Touch of Europe Blog

In the old days monogramming was a way of life, especially in big wealthy families and estates.  Sometimes it was the only way to distinguish who owned what as the nightshirts and bed linens were all similar in one household.

The all important Trousseau was a measure of the bride’s wealth and included in some cases, years and years worth of embroidery and painstaking stitchery.   The household would be further augmented by inherited linens passed down from mothers to daughters, creating a real history in the linen press.

The trousseau or dowry also provided a measure of material security for a young couple starting out.  It gave them a base to build on, and showcased the talents and skills of the new wife.

European linens usually have 2 initials, the wife’s initial and her husband’s.  When one finds a piece with a single monogram it indicates a wedding that did not take place, for whatever the reason.  Double (and sometimes triple) monograms are the norm.  Single monograms are a particularity of the United States and generally not seen in Europe.

However, there is no hard and fast rule for which monograms were used.  Personal items would often have the first and last name initials, the more generic family linens, intended for passing down along the line would perhaps have both last names.
The contents of the trousseau depended on the wealth and importance of the family.  Twelve sheets was common in wealthier families, sometimes more.  Dozens of dish towels, towels, napkins, lapkins, tablecloths, ‘chemises’ (night and day shirts), bloomers, nightdresses, handkerchiefs and more were meticulously prepared, embroidered and monogrammed.  Girls began sewing when they were very young, 6 or 7 generally.  Every girl was taught the basic skills and produced one or several ABC samplers.  Other samplers would show a girls mastery of mending, darning and patching skills,  and other embroidery stitches.

Acceptable monogram colors were white and red.  Generally red is less formal, and would be more for luncheons and casual events.Red was commonly found along with white for monograms and ornamentation.  Red was a strong dye and would resist launderings and the rough treatment linens received in the days prior to the advent of the washing machine.  Every day pieces were embroidered more simply in red,often just cross stitched.  This was done as much for indentification within the linen cupboard and to keep items organized and paired, as for indicating ownership.   This system of accounting as it were enabled linens to be rotated so they would wear evenly, and also helped keep track of all the pieces in the trousseau ~ a valuable investment for the family.

The more formal and fancy linens were done in white on white. These would be used very little (and in many cases never at all) and laundered sparingly.  They were passed down from generation to generation.

All the women in the family were involved in the creation of the linens for the household, present and future.  The ‘gentle’ arts were always in the hands of the women.   This means not just the embroidery but the weaving, the sewing and the actual monogramming.

One of the best part of our job (well, it IS the best part) is buying fine vintage and antique pieces in Europe. Second best, is unpacking them, often months after buying them, and rediscovering them all over again.

This past week, dozens of French linen sheets arrived, in preparation for the Texas show next month. Touching them, feeling their nubby or silky texture and admiring the workmanship, kind of delayed some other work, it was too much fun to resist.

The sheer art of the monogram is just breathtaking. And this particular crop of sheets is really special, some of the best pieces we’ve seen in a long time. Who cares if the monogram doesn’t happen to be yours. After all, someone, somewhere in your family tree maybe did go by that monogram. And if not, well, it doesn’t matter. What matters is the beauty and the enjoyment you get out of theses heirlooms. So just have a look at a few of these gorgeous little vignettes ~ real art~

We can’t wait for the rest to arrive, it’s going to be fun to unpack and decide how best to display these pieces to their best advantage.

See you in September in Texas?

Nouvelles Image is a French Institution. The company celebrated 50 years of existence in 2007. Most people who have lived in Europe or live there now,
are familiar with their photographs, beautifully colorful, whimsical, romantic, poignant, funny and everything else.

The creator of the company, Jacques Blanc, was one of the pioneer of the industry, one of the first to ask artists permission to license their work, and
reproduce it for the public at large. Initially this took the form of postcards.

As the company grew, so did the applications made possible by the images: framed, displayed in furniture stores, creating a while new industry in an area where nothing was previously available.

