petit pica

A trip to market...

2014-03-19T14:30:00.000+01:00

Our local market is very different at this time of year...

no tourist souvenirs, just local stalls nestling together

under the 15th century halle (covered market place) & around the square...

selling lots of lovely produce,

like this wonderful selection of cheese...

home-made tarts & preserves...

local wines & vegetables...

garlic from Toulouse...

juicy tomatoes from Marmande...

delicious clementines from just over the Spanish border...

look at this little fellow is sitting cosily, waiting patiently to go home...

This bush is wonderful at the moment, such a lovely splash of colour & buzzing with bees...

Water, water, everywhere...

2014-03-03T14:00:00.000+01:00

What a wet winter we've been having! Water everywhere, but our area is not as bad as others in France & the U.K. While walking the dogs today, it was evident how much rain we've had; so many fields were water logged.

Despite all the wind & rain, spring is starting to emerge in the hedgerows...

Our walk takes us through an pretty little hamlet with a secret garden...

& old covered well...

hidden treasures...

& two ancient towers, one a ruin...

the other restored...

The light is wonderful at the moment - when the sun is shining! Colours seem to really be bright, like the turquoise blue of this old copper...

or the lichen on the walls...

this yellow was so bright, it looked like gold glinting in the sun...

Spring must be on it's way as les grues (cranes) flew over this week...

Rain, rain, go away...

2014-02-06T17:25:00.000+01:00

source

I hope the weather has been better with you than it has been here. Lots of rain & high winds, not nice, & quite miserable! It's the sort of weather that makes you want to stay inside. Perhaps a good time to review & reorganise things but when it's so grey, it's hard to get motivated. However, looking through some of the stock cheered us up. Reminding us of warmer days to come, of spring flowers & lavender perfume filling the air.

wooden box, lavender heads, lavender bouquet, lavender field

enamel café pot, rose tablecloth, jar of roses, rose plate

main photo, small photos - all items from Petit Pica shop

Here's looking forward to seeing sunshine & spring blossom...

Heureuse année ~ a new year...

2014-01-14T15:53:00.000+01:00

Isn't this a lovely postcard? Sent in 1902,perhaps the forget-me-not flowers are significant. Anyway, we just love the design & it's Petit Pica blue too. We love old postcards & spend hours looking through boxes at brocantes & vide greniers. This one is lovely too, we're not sure who it's from but the sentiment is very touching.

Translation:
My dear Little Dinette I am still waiting for your news & I think you have forgotten me.
I always think of you very often I send you my dear Dinette my wishes for the new year.
Health happiness this is what I desire with all my heart for you & your dear parents.

Once twelfth night has passed & the decorations have been put away until next year, it's a good time to have a bit of a spring-clean. I'm not only talking about the home but of life too. I gave up making New Year's resolutions a long time ago. I rarely keep them & usually end up stressing too much about them. The only resolution I do make & keep each year is that January is a "dry" month, i.e. I don't drink any alcohol. I've been doing this for several years so now I quite look forward to it after all the excesses of Christmas. This year, Kelly is keeping me company as she is not drinking during her pregnancy.

available on Etsy

Instead of resolutions, I like to write down my "to do" list for the year. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a compulsive list writer! I also love notebooks & find any excuse to buy a new one. Kelly shares this passion too - the notebooks, not the compulsive list making! The New Year list will be compiled of things like, places to visit, list of W.I.P to be finished (work in progress & projects - this is on the list every year as there is always something lying about waiting to be finished!), work goals, finding a little "me" time each week, etc. Writing it down helps me focus on what is really important to me. I try not to make the list too long because then it seems unachievable & I'm less likely to follow it.

While looking for inspiration for this New Year, I came across this quote:-

source

Isn't it lovely? I think I might have to have it near my desk for those dark days...

The weather has been quite mild here & we've been enjoying lovely clear days with the sun shining, (always lifts the spirits). This was the sunrise the other morning when I took Harley for a walk, a lovely way to start the day...a sunrise to warm the heart...

We hope 2014 is a good year for you...

Twinkle, twinkle...

2013-12-29T14:00:00.000+01:00

source

We hope you've all had a very happy Christmas. We did!

