Yet Another New Start...

image; sensingarchitecture.com

I've been awake since 5:00am, can't sleep, Petit starts school today. A brand new chapter in the lives of the T-Tribe....as if we haven't had our share of new beginnings in the last 7 or so months! But we are more than ready, I'm ready. Petit is soooo ready. Today will be a very good day.

Victoria Mason Jewellery - Truly Original

beautiful & original, handmade by victoria mason

the bodgy, crappy copy made in bulk by god knows who

An unexpected joy of owning Galerie Montmartre is the tons of creative and inspiring business women I have met. Shopgirls rule in Fitzroy, we work hard and play even harder! I have been so fortunate to be part of a 'network' (gaggle, more like it!) of gorgeous women who, when our schedules allow, get together for food, drinks and chats....and funnily enough, business talk is the last thing on our agenda.

One of the great talents amongst us is jeweller, Victoria Mason. I love her adorable, quirky jewellery and passion for her craft. I sit on her website and smile at her cleverness. And obviously I am not the only one who finds her pieces enjoyable, because she has been ripped off with a less-than copy of her measuring tape necklace. I'm not quite sure how these people sleep at night, stealing the ideas of others with meagre offerings of shoddy quality items - they haven't been the ones dreaming up the whimsy, sketching, developing an idea and creating. They simply peruse websites and take from the blood, sweat and tears of others.

Well, bugger that ASOS, you have been sprung; I think you are pathetic.

Please visit lovely Victoria's site and see what a real talent produces to make us look even cuter(!)...there might be something very special that you could buy to show your support.

(BTW, Vic has no idea I have put this little post together.)

* And to another lovely creative, Crayon Chick, thanks for the mention in your blog recently. x

A Pinch and A Punch - Hello February!

image via www.spreadshirt.com

The first of the month - gotta love it! I've only just made it in Oz time, but my American beauties and European lovelies are about to get stuck into their February.
I finally have my laptop difficulties sorted which already has improved my life ten-fold (despite just getting back from holiday yesterday!) and have begun to envisage the year with enthusiasm. A spontaneous girl by nature, I've reluctantly given in to the fact that routine is what will make my life a little easier for 2011. Petit starts school and Petit-Petit starts pre-school, L'Homme is back at rehab on a regular basis and hopefully I will be able to go about whipping Galerie Montmartre into a beautiful, unique and creative shape along with a little side development that I will let you in on a bit further down the track.
Thank you for joining me, so looking forward to sharing what's going on in the Femme D M world and catching up on your bloggy news - have missed you. x

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!)