en Noir et Blanc and a French giveaway...

This post is about mystery, suspense and film noir while capturing en noir photos in our home. There is a French giveaway too, no hoops to jump through just leave a comment to have the opportunity to win. Film noir is a term coined by the French, literally meaning "Black film" predominantly Hollywoods crime films from the 40's and 50's. Film noir crime and thriller films that use dark shadows and lighting with oftentimes foreboding background music. To set the mood, anxiety is expressed mingled with confusion and distrust. My favorite en Noir film is "Casablanca" from 1946 starring Bogart and Bergman. Followed by my second favorite "Key Largo" in 1948 with Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson and Bogart's spouse Lauren Bacall. I simply fell in love with film noir.

It wasn't until my early 20's I discovered film noir and first watched "Key Largo and "Casablanca" I was captivated by the lighting accents to the dark and dramatic. I believe it set a mood deep within me that I've chased after all my adult years and reflects in all my choices in décor.

Last month during my Birthday fête, antiquing followed by a French meal in Lambertville, NJ. I took this photo. As I watched John place a purchase into the back seat of our 1972 French Citroën DS Pallas in my minds eye I saw it en noir and became the inspiration for this post and a very new creative adventure and new interest.

I usually post my poetic expression at the end but here it is as we continue on exploring en noir.

Murder, espionage, mystery and intrigue, these have always been the genre of films that captivate me.

A thriller so suspenseful it grips you with anxiety as you watch through fingers held over your eyes afraid of what you may see.

A brilliantly written psychological thriller that puts you at the edge of your seat, a plot so scary you truly think you will pee.

A "private eye" or law enforcement investigator gathering the clues as you watch intensely attempting to foresee.

As the plot thickens your heightened awareness is causing your pulse to race as you fixate on discovering the pivotal key...

It's through the anticipation of climatic suspense that the rush of adrenaline surges through your mind and sets you free to experience glee.

So pop some Popcorn, dim the lights and enjoy en noir delights of film and in its mystery hopefully you will appreciate and agree

Films en noir et blanc or just about anything from the 40's and 50's are unique and in today's standards ever so artsy.

© Vera

The giveaway includes: "The Red Balloon" a French fantasy short film from 1956 which won an Oscar for short film, only 34 minutes long. The filmmaker Albert Lamorissa filmed it in the Ménilmontant neighborhood (20th district/arrondissement) of Paris. Also a CD - Les Grand Charisons Francaises. French songs, 18 hits and is 59 minutes long. It's a historic award winning collection. To add a taste enjoyment I've added a box of my favorite French butter cookies. Pierre Biscuiterie butter cookies in sea salt caramel. I will wrap the 3 gifts in a French inspired paper wrap with Parisian ribbon which is my signature gift wrap. The giveaway is open world wide, so who ever wins - enjoy.

Film noir is Hollywoods own true artistic movement. So here goes my photo essay of my experimenting en noir. I tried and key word is attempted to capture en noir throughout our row-home. 

Setting a mood in the dark and dramatic shadows of light.

While researching for this post I found something to add to my bucket list. Every January since 2003 in San Francisco a film noir festival and extravaganza is attended by people from all over the world for 10 glorious days to participate in a festival of films and star appearances which also includes guest speakers.

Recently I purchased this software program by idimager. 

I want to be able to use it effectively to produce my Holiday presentation this Winter. I will join in again this year with other blogger friends and we will each present a performance in our theatre's as our little Christmas time folly and entertainment for you.

I'm currently trying to produce an enchanting production staged in two counties in two different theatre's this year. Yes, of course it's all make believe! A play that takes place in France and Romania. I truly hope I've interested you and here's a little un-staged peek at one of the plays. Of course en noir and hopefully suspenseful with an imaginative story line.

Although en noir is an art form not easily defined I prefer to define it as a mood and an emotional feeling. We live a vertical lifestyle on 3 floors in our row-home and stairs to me often take on their own unique personalities. Photo is ascending upstairs in converted noir.

Walking downstairs from the kitchen into the laundry room. 

Dramatic and moody oftentimes intense helps to define en noir.

My en noir photo of a mouse, on our mantel in the sitting/reading room.  The two larger pumpkins were created by me in silk velvet.

An en noir capture of a display of a signed print "Wicked" by the very talented artist Penny White from the blog Angelsdoor. In a future post I will show this in its actual unaltered light and placement.

When I started to blog it was my son Chris who most inspired me to share from my heart... To share my talents, beliefs and my poetry in every post. I try to honor him and his request. I try to post in creativity and not of a religious nature or in a political view just posts that are thought provoking.

Posting this photo gave me much hesitation. Saturday September 26th on the last leg of a historic visit in the US the Pope was in Philadelphia. The city I love and choose to call home. John and I headed north to avoid gridlock and traffic congestion. We met up with a few French vintage car friends at a friends home and enjoyed a small get together with food and drink and then went to a vintage car show. During the walk around chatting and looking at interesting cars my friend Carmo started to look upwards into the clouds and started to snap some photos... I paused a few moments and when I looked up I saw a very powerful message in the sky, this is the photo I captured.

