Paris Parfait

Subtle pleasures

Geraniums in window boxes reflected through frosted glass, Delft, Holland.

Have you seen the new shelter magazine Rue? Check it out for Jamie Beck's beautiful photographs of an eventful day with interior designer Vicente Wolf. Photos of Victoria of the blog SFGirlbyBay in her charming abode are also featured in Rue's premier issue.

I had planned to be in London this week, with an afternoon at Liberty fawning over Manolo Blanik's new collection and visiting the V&A's special installations for London Fashion Week. Instead, I've been home fighting a bug/virus David brought home from China.

I've seen two unusual DVDs: the British film Fleur du Desert about the extraordinary journey of Waris Dirie and the Danish film After the wedding. Both are well worth your time.  Besides processing hundreds of photos, I've been reading books at lightning speed, so there are fewer books to move. With every item that goes out of the apartment, I feel the burden of SO MUCH STUFF ease.

Speaking of possessions, Danielle La Porte tackles this loaded topic in a guest post today at Bindu Wiles.

Back soon with a special post about Patti Digh's new book Four World Self Help.

C'est moi; c'est vrai.

Curved rooftop structure which covers a variety of shops and markets, Covent Garden, London.

For some time now, I've written about and photographed many places and things unrelated to Paris. I've written about my life, which involves lots of travel, writing, photography, poetry, art and activism. The narrow focus on the City of Light in Paris Parfait no longer reflects this blog or its author. So while the blog will keep the same internet address it's had for four-and-a-half years, the front-page banner will bear my own name. In my work, I write and photograph under my own name; it's time I blog under my name, as well. Paris will remain a favourite topic here, but it won't always be the headline. Stay tuned for more changes and developments, with upcoming travels and a move to the Netherlands!

"Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes." - Walt Whitman

Off we go

Overhead electrical rails, Centraal Station, Amsterdam.

"He who would travel happily must travel light".- Antoine de Saint-Exupery. 

Between a family concern and the Google-Verizon attempt to undermine Net Neutrality, it feels like I'm traveling with the weight of the world on my shoulders. The companies' proposals would maintain both a "public" and "private"  Internet, effectively giving telecoms more control over speed and access.

In 1999, I worked with a group of academics, engineers and tax specialists in San Francisco and Berkeley to determine how the Internet could remain a level playing field for all. What Google and Verizon propose would make Internet access - in many cases - subject to payment, similar to cable television. Such a plan clearly is aimed at lining the pockets of the corporations involved, not any altruism to keep the Internet free for all. President Obama needs to honor his pre-election promise to support Net Neutrality.

Please write President Obama, the Federal Communications Commission and your senators and representatives to urge they stand firm and stop big corporations from dictating Internet traffic.

Reactions to Google-Verizon pact

“The agreement between Verizon and Google about how to manage Internet traffic is nothing more than a private agreement between two corporate behemoths and should not be a template or basis for either Congressional or FCC action,” said Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge. ”It is unenforceable and does almost nothing to preserve an open internet. Most critically, it sacrifices the future of the mobile wireless internet as this platform becomes more central to the lives of all Americans.”

Progressive Change Committee co-founder Adam Green: "Google, a company that I've long admired and currently hold thousands of dollars of stock in, just "went evil."" ... "There is no reason in the world for Google, which has made smart investments in the future, to find common ground with Verizon on the issue of Internet openness. None. Zero. Zilch. Today's deal was unneeded, uncalled for and incompatible with Google's "don't be evil" mantra. Google's decision to cut a deal with Verizon wreaks of either impatience or fear."

Google-Verizon plan: Why you should worry

Web plan from Google and Verizon is criticized

Verizon and Google propose web traffic rules

Google-Verizon Pact: It Gets Worse

Senate Democrats Press FCC to protect Internet from corporate takeover

If you missed this article about our collapsing empire, I urge you to read it. As we pour money into wars, schools are closing, streetlights are turned off and our infrastructure crumbling.  Some cold, hard facts simply can't be avoided.

________________

So much angst: visit my friend Christina at Soul Aperture to be instantly cheered by her lovely photos and tales from her day.

Off to the Netherlands by train. See you later this month.

Dare to be different

Notice how the pink house stands out in this picture? It's not a great photo technically; I needed a telephoto lens to properly capture this scene. The reason I snapped this image  was the pink house. In a tiny little village on Bani Hamida Mountain in Jordan, someone dared to defy the status quo and paint their house carnation pink.

This weekend, do something different. Shake up your routine. Go somewhere you've never been. Try a new recipe or an unfamiliar restaurant. Smile at a stranger. Surprise someone with a special treat.  Be adventurous. Just remember, whatever you do is up to you!

You be you, as my wise friend Jen Lemen says.  And have fun!

Prize winners at Paris Parfait

Canal, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Congratulations to Stephanie and Catherine, winners of the drawing celebrating 2000 posts at Paris Parfait! French brocante treasures will soon be on their way to them.

Meanwhile, some recent discoveries for your perusal:

British photographer Martin Parr shoots images of Moscow's nouveau riche.

Woulda. Coulda. Shoulda. The things you would have said.

Gorgeous Marrakech-inspired jewelry designs by Paloma Picasso for Tiffany.

Tommy Hilfiger's stylish apartment at the Plaza, New York.

Sloane Crosley's hilarious new book How Did You Get This Number?

Grand entrances

Entering the Salon de Embajadores - the Ambassadors' Hall - in the Royal Palace or Alcázares Reales de Sevilla, Spain. Among the dignitaries received by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella in this throne room was explorer Cristóbal Colón or Christopher Columbus. Click image to view detail.

I expect many enticing doors will open for fellow traveler and photographer Lisa Field-Elliot, whose delightful new website Doorways traveler has launched today. See for yourself!

Two thousand posts.

A moment of reflection, Alcázares Reales de Sevilla, Spain. Image captured with the Sony A900 and Carl Zeiss 16-35mm f/2.8 lens.

Two thousand posts. Quite the accomplishment, I think. Through Paris Parfait, I've been fortunate to meet and befriend many wonderful people. I've also had several professional opportunities come my way. Thank you for continuing to read and support my writing and photography.

To mark this little milestone, I'm giving away special brocante finds to two readers. Leave a comment about your dream travel destination.  Names will be drawn from a hat on Monday, July 26th.