Sorry we've been a bit quiet for the last few weeks, there has been lots going on here in the lead up to Christmas. Thank you to all our customers over the last year, we hope you are enjoying your little piece of France.

On a recent road trip we stopped at a road-side café for lunch & the bar area was mostly taken up with this elaborate display of a winter wonderland...

Remember back in the summer, we took you on a tour of Sarlat, (see post). We thought we would go back there to visit the Christmas market & see the lights. As luck would have it, the market wasn't open the day we went but we have managed to capture some of the lights.

There was a Chinese theme this year (we're not sure why!), many of the decorations

& shops displays reflected this.

This is a temple shrine at the beginning of the Christmas market, very colourful but not very Christmassy...

...& the post box for letters to Père Noël was quite frightening!

This is one of the oldest houses in Sarlat with a lovely arched passage-way.

This was decorated with a wonderful garland...

The church looked especially magical lit up...

...& this little restaurant looked inviting but unfortunately was closed...

Sarlat looked so beautiful just bathed in street lights and decorations...

...& lastly, as usual, we couldn't resist the wonderful display in the chocolate shop!

source

We had some wonderful news to share with you...Kelly is expecting a baby in April! Unfortunately, she has had terrible morning sickness combined with a nasty stomach bug so had been feeling pretty rotten up to now.

Hopefully, she is over all that & can start to enjoy her pregnancy.

Kelly & I would like to wish everyone a very happy, healthy & prosperous New Year.

It's just around the corner...

2013-11-29T00:08:00.001+01:00

Can you believe it's December this weekend?

Christmas is just round the corner but there is still time to order from Petit Pica.

There are lots of great items in the shop...

main image - black dress

Pretty collars and cuffs to dress up an outfit, perfect for all those Christmas parties...

main image - parcels

Lace and trims for decorating the house and making gifts...

main image - table setting

Pretty tablecloths and mats for the Christmas table...

main image - bonbons

Lovely vintage china for bonbons and treats...

main image - chair

Some great gift ideas for those who love vintage French...

All items can be found in the Petit Pica shop...

source

Happy Thanksgiving to all our American amis...

Another cup...?

2013-11-20T15:44:00.003+01:00

source

It's a bright but chilly day today & I'm glad I have a hot cup of coffee to warm me up.

source

The many French start the morning warming their hands around a café au lait bowl.

Children often have hot chocolate in theirs,
just like the famous Delespaul-Havez chocolate publicity.
I just love the expressions on the children's faces...

source

We have some lovely café au lait bowls in the shop...

We're love these, they look so pretty sitting next to each other on the shelf...

source

So you're out & about, you stop at a café, what should you order?

un café
a small espresso
♥
un grand café
a double espresso
♥
un café crème
a white coffee made with frothy hot milk
sometimes called un café au lait but crème seems to be more commonly used
♥
un grand crème
a large white coffee
♥
un allongé
an espresso with the same amount of water
♥
une noisette
an espresso with a dash of cream
♥

Remember these so next time you visit a café here in France,
you can order your coffee like a true monsieur or mademoiselle!

source

We also have a perfect set of coffee cups in the shop for your for café, café crème or noisette.
These are rather special as they are decorated with the logo of the Wagon-Lits company.

Wagon-Lits is a French travel company,
famous for running great train routes like Le Train Bleu or Le Nord Express..

source source

...but the most famous was, of course, Orient Express...

source

...such luxury...

source

..sip your café crème from these cups
& imagine being transported back to the golden age of luxury travel...

source

A misty view this morning from the Petit Pica atelier...

Café du matin...

2013-11-09T14:01:00.000+01:00

source

I don't know about you but I can't function without a cup of coffee first thing in the morning.
Strong & black with a wonderful aroma; it sets me up for the day.

source

The French love their coffee.
In the cafés, it's made by an espresso machine.

source

Many cafés have a zinc-lined drawer under the counter into which the old coffee grounds are tipped before a fresh cup is made. I love the gentle thud sound made when the used grounds are knocked out, together with the chinking of cups and the lovely aroma of the coffee, this sums up French cafés for me.

source

At home, they may use a machine, stove-top pot, cafétiere (French coffee press) or even instant,

(my French friends would be horrified I'd mentioned the last one as it is classed as the lowest of the low!).

source

Moka pots, as stove-top espresso makers are often called, are such an iconic design.

