Pasadena Flea - Part 3, For the Francophile

Let's start with the reminder that "ANTIQUES" is a French word.

I'm not so sure about the origins of "bric-a-brac" but I know the French use it.  Anyone?

Wine bottle racks?  Who else but les French!

SUCH a CRUSH I have always had for these pincushioney things that little French Catholic girls used to put together for First Communion, Confirmation, Sweet Sixteens and such.  And the faux bamboo coat hooks?  Equally passionate, moi. I've brought home at least two modern repro versions from my trips to Mr. Bricolage (on peut compter sur lui)............

Mr. Paradis hates 'em!

French enamel "lunch boxes"?  Did Mr. Russo-Belge-y "Departs"- dieu carry one of these to the mines with him in  "Germinal"?

Look at that!  Did some "costaude" French lady in the Hautes Alpes Savoyardes use that curvy bread board on her baking days?  Why couldn't you?

Are you going to argue with me that the French did NOT invent industrial chic?  (Because they did!)  Can you spell T-O-L-I-X??????   (Now you can!)

OK, this stuff makes my heart pitter patter too.  It will wear like iron and last forever.  But it will be no fun to wash.....

And even less pleasant to wear.  Can we keep it real and officially acknowledge RIGHT NOW that for many, it was not so much always Lavender-and-Lace in the golden olds!  Imagine your days and nights in scratchy, stiff, coarse, shapeless shifts made of grain-sack.  (La vie maybe NOT so belle for some.)

But I would still buy one of these and hang it on my wall and pin lots of pretty things to it.  Since I live in the HEREANDNOW.  And I'm in the position to choose.

It's possible that one of the lavender and lacey girls might have found a finely tooled handbag pleasing to wear with her espadrilles.  On a sunny spring day in Paris.

And I see her also in this stripey sunhat.....and carrying a nice little basket full of fruits rouges or tin of biscuits for her Grand'mere.....

They say that the life of a brocante can be a little bit "louche".  But if you ask me, as long as the sun is shining, and we're sitting at a table of "plats chauds", nattering with our neighbors as the punters float by....I'm TOTALLY buying it.  Where do I sign up??????  To spend my life as a Francophile at the Pasadena Flea??????

You????  Coming along?  Vous y serez les tres bienvenues!  Promis!

(This is my Valentine to France.  Hope you all have a lovely Valentine's Day wherever you are.)