Thank you again for being such loyal devotees of Paris Parfait! Merci bien. Muchas gracias.

Busy days of summer

A sailboat, canoes and kayaks on the River Thames, Weybridge, England.

 

Students in canoes set off at noon Sunday for another lesson.

Where has she been, you might wonder, of this sadly-neglected blog? After a trip to London, there are deadlines to meet; an apartment to clean; laundry to do; clothes to iron; packages to mail; guests arriving; a wedding to shoot; bags to pack; a plane to Sevilla. Other travel plans to arrange; articles to write; photos to edit; email to answer; business requiring my attention. I steal a few moments here and there to peek at blogs, Twitter and Facebook.

So until I catch up with obligations and have time to blog properly, I'll be posting more summer vignettes.

Ghost Furniture and Concrete Ghost

If you haven't seen my brilliant friend Di Overton's new Ghost Furniture website, do have a look at her gorgeous creations! And check out Concrete Ghost, a clever collaboration with the talented London-based sculptor and artist Kathy Dalwood. So many beautiful and unique things these women have created; am longing for a bigger apartment!

 

Seeing this sailboat on its own reminded me of a felucca sailing down the Nile. If only!

 

P.S. Here's David with the adorable baby Joseph, who's nearly five months old.

The art of seeing

 

Airplane fashioned from sand, South bank of the River Thames, London.

Too many cameras? Until I started blogging, I rarely took photos on holiday, other than of people traveling with me. Certainly I didn't snap pictures of landmarks, as such images are mass-produced and widely-available on postcards.

These days I take my camera(s) many places, but try not to be intrusive in the process. It can be annoying when everybody and his brother are snapping pictures, either with cell phones or small pocket cameras. I often see tourists with video cameras, who pay only cursory attention to their surroundings. They're missing the actual experience of being there; of interacting with those around them. They're too busy recording video for viewing from the comfort of home. 

Seeing what's in front of us

How often do we take the time to really see?

It's one of life's persistent mysteries that many people have a gift for noticing everything, while others appear willfully blind. Well-meaning friends and acquaintances may pry open their eyes...trying to highlight the sparkle and sizzle and wonder of their surroundings. But they are reluctant partners, afraid to splash too much colour onto life's messy canvas. They worry about the consequences of becoming fully awake and engaged in life. Instead, they dwell drowsily in comfort zones mired deep in charcoals and greys.

What would it take for them to snap out of their slumber? A loss? Love? A lost love? A fresh challenge? Why do some people shun the sun in favour of shadows? Too fearful to tread unknown paths, they stick to tired and familiar routes. But safe havens do not exist.

As we know all too well, life is fragile. Love is mercurial. Change is the only certainty, despite our efforts to preserve the status quo.

So let's open our eyes and revel in the beauty of what is, right here, right now, today. 

"The time which we have at our disposal every day is elastic;

the passions that we feel expand it; those that we inspire contract it

and habit fills what remains." - Marcel Proust

Overheard conversations

Mirrored stances at the stunning World Press Photo 2010 exhibition, Oudekerk Church, Amsterdam.

This weekend I had such fun at the brocante at Vanves, followed by a lovely brasserie lunch with Claudia and Claudia II from New York. I spent Sunday afternoon with Alexandra, a wonderful writer and witty blogging friend from Portland. We had lunch on Ile Saint-Louis, shopped for gifts for her family and friends, then had dessert - tarts and tea - at the charming la Charlotte de l'isle. It is a tiny place, but big on homemade taste!

Overheard conversation in a Paris restaurant: An American woman making no attempt to speak a single word of French, when addressing the waiter: "What do you guys have that's like pretzels or nuts or chips?" The bemused waiter: "We guys don't have pretzels or those things. How about frites or a croque monsieur, ham and cheese?" The woman agreed, as long as it would go with her requested "large glass" of Sancerre.

The three teenagers accompanying her looked mortified. In French, they asked the waiter for a menu. The woman looked at them incredulously. "You know French?" "Duh, Mom, we studied it last year," one boy responded.

Returning from Amsterdam, I overheard an American man on the train, talking loudly on the phone to his bank. "Can you let my wife have $1,200? No, I don't want her to have her own access to the account, because she'd spend too much. I want to control the money." (And her!) "No, I don't want to make it easier for her," he continued. "But I don't want a big panic when I get home on Tuesday. So better give her some money now."

Then the guy phoned a car repair shop and demanded an explanation for the crack in his wife's car's oil filter. He insisted they call him back within two hours to provide details.

Next, he phoned his assistant, who was on a holiday cruise with her mother. He patronisingly told her she's "such a sweetheart" to take time to talk while she's on holiday, then spent nearly 45 minutes asking her questions about work. Such a control freak! Bet his wife is glad he's away.

A sudden reversal backwards in time

During the Cuban Missle Crisis in the 1960s, American children were warned from certain pulpits that the Russians might invade and burn all the books and Bibles. No one suspected the enemy within: conservatives intent on revising history in the pages of school textbooks, slanting the truth with their own narrow-minded prejudices. A sad day for America and especially for Texas schoolchildren.

Of course, many school text publishers are based in Texas. Does this mean the Texas board's paranoid version of history will spread throughout the States?

In other news, why does this man still have a job?

I wonder how long it will take Henson Associates to issue a "cease-and-desist" order against the Arizona governor, for using a puppet that strongly resembles a Sesame Street Muppet?

London

Am off to the Tate Modern and other sites in London with my friend Lee. Back soon with more notes and photos from Amsterdam.

Photo of spiral staircase and chandelier, Oudekerk, Amsterdam.

Butterfly

Bonjour les tous! You may have noticed a lack of regular blogging lately at Paris Parfait. That's because May is a popular month for visitors to Paris. I've been a mad social butterfly, flitting from one rendezvous to another with blogging friends. Within the last ten days, have hosted three small dinner parties and been all over town for lunches, walks, brocantes, shopping and tea(s). What a treat it has been!

I've been spending lots of time with my dear friends Lee Renninger, Susan Gardner Creamer and Di Overton (all have been to Paris several times). I also had the good fortune to meet the fabulous Claudia Strasser - and her lovely friend, also named Claudia - for the first time.

