Dream . . .

Hello everyone!!  

As you may have noticed I've been a bit quiet on the blogging front lately, but I'm back now and will catch up with all your posts as soon as I can.  The last few weeks have been crazy busy!!!  But now I can tell you my little piece of news! I am opening a SHOP!!!!!!!  I just got the keys and I am beside myself with excitement!!!!  I've been bursting to tell you, but couldn't till I had the keys in my hand and all legalities were out of the way.  

As I mentioned in a previous post, opening my own shop has been a dream of mine for many years.   I bought this sign for my office to remind myself that it's ok to be a dreamer, that it's actually a good thing, the world needs both realists and dreamers to achieve the impossible.  They balance each other.  I've always tried to follow my dreams . . .

I've been dreaming and thinking about it a lot the last few months but it wasn't until I received a comment on one of my posts that sparked me into action.  My good friend, the lovely Paula from The Hill House Diaries Blog  left a comment on one of my posts a few weeks ago saying that I "should open a shop NOW!!"  It was like a sign!!  I remember reading that comment and saying to myself 'yes, I should! what I am waiting for?'.  So I started looking for a retail unit, finalised my business plan and now I'm about to open.  I just want to say thank you dear, dear Paula for your comment, so innocently written has prompted me into action.  I am so happy that I started blogging and never realised the impact it would have on my life and the friendships I would make.  So thank you Paula and thank you to all my lovely, dear blog friends, and all my readers, your comments and support mean so much to me, I am very grateful for all of you.   

So unfortunately for all my hard work and late nights over the last few weeks I don't have any nice end of project photos to show you, but will be showing you photos of the shop when the fit out is completed.  I have to admit I'm a little nervous too!  I must be getting old!  But it's been a dream of mine for so long to have my own little shop that it's a little surreal  now that it's actually happening.   I am HAPPY!!   

As my shop is being done up at the moment I thought I would show you a picture of a groovy French one . . .

Pinterest

So, a little more detail.   The shop will sell furniture and accessories for the home and garden and will be a mix of vintage and new items.  I am going to stock all the things I LOVE!  The shop isn't huge but it's a decent space and I think it will be manageable for our family.   I don't expect to be a millionaire from it but that's not why I'm opening a retail shop, I'm opening because I'm passionate about everything to do with homes and gardens and like a lot of you I'm driven to share that with others.  I'm afraid I'm going to be all shop talk for the next few weeks as I get everything ready, but I will update you as I go, I can't wait to show you everything!!

So my friends, that's it for the moment but I will catch up with all of you very soon!

Love,

Sharon

xxxx

Time

This last week has been amazing - a trio of celebrations - St. Patrick's Day, Mother's Day and, on Thursday, my birthday.  Yes, it was a big one - the BIG 40!!  So now you know a bit more about me - I'm an Aries, so I'm passionate, fiery and optimistic.  It also means that I can be impulsive, selfish and impatient but like a true Aries I gloss over the not so nice bits and focus on the positive ones!  I didn't mind turning 40.  I also love birthdays and I've thought for ages that I would enjoy it and have a mad party to celebrate and embrace the next chapter of my life!  However, the last few weeks have been a bit hectic so now I'm thinking of doing something in the Summer instead.  So Niall took me for a romantic meal, which was gorgeous, and gave me a beautiful present, something I have wanted for years . . .

An antique pocket watch . . .

Between my birthday and the clocks going forward today, Time has definitely been on my mind and so I thought today would be a good day to show you her . . .



Isn't she a beauty?  It was made in 1890 by Elgin, a U.S. watchmaking company, who made a lot of clocks for train stations across the U.S.  The case is solid silver and can be opened at the front, back and inside so that you can see the movement.

The craftsmanship in these watches is amazing.  Imagine this was made back in 1890!








 

It's actually much larger and heavier than the standard pocket watches and is known as a desk - pocket watch.  This one is way too heavy to carry around so it is definitely going on my desk.




The watch is engraved so prettily. . .

It is in pristine condition and works perfectly.  I adore the numerals and the font of the watchmakers name on the face . . . It's very vintagey, very me.  I love it! Thank you Niall!



I always feel Spring has truly arrived once the clocks go forward and you can see the light stretching into the evenings.  Enjoy your Spring Time!

A Moveable Feast

Image from Eye Poetry Photography  

  I fell in love with Paris a long time ago.  I'm not sure exactly when this happened but rainy Sunday afternoon Hollywood movies like Sabrina (Audrey Hepburn) certainly added fuel to the fire.  

Image Source

As I grew older I started watching French films, Un homme et une femme (with a beautiful soundtrack by Francis Lai) is one of my favourites.  

Then I read this book:

A Moveable Feast is Hemingway's portrayal of himself as a young writer in Paris in the 1920's.  I was 20 years old when I first read this book.  I remember being totally captivated with Hemingway's writing, his descriptions of the cafes and parks brought them to life, I could see, taste and smell Paris.  As I turned the last page I promised myself that one day I would go there and sit in Les Deux Magots (a cafe in Saint Germain where Hemingway frequented) and sip a coffee...

Five years later, I moved to Paris and lived in an apartment with a view of the Eiffel Tower.  Funny how life works out.  Sometimes dreams do come true...

After four years in Paris, we missed home and moved back to Ireland and bought our house in the country.  I love where I live but can't help myself surrounding myself with reminders of that beautiful city, I have such warm memories of the time we spent there.

'If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a Moveable Feast'

ERNEST HEMINGWAY

Welcome to La Vie en Rose!

Happy New Year!!

This being the first day of the New Year, I thought this would be an appropriate day to start my new blog.  New Year, New Resolution, New Blog!  I first stumbled upon blogs when I started searching for pictures of the kitchen from the film 'Somethings Gotta Give' and came across Cote de Texas, a brilliant blog which I still read, which in turn led me onto other blogs.  What a revelation!  There were other people out there who were as obsessed about homes and gardens as I am!!  I enjoyed reading these blogs so much that I thought it would be fun to share my own story.  So here goes!  Hope you enjoy your visit!