A Vintage Book Bundle with Antique Paris Postcards for You!

I am really excited about my latest project! I have had it stewing around in my brain for quite a while but couldn’t find exactly what I had in mind…until yesterday! Woo hoo! 

I am probably the last one in Blogland to try my hand at these vintage book bundles featured at Restoration Hardware. I have seen so many examples of them on your lovely blogs, but it wasn’t until I wandered into one of my favorite antique stores that I found what I had been looking for…

…some really old books at a very reasonable price! I paid about $4 for the three books, one of which dates back to 1910. I am thrilled! However, our co-host Baby Kitty seems more interested in my neighbor and her oh-so-frenchy standard poodle who are out for a walk!

Now I have to preface this by saying that 34 years of teaching school and constantly telling my students to take care of their books made this part a little difficult for me! However, I purposely chose books that were already in really bad shape. And…gasp!…you can see that one of them was an old library book...but I pressed on anyway!

I simply ripped the (already dangling) covers off to expose the spine, then I added some jute twine and tucked in a wonderful antique Paris postcard and voilà! Which brings me to another subject…

Just look at what else I found waiting for me in a dark little back room…five antique Paris postcards in pristine condition for…get ready for it…$5.00! That's $1.00 each! Oh, jubilation! These are the real deal dating from around 1900! I found one of them listed on eBay with a postmark of 1908 and priced at about $10. Woo hoo! I think they may have still been there because they do not depict the more widely known Parisian monuments, but my absolute favorite was among them, so I jumped at the chance to buy them!

I scanned them in so you could get a better look. Isn’t this fabulous? Warning, warning…I feel the French teacher in me coming out! lol This one is of La Madeleine, a Neo-classical style church commissioned by Napoleon in 1806. Look at the wonderful wide street…and not a car in sight!

I love this one! Do you see the couple in the little boat? Can you say Renoir? She has a parasol and I am willing to bet he is wearing a straw boating hat! How romantic! This is the lake at the Bois de Boulogne.

The church of Saint Etienne-du-Mont  houses the remains of Saint Geneviève, whose prayers saved Paris from an attack by Attila the Hun in 451. Amazing, huh? Love that unusual façade!

This postcard depicts the Place de la Bastille where the infamous Bastille prison of French Revolution fame once stood. It's no longer there, its destruction beginning the day after it was stormed! This column was eventually built in its place, commemorating another revolution…the Revolution of 1830. I love seeing the Parisians in their turn-of-the century garb!

  And finally, my favorite…la Sainte-Chapelle…the chapel in the palace of Louis IX who built it to house the sacred relics he brought back from the Holy Land during the Crusades! If I could only take you to see ONE place in Paris, this would be it! There you will find the most breathtaking stained glass windows I have ever seen in a little jewel of gothic architecture! Sigh!  (Click here for virtual tour. Be sure to click on full screen! Amazing!)  And…look at that fancy carriage and the little dog out for a stroll!

And…here is how the back of each of the cards looks. None of them have ever been used. Cool, huh? I have not put watermarks on any of these photos in case you want to copy them and find some crafty use for them! If you do, please come back and tell me so I can come see!

And finally, here is the result! Taaa daaa! I call this one…Vignette with Cat! I hope you like it!

 Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my project!  Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Tam at The Gypsy's Corner for Three or More Tuesday
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Kathleen at Faded Charm for White Wednesday
Gina at The Shabby Chic Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Leigh at Tales from Bloggeritaville for Thrifty Thursday
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Linda at A la Carte for Junkin' Finds on Fridays
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Fridays
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Laurie at Bargain Hunting and Chatting with Laurie for A Few of My Favorite Things Saturday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!