In the 80s, Nouvelles Images starts commemorating events, from World Cup Soccer, to political events, art happenings, society evolving.

Going against trends of the time, they then start editing and publishing more and more black and white pictures, at the time everyone said black and white is dead, only color exists.

Their latest venture is the whole phenomenon that has taken Europe, especially, by a storm, the removable wall decorations, “les éphemères”, with a complete line of decorative images for your walls.

View Home Stickers on Touch of Europe

View Nouvelles Images 2009 Calendars

Texas is right around the corner, already!

We have been working on our European shipment and are so excited, we had to share. Over 300 sheets, and all of them just gorgeous. That and the vintage clothing are the best we’ve seen in a long, long time! It seems the weak dollar has made some dealers more realistic about pricing than they were a year ago: we found more and better pieces this past Spring than in the past 4 years.

The Ad in Show daily will include a map if you have never been to La Bahia (well worth the trip!)

New Melamine patterns, new guides!

Anyone who has tried to match colors when buying online knows how difficult it is. Colors vary on each computer, depending on the resolution, the quality of the display and often the quality of the photograph itself. Our eyes all perceive color differently too. This makes matching anything a challenge.

One of the issues that has come up in the past few months is how our solid color melamine dishes coordinate with the patterned ones. And what seemed at first like a no-brainer, is in fact a bit more challenging.

Colors that we thought would obviously go together, when put side by side, actually do not work.

In an effort to help our customers pick out the best possible combination, we have devised a buying guide that we will divide by pattern to keep things simple. We photographed each design with each solid, so you can see for yourself. And we will give our opinion and rank them according to our personal opinion (and since we have them here, we can tell honestly and without the biais of a monitor, what we feel works).

Beauville Fruit

View the Beauville Collection

1. With Yellow

Actually pretty good, it brings out the yellow in the pattern

2. With Blue

Beautiful and restrained.

3. With Red

Wonderful, it makes the fruit more vibrant

4. With Green

Also very good

Our conclusion: they all work well, which is nice. Mix and match, or pick your favorite color. Or go with the main color in your table scheme. You cannot go wrong with this very versatile design.

New Melamine patterns, new guides!

Anyone who has tried to match colors when buying online knows how difficult it is. Colors vary on each computer, depending on the resolution, the quality of the display and often the quality of the photograph itself. Our eyes all perceive color differently too. This makes matching anything a challenge.

One of the issues that has come up in the past few months is how our solid color melamine dishes coordinate with the patterned ones. And what seemed at first like a no-brainer, is in fact a bit more challenging.

Colors that we thought would obviously go together, when put side by side, actually do not work.

In an effort to help our customers pick out the best possible combination, we have devised a buying guide that we will divide by pattern to keep things simple. We photographed each design with each solid, so you can see for yourself. And we will give our opinion and rank them according to our personal opinion (and since we have them here, we can tell honestly and without the biais of a monitor, what we feel works).

Havana Rooster

View the Havana Rooster Collection

1. With Yellow

Actually pretty good, it brings out the yellow in the pattern

2. With Blue

No surprises, but perhaps a tad too dark

3. With Red

Not our favorite but it’s OK

4. With Green

Not bad, but not great either.

Our conclusion: yellow works best, followed by blue.

We just got back from a 2 week vacation in Italy and it’s amazing how a few weeks outside of our usual environment can recharge and re-energize. Of course being in Italy is always helpful….

Between amazing sites and cities, the always wonderful ambiance and charm and of course the food, we’re in a state of shock at being back home. But all is not lost. Just a few touches will help keep the trip memories alive.

1. Pasta ~ Mangia Mangia!

Pasta of course. And some wonderful sauces. I doctored a pot of our Pesto by simply adding in diced tomatoes and a little bit of half and half (about 1/4 cup, tomato quantity to taste, I used 3 for a regular jar of Pesto). Top with Parmesan and shredded arugula for a bit of a bite. Serve with chilled white wine. Delicious!