Since this is an en nor post I did not alter the photo I took and just simply put it en noir. I will email the original photo to anyone who requests it. I ask for comments as to what you see, powerful sky, no doubt, but I saw a very powerful message and the reason for me to share this. Look past the wire utility poles, look in the center and to the right ... Tell me what you see, I am a humbled Catholic and will say message received.

See you soon with my Halloween post and poetry. Please leave a comment to enter the giveaway and as always I love to hear your thoughts and enjoy reading your comments.

xx,

Vera

source of print Angelsdoor.blogspot.com

Make time to take some time...

I'm back from my 30 days and 30 nights (well a few days early) break from blogging.  Returning with a renovation progress report and sharing a metaphorical thought provoking realization. It will all come together in my poetry I will leave you with at the end. I've really missed blogging and I will admit to leaving a comment (only one) on a friends post while I was on break. Okay, I slipped, I missed you all. Back in early July, feeling frazzled and exhausted I realized I needed to make time to take some time for me. Simple idea, not always easy to do.

Our 100+ year old barn beams have been installed. John and Paul did an incredible job with the installation. From removing the old Red Oak field seamed (ugly) beams to installing the antique barn beams it took 11 hours last Sunday. We could not be more jubilant with their appearance. Late that evening John beyond exhausted fell asleep while trying to watch TV while I sat in the Dining room just staring at the beams smiling like a Cheshire Cat.

Extra care was taken while planning the installation of our beams,

weighing in at 486 pounds, equal to sumo wrestlers it seems...

Industrial bolts, help secure them from tumbling down on my head.

Wrestling one as it plummets, I'd surely see stars and wake up dead!

Our beams came from Ohio, they were bug sprayed and put into a kiln for 72 hours. When they arrived John and I wire brushed them and applied Liming wax (Bri-Wax) to them. Afterwards we waxed them with a clear matte coat of Bri-Wax. We purchased 7x7 beams and had them cut to 5x7. But with their antique hand hewn rough cutting they measure anywhere from 7 to 8 inches in width. 

The bronze elevator piece is an antique from 30th Street railroad station in Philadelphia. Back in the early 90's John and I were working on resin castings to add to our product line when we owned our greeting card company. We went to 30th Street Station and engaged in a conversation with a supervisor who said he may just have something for us. We all went into a supply room that was housing antique pieces saved but not used since the station renovation. While our eyes danced with delight we asked can we purchase it? We were told "No but you can have it and enjoy it." Enjoy and treasure it - we do. Kindness shown through gifting oftentimes overwhelms you.

My style is all about combining the old with the new, it's what makes our home soulful and hopefully greets you with a warm hug. The elevator plaque is hung over our blackboard painted bi-fold door (that takes you down to the basement). To the right is our Stainless Steel glass front Sub Zero refrigerator, for me it really is a blending of old with new, rustic with refined, industrial combined with textural interest. It's how we live and what we adore.

In one of the old joining support beams cut outs (part of the original legacy) I couldn't resist tucking a mouse inside. Very subtle, very me. I am one who lives with antiques in a very approachable, livable way. Speaking of antiques...

While on break lots happened. Much renovation work, social fun filled events, my cutie Grand Dane turned 13, my brother Kevin spent a weekend, we attended a cousins reunion and we had a grumpy guy rear end us on our way to a funeral. Who admitted to adjusting his sunroof and being distracted. Seriously... admitted to it! We were not hurt.

We also oneday stopped into our very favorite Philadelphia store that sells unique Global antiques, artifacts and vintage things. Well on the day John and I took time out for a visit they were in the middle of a power failure, no electricity, no air conditioning,  computer down and very hot on a day that reached 95 degrees. The amazing store is called Material Culture and hands down my favorite Philadelphia spot for over 20 years to visit with cash in hand. Will source them at the end.

With flashlight in hand, on our scavenger hunt we found two incredible treasures, you learn quickly if you see something there you love never ever let it go, for someone else will appreciate it and it will be GONE! Anyhow we came home with 2 purchases. The piece I am sharing today (next post you will see the other) is an amazing Pre-Columbian pot bellied vessel. The 3 pieces sit on top of our Dining room Armoire. The 2 pieces in the back are antiques from a Material Culture shopping adventure over a decade ago. They are antique Chinese wine jars and when John and I returned home with our finds we felt the pre-Colombian played nicely with the other antique jars.

We live in a old Philadelphia row-home of verticality on 3 floors. But metaphorically it seems I've lived my entire existence with ups and downs. Struggles and victories, loss and gain. Realizing life's a journey and a climb. Symbolically perhaps the reason for me hand painting numbers on the basement steps risers. Or perhaps just because they look cool. I'm glad I did. Although I honestly feel the positions I had to contort myself in to achieve the effect has left me thinking the circus and a contortionist career is not one for me! 