In 1997, I was living in San Francisco, when I picked up a copy of Claudia's book The Paris Apartment at a bookstore in Monterey. Never did I dream I'd someday live in my own Paris apartment - and meet Claudia in Paris! On Tuesday, Di and I had a couple of hours of non-stop conversation with the two Claudias at Merci's cozy book-lined cafe. Such fun!

Claudia now lives in sunny Miami, writes the eye-candy-packed blog The Paris Apartment and often brings clients to Paris to shop for their apartments, whether a holiday home in Paris or elsewhere. Her friend Claudia Tessler is up to all sorts of philanthropic and green projects in New York. Both women are formidable (in the best, French sense).

Earlier that morning, Di and I had tea at Merci, before heading to the Antiquites Brocante at Place de la Bastille. It was rainy and cold and I was wearing a thin top and lightweight coat, which wasn't helped by a partially-collapsed umbrella. We didn't last long at the outdoor venue, before heading to lunch. I did manage to find a rare and beautiful Tibetan book of prayers at Bastille, but the grey miserable weather dampened the urge to browse (probably a good thing).

After meeting the Claudias, Di and I went shopping for dinner ingredients. Later we were joined by Di's partner Harvey and their daughter Charlotte for lemon chicken, whipped up by the resident chef. Before and after dinner, we were riveted to BBC coverage of events related to the UK election: Prime Minister Gordon Brown resigning and David Cameron taking office, after agreeing to a full coalition with Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats. It's the first time the UK has had a coalition government since World War II! Interesting times, indeed.

These weeks of socialising have come at a price: I have numerous projects piled up, vying for attention. Am working on those now, as this weekend we head to Amsterdam to see friends and explore areas in which to live. Consequently, blogging again will be sporadic for a few days. But I expect to have lots of news and photos to share upon my return late next week. And two more blogging buddies will arrive!

Meanwhile, the brocante at Bastille continues from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Sunday. Stalls are lined up on both sides of the Canal St. Martin. If you're lucky enough to be in Paris, don't miss the chance for incredible antiques and vintage collectibles! Tickets are available at the door.

Photos at Merci, Paris, 2009.

P.S. El Secreto de sus Ojos - The Secret in their Eyes - is a must-see! After reading reviews for the award-winning film (including a 2010 Oscar for Best Foreign Film), I discovered it hadn't yet been released in Europe. So I ordered the DVD from Argentina, in Spanish (with English subtitles). It's brilliant - interweaving a dark mystery and a poignant story of love too long delayed.

Every picture tells a story

Bedouin sheik with a tattooed arm near Kerak, Jordan.

 
Every picture tells a story. The sheik (pictured) is the head of a Bedouin tribe living in an abandoned village near Kerak, Jordan. The tribe moved from an encampment in the desert, after the heaviest rains in 50 years flooded much of the land. The sheik is starting a foundation to raise money for educating Bedouin children who, along with their families, tend to move home with the seasons.

One of the joys of photography is meeting fascinating people and hearing their stories. More and more these days, my photography is taking me to places I hadn't imagined. It's an exciting time, with unexpected doors opening and intriguing opportunities unfolding.

I am happy to announce that today my new photography website is live! Won't you stop by for a visit? You may recognize pictures of a couple of beautiful bloggers.

I've been working since February with Gerlof van Ek of VANEK Creative. Gerlof is a talented website designer and developer, based in Amsterdam. Check back often, as the website's collection of photographs will continually evolve.

P.S. Am off to London, sans ordinateur. Back with more posts this weekend.

Handmade

Seamstress at the textiles division workshop of the Jordan River Foundation, Amman.

Alas,this has proved to be one busy week and no time to blog! In between long lunches with visiting friends, photo editing and assignments, I've been working most nights until 3 a.m. Am loading photos on my new website, hoping it will be ready for launch on Monday Wednesday. Will resume my regular posting schedule very soon. Thanks for your patience and bon weekend!

Comfort and caves

 

Caves and dwellings in the ancient Nabatean city of Petra, Jordan.

It's been a week since I've found the opportunity to post. I've been busy putting out administrative fires and sorting priorities. I've spent some time cocooning at home in my "cave," sorting through closets and possessions and shedding excess. It seems I have a number of expensive handbags, mainly because in Paris, the clothes are too small to consider. So over the last ten years, I've purchased a disproportionate amount of well-made handbags, shoes and scarves.

 

Besides culling possessions in preparation for the move to Amsterdam, I've been re-examining my work commitments and obligations. Consequently I decided to turn down an amazing project, working with talented individuals on two continents. Despite its long-term promise and opportunities to travel, something about the project didn't feel right for me. Finally, I concluded I simply couldn't devote the time and energy required to meet others' expectations and guarantee success. Almost immediately, it felt as though a huge weight had lifted from my shoulders.

I spent an afternoon with a charming woman who sells antiques and vintage collectibles from her lovely Parisien abode. (Watch for an upcoming post). My blogging friend Lisa and I had lunch on Ile Saint-Louis. Over (sadly under-cooked) chicken Caesar salads, we commiserated about the myriad challenges of life in Paris, especially the lackadaisical parcel delivery service from carriers UPS, DHL and Chronopost.

This week I've edited hundreds of photos taken during my recent trip to Jordan and worked on a photo essay for an American magazine. I've also been working with a Dutch web designer on my photography website. I can hardly wait until it's finished! What a pleasure working with a professional, after my previous bad experience with a web designer.

I read Alexandra Penney's The Bag Lady Papers and finished Elizabeth Gilbert's Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage.

I found Penney's book annoying; while she lost her savings after investing with jailed financier Bernard Madoff, she keeps referring to herself as having lost everything. But she still has her New York apartment and another property (she sold a third), so is hardly poverty-stricken. I find it difficult to summon much sympathy for her. Many other people reacted similarly, judging by the heated responses to Penney's columns in Tina Brown's The Daily Beast.

But Penney is right about women's concerns about ending up old, alone and poor. Many, many accomplished and successful women I know share Penney's "bag lady" fears (designer handbags or not).

Elizabeth Gilbert's book is a lively account of how she and her Brazilian partner were "forced" by Homeland Security to marry. Committed chronicles their emotional - and cross-continental - journey while manuevering a maze of bureaucratic red tape, reconciling their beliefs and finally, tying the knot. 

Sunday is the Marathon de Paris, as well as the Paris-Roubaix cycling tour. It's also this spring's first big horse-racing event at Hippodrome de Longchamp. So I expect to be out with my camera, experimenting with action shots. What are your plans for a (hopefully) sunny Sunday?

