The Chateau Diaries #119 narcissist harlot prancing from continent to continent

[Iolair]

Following on from the previous thread:

(QUOTE="KyBourbon, post: 8637908, member: 262807")
Love it! . Did your friend share any other details with you about her stay at the farmhouse?
[/QUOTE]
Yes, in between her gobby weeping and me topping up her glass, she provided many insights. Her first impression was of not being able to find the front door. Her first encounter was one of some uppity underling coldly telling her, voice raised "You can't park there! It interferes with line of sight for filming". She hadn't been on the property 1 minute. Her name is Stephanie and she was told "No. There's only one Stephanie here! So what should we call you instead?" She said "Stephanie, of course. It's my name." She was laughed at. Passive bullying. I think she had the idea that for her brief momentary stay that she could become part of the in-crowd, sit around the kitchen table helping with meal prep, sharing drinks, reveling in the company etc. But she wasn't permitted to even step inside for the first few days. She asked for a tour and was told no. She said her rooms smelled of wallpaper paste, dust, mold and sour cooking oil. Her accommodation was freezing! Running late for dinner and heading back to the chateau she called ahead to say she was running late and could they hold her meal for her? She was told "We don't do that here". They left a meal of bread, cheese and cold meats in her rooms. She binned it because the bread wasn't very fresh and the cheese was stale. She wasn't confident enough to try the meat. She was charged extra for it. Stephanie (the friend) told me she felt like she was inconvenient to whatever else was happening there at the time. There's more, but I'll leave it for another post.

 

[Iolair]

Well that's ridiculous. Most people post here under fake 'identities', but you're asking new people to out themselves?
How very welcoming.

Actually, I don't feel it's that it is completely unreasonable for people here to be suspicious of newbies like me. I don't mind it and I do appreciate the support you display for newbies in your post. Thank you! I had to look up "flying monkeys" though, lol. It's only my 2nd day here afterall and after reading many of the posts here, it seems that in quite a few cases, people have rightly learnt to be wary. It's 2nd nature online and I'm like that myself. I came because a friend adored the CD and eventually visited at this chateau, coming away hurt. I don't like that. I've watched a few, but not all of the vlogs. First impressions were of the frivilous escapism of people leading ridiculous lives, oblivious and with no concern for the consequences of their actions, and no duty of care to those who are sucked into the vortex. I find SJ to be a compelling and fascinating woman (but then, I also find serial killers fascinating too). She's like one of those people who've been a wannabe all their lives, failed at everything they attempted before, always blaming others for their failures... then suddenly, they win the lottery and spend spend spend, not realising they are moments away from a train wreck.

So hi all! My real name is Iolair. It's Scots Gaelic and translates as 'eagle'. It's pronounced 'eye-o-lair' - capital i. I dig up dead people for a living. The first episode I watched was about some trip to Italy in which "Egyptologist" Curtis Ryan Woodside was featured. As an archaeologist myself, he pricked my interest, moreso than SJ or the CD's themselves. So, I asked about regarding him and lo and behold, he's a fake with no qualifications. The more I watched, the more I came to feel SJ was a fake too - fake personified and just like those who can't turn away from a train wreck, I'll keep watching until the inevitable crash comes. If it helps, I feel disgusted with myself, and usually take a shower afterwards. Very happy to meet you all!

 

[missartemis]

