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Hello my sweet friends! I'm kind of bypassing the flea market finds this week to share what has been a long awaited dream piece for me, a Louis Vuitton boite chapeaux (or hat box) I finally found the perfect one on ebay (where else) after looking for one that wouldn't bankrupt me for years! *winks*. Now I'm the proud owner of one of my very own! Yay!! They come in different sizes. This one is the boite 40. (or 40 centimeters) I've been collecting LV for nearly 30 years and my favorite LV pieces are the trunks and hard cases. I just LOVE em!! So I had myself a little photo shoot-o-fun with my new case and some of the older ones. OK well there is one flea market find... this pink feather demi hat that I found at the thrift for $5 *winks*

And with hats packed and ready to travel...

This is a stack of predominantly cosmetic cases with a couple of umbrellas thrown in for good measure The checkerboard case toward the bottom right is in what is known as the damier pattern. This pattern pre dated the LV monogram pattern that is currently most commonly used. However the damier pattern is also still used today. This case is called a damier centenaire. It was only made for one year to celebrate LV's one hundred year anniversary (1896-1996) Strangely it's the 100 year anniversary of the monogram pattern (Louis Vuitton itself started out in 1854) and they released the centenaire items in... damier????... but I digress... There were only 1000 of this style case ever made and mine is numbered 144. So it's my favorite, and another dream of mine is to collect a whole set. (Which could easily take me another 30 years lol!) The little case at the top was made to hold jewelry and is called a boite a tout. It's also an unusual and hard to find piece. The suitcase at the bottom dates from the 1920's.

I thought this umbrella as awning was kind of fun.

And with my new boite chapeaux on top.

Which now brings me to my speedy 30, my favorite bag/purse of all time! And many peoples first LV purchase. There's a reason for this, it's classic, timeless, and iconic. The speedy bag was created in 1930 and in 1965 Audrey Hepburn asked Henri Louis Vuitton if he could create a smaller version of the bag that she could carry daily. He did, and the speedy as we know it was born. Now love or hate LV? I have to tell you that its quality is exceptional.
This speedy below started my whole love affair with the brand. In 1986 I fell in love with a co-worker's speedy bag. I asked her what it was? And when she told me, I knew I HAD to have one!! Finding one however turned out to be difficult since we didn't have an LV boutique in my state at the time, and they couldn't be purchased anywhere else. So I had my husband pick one up on a business trip. He came home and handed me a nearly flat parcel. I could see no way that it could possibly hold a purse, but it did! Yes the speedy folds flat for travel *winks* I was completely underwhelmed. Made of vinylized canvas it didn't look like much up close. And it cost $225!! Was this the same "dream" purse that my friend had carried? Somehow I remembered it being way more interesting/wonderful than this! Now $225 was quite an expensive bag back then. An average nice leather bag at the time might have been purchased for around $20-$25.And the only leather it possessed was on the handles and trim! But once I popped that baby up and filled it with some stuff it was starting to grow on me. It has continued to do so for almost 30 years. I have carried this bag nearly every day since 1986, and I still receive many compliments on it. And an extra added bonus is that I could turn around and sell it today for more than I originally paid for it. LV bags NEVER go on sale. The current price for the speedy 30 is $790+ tax. They come in different sizes so there's a perfect size for everyone. Expensive yes, but maybe worth it? There aren't many purses that last as long and hold their value quite like Vuitton (The Hermes Birken and Hermes Kelly also come to mind, but cost considerably more)

Here is the chic Audrey Hepburn carrying her speedy bag.

So what do you think? Is it insane to spend so much on something like a handbag? Or does it make sense to go quality over quantity? After all how much money does the average lady spend on purses that wear out or become outdated over 30 years? Have I changed your perspective at all? Are you just the littlest bit tempted to try one out for yourself? (If you haven't already)*winks* I'd love to hear your thoughts... Vanna
I'm joing sweet Sherry at No Minimalist Here for:

Debra at Common Ground for:

Cindy at My Romantic Home for:

And Courtney at French Country Cottage for:

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting one of my bestest blogging buddies! Her name is Christine from the blog Christine's Home and Travel Adventures And that girl travels more than anyone I know! Check out her blog if you want to virtually travel all over the world in the comfort of your Jammie's *winks*
She and her husband came to Seattle from Natchez Mississippi for her husbands medical conference (Yep he's a doc) and I was able to play with her all day!
We started out with a little breakfast followed by a trip to a favorite antique store called the Pacific Gallery. We only intended to be there for a couple of hours tops... but there were so many things to look at!... We were there for 4.5 hrs! Here are a few of the things I liked/loved. Please excuse my picture quality. My camera chose this time to go on the fritz *sighs* Beautiful bed canopy in blue. LOVE this!

