Hot Cocoa Goodness

If you aren't familiar with Maurecourt, France, you NEED TO BE.

In this city is produced arguably the finest hot cocoa powder ever created....and as our hips can attest, we've sampled many! Belgium, Italy, France, Denmark, Switzerland, Mexico, the United States and Greece all make a mighty fine hot cocoa. BUT...Maurecourt, France holds a special place in our heart.

Enter, Les Confitures a l' Ancienne.....

Raw brown cane sugar, incredible French roasted ground cocoa beans and natural vanilla. That's it. No special spices. Just pure yumminess. And with any proper hot cocoa making, please leave the water in the faucet as milk is the only thing that should touch this creation (besides whole, lowfat and soy work nicely, too). Dollop of real whipped cream and you'll send me a thank you note.

Now available in a 2.2 lb canister, this baby comes with its own scoop for fool-proof goodness.

$31

"Vintageweave"
Go to SHOP NOW, then page French Cupboard.

Serviettes - Très bon!

{Rooster: Ferme de la Colline Serviettes: $15/two packages of 20)

Pretty table dressing, just like in the Turkey, deserves something special!


{Hillside Dairy Brown Cow: Etable due Coteau}

Swoon if you must, we're right there with you! These packages of 20 paper napkins are sold in pairs, in any combo you desire! Three-ply and chlorine free.
I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I'm planning a themed dinner party around the diary cows! I love them all!

And when the table itself needs a refresher, try this on for size. Cotton and fully machine washable. Plus the lovely embroidery is just that, embroidered, and not silk screened. {We wouldn't dare do that to your table!}


{Bon Appétit Cotton Tablecloth; $120 for a 60 x98 cotton beauty}

Très bon appétit!

Paris Makes My Heart Sing

Back in the States with many new treasures to share with all of you in a few days....until then I will sing, and sing loudly!

champagne buckets, riddling racks, bottle carriers, bottle drying racks, garden ornamental smalls, chairs, a chaise here and there, and baskets, baskets, baskets galore....and SO MUCH MORE!

....and some books for props!

European Wall Sink Mania!

Design jobs in Malibu and Hollywood are keeping me hopping. LOTS and LOTS going on!
 I can not believe how crazy busy we are with...

design jobs, your fabulous phone orders, the inordinate amount of wonderful online orders, gift baskets galore, and all those dropping in the boutique to outfit their homes with something special....

We're having a blast helping everyone sneak some wonderful treasures into their homes, and while we have little time for tea breaks (or potty breaks for that matter!), we're loving that our busy plate has seamlessly rolled into the holiday crazy busy platter of a season! The gift basket portion of the business has been in full swing (ok, when isn't it??), but lately we've had several clients who have wrapped films and turned to us to create some magical "thank you's"....more on these later!

 Will be back soon to share a bit of this and that....Also, look for weekly new items online now through the end of the year!

In the meantime enjoy these:

We have had an unusual number of requests for European Wall Sinks. So on the extreme hunt we went for these antique lovelies!  Hailing from France, England and Hungary,   we have over 15 in stock right now (after selling over 25 in the last 2 weeks!).
 Classic styles with simple, straight lines run $295 - $350.
Elaborate styles with scrolling detail (as those shown here) run $600-$725.

French Bottle Carriers

"Does this hunk of metal really work for you??"

This was the question posed to me during a flea market excursion by some passerby. I had to laugh. Sometimes MEN just don't get it. Ok, to be fair, sometimes PEOPLE just don't get it.

One night while preparing the living room for a hosted movie night at my house, I had a boyfriend ask once about an amazing rare black French armoire* that had just the right chipping in all the right places....

"Um, are you ever planning on painting this thing?"

Hmpf!
Poor thing didn't stand a chance after that.
(The man, that is, not the armoire!)



Hot off the container, an assortment of antique wine bottle carriers. Especially unusual hunk of metal offerings in TEN BOTTLE carriers--rare, rare, rare! All in great condition with no missing rungs.

$90-250 at vintageweave.com or 323.932.0451

*Armoire has since sold to a dinner party guest one late January when I was feeling a "new look" was in order....

Grab the Shopping Cart!

{Cart Picture: Wikepedia}

More shopping! More creations from antique items! More antiques! More Fun! Oh....It's just making me giddy! You, too, dear friends?

Let's be drunk with happiness together! Both hands on the Shopping Cart Handle and away we go.....

Made from antique French shutters. There's been a very large one created, now a smaller cabinet fashioned from antique shutters cut to size with the masterful painting of some truly artistic hands who blend it all seamlessly;



Chic Mirror: Vintage French Zinc with a scallop copper detail added---many sizes available. Shown: Tabletop size: $1275. (Sorry about the flash! I had to take a picture before it was loaded on the truck as one of my clients snapped this up before I could share it with all of you.) More being made in this size and in floor sizes. It can be crated and Freight Shipped anywhere in the Continental US.


I'm having trouble getting this one in the cart. Grab one end will ya'?
Reclaimed wood with new stain and fabulous French Zinc top---where Elegance meets Rustic....