After sharing my crap week with a friend today, she “talked me off the ledge” over Ukraine and suggested I sign off of Tattle Life with less drama. As usual, she was right. So now that my head is clear, and because this forum really has been a gift to me I want to explain my rather drama-fueled sign-off. I’m not being hyperbolic when I say that my time at Lalande was traumatic. I’ve been beating myself up over it for months. So, yes, I got hot under the collar when I read the comment “who in gawd’s name would want to visit let alone pay money to stay…”. And then the follow-up comment “Ummmm…well missartimis paid to stay there” seemed to suggest that I was an idiot for doing so. The truth is, I WAS an idiot for staying there. I’ve traveled all over the world and not everywhere has been as advertised, but this place was a special kind of awful, like nothing I’ve ever experienced. And I just couldn’t put my finger on why it was so upsetting until I found this forum. I’ve wanted to visit rural France for a long time and because of covid decided I should pick one spot and stay there rather than expose myself to numerous risks. (I also stayed at La Prarie L’etoile down the road because it was outside.) Thankfully the rest of my trip, sans car accident, was brilliant. So, to Ky Bourbon, I’m sorry I flipped my lid. I had read some comments on Tattle Life from around the time I was there and some were not kind, such as comparing guests to Sex in the City girls 30 years later, dreadful women at the birthday party, etc. (I actually was not in that episode). And on the prior thread I had been chastised for referring to La Chartre as a “hamlet” rather than a town, and being wrong about my assessment of economics in rural France, (massive eye roll)….Anyway, I have friends in Eastern Europe and am very concerned about how events are unfolding over there, and it all got to be a bit much. So full disclosure, I stayed at the farm for 9 days during the filming of the CD diaries episodes Doing It Ourselves on October 5th and Cat’s Leaving the Chateau Oct 3rd. Fanny didn’t want me on camera, at all, so all you can see of me is the right side of my head for less than a second at 27:33 of the Doing It Ourselves video (I'm the blonde with the pink glasses). That’s it. I will probably drop in to chat in the future, but honestly, the CD is more than I can stomach right now. I wish you all well and thank you for being so supportive of me as I vented here. And please be kind. I’m actually a pretty tough cookie, but some people aren’t.

 

[ploppityplop2]

Great thread title and congrats on the VIP status @Princess and the Pea
Here is my latest offering in celebration

 

[bumbleblue]

 

[MojoDublin]

Photo @KiKiGee

True aspirations of two vile wannabes singers

Here’s a voice over they can play again and again ….

 

[Iolair]

lolair’s friend’s experience certainly has similar themes to missartemis’s story. Really an echo. I just cannot imagine having that kind of reception and staying. I would be on the phone with my credit card company in front of them demanding a reversal of charges for false advertising & for such horrendous treatment. You can’t use your name because it’s the same as her majesty. These people are truly affected.

My friend Stephanie said that upon check-out, she had an underling come to chat while she packed. How did you enjoy your stay, it's sunny today, where do you go from here kinda chatter. Meaningless drivel. Now, I find what happened during this time quite worrying... Stephanie said the underling had her phone out the whole time and that the underling was surreptitiously taking pictures. As she packed, she caught a glimpse of what the underling was looking at on her phone (thinking she was checking Twitter or something) but it was a kind of 'before and after' photos of the rooms she stayed in. As if the underling was sent to check she wasn't stealing ornaments, towels or bed linens and stashing them in her suitcase. Have there been any reports of guests secretly whisking away any souvenir tat from the chateau? No missing Venetian mirrors? No chandeliers going walkabout? Now, Stephanie is quite shy, wouldn't really say boo to a goose, but she challenged her on this and was told 'Oh, I'm just checking you've havent accidentally left some of your belongings behind'. But she knew, that she knew, that she knew. The underling turned red, looked embarrassed, mumbled said something about not hitting one of the birds on the way out and left. Stephanie (no relation ) said no-one helped her with her luggage and no-one said goodbye. Not even a wave.

 

[Clara Burnett]

GoldenLady @isabelle Jarvis I hope you can work your magic and heart with the chapel restorer. If anyone can ask him to return, it would be you dear Isabells.

Funny that they mentioned the chapel restorer. I've been trying to figure out what happened there, as the man seemed keen and Stephanie Jarvis' excuses more and more far fetched. I've asked my eyes and ears and there are many theories circulating, but the one I have heard the most and seems most likely to me involves....funding. Apparently the chapel restorer has been keeping his eye out on stuff to complete Stephanie Jarvis defamed chapel, like antique chandeliers and religious items. In addition to the free labour he has offered, he has asked her for a budget to be able to purchase these items and she has neglected to answer and when she finally did she has told the old man that she does not have the money at the moment, but she would pay him later. This has created annoyance with the chapel restorer who has told her he will only start when she does have the funding in order. She obviously can't publicly admit the delay is because of her crooked priorities (let's party in Venice instead!), so she came up with the fabrications about his health and with those putting the poor man in an unfavorable light as if he can't be trusted.
It will be interesting to see how quickly Stephanie Jarvis, after reading this here, will try to debunk these facts by magically and mysteriously locating the funds needed so the restoration everybody was waiting for can finally begin. You're welcome, dear, problem solved.