A great 4' statue of Mary Magdalene. Wish she could've come home with me but she was quite pricey.

Here is my sweet friend Christine looking glamorous in gray!

An oeil de boeuf window in zinc. Me likey!

This set of Jesus and Mary statues were life size.

Cool pair of girandoles with paintings of ruins.

I fell in love with this old wallpapered screen. It almost came home with me. I'll probably regret that it didn't *winks* You know how that goes.

Close up on the details.

This plaster lady statue covered in seashells was neat. That Raggedy Ann isn't doing it any justice but it was high on top of a case and I didn't want to move anything and have it fall on my noggin (That sort of thing happens to me a lot)... Probably explains a lot too! Lol!

This was one of a pair of sweet Italian angels.

My friend Christine didn't go home empty handed (I couldn't have that!) Here she is with some pretty linen treasures. She's a tablescaper supreme!

And by now she was getting boared... But never boar-ing! Lol!

So we went off to the Space Needle restaurant for dinner...

Where we looked out at this...

Followed by this...

And we ate this. It was absolutely delish!

So what did I come home with if you care to see?... A large (Very heavy) cherub shelf! Actually a fairy?... I think?? He has pointed little ears. My hubbs said "Oh you bought a baby vulcan" He's a big Star Trek fan! Actually we both are *winks* When I spotted him he reminded me of something my friend Andie from The Divine Theatre would have. She has a really fabulous collection of statuary! Isn't it amazing how much our blogging friends can influence and inspire us? I feel so blessed to have found such creative talented people here in Blogaritaville!

At a distance. I'm still working on the vignette for the top.

See his cute little ears?

This little shabby chippy boy also came home with me.

And this little green jewel casket that matches my vanity set.

Lined in luscious orange!

Christine brought me a few prezzies too! Aren't I a lucky girl?! This little Italian cherub plaque and a dangling crown with crystal. She obviously knows what I like! *winks*

Topped off by these yummy little sundae candles.

Here we are at the end of the day.

Christine I had such a great time with you! I hope you'll come back for another visit soon! You are just as sweet, kind and beautiful as I thought you'd be! Vanna
I'm joining for the first time Debra at Common Ground for:

I'm also joining Diane for the first time at A Picture Is Worth A 1,000 Words for:

THE ROUND-UP:

Food - 4.5 out of 5
Service - 4.5 out of 5
Decor - 4.5 out of 5
Total - 13.5 out of 15

2375 Sainte-Catherine est
Montreal, Quebec
514-522-5105
restolegraindesel.ca
____________________________________________________________

If you're anything like me, TripAdvisor has become a trusted travel companion before, during, and after a trip takes you out on the road.

TripAdvisor offers more information about hotels, restaurants, and activities in almost any city than you could probably ever read. And more often than not, the information is reliable and straight-up honest.

Until recently, it had been more than seven years since the last time I visited Montreal. I was at a total loss as to where to eat, especially in a city with as many options as Montreal. So, I took the web's advice.

Do a search for restaurants in Montreal on TripAdvisor, and the number 1 result is a little bistro by the name of Le Grain de Sel (at least at the time of writing in September 2010).

Thank you yet again, TripAdvisor, for an amazing night out.

While no one visits Montreal without strolling down Sainte-Catherine Street at least once, Le Grain de Sel is on a stretch of the street that sees little traffic (about five blocks east of the Papineau subway stop).

The main dining room out front is cozy. White linens dress each table with darker colours on the bar and walls.

Staff were immediately welcoming and friendly, offering us a choice of available tables. The menu is completely in French, but our waiter took the time to explain almost every item, mostly without even being prompted.

I think Le Grain de Sel's total lack of pretension is one of its best qualities. The head chef even came out to our table to ask how the food was at one point in the meal. And he looked like he genuinely wanted to make sure we were having a good time.

We ordered the Escargots en Croute and a pair of fresh Quebec Scallops for appetizers. Both dishes were delicious. The escargots came served in a piping hot bowl covered by a thin crust of glazed phyllo dough. Beneath the doughy dome were our escargots, buttery and mixed with wild mushrooms. Mwa!

