Greek Klismos Chair

spring is well and truly here

and what better way to celebrate it than with an outdoor room like this one ...

Image from My Notting Hill

Domino

Elle Decor

Donghia

The popularity of this chair peaked in Ancient Greece around 400BC.

No one has actually sat on an original, as not one has actually survived!

It was first spied on ancient Greek pots.

The elegant klismos chair has been

reproduced

reinvented

refreshed

and

retailed

and I love them!

HAPPY MONDAY!

xx

Grand Trianon

To end the week, I had to do my last post of Versailles on the Grand Trianon (my favourite 'little' palace on the grounds)

This image from the gorgeous DJA of Kirsten Dunst from the movie "Marie Antoinette"

(All other images are mine)

The Grand Trianon was built in the northwestern part of the Domain of Versailles at the request of Louis XIV, as a retreat for the King and his maîtresse en titre of the time, the marquise de Montespan, and as a place where the King and invited guests could take light meals (collations) away from the strict étiquette of the Court.

The Grand Trianon is set within its own park, which includes the Petit Trianon (the much smaller château built between 1762 and 1768 during the reign of Louis XV).

What I love most about it is, that all the rooms lead off into the gardens from the magnificent french doors

and the glorious amount of light that streams into each room.

I hope you have enjoyed this journey of Versailles as much as I have.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!

and welcome new readers.

xx

Meandering through the gardens... Part 3

The gardens of Versailles cover some 800 hectares of land. There are 200,000 trees planted, 210,000 flowering plants planted annually and 50 fountains!

From the time of Louis XIV and still using much of the same network of hydraulics as was used during the Ancien Regime, the fountains contribute to making the gardens of Versailles unique.

Even though it was early spring and flowering plants were not in bloom, a lot of the trees still did not have their leaves and the hedges still bear, the grounds were still spectacular.

With classical music playing and the fountains in full action as you wandered through the gardens, it was truly a spectacular few hours imagining you were Marie Antoinette in one of her rare moments of solitude (well not really with all the crowd!)

Enjoy ...

xx

(Please note all photographs are mine and if you would like to use any,

please link back to this blog)

Gold and Chandeliers

It's hard not to miss the vast amount of gold around the Palaces ...

... and the incredible number of chandeliers

Even though the chateau seems monstrously big today, it wasn't large enough for the army of 20,000 noblemen, servants and hangers-on who moved in with Louis XIV.

A new city- a new capital, in fact had to be constructed from scratch to accommodate them and tough thinking town planners dreamed up vast mansions and avenues broader than the Champs-Elysees ... all in the baroque style.

It wasn't until much later when Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, who preferred to cower in small retreats in the gardens (well out of the chateau's shadow), when the construction of the Grand and Petite Trianon Palaces occurred (the Grand Trianon being my favourite of the palaces).

More tomorrow.

Enjoy

xx

{All images are mine and if you would like to use any, could you please link back to this blog}

Versailles ... Part 1

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter break like I did.

Taking a short break was exactly what I needed and now I feel invigorated and inspired to get back into my project ... especially since we spent a lovely 4 days in Versailles.

The ornate and spectacular grandeur of the palace was absolutely jaw dropping!

Here are a few of the hundreds of photos we took ...

It is also my gorgeous daughters birthday today.

So happy birthday my darling girl!

♥♥♥

(All images above belong to me)

Remember this giveaway I posted about last week...

Well, the very stylish and talented Marsha from Splendarosa chose me as the

lucky winner of her very generous giveaway!

This is the very first time I have won anything in Blogland, so I am very honored and grateful to have won this beautiful prize ... and I can't wait to see these lovely creations that Marsha has produced.

If you haven't already visited Marsha's very stylish blog, then do so here. She is also opening an Etsy store soon where you can buy all her gorgeous jewelery.

Thank You so much Marsha.

xx