Welcome 2011!

image; the washington post

2010 you were as lame as any year could be and quite frankly, I am glad to see the back of you.

2011, you are so welcome, I embrace you, I will bask in the newness of you and I will walk into you with confidence knowing you will not throw Galerie Montmartre the curve ball we endured last year. (archived in June/July 2010 if you are unsure what I am talking about)

If I was to tell you what I have learned these past twelve months, you'd still be reading into 2012 - and who has time for that anyway?! But the number one lesson, for me, has been when push comes to shove, I am surrounded by people who can step up - Team Galmont, for example, have been unstoppable, as have my family and friends - and the number two lesson is the love of people can carry you through anything. Really, it can.

I actually feel invincible as a result of the events of the past six months, not without it's overwhelming moments or those times when I want to run miles and miles like Forrest Gump....I still just might, you never know! But to have walked through a crisis and kept going, growing our little family and business and still have my head on my shoulders and my heart on my sleeve. Well, I'm going to pat myself on the back for that one!!

So my new year's resolution? Continue to seek out people and situations that feed my soul....and quietly continue my mission of weeding out the nutbags can hang around.

Nothing less will do. Life is too short.

Happy New Year my beautiful bloggators, I wish you a fabulous new year full of fun times and wonderful people. I look forward to being back in blogland from February 2011.

X Femme de M

Oh dear!

Lovely people, please forgive my absence.
My laptop has stopped working at the busiest time of year for Galmont...and Chez Trbuhovich.
So my sporadic blogging has come to a halt! Not for long, I'm hoping to leave at least one soppy end of year message...

Missing you and all that is Blogland; hope things are going well for each of you.

Femme de M xxx

Giving Thanks

image; www.slowdownfast.com

I give thanks that I can still get up every day and live a full life, mostly with a smile, despite 2010 being the year of upheaval on every level.

Although I miss life as I knew it, L'Homme's brain haemmorage (back in June - if you are new to Femme D M, blog entries are archived) and the resulting fallout, has taught me alot. I was never one to take life forgranted, but suddenly colours are brighter, moments are more magical and I have a b.s metre that rivals all others!

Our Petits are a source of joy...when they are not having a go at each other. And our family/friend/Galmont/wider community network are extraordinary. I have new friendships that are adding greatly to my life and solidifying old ones. I feel very fortunate.

And so, when all my North American Beauties, are spending the next four days eating and drinking and celebrating; I will do the same here in Melbourne, in my own quiet (oh hang on, this is me we're talking about, maybe not so quiet...!) way. I will remember all the things that are important and all the wonderful parts of life that I have to be grateful for.

Happy Thanksgiving, lovely ones. x

*thank you to creative women's circle for the little feature on me and my galerie montmartre world over here*

Home Sweet Home

image; chez trbuhovich...just ignore the computer bag, teensy bowl of lemons & petit's toys at back door; shelley t

Love walking in and looking around at all the bits and pieces that make up my life....and I finally had another chance to do that late on Thursday night after hooning it down that highway between Sydney and Melbourne.

While I was away - and had space in my brain to actually do some thinking - I worked out the next things to get started on at Chez Trbuhovich....kissing these hideous orange coloured floorboards goodbye & saying hello to high gloss white ones; putting a slim shelf above the Penfolds mirror to complete the dining room wall, and painting the entire exterior (Dulux Whisper White, Dulux Domino for part trim & Fire Engine Red Door - colour to be found) in time for Christmas. And see those bentwood chairs ($100.00 for five at NYC flea market!), I am in the process of painting 4 black and 1 yellow....will look amazing once the floors are done.

Road Trip

image; galerie montmartre

I'm really hoping the part arrives for my car today so I can drive back to the T-Tribe and Galerie Montmartre. I've had a wonderful break, but I think I am needed back home in Melbourne....I'm sure both my family and Team Galmont are missing being ordered around. Besides, Chez Trbuhovich is in need of further decorating before the end of the year.

Balmain has my heart...