Not only do they look good but make a decent cup of coffee too.

source

First made by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933 to provide both an affordable espresso maker & a beautiful object to make it in. The inventor came up with the idea while watching his wife boiling up water to wash the laundry.

source

The design is simple, the bottom chamber holds water which is brought to the boil, steam is then forced through the coffee grounds in the middle chamber & the coffee is brewed in the top.

source

We have our own little beauty in the Petit PIca shop. An unusual design with a 70's style orange & white flower print. It would look great in any kitchen.

Our café du matin at the market this morning...

...un grand café and une café crème...

...with a wickedly delicious croissant aux amandes...

...sitting in the Autumn sun...

...bliss...

Trick or treat...

2013-10-31T10:34:00.000+01:00

Doily-stencilled Pumpkins...

Happy Hallowe'en!

Celebrations of Hallowe'en in France are subdued compared to other countries, but the village of Issigeac in the Dordogne celebrates in style. Each year it holds a foire aux potirons (pumpkin fair); a feast for the eyes...

The weekly market sits side by side with the festivities...

This year there was a demonstration of oxen & cart, carrying pumpkins, of course. The handlers wore traditional clothes from years gone by even down to the sabots (clogs)...

...& of course, there were pumpkins & squashes of every shape, colour & size...

November 1st is an important day in the French calender as it's Toussaints (all saints day). It's the day when the French honour their dead. Traditionally, they buy chrysanthemums to put on the graves of their love ones. If you visit any market around this time, you will see row upon row of them. A patchwork of colourful pompoms...

A rainbow of colours...

2013-10-19T18:51:00.000+02:00

source

We just love enamelware, it comes in such a range of shapes, colours & designs. From the plain to the highly decorated, from small jugs to tall coffee makers, utensils, storage boxes, even plates...the list is endless...

LEFT TO RIGHT
Top Line: Blue flower coffee pot, Pink coffee maker, Pink flower coffee pot, Blue pitcher
Second line: Blue check pitcher, White pitcher, Blue jug
Third line: Red check salt box, Café canister, White salt box
Forth line: Speckled canister, Flower plate, Utensils

Stand-alone items can look stunning but if your lucky enough to have several, then grouping collections can look equally gorgeous...

Top line: Plain pitchers
Bottom line: (left to right) Plain, Hand-painted, Flowers

Most pieces were designed for use in the kitchen & are versatile, looking good in both a modern or vintage setting. Apart from the kitchen, they can be used in other ways too, I often use a little blue jug as a vase...

We've just added a few beauties to our shop and hope to have some more soon.

...the last of the geraniums...

Vintage love...

2013-10-12T18:40:00.003+02:00

source

(Big sigh!)

I love this picture! Lots of vintage goodies stacked high on a dresser.

We have been putting some of our own vintage lovelies in the shop this week.

Café au lait bowls are so adorable, they look great in any kitchen.

Traditional French storage jars add that bit of je ne sais quoi to any home & are not just for the kitchen. They could be used for utensils but how about on a desk to store pencils and pens, or for art or craft tools, the list is endless...

These oval plates were originally designed for the dining table but would make gorgeous soap dishes or perhaps for jewellry or on a bedside table.

Aren't these café cups & saucers fabulous? Each printed with the Wagons Lit crest. Think Murder on the Orient Express....Wagon-Lits were the company who ran the Orient Express & the Train Bleu among other routes & were part of that wonderful era of steam. Just imagine when your sipping your coffee from these, what it would have been like on those glamorous trains...

I couldn't believe my luck in Bergerac yesterday, in the middle of a roundabout, a huge bar of chocolate just waiting to be eaten. No such luck! It wasn't real, just to advertise the Salon du Chocolat (Chocolate fair) being held in the town this weekend.

Bon weekend mes amis...

Brushing away the cobwebs...