If I were...

 

A fading Tree of Life mural at an old glass factory on the outskirts of Amman, Jordan.

I'm following in Julochka's footsteps at Moments of Perfect Clarity. Want to play along? Create your own "If I were..." list. Here's mine:

If I were a month, I'd be September.

If I were a day, I’d be Wednesday.

If I were a time of day, I’d be midnight.

If I were a font, I’d be elegant.

If I were a sea animal, I’d be a dolphin.

If I were a direction, I’d be west.

If I were a piece of furniture, I'd be antique.

If I were a liquid, I’d be burgundy.

If I were a gemstone, I'd be a blue diamond.

If I were a tree, I’d be a Magnolia.

If I were a tool, I’d be a camera.

If I were a flower, I’d be a white rose.

If I were an element of weather, I'd be lightning.

If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a Spanish guitar.

If I were a color, I’d be teal blue.

if i were an emotion, I’d be passionate.

If I were a fruit, I’d be a fig.

If I were a sound, I’d be soft.

If I were an element, I’d be water.

If I were a car, I’d be a Jaguar.

If I were a food, I’d be jambalaya.

If I were a place, I’d be by the sea.

If I were material, I’d be pure cotton.

If i were a taste, I’d be lemongrass and lime.

If I were a scent, I’d be subtle.

If I were a body part, I’d be an eye.

If I were a song, I'd be dancing.

If I were a bird, I’d be a white owl.

If I were a gift, I’d be thoughtful.

If I were a city, I’d be Sevilla.

If I were a door, I’d be wooden.

If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be black suede heels.

If I were a poem, I’d write it myself.

Of textiles and tattoos

These antique textiles and jewelry (photos shot through glass) are on display at a museum at the Amman Amphitheatre. I forgot to bring a card reader and have had erratic internet service, so no chance yet to extract photos I've been taking this week. On Thursday, I visited the Jordan River Foundation's textile division, to watch talented women work on some stunning collaborative projects. More about their creations in another post.

Meanwhile, I'm working on a photographic essay and have been meeting the most astonishing Bedouin women. I'm thrilled with the images, as well as the experiences. Such amazing struggles these strong women have endured! I've been very privileged to spend time with them, not to mention the honour of photographing them.

William, my trusty driver and assistant and I have been trekking all over the country, seeking introductions to these women. Some of their stories are heartbreaking; others, inspiring. Their rich histories are etched on their faces and not just in tattoos, a dying tradition that's now frowned upon among Arab tribes.One lively woman told me she wants a copy of her photo, to display it in the church at her funeral!

I photographed a wonderful woman and her eight-year-old granddaughter, wearing their hair in matching braids. They insisted on giving me a beautiful traditional dress they'd hand-embroidered. Of course I couldn't accept, without paying them for it.

Some of the images I've captured were difficult to take. A blind woman was living in a tent swept bare of all but basic necessities. With every click of the camera shutter, she let out a sigh. The woman was desperately poor, as were many of the Bedouin families I encountered.

One large extended family lived among the ruins in an ancient stone village near Hmod. The village elders were happy to have their photos taken, but a young married woman sitting on a blanket drinking tea jumped up and ran away, even though I assured her I wouldn't take her picture. In contrast, the sheik in charge of the tribe was pleased to pose and discussed his efforts to try to improve their lot.

Today in our travels we encountered torrential lashing rains, which left roaring streams of muddy water rushing through the desert and across roads. Rocks fell from cliffs onto the roads below, while the desert was saturated, with giant pools of excess water remaining on the surface. On a mountain route near Kerak we were forced to turn back, as water flooded the road. But it was worth every inconvenience for the photos!

Antique textiles and heavy silver jewelry on display at a folkloric museum adjacent to the Amman Amphitheatre.

On Saturday, am off to a different part of Jordan, in search of more tattooed women in their colourful embroidered costumes.

And Sunday and Monday, the group of photographers arrive for the grand tour. We have a jam-packed schedule and I'm so excited to show them the best of the Kingdom's myriad attractions.

Hope you're having an adventure or two in your corner of the world! Do tell!

Leave a comment about your  latest adventure or your plans to welcome spring and I'll send the winner - drawn March 10 from commenters' names - a souvenir from Jordan. Good luck!

Amman

 

My daughter Jordana climbing the steep stone steps of the Amman Amphitheatre, which was built by the Romans.

 

Waving en route to the top.

 

The hills above the amphitheatre and a portrait of King Abdullah II.

A view of Amman and the amphitheatre from the Citadel. I am in Amman, for the next two weeks plus. Am looking forward to welcoming an interesting group of women (and one man) beginning Sunday. We'll tour Jordan's hot spots and the ancient Nabatean city of Petra, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

I'll escort the group to some of my favourite places and introduce them to some intriguing local customs. We'll also receive landscape photography tips from Zohrab, Jordan's most renowned photographer. Wish you could join us! But we'll take lots of photos and will blog about the trip, so it is hoped you'll feel as though you're here!

Other views of the city. Click photos to view details.

 

Obsession with letters

If you've previously read Paris Parfait, you're no doubt aware of my obsession for typefaces and fonts. I could happily live in a typeface foundry, with an abundance of old printers' tables and trays filled with metal type; the pungent aroma of printer's ink in the air.

It probably has something to do with my newspaper background, cemented with my first visit to the Putlizer-Prize winning newspaper the Arkansas Gazette, where I watched freshly-printed newspapers fly off the press.

Sadly, the Gazette was bought by Gannett Newspapers, whose inept management proved the demise of the "oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi." Bill Clinton then ran his 1992 presidential campaign from the Gazette's elegant office building.

Alas, those days are over, both for newspapers and for typeface foundries. Today typeface design is more high-tech, once initial graphic design stages are complete. But the wooden letters or metal type blocks remain. I often buy them at brocantes or flea markets.

Last month I sold some huge zinc letters, worried I'd never find a proper place for them (plus, they were taking up a lot of space). But a few favourites remain, including a 1920s French cherry-picker's basket of assorted wooden letters (pictured). I also have three giant red metal letters spelling the word "ART" and four big wooden letters from a French restaurant that I alternate to spell "DARE" or "READ."

