Guest Blog: Souvenirs de la Reine: le porte-cigarettes

to 10px; width: 320px; cursor: hand; height: 240px; text-align: center;” src=”http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/SpELZpbcLVI/AAAAAAAADdE/5j9for-lZnA/s320/cigarette+case+similiar+to+la+reines+for+sale.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”” />This vintage cigarette case is the style La Reine was looking for!

For 7 years living in Paris I scrounged the brocantes, puces, vide greniers, salons and boutiques antiquare, but never found the perfect chic little porte-cigarette: too expensive, too large, too small, too fussy, too plain; always close, but never just right. Then we moved to Copenhagen, another transfer with TBG’s job, and voila, I finally found what I was looking for – of course as I was no longer living in Paris so I was no longer looking for it!

TBG and I spent a week’s vacance in Skagen, a charming fishing village known for the many artists who made their homes here especially during the summer months, enjoying the picturesque towns, the hiking and biking, the gorgeous beaches, and water water water everywhere.

As we were driving into Skagen, TBG and I had already stopped and visited several Nordic antiques shops and purchased a set of silver and a set of crystal drink coolers/stirrers. These coolers are stored in the freezer, and when a drink is served, use these stirrers in the glass to keep the drink cold…and to make your drink look tres chic!

On the last day of our vacation, as we walked the town of Skagen, I noticed the shop tourist.dk/international/en-gb/productpage/produktside/gdk026292/skagen-antique-and-design.htm?CallerUrl=1″ target=”_blank”>Skagen Antik + Design, which we had missed on previous strolls. Filled with mariner antiques such as wooden duck decoys, glass floats, and brass boat fixtures, there was a small display case holding one silver cigarette case! No longer living in Paris, it was off my “to buy” list, but once I held it in my hand, I fell in love with it: it was the exact case I’d been searching for! Fairly plain with engraved stripes on the outside, inside engraved “Til Guddo fra Mov 29.9.56″. I had to have it! Shockingly, it was only 250 Danish kroner…about $50. Sold!

to 10px; width: 240px; cursor: hand; height: 320px; text-align: center;” src=”http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/SpELbOPdTfI/AAAAAAAADdk/_Dt437a4W2I/s320/photo.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”” />My cigarette case has two elastic straps inside, which for everyday use perfectly holds my paper money on one side (I’ve since returned to the United States, dividing my time between Florida, NYC and Chicago), and my credit card, driver’s license, AMC Movie Card, NY Botanical Garden card, Metropolitan Museum card, a few business cards and my Costco card on the other.

  

to 10px; width: 320px; cursor: hand; height: 191px; text-align: center;” src=”http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_kcTb8DnPVW4/SpELabACNKI/AAAAAAAADdU/sQb9URSpKcc/s320/med_cigarette_case.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”” />If you get a special case like this, you can even keep track of your purchases throughout the day!

Bonne Courses!
la Reine