2013-10-05T20:01:00.000+02:00

source

We've been busy this week. We started by having a bit of spring clean, or should that be autumn clean, of the blog. We wanted to make things clearer and easier to access. We have a new header & you can now go easily to the shop by clicking on the "shop" tab or on any of the photos in the side bar. There is also a "contact us" tab, if you wish to send us a direct email.

We have some pretty buttons to take you to Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest. There are also new buttons to subscribe to our blog. Make sure you never miss another post by signing up via your reader or by email.

That done, we then turned our attention to the growing pile of stock we've been collecting over the last few months. We've had a lovely time sorting through & photographing them. In the next couple of weeks there will be lots of lovely items will be coming up for sale in the shop, from gorgeous ceramics to kitchen storage jars & coffee pots. Here is a little taster...

source

The weather here has been very changeable recently & there have been some spectacular storms. It is fascinating to watch the wonders of Mother Nature...

Fancy a wander...

2013-09-27T13:18:00.002+02:00

We thought you might like to see a pretty bastide village a few kilometres from us...

source

This one is called Monpazier, built in the 13th century by the King Edward I of England. For a time it was also home to Eleanor of Aquitaine & Richard II of England. But enough history, here's some photos to enjoy...

Porte Saint Jaques - there are four of these arched entrances to the village...

...& many narrow alleyways...

...outside the church stands this ancient gentleman...

...& there are more arches as you arrive at the square, with artisan shops tucked inbetween...

...as you turnaround the square you see houses of different shapes & sizes, squeezed tightly together...

...& the covered market place...

...there are lots of places to drink café & watch the world go by...

...leaving the square, there are interesting things to see too, like these dovecotes high on an old building...

...remember the Porte Saint Jaques at the beginning of our journey? On the other side are these stone steps leading up into the tower...

...oops!...this is what happens when you try & walk the dog on a dried up riverbed...

From one atelier to another...

2013-09-19T22:21:00.000+02:00

Not far from Petit Pica's atelier, is another...a lovely shop called Atelier des Loys owned by , Jean Yves Leveau & Marieke Boschman. They make wonderful & unique contemporary ceramics, from dove roof finials to pumpkin-shaped teapots, their range is so diverse. My favourite is a pretty blue & white range with delicate designs made using vintage doilies. Marieke & I have often fought (in a friendly way of course!) over doilies at local vide greniers.

Aren't these handmade tiles wonderful?

I have my eye on these...

Isn't this a great way of displaying tiles?

Atelier des Loys can be found at 31 rue Saint-Roch, 47210 Villeréal, France

contact: loys.ceramic@gmail.com

For more ideas on different ways to use doilies, see our post Not just for the table...

If you fancy having a go at creating your own tiles, there is a great tutorial on Martha Stewart's website.

How about using as coasters for a wedding or tea party, then the guest gets to keep it as a gift.

We have lots of laces in our shop, why not have a peek.

Do you love geraniums as much as we do?

These are some lovelies outside the Petit Pica atelier.

A day in the life of a tourist...

2013-09-12T22:35:00.000+02:00

source

Did you miss us? We've been a bit tied up lately what with the end of the summer holidays and preparing for la rentrée, (back to school). There have been numerous shopping trips to buy supplies for school, such as new exercise books in just the right size. God help you if your child has the wrong size book with too few or too many pages, or the squared paper has the wrong size squares! Each year we buy dozens of pens & pencils as there never seems to be any left by the end of the school year. I'm sure their pencil cases have a pencil-eating monster lurking in the bottom!

Now the children are packed off to school, we decided to treat ourselves to a day out in the nearby town of Sarlat, about ½ an hour's drive from Bergerac. This is a very pretty town with ancient buildings packed tightly together along narrow winding streets. At this time of year it is busy with tourists, so just for a day, we became tourists too. I have to say we seemed to spend most of our time eating & drinking, well I suppose that's what tourists do! Starting our day with the obligatory cup of café at a lovely café on the steps of the ancient maire (town hall).

We then wandered the streets doing a little window shopping...

Isn't this wedding cake amazing?! So delicate, it would be a shame to cut it. I wouldn't like to be the one to transport it to the wedding venue!

