Christmas Gift List

 I have been busy Christmas shopping.  I actually started in August, by buying three paintings (one oil and two water colours) from a small gallery in Port Louis in Brittany. Since then I have slowly gathering other presents, mostly books and posters for now.

 

Alexis likes humorous books, so Tom Gates "C'est Moi" and the second book from this collection should be a success. The next two books haven't yet been bought, as they are for me and it's to remind me to buy them once I have finished "Blanche Neige Doit Mourir", which I just love, but get little time to read. 
Tales For Very Picky Eaters, won the Geisel Award this year, and although this is aimed a young readers, I just couldn't resist for Alexis, who is the pickiest eater in France if not the world.  Then there's the Guinness World Records 2013, Charlotte's crazy for these, never bought one before, but just this once...

 First another book for me, then a Carpe Diem calendar for Marie-Kate,each day just tears off like a stamp, this will go next to her new desk.  Breaking Stalin's Nose is a Newberry Honors winner this year and I hope Alexis will like it

And if Alexis doesn't like the last book, I know that he's going to love this Piggy Bank.


From here I've been shopping again after being delighted with all previous posters.
The Beer one is for Oliver, who since starting business school, certainly knows how to party and spend far too much money.  Gabrielle has space on her will for A Visual Compendium of Notable Haircuts in Hollywood, this poster is really super.




I found this night light and I love it, most likely for Alexis would has broken his last two lamps. When you finish reading for the night, you pop your book, open on the page for next time.
The Insanely  Great History of Apple is a present for Alain, this is a limited edition print, I think it's numbered 534 out of 1000 (have to check).




To wrap up for now, a new t-shirt for Alain (Pop Chart Lab again) and finally after coveting this Mathieu Challières lamp for so long, guess what...one has been ordered, so I am one very happy bunny.

Ikea lamp and cushions

Last year, we bought some expensive cushions and cushions covers from The Conran Shop. The children used them sit on, flopping down on them, especially when you are a 17 year old who weighs over 80 kilos can kill a cushion cover, that's what happened here. They just gave away at the seams, such a shame.  One lesson learnt, no more expensive ones, instead a trip to Ikea and two new covers that cost 5.99 euros.  Alexis choose them, I preferred the orange velvet ones, though they were double the price.  Marie-Kate chose the lamp, and I love it. I kept my Tse Tse garland in the same place and our tv room cosier now with two light sources

Marie-Kate, Miss Geek, at her favourite place, in-front of the Mac.  Lunch-time at home isn't that bad, she told me today, especially when two boxes of chocolates arrive from the UK for Christmas and she gets to eat two before I hide them.

Back from Brittany and shopping

After rainy weekend in Brittany, lots of walks on the beach, good food and wine and even a yummy mini kouign-aman, we're back home.

Yesterday we popped to the Conran shop and I finally got to see the Mathieu Challières lamp I been wanting but glad I saw it before I bought it, as although it was very beautiful and dreamingly poetic , I just prefered his ceiling lights more...problem is, down stairs we have only one place to hang one and it just wouldn't work there.

Good news is, while looking for a photo of the original table lamp to put on the blog, I came across Mathieu C's site and there is a smaller table model that I just love (shade/cage is higher which is what I wanted). I just need to find where to buy one now!

A couple of streets down we went to get more paint samples and buy the paint we had decided on for the sitting/tv/family room and for the entrance.

In the entrance we've gone for Elephant's Breath (looks better in reality).

And I'm going to do a tester first, but I really like to paint the ceiling cornices in Charlotte's Locks

Charlotte's Locks (number 1)

For the family room, we're painting it in Mizzle, I did originally plan on Pigeon, but I found it to be a little bit too intense for this room (45m2)...I really have to find a room for this colour though, because it's one of my favourites.

Finally, going back to our visit to Conran, I got to sit on a lovely Eames lounge chair (always wanted one of these), and even Alain who had a preference for an Corbusier LC4 is smitten too!

My birthday's in May....