The scallops were seasoned perfectly with oil, salt, and pepper, and served with a side of corn and red pepper. Not your usual sides, but they were a perfect match for the scallops.

As for main courses, we ventured for the halibut and a duo of haddock and pork belly. The fish was truly delicious and makes me wish that I lived nearer to the ocean.

The pork, on the other hand, was extraordinarily fatty. So much so that once the fat was cut away, just a few morsels of meat were left. When our lovely waitress asked how I liked my meal, I had to confess that I wasn't nuts about the pork. But she made a good point: the fatty pork was intentionally paired with the ultra-lean haddock as a contrast. I still can't say that I enjoyed the pork, but at least the kitchen is thinking seriously about the food it serves.

For dessert, we gorged on a homemade cheesecake, and a cold raspberry and balsamic vinegar soup with fresh doughnuts on top. It was all too, too delicious.

If I had to give Le Grain de Sel a grade, it would be an F++.

Hold on now, that stands for Fresh, Friendly, and Fantastic.

When in Montreal go to Le Grain de Sel. Just go.

The first step to becoming an excellent manager of your home is to understand your role and why it is so important.

As a whole, our culture dismisses the impact of a faithful homemaker and constructs stereotypes that are outlandishly opposed to our exemplary in Proverbs 31. For instance, note who gets attacked when one young girl says she's going to be a nurse and the other says she's preparing to be a homemaker, which, biblically and historically, is God's normative plan for women. It is considered a waste of talent and intelligence to bless your family with the gifts God has given you for eternal rewards, but admirable if a paper certifies a particular area of focus and you get paid monetarily.

We must not rely on society's view of homemaking as our source of strength, purpose, and encouragement. Our value and fulfillment is found when we understand that the almighty God of the universe has called us to this task, and therefore, there is no greater work as a wife and mother that we could be doing.
"... teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." Titus 2: 4The title "manager" denotes different types of jobs we must oversee to ensure our homes are running smoothly. Let's list them:

• Accountant
• Baker
• Chauffeur
• Cheerleader
• Chef
• Coach
• Counselor
• Dean of Education
• Entertainer
• Fashion Coordinator
• Food Service Manager
• Filing Clerk
• Fitness Trainer
• Gardener
• Gift Coordinator
• Health-care Practitioner
• Interior Designer
• Laundress
• Maid
• Purchasing Agent
• Referee
• Secretary
• Short-order Cook
• Travel Agent

A woman who purposely trains to do all these things well will not just be an asset to her husband, but should the Lord call her to singleness, she will be able to minister well to anyone, wherever she is planted. This is why I tell my daughters that preparing to be a godly homemaker thrills Mommy's heart just as much, if not more, than having them trained, indebted, and degreed, in one particular field of interest at college.
"Putting up the lunch for the children or cooking a good meal for the family may seem very insignificant tasks as compared with giving a lecture, writing a book, or doing other things that have a larger audience; but I doubt very much if, in the ultimate reckoning, they will count for as much." ~Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the OzarksOnce you begin to understand and embrace the importance of your place inside your home, you can begin to draft a "mission statement" to refer to when you're feeling weary in well-doing, or you need to be reminded of your vision. It can be as simple as photo-copying Proverbs 31 and posting it on your fridge, or writing out your own summary on a note card and placing it above your sink. I've written mine inside my journal where I see it everyday:

"Called, authorized, and empowered by my Redeemer and Friend, with the blessing and support of my husband, my mission as the Keeper of our Home is to create an atmosphere of grace and forgiveness, order and flexibility, warm love and gentle affection, nutritious meals and fragrant aromas, conversation and education."
I want our home to be: (Check all that apply)

• Welcoming
• Stressful
• Warm
• Light
• Dark
• Messy
• Cluttered
• Happy
• Perfect
• Neat
• Chaotic
• Tidy
• Educational
• Shiny
• Sloppy
• Organized
• Attractive
• Dusty
• Beautiful
• Positive
• Well-arranged
• Tense
• Fun
• Calm
• Rigid
• Creative
• Chaotic
• Cozy
• Unique
• Balanced
• Homey
• Joyful
• Tacky
• Intense
• Purposeful
• Simple
• Appropriate
• Immaculate
• Functional
• Fresh Bright
• Expensive
• Relaxed

Recommend Resources
These titles encourage Keepers of The Home in their God-given calling. I'll list resources specific to organizing and maintaining different areas of the home as we cover them in this series. These are my affiliate links, but you are under no obligation to use them!