Our basement that was once old and creepy has now become old and cool. The task of laundry has become a "Vera in Wonderland" acceptable/fun chore.

Oh sure we still have things left on our "punch list" to do - but all in all we're nearly done. Then we will tackle the interior basement and add a bathroom. It never ends does it?

We are French car lovers, enthusiasts and owners. Our speedometer clock from England of a Citroën 2CV has arrived and hangs over our dryer. 

Our landing is at number 6 and the steps turn, we are climbing to 12 and entering the kitchen again.

I distressed and faux painted a shelf to house a small collection of "Alice in Wonderland" style tea cups and pots. To match the faux finish of the steps the shelf has 2 inch wide stripes in a 4 part faux finish. 8 x 30 wide it greets you on the way downstairs to the laundry room.

The left outer and right outer tea cups are vintage, purchased from eBay and etsy. The wire tea pot was a handmade Birthday gift from a friend in 1980, the middle "Drink me and on the saucer eat me" is hand made from an etsy seller. The tea cup and tea pot for one is a licensed "Alice in Wonderland" product I purchased off eBay in England.

Just a close up

I just can not resist adding little mice throughout our house! Let's call him the "Dormouse".

But my very favorite tea cup is from George Cinq Paris. Real Gold stamped, beautiful cream tea cup. Borrowed from them...not stolen...a souvenir ...

The George V hotel in Paris you may remember from the movie "French Kiss", one of my favorite movies.

Every family has one, the family historian. The loyal royal keeper of the past and skillful recorder of its legacy. That position, in its precise recording of my Dad's family hierarchy of our family tree goes to cousin Barbara. For I, ever the artist, I'm always willing to lose myself in a dreamlike creative existence. I've gone through the decades correcting my own flawed imprinted past. Be it in protection of my heart or simply a need to feel one's own self importance during difficult times and events. For perhaps we all secretly desire to rewrite a portion of our own Childhood memories. Many pleasant, some not, they are recorded and stored in a vault with-in our cerebral memory that may not be revisited until many, many decades have past. Then only in a recognition of a remembrance of childhood memories that weave into adulthood that cast a presence into our future. Oftentimes emotionally life affirming.

My cousin Barbara hosts an annual cousins reunion at her Long Beach Island, New Jersey shore weekend home. Last year was the first reunion post hurricane Sandy. Sandy's fury flooded the first floor, bucketing the beautiful hardwood floors and leaving mold and devastation behind. Patiently Barbara waited for rebuilding to begin. Finally after much insurance red tape and planning the Whale and Mermaid themed beach home it is now a delightful weekend retreat.

My brother flew up to spend the July 18th weekend with us. On the 19th John, Kevin and I enjoyed a day of laughter sharing conversation while eating way too much food and as usual the wine and beer flowed. Chatting with our first cousins we exchanged stories of our family tree. That evening when John and I went to bed we decided to send our DNA to Ancestory.com and learn more about ourselves. This was not a recent idea for us, it is one we have talked over for awhile. As many of you know all I have left in my immediate family is my brother. I have a deep longing to know more. I question and seek clarity about my ancestors. I desire a greater understanding to share with my Grands. Seeking answers I'm turning to DNA screening. I was raised believing I am 100% Polish ... We will see. When we receive our DNA results John and I will freely share them with you ... Seriously.

DNA:

deoxyribonucleic acid, a self-replicating material present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.

Below is my poetry I leave you with. the cost of the DNA test is $99.00 each

You flash back to a moment in time, one of shared emotions that helped get you through a memory clouded day.

It's then when you realize that awareness has sharpened your intuition and heightened your curiosity all along the way.

Recalling memories and stories told of past places and events, quite frankly from over a hundred years ago -

You try to assemble your own legacy in your family tree through relatives who claim these events occurred and they seemingly know.

Nowadays with the ease and accuracy in entire genome DNA testing available you read up on different sources before you decide.

Why not discover your genetic ethnicity and the region of Europe where ancestors are from, with 700,000 locations there's nothing to hide.

Having longed for a much clearer sense of belonging for so many years it all begins with salvia not a swab of our cheeks...

Sending our DNA and anxiously awaiting our ancestors history and discovering unknown relatives - we will be patient for the next 4-6 weeks.

© Vera

Blogging you develop many personal friendships along the way. One sweet friend is Carol from the blog Art and Sand in California. In a vintage camera image stamped canvas pouch with these words on the back "Capture every moment" 3 beautiful heart shaped stones arrived while I was on my blogging break. On a day when I could use a delightful surprise Carols gift sweetly touched my heart. The middle White one is from her vacation with hubby Steve to Hawaii and is Coral. Thank you Carol.

See you in two weeks,

XX,

Vera

Source for our beams:

http://www.oldewoodltd.com/products/beams-timbers

Source for my favorite Philadelphia store:

Materialculture.com

Artandsand.blogspot.com