A Cemetery Walking Tour

Our town cemetery

Not a spooky thing at all

 I love getting out in nature and walking around

taking in all the history

Brings back great memories of when I was a child

Walking with my grandparents, hearing stories

of many family members & friends I didn't

have the pleasure to know.

Beautiful works of art

the tombstones I'm sharing...

See...

She holds a wreath and laurel* marks the stone

Let's take a walk up the hill, not scary... just peaceful

See the anchor?

Early Christians used the anchor as a disguised cross, and as a marker to guide the way to secret meeting places. 

A Christian symbol of hope, it is found as funerary symbolism in the art of the catacombs. Often set amongst rocks, it can also be an occupational symbol in sea-faring areas or the attribute of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of seamen, symbolized hope and steadfastness. 

An anchor with a broken chain stands for the cessation of life.  

Love the one below.

I photographed it just as found,

with leaves & an acorn just sitting as nature placed them for us.

Yes... Sacred memory

 Another place for a peaceful walk

Beautiful fleurs, I wonder who worked on this piece w/roses & glories

Ivy–friendship and immortality
*Laurel–worldly accomplishment and heroism
Lily–innocence and purity, the virgins’ flower
Morning glory–beginning of life
Oak, oak leaves, and acorn–power, authority, or victory (often seen on military tombs)
Palm branch–victory and rejoicing
Poppy–eternal sleep

More fleurs... a wreath with full rose buds

Love, beauty, hope, unfailing love, associated with the Virgin Mary, the "rose without thorns." A red rose symbolizes martyrdom and a white rose symbolizes purity and virginity. 

Whether the rose is a bud, flower or somewhere in between indicates how old the person was at the time of death:

Just a bud - normally a child 12 or under
Partial bloom - normally a teenager
Full bloom - normally in early/mid twenties. The deceased died in the prime of life
Rosebud, broken - life cut short, usually found with a young person's grave

Lady with cross

Beautiful tombstones, wouldn't you agree?

Hope you enjoyed this little tour and some of the meanings

of these beautiful markers.

Long mirror, little lights, chippy scrolls

May you have a lovely Halloween

Not spooky at all!

I'll be watching old fashioned Halloween movies...

the type I watched with my grandma on TCM (Turner Classic Movies)

and eating much popcorn & dark chocolate w/toffee pieces ~ yum!

What are your plans and do cemeteries

bring you comfort in people, places, things we've enjoyed

in our wonderful lifetime?

My husband has several days off so I'll see

you some time next week in-between

our little day adventures.

I plan on taking YOU along for field trips.

Happiness to you!

Come Visit my Guest Post

I'm off visiting a friend at her beautiful blog...

Sentimental Trinkets in Guest Room

Won't you come visit me 
over at Shabbyfufu?

I'm giving a little tour of My Petite Maison

where bits of the newly decorated side yard 

and bistro lights are in order there too!

See you there!

Happiness to you!

Loving the Fall

Just had to show you scenes from our fall days

I love this weather!  It rained so hard Saturday night,

the storm drain woke me up, it was delightful!

Bought a new, super fluffy comforter and the timing

was more than perfect for the cool rain. 

I could stay under the fluffy goodness

so spectacularly sweet all day and may 

just do that next Sunday for Halloween!

Pumpkin bread, pumpkins & Northern Spy apples on the porch

 I am loving this pumpkin bread from one of our local bakeries

Walked to pick it up Saturday morning along with one of my

addictions for the last couple months, apples!

Thought I'd be apple'd out by now but our local produce store

has so many kinds, it's hard to stop trying them one by one

The ones shown are Northern Spies

love the name and the taste

I swear, they are like perfume...

a bit tart but also sweet but not too sweet

and juicily good ;)

Pumpkin Bread, Jeanne d'Arc Living cheese dome, white pumpkins

 It was so beautiful last weekend, we sat on the porch and had a slice

of pumpkin bread toasted and our apples.

I had to bring out my Jeanne d'Arc Living cheese dome.

I love this piece.  It usually sits atop my pot rack that hangs

from the ceiling with tons of baskets but I just had to bring it

outside to enjoy as well with the French bakery board.

One of the best things on toasted pumpkin bread is Jimtown store

fig and olive spread

It's their version of a traditional olive tapenade and is so good!

Here's Jimtown's link (remember, I took you there for a field trip?)

but I bet you could get your local gourmet market to

order the spread for you so you don't have to buy four

containers at once... that's a lot of spread!

It is fantastic though... on everything!

We were working on the side yard Saturday a bit

and I didn't notice a thing different (well not too different)

Until Sunday when I walked through the gate...

My husband made me a little river rock heart

Oui, river rocks from the Russian River!

I love it and it's staying right there for good.

My daughter gave me the sweet little ferris wheel.

She brought it home from work for me.  As I understand it,

she got a fab deal and couldn't pass it up.  It's darling, non?

That's it for now.  Talk to you later in the week.