While in Cernobbio on lake Como, we had this amazing pasta sauce made with saffron, cream, tomatoes, a few small pieces of bacon (they used pancetta but bacon will work fine) and some walnuts. Also topped with arugula. Once I’ve experimented and come up with the right taste, I’ll post it here.

2. Grilled vegetables.

Vegetables always seem to taste better in Italy. Of course they usually do because they use seasonal vegetables and they aren’t as processed as what we find in the US. Strips of zucchini, eggplant, tomato, red peppers, slivers of potato. With a dash of olive oil and some coarse salt.

One thing they’ve started serving in several places (we had it in Rome, in Parma and in Varese, up North) is grilled radicchio lettuce. I thought it a bit strange but in fact it tastes quite a lot like Belgian Endive and since Endive is so expensive here, it seemed like a good alternative. I’ll try it next time.

Usually the vegetables come to the table either at room temperature or cold. And that is quite nice when the weather is as sweltering as it was in Rome.

3. Prosciutto, mozarella and more

Marinated mozarella, marinated mushrooms, finely sliced prosciutto, incredible salami and other cold cuts. Strong tastes prevent one from going overboard, everything in moderation. But all oh so good. Because we just can’t find the same bold flavors here, doctor what you find with good quality olive oil, coarse salt, fresh black pepper and lots of herbs. Marinate mushrooms in good balsamic vinegar. Use lemons and enjoy the tang!

4. Set the scene

For some reason it all tastes better when enjoyed outside under the stars. Candles create the right lighting. Citronella candles will help keep mosquitos away. A pretty table, set with simple linens and tableware. Comfortable chairs, some music (preferably Italian of course, but not a must). And just sitting there enjoying the evening and talking about the trip…. while sipping delicious coffee and dreaming of gelato.

Pictures soon….

These days it seems you cannot open a magazine or listen to a radio program or watch television without hearing about ‘green’ products and how to be a smart consumer while at the same time doing your bit to reduce waste and encourage recycling.

Europeans consumers are ahead of Americans in many ways in this area, for cost reasons, and other reasons. For example supermarkets in Europe have long charged customers extra for plastic grocery bags. And trash bags too. Because streets in the cities are narrower, and fewer people in big metropolitan areas drive, the use of supermarket ‘caddies’ is also quite common.

collapsible trolley by Reisenthel

These make perfect sense for navigating smaller narrower stores and streets but they are also catching on in the United States , especially since they store flat and take no room at all!

Another type of shopping bag consumers in Europe rely on increasingly are the Carry Bags, such as the one pictures below

Carrybag by Reisenthel

These come in a variety of sizes, for adults and children, making shopping less of a chore, and more shared fun!

Family shopping fun…

Along the same lines, consumers are looking for recyclable items, or re-usable items. For example, rather than paper towels, using regular dish towels, even for mop-ups and spills.

Or Melamine, sturdy dinnerware, instead of paper and plastic disposable plates and dishes, such as those made by Le Cadeaux

Entertaining with Melamine dishes, pretty enough for any occasion!

These are just a few ideas of what we can do to create less trash, and re-use the items we own….

 

View the photo album from the previous Texas show

Texas departure minus 7-days

I am at home researching art prices and getting all the paperwork together. More work than I thought but interesting and quite fun. Wondering how we’ll get everything organized once there but I realize there is not going to be enough time to be thorough, and even if we were, it won’t make a huge difference to the bottom line.

Checklists are being compiled both by Peter and myself. Linens are sorted and packed, folded, labeled, priced and organized. Of course we’ll forget some things but we’re trying to cover all bases.

Texas departure minus 1 day

Truck is picked up at 8 AM and Sam and Peter load it up. It’s 26-feet so bigger than usual. No problem with space. Meanwhile I finish getting pricing stuff done, clear up my desk, pay bills etc. We know the office is in good hands, so no worries there.

