French Larkspur

More lily of the valley in the house...

2013-05-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning!

I'm back with a few more images of the lily of the valley bunches that I have tucked around our home. They smell so heavenly, that I thought the entryway would be the perfect place to keep some of these...so that anyone entering our home, could enjoy their lovely fragrance!

This large, vintage mirror is the first thing people see when they enter our home. I bought it 10 years ago and still LOVE it! You can see the armoire we brought down from Caighton's room reflected in the mirror. It now sits next to the front door and houses all of the kids shoes, backpacks, and coats. We are working on a new "closet" for Caighton.

I decided to display my vintage Ball jar collection on top of the armoire for now. All of the blue Ball jars I have are from my in-laws...they saved them for many years from their own parents and then passed them on to Steve and I a few years ago. They are very special to me!

I currently have my vintage French dry sink planted with lavender and taking the place of the usual farm table in the family room. Whole Foods had the most gorgeous French lavender plants when I went there recently and I just couldn't resist buying one...so the house is just brimming with good smells right now!! :))

********************

We will be watching this little cutie over the weekend...my niece, Sophie.

I took these photos a few weeks ago for her 2 year old "photo shoot." She is a little pistol to try and get a smile out of for the camera!! So like my own kids!

We are excited to have Sophie stay with us for a few days :)

Hope you all have a fabulous holiday weekend!!!

Tracey

lily of the valley

2013-05-23T11:05:00.001-05:00

Happy Thursday!

I picked about 200 sprigs of lily of the valley from my garden the other day and have dispersed their loveliness around the house! So I thought I would share some photos of where I tucked them with you today.

Lily of the valley reminds me of my childhood, as we always had them on the north side of the house growing up, and the plants that I started with here at my own home were from my parent's garden...it has taken a few years for them to multiply, but this year I had a lot of blooms :)

These photos were taken in my daughter Halena's room.

The vintage French perfume bottles are a favorite of mine from Maria's beautiful shop, Dreamy Whites.

I will be back tomorrow with more photos from around my home with these sweet little flowers.

Enjoy your day ~

Tracey

Decorating with Flowering Branches

2013-05-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

~ Good morning ~

I hope all of you moms out there had a wonderful Mother's Day!!!

We spent Mother's Day at my mom's house, and just when we were getting ready to leave, I spotted these beautiful flowering branches on the curbside of the next door neighbor...seems they had done a little tree trimming that day. Well, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to grab these beauties, so we loaded up my trunk and I brought them home!

I used them to decorate my dining room and take some product shots. I will have some new items in the SHOP on Monday!

This vintage French champagne basket was intended for the shop, but I wound up deciding to keep it for myself :)) I do love it!

I always buy some artisan honey at the markets while we are in France, as my son is a BIG fan of honey. The one below has been our all-time favorite so far! And it makes for a pretty vase when empty...

I bought quite a bit of vintage French mangle cloth on this last trip to France. It makes a wonderful runner, just as is, if you have a larger table...or it can be used as beautiful linen fabric for any project for your home. I have saved some for myself and would love to have some pillows made from it {mom I need you to sew for me!! }

this particular length of French mangle cloth will make it into the shop on Monday

Thank you so much for stopping by!!!

Tracey

An Update and Paris Photos

2013-05-09T20:03:00.001-05:00

Hi! Happy almost weekend! I thought tonight I would share a few photos from our recent time in Paris...to mix things up a bit. I still have a lot more from Provence that I want to share with all of you, but I will circle back around to those a bit later...

This was our fifth trip to Paris, and I can honestly say that it feels magical every time we are there. I love simply wandering the gorgeous streets of Paris, snapping photos as I go {thank you to my husband who so lovingly waits while I take all of my photos!}.

One place we always go for dinner while in Paris is Le Zimmer. It is a beautiful old cafe created in 1896. Before having dinner we always walk along the River Seine and take in the beauty...

The evening I took these photos, the sun was very bright {not the best time to take photos!} and it wound up reaching 80 degrees in Paris!

I always come home with a ton of chalkboard photos :) I wish the restaurants here used them more!