• Passionate Housewives Desperate For God by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald
• The Excellent Wife by Martha Peace
• Queen of the Home by Jennifer McBride
• The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
• Praise Her In The Gates by Nancy Wilson
• Home-Making by J. R. Miller
• Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman

Part 1: Keeping A Growing Home | A Management Series for Moms Part 2: Keeping A Growing Home | Know Your Role! Part 3: Keeping A Growing Home | Making Priorities & 15 Good Things I Don't Do Part 4: Keeping A Growing Home | Time-Saving Home Management Tips Part 5: Keeping A Growing Home | My Daily Schedule

If you enjoyed this post, you may wish to follow Growing Home for updates via Google Friend Connect, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, or have them emailed directly to your inbox.
Linking to: Raising Homemakers, Deep Roots At Home, Raising Arrows, A Wise Woman.,Walking Redeemed, The Better Mom, The Modest Mom, A Mama's Story, We ARE That Family, Raising Mighty Arrows, Hearts For Home, Frugal Homeschool Family,

I don't know about ya'll but I am always on the lookout for the perfect chandelier *sighs dreamily* There's just nothing that adds more romance and glamour to a room than a beautiful chandy ! Don't you agree? I keep hoping that one day I'll walk into the worlds most fabulous garage sale... It might look something like this *winks*

And I'll find my dream chandelier for somethin ' like $100... Yeah I know, not likely! But hey this blog is "Delusions of Grandeur" And I'm gonna stay deluded dang it!! My dream chandy would be 18th century french, preferably rock crystal, and not electrified. This one would do beautifully!

But then again, there's something to be said for macaroni crystals... They make me swoon! And isn't this chandy swoon-o-licious ?!!

Hmmmm liking this one too!

My mother was born in Sweden... This one would remind me of my heritage...

Or all out gaudy!! Yeppers that works for me too!! I can't tell where the crystal ge gaws start and end on this one... Always a good thang *winks*

And I always love a little empire style!

This one isn't quite as dreamy as the french 18th century one... But it'll do! We are talkin ' $100 here *winks*

OK now ya'll need to scale down your expectations a few LARGE notches because these chandys are from my house lol !

This 1930's french palm chandelier sits over what passes for a dining room at my house *sighs* It's all open concepty and icky! One day I'll have a "real" dining room with french doors!

And this chandelier is the most swanky at my house, and nearly caused a divorce... it was worth it! Heh heh ! When I found it, it was in pieces. So the hubbs had to restring every single crystal. In addition it's a gasolier so it had to be converted to electricity... and did I mention it's almost 4' tall and weighs a TON?!! Oh and I wanted it all finished YESTERDAY!! So I would hassle my poor DH just about every other day... Are you going to work on the chandelier soon honey?? ( I added the "honey" to make it sound more friendly and less pushy hehe !)... Next day... Honey you said you'd start on the chandelier soon right?!... Followed by "But you promised!!" Repeat about 200 times, and the man finally broke down and finished it. But he told me NEVER AGAIN! And I think he means it*winks* But we'll see... Lol !

This one is in my master bedroom. I paid $125 for it and it came with two beautiful crystal sconces. At the time I felt I paid way too much... Now, I'm so glad I bought it! I sold the set of sconces for $125, making the chandy FREE!! Yippee!! I loves me a great deal!

This one was a 40th birthday gift from the hubby. And hangs in my tea room.

And this one was an ebay find. I scored it for $75, but when I received it one of the arms was broken!! I was sooo annoyed!! I contacted the seller and they told me they'd refund me $30 if I wanted to keep it. I figured the crystals on it were worth $45 so I decided to keep it and see if it could be fixed somehow. Well I ended up taking it to a local welder who welded the arm back on at a cost of $25. So $70 total! Just something to keep in mind if you find a cool chandy with a broken arm. I was surprised at how reasonable it was to have it welded. I would buy one with a broken arm again in a heartbeat!

This one hangs in my shabby chic bedroom and you can also see my sweet little empire chandy.

This one was a garage sale find for $25 and hangs in my home gym.

And lastly this candle chandelier hangs over the tub in my bathroom. It's perfect for long soaks!

