The Ancestors [& A Giveaway]

The Ancestors

[coming to a blog near you!]

Welcome to Being Ruby... The often absent and sometimes absent-minded blogger!!!... In fact I've been both lately and so absent-minded I almost forgot two important celebrations. One being my 'Third Blog Birthday' [which fell back at the beginning of April!!] and the other being my 'Human Person Birthday'  .. which is fast approaching and celebrates a 'landmark number!!' [I just won't tell you which so you can continue to think of me as young and beautiful traipsing around blog-land with nary a wrinkle on my perfectly painted complexion]. 

Another cause for celebration is, I'm honoured to say, my little neglected blog is being featured at 'The Decorating Forum' this week. A big thank you to the host  Julie-Ann and all my readers who nominated my blog to be featured!!. I'm thrilled to take part and if you've not visited the forum before, it is a great place to catch up with other like-minded readers and to discuss and debate all things interiors and design. You'll find great inspiration, clever ideas and may even learn a thing or two.

With the feature in mind,  I decided to put together a French Themed Week .. 'Somewhere in France'.. Art and photography put together from my trip last year, with a little bit of French Countryside, a bit of Paris and whatever else takes my fancy. So.. If you can.. tune back in later this week as I will be posting more often than my lazy self has been of late!!

To celebrate all these occasions, and as I am long overdue.. I think it's time for a Giveaway.. During the next week I will be posting a selection of prints for the winner to choose. Perhaps your very own 'Uncle Louis' to haunt your walls? But first... Let me tell you about my 'imaginary' Ancestors.

I've always admired the dark and brooding portraits than bedeck the halls and staterooms in many a fine movie or tv series. Always something mysterious and alluring about these characters that makes me wish I had my own mysterious and alluring Ancestors to hang on my not so stately hallways. So I made my own. Of course I had to make the back stories to go with them or they would just be lost souls lining the passage; ... So.. 'Meet The Family'. French of course. In honour of French Week at Being Ruby. 

Meet The Family

Cousin George: A hapless creature. Forlorn and often overlooked, no amount of pandering and posturing could ever gain him the attention he well knew he deserved. Being the first inline to inherit the family fortune, he expected preferential treatment and well.. Respect!!. But alas,  it was not to be. His destiny it would seem, was to whimper in the background sniveling and forgotten, constantly obscured by his vivacious and somewhat evil twin sister Georgiana. 

Cousin Georgiana: Although identical in features, that is where the likeness ended. Georgiana, regal and unbending believed herself superior to her hapless twin. Embittered by her fate [and perhaps also at inheriting the family nose!], Georgiana spent her days scheming and plotting George's demise. History had other plans!!

Uncle Louis:  A simple and jolly fellow with a commanding profile and quirky nature. A benevolent ruler and friend to many. He lived a long and healthy life and was to outlive all his family. His later years spent lost and mourning, roaming the halls of his grand estate, conversing with the portraits of his long since departed family.

Aunt Marie:  Ill-fated to a short but happy life, Marie lost her head in a scuffle with the local riff-raff. Her devastated family would forever mourn her loss and treasure her memory by wearing her cameo.. pinned close to the heart in constant memory of her departed soul!.

The Ancestors

To be [or not to be] continued..

The Giveaway

During my 'French Week' every comment on this and future posts up to and including Sunday April 22, will go into the draw for my giveaway. I've put together a selection of some of my art prints [see link below] and the winner can choose any two.  Perhaps your own Uncle Louis or some Parisian Rooftops.. the choice will be yours! I will also pick an extra winner from my Followers who comment, in appreciation of helping my blog make it to it's Third Birthday.

Giveaway Print Selection Can Be Viewed

[by clicking HERE]

Giveaway Button If You Feel So Inclined

Have A Lovely Week Y'All

And a BIG Thank You once again to

 Julie-Ann

  The Decorating Forum

and All My Readers

IMAGE SOURCE & CREDITS:

 Artwork & original photography:  [copyright beingRuby©]

Louis & Marie: Shot at Versailles, France, 2011

'George & Georgiana' created from postcard of portrait by Palma di Vecchio