One Big Beautiful Tapestry

English socks, shoes and French buckles,

mid 18th centuryCollection of the Bata Shoe Museum

On my trips to France I truly and often

think of so many of you.

The posts that some of you have shared,

have honestly reformed me.

You have all given me so much~

The Little Balloonist by Ingrid MidaBookwork Sculpture 2009

One of you especially comes to mind when

I'm walking down rue Saint-Paul, in Paris.

Your inspriration continues to unfold in me.

Do you know Ingrid from

Fashion Is My Muse?

She is an Amazing Writer & Artist.

Her work comes from within, from her teachers far far away.

She works her hands with the details of

many Centuries ago~

This year with Ingrid close at thought,

I shot these images of

ancient bookwork bibles

to show her and share with you.

They remind me of Ingrid's passionate talent.

They have sat in this same window for the last six years

and are 400 years old~

The first year I saw them

I went in to ask the price....

They were over 5000 euros~

So instead of owning one,

I admire them year after year

as this magnificent window display~

{one of the things I love about Paris is some things never change.}

The funny thing is:
The other day I got a surprise from my friend Ingrid that I am the Happy happiest winner of her Anniversary Giveaway!!

I won a copy of
Vicki Archers new book
French Essence!!!

{coincidentally what I was currently posting about!}

It always and will forever amaze me
what a Big Beautiful Web we all weave~
It is as intricate as a 17th Century tapestry.

A paper blouse in a Paris window I also shot with Ingrid's art close on mind.

Dearest Ingrid,
Winning Vicki Archers book on your
Anniversary giveaway is beyond rewarding to me and so unexplainable.
You asked for our favorite post of yours and why.
Mine was your bookwork art because of your
beautiful detail & talent. I told you it reminds me of
being in Paris.
You didn't know I had just taken these images for you!
&
I didn't know I was going to win the contest
based on my comment of these images!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

With all my love,

Janet

Thank you Everyone that is part of this Rich Beautiful Tapestry we have weaved and continue to spin together~

Biggest Hugs!

XOXO's

fin

images 1 & 2 Ingrid Mida/Fashion is my Muse images 3,4,5,6,7 & 8 Janet Solomon/FrenchBlue

A Day in Giverny

Our day in Giverny to visit Claude Monet's

Maison & Jardins
last October
was unforgettable...
(I wasn't blogging then,
so I want to share with you now).
My husband & I
rode the train from Paris
to a very small town, Vernon.
We then rode a bus to Giverny,
consisting of only a few steets,
a hotel, a couple of cafes, a church, a graveyard,
a huge koi fish pond, a bridge, gardens & a few homes.

Happy me on the steps of
Claude Monet's charming Maison
Loving
the original pink and green
color combination
&
walls covered in ivy~
It is amazing, authentic
&
So Beautiful~

My sweet husband Larry, standing on
Monet's Japanese garden bridge
overlooking the koi fish~
Monet
painted on canvas...
A famous landmark to visit.

Monet's boat...

A surreal image of the weeping willows on
the pond...

Very old wavy glass windows
on this door in
Hotel Baudy is the
entry to the cafe!

This is the Hotel Baudy cafe where we ate.
We met an American woman sitting next to us
whom recently purchased a home in Giverny.
It wasn't just a home, it was the home
of her Grandmother~
When her Grandmother passed away,
years ago,
it had been sold out of her family.
One day she got a call that it went up For Sale.
She was very excited to be in a position
to purchase it!!
It was a real accomplishment & dream come true for her.
She has many beautiful memories here.
She told us a story that
when she was a little girl,
The family of Claude Monet invited them
to the Monet Masion for tea & cookies.
This was in the early 1940's.
She remembered being very small and
meeting Claude Monet's son & his family...
(Claude passed away in 1926)
she can still recall his painting room,
his paintings,
the vibrant colors and the smell
of the oil paints...
Can You Imagine?

Rue de Claude Monet...

Me smiling..

Our Goldfish pond at home,
inspired by Claude Monet~
xox's