Well that's it for this one. Do you have a favorite? And does the sight of a crystal chandelier make your heart pitter pat like it does mine? I'd love to hear from ya!

Then my sweet new friend Silver from One Day at a Time gifted me with this wonderful award! She has a most wonderful blog... But I'm tellin ' ya, if you're hungry it's torture!! She always has the most beautiful pictures of food!! And she's a real sweetie too! So stop by and tell her I sent ya!

Here are the rules for this award:
These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.” Also put a link to their blogs and then let them know they have been selected!

Well I don't know who might already have this award, so if you've already received it, no prob.
1) Laura Lu at Hidden Promise
2) Chari at Happy To Design
3) Laura at Tomarie's Cabin
4) Christine at Christine's Home and Travel Adventures
5) Linda at Royaltouch
6) Lucy at Tattered Hydrangeas
7) Monica at Monicas English Version
8) Kris at Vintage Window

If you haven't checked out these bloggers you're missing out BIG TIME!! *hugs n winks* Vanna

I'm hooking up this older post with my dear friend Chari over at Happy To Design for her Sunday Favorites.

Well, I'm outta here for the next three weeks while Noah and I travel on a very overdue vacation! While I'll still have daily posts going on Single Dad Laughing during that time, I'll won't be posting to Will Work 4 Followers until after we return.


Until now, most of what we've covered here on WW4F has been foundational and blogging constructive. We've been working on the look of our blogs, the setup, feel, functionality and more. While I'll still be uploading many posts that are instructional and foundational from here on out, I'd like to start moving WW4F to what it was originally intended for... real discussion about blogging life, growing blogs, etc. So, here's your big chance to let me know what you'd like me to write about in the future here at WW4F. If you'd like to be as awesome as I know you are, take a sec, and answer the following three questions in the comments section of this post:
Read & Comment >>

I'm joining Chari for her Sunday favorites.
This was a post from Feb 8th 2009.
My love for Louis Vuitton hasn't lessened one bit! But my buying of cases has certainly slowed down *winks* I hope you enjoy this encore.

Louis XV... Louis XVI... and of course Louis V!!... As in Vuitton of course!
As a lover of all things french and antique *winks* Louis Vuitton is a perfect fit for me!
Louis Vuitton was a hardworking thrifty young man from Anchay (a hamlet in the Jura, a region of mountains and forests) He left his home and job at his family's mill at the early age of 13.
In 1854 he opened his own trunk making business at 4 Rue Neuve-des-capucines near the Place Vendome. Louis claim to fame was in the creation of the flat topped trunk which made them easy to stack. Up until then, trunks had been dome topped and extremely heavy. Louis created his trunks using poplar (a much lighter wood) and enforced them with metal banding. Making them far superior in strength, and a much more luxurious way to travel.
He was a hit pretty much from the beginning. The empress Eugenie was his first royal customer and put him nicely on the map. Other wealthy people of the day followed suit and the rest as they say is history!
I have been a lover and collector of Vuitton for over 20 years. I must admit this is the least "affordable" of my collections, requiring lots of searching for items that I COULD afford. Nearly all of my LV was purchased on the secondary market, helping my pocketbook greatly! And lots of trading with friends helped a lot as well. And lucky me, my DH is nearly as vuitton crazy as I am! *winks* So he understands that sometimes in order to afford a new (old) piece, we might have to eat peanut butter and jelly sammies for a month... or ten lol!
The older trunks and traveling cases are really my passion! I can only dream of all the fabulous places they must have visited! And they work wonderfully *IMHO* as home decor... another real passion!
Here is a picture of the Eiffel tower recreated using Louis Vuitton trunks and cases.
I always dreamed of having enough pieces to do one of my own *winks*

This is my attempt so far. Maybe in another 20 years I'll have enough to finish it off!

I found this cool article in Traditional Home magazine featuring a designer in Arizona who has quite an extensive collection of LV and has used it beautifully in the decor of his amazing condo. Do you see the stack of suitcases tucked under his sofa table? Well I loved the look of this so much, I tried it in my own home. I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures. I don't have a scanner so they are just pictures of pictures *sighs*

Here's my interpretation found in my master bedroom. I hide all the wonderful cards and sweet little notes from my hubby in them *winks*

Back to the designers residence in Arizona. Here in his family room is a dream piece of mine. It's a LV suitcase that belonged to John F Kennedy. He's re purposed it as a coffee table. I'd be afraid to ever put anything on it!! But he seems to have no qualms whatsoever placing heavy objects on top. Which I must say, do look great! I love the pop of orange in his pillows also!