 

[missartemis]

@missartemis thanks for coming back, not least because you'd been made welcome & the throwaway comment by @Ky Bourbon was tempered in the same sentence.."but.."
However it's easy to share the frustration of frittering away one's time gossiping while watching the brutal unfolding of a war minute by minute at the same time. I don't personally know anyone from the Ukraine but just seeing these families in distress trying to look after their children not knowing where to go is heartbreaking.

Anyways as FRK would say, you never mentioned PJ, unlike the other 'guest' who was very enthusiastic about him & Potty. Was he just aloof, striding about, or was he holed up in their rooms? I can't imagine he was actually trying to oversee the B&B or help out. Re: the filming- could it be that they never filmed the guests in any case unless they had special permission rather than not finding you good camera fodder. I would have been relieved not to have been suddenly pried on. You spoke to Tatti but was Selmar not around doing stuff?

This should be the time of year all those heavy musty bedroom coverings, curtains etc are taken down & sent to the cleaners, I do wonder if they've ever been refreshed from when they were made 15 odd years ago. When the owner of the Venice palazzo was talking about the annual washing of the chandeliers, SJ was looking in wonderment, & we were smirking knowing what we do. Btw I enjoyed the tour & the decor & who was filming ? Dan ? Utter silence & the camera was panning out well. Don't think it was the pink phone somehow.

The only "camera" I saw when I was there was the pink phone. PJ did nothing but show up to dinner and it appears he also filmed cadeau - oh and he disappeared with Fanny for several days and according to the youtube video he played with Christmas bobbles in his special room. He didn't cook or clean or serve meals or help guests...Amaury suggested he drive me to town to catch my train because I didn't have a car after my accident and when I approached him about this, he literally shooed me away. I'm not kidding. He ran past me and said he was busy filming and looked at me with disgust as if to say, "I have no time for you woman! I'm an important lap dog!" This was one of the incidents that really pissed me off. So no, I'm not a fan of Phi Phi.

 

[Heathcliffe]

Hello , is it me you're looking for? So , a war makes waves in the world of finances, I've been rather busy. My heart is with the people of Ukraine, dreadful. I have no idea what has happened at the CD, but I decided to drop by here to see how many threads you've made whilst I've been gone. Many! Stay sharp Tattlers, wonderful entertainment.

 

[Patriciarella]

Dan what the hell?

 

[graciemckitten]

Fanny treated Selmar in the same ways that she is currently treating Phillip. Narcs are transactional, e.g., what can I get out of you... what can you do for me? When Selmar arrived at the time of lock down, Isabelle and Fanny needed someone to exploit to help them during lockdown since they couldn't get any more volunteers. So they love bombed Selman, gushing over his work, pretending he was part of the family. Fanny either was sleeping with him or leading him on with her torso grinding dances.

She did what is called "future faking" when she called a shed on the property "Selmar's workshop" and didn't correct him when he stated that he still saw himself at La Lande in 10 years. Selmar physically over exerted himself cutting and transporting the stone tiles in the downstairs loo in an effort to please Fanny but she didn't care. He took Ruby to the vet when he was injured and took care of the animals since Fanny didn't give a crap about them. Fanny didn't give a shit.

Then, as others arrived at the Shitto, and Phillip and Anne Marie came, the takedown of Selmar started in earnest. Delays in the downstairs loo were blamed on him, Fanny started complaining about where he was parking his van (remember when Selmar was parked in the wooded area and Fanny refused to either cut down trees for him or did something to make him move his van next to the shitoo.)

Selmar started to slow down the work he was doing and Fanny used that to make him look bad. Anne Marie got a large room in which to create his workshop, and Selmar's workshop went back to being called the woodshed. Selmar celebrated his birthday alone in the kitchen. When Selmar made contact with Tatyiana (sp? (unfortunately another narc), Fanny pretended to be concerned that Selmar was being catfishes but then acted happy and facilitated the video leaving the shitoo with no way of returning. She avidly encouraged the crazy idea about the fundraising. Also, Fanny evidently agreed to have Tatyiana at the Shitoo and then Nutty wouldn't allow Tatiana to stay for one week until Fanny got back from a vacation.