I did try and use what French I had mastered so far while on our trip, but I found myself rather skidish about using it since I had only been taking my online course for about 3 months before we left for France. I am loving using Language101, but I realized that I could also benefit from a little "real life" help as well. So, I recently started working with a private French tutor. It is hard learning a new language as an adult, but I am trying very hard! :)

There were signs of spring everywhere in Paris, but many of the trees did not yet have their leaves...those that did were that pretty bright green that I always associate with spring...

I was lucky enough to attend an all day photography workshop last week with Scott Kelby! I loved Scott's easy style and straight to the point photography tips in his Digital Photography Book series, and so I was really excited to attend his "Shoot Like A Pro" workshop. If you ever get a chance to learn from Scott, jump on it!!! It was such an inspiring day for me. Scott gave us a lot of tips on shooting landscape/travel photography and I can't wait until our next trip so I can try all of his tips out...we are headed to Toulouse, Bordeaux, and Lourdes in early September!

More photos soon :)

Have a fantastic weekend ~

Tracey

p.s. The June issue of Jeanne d' Arc Living Magazine is now available for pre-order in the shop. I will be photographing more new items from France for the shop next week!!

Apt, France

2013-04-24T09:12:00.001-05:00

I have so much I want to share with you from our recent trip to France, that I thought the best thing to do would be to just start at the beginning!

While in Provence, we stayed in the lovely town of Apt, France at the incredible La Madone. I can not say enough good things about Apt or La Madone...simply put, we loved it there and plan to go back!!! Owners and antique dealers, Nathalie and Jean-Bernard are as charming as they come and have done an amazing job making each "apartment" in La Madone so beautiful and inviting. I felt right at home surrounded by French antiques, vintage linens and gorgeous chandeliers...

{you can see more photos of the apartment we stayed in on my Facebook Page}

The view out those windows you see above...

Every morning I opened the windows to peek out and each and every time, it took my breath away to be so blessed to be able to spend a little time in this lovely place!

Here are a few more shots from the immediate area around where we stayed...

{atop this bridge is where I took the first photo above...at the end of the day, just before sunset}

This car was parked next to our's one morning when we were ready to head out to the flea market and I just had to snap a pic :)

I have to mention too that Nathalie delivered fresh croissants and a baguette to us every morning...she would hang them on our door in the sweetest bag made from beautiful, vintage French linen!

Hope you enjoy your day ~

Tracey

The Shop is open!

2013-04-22T15:13:00.000-05:00

{Vintage French Sarreguemines Plates and Antique French Letter Bundle}

Hello and Happy Monday!

I am just popping in to let you know that the SHOP is again open and I have added many new items from my recent excursions through the French brocantes! Come and take a peek :) I will be adding a whole new round of French treasures to the Flea Market Finds section of the shop again next Monday, so be sure to check back then too!

I am going to try and list some new France prints for the shop as well, over the next few weeks...I have hundreds of photos to go through :) I just listed this "Sunset in Paris" print, that I took in Paris last week...

Hope your week is off to a great start ~

Tracey

p.s. the wonderful linen napkins in the first photo are from Kimberly's wonderful shop, Tiggy & Grace

Spring in Provence

2013-04-18T09:18:00.000-05:00

Hello friends!

I am back from France and trying to adjust to the usual routine again :)

It has done nothing but storm here since we returned and I'm wondering when spring is going to show up in the Midwest??!! Not to mention, it is rather hard for me to photograph all of the new treasures I brought back for the SHOP when it is practically pitch black outside all day long, not cool!

I have sooooo many pictures of my time in Provence and Paris that I want to share with you, but I think I will have to do a few at a time, as I am so behind and it is just easier for me to do short posts...but I will try and post more often over the next few week!!

There were signs of spring everywhere in Provence and mostly sunny skies while we were there! We ate outside for lunch almost every day...it was just so nice to feel the sun on my face after the long winter!

I shared quite a few photos of our trip on my Facebook Page while we were gone and will continue to share photos there, as well as, here on the blog {most of the time I try and share different photos on each, so please come and visit me over on Facebook }.

The SHOP will remain closed until Monday, while I start photographing all of the new French flea market finds, but if you need to pre-order the May issue of Jeanne d' Arc Living Magazine, you can do so *HERE*

Hope you have a wonderful day ~

Tracey

Jeanne d' Arc and More

2013-03-15T13:01:00.001-05:00

Hello friends!