Last year when my lovely friend Di Overton referred me to Kent & London and their beautiful oak alphabet drawers, I fell head over heels. Even a waiting list didn't deter my enthusiasm. Recently Kent & London's charming owner and master craftsman Luke Ellis (aided by his friend Lloyd Hobbard-Mitchell) actually hand-delivered the chest, driving from Whistable, England to Paris! Such superb service, plus I got to hear Luke talk about his inspiration for the alphabet drawers and its rich patina resembling old typeface letters.

Meanwhile Lloyd is about to abandon his life in England in favor of rather exotic diving adventures in Egypt and Spain. I'm looking forward to following his exploits in his new blog The Meandering Gullbad Nogbee.

I'm using Kent & London's photograph for this post, as due to space constraints, the chest is temporarily in a back room; not exactly the proper setting. Am planning to giving it pride of place in Amsterdam. The alphabet drawers are perfect for holding photography equipment and photo cds. Thank you, Luke (and to my dear husband, who graciously considered the alphabet drawers as my Valentine's present).

Kent & London's hand-crafted alphabet drawers.

Thank you, Romantic Homes!

A 1920s French mannequin wearing a vintage apron from Thailand and antique Jordanian and Bedouin ornate silver and coral necklaces (including as a headdress) and bracelets.

Many thanks to fabulous editor Jacqueline deMontravel for featuring Paris Parfait as a "Blog We Love" in the April issue of Romantic Homes magazine!

Jacqueline contacted me last November, just before my daughter and I were departing for Jordan. As requested, I sent some photos upon my return to Paris, but wasn't sure when my blog would be mentioned.

Alas, the magazine isn't available in Paris.  So it wasn't until today, when my friend Marilyn opened the magazine's latest issue and emailed me, that I knew the feature had been published, along with three of my photos. Such a lovely start to my Wednesday morning!

Merci bien, Romantic Homes! Now where can I find your magazine in Paris??!! I usually buy copies in London, but since Borders closed, difficult to find.

Four winners

Four colourful signs in Chinatown, London.

Dear readers, thank you for all your lovely comments and kudos for my four years of blogging! I appreciate each and every one of you. Alas, I can offer blog birthday prizes to only four readers.

Tonight my husband drew names from a French policeman's hat, as in the film Casablanca. Am happy to report the prize winners are Mary Ann, Mary H., Vida and Georgie. Each will receive a souvenir from the Paris flea markets. Please email your address to Bradford.Tara@gmail.com. Merci bien!

Quatre. Cuatro. Four. Vier.

Photo of four geese in Oxford, England by David Holmes.

Four years of blogging; 1,925 posts; numerous friendships; much joy. Thank you! Merci. Gracias. Dank u.

To celebrate, I'm giving away unique brocante finds to four readers. Please leave a comment saying why you read Paris Parfait. Winning names will be drawn from a hat on Thursday, Feb. 4th.

Tiny little writing space

For days I've been waiting for enough sun to photograph my little home "office" (really just a corner of the salon, divided from the rest of the room by a bookcase). But the cold, grey winter's gloom  persists. Finally, I took photos using only lamplight (the zinc urn/lamp once was part of a weather vane on top of a French chateau) and with the flash (below). The cabinet d' curiositie to the right of the desk is a Napoleon III bookcase, which belonged to a professor at the Sorbonne. His grandson - who prefers modern furniture - sold it to me for a song. The "Louis Louis" chair was a gift from my friend Di Overton.

 

My new 17" Macbook Pro and 24" display screen. Until late last fall, I was a lifelong PC user (I still have a PC notebook loaded with photos and a netbook for travel, as well). At left is my iPod and speakers. The rest is decidely low-tech, i.e. an Arts & Crafts clock, an Art Nouveau frame accented with silver and opals and featuring a photo of an unknown French soldier; two Napoleon III globes; a 19th-century wooden sewing basket holding stationary and several 18th-century books.

The mercantile drawers containing computer gear and office supplies are 19th-century French. The art at right is by Vanessa Valencia. (At left, washed out by the lamplight, is a watercolour of a woman walking in a storm near the Taos Pueblo). A tall scientific speciman cloche holds 17th-century French documents and a gilt fragment, while a small cloche contains Christine Mason Miller's  collage "Your voice matters."

 

The red desk and bookcase are from Santa Fe, New Mexico. The wireless printer is on top of a small blue-grey chest from a French mercantile. A framed photograph of Afghan children is by Marianne Elliot. The Native American pottery oil painting is 19th-century French. A framed Italian prayer ornament is also 19th-century. Beneath it is a 2008 art piece by Jennifer Valentine. The Habitat bookcase (at left) holds mostly art and photography books featuring the work of Reza Deghati, Steve McCurry, David Alan Harvey, James Nachtwey, Galen Rowell, Sebastiao Salgado, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothea Lange, William Albert Allard and others whose work I admire.

I'm hoping that next year when we move to Amsterdam, there will be enough space for a real office with a window, rather than a lamplit little corner. Won't you post photos of your own desk or space where you create?

Finding light in the shadows

Abstract light, Paris.

No doubt you're familiar with the expression "no good deed goes unpunished?" That's been the theme of the week for me. I've been so busy trying to complete projects for others, I've had little time to do my own work - or blog posts -  I'd planned. It's a recurring pattern of behaviour for me, saying yes to multiple requests, when I should say no.  What's frustrating - besides juggling too many balls in the air at once - is that all too often, the work I do to fulfill such favors is unappreciated. It leaves me feeling stressed and stretched too thin.

Something's got to give, so I'm streamlining my efforts and working only on those things that result either in personal satisfaction and/or monetary compensation; in better working and living conditions for those in need and education and/or justice and human rights. Ca suffit!

Will be back soon with current photos of my writing space for The Book Post.  Here's what my desk looked like back in May 2006. Won't you submit a photo of your own writing space?

Paris Parfait at Etsy

My dear friend Di - she of the brilliant  Designers' Block UK and stylish Ghost Furniture - has very kindly written a post about my new Etsy shop. Check it out; you never know what you may find, from one day to the next! Am still photographing and listing items daily. An Etsy link is in my sidebar. Merci bien!

Winter solstice

Light and shadows, Mount Nebo, Jordan. 

"Look round and round...and see even here, upon a winter's day, how beautiful the shadows are! Alas! It is the nature of their kind to be so. The loveliest things in life...are but shadows and they come and go and change and fade away..." - Charles Dickens

Scroll down the page for more photos of Mount Nebo.