Everything Fanny was doing was to make Selmar uncomfortable enough to leave and end the relationship without having to be directly accountable for her actions. That way, she doesn't have to be the "bad guy" and tell him to leave. It is a very covert and passive aggressive way she uses to get rid of people when they are no longer useful to her and have become a burden.

Then she will have her current crew of "flying monkey", e.g., Anne Marie, Nutty, Phillp, etc. to come and protect her and back her up in her actions.

There are no truly good times at the shitoo for anyone except Fanny. Everyone else is on borrowed time until their usefulness is us, and Fanny sends you on your way.

She did the same to Marie. Marie was her "best friend" until after the lockdown and Fanny's you tube channel took off. They would eat dinner together in bed, watch movies, etc. Then Phillip arrived, Marie was replaced, Marie was charged rent for her flower killer workshop area and rent. Fanny made Marie do all the cooking non stop. Marie was pushed out when she go tired of cooking and cleaning nonstop and Phillip replaced her.

Watch for this pattern of behavior by Fanny over and over again. She is currently doing it to Ian. Anne Marie will be her flying monkey to put down Ian's work and make sure he will not return to the shitoo. Ian went out of his way to help Fanny, gave her low rates, found the pews for the chapel, allowed her to film him nonstop, etc.

Fanny has also used Gerald for years as her flying monkey to get her out of situations, etc.

Dan needs to watch his back for he could easily come under the line of fire. Fanny screwed him by showing the pantry renovations on her channel without Dan being there. She is increasing her dismissive comments towards him. He thinks he is indispensable, as all of her previous victims did, but everyone is replaceable to a narc like Fanny.
Be careful Dan.

 

[Geordieboy71]

: i am glad my grandparents had more sense...Than to give money to a charlatan...the world has gone mad....i am glad i am already 54...

Unfortunately my nana was one of the unfortunate ones. She was a patron of both Stephanie Jarvis of The Chateau Diaries and Michael Pethrick of Doing it Ourselves. She also sent parcels to them both. She eventually cancelled her "donation" but checked in here every now and again prior to her death. I hope the fabric and ornaments she sent don't appear on screen. I get annoyed just thinking about how she was scammed.

 

[Reader's digest]

So I cancelled Patreon now. A friend's brother can't leave Ukraine because they won't let men go in age 18-50 though he basically lives at the Polish border. There's 50km queue at the border with women and kids and elderly. Their parents won't go because the don't wanna leave him behind. She can't send any money because banks are not reliable anymore. Atms don't work. Hoarding has started, too. And this only 2 hours flight away.

 

[Clara Burnett]

Just putting this out there again, so we can let it sink in, in all it's horror: these are people that think it is okay to dress up and play Venetian Carnaval in somebody else's Palazzo, in costumes paid for by other people's money, when at two hours from there a war is raging. Escapism has forever lost its right to exist. Off with their heads!

 

[Clara Burnett]

the charlataine who owns only half of Chateau de Lalande

I looooove writing this, because I know she will haaaaaate reading it. Maybe I'm a bitch after all

 

[Scorpio]

Just now listening to the radio, people in Ireland are collecting humanitarian aid to send to Ukraine and private hauliers are providing trucks and drivers to take it to eastern Poland. At the same time Fanny is currently drinking and whoring her way through Italy, at the end of her posts, she states that 'her thoughts are with the people of Ukraine', Lets face it folks, this bleached out bitch doesn't give two effs for these unfortunate people.

My sister in France has offered her gite as accommodation for refugees. She thought it was worth giving up the income in order to support a family. Note: She doesn't have YouTube or Patreon income as a fall back.

 

[Clara Burnett]

Today's vlog just finished - a beautiful Venetian palace on the Grand Canal (with heating, which seemed to shock Fanny), but what a sad-sack affair that dress-up evening was. It seems a stretch to call it a party. I've been to wakes that were far more jovial.