This indoor market was created by one of France's top architects, Jean Nouvel, converting the church of Sainte-Marie in the centre of Sarlat. It is a mix of the old & new, especially with the huge steel doors. There is also a panoramic lift in the bell tower which you can ride up to see breathtaking views of the surrounding area. We were too busy looking at the food on display & forgot to go up in it! Well there's always next time...

This is one of the stalls that was distracting us, look at the wonderful display of macarons...yum, yum!

We emerged from food heaven to see the restaurants setting up for lunch. So that was our cue to pull up a chair at one of the tables & order le menu du jour (daily set menu). Made up of local dishes, it was delicious but very filling. We just about managed to finish the walnut tart, washing it down with some cold rosé - hic!

Talking of wine, we saw this still outside a wine shop, what an amazing contraption!

Better for us on such a hot day would have been water from this spring.

Sarlat has a lot of cobble streets, the honey coloured stone is wonderful especially in the dabbled sunlight.

Many of the buildings have stone tiled roofs. No wonder the buildings are made from large blocks of stone; they need to be sturdy to take the weight.

There are some lovely old doors in the town, we couldn't resist taking just a couple of snaps. The blue hue was so gorgeous and the other looked like it lead to a secret garden. Who knows, maybe it did!

A bit more wandering before an afternoon tea, (well actually Orangina and Perrier as it was so hot), & then heading home, ending our day as tourists.

Aren't these roses lovely?

A gift from Kelly - they are so beautiful and such an unusual colour.

Merci mon amie xx

Home again & loving France...

2013-08-17T16:00:00.000+02:00

source

I thought I would bring you back to France for this post, to our petit coin. There's nothing like being away to make you look at where you live with fresh eyes. Something I love about summer is the smell of pine trees on a hot day. I will always associate this with summer in France...a smell that always makes me smile.

Pin Parasol (Umbrella Pine) common in the south of France

We are lucky enough to live in a very beautiful part of France with wonderful views, undulating hills, vineyards & amazing architecture. It's steeped in history.

Chateau Monbazillac source

Of course, there are amazing chateaux, like but you don't have to go far to see bastide towns with medieval arches, covered market places & wonderful pigeionniers...

wonderful tree-lined roads & flowers everywhere...

or this cute pied de terre...

but the best is fields full of sunflowers as far as the eye can see ...

This is what happens when you leave your sewing to make a cup of tea....to a four-legged friend, a reel of cotton is wonderful to chew!

If you are thinking of creating something and want to make it unique, why not add a vintage French trim? Pop over to the Petit Pica shop and look at our lovely collections of vintage laces, buttons & trims...

A taste of Malta...part 2

2013-08-02T15:57:00.000+02:00

source

Here we are again - another little piece of Malta...

The Maltese adore bright colours, like the luzzus, & there are such wonderful colours to be seen all around you...

like streets decorated for a festa...

or the turquoise sea of the Blue Lagoon, on the tiny island of Comino, (off the northern shore of Malta)...

or light bouncing off the buildings as the sun goes down...

or the sun setting over Valletta...

colour everywhere you look...

Two things come to mind when thinking of Malta - history & lace...

like the ancient city walls of Valletta...with a restaurant nestling in between...

the covered walkways and steep streets leading down to the port...

the covered balconies which feature on so many of the older buildings

& the small shops sitting side by side with the modern multi-national chains...

Top left: wonderful traditional store complete with chandeliers

Top right: traditional drapers - packed floor to ceiling with fabrics
Bottom left: men's shirt shop - every colour under the sun
Bottom right: one of my favourite haberdashery shops packed to the rafters with goodies

including a traditional Maltese pie shop, tucked down one of the side streets...this became a favourite as they also did take-aways - yummy!...

& old walls and doors weathered by salt and wind...

Malta has a long tradition of lace making & produces some beautiful pieces. Sadly, it's a dying art, due partly to cheaper mass-produced machine lace...

source

Gozo (another island off the northern coast) used to be known as the "capital of lace-making of Malta" & the lace is referred to as bizzilla. Maltese lace has it's own characteristics which makes it different from other lace, notably the use of the Maltese cross in the design.

source

In the past, it was not unusual to see women sitting on their doorsteps making lace. Unfortunately, this is a very rare sight today as only a few still make lace on the island.