...which is just as well, really. As I am forced to stay here a little longer, my wonderful car decided to snap it's shock absorber, so it is currently getting a little tlc at the local mechanics.

So, I might get just hang on my favourite park bench, down the road, and continue to look at this view...

images; shelley t

Guess Where I Am...

image found here

....yeah, the picture gives it away. I have come to beautiful Sydney to work at the Balmain Art Fair, which is always such a lovely way to pass the time. Hoping to see some familiar faces and get to know some new people. This year will be different, as L'Homme is usually working here as well and I am sure there will be people asking where he is.
But I am happy to explain the turn of events in the world of Galerie Montmartre.
So if you are in the Balmain area, please drop by and say hi. And of course, it is business as usual in good old Melbourne town.
I'll be sure to take some dodgy photos on my I-phone and catch you up with my weekend!

Giddy Up Horsey!

image; loterie nationale grand prix de paris, paul colin, 1966 available at galerie montmartre

It's that time in Melbourne again when that one horse race basically stops a nation. So strange to me, but then, I'm not a betting girl. I love an excuse to show a vintage poster, though, and the wonderful Paul Colin (go to our website if you want to know more about this revered French posterist) produced this dynamic horse racing piece in 1966. I love it's vibrancy and movement; so talented.

Anyway, good luck to all the punters out there - enjoy the Spring Racing Carnival!

A Spooky Weekend...

We don't really do Halloween in Australia, although it is slowly creeping into our calendars. But, I can't let October 31 go by without acknowledging the fact that I had some of the best nights of my life on this very date while living in the U.S...hmmm, which memory will I share? The limo full of friends - dressed as naughty maids (umm, yes, that would be me), nurses, rednecks, dracula etc. -going from one party to the next in NYC or wandering the San Francisco streets dressed as Catwoman? Maybe sitting at a Greenwich village bar alone at 9pm 'just for one drink', befriending strangers and not returning home until 7am?!

So many great times - that's the best part of memories, no one can take them away and they get better over time!

So Happy Halloween to my American beauties and to the rest of us, have a great weekend. x

Serge Bloch Stamps

image; www.sergebloch.net/blog/

You may remember my post about Serge Bloch's illustrations here. Well, it seems that my clever little friend (why I am assuming this guy is small in stature is beyond me....!) has been at it again, creating stamps for his French companions to enjoy.

I love his work so much, rings every bell within me, as a lover of letter writing (not that I have done any these past months), would love nothing more than to stick these beauties on the front of an envelope!

Happy Birthday Lucy!

image; i have absolutely no idea as to where this came from, but even without people sitting at the table, it looks like just the kinda party i'd love to attend! dim the lights, put on the music and bring out the champagne!

Oh, what the heck....she is great at letting people know about Melbourne's fabulous design community, but when it comes to details about her good self, she is a little shy. I am not about to give away all that makes up Lucy Feagins, but I want to wish her a happy birthday. She is a generous, caring, loving little soul who deserves a big shout-out for her skills in the friendship sphere.

i love the girl.

Wishing you a fabulous year, Ms Design Files - keep inspiring!

xxx

Dear Interior Gods and Goddesses...

image via you are my fave...i think

....I currently have bedroom storage issues, have taken to lining clothes neatly along the floor at the moment...getting everything up and into a locker would work. If we could un-shimmy this one a bit, it would be darn near perfect.

Free Falling

images; shelley t & her obvious i-phone photography skills (!)

I am absolutely intrigued with the art that was commissioned on the side of a home in my Mum and Dad's street recently. I love it in an artistic sense, but emotionally, it really resonates with me.

It will forever be linked to this time in my life of massive upheaval and personal challenge. I see something different whenever I walk by; sometimes it is the colours; sometimes it is the thought of flying, feeling free, feeling powerful, flying away, managing the impossible, watching myself from above....it's all there for me in this beautiful free falling form.

I'll get around to finding out a little more about the art in time, for now, I am just grateful that it is gracing a beautiful inner-suburban neighbourhood with its presence.