It was no party. It was Stephanie Jarvis' middle finger towards the mother of her American friend Tess Hoffman, who rented the whole place for a week with friends years ago to play them a pianoconcert and payed for everybody. Stephanie Jarvis, who at the time was already half owner of what she now calls Chateau de LaLande but what actually is nothing more than a slightly upgraded farmhouse in the middle of France, was placed in one of the servants bedrooms with her then lover Mason the Sungazer. Anne Hoffman since then usually rents the penthouse apartment of the same palazzo every winter for a couple of weeks and to please her daughter used to invite the charlataine, who turned her room in a Tinder run brothel and displayed her usual lack of class, annoying enough not ever to be invited back. With this party, and with tonight's flog, she thinks she can show her friends' mother that one doesn't need money if one fakes the lifestyle and pretend. I personally believe it's Tess Hoffman's mother who should feel pretty smug about her display of crudity.

 

[Clara Burnett]

The only thing I have to note about the @missartemis departure, which a reliable source, @Clara Burnett, labels suspicious, is that she kind of blew her cover as a guest in listing the issues she brought up with SJ in re local women-centered businesses and charities. Is it possible she received a cease and desist message of some kind from LaLande? (As I see now someone else has mentioned.)
I caught absolutely no smell of deceit off her posts, and a high credibility on internal consistency of what she had to say. But I don't have Clara's experience with flak from Lalande or presence on the scene.
Discouragement of what could well be bona fide eyewitness experience -- or not, leave it to the jury -- is a bad idea for a democracy (which this forum's increasing arc toward kindness, civility, and justice is), and handicaps the documentation of SJ's real crimes. What I clicked on most from artemis' posts was the maltreatment of the workers, which may be SJ's and IJ's most heinous crimes.* I can't see chasing away anybody with plausible allegations to make about that. Or, more strategically, as others have suggested, to whose advantage at LaLande would guest-bashing tales fall? I understand the derailment argument, but certainly there are better ways to cut your nose off to spite your face. Just voicing perplexities here, not looking for a flame war.
Not smelling any sulphur off the Dan hating either, but again, my ex called me Billy Budd for a reason.

Chatelaine Stephanie Jarvis of The Chateau Diaries YouTube, Chateau de LaLande, and Chateau Unwrapped
Isabelle Jarvis (nee Biggio, b. 17th July 1941), supervisor of illegally employed volunteers, mother of Stephanie Jarvis of The Chateau Diaries YouTube, Chateau de LaLande, and Chateau Unwrapped
________
*Even if, arguably, the volunteers like the Patreons volunteer for the grift. Speculation: I think it's now clear the volunteers aren't told they'll be working for the b n b, interacting with the public, which Nati et al know is illegal.
Nati Oliveto, recruiter and supervisor of illegally employed volunteers at Chateau Lalande of The Chateau Diaries YouTube, and Chateau Unwrapped

I'm not here to make friends and will not lose sleep over being called bitchy, even though I don't see myself as such. I know a lot about Lalande shenanigans from personal interactions I had and from what my eyes and ears keep gathering, but that obviously does not guarantee full proof accuracy and I am always willing to admit if I'm wrong, as I don't think any of this is about me or my "opinions".
I do find it suspicious that after such a long period of time where patrons, paying guests and volunteers have visited Stephanie Jarvis' Chateau de LaLande without even whispering a complaint, now all of a sudden we get word from three or four of them, not just with some complaints but all of them with horror stories, familiar enough to embrace as truthful but with just enough cracks to suspect it might be too good to be true. All of this at the same moment when gaslighting is on its peak between the characters of Stephanie Jarvis' HMN soap. I still argue that nobody here gets bullied or send away but we do differ from the CD cult and their toxic positivity of love and laughter. If (your belief in) your message is strong, you won't as easily give up as the ones we have seen did.

 

[KyBourbon]

After watching the last video about Venice, I think Phillip is being Selmarized, e.g., he is getting put out to pasture as he has outlived his usefulness to Fanny, just like Selmar, and dozens of other unfortunate people who get drawn into the Fanny shit show. She is setting him up to be tossed aside.

I love that word…Selmarize - to devalue and degrade someone who’s outlived their usefulness to the narcissist in preparation for tossing them aside. I should add that to the Wiki glossary!