 

Texas Departure – March 25

We had decided to leave around 7.30 AM. We actually leave around 7.38, good enough for me. Find out the seats in the truck are designed to slope forward for some weird reason (the passenger bench, not the driver’s seat). So I have to figure a way to brace myself. Medicate dog so she will sleep and not be car (truck-sick). She conks out. Wish I could. But it’s only for about 13 hours spread over 2 days. I won’t be a baby about it.

We make it to Baton Rouge around 6 PM, not too bad. About 400 miles to go. The worst of the drive is over (550 miles).

Almost in Texas, March 26

Leave early and get to Houston around noon. Pick up rental car. Peter goes on with the truck to Round Top. Along with the usual Wal Mart list of all the things we’ve forgotten or decided we need. It’s getting to be a habit. He’ll do that and then check into the hotel and unload our stuff.

I go spend the afternoon with a supplier and we work on Fall plans and orders. After we enjoy a nice lunch of course. Rental is a cute PT cruiser, bright turquoise, nobody can miss us.

Pick up Deeda and AM around 7, their flight is early. We get out of Houston, stop for dinner and then drive on. They are worried they don’t know enough to be useful to us, and won’t make a big contribution. I’m not worried at all about that. But then I kind of know what is coming, they don’t. Insert evil grin here….

Get to the hotel at 10. All is well. I painted such a bleak picture of the horrible hotel, they are actually pleasantly surprised that it’s not quite as bad as the fleabag Bates Motel I had pictured for them.

Set up day minus 1 – March 27

LA BAHIA, OUR VENUE

The quiet before the storm. The Ryder truck is ours.

Nobody else is here yet.

The container is supposed to arrive from Houston between 9 and 10 AM. For some reason, instead of calling me when they get lost (they did not follow the directions I sent them, big surprise), the crew in the truck (53 foot truck) calls the organizer. She ends up having to chase them about 20 miles away. Instead of staying put, they drive around, so it’s kind of a merry go-round. Truck finally pulls up and we realize we were right to get them to allow us to unload early.

 

it’s BIG

Here’s the truck. Nobody has yet noticed it’s 52 feet and not the expected 40

 

 

Let’s get this show on the road. We have only 2 hours.

 

everything is VERY WELL packed…

 

This tent is plenty big enough…

 

yes, it’s big enough

 

it will all fit (I hope)

 

Truck is HUGE. Tent is not… Oh well.

 

What did they put in this piano? Lead?

A very full tent. Note: tent is 40 by 20 foot, not small!

Everything is well packed, which of course means a huge mountain of trash. But very little damage. We try to price things as we go along but it’s kind of a lost cause.

 

A big jobto unpack. AM looks a bit discouraged…

 

We get the racks, lights and framework of the linen booth set up also, instead of doing it in the evening. That is very nice. We’re done by 2.

 

I’m meant to look cute, not to work…

Off to do some research down the road and check out some other vendors. Not much luck. But it’s fun.

Set up day – D-Day March 28

Well, chaos is one way to describe it! The linen booth is running smoothly and without any major mishaps. A few unpriced items but otherwise all is well. For anyone who has not done this type of show, it’s hard to get used to the fact that customers are allowed entry, so it can be chaotic and confusing. We’re used to it, Deeda and AM are not. I think they are in shock….

We had an ad in the ‘Show Daily’ and it’s drawing some customers. The promised article was never written, but oh well. They’ll do it next time, they promise.

OUR AD

Outside is a slightly different story. Word has gone out (bless the bush telegram!) that the content of 2 PALACES are being unpacked in a big tent and that there are treasures to be found. People can be seen running out. Soon we have an army of ‘helpers’ opening boxes and digging. AM and Peter cope as best they can but it’s hard, they have no clue how to price anything. But then neither do I, so I can’t really help.

I saw it first…..

