The Chateau Diaries #70 Thank you for the little cockerel - it will do for now

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She's possibly gone off to see Potty and Nic on the advice of the accountants to look at opening different bank accounts for the business and her personal one. She's probably been asked to sort it out by next week before the other accountants come. This is her first tax year that is affected by the Patreon money I think? The YouTube money was not so high when she started out, but now she has large amounts coming in, it's has to ve organised better. She'd need Potty and Nic to agree to it.
The "jealousy thing" with Marie, Nics wife. I don't think, there is any animosity between Marie and Stephanie. My husband copes very well when I meet my exes, which I do a few times a year, as there are our shared children and grandchildren and there are always family dos. The exes and my present husband get along very well. Their wives are lovely and I get on well with them. Its all water under the bridge, all passion spent as they say. We fell out of love years ago, all forgiven each other, still have shared memories. Steph doesn't have children, but they share a chateau.
 
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I have more than a feeling, I know for a fact she has also planned a meeting with Potty, who will probably join them (off camera) in Brussels. It might be about the books indeed, as she has clearly underestimated the whole accounting thing. As usual she thought hiring an accountant was all that was expected of her as she is clueless when it comes to any form of structural administrative work (or any other work, for that matter). She's getting worried things might not go as smoothly as planned and needs her "partners in crime" to be onboard with her. Definitely a last minute trip to Brussels, when she waved Snorty goodbye on that parking lot she had no plans to follow him up north...
I think you are right about Potty being there....i watched the video once again...there are a lot of voices in the background...i think i heard Potty...it should be interesting if we had some one inhere who could filter the different sounds out of the video...
 
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@MojoDublin Thanks for the Patrons video !

1. After having watched it, I can't help thinking : what is the purpose of all these luxurious renovations in Lalande ?

I mean : expensive designers wallpapers even for the bathrooms, expensive items for bathrooms, bedrooms etc. But what for ? At the end of the day, it's only a plus-value for the chateau (hence for its owners) and the future luxurious life of the owners. Nothing to do with history or saving a historical building !
For some BB guests ? Unlikely. For themselves at the expenses of other people (Patrons) ? More likely.

I really don't understand how the superfans and her Patrons think. I really don't understand these people.

2. Marie (Nic's wife) seems to be best best friend with Steph. Even doing their nails together and seems very happy with it. The Halloween Party is already planned (and I would be surprised if Antoine will not be here as well) with the rabbit and the new dog.
Either Marie really enjoys Steph's company or she's good at being a diplomat.

PS : It was funny to see Steph stepping back far, far, far away from this tiny dog !
Yes, if she is using Patreon funds to renovate the chateau, or upgrade b n b quarters, I'd think that was illegal. Can you experts weigh in? It's driven me crazy from the start -- gite conversion, etc. is renovation not restoration, and if she's using Patreon funds for it she should be in the pokey.
 
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This woman is amazing...Her finished restoration is stunning. I've been subscribed to her for years and loved everything she's posted. I want to BE her when I grow up...or maybe in my next life....

Christine is the only person I currently support on Patreon. Everything she does, she does it to the absolute highest level. She usually only produces 1 episode and 1 live chat a month, but the quality, time, and talent are amazing. Definitely worth $3 a month!
 
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very typical of the service industry-you don’t want to out shine clients- I always wear black and white because I cant be bothered thinking about “does this go with that” when working and now I basically live in white/black tshirt and jeans-wish I had more style but it so exhausting
And to be fair, there are so many people that are afraid of colour or are just plain uncomfortable wearing colour ( a coworker of mine is like that, she wears black, white and gray, for her b&w stripes are a basic for her but more of an accent colour. She just cannot handle wearing colour, we have tried in vain to get her to wear more ).
 