And here is a shot of part of his closet. Oh boy! If only my closet looked like this!! And all those orange hermes boxes add another wonderful pop of color!... *sigh* I can dream...

This room belongs to Tommy Hilfigger. Can you spot the louis ? He has some hermes going on here as well. See the cute little suitcase under Uncle Sam?

I used a beauty case on top of a buffet cabinet in my bedroom. Maybe not the best place for it but it'll do for now. Can you see it? Lol!

Here it is!

And here I've used some LV in hubby's office. The desk set was part of an exclusive from Neiman Marcus in the 80's. It's extremely rare, and finding as many pieces as I have has been a real adventure. Do you see the small waste basket at the end of my hubby's desk?

This one here! It's my "claim to fame" as they say in vuitton circles. This paper waste basket is the only one I or many of my fellow LV collectors have ever seen. Because of it's rarity I needed to take it to Louis Vuitton to have it authenticated. I tell ya it was the closest thing to a celebrity I've ever been! All the sales associates walked quickly away from their customers to converge on my waste basket!! I felt so sorry for everyone! Now I'm tellin ' ya LV sales associates can be notoriously snooty... and to have them gush all over a darn waste can??!! I'd a never thunk!! The manager even asked me if he could take some pictures of it!

Here is a shot to make any LV lovers heart go pitter pat! All those fabulous old trunks!! All the history!! All the MONEY!! YIKES!!! Do you see the trophy cups used for display in the center?

Well some of you might remember my "Craigslist do you love it?" post here where I found some old equestrian trophy/loving/cups? A few days ago I saw them listed again on craigslist, 5 for $50 and this time I jumped on them! Two of them are sterling! Here I was playing around in hubbys man cave *winks* and I created a tiny vignette (very tiny lol !) of the shot above. What do y'all think?

And if you are a serious lover of Vuitton you MUST have this book! Louis Vuitton The Birth Of Modern Luxury by Paul-Gerard Pasols It is the best ever! It tells the entire history of LV as well as showing incredible shots of extremely rare custom pieces...

Like this one! A custom traveling case in crocodile outfitted for all your perfumes colognes and beautifying essentials! *winks* I'll bet this one cost about half the price of an average house! But it certainly is wonderful!

And of course I love their handbags also!*winks* Here are most of mine displayed in one of my french armoires.

Well I hope you enjoyed my little tour de Vuitton. While they can be quite expensive, it's still possible to find them at antique stores, auctions and estate sales for fairly reasonable... and if you're really lucky, VERY reasonable prices, like the large trunk that I have featured in my Eiffel tower shot? Well my hubby (eagle eyed man that I love!) spotted it at a garage sale marked $60!! He asked if they could do a little better? And we took it home for $50!! I really had no idea what it was worth, and when I took a peek on ebay to see what it might possibly be worth? I nearly peed myself!!... Sorry to be crude... But I DID!! So if you're out there garage saleing keep your eyes and ears open... ya just never know!! *winks* Vanna

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you'll also stop by Chari's place and check out all the other Sunday Favorites.

Louis XV... Louis XVI... and of course Louis V!!... As in Vuitton of course! As a lover of all things french and antique *winks* Louis Vuitton is a perfect fit for me! Louis Vuitton was a hardworking thrifty young man from Anchay (a hamlet in the Jura, a region of mountains and forests) He left his home and job at his family's mill at the early age of 13. In 1854 he opened his own trunk making business at 4 Rue Neuve -des -capucines near the Place Vendome. Louis claim to fame was in the creation of the flat topped trunk which made them easy to stack. Up until then, trunks had been dome topped and extremely heavy. Louis created his trunks using poplar (a much lighter wood) and enforced them with metal banding. Making them far superior in strength, and a much more luxurious way to travel. He was a hit pretty much from the beginning. The empress Eugenie was his first royal customer and put him nicely on the map. Other wealthy people of the day followed suit and the rest as they say is history! I have been a lover and collector of Vuitton for over 20 years. I must admit this is the least "affordable" of my collections, requiring lots of searching for items that I COULD afford. Nearly all of my LV was purchased on the secondary market, helping my pocketbook greatly! And lots of trading with friends helped a lot as well. And lucky me, my DH is nearly as vuitton crazy as I am! *winks* So he understands that sometimes in order to afford a new (old) piece, we might have to eat peanut butter and jelly sammies for a month... or ten lol ! The older trunks and traveling cases are really my passion! I can only dream of all the fabulous places they must have visited! And they work wonderfully *IMHO* as home decor... another real passion! Here is a picture of the Eiffel tower recreated using Louis Vuitton trunks and cases. I always dreamed of having enough pieces to do one of my own *winks*

This is my attempt so far. Maybe in another 20 years I'll have enough to finish it off!