Sartorialist Love

Once again I am going through my online photos, tidying files and just generally seeing what I have and why. I noticed that I had a few pics from The Sartorialist that rang my bells when I looked at them. So here they are, with an explanation of why I saved them...

1. The pic above was taken on 13th st in NYC, the very street I lived in for 3 yrs (btwn A & B - East Village). I can't say I know this bloke, but I suddenly got a tinge of Manhattan love and longing when I saw his beautifully happy face.

2. All about the style, people. The way you wear something. This look is quite different to mine, I wouldn't be wearing heels like this around Brunswick st, that's for sure. But the chicness, the long, lush hair, the big sunglasses, the way this woman carries herself takes my breath away. And the handbag is divine.

3. Again, how chic. Oooo I love me some capri pants and flats, sleeveless shirts....mmmm. I love the thought of riding a bike...but never do it (!) and short hair cuts rock, as far as I'm concerned. Can't remember where this was taken, but I was immediately transported to Paris.

4. This is what I aspire to in a throw-it-together and look amazing kind of sense. The confidence just oozes from this woman, doesn't it? How beautiful is she? How beautiful is this image?! Red is my favourite colour and this coat is so perfectly cut. If I had legs like this, I'd be showing them too.

Strong!

image; loterie nationale sports, derouet/lesacq, 1939; galerie montmartre

That's the word that l'homme is using to describe how he feels at the moment. It would seem that the rehab team feel the same, as he is making his way home within a week...a couple of day trips, an overnight stay and then he is back living at Chez Trbuhovich - all being well - from October the 15th to begin the next chapter of this adventure.

Yet again, things are going to change, how we will deal with it is anyone's guess, to be honest. We'll give it a red-hot go though, there is no stopping the T-Tribe, that's for sure.

Peace friends, have a great weekend. x

The Power of Black and White

image found here

Good grief, it's Wednesday already.....really?! Maybe I am still celebrating the Collingwood Magpies thrashing of StKilda Saints (sorry, Captain....x) over the weekend. Or maybe, and far more like it, I am finding myself behind the eight-ball in all areas of my life....and it is spilling into this blog. One thing is for sure, despite the many grey areas of my life at the moment, the following things are as clear as black and white; the Petits are priority, Galmont is humming along, L'Homme continues to astound and the support of loved ones keeps us going. Thank you. x

The Weekend in Black and White

all images; available at galerie montmartre...photographed by team galmont

So, if you live in the Central & Southwest of Australia, there is a little game that is played called Australian Rules Football (AFL) and in sports-mad Melbourne, this little game absolutely dominates...for about 8 months of the year....even though the season only goes for 6 months.

Well, the Grand Poobah Prize of the AFL season and the reason all these sweaty men run around chasing and kicking a ball every weekend for 26 weeks is to make it to the Grand Final - which was played last week in front of 100016 people.

The teams who made the GF this year were Collingwood (L'Homme's and the Petit's team - a fabulous neighbourhood right next to Fitzroy) & St. Kilda (other side of the river....L'Homme gets the shakes if he wanders that far!). Well, anyway - they DREW. Yes, a draw, so on Saturday we do it all again. Our family will be dressed in their team colours of black and white, heading to a Fitzroy pub with 30 of our nearest and dearest; screaming at the TV, begging the 'Pies to win the flag.

In honour of this most rivetting event (!) - I found some vintage posters from our collection donning my favourite colour (non-colour?!) combination...

Have a great weekend, everyone.....and GO THE MIGHTY MAGPIES! (said on behalf of L'Homme who hasn't quite added this to his ever-growing vocab yet!)

Spring Cleaning

image; arts menagers roses, francis bernard, c 1950's; michelle belle for galerie montmartre

Oh yes, that would be me; Femme de M to the rescue, saving the ensuite (that's master bath for my American beauties) from becoming another storage space, saving under the sink from becoming a mass of unused products and saving the bathroom from the clutter of out of date moisturisers and make up that hasn't seen the light of day since the 90's.