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IMO I really don’t see evidence that Nic’s Marie hates SJ. She has been around for a long time as evidenced on here with pics of her at the chateau partying. After all SJ met Nic more than 25 years ago. When they were both very young. If they were intimate partners seems like it is water under the bridge. The relationship I don’t get is the Ruthie, Potty & SJ triangle. SJ & Potty lasted a decade and Ruthie being a friend. I certainly don’t like to share! Ever!
I certainly would not get my nails done with a perceived rival, someone I did not like, unless it is a situation of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.
Also I find it irritating that Nick is keeping up the guise of not appearing on camera. We all know what you look like! I understand not wanting to be filmed so you make that clear before the camera comes out.
 
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I could write an essay about the Everest-level of incompetetent, cavalier, scattergun, devil-may-care, irresponsible, assinine, casual accounting carnage surrounding SJ's business ventures and the Assoiation to which the Patreon income is directed. But there's little point in stating the obvious.

The bill for unravelling this unholy mess will be substantial. Professional fees billed to the Association will be an intriguing item of expenditure

Accountancy (prorated amount from total bill - and the meter's ticking - for the current debacle
Legal fees )setting up the Association
Architect
Land survey (organised by Davey)
Davey - is he doing all that he's done FOC? Nothing to pay cos he goes to stay?
Fees relating to ongoing exptrt advice re the lake

These are items of expenditure which I imagine could, quite legitimately, be paid from the Association funds. Certainly more legitimate than the cost of decorating n and decorative items.

Oops, this is nearly an essy! Final thought: Stephanie in panic mode, which she has been for weeks, more and more reminds me of Goldie Hawn placed in an Enid Blyton book. Ditzy, dizzy, downright silly with an English accent. Which is incredibly unkind to Goldie Hawn.
 
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The "jealousy thing" with Marie, Nics wife. I don't think, there is any animosity between Marie and Stephanie.
The thing is, it's not about jealousy. Marie clearly by now has learned never to question the relationship between her husband and the charlataine again and is very aware she will always lose that battle. If there was animosity between Marie and Stephanie (and there is, just not when they are in each other's company), they are both keen enough not to ever let it show as it would distress the precarious balance they've constructed around owning the shittoo together.
 
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Oh my, and she doesn't seem to have the most decent accountant either.
A good one would have told her from the start to keep separate accounts, makes life so much easier and the bill for the accountant cheaper.

She is paying him probably 300€per hour to sit next to her and watch her checking off payments, but so what? She can use different colours so it makes fun.
Also he should have told her right away what bills and receipts to have ready when he comes. Also he will send her a nice bill for coming at all, it's way cheaper to go to his office but foolish like she is she probably really chose the one from Billy and let's him come all the way just because she goes the most easy way. Sigh....
And I don't know about France but for a business this size with different co owners, each of them living in different countries and with all the different money revenues and charity status going on and even foreign countries and taxes involved you usually hire a bigger accountant company and they very often have their own little online program or at least can recommend some accounting software most suitable for your business ( and foolproof) Actually meeting might not even be necessary.
Somebody is getting paid alot for babysitting, what a waste of money! But, hey, talking about paying to make new friends, he was probably already at a costume party.
Hope she's put some money aside cos our audit last year cost over £30k. Had a second one a month ago which will prob be a similar figure.
 
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That scenario may work for a tiny Etsy shop owner but certainly not for a half a million $€£ per year business owner with several different revenue streams being deposited from at least 3 different entities.
She better have separate a accounts and use a book keeping program as per @Le Comte de Monte Cristo.
’tis very true...her little accounting admission is intentional. u know...I am just a scatterbrained, silly little blonde. she thinks she’s clever.
the accountant refused to be filmed and wanted her input as to what expenses she ‘claims’ are business, patreon, YT, etc., and where each expenditure is really used and for what. will he or she sign off on this mess? they will attempt to fix this for her, but the hourly will wake her highness up. she is screwed if she has been comingling all these accounts and she might have a juicy tax bill despite the questionable ‘charity status’ of her patron funding. Jmo...but really, this scam account juggling is No surprise at all.
 