How is your week going? I am very ready for the weekend myself :)

It has been so busy around here lately...just getting ready for Easter and our upcoming trip to France and the usual every day hustle and bustle I will be watching my two-year-old niece over spring break {yep, plus my three!}, but then shortly thereafter, Steve and I will be enjoying 8 days in Provence and 3 days in Paris!!! I am literally counting down the days :))

I have made a big push this year to try and begin learning French! Finally!! And I am really loving the online course I am using, called Language 101. If you are interested in learning French, I definitely would recommend it {they offer other languages as well}. You can even try a French lesson for free on their site, to see if you like the style of teaching they use!!

I also signed myself up for my very first photography workshop, which starts next weekend. I can't tell you how excited I am to be taking this workshop!!! It is hosted by Rocky Mountain School of Photography and they are offering workshops all over the country in the months to come! Check their website for a list of dates and locations for "Photo Weekends" in your area.

I am hosting Easter this year, so I need to get into planning mode for that as well! All in all, it just seems so busy around here lately, so my blogging has kind of gone down hill, sorry about that! I had hoped to share the rest of my photos from our trip to the Cote d'Azur last November, but unfortunately when my computer crashed last December, I lost all of those photos and we have not been able to recover them {I actually cried about this, I was so disappointed...lesson learned, back up files immediately, don't wait!!!}. I will just have to take that many more on this next trip :))

Well I think I rambled on for long enough :)

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!!!

All photos in this post courtesy of Jeanne d' Arc Living

*****The new April issue is currently available for pre-order in the SHOP!*****

Tracey

A Favorite French Cookbook and more...

2013-03-04T05:00:00.000-06:00

Happy March everyone!!!

Are you hoping spring is right around the corner like I am??! I'm certainly ready :)

Today I have a few different things I want to share with you, starting with my {current} favorite French cookbook, Mes petites recettes maison {my little homemade recipes}, by Alison Walker!

I picked up this cookbook in November, on my last trip to France. One of my favorite things to do while wandering thru the lovely towns and villages in France, is to stop into any bookstores that we come across...there actually aren't that many, so it is a treat when I find one :)

The cookbook is in French, so you do have to {Google} translate any recipe you want to try...but mainly I just love the beautiful images in this cookbook and how they make me think of a lovely little farmhouse kitchen somewhere in the French countryside!!

Mes petites recettes maison is available *HERE* if you are interested in ordering a copy for your own cookbook collection!

********************

Next I want to share with you a few pictures of Becky's gorgeous kitchen...she recently painted some of her butcher block countertops white!!! I think they turned out beautifully...

All photos courtesy of Buckets of Burlap

You can read all the details about this lovely transformation *HERE*

********************

Lastly, I want to let you know about the awesome giveaway that Anne is having over at Fiona and Twig!!! She is hosting a Magnolia Pearl Clothing Giveaway worth $2000!!!

{photo courtesy of Anne Lorys}

Head on over to Anne's blog to read all of the details of this fab giveaway *HERE*

And while you are there, check out the photos Anne has of the incredible Magnolia Pearl ranch that is now for sale!

{photo courtesy of Magnolia Pearl}

I am still working on the finishing touches to my studio...as I put it back together after having painted the floors, of course I have to change things around a bit :) I hope to have photos to share soon!

**You can find me posting more frequently over on my French Larkspur Facebook page {there is a peek at my studio over there if you want to pop over}

Have a lovely day!!!

Tracey

Painted floors and spring decor in the Family Room

2013-02-19T05:00:00.000-06:00

Hello! Happy Tuesday!!

Over the weekend, I finally got all of the furniture moved back into the family room. I also did a little spring decorating while I was at it!

I have been moving things around from all over the house lately, changing things up with the new painted floors, but not really wanting to spend a lot of money...more just wanting to freshen things up with what I already have!

So here are more pics of the new look in our family room...

{I flipped my "chippy door" to the blue side for spring}

Every February I ask my friend, Diane, to get some flowering branches for me. I just love flowering branches. This time, the white cherry blossoms were what was available...

One of my 1920's garage doors made it into this room. I am really liking it in here :) I added some of my favorite vintage fern prints to the glass panes...