This gardenia flower had the most heavenly scent. Each morning I would pick a sprig from the bushes by the pool & keep it in the pocket of my beach bag to enjoy the perfume while I sunbathed...big sigh...seems such a long time ago now...

A Taste of Malta...part 1

2013-07-27T15:48:00.000+02:00

source

I'm back from my holiday, totally relaxed & ready for anything, well almost anything!

Something I love when flying is the amazing shapes of the clouds...

...& then the rush of excitement as land comes into view...

I thought you might like a little taste of Malta because, for such a small island, there is much to see...

If you wander down the quayside in Marsaxlokk on a Sunday morning your senses will come alive. The smell of the sea, the hustle & bustle of the fish market...

& the vibrant colours of the traditional fishing boats called luzzus. Painted in shades of yellow, red, green & blue, & on their bows, the eyes of Orisis to ward off evil spirts...

As you can imagine, there are lots of fish restaurants along the quayside. We chose to eat in a traditional one called Il-Bukkett, (the bouquet - after the original owner because he was very handsome!). Now run by his son, a lovely man called Mario Grech, who took time to talk to us about the fish & Malta. If you are ever in Malta, do try his restaurant, the fish was amazing.

I've been to Malta several times, (husband S used to live here), & something I loved were the old brightly coloured buses. Unfortunately, they have now been replaced by new modern buses. They may not have been very emission-friendly but they were such an icon of the island. The few that remain are now used as tourist attractions or mobile shops.

The island played a big part in WWII as a base for the allied forces in the Mediterranean. It suffered terribly from constant bombing & many historic buildings were destroyed, as well as countless homes. There was a huge loss of life but the Maltese were so brave & refused to surrender. The island was awarded the George Cross in recognition of their bravery. During this time, food was really in short supply and Victory Kitchen's were set up where inhabitants pooled their meager food rations so meals could be produced to feed everyone. I love the design of the signs they used...

As my son J is a budding pilot, we had to visit the aircraft museum. While he enthused over the planes, I had a coffee in the tea shop set up in one of the wartime huts, complete with lace curtains at the windows. Well, I suppose this is the home of the famous Maltese lace...

As we were leaving we decided to pay our respects at the war cemetery just up the road. Such a lovely peaceful place, with beautiful bougainvillea hedges adding colour & a view over to the local town of Rabat...

Muuuummmm!!! No more photos!!!

It's a shore thing!

2013-07-13T14:57:00.002+02:00

There's nothing quite like a weekend at the beach, sandy toes, salty hair and the sound of the ocean, perfect! G and I took our friends from back home (and of course Peanut) to visit the bay of Arcachon on the West coast of France, not far from Bordeaux.

This part of the world is home to the tallest sand dune in Europe - Dune du Pilat. The dune has a volume of about 60,000,000 m³, measuring around 500m wide from east to west and 2.7 km in length from north to south. Its height is currently 110m above sea level which makes the views over the Landes forest and the Atlantic just breathtaking.

We took our kite and spent a few hours enjoying the open space and the sunshine!

One of my other favourite things about the beach is Nautical fashion, or as the French (and Japanese) call it "Marine" fashion. I just love all things Red,White and Blue, stripes, dots, anchors and sailor hats, there is something very classic yet cheeky about it all.

Anyone seen my hat and sunglasses???

Bergerac en fête...

2013-07-06T16:29:00.001+02:00

source

Bergerac is looking very pretty at the moment, decked out with thousands of garlands of flowers hanging across the streets and buildings. The occasion is that Bergerac is hosting La Felibrée - a fête to celebrate of all things Occitan. Every year a different village in Perigord hosts this fête and the decorations are amazing, so colourful. For those that don't know, Occitan is the old language of Perigord. Perigord is the name of the region of Aquitaine that includes Bergerac. A hundred years ago, most people in the region spoke Occitan, the local language but unfortunately very few speak it now. To my ear, it's a sort of mix of French and Spanish, similar to other local languages like Basque and Catalan. The red and yellow represent the Occitan and the blue and white la Feblibrée.

Every street & alley way has been decorated with canopies of garlands...

Even Cyrano de Bergerac is admiring them...