I am a woman on a mission, people - dusting, wiping, lifting, sorting, disposing, reusing. This mood doesn't strike often, but when it does, no one is safe; even vacuumed the fluff off Petit-Petit's knees this morning...

A Family Update

image; l'homme & petit-petit, sept 5 2010

I thought it was time to update you all on the lives of the T-Tribe since that fateful June day when L'Homme suffered a massive brain bleed and hung on for dear life - if you are new to Femme De M and unsure what I am talking about, you can get a clearer picture here and here and here.

The most wonderful development is that L'Homme buzzed through the doors of Galerie Montmartre last week and it was one big cry-fest!! Even our beautiful neighbours, Rachel and Pat, the talented architectural duo who head up KennedyNolan - ran over from across the road to join in the celebration. I am trying really hard not to be sentimental, so you have to just trust me when I say he was ultra happy to be back. As I looked at ST sitting in his wheelchair in the middle of our vast retail space, taking in everything he has dreamed up and created, I realised that the time having him back working at Galmont isn't really that far away. In all honesty, he could start doing a few bits and pieces next week...but of course, that won't happen, because regaining his mental and physical strength at rehab is so much more important.

Having said that, L'Homme is now walking....with one assistant and a walking stick; he cooked our family dinner on Friday night (welcome back Stef the Chef, I say!); he is well ahead of schedule in relation to when he comes home; he now has movement in every previously paralysed part of his body and the words are tumbling out of his mouth. His mannerisms, intelligence and humour are all intact. In other words, he is an absolute miracle, and there is nothing to do but be grateful that although L'Homme was born with this hideous unknown ticking time bomb in his brain, he was also born with a stronger will to live. I know he will do whatever it takes to make a full recovery.

I'm usually fairly private when it comes to personal images on the blog, but I have made an exception here. This was taken a week ago, on Father's Day, somehow - despite my pathetic, haphazard ways with a camera - I captured a tender moment. I tear up everytime I look at it, because I know our story could've - actually, according to statistics, should've - been so different. I have no idea what 'the end' will look like, the beginning was certainly very ordinary, but this middle bit of the story is pretty exciting.

I'll be taking a week's blog break, as I take a couple of days out for myself (hello NSW coastline!) and then prepare our home for L'Homme's imminent arrival!!

Thanks again for your love and support, means so much. x

Michelle Belle Tumbles 6 - The Orange Vote

image; bally dancer by fix-masseau, c.1980's; stephan t for galerie montmartre

So, our country finally has a Prime Minister due to a hung parliament.....after two weeks speculation and political negotiating. As us Aussies were all wondering who our leader was going to be, Michelle Belle decides to dedicate a week's worth of posts to that most divisive of colours, Orange. I chose this, as it seems the most pertinent picture given Australia's flame-haired PM.

Over to Galmont's Asst Extraordinaire;

What would an ‘orange’ week be without an ode to the carrot top? I don’t know how I could have made it to Thursday without mentioning it! Especially as our current prime minister/maybe next prime minister/maybe leader of the opposition/maybe-who-knows-what-she’ll-be-next is a ginger herself.
But surely there is no better looking auburn beauty than this, our very own Bally Dancer. Bending down to tie her dancing shoes, this little red is a stunner. Soft colours, graceful stance, legs up-to-there… this little red sure has my vote!

Springing Further into the Week

image; sfgirlbybay

A blossom by any other name would not smell as sweet - God, how I love them. Another Spring image for you to enjoy, while I'm on a roll...

Springing into the Week!

image; the style files

A beautiful image - yes, still cleaning up my computer files! - that reminds me of spring. Is there a human being on the planet who doesn't enjoy this season? Honestly, is there?!

Have a wonderful week. Looking forward to catching up on some blog reading, some further Chez Trbuhovich projects....that is, I plan them and others do them....and a day closer to L'Homme being home.