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My house is built on native American land, ripped off 500 years ago by nicey nicey conquistador monks. Its kachina spirit has appeared. I don't believe in that stuff, but it happened.
Yes, it's quite an experience when you don't believe in spirits, then you see one. My house has a troubled history, I found out there was a rape in the house, and a suicide. It felt so different when the medium moved "William" on. He told her, (yes she sat and chatted to him!) he was afraid of his house being spoilt, that we would remove the period features. He agreed to move on and the house took on a different character, It became light as if a heavy weight had lifted, and we had no more appearances, no more footsteps and knocking. He took his dog too!
We kept the period features.
 
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IMO I really don’t see evidence that Nic’s Marie hates SJ.
I don't think Marie hates SJ, nor do I think they will ever become real good friends. The whole girly-nail-thing was a really cheap shot to make us forget about smoke and mirrors and it seems to be working. But everything that SJ does is either fake or has a hidden agenda.
Nick and Marie used to spend a lot of time at the shittoo and were even willing to break lock down regulations to get there in the past. Not this year though. And all of Nick's best friends, apart from Kim Raad's professor husband who did visit this summer but only because his wife pushed that, have not been at her HMN for years now. It clearly is no fun for them to party if it's going to be filmed and published on the internet, yet that is the prize they pay for the money SJ is wheeling in.
 
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The level of money fecklessness literally makes the hair on my arms stand up.
The greed and the scrounging ... SJ seems to think that she's entitled to receive money and gifts from other people, as do the other
château scroungers, which is really quite incredible ...
 
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Even if Marie and Nick decide to come for Halloween, and they probably will as Marie has said it herself in the patreon video, I hope they leave Antoine in Belgium. It's really not fair to a child to be subjected to that level of toxicity, especially if they allow SJ to film him. And even if they don't allow it, she will, we all know that.
 
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The thing is, it's not about jealousy. Marie clearly by now has learned never to question the relationship between her husband and the charlataine again and is very aware she will always lose that battle. If there was animosity between Marie and Stephanie (and there is, just not when they are in each other's company), they are both keen enough not to ever let it show as it would distress the precarious balance they've constructed around owning the shittoo together.
Is there the same animosity between Ruth and SJ Clara?
 
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Re. the directors in their 3 differentes companies :

Films and audio production company : only 1 director (Steph).



BnB company : 1 name (Steph)


Charity Association (Association 1901) : No name

 
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Doesn’t Steffi need Antoine from time to time for her unwrap videos? So that his childlike innocence gives her superficial happiness a break.
 
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What an uncouth, vulgar shower those Trotters are!

I would have been furious if I had been the grandparents, having visitors, who then proceeded to keep wandering around "casing the joint"! What appalling manners and a clear lack of respect. I'm afraid that I would have very quickly told him to sit down and to stop poking around in my belongings.

My grandparents were wonderful. They would frequently show us items of interest and if we showed interest, would always want to give them to us. (I have lots of bits and pieces gifted to me from my grandparents - nothing of any monetary value but huge sentimental value to me.)

Their behaviour in the little Brocante was absolutely dreadful too. Sickening!
Indeed...imagine to have that bunch in your brocante...they already had a few drinks...i think...My greatuncle who had no children had a house full of antiques..His wife had a lot of precious juwels too...When he died she used to live there but at 98 she was forced to go to a nurseryhome..Everybody in the family wanted thier stuff..so she decided to held an auction. :D .just with the familymembers....I didnt buy anything as we have already too much stuff..her juwels she took with her...her big safe going with her in the nurseyhome caused quit a stirr..and much amusement too....the whole home spoke about it..The damn thing was so heavy it recuired a special movingcompany to get it into her new appartment..When she was 100 and suffered a bit of dementia..she left the key in the door...and all her juwels were stolen...my father made a joke about it..he said..well now that those are gone...we dont have to take care of that stuff anymore..;)
 
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Every time he says "much nicer than what I've got" I want to scream
I honestly don’t understand MPK’s obsession with Spode Blue Willow. I mean, it’s ok…but the Blue Willow pattern itself is fairly common. It’s been produced by many manufacturers…not exclusive to Spode. I guess if I was going to collect, I’d pick a more interesting, less common pattern. And, yes, it was like he was scoping out grandma’s house for himself. Also, grandpa didn’t want to have anything to do with the video…I don’t think he said two words!
 
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