Victorian Inspired vignette.

I think my style of decorating could be best described as Victorian inspired, English Country.
Achieved for the most part with auction finds, inherited pieces, flea market bargains and contemporary accents.

Chandelier, painting, lithograph and mirror
 all found at the Bayeux Hotel de Vente

Vintage Malicorne faience duck vase,
handpainted with a breton musician on the front.
Souvenir of St. Malo.

Over the years these two books have been invaluable sources of interior design inspiration, they epitomise the look that I aspire to in our home.

From “Victorian Style” written by Judith & Martin Miller -
“covers all aspects of Victorian interiors. Illustrated with over 400 colour photographs, the book reflects the diversity and eclecticism of the period.....”
First published in 1993 and available on Amazon, click here.

From “Classic Decorative Details, author Lady Henrietta Spencer Churchill -
“with the help of this book, you can become an instant expert on collecting silver, glass and ceramics, find out how to hang pictures, display leather bound books and make dramatic impact with flowers and fruit”...........
First published in 1994 and available on Amazon still, click here.

Quimper double shoe salt, silver bonbon basket and spoon,
a trio of vintage Famous Five books.

Many thanks to our wonderful hostesses
Courtney @ French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday, and Debra @ Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday

The large mirror reflects the staircase seeming to widen the hallway even more

to Laurie @ Bargain Hunting With Laurie for A Few of My Favourite Things Saturday


Copeland Spode Italian plate, HR Quimper card holder,
 Old English, Poole silver dish, the perfect vide poche for my keys.



to Mary @ the little red house for Mosaic Monday who has some beautiful tulips in her mosaics today,

and Kathy @ A Delightsome Life for Tuesday's A Return to Loveliness Party inspired by Victoria magazine.

Click on the links above, or on their buttons on my sidebar, to visit these great blogs and see who else is participating this week.

Q can only mean ...........................Quimper

The subject of this weeks Alphabe-Thursday assignment is the letter Q and for me that can only mean Quimper pottery, a tin glazed earthenware which has been produced in western Brittany, France for over 300 years.

An assortment of Quimper cheese dishes.

Many of you will know that I also manage the blog for the Quimper Club International .

I am blogging over there this month as part of my duties as co-organiser of this years Annual Meeting October 24 -27 in Savannah, GA.
We are thrilled to have the renowned Breton artist Philippe Lalys as one of our guest speakers at the meeting, the collage below is of some of his wonderful pieces.

But this post is all about the pottery not the meeting, so for your delectation a selection of Quimper eye candy.

The croisille decor is one of my favourite border designs.

I know, it's all gorgeous isn't it?

Or maybe it isn't your cup of tea? Either way I'd love to hear from you. If you love it or hate it, leave me a comment so I'll know.

Now scoot over to Mrs Matlock's class and hand in your homework or you'll get a detention!

Alphabe-Thursday ..............F is for?

It's Alphabe-Thursday again so off we go to Mrs Matlock's class to learn about the letter F today.
Flowers, Fruit and Faïence some of my Favourite things.

A pretty display on top of an antique bow front chest of drawers in the sitting room.

Colourful tulips, lemons in a HenRiot Quimper bowl, HB Tabac jar and floral, bird plate from Henriot.

HB Quimper floral plate and a Nevers cache pot stand beside a large Sarreguemines platter in the Obernai decor.

We purchased this painting whilst living in Bavaria and it's one of my personal favourites.

Head over to Jenny's place to learn more about the letter F but do leave a comment before you go.

3 or more Hilton Head restaurants!!

I know, I know............. it's almost winter and here I am still banging on about Hilton Head!

But you see I won't be going back there until next October when we'll be co-organising the QCI 11th Annual meeting in Savannah.

Some of you lucky people might get there before I do so I wanted to share with you and Tam's 50th Three Or More Tuesday @ The Gypys Corner,our favourite HHI restaurants just in case you'd like to try them too.

There's only one place we head to for breakfast or an early lunch and that's "Gruby's New York Deli". Split the NY Reuben you won't be sorry.

Since I wrote this blog earlier today NM has come visiting and asked what is a Reuben, guess they don't have them in OZ?

This is Gruby's NEW YORK REUBEN
Corned Beef, Pastrami & Swiss with Sauer Kraut & Russian Dressing
Triple Decker…

A casual relaxed place for lunch? Then you won't go far wrong with "Hudson's on the Docks" or the "Grumpy Grouper".

Want something quirky off island? You have to head to Bluffton and experience the "Squat & Gobble" restaurant. The food is excellent and it was packed when we went.

I'm not saying another word, go see for yourself.

For casual fine dining we always like "Bonefish".

