Spring Ducklings

Here are some photos of the ducklings which arrived the other day, but sadly I have to report that they seem to have been abandoned and now only 3 survive - out in the country there are lots of other hungry beings like owls, foxes, crows and maybe even squirrels....that's nature:-( 
Hopefully there will be another brood later in the season?


10 baby mallard ducks.




Close up.



Spring Arrival!

Hot off the press I just heard that 10 baby ducklings have appeared on my sister's pond today!  I will have to see if I can get some photos sent over.

Spring Flowers



Mini narcissi Tete a Tete

 Spring has burst to life here in the UK - after a really long cold winter the flowers seem to be putting on a really energetic show!  Here are just a few pics.


Narcissus February Gold




The Camelia



Trophees de Venise

While I was in Venice I bought a special edition of the scarf design Trophees de Venise.  There is just the one colourway, and the scarf only bears the name Hermes de Venise not Trophees de Venise as in the original.  I have been after this design for some time so I was delighted to see the design hanging on the wall as I entered the Venice Hermes boutique.  The pale greys and blues are very neutral and this scarf has an etoupe border - all these colours are the kind that pick up on whatever you are wearing so it should be fairly versatile.  Here are a few photos of the detail.

The 2010 Christmas box.

The horses of St Marks.



J Abadie is the designer.




Gondola scene.



Basilica San Marco.

Carnival de Venise

I was just in Venice last week for the carnival.  As usual there were lots of wonderful costumes to be seen!  The weather was poor and on the last day there was a minor Aqua Alta and St Mark's Square was part flooded along with some streets!  Here are just a few photos of the 700+ photos I took!

The Island of San Giorgio Maggiore

Some lovely costumes!









This lady was my favourite.  I think she comes every year but this year her partner was not there when I saw her.

The dogs had to join in of course!

And some more lovely colourful costumes!

Plumes Mousseline

I called into a new vintage clothing shop yesterday near where I work and low and behold they had some Hermes scarves.  I found a 90cm mousseline in the Plumes design - I only have a gavroche in mousseline silk so the price for this 90cm was a bargain so it came home with me and was a perfect match with my salmon coloured sweater!  The pictures are not brilliant as I was in a hurry so please forgive me! 



Detail - this is the feather of a Jay.



The colour was perfect with my sweater and the scarf is so light - just like a feather LOL!!

2 Parisien Finds

On my recent trip to Paris in January I struck very lucky at Hermès Rue de Sevres.  I had been looking for a "Printemps Ete 69 Automne Hiver 70" scarf but alas I had missed the boat at home...but when I went to RdS they had one.  However when the SA opened the drawer there was another grail peeping out at me.  I could not believe my luck - one of the first 70cm vintage scarves launched in 2007 - Jeu des Omnibus et Dames Blanche!  They had one!  I already have the pink one but am not too keen on that colourway but this one was the white/grey/black with a hint of red.  No way was I leaving it behind so I bought it!!

This design is one of Hermès oldest.



Here worn cowboy style.

And here worn with my new mother or pearl moyenne MaiTai Collection scarf ring -one end slipped through the ring and the other pushed through the loop over the bar in the ring.



After I left Hermès RdS with my new scarf I could not help thinking about the PE69AW70 I had left behind.  After going around the Bvlgari exhibition at the Grand Palais it was no good I HAD to go back to RdS to see if the scarf was still there - it was.  So I gave in and bought it - the SA remembered me - she told me this particular colourway was very popular with her Italian clientele!  So here it is, the 70cm big sister to my 2 gavroches in the same design:-

The scarf has a lovey contrasting hem - much coveted by Hermès scarf fans.



Here worn with my scarf ring as above - it was meant to be a waterfall knot but I am not sure I quite got it right - I need to practise!

And the good old cowboy knot.

No trip to Paris would be complete without buying some Ladurée macaroons and I found this lovely Moon and Sun box which I had filled solely with Praline flavour macaroons - my favourite!

What a fun box!

By Request - Butterfly "Knot"

Following some requests for a little how to video of the Butterfly "Knot" I have done one which I hope will help show how to achieve this very pretty look easily!

I am showing here how to do the knot using 2 gavroches (Ex-Libris en Camouflage), but it works equally well with a larger 70cm or 90cm scarf or a plisse.  You can tie a single knot first for a smaller look, but it works better without a single knot for the gavroches as they are so small anyway.

2 H gavroches, MaiTaiCollection petite horn scarf ring  and
 Hermes Bolduc scarf ring.



First I folded them in the basic fold and then fastened the two gavroches using my petite horn scarf ring from the MaiTai Collection - just pass each end through the ring to secure:-

Then put the scarves around your neck and get your scarf ring - follow the video and hopefully you will have a lovely Butterfly Knot!  Just a little word of caution - do check that the scarf ring you use is on tight as you do not want it to slip off - I used one that was too big for my 70cm once and it fell off and got damaged on the floor:-(

Printemps Ete 69 Gavroche

While in Paris I got another Printemps Ete 69 Automne Hiver 70 gavroche to go with the pink one I got last year.  I really like the idea of teaming up 2 gavroches together!

Worn alone a la cowboy.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Friendship Knot





 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Twisted together and fastened with scarf ring at the back.


 

Butterfly "knot" using scarf ring at front for the frills
and a scarf ring to secure at the back. 



2 Little Boxes from London

The first leg of my recent trip to Paris was in London.  I went to see the ballet at the Royal Opera House - Les Patineurs - a beatiful ballet based on ice skaters - and The Tales of Beatrix Potter - I am not familar with the tales themselves but I know of the characters etc... the costumes were so precise to the books they were amazing and it was a lovely evening at the ballet.

Earlier in the day I went to Harrods and at the

Hermès counter there I found exactly what I was looking for - may I introduce my 2 new gavroches:-

Monsieur Parfum

Mademoiselle Soie

I deliberately chose 2 contrasting colours so I can wear them together - here I have folded them into a basic fold then linked them with a small scarf ring at the back, and then tied in the Friendship Knot (instructions here ). 

With Hermès prices going ever skywards I am pleased that this season has so many lovely designs in the gavroches!!

City of Lights

On my trip to Paris it was lovely to see the lights from the festive season were still adorning the city.

The Champs Elysees are usually lit up anyway but here is the view looking towards the Arc de Triomphe.














And looking the other way towards the ferris wheel at the Place de la Concorde.



A closer look at the Ferris Wheel



The pretty trees on the Champs Elysees

Here some of the light displays near the Grand Palais - they looked very pretty.

The Christmas decorations were still up at the Village Royale just by FSH.