{the foyer looking into the family room}

I'm still working on getting my studio in order, but I'm getting close :))

Hope you have a great day ~

Tracey

p.s. Don't forget that all remaining items in the Flea Market Finds section of the shop are on SALE!!!!!!! Our next trip to France is in early April...

Finally a peek at the new floors... and a painted floor "how to"

2013-02-15T05:30:00.000-06:00

Hello! I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day!!!

Well, it's taken a wee bit longer than I had anticipated, but we are finally all done painting our hardwood floors. Our entire first floor is now a lovely pale grey. I am extremely happy with how it turned out!!!

I have received so many questions about the whole process that I thought I would put a little "how to" together for anyone that might be interested in painting their floors {see the end of this post}.

We chose to do our project in 2 phases, so that we could actually live in our home while it was all going on. And I was fortunate enough to take a quick 4 day getaway with my best friend, Natasha, to Phoenix for a little sun, fun, and r&r in between phase one and two!! So, all in all, the project went quite smoothly!

With the change in the floors, I have found myself moving things all over the place, from room to room. You know how it goes, one change creates a ripple effect :)

For now, the salvaged wood shelving unit that Steve made for my studio is now serving as a kind of restaurant inspired island...until I can find what I am looking for at the flea market. I have to admit, we are all rather liking it for now :))

I would have taken more photos, but there was still furniture piled up everywhere the day I took these photos and I had to use creative angles to avoid the mess!

Here is a look at the foyer leading into the family room, before we put the furniture back...

The low down on painted floors...

~ First you will need to completely clear the room of everything

~ It is probably best to take the trim {or the quarter round if you have it} off before starting your painting project, but we chose to just tape it off just before priming

~ We rented a large floor sander from Home Depot to "rough up" our existing hardwood floor a bit {about $40 for 4 hours}. You do not need to sand the finish off, just a slow onetime pass over with 150 grit sandpaper did the trick {you have to buy the large "sandpaper" sheets that fit the machine}

~ The sanding creates a messy layer of fine white dust that needs to be completely cleaned off of the floor before painting. I vacuumed the floor with my brush attachment, then used my microfiber dust mop and then we had to wash the floor twice to completely get all of the dust off! I used hot water with a touch of vinegar for washing the floors.

~ We let the floors dry overnight

~ Next you will need to use a good primer to help the paint to stick. We used Lowe's Valspar brand latex bonding primer. It is a great primer for glossier surfaces like cabinets and floors. Cut in the perimeter of the room and then roll the rest of the floor out. Use a foam roller for the smoothest look {nothing with a nap to it}...we used a 6 inch foam roller.

~ We primed the floor in the morning and then let it dry for about 6 hours and then applied the first coat of paint. Paint the floors as you would walls, rolling it out evenly, working in a relatively small area, and overlapping as you move along. Allow the first coat to dry overnight. The color we used was Lowe's Valspar brand latex floor and porch paint in New Concrete. Like all grey, it looks darker at night and much lighter when the sun is shining in the room, but in general, it is a pale grey color.

~ The next day, cut in the perimeter of the room again and roll on a second coat of paint. Two coats should do it. We did not put a sealer over the paint. By the next day, you will be able to walk on the floor, but wait an additional 2 days before moving furniture back into the room. Remember that latex paint really takes about 6 weeks to completely dry, so don't drag any furniture across the floor at this point.

Some tips:

~ Painted floors are not for those who want a perfect look. It takes a bit more maintenance than stained hardwood, as it will show dirt and scuff marks more readily. Grey is more forgiving in this area than a white painted floor {which we have in my son's room}, so that is why we went with the grey {I do love white floors though!}.

~ Black socks can actually leave some dye behind and make "dirty marks" on your floor, odd but true!

~ Use a hand sander for tight spaces like bathrooms as the floor sander is quite large

~ Painting your floors will bring out the imperfections, like gaps in the floor boards, nicks and deeper scratches. They show up more noticeably with the paint. I happen to like that about painted floors, but again, if you want a perfect look, painted floors may not be for you

Well, I think that about covers it!!! Let me know if you have any additional questions!

**********

The March issue of Jeanne d' Arc Living Magazine is now available in the SHOP for pre-order!

and...