Many Vintage French Bottle Dryer Racks are in stock as they stacked in the shopping cart just nicely. As shown and larger sizes only (no small sizes this time); Shown: $675.
Loving the old French beer bottles--great green color! I think displayed as a trio with a yellow daisy would love Summer Fab; Bottles: $22/ea


Know that bar shelf thingy at the bottom of the cart? These slide in nicely there.
It started with antique scroll brackets and zinc. So popular, that the well ran dry for the antique brackets so reproduction brackets were found with similar detailing. Reclaimed Zinc wrapped around wood completes the stunning shelf. 4, 6 and 8 foot increments. These will soon be on the website, but you may custom order yours now by emailing or calling us. Shown: 6 foot $500.

Ok this one will just flatten the cart, but I love it so....perfect on a pea gravel patio, don't you agree?

Email us (vintageweave@aol.com) with further inquires-or leave a comment here and we'll try to accommodate all custom orders, too!

French Antiquing and Modern Technology

Because my home design and set design schedules get so crazy at times, I often can't just jump on a plane anymore to attend last-minute alerts of antique fairs/sales popping up throughout France.

But I only take on projects I love with clients I adore, so I have no complaints....(modern technology affords me this attitude, I can not lie!!)

As an antique dealer I'm often invited to "private" estate sales throughout the beautiful French countryside which, to no big surprise, are my most favorite of treasure-hunting expeditions!! Thank goodness for my two trusty ROCKS --one of whom lives in Marseille and another right outside Paris. They are amazing assets to Vintageweave.

With technology the way that it is and my being a gadget freak, it's so easy to get up at 2am...
make a pot of coffee...
light a few candles to set the "tone and mood" (if you've been to the boutique you know I'm all about the ambiance 24/7. I like lit votives even at a breakfast table)...
slip on a pair of comfy slipper socks...
fire up the Mac....
and go shopping! My ROCKS, coupled with their state-of-the-art cell phones, walk the antique sales, snapping, texting, snapping, texting...

Many dealers/business owners have "pickers", those folks who buy on their behalf because they feel they know the preferred style/era etc. This could never be for me. Instead, I have "alerters", dealers/private parties who alert me when they have something they feel I will like, but never ever buy on my behalf.

My needs change, my clients' needs change and let's face it, I'm a self-confessed control freak ---hmm, isn't this a core trait of an entrepreneur???---so I do 100% of my own buying. Yes, that's 100%. (If you've been to the boutique you will know what a job this is) For my business needs, investing in these phones for my ROCKS was a no brainer. It is a way of getting me to these fairs while accomplishing all my other lofty goals in any given week. As much as I love the past, I LOVE MODERN TECHNOLOGY! Juxtaposition: I'm walkin' it, I'm talkin it.



Usually it's big pieces I'm purchasing, but in the wee hours one morning I set the alarm for 1am, got up, made a pot of coffee with warmed vanilla soy milk, spread some fig jam on my toast, lit a Mariage Freres Rouge candle, jumped online and WENT SHOPPING!....Pascale sent photo after photo of delicious finds and I'd give thumbs up or down while he walked the fair. It was an intimate estate sale full of wonderful smalls which left me drooling. His camera phone took some of the photos and others were on his 35mm, and still others of the goods as they were unpacked here in the States...



Some of the items arrived today...So now you can drool, too!


Flower/coal carriers from the early 1900's....Enamel Coffee Biggins....



Lots of mini bibles and books...


And my most favorite....fifty-five antique French lunch pails from the early 1900's!$48/ea


None of these are yet online but contact us via email if interested: vintageweave@aol.com.

Ohhhh, who am I kidding?? Control freak, clients' needs, blah, blah, blah...none of that amounts to the REAL reason I do 100% of the buying: I LOVE SHOPPING.

To quote my dear friend J.....
....... "I LOVE SHOPPING. I WANT TO MARRY SHOPPING".

French Periodicals As Art

Vintage periodical prints and advertisements make the perfect art! While the prints themselves can be found relatively inexpensively at a variety of French Flea Markets, or puces, the type of frame you choose can really set it apart from being a flea market find to flea market CHIC. We've paired some with moderately-priced frames and others with luscious antique frames. Either way they represent a beautiful bygone era where there is no photoshop, iphoto or fancy computer to enhance the hand drawn sketches.

There's a particular vender who used to sell stacks of these beauties at Puces Vanves (Metro stop Porte de Vanves off Metro 13). As early as 6 years ago you could fetch these for around 5-15 Euro or $5-$15. Now they go for around 30 Euro, which these days......well, let's just say "our dollar ain't what it used to be"! i just love the detail of them.

The black and white news feature ones are a particular draw. {Offered at Vintageweave on occasion for $35.}

Vanves is is one of my favorite markets in Paris proper....small and selective with a great variety of quality items. As you turn the bend on Porte de Vanves you can smell the food vendor with his perfectly-brewed cafe au lait and decent croissant. The energy is fast and furious and half way through making your way, the market width narrows to a single file for about the length of 10 vendors. Of course everyone ignores this fact, pushing and forging ahead as if they haven't noticed there is less room. This is France, after all, a country whose people famously detest rules and restrictions. As a visitor it can be daunting, but just remember, you are in France, eating a so-so croissant that is far better than any croissant on its best day back home, and there are treasures upon treasures to be had at every turn. And did I mention? You. Are. In. France. Life is Good.