Hey Dad, it's Friday!

all images; original vintage posters photographed by us & available at galerie montmartre

This post is dedicated to L'Homme in honour of Father's Day which Australians celebrate on Sunday.

The Petits have one heck of a role model when it comes to how to be a man, how to be a loving citizen, how to face every challenge head on with humour, grace and bare-knuckled tenacity. He doesn't always get it right but isn't too proud to admit his wrongs. He can't build a thing to save himself, knows nothing about mechanical matters and tidiness or organisation are not high on his list of priorities.

But he cooks like a pro, throws himself into parenting and housework, loves participating in sports, runs a business with integrity and he dances like....ummm, well, he dances. He has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. He is a great storyteller, loves a joke, wine, fine dining or hanging at the local cafe. He could mix it with the pauper or the Queen - possessing that rare combination of street smarts and academic know-how. He has created a great community of friends who are as loyal as any people could be.

This is to all the good guys out there - and especially to our good guy, Stephan T.

The man's a champion and that's all there is to it.

Michelle Belle Tumbles 5 - Spring

image; bundesbahn, andrian, 1961; michelle belle for galerie montmartre

On the first day of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere, this post from our tumbling assistant, Michelle Belle, seems quite fitting. Not so much a lesson in vintage poster art, more an ode to this wonderful, wonderful season. New beginnings and all that, makes sense given the Galmont story over the past two months with L'Homme taken so very ill....but now on his way back home in a month or so to start life afresh with us all - Welcome Spring!

With a beautiful image like this, who wouldn’t want to “Travel in the Springtime with the German Federal Railroad”. All the signs of Spring are here. Blue skies, blossoming flowers, tweeting birdies. Which reminds me of a little ditty my dad loves to sing at this time of year….
The spring has sprung, the grass is riz
I wonder where the birdies is?
The bird is on the wing
But that’s absurd
I always thought the wing was on the bird!

And That was the Week That Was...

image; unknown...sorry...

....Good Grief, where did it go?!

Pardon my sporadic blogging nature of late, there have been many positive developments in rehab-land which has meant that I have been needed at the hospital far more.

Today L'Homme's occupational therapist comes to look at Chez Trbuhovich to see what modifications will be needed before he comes home. A very exciting step indeed. Yes, it is a long road, but I can't help thinking how different this story could've been...

Kate James, who we have worked with in the past and has since become a dear friend (don't you love when that happens?) wrote a beautiful blog post over the weekend regarding our situation - her take on it. You can read it here.

Wishing you a wonderful week, thanks for your love and support; I feel surrounded by it.

So fortunate.

Guest Post; Michelle Belle Tumbles 4

Derouet and Fromentier, Jus D’Orange, printed c. 1960; stephan t for galerie montmartre
So, MB has decided that the colour orange is the focus on our tumblr blog this week. She thinks it's a little indecisive....just like our country's voting efforts, where we all dashed off to the polls this last Saturday and still don't know who will be leading our country!

Time for some vitamin C to get us moving....take it over from here Ms. Belle...

An orange juice in the morning… a day full of spirit and vigour. Yes please! This fellow springs straight from his bed to his Jus D’Orange, no time to even change from his striped pyjamas.
Edgard Derouet (1905-2001) and Paul Fromentier (1914-1981) teamed up to create a number of poster designs in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. And what a team they made! The contrast in colour, the movement, and the ORANGE-ness of the juicy orange…. BEAUTIFUL!

Group Hug

I am currently cleaning up my laptop, freeing it from the virtual pictures I gather. I don't know what your criteria is for saving an image, mine is simple, if I look twice and swoon a little then 'bang', into the files it goes. So, as a result, I have stacks of pictures completely unrelated.

However, I have noticed that I love images of similar things grouped together. Everytime I'd come across a picture of like-items in a group - during my 'clean up' session - I'd let out a deep sigh! I'm a bit nuts like that...here is a tiny sample.

images; 1. galmont; 2. here; 3. here; 4. here; 5. here; 6. here; 7. here; 8. here; 9. here; 10. here