If you have not ordered the new book from Jeanne d' Arc, you are missing out...it is truly beautiful!!! In stock now!

And lastly, I wanted to let you know that all remaining items in the Flea Market Finds section of the SHOP are now on SALE!!! Fabulous markdowns as we prepare to start our 2013 buying trips to France!

Have a great weekend! I will be back with lots more pictures next week :))

Tracey

{p.s. you can find me posting a bit more often on my French Larkspur Facebook page, come and visit me there!}

Painted hardwood floors... the big project!

2013-01-27T17:19:00.001-06:00

Well, we finally took the plunge this weekend...

We began phase one of painting our first floor hardwood flooring. As I type this, the kitchen and my studio are done and drying!! Yay! I hope to have some photos next week, after everything is dry and I can put the rooms back together :)

The plan is to extend the pale grey color we used on the dining room floor 2 years ago {seen above} to the entire first floor! Everything will be complete in about 2 weeks, when we finish up with the foyer, powder room and family room.

I know, I know, it's a big decision to paint over hardwood floors...and believe me, I have heard the opinions of those opposed to painting over hardwood! But I have been dreaming of doing this for a few years now! I have not liked how my oak floors have really started to turn more orange with each year that passes. More than that though, I just truly love the look of painted floors and am giddy with excitement to be doing this!! Thank you to my beloved husband for all of his hard work and cooperation.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!!

Tracey

Adding a Pop of Spring

2013-01-21T05:30:00.000-06:00

Happy New Week!

I'd like to start out by thanking everyone who left a comment {and those who emailed me} on my last post! It was just so fun to read what everyone is collecting right now!!

We really have had no snow here in the Chicagoland area yet this winter, which is just crazy! But, somehow I seem to still have a case of the winter doldrums.

So I have started adding just a touch of spring around the house! A little pick-me-up for when you enter a room...

Halena's room received some pretty pink hyacinths...LOVE how they smell! I also tucked a few vintage botanical prints around the large frame in her room, to give that spring feeling to this corner. I love using botanical prints for a pop of spring inspiration, when fresh flowers aren't as readily available {not much to choose from at the grocery store right now!}.

{reflection from the mirror...}

Have a great day!!!

Tracey

Shop French Larkspur

French Larkspur on Facebook

Creatively Made Home E-course

Collecting

2013-01-14T05:30:00.000-06:00

Hello Monday!

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!!

Today's topic is collecting...

I'm curious, what is your current collecting obsession???

I seem to be obsessed with these latte bowls from Anthropologie lately :)

My sweet 11-year-old bought all of us a Christmas present this year {with her own money!}, and she picked out some of the mini latte bowls for me, in the new pale blue color...LOVE!

I liked them so much, I went to the store after Christmas and bought some more for myself :)

I guess I gravitate toward collecting everyday type items...usually vintage, but not always...ironstone dishes, wooden spoons, vintage white pitchers and creamers, French linens...well, you get the picture :))

And having stacks {and stacks} of whatever I'm currently collecting, simply makes me happy. I know there are lots of you out there who know what I mean!

So...what are you currently collecting, I'd love to know??!!

Have a great Monday!

Tracey

Chippy white chalkboard love and a favorite cocktail

2013-01-08T11:54:00.000-06:00

Hello!

I wanted to share this recipe with you before Christmas, but did not have the chance...it is my favorite winter go-to cocktail :)

Pomegranate Martinis

Beware, they do pack a bit of a punch, so a little goes a long way :))

Oh, and the new chalkboard door is one of my favorite Christmas presents. Isn't it fab?!! I'm still not over my chalkboard obsession...and to have one so big, in a chippy white door with rusted tin on the bottom...well, let's just say that I do LOVE it!!

Pomegranate Martinis

Make ahead of time: heat 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat to make a simple syrup. Simmer for 5 minutes until sugar dissolves. Chill about 3 hours.

Combine 1 cup of the simple syrup, 2 cups vodka, 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice, and 1/4 cup pomegranate juice.

Shake in cocktail shaker over ice and strain into glasses.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds {optional}

Enjoy!

Hope you have a great day!

