors, yes, I know.


I'm specially happy because this past week, our bench was delivered. We had it made by an artisan I met at our village's weekly vintage market. His name is Patrick Gilles (and as soon as I find his calling card, I'll post a link to his website here), and he makes wonderful furniture from recycled wood. Our bench is made from a combination of an African hardwood and beechwood, and with its inclined back rest and polished edges, has got to be the most comfortable bench I have ever had the pleasure to sit on!


And just to show that we are not entirely color-free, here is Lilou's play area, a curtained-off part of the living room. The rug is from Ikea (and it seems like every little girl I know has one), and Mr. Ugly Cow (my name for him) was a gift from a cousin.


About the giveaway: Ravenhill's lovely Emily - whose way with colors I covet! - is hosting a giveaway to celebrate the launch of my Autumn-Winter Collection over at her blog. Click here to join.

And the Winner Is...

... Sonia!

Last night, I put all your names in a bowl and drew the winner. You're the lucky girl, Sonia. Congratulations on winning the Alphabet Apple. (I can't access your blog, though, so if you can get in touch with me here with your e-mail address that would be great.)

It was lots fun reading about your school memories, everyone. Thank you for participating, and see you at the next giveaway.

Back to School Giveaway

I used to love going back to school because the smell of my new books and notebooks made me happy; but hated it, too, because it meant waking up at dawn to get to my classes on time. Until now the memory makes me want to crawl back under the covers and hide from my alarm clock!

Wave your hands up in the air if you're done with the back-to-school rush and say "Whew!" While the not-so-little-anymore spring roll is still too little to be packing her school bag, I can imagine what it must be like to go through the whole business of changing from slow summer days to active school ones. I know many of you out there are just now having the time to breathe from all the September activity, so I thought I'd help you relax with a little weekend giveaway. Just because.

Tell me why you love OR why you hate going back to school and you can win the Alphabet Apple above.

If you've been to school, are still going to school, have kids who go school, or a family member you're helping through school, you're welcome to join. Tell me your love or hate school thoughts in the comments section. This giveaway is not going to last long! I'll pick a random winner on Monday.

Taming my Creativity

In this post I said that the reason I am now working on themed collections is that I don't anymore have the luxury of time enough to constantly create new things, but I am finding that having to put my mind to working on a fixed theme has another effect, aside from that of saving me precious time, and one that I am equally glad for.

I talked about it in my Etsy Featured Seller interview back in 2008, and up till now I still feel that I need to tame my creative exuberance, because while it helps me come up with some crazy-loveliness, I have to admit that it also leads to me making some downright ugly things too.

The sense of having certain mental controls is also comforting somehow, it focuses my energies. This path is interesting.

Happy Birthday, Lilou

I hope you had fun at the party, you funny, lovely, fearless little girl! I'm looking forward to all the laughing and hugging (as well as a bit of crying, I am sure), that you, Papa, and I are going to share this second year together.

And for friends who will complain if I don't post more pics of the spring roll, here are some from her birthday party yesterday:

Cake!

No, I didn't talk to her friend's mom about matching outfits, it just happened,
right down to their exactly-the-same green ruffled underpants!

And there goes the ruffled underpants.

We seemed to have had a thing for funny head pieces yesterday...