And my thanks to the talented Anahata Katkin for her lovely kudos about Paris Parfait! A big merci goes to my dear friend Vanessa, who told me about Anahata's post. Not only that, but Vanessa - she of the incredible art genius and brilliant imagination - has created banners for my new Etsy shop, coming soon. Merci bien!

Citizen of the Month's blogger online holiday concert

Vintage Christmas ornaments at my Paris apartment.

He's done it again! The clever and talented Neil of Citizen of the Month is hosting his Fourth Annual Blogger Christmahanukwanzaakah Online Holiday Concert. Go here to listen to songs, watch videos and view photos from bloggers.

Think pink

1950s Royal typewriter and Pottery Barn reproduction phone on an 18th-century wine-tasting table.

I blame Lara Rossignol. It's her fault that I fell in love with her pink vintage typewriter, then scoured the internet to find a similar one. I was lucky to get this one, that's been reconditioned and repainted in that amazing Pepto-Bismol-like pink (which matches the carnation pink plates in my Fiestaware collection). The typewriter arrived last month - complete with its orginal case and magazine advertisement - after La Poste first delivered it to a French guy by mistake. I'm still trying to find time to type a letter!

Tune in this weekend to see photos of my high-tech work space.

Scroll down the page for an additional post today.

Musical interlude

Hand-written concert program, early 19th-century, France, Sophie Pretelat's Anges et Demons.

Thanks to all who shared some intriguing plans last weekend! Enzie Shamiri is the winner of a Paris flea market find. Will post her surprise upon my return from Jordan.

As the world turns

As the world turns, Selfridges, London.

Ten years ago today, David and I met in New York. A few months later, my daughter Jordana and I moved to London. A year after that, we moved to Paris, for David's job with an international organisation. Jordana attended high school at the American School of Paris and I resurrected my college French and struggled to adjust to French logic. It was my first experience not working for a salary since age 16; initially I didn't appreciate the loss of steady income and control. To lift my spirits, I began frequenting brocantes, flea markets and antiques shops. Soon our apartment was filled with an eclectic collection of art and antiques.

After discovering the endless bureaucracy required to get married in Paris, Jordana, David and I flew to Santa Fe, N.M. Our wedding ironically was at (French) Archibishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy's private chapel. Jordana's friend Vince played acoustic guitar, while she sang Bruce Springsteen's "If I Should Fall Behind."  A dozen friends witnessed the happy occasion and later joined us for dinner at the Inn of the Anasazi.

We traveled to many, many places in Europe and the US.  At home in Paris, David honed his cooking skills as we hosted hundreds (!) of guests. I became a fan of rugby and horse-racing at Longchamp (although I never bet on horses; just admire and photograph them).  My daughter went off to college in the US.

I started this blog and picked up a camera for the first time in many years. I took Eurostar to London at least once a month. I worked on my novel. I wrote poetry. I campaigned for Barack Obama and worked on human rights initiatives. I had a few health woes, but was lucky to have quality medical care in both Paris and London. I studied Spanish in Seville, Spain and photography in London.

I have lived in Paris longer than any city in my adult life (followed by San Francisco and New York). Ten years ago, when David was a guest speaker at an e-commerce conference (at the World Trade Center) and I a writer, covering the conference, I wouldn't have imagined this life. It's had its ups and downs, but for the most part, it's been rich with blessings. While Paris has never felt like home to me, I know we are fortunate.  Having traveled as a journalist for much of my adult life, I've learned, as John Cage said, that "we carry our homes within us, which enables us to fly."

Balancing act, Selfridges, London.

P.S. Don't miss your chance to win a copy of Leonard Pitt's new book Paris Postcards! Go here to enter.

What's simple is true

A combination of beauty, fragility and strength...

The courage of one's convictions and faith that never wavers...

Unexpected, whimsical delights...

New destinations...

The road to success, always under construction...

"All the great things are simple and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honour; duty; mercy; hope." - Sir Winston Churchill.

Photos above 1. St. Mary's Church, South Kensington, London. 2 and 3. St. Mary's, Oxford. 4. South Kensington, London and 5. Oxford.

Indulge in other simple things at Christina's Soul Aperture.

P.S. Scroll down the page for your chance to win a copy of Leonard Pitt's new book Paris Postcards.

Win a copy of Paris Postcards

Leonard Pitt's beautiful new book Paris Postcards is photographed among some late 19th-century and early 20th-century Paris postcards.

Some pages inside Paris Postcards.

If you love Paris, you'll be enchanted by Paris Postcards! Pitt's book (Counterpoint Press, Berkeley) showcases unusual and historical postcards from his personal collection. Invented in the 19th-century, postcards changed the way travelers communicated. In the late 19th-century and early 20th-century, France produced a million postcards a day. Collectors started hoarding the unique and diverse images; today thousands of vintage postcards are for sale at every flea market in France.

The postcards featured in Pitt's book depict little slices of French history, along with colourful or witty messages to friends and family back home. Some cards are sepia photographs; others are hand-tinted. The postcards reflect changing views of the city's arrondisements, as well as lively scenes from cafe and night life.

Based in Berkeley, Calif., Leonard Pitt is not only an author, but an actor. His previous books include Walks through Lost Paris and Paris: Un Voyage dans le Temps. Pitt also penned A Small Moment of Great Illumination about the 17th-century Irish healer Valentine Greatrakes.

For your chance to win a copy of Paris Postcards, leave a comment about your most memorable experience in the City of Light. The winning name will be drawn from le chapeau on Friday, Nov. 20th. Bonne chance!

The Paris Opera.

Palais de Justice.

For Mandy

Abandoned musical instruments, Hippodrome de Longchamp, Paris.

This morning I had email from a friend, who is a talented poet. Sadly, she is very ill and moving to a hospice. This haiku is for Mandy.

The music flows through
your poetry in motion;
we will remember.

Blog Action Day 2009

Race-goers relaxing at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Longchamp, Paris.  Photo by David Holmes.

Idyllic weather and relaxing afternoons like the one pictured won't be around for long, if we don't address the critical issues of climate change. Recently my friend Julie in Denmark asked if it might take a major European country such as the Netherlands to be under water before people pay attention.