The squares are looking beautiful...

source

& down on the old quay a gabarre has been decorated too.
A gabarre is a flat-bottomed boat traditionally used to transfer wine to & from Bergerac...

The old bridge across the Dordogne hasn't been forgotten with a curtain of garlands on each side, really pretty as you drive across...

source

There will be lots of traditional events over the weekend to enjoy...

Walking back to the river, I noticed the other Cyrano was enjoying the shade....

& this water fountain tucked in a wall, providing wonderfully cold drinking water on such a hot day...

While we were in Bergerac we had a little promenade along the river, taking in the wonderful scenery...

watched a gabarre moving gracefully up the river...

& eyed up some houses too! Like these facing the old quay...

& my favourite, hiding behind the picket gate...

Harley and J enjoyed it too, although I'm not sure who was walking who!

source

Next week I'm off to on holiday to Malta with the family - yippee! Can't wait!

Kelly is going to take over the baton for a week so watch this space!

A road to a friends house is never long ~ Danish Proverb...

2013-06-29T17:58:00.000+02:00

source

...& in our case, this is so true as Kelly and her partner G recently bought a house our village. It needs total renovation so it's a case of rolling up your sleeves and mucking in. She has been helping G to clear the jungle of a garden and start the preparation of the house. First job was to make the garden secure for Peanut. Fencing is now up and some lovely wrought iron gates installed to keep him safe. Next, replace the windows and clear out all the rubble and rubbish. There's lots to do but it's going to be a lovely house once it's finished.

Often when you buy an derelict house, there is the anticipation of finding treasure but all there is are a few rusty bits and pieces, like an old saucepan with a hole in the bottom. However, Kelly did have find one treasure while clearing out the grenier (attic), a pile of vintage magazines with one of the beautiful Audrey. Sorry, this isn't going into the shop but will be framed to go in Kelly's study!

It's been a frantic week in our household too as son J was taking his brevet, (end of secondary school exam). Lots of revision while I kept him fuelled up with his favourites - pancakes, hot chocolate and digestive biscuits.

source

While he revised, I found some time to attack our own jungle. All the rain we've had over the last few months has created some amazing growth. It's been a case of hacking back to find what was supposed to be there, hiding underneath. Anyway, the week ended with the satisfaction of at least making a start even though I ached from head to toe.

Summer always makes us think of weddings and what does a gal need? Vintage lace, of course, we have a gorgeous selection in the shop. Why don't you pop over and have a look?

Stop and smell the roses...

2013-06-21T14:03:00.000+02:00

Je t'embrasse...I hug you...

Do you like the vintage postcard? Found while hunting for treasure recently - short & sweet, just a little note to a love one, so touching...

We've added some more gorgeous table linens to the shop...

lots of table top loveliness...

A ribbon-work table mat, so delicate and the leaf design so intricate, it must have taken hours to make...

A lace edged table runner and round table mat set. Really beautiful...

Perfect for afternoon tea, two beautiful square tablecloths with embroidered roses....

Roses and hearts...

& roses and tendrils...

I promised myself I wouldn't mention the weather in this post. Apart from anything, we are so fed up with the unpredictability, hot & sunny one minute, cold & miserable the next. However, the roses have really been thriving this year with all this rain. Everywhere you look there are rose bushes weighed down with multiple blooms. Absolutely beautiful...& the scent...heavenly...

Just a selection of blooms from the Petit Pica garden...I adore how the petals are curled around each other in a tight bud and unfurl into such loveliness releasing their wonderful perfume...

Le soliel arrive...!

2013-06-08T21:25:00.001+02:00

source

A contrast to the last post, the sun has now arrived and we are dancing around singing....

Here comes the sun, du du du du

Here comes the sun and I say....

It's alright...........

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter...

Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here...

The puppies think we've gone mad, and maybe we have with all that cold and wet weather.

But now the suns out everything seems better and brighter...

source

We've been adding some more linens to the shop, and very pretty they are too...

A pretty cut-work table mat with red stitching - a really intricate design...

A monogrammed linen towel with drawn-thread work and handmade lace edging - although this started life as a towel, it could be used in many ways in a modern home...

A lace-edged table mat with red cross-stitching - a naive piece and rather lovely...