And maybe I'll regret telling you about this "find" but a new place to us this last trip was "Charlie's L'Etoile Verte", a Hilton Head insider secret for over 25 years, I have no idea how we missed it all these years but it's a keeper now. They have Quimper faience hanging on the walls!

Please visit Tam @ The Gypsys Corner and all the great blogs gathered there today.

Bon appetit y'all!

Maggie.

A Quimper Musicians Mosaic Monday

Bonjour,
You may not know this but I am also what is laughingly known as "blogmistress" over at the Quimper Club International blog.
For Charis' Sunday Favourites I reprised a post that had appeared on the QCI blog back in June.
Written by leading Q expert Adela Meadows it was a fascinating insight into the ever popular Quimper decor of biniou & bombarde players and the history and traditions behind them.
Click here to find out more.................
I got so caught up in the whole musician theme that I created this collage of pictures from my personal archive of Quimper pieces that I have enjoyed, to share with you all today for Mary's Mosaic Monday @ Little Red House.
It's pretty full, so you may want to click on the pic to enlarge in order to enjoy these wonderful handmade and handpainted treasures of Breton heritage.
After you have finished drooling over these beautiful treasures head on over to Mary's where you will see some truly wonderful Mosaics created by a bunch of people a lot more talented than I.

à bien tôt
Maggie

There's always something new to learn.......................

As you may have noticed I have a new header picture today.

That's right I finally learned how to create a mosaic (collage) using Picasa and Susan's tutorial @ BNOTP, big thanks to Susan!!



Last week for Smiling Sally's Blue Monday extravaganza I shared a building site with you, boring.





This week as promised I have something prettier for your enjoyment, a blue, Quimper faïence, mosaic.
Double click on the mosaic for a better look at the individual items.

Let's share it also with Mary @ Little Red House.

Do pop in to visit both these ladies for their Mosaic & Blue Monday parties.

To find out more about this wonderful pottery from Brittany, France, click on these links: Quimper Club International Blog and QCI Web site.

à bien tôt
Maggie

Lazy weekend Rooster themed breakfast

There are so many blog parties happening this week that I just have to combine 3 in 1.

On Thursday Susan @ Between Naps on the Porch is graciously hosting Tablescape Thursday.

Follow this link to see her own stunning tablescape and the other beautiful tablescapes she always receives from all those talented ladies out in blogland.

We are going to be so busy on Friday flitting between Gollums Foodie Friday here @ Designs by Gollum

and Barb's Rooster Party here@. Bella Vista. Follow the links to join in all the fun.

At the weekends we like to linger a little longer over breakfast.

It’s never a big meal, not really a brunch.

But we do enjoy the simple luxury of fresh farm eggs collected that morning from a neighbors’ hens, lightly boiled, and soft buttery croissants, still warm from the boulangerie.

We like to gently prise them apart, they are very flaky, and smother them with either Bonne Maman blackberry or apricot confitures or homemade blackcurrant jam.

Freshly pressed coffee, hot and strong.

Now what could make things even more special?

A fresh & citrusy Mimosa Cocktail served in a Baccarat crystal wine glass peut-être?

How to make a classic Mimosa Cocktail:

This has to be the easiest cocktail to make.

Simply pop a bottle of your favourite champagne (we happen to love Pol Roger) and a carton of good orange juice (sans pulpe) into the fridge to chill overnight.
Next morning, whilst the coffee is brewing, fill a cocktail shaker with crushed ice and add 2 good dashes of champagne & 2 of orange juice, per person.

Give it a quick flick of the wrist, pour into champagne flutes (or Baccarat wine glasses) et voilà your perfect Mimosa is ready to enjoy.

Fabric place mats & napkins, and coffee mugs: Williams Sonoma.

Rooster table mats & matching coasters: Seagull Studios.

A modern Quimper-Blue Rooster serving dish kept the croissants warm.

Simple white tea lights were placed in matching Baccarat crystal liqueur glasses to add that certain” je ne sais quoi?”

The quirky coq napkin rings are holiday souvenirs and remind us of trip to Denia, Spain in 2007.

The large & funky ceramic hen was a gift from Marc P an antiques dealer friend, based in Brittany.

A posy of nasturtiums from the garden in a small R Lalique vase added a bright splash of colour to the table.

Bon Appétit

Renard the Fox

Whilst sat quietly surfing scrappin web sites this afternoon imagine my surprise when my DH (Roger to you) came flying out of the library where he had happily been watching football to yell "There's a fox in the garden"!

After several minutes of squinting through the windows we caught another glimpse of him as he slid gracefully through the shrubbery and into the field next door.

This is a first in 12 years, we have never seen a fox before, I only hope he stays away from the pond as the moorhens are a little vulnerable at present. Everything is frozen over and they are very wary of the ice.

Stay tuned for further sightings of Monsieur Renard.