Happiness to you!

 

Cabbages and Roses Giveaway

One more giveaway to tell you about this evening

By the way...

Happy, dreamy, relaxing Sunday evening

Isn't Sunday night one of the best cozy times? 

My Petite Maison bistro chair, vintage French pots, vintage French wire basket, C&R mag ad

Speaking of cozyness 

C & R monthly giveaway...

  

I adore the Cabbages & Roses romantic style as I'm sure you do too.

C & R is holding their monthly giveaway:

Giving away an amazingly beautiful handmade item

(will leave you in suspense until you get to their blog)

The item is knitted in England with organic wool 

from sheep reared on 

H.R.H. Prince of Wales Duchy Farm

Just click HERE to be transported

to Dreamville...

Cabbages & Roses Blog

Please Note:  This giveaway ends 10.31.2010

Have a cozy, dreamy evening

~ Good luck et bonne chance ~

Happiness to you!

Jeanne d'Arc Living Magazine Giveaway

Do you want a chance to have two lovely copies of Jeanne d'Arc Living

to place on your coffee or as we say here... espresso table?

If so... follow this link to Roberta's

Tresor Trouve

She's having a giveaway for both copies

shown above

Images Courtesy

Jeanne d'Arc Living Magazine

Happiness to you!

Let's Talk Bistro Lights (and such)

Okay... 
the topic is bistro lights here today/tonight

and my little outdoor area always, forever in the works

I have received so many requests about 

my little twinkling bistro lights and my area in the

back and side yards I'm almost speechless (almost!)

Thank YOU.

Always a work in progress,
a fun, hard working one!

But, still finding bits of glass, garbage 

 and such out back...

Even after years (can you believe it?)

Using a yard as a dumping ground?  Shame on folks for that! 

Back to the pleasant things...

I order my bistro light strings
at Party lights here

and order replacement bulbs at the same time
although I haven't had to use any of them yet.

Another thing I'm loving is the little battery powered "candles"

I've bought loads of them at Wal-Mart for a safe light source...

Here's a link for those as well
over at Amazon

If I forget they're on, it's no big deal...

have to look into recycling these though, 

although none have burned out yet.

They just make everything prettier

See... they're all around here:

Table top

Vintage planter

French glasses, hanging lamps and
French canning jars too!




And back to the bistro lights...
I can't begin to tell you how lovely they are 


in the rain


We've got that light dust of rain drops falling here today
and I'm busy taking photos for a very special post next week


Check back to see, I think you will like (a lot ;)

A couple last things here at My Petite Maison...


I'm planning on reading this lovely magazine
Gli speciali di Casa Chic
from cover to cover
under these rain dropped lights this weekend


so graciously sent to me from 
Tracey of French Larkspur

Just the way I like it...
pretty wrap, pretty notes...
pretty everything!


Merci beaucoup, Tracey

It is so inspiringly beautiful!

photos in magazine:  Tracey Leber


Tracey's got a beautiful shop that is so in
My Petite Maison's style!


Hope the sources help you and thank you
for all your emails about my lights


Can't wait to show you more...
That work always in progress!

Here's to wishing everyone 

a lovely weekend

filled with bistro light love!

Lastly,

The winners of my Petite Bohemian Giveaway

are Sheilla from Style de Bohême

et/and

Debbie of

Shabbydeb


Happiness to you
from My Petite Maison

The Beauty of Fifi O'Neill

beau·ti·ful  (byt-fl)

adj.

1. Having qualities that delight the senses, especially the sense of sight.

2. Excellent; wonderful.

You all know I think the entire universe and beyond of the talented, big-hearted Fifi O'Neill.


Fifi gave us a look at the cover of her highly anticipated (that's an understatement) book this
morning and announced that it is available for pre-order at Amazon.  If you're on any of my gift lists, this is what you'll be getting (no kidding here!).  I'm off to pre-order!

Please go wish Fifi 

congratulations ~ félicitations ~ complimenti ~ grattis ~ glückwünsche

Won't you?  ;)

You may pre-order the beautiful book HERE

I'll be back soon with the winner of my little giveaway.

Happiness to you!

Flea Market Inspiration ~ White Wednesday

Today I'm feeling inspired...

You too?

Beautiful pieces from last weekend's Alameda Antiques by the Bay

Just look at those beautiful skies above ~ a thing of beauty, a gift for certain!

Next stop...

Some gifts from the sea

This beautiful white (and non-white ;) coral was sitting atop vintage dresser

And last...

Something to lay our eyes on to step back

and appreciate its beauty

Lovely statue waiting to be set-up

I'm joining in White Wednesday this week at Kathleen's Faded Charm

Hope you're very inspired this day, 

this week, this month too!

If you haven't entered my 

Petite French Bohemian Giveaway 

yet, 

you can enter HERE

(deadline Sunday, October 10th)

Gotta run!

Happy White Wednesday

Happiness to you!