I found this cool article in Traditional Home magazine featuring a designer in Arizona who has quite an extensive collection of LV and has used it beautifully in the decor of his amazing condo. Do you see the stack of suitcases tucked under his sofa table? Well I loved the look of this so much, I tried it in my own home. I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures. I don't have a scanner so they are just pictures of pictures *sighs*

Here's my interpretation found in my master bedroom. I hide all the wonderful cards and sweet little notes from my hubby in them *winks*

Back to the designers residence in Arizona. Here in his family room is a dream piece of mine. It's a LV suitcase that belonged to John F Kennedy. He's re purposed it as a coffee table. I'd be afraid to ever put anything on it!! But he seems to have no qualms whatsoever placing heavy objects on top. Which I must say, do look great! I love the pop of orange in his pillows also!

And here is a shot of part of his closet. Oh boy! If only my closet looked like this!! And all those orange hermes boxes add another wonderful pop of color!... *sigh* I can dream...

This room belongs to Tommy Hilfigger. Can you spot the louis ? He has some hermes going on here as well. See the cute little suitcase under Uncle Sam?

I used a beauty case on top of a china cabinet in my bedroom. Maybe not the best place for it but it'll do for now. Can you see it? Lol !

Here it is!!

And here I've used some LV in hubby's office. The desk set was part of an exclusive from Neiman Marcus in the 80's. It's extremely rare, and finding as many pieces as I have has been a real adventure. Do you see the small waste basket at the end of my hubby's desk?

This one here! It's my "claim to fame" as they say in vuitton circles. This paper waste basket is the only one I or many of my fellow LV collectors have ever seen. Because of it's rarity I needed to take it to Louis Vuitton to have it authenticated. I tell ya it was the closest thing to a celebrity I've ever been! All the sales associates walked quickly away from their customers to converge on my waste basket!! I felt so sorry for everyone! Now I'm tellin ' ya LV sales associates can be notoriously snooty... and to have them gush all over a darn waste can??!! I'd a never thunk!! The manager even asked me if he could take some pictures of it!

Here is a shot to make any LV lovers heart go pitter pat! All those fabulous old trunks!! All the history!! All the MONEY!! YIKES!!! Do you see the trophy cups used for display in the center?

Well some of you might remember my "Craigslist do you love it?" post here where I found some old equestrian trophy/loving/cups? A few days ago I saw them listed again on craigslist, 5 for $50 and this time I jumped on them! Two of them are sterling! Here I was playing around in hubbys man cave *winks* and I created a tiny vignette (very tiny lol !) of the shot above. What do y'all think?

And if you are a serious lover of Vuitton you MUST have this book! Louis Vuitton The Birth Of Modern Luxury by Paul-Gerard Pasols It is the best ever! It tells the entire history of LV as well as showing incredible shots of extremely rare custom pieces...

Like this one! A custom traveling case in crocodile outfitted for all your perfumes colognes and beautifying essentials! *winks* I'll bet this one cost about half the price of an average house! But it certainly is wonderful!

And of course I love their handbags also!*winks* Here are most of mine displayed in one of my french armoires.

Well I hope you enjoyed my little tour de Vuitton. While they can be quite expensive, it's still possible to find them at antique stores, auctions and estate sales for fairly reasonable... and if you're really lucky, VERY reasonable prices, like the large trunk that I have featured in my Eiffel tower shot? Well my hubby (eagle eyed man that I love!) spotted it at a garage sale marked $60!! He asked if they could do a little better? And we took it home for $50!! I really had no idea what it was worth, and when I took a peek on ebay to see what it might possibly be worth? I nearly peed myself!!... Sorry to be crude... But I DID!! So if you're out there garage saleing keep your eyes and ears open... ya just never know!! *winks* Vanna