On our walks we can now see the wild orchids in bloom, peeping out of the long grass...

so delicate and pretty...

Où est le soliel...?

2013-05-25T18:33:00.000+02:00

source

Where is the sun, that's what I'd like to know. One minute it shows it's face, the next it's gone. It's been terrible this year, so changeable. Shouldn't moan though after what the poor people in Moore, Oklahoma have suffered. Our thoughts are with all those who lost love ones and their homes. It's frightening what Mother Nature can do. There have been some harrowing stories told of when the tornado hit and a few miracles, like the little dog that was found alive by her owner as she was interview in the ruins of her home.

source

While walking the pups this week, we visited a lovely local village with narrow winding streets set on a hillside with amazing views. It's known as the "Hazelnut capital of France" because it produces vast quantities to companies for products like Nutella and praline. From the top of the village you can see rows of hazelnut trees spreading far into the distance.

Most people don't see how lovely this village is as there is a route nationale running through the middle of it. That part of the village is not particularly exciting like a lot of villages that have a major road running through. However, if you take a few steps away from this road, the scene is very different. Amazing architecture built on the hillside. You can see why houses often have balconies at the top of the house, the view is great from that height.

I wish the weather had been better as it looks so lovely in the sunshine. It has been so unseasonal cold and wet that, although everywhere is very green and lush, the flowers are late this year. The roses seem to be thriving though. Many of the houses have planters outside which look so pretty when in bloom. I'm afraid you will have to use a bit of imagination!

Halfway up the village is the Place des Marronnier (Chestnut Square) with a lovely stone spring water fountain. It should really be called Hazelnut Square!

As you walk up towards the summit, you pass houses hugging the hillside and the crumbling walls of the ancient chateau (fort).

It's quite a climb but the view from the top is worth it.

Once we finally get some decent sunshine, we'll come back and take some more photos of the village in bloom.

source

This Sunday is Mother's Day in France...

Bonne Fête à toutes les mamans!

And they call it puppy love...

2013-05-12T00:00:00.001+02:00


April showers bring May flowers...	source

Well, let's hope May is full of sunshine and flowers. We've had some lovely warm weather, really uplifting. Everywhere you look there is blossom on the trees & wonderful scent in the air.
Finally Spring is here...YAY!

Peanut (Del-Boy) & Harley (Ned) as they were advertised on the Phoenix site

As you will know, Kelly & I have adopted a couple of puppies. Would you like to know more about them? Well, I'm going to tell you anyway! After such an awful start in life, they have both settled very well in to their new homes. Both are a delight and sometimes very mischievous!

The first puppy was Peanut...

He's growing up fast...

Peanut was born in the middle of December. He was abandoned with his brother in a bag near a gypsy camp. They were very under nourished and had to be fed four times a day to begin with. It was love at first site when Kelly saw him on the Phoenix website, & even named him Peanut as his head looked like a peanut! But when they enquired, they were told he had already been adopted. However, a week later fate dealt a lucky card as they received a call to say he had been returned to the centre & was available for adoption again. They collected him the same day & introduced him to his new home. He bounced around like a lamb with his big gangly legs, so adorable. He has big floppy ears which sometimes flop together in the middle and big black eyes which completely define the saying "puppy dog eyes".

He LOVES sunbathing in the garden!

Next came Harley...

He's changed so much the few weeks we've had him...

Harley was dumped in a dustbin at a village déchetterie (waste dump) with his two brothers & three sisters. It was the end of January and very cold. They were estimated to be just two weeks old, riddled with worms & very poorly. With careful nurturing by the wonderful people at Phoenix, they all survived. We called our pup, Harley; after the UK rugby union team, Harlequins. It was the only name we could all agree on! Although we liked the full name, it was decided it was just little too long, so Harley it was. We had a little wait before we could bring him home but when he finally arrived, he was a little bundle of joy, so playful and with a sweet nature. He's fitting in so well with the family, it feels like we've had him more than just a few weeks.

Harley has taken a liking to my new walking wellies - paws off, they're mine!

For more information about the Phoenix Association, visit their website or facebook page.

Beautiful wild flowers picked on our walk this morning, aren't they lovely?