 

Still, we feel we’re doing pretty well, even though Deeda and AM politely look like they’d like to a. slap us, b.vehemently disagree or, c. burst into tears. We try to explain that a well organized, polished and slick booth would actually be a deterrent. People love the feel of the hunt. And there is no time anyway so it has to be done this way. We’re fairly relaxed about it all which makes us pretty obnoxious I guess.

 

Can we go home yet?

We do not get many pictures of the chaos of the first few days. We must spare the sensibilities of those such a sight would upset. Besides, who has time to take pictures?

We collapse around 7 and go for some much needed protein at the Texas Roadhouse, near the hotel. Early to bed. We had a good day in sales in both booths.

Texas show, official start, Day 1 – March 29 ~ Saturday

The linen booth is humming along nicely. I can’t really spend time outside, too many regular customers are visiting and I need to spend time there. Besides, despite what everyone seems to think, I don’t KNOW any more than Peter or AM do. I will help pricing the art pieces as soon as I can, but other than that I’m in the dark too!

 

 

Peter explaining to Deeda “It was THAT big, I swear!”

 

We end up with a great day in sales for both booths. Actually a record day for the linen booth too!

The colorful section of the linen booth, homespuns…

 

And the outside tents are more organized now that we have a small second tent to spread out to.

stuff everywhere

it’s nice stuff too!

The weather is really weird. We had a few worries with rain and wind, but hopefully we won’t have to worry about tornadoes or damages.

Texas show, day 2, March 30 ~ Sunday

Today is generally a slow day. But oh no, not this year. We are hopping! Everyone is super busy. I do spend time getting the art labeled and organized, hopefully it will be enough.

Inside, a routine is settling and things are running well. We seem to have brought the right mix of merchandise along, even though the weak dollar is hurting us a lot and we’re trying to keep costs down. But the booth looks beautiful. We end up with a great day.

Texas Day 3 – Monday March 31

Haven’t spoken with the office for a while but they seem to be managing just fine. One thing we don’t need to worry about, and that’s a huge relief.

Busy day, fun evening, dinner with friends, it’s all good.

Texas Days 4-5 – April 1-2

The only April Fools’ joke we seem to have been on the receiving end of, is the weather. Really weird. Windy, rainy and cold. Then sunny and hot. Hard to know how to dress, so we all wear layers.

The tents outside are looking really empty. Most of the furniture is gone. A lot of smalls are also gone. Some art is selling but we aren’t worried about that part, it will mostly go to auction later on. We realize, to our huge relief, that the 26-foot truck will be sufficient for both the linen booth and what is left of the tent booth. No need to rent storage space.

there’s actually room to walk now

I’m still busy you know!

We have met dealers and customers from all over the world; the best part of this show. Japan, Australia, France, England, Germany and more. It seems weird sometimes to be selling European items to people taking it back to Europe but with the weak dollar and our great prices, I guess not so weird.

We’re hearing mixed reviews from the different shows and venues. It seems if you have the right product and pricing, you’re fine, otherwise things are slower. But there are certainly plenty of visitors.

Texas Days 6-7 – April 3-4

We’re in the last part of the show, when routine sets in. Outside is far quieter now that the tent is so much emptier. No more chaos but sometimes the quiet is a bit boring. But the sun makes up for lots. The linen booth is still hopping. We’ve unloaded everything out of the truck by now. Made lots of new contacts and seen lots of old friends and customers. By far the best part of being here.

 

I can’t believe how much Deeda and AM have done. They have to be exhausted. It’s a really fast paced type of environment and very long days. They seem to be enjoying it more. Thank goodness. I have no idea what we would have done without their help.

And now Deeda has been modeling nightshirts for the past day and everyone wants to buy one, it looks cute!

Texas – last show day and break down – April 5

Last day is today. We are starting to plan how to pack up and load. We have allowed enough time to continue tomorrow if needed. But we think we can get it all done by tonight.

In reality, we’re all done by 7 PM a miracle. Back to the hotel and Subway again, no energy to go anywhere else. We’ll leave around 9 tomorrow, back toward Houston.