The effects of climate change are widespread, touching virtually every corner of the earth. From glaciers melting in Greenland to waters flooding islands in the Pacific to temperatures rising around the world, climate change is underway. And as more and more people are driven from their homes by rising waters or worse, poverty and conflict will worsen, as the world's refugee population increases. The burden to care for these people will be for us to assume.

World leaders are meeting December 8-18 at a United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.  Lowering carbon emissions levels, carbon trading and reducing air and water pollution are among the topics to be explored.

In conjunction with the summit, an outdoor photographic exhibit currently underway in Copenhagen shows 100 places to remember before they disappear.

While environmental problems may seem overwhelming, there are small and simple steps we can take every day for a cleaner, healthier more sustainable environment. In conjunction with the photographic exhibit, Co+Life has provided 100 examples of how we - individually and collectively - can solve or counter the effects of climate change.

Besides recycling our paper, plastic, aluminum and glass, we can take public transportation; plan smarter travel; eat healthier foods. American green-living guru Danny Seo writes a blog providing simple, everyday tips, from changing lightbulbs to more energy-efficient models, to revamping or repurposing old furniture.

In the United Kingdom, John Lewis has published a "modern reworking" of a 1943 government booklet about making the most of minimal resources: Make Do and Mend. Follow  Make Do and Mend on Twitter for useful daily household tips

Even our old computers, mobile phones and other electronic products can be recycled. The Environmental Protection Agency provides information about regional and national programs available.

My pet peeve is excess packaging. I'm contacting the manufacturers of products I purchase regularly to ask them to reduce unnecessary and cumbersome packaging. Recently I bought a portable phone charger in London. It took a good 15 minutes, using all my strength to pry open the heavy plastic surround.

What's your favourite energy-saving or recycling measure? Are there specific habits you follow to help preserve the environment?

Join me and more than 5000 bloggers participating in Blog Action Day, focusing on climate change.

Highly collectible: antiques, images, words

Dazzling turquoise now transparent, once guarded potions, elixirs.

Collection of vintage glassware and pharmacy bottles at Gunnar Petterssen's stand at the brocante at Chatou, now underway. See more of Gunnar's finds at 1-3 Allee Pele. The brocante continues from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through October 4th. Tickets are available at the gate.

The last few days have been a whirlwind of brocantes and dinner parties, with four sets of friends in town. Great fun, but exhausting! My husband is off to Oslo and Brussels this week, while I escort said friends to a secret brocante in Paris and again to the brocante and ham fair at Chatou.

This weekend is the stellar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp, Europe's largest horse racing event. I'll be there Saturday, shooting photos of dashing jockeys and sleek racehorses tearing down the track. On Sunday, I'll train my lens on chic Parisiennes wearing stylish hats. This year I won't be wearing a hat, as I'm more concerned with balancing the weight of heavy camera gear while wearing flat, comfortable boots!

More images of Chatou, as well as photos of the antique Madonna crowns that came home with me, soon.  I'll leave you now with "The Poet Always Carries a Notebook" from Mary Oliver's new book Evidence:

"What is he scribbling on the page?

Is there snow in it, or fire?

Is it the beginning of a poem?

Is it a love note?

This week, what will you scribble on your page - or see through your lens, paint with your brush or shape with your hands?

Thank you Budget Travel!

Gateway to a houseboat along the River Seine, Paris.

Merci bien to Meg Zimbeck and Budget Travel magazine for naming Paris Parfait one of the Top Ten Paris expat blogs! What a thrill to be in such fine company!

This was a nice surprise, especially when the day started out with a murder in the apartment building across the courtyard. From my balcony, I could see several different branches of the police (a sure sign something is seriously wrong) enter the building. Later, I watched nine police officers remove a body on a stretcher. So sad. Then the French version of CSI - although not nearly so glamorous as their television counterparts - arrived to collect information from the crime scene.

A maid discovered the body. According to the gardien (every French apartment building's version of a concierge, only with more duties), the death was under "very suspicious circumstances." The CSI crew were in and out all day gathering evidence, carrying boxes of equipment and removing items for testing.

It was all a bit disconcerting in this quiet, leafy neighbourhood flanked by two parks. And it probably didn't help that I was watching the Season 2 Damages DVD until the wee hours. Oh, and baking sugar cookies. No wonder I had bizarre dreams.

Fall preview

Bikes, boats and canal houses at twilight, Amsterdam.

You may not be ready to kiss summer goodbye, but the prospect of fall fills me with excitement. In September, it's not just a birthday that makes me happy; it's the sense of possibility; the first hint of a chill in the air; the colours; the clothes. To mark my birthday, I'm joining other September babies in donating to Charity Water, which helps provide clean drinking water around the world.

My fall diary looks promising. First, there's a week-long photography course in London, fall clothes-shopping and chatty dinners with old friends. Later in September, there'll be teas and dinners with friends visiting Paris. I'll meet my blogging buddy Marilyn for the first time.  My friend Joan, the fascinating proprietor of San Francisco's Timeless Treasures will be in town.  I'll also be escorting my partner-in-crime Di Overton to the brocante at Chatou, hunting for goodies for Ghost Furniture.

Photo shoots in both Paris and the Loire Valley are planned for an upcoming book about French antiquaires and their private spaces. Early in October, David and I will holiday in Scotland and various points in England. In Northumberland, we'll visit Di and Harvey. Can't wait to see their renovated cottage (and sneak a few photos)! In Oxford, we'll visit David's daughter Marie-Claire, as well as Barbara and Barry, the lovely couple whose wedding the gorgeous Gillian and I were privileged to witness last December in New York.

November kicks off with the usual brocante at Bastille. I'll be brushing up on my Arabic in preparation for  spending Thanksgiving and early December in Amman and Petra, Jordan, working on interviews and photo essays. I'll also make sure arrangements for our expedition March 1-8, 2010 are exactly as expected.

We still have two or three spots left; want to come along with Alex and me for an unforgettable adventure? Check out our Journey to Jordan website, then email me with any questions.

This fall I'll also be making a concerted effort to walk and bike more to build up my stamina (to carry heavy photo gear around for extended periods of time); to clear more clutter by selling some antiques and collectibles and to read more and worry less.

What's kick-starting your fall? Any plans for travel or launching new projects or creative ventures? Do tell!