Tracey

Shop French Larkspur

French Larkspur on Facebook

p.s. there is still time to sign up for the Creatively Made Home e-course! All videos and course material will be available on the Creatively Made Home website until May, so there is plenty of time left to take the full course!

Creatively Made Home

Thank you midwest living magazine and a little catching up!

2013-01-02T19:40:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year!!!

I know I have been absent for a long stretch, but a bit of a break seemed to be what was needed...after a bad run of the flu in our family, we dealt with pink eye, ear infections, and sinus infections, not to mention, my computer crashed and I had to buy a new one {ugh}! And that was all in the month of December!! So I decided it was a sign that maybe it was time for me to take a little break and just focus on my family and enjoying the Christmas season :)

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, filled with family, friends, and lots of joy! The break did me good and I feel grateful to have had the extra time to just focus on family and the true reason for the season.

{a rare picture of me :)) }

Last June, I mentioned that Midwest Living Magazine was here for a 3 day photo shoot of my home. It was a truly wonderful experience and now the issue is available and I am so thrilled with how it turned out!!

Carol Schalla was a delight to work with, and Kim Cornelison is an unbelievably talented photographer!!! A huge thank you to both of them for working so hard to make my home feature look so beautiful!

*All photos of my home shown in this post are courtesy of Midwest Living and were taken by Kim Cornelison*

Here is a sampling of the photos featured...the full article and all of the photos can be viewed on the Midwest Living website *HERE*

************************************

{photo via Post Road Vintage}

I'm a little late in posting this, but I wanted to be sure and mention that the winter issue of Homebound Magazine is out and it is gorgeous as always!!! Heather and crew have done another fabulous job and I would love for you to check it out! To view this free online magazine, please go *HERE*

***************************************

The January issue of Jeanne d' Arc Living Magazine is now available and in stock in the SHOP!

{photo via Jeanne d' Arc Livng}

And as a very special treat, the brand new Easter book from Jeanne d' Arc Living is now available for pre-order in the SHOP. It looks to be a beautiful book filled with Easter inspiration and I can't wait to get it!! Release date is January 15th, so reserve your copy now...

{photo via Jeanne d' Arc Living

This time of year always makes me want to begin new projects around the house, switch things around for a fresh look, and focus on decorating...

soooo, I have a big project that Steve and I will be starting at the end of the month. I can't wait to share it with you! More news on that coming soon :)

Are any of you starting any new home projects this month??? I'd LOVE to hear about them!!!

Have a lovely evening and thank you so much for stopping by ~

Tracey

2012 Christmas House Tour

2012-12-06T05:00:00.000-06:00

Good morning!

A big welcome to everyone stopping by from Unskinny Boppy on the 2012 Virtual Holiday House Tour!!! Thank you to Jennifer Rizzo for hosting and planning the house tour!!! I can't believe all of the amazing Christmas inspiration I have seen this week!

Our home is stop number 16. If you'd like to start at the beginning of the house tour, than please go *HERE*

For all of my faithful readers, if you've wondered where I've been, well, my whole family {including me} have been miserably sick! So Christmas decorating is just kind of getting going over here :)

It also means that I have kept all of the Christmas touches so far, VERY simple! But that's okay, sometimes simple can be a good thing!!

{my Paperwhites just getting ready to bloom}

{These darling Christmas stars made from vintage grain sacks, come from my friend Aina's beautiful shop in Norway}

Thank you so much for stopping by!! Please continue on with the house tour and stop over at Traci Thorson's lovely blog!!!

Merry Christmas ~

Tracey

New items from the South of France!

2012-11-26T07:17:00.000-06:00

Good morning!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

I have listed new items in the SHOP from my recent trip to Nice and the Cote d'Azur! Please stop by my Flea Market Finds section to view them all!!

Here is a sampling of what you will find...

I will be listing a few additional items that I did not get a chance to photograph later this week.

Shop French Larkspur

Hope you enjoy your day!

Now it's time to start my Christmas decorating!! :) Be sure and check out Jennifer Rizzo's Holiday Housewalk starting next Monday {I am a part of it!}. You can find out details on her blog, including the complete lineup *HERE*

Tracey

p.s. The Christmas issue of Jeanne d' Arc Living Magazine is now in stock!

For the love of Shutters

2012-11-19T18:42:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone!

