Chateau Chantilly

Wouldn't you love to stay in this bedroom ?? Looks totally French to me!
Try to follow me on this one.

First a little background on how I chose my blog name. About 3 years ago in 2006 I was journalling and trying to come up with a name for my painting business - one that was elegant, fun and whimsical. One that felt just right. I brainstormed and brainstormed, writing all my choices and thought process down in my journal.

When I came up with Chantilly Grace it seemed perfect. I wanted it to be unique and original so I googled it and believe it or not the only thing that came up for Chantilly Grace was - a name for a llama LOL.

For Chantilly - The French Chateau Chantilly came up . The fact that there was a Chateau named Chantilly in France made it even more perfect! Adding my favourite word God's "Grace" completed it.




Fast forward a couple of years.I decided to do a blog instead of a website. So I wanted to make sure Chantilly Grace was still unique. Although I couldn't imagine how someone else could come up with the same name cause my thinking can be quite "creatively" crazy at times. But Chantilly Grace was still original. I know that another blog has since borrowed the first part "Chantilly" but I guess that was bound to happen and I mean, it is a pretty cool name.

So, the other day I'm reading my comments and talk about SERENDIPITY ...there's a comment that says "kiss from Chantilly near Paris". Well,anything near Paris catches my attention ! So I wrote her back in French. And sure enough she does live near Chantilly with the "Chateau" I had forgotten about. How cool is that ? The bloggin' world is so fun and sometimes comes up with the most unexpected surprises.

Actually the Chateau is called: Chateau de Montvillargenne. It's located in a 15 acre park, in the heart of the Chantilly forest about 35km from Paris. It's the former residence of the Rothschild family.

So that gorgeous bedroom is from the Chateau in Chantilly. All the more reason to want to visit Paris again!
Here's a couple more pics:






May a little grace and serendipity touch your day !

Bre

Joyeuse Paques

Joyeuse Paques .....Wishing you all a joyous Easter ! Friends and Family are coming today for our family dinner so I better get off this computer !

May a little grace touch your day,

Bre

Things have gotten pretty busy "CHEZ MOI" Spring baseball/volleyball season is always crazy with three kids. So I haven't been able to blog as much as I'd like to or post the lovey, inspiring posts that I "envision" Plus my laptop blew up so I have to share the "family computer"...no easy feat LOL

So no lovely, pretties today but I do have a few photos of my girlfriends taking me out last night for my birthday which is later this week. Ten of us went for dinner and drinks at a local pub on the river. I'm a real big fan of having good girlfriends - we always have so much fun and laugh til our sides hurt. We had a great time!! The pictures aren't so great though because my camera broke and most of our cell phone cameras don't have a flash. Actually they're pretty bad but I'll be brave and post them anyway. I'm theone in the middle.
Enjoy !




Hugs
Bre

Been Busy

Just a quick post here let you know what I've been up to. I've been busy...painting again. I kind of went through a slump and hadn't painted since the summer but I had promised my girlfriend a painting of her kids for her birthday. So I worked on it all Springbreak and gave it to her at her party on Saturday.The picture is retty fuzzy and washed out and I still have to take it back and do some tweaking on the face cause one of the kids stuck their finger through their face ( It was still wet LOL ) But after several of the chocolate martinis she gave me in exchange Saturday night ....it looked... not so bad LOL.

It felt great to be painting again ...painting my own kids is my next goal. Will keep you posted. Hope you enjoy.



Until next post .....happy blogging and as always, may a little grace touch you day !

Bre

Thrifting 101

When my husband and I were first married, one of our favourite things to do was to go antiquing and out for lunch aftwerwards. Or as the French would say "Faire La Chine or Chiner"

We really have enough furniture and "stuff" in our house now, so although we still love antiquing we also love looking through the thrift stores. Let me show you some of my recent finds. I get such a rush when I get a good deal!!





The tray was 50 cents because the little old lady felt bad that it was slightly warped LOL ....and the heart was 25 cents....even says Sweden on it.




These bottles were 75 cents and a dollar.




They even have little etchings of herbs on them but it's actually a bottle for London Gin LOL.



My most expensive item was this cloche for $5.00.



I put a candle in it and place it on top of my 50 cents tray.



....foud out pretty quickly that it might not be the safest thing to do as the glass clouded up.



But still thought it looked so pretty.



This is how my bottles ended up. I glued on the label and placed them on a shelf in our bedroom.







....a few more labels waiting for homes.



.....and the No.1 reason you always go thrift shopping with your hubby is because he may just bring home somthing like this......remember that he is Catholic afterall. In all its splendour and glory:



"oh, honey, that's so sweet...just what I've always wanted - a plaster plaque of the apostles at the last supper. I've got the perfect place for it.....in the basement."


May a little grace touch your day,

Bre

A Passion For Words

I have always loved typography....just letters, one words, two words, full quotes.
For some reason I have always been drawn to them. But I didn't realize how much until I decided to do this post. Now I think I might have a slight obsession LOL

So, I'll take you on a tour around my home and show you some of my words.

This first one is where the Chantilly Grace comes from. If you've read the All About Me on my blog, you'll know how much I love the word Grace and the meaning behind it.I have the word Grace on top of my armoire in the front entry.



...must love the letters A P ......because my three kids names and my hubby all start with these. Alyssa, Andre, Angelique and hubby Alain. These letters are on the computer hutch at the top landing.





...one of my many favourite quotes.These are in my Dining Room.





This one is in my front hall ...We may not have it altogether , but together we have it all. ( very true about not having it altogether LOL)





Another of my all time favourites:Time with those loved is the greatest gift of all.

This one is over my stove: There's no place like home.


I adored this Cappaccino sign from the moment I saw it:



Over my pantry which is really an old french armoire- DREAM ....because I'm such a dreamer.

Since I've known him, my hubby has always said Bon Appetit just before we started dining so had to have that too. I uses Wall Words for that and had major difficulty putting them on LOL . My girlfriend says the chips add to the Shabby Chic look but I'll probably have to patch it up.





Okay, brace yourselves ladies...here comes my fridge.......and please try to remember I'm a right brained artist ...nothing but inspiration on my fridge LOL
This is when I think that, PERHAPS I might have a slight problem LOL.....I have these little French words that I arrange (don't worry, not daily -only when inspired) This says " Angels play the music of our soul.





And this is what you can use to put quotes on with:


I bought this one but never used it : Be warm, be welcome, be at home. I was going to use it in my front entry but I'm still humming an hawing about that.




I'll leave you with a few more of my favourite quotes:
This one is another all time favourite that Im going to put up in my bedroom:

Life is not about weathering the storm, it's about learning to dance in the rain

and...

"He is happy, be he peasant or king, who has peace and love in his home."

May a little grace touch your day.

Bre