{MEMORIES of HAPPY TIMES}

• On Saturday late afternoon my husband Pieter, lost his eldest brother Thé. 
• Now he is the only one left... He did have two brothers up till six years ago. 
• Again, a lost battle with cancer. 
• All that remains are the MEMORIES of HAPPY TIMES. 
• It is not easy for being over 4,000 miles away from The Netherlands. 
• We cannot attend his funeral because the ticket price for a flight, departing next day, is very steep. Also the stress for going on a trip in a hurry is not a good thing for my Pieter. 
• He is a heart patient and we better heed his health as Pieter's open heart surgery from two years ago is not meant to be ignored. 
• Even more emotional since he's the only one left... 
• Having been to The Netherlands 63 times, since we immigrated on August 29 of 1983, is what keeps us upright. 
• We've done what we could and Thé & Dora have always appreciated that very much. 
• For the rest it was just the routine of weekly phone calls and that were happy times. 
• We talked with Thé last, on Sunday a week ago...

• The youngest, Pieter, to the left and the eldest, Thé to the right.
• This is in our living room as Thé came to visit us in the USA, from The Netherlands.
• These are great lasting memories, for us to live on...

• From left to right: Thé, me and Dora the wife of Thé. 
• When they did celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary, we went to The Netherlands for celebrating that. 
• Dora did pass away in April of 2010...
• Below this post you find a link about my post {FOND MEMORIES}

• Together in St. Augustine, Florida ~ Oldest City in the USA.

• Thé and Dora my sister-in-love, have been always such generous hosts so I did reciprocate with a High Tea for friends, in their honor.
• Labor of love...

• A special birthday celebration for the middle brother Toon (r).
• Pieter wearing his Zegna suit from Outlet.

Indeed: MEMORIES of HAPPY TIMES.

RIP Thé and one day we will meet again!

Related links:
{FOND MEMORIES} | previous post by me
{Do YOU all know Our Nations Oldest City - St. Augustine, Florida?} | previous post by me

{Victoria Magazine Sept - Oct 2012 and Toile DE JOUY}

Victoria Magazine, September/October 2012 arrived this week in the mail. I was delighted to discover some EXCELLENT writing about my FAVORITE FRENCH cotton and linen Toile DE JOUY. 

Several of my French Country Style Totes, Sachets and Bags, are made out of upscale French Toile  de Jouy. Either in all Cotton, or all Linen and some Vintage Toile. It is a rather complex procedure to create this stylish fabric. You will see below. First I like to show you some of my own collection that I do sell from my Zen Cart powered on line Boutique 'Mariette's Back to Basics'. Below this post you will find some links, also a link for the REAL French Toile de Jouy fabric per meter for € 88.00. YES, it is very expensive but you will learn why.

This is just part of the blue Toile de Jouy collection in an upscale decorator fabric. 

Available at my Zen Cart powered online Boutique: Mariette's Back to Basics

Angels and Roses...

Toile de Jouy originated from India. An exotic fabric...

That's right: once banned by King Louis XIV to protect the French fabric trade...

Lovely red Toile de Jouy...

THE HISTORY of TOILE

Retyped text on behalf of those other countries (from total 209) that can't read English, so they can use the translator.

Pardon my PASSION for Toile de Jouy...

Captivating storytellers, toile patterns have been adored the world over for their romantic imagery featuring flowers, fauna, and idyllic scenes of genteel country life. (Hence my French Country Style collection at my Boutique). 

The craze began quickly when the first printed cottons were imported from India to France in the sixteenth century. Lightweight and washable, these wildly colorful block-printed indiennes were met with an exuberant fervor that virtually paralyzed the French fabric industry. So imminent was this threat of competition that, in 1686, King Louis XIV commanded an embargo on the importation of all cottons and issued a decree to arrest anyone who violated the ban. Despite these deterrents, the quest continued to flourish in secret.

When the ban was lifted in 1759, the coveted printed cottons eventually rebounded from their scandalous beginnings, and French factories regrouped in hopes of fulfilling the demand themselves. Christophe-Philippe Oberkampf was one of the first to manufacture block-printed textiles in France alongside the crystalline river Bièvre in the town of Jouy-en-Josas; hence the expression toile de Jouy. It was only a matter of time before the industrious Oberkampf adapted the faster and more precise copperplate printing method, a technique already implemented  in both England and Ireland that produced sharper engravings with expertly rendered variations of shading and light. This process paved the way for commissioned artists to design extensive patterns depicting elaborate themes and historical events with detailed human subjects and complex scenery.

Not surprisingly, toile motifs continue to proliferate in the modern age with playful compositions such as the comic-strip-like Marquis de la Paillette. Created by fashion designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, it portrays a cultural time line with jet planes, skyscrapers, and scenes from the eighteenth century. 

Hope you enjoyed this piece of history on the special Toile de Jouy fabric!

Below in my former post about {Angels and Seraphims - French Country Style} you also find lots of information and other links.

Do you own something made of authentic French cotton or linnen Toile de Jouy?

L'Arrêt Déco Toile de Jouy Fabric per meter at € 96.97

Victoria Magazine  showing Toile de Jouy

{Angels and Seraphims - French Country Style} items in Toile de Jouy

{Our EUCALYPTUS Tree}

On March 14, Pieter did plant our first ever EUCALYPTUS tree! Love the smell of Eucalyptus and we found it a very special tree, while we were working as consultants in Australia. Also on the West Coast, in California those Eucalyptus trees grow naturally. But when we went with our best friend to a nursery in South Georgia, in Baxley, we did bring one back home with us. 

Don't you  just love the smell of EUCALYPTUS leaves?

It seems to be even a great flea repellent in the yard. So, we wonder if our chipmunks and squirrels will get to live as flea free, as our felines, whom we treat with Revolution...

This is the tree on July 13, 2012.

Four months of growing UP in our garden.

On this very tree was that CICADA from my previous post...

Just planted on March 14...

Azaleas still blooming at that time.

March 18, Eucalyptus settled into its yummy food mixture of: potting soil; cow manure and mushroom compost.

It has been broadly smiling ever since!

Our EUCALYPTUS after 4 months; it doubled in size!

This photo is from July 13.

I had to step on a chair for taking those CICADA photos...

Love to have something with grayish leaves during winter season!

No doubt, it has many examples of mature trees around it.

You see the newest bridge over the creek into the wood garden. 

To the right you just see a strip where the road is...

So, do you use cow manure and compost too?

Related links:
County Farm Plant Co., Inc.
{CICADA}