I hope your Thanksgiving week is off to a wonderful start!!

I have a quick post for you tonight...I still seem to be trying to catch up from being gone, so I have not had a chance to even go through all of my photos from Nice yet...the combination of sick kids over the weekend and hosting a dinner party had me rather busy all weekend :)

While in the Cote d'Azur, I found myself in love with all of the shutters on the buildings! Mostly they were in shades of turquoise, blue, and sage green...just so pretty...

and it didn't hurt that the buildings themselves were so beautiful, in shades of lemon and tangerine!

{LOVE the deep blue on this one}

{these crystal chandeliers were everywhere, hanging between buildings...very pretty!}

...more lights strewn overhead between buildings...the Cote d'Azur is gorgeous at night!

{a little Photoshop fun}

In honor of our recent trip to France, I made Boeuf Bourguignon for the dinner party I had this weekend and I wanted to share the recipe with you...it is a Martha Stewart recipe that I have been making for years and it never disappoints! It is a bit involved to make, but easy :))

Have a great night ~

Tracey

Back from France!

2012-11-14T16:16:00.000-06:00

{Nice, France}

Hello!

Did you wonder where I've been??! Sorry, I meant to post about heading back to France before we left {and I did mention it on my Facebook page} but with the e-course going on and getting everything ready for us to leave again so soon after our last trip...well, it just got a little crazy around here and posting kind of fell by the wayside :)

At any rate, I just spent the last week in Nice and the Cote d'Azur with my husband. It was breathtaking! I loved every minute of it!!! We even got a chance to go into Italy on one of the days, as it is only 30 minutes from Nice!

I need to get all caught up, and I have lots of photos to download and sort thru...but I can't wait to share them with you, so I have a small sampling to start :))

{looking down from gorgeous Chateau Eza }

{the sun setting over the Mediterranean Sea in Nice}

Of course, I shopped the flea markets while in France and have LOTS of goodies to list in the SHOP!

The new collection will be available on Monday, November 26th!

I will be back soon with more from the Cote d'Azur...

Hope you enjoy the rest of your day ~

Tracey

Creatively Made Home E-course

Peony and Sage

2012-10-29T05:00:00.000-05:00

Hello and Happy Monday!

Today I thought I would share some of the images I have taken for Peony & Sage, a UK based fabric company!

Kimberley Bell contacted me a few months ago and kindly asked if I would be interested in shooting some product shots for her fabulous line of vintage and French inspired linen fabrics...I said yes right away!!! Her fabrics are truly beautiful! They mix wonderfully with what I already have and I am so thrilled to include them in my home decor mix!!

To check out her complete line of linen fabrics, please go *HERE*

...Kimberley has a beautiful gallery of photos for inspiration on how to use her gorgeous fabrics on her website!!!

You can find Peony & Sage here...

SHOP

BLOG

PINTEREST

Enjoy your day ~

Tracey

There is still time to sign up and join the 1000 people on the Creativley Made Home website!

Colored Glass and a little Autumn Crafting

2012-10-26T08:14:00.001-05:00

Good morning!

I am a little late in getting this post up because last night I went to write and schedule my post and I wound up with a computer virus :( It took me hours to undo it and by the time I was done I needed to step away from the computer for fear I might just lose my mind otherwise :))

I gave you a sneak peek of each of the other hosts for Creatively Made Home, but I didn't really talk about my own contribution to the e-course...so I thought I would give you a peek at one of the 10 projects I teach in the course.

These lovely colored glass bottles are a little hard to capture on camera but they are so pretty for this time of year...

I picked some lovely dried prairie flowers on my walk the other day and thought they looked pretty with the colored glass bottles

I have been wanting to do more fall decorating but I have been so busy with the shop, the kids' activities, and the e-course, but I managed to put out some candles and spruce them up a little for the season...

as the weather turns colder and the days get darker earlier, I always like to have more candles around the house...and this little candle spruce up couldn't be any easier...

just take a pressed leaf and instead of using jute twine or string to attach the leaf to the candle, use a decorative pin...just use some wire cutters and cut the pin down first...super simple and you get to see the leaf better than if you wrapped twine around it!