P.S. If you like books and appreciate Brit humour and irony, you may enjoy Me and My Big Mouth. I especially like his criteria for getting rid of books. Note to self: Must do this!

More typefaces and fonts

I took this photo of a sign above an entranceway in Amsterdam, simply because I liked the typeface.

As many of you know, I am mad about fonts and typefaces. Must be my newspaper background. I own several books about typefaces and collect vintage printer's letters. I also have about 20 beautiful and unusual fonts that I rarely get to use. If you have the technical savvy to use CSS within Typepad to manipulate fonts in the sidebar, as well as a hassle-free way to combine various fonts within selected posts, please contact me.

Meanwhile Argentinian Alejandro "Ale" Paul is the latest innovative designer in the spotlight at MyFonts.com. Read the interview and follow the links to view Alejandro's extensive collection of unique fonts.

Hatred and lies at church in Tempe, Arizona

In Europe, Muslim leaders who incite hatred in mosques are arrested and sometimes deported. But this hate-filled "pastor" in a church in Tempe, Arizona seems proud of his racism, ignorance and stupidity. Steven Anderson is apparently suffering no legal consequences, despite publicly praying for the president's death!

I see nothing remotely Christian about Anderson's despicable behavior and pity those who listen to his delusional rantings.

Reich is right: 'Gang of Six' doesn't speak for us

Painted letter slot in doorway, Montreuil-sur-Mer, France. Time to write, email, fax and phone our senators and representatives about the need for affordable and quality health care for all. Accessibility to proper medical care is what matters; not politics or insurance industry profits. We won't be intimidated by ill-informed right-wing thugs toting guns who show up at town halls and rallies, spoiling for attention and fights.

An excerpt of former secretary of labor Robert Reich's piece at Talking Points Memo:

"...who, exactly, anointed these six to decide the fate of the nation's health care?

"I don't get it. Of the three Republicans in the gang, the senior senator is Charles Grassley. In recent weeks Grassley has refused to debunk the rumor that the House's health-care bill will spawn "death panels," empowered to decide whether the sick and old get to live or die. At an Iowa town meeting last Tuesday Grassley called the President and Speaker Nancy Pelosi "intellectually dishonest" for claiming the opposite. On Thursday Grassley told the Washington Post that Congress should scale back its efforts to overhaul health care in the wake of intense anger at town hall meetings. But -- wait -- the anger is largely about distortions such as the "death panels" that Grassley refuses to debunk.

"This week on Fox News Grassley termed the House bill "the Pelosi Bill," and called it "a government takeover of heath care, exploding the deficit because it's not paid for and it's got high taxes in it."

"I really don't get it. We have a Democratic president in the White House. Democrats control sixty votes in the Senate, enough to overcome a filibuster. It is possible to pass health care legislation through the Senate with 51 votes (that's what George W. Bush did with his tax cut plan). Democrats control the House. The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, is a tough lady. She has said there will be no health care reform bill without a public option.

"So why does the fate of health care rest in Grassley's hands?

I"t's not even as if the gang represents America. The three Dems on the gang are from Montana, New Mexico, and North Dakota -- states that together account for just over 1 percent of Americans. The three Republicans are from Maine, Wyoming, and Iowa, which together account for 1.6 percent of the American population.

"So, I repeat: Why has it come down to these six? Who anointed them? Apparently, the White House. At least that's what I'm repeatedly being told by sources both on the Hill and in the Administration. "The Finance Committee is where the action is. They'll tee-up the final bill," says someone who should know."

Dan Froomkin writes that the public option is about accountability.

And Sen. John Rockefeller asks insurers to provide their costs vs. patient care statistics.

On a lighter note, Worried Dad is (un)intentionally hilarious.

Meanwhile Sarah Palin and the Wall Street Journal are chatised by the National Review for getting their facts wrong about the US Export-Import Bank.

A day of remembrance

Bouquet of roses, Paris, shot with my little Konica-Minolta Dimage.

Remembering my late grandmother Lucille on her birthday. And won't you join my lovely friend Leonie in celebrating her special day here?

Privacy or the lack thereof

Reflections, Amsterdam.


Thanks to the internet, privacy as we once knew it, is virtually unrecognisable. Yes, we choose whether or not to make certain information available to the public, as evidenced in our websites, blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts. Sometimes such transparency produces undesirable results, i.e. unwelcome contacts from disgruntled strangers or political extremists.

At what point does public knowledge go too far? There's the obvious example of the National Security Agency illegally eavesdropping on our telephone conversations and email, thanks to the Bush administration. Their so-called "war on terror" apparently took precedence over civil liberties and human rights. And government and FISA actions are the subject of ongoing civil lawsuits.

Locational privacy

Then there's locational privacy, which the Electronic Frontier Foundation defines as "the ability of an individual to move in public space with the expectation that under normal circumstances their location will not be systematically and secretly recorded for later use."

It's Catch 22 when every time we use a monthly transit pass, a bank card, a credit card, a mobile phone or even Wi Fi, our location is recorded and retained - not always by those with the best intentions.

Of course there's also data retention privacy and the trail we leave behind as we traverse the digital highway. Read the EFF's report on locational privacy and innovations that may affect us.

Burning Man stakes a claim

If you're planning to attend the Burning Man festival Sept. 27 - Oct. 5 in Black Rock City, Nevada, photographers beware: Burning Man organisers claim rights to your photos and creative works. Read their excessive Terms and Conditions for details.

And check out Snatching Rights on the Playa for information about Burning Man's policies and your legal rights.

 

An artists' retreat, a giveaway and gypsy fun

Belly dancer by Jennifer Esperanza, Santa Fe, N.M. Jennifer will lead a photography session at the Creative Geography workshop in Santa Fe,

Won't you check your calendars to see if you can join Madelyn Mulvaney and me for a Creative Geography art and photography retreat April 25 - 28, 2010 in Santa Fe, N.M.? The details are here. Please email Maddie or me with any questions.

Meanwhile, don't forget to enter the summer giveaway here.

My friend Di Mackey in Antwerp has posted an amusing account of her day, "There be dragons." She's recently put up a new website, so stop by and check out her beautiful photos from her latest wanderings, at home and abroad.

And look at Vanessa Valencia's fanciful gypsy wagon. How fantastic a gift is that??!!

Hope your weekend is filled with your own gypsy musings and adventures...perhaps a little belly-dancing to shake the blues away??!!