Departure day, April 6

Everything goes smoothly and we’re relaxed. Apart from my trying to return a Dollar Rent-a-Car to Budget (where the people are too polite to tell me to my face I’m an idiot but gently point out they don’t have those same cars!), everything goes well. We make it to Lafayette, Louisiana. Early night.

Return to Georgia – April 7-8

We spend one more night on the road, in Birmingham and then arrive at the warehouse around noon on the 8^th. Unloading goes well and we get all the art and leftover furniture into an air-conditioned space (it’s going to auction very soon, we hope). It’s good to be home and this was quite an experience! Not sure we’d do quite as much in one time the next time but we did end up having fun!

 

Don’t forget, the next show! We have BIG plans for this one, don’t miss visiting us!

 

Fall 2008
Saturday, September 27th
Through
Saturday, October 4th

A fragrance lamp, also known as a perfume lamp, effusion lamp, catalytic lamp or simply by the name-brand Lampe Berger, Scentier or many other brands is a catalytic diffusion lamp that purifies the air while imparting a fragrance.

Around 1850, two scientists, Justus Von Liebig and Charles Gerhadt (who was also the inventor of the Aspirin!) discovered the catalytic burner system. The catalytic combustion technology was originally developed in the 1800s for use in hospitals and mortuaries.

A Frenchman named Maurice Berger was the first to receive a patent on the technology (in 1897) and the company he founded, Lampe Berger, is the largest worldwide manufacturer of the device though there are a growing number of companies making catalytic fragrance lamps.

Molecules that cause bad smells are inherently unstable and the fragrance lamp’s flameless, low-temperature catalytic combustion speeds up the decomposition process, converting odor molecules into harmless substances (such as carbon dioxide and water). Research has shown that the catalytic process can also effectively eliminate up to 85% of bacteria in a room for up to 30 hours after initial operation has stopped.

While the medical use of the technology has waned, modern innovation has found a new application for the lamps in homes and offices. Using an unscented lamp fuel a catalytic diffusion lamp is surprisingly effective in eliminating bacteria and various odors (pets, food, tobacco). With fragrance added to the isopropyl alcohol based lamp fuel the catalytic burner lamp becomes a fragrance lamp, diffusing aroma into the air while it purifies. Some perfumes are based on natural aromatics (essential oils), giving the lampes an aromatherapy application as well.

The fragrance lamp’s process is initiated by lighting the stone burner seated at the mouth of the lamp. After a few minutes the flame is extinguished by blowing it out but the heated burner remains active as the flameless, low-temperature catalytic combustion process simultaneously purifies the air and diffused aromatics. The lamp’s normal operational temperature is too low to combust virtually anything (including alcohol), making the fragrance lamp much safer to operate than scented candles. The low operating temperature also means that, unlike scented candles, the aromatics are diffused very efficiently into the ambient air without being burned.

Proper Care and Precautions For Use:

The lamp fuel contains more than 90% isopropyl alcohol and should be regarded as a highly flammable liquid. Furthermore, to start the catalytic wick according to the instruction it is required to put on some real flame until the catalytic wick reach operation temperature. Proper care is required to prevent any kind of possible hazards:

• Make sure the device (fuel bottle) is in perfect condition, perfectly tight and not leaking.
• When not in use, make sure the air tight cap is on at all time to prevent evaporation.
• Do not leave unattended during operation.
• Do not use in non-ventilated room, carbon dioxide as a product of alcohol combustion is harmful.
• Do not inhale, ingest, or use the lamp fuel in any other purpose.
• Take extreme caution while refilling the fragrance lamp, open air, no open flame, no spark, and no smoking
• In case of any spillage, collect leaking liquid in sealable containers. Absorb remaining liquid in sand or inert absorbent (paper towels) and remove to safe place.

These beautiful lamps are meant to be enjoyed for generations. Scentier offers an unparalleled warranty (life-time) and will replace the wicks free of charge (see instructions enclosed with any package).