Have a lovely weekend ~

Tracey

Shop French Larkspur

French Larkspur on Facebook

Creatively Made Home E-course

Inspired By Autumn

2012-10-23T05:00:00.000-05:00

Good morning!

Today I have images of a simple table setting for two inspired by the beauty of a Midwest fall.

I shot these pictures about a week and a half ago, in this pretty little spot just down the street from my home...

It is one of my favorite spots to go to take photos of the kids or even product shots.

I wanted to do something simple but inspirational...to capture this lovely place and the beauty of the changing seasons at this time of year.

The vintage blue folding chairs were a great little find from the flea market earlier this summer.

I use pressed leaves for a lot of projects...

you can easily press and dry any kind of leaves by freshly picking your favorite kind and then placing them between the pages of an old book {a telephone book works really well} and then stacking a few more heavy books on top of that. Leave them for about a week and you are all set. This way the leaves will retain most of their color and will stay relatively flat.

Once the leaves are dried you can stamp words or names on them for a special addition to your Autumn table setting {wonderful for Thanksgiving too}!

Wishing you all a very happy day ~

Tracey

It's not too late to sign up for Creatively Made Home!

***All those who have signed up for Creatively Made Home will receive an easy entertaining e-book at the end of the course, with recipes, entertaining ideas, and table setting inspiration!!

p.s. I am running a 3 day only special in the SHOP...all vintage French bottles are on sale! Head to the Flea Market Finds section of the shop to check it out. I often run weekly specials for the shop but usually only announce them on my French Larkspur Facebook page, so be sure to check there often!

The last sneak peek... Tomorrow is the big day!

2012-10-21T17:31:00.000-05:00

Yes, tomorrow is the big day...the first day of Creatively Made Home!!! We are all so excited and getting more excited by the minute :))

{All photos via Jeanne Oliver Designs}

Today's sneak peek is of the fabulously talented Jeanne Oliver! The Creatively Made brand and the idea behind this e-course are all Jeanne's!! She is not only one of my best friends, but she just happens to be the hardest worker I know! And she has some very amazing things planned for all of you who join in on our new online course!!

Here is a peek at what Jeanne is contributing to Creatively Made Home...

Jeanne will talk about:

*Her personal journey with her home and family

*Her design influences

*How she found her own style and how she began incorporating it

*Share favorite recipes and photos of her home

*Have a live, online discussion with members of the course to ask whatever they wish about her style, home, passions.

*Share 10 project videos in different areas that are true to how she incorporates her creativity and passions in everyday living.

A peek into Jeanne's project videos…

She will show step by step directions on how you can alter your own lamp shades and make little changes (for next to nothing) that will make a huge difference in your rooms.

She will also show you all the ways in her home that she has incorporated the vintage linens she loves so much. There isn't a room that she hasn't found a way to use them or put them on display!

Jeanne loves decorating with old family photos and one of her most precious possession is the vintage silhouette of her late father in law when he was a little boy. She can’t wait to show you how you can make your own silhouettes and how to even incorporate them into gifts for your families.

Jeanne will teach you how to make your own natural cleaning projects (you probably already have everything you need in your pantry).

If you would like to sign up for Creatively Made Home, there is still time! Please go *HERE* to register.

Join the hundreds of women from around the world already signed up!!!

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday :)

Tracey

Shop French Larkspur

French Larkspur on Facebook

CMH, Burlap Grain Sacks, and More!

2012-10-15T17:21:00.000-05:00

{Vintage French Burlap Grain Sack}

Hello friends!

I can't believe it is only one week until Creatively Made Home begins!!! I am so excited! We have all worked so hard on this e-course and it will be so nice to finely get it underway :)

I have added some more new items to the Shop and wanted to share them with you...

{Antique French Coffee Extract Bottle}

more zinc letter stencils...these are going fast!

{Vintage French Zinc Letter Stencils}

{Vintage Burlap Grain Sack}

{Antique French Script Pages}

{Vintage French Spools}

{Vintage French Linen Sheet}

{Vintage Burlap Grain Sack}

{Vintage French "3051" Stencil}

{Vintage French Muslin Sheet}

{Vintage French Receipts}

Thank you for stopping by!!

:) Tracey

French Larkspur on Facebook

Creatively Made Home E-course