a favourite french snack

A French lady I know ( beautiful, slim, lively and fun) once talked to me about growing up on the Cote d'Azur as a little girl in the 40's.  A magical moment to be sure.

We talked about school and friends, and clothes, and family life.   So many details to enjoy, but one that made me smile was her description of her favourite mid afternoon snack, when she came home from school.    "Pain au chocolat?"  I asked, already imagining her at the baker's counter.   "Non, non" she frowned,  "too sweet, way too sweet".

That little girl's idea of heaven was a slice of bread, a clove of garlic opened up and rubbed on the bread, then a trickle of olive oil.

France and the French never cease to delight!   

Wishing you all a fragrant weekend!

Photo by Ella

life-changing moments

Do you ever pause, take a look at your life today, and think "what if...."

I don't mean necessarily a regretful 'what-if',    it could also be a what-if of relief:

"Phew, what-if I had said yes to that job offer, I would

 never have moved to the place I love so much today"

or a wistful, wondering what-if:

"I remember that boy, the one I snubbed at the age of 15, who was 

taking  over  his family farm ...what if I had married him ....."

"what if I had travelled with that group of student friends, I may have lived in a different country"

I think it must be the influence of all the youngsters we have had around us during the summer.  So many of whom are at stages in their lives where decisions have to be taken, directions chosen.  Sometimes a monumental choice hangs on such insignificant details:  A golden opportunity refused to avoid missing  a day with a best friend;  a vital exam failed because the wrong stuff was revised; 

I know that at the age of 17 my life could have taken a very different direction, and I often wonder what it could have led to.    In my final years at high school I had to choose which subjects to specialise in.  I was  a sort of average student, but did fairly well in the art class.  I would have loved to have taken art as a main subject during the last two years, but that meant studying with a specific teacher.   I didn't like her that much, and  she wasn't wild about me.   Because of that bad impression I dropped my favourite subject.

If I had studied art  I may not have studied languages

if I hadn't studied languages I may not have travelled so much as a student

If I hadn't travelled I would probably not have fallen in love in  France

  ...  hey!  I probably wouldn't even be writing this blog! ...

So to my children today, I often say "keep your options open", " try to see the wider picture", "think about the consequences", but of course we all know that  hindsight is a notoriously wonderful thing!

I'd love to know if you can pinpoint a decision, even from years back, and look back and say, "ah yes, if things had gone differently that day ......"

Happy 1st Birthday Caspian Finn

Dear Caspian,

Today you are 1 year old.  I can't believe it!  Your first year flew by at warp speed.  It seems like only yesterday you came into our lives, but yet I can't imagine our life without you.

1 Year Old

Pictures taken by Mama on August 31, 2012

Caspian, on your 1st birthday today there are a few things I would like to remember about you......

1. Your favorite food is bananas.
2. You are so sweet. And I mean SO sweet.
3. You army crawl everywhere.
4. You say 'Dada' and 'Mama'.
5. You have just learned how to shake your head 'no'.
6. Your sisters love you and tell you that there is 'No better baby than Caspian'.
7. Your giggle is just about the best sound I have ever heard.
8. You love to smile.  Your Gigi and Grumpy call you 'Smiley Joe'.
9. You are so happy.
10. You are a dream baby.  So even tempered and delightful.
11. You like feet and shoes.
12. You have the most adorable chubby thighs.
13. You like to eat. A lot.
14. You like when mama sings to you especially 'Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man of Mine' from Show Boat.
15. You like to dance.
16. You love water and going swimming.
17. You like cars.
18. You love your mama, but as of lately you REALLY love your daddy.
19. You are very 'go with the flow'. {Thank you for that!}.
20. You bring such a completeness, joy and happiness to our family.

Before you were born, many of my friends told me that there was something different about the relationship between and mother and a son.  I never really thought there was much to that, until I had you.  I absolutely love my girls, but our relationship is just different.  I can't put my finger on it, but all I know is that you are my sweet little boy and I can't imagine you any other way.  What a light you have brought into our lives.  Thank you for being such a joyful, wonderful, lovable child.

Happy 1st Birthday!

I love you from here to the moon and back again my sweet, sweet Caspian Finn.

Love,

Mama

Snap Shot- Client Nursery

First comes the rug....then come the twins!  The rug is amazing; I had to control my urges to throw myself on top of it.....literally.

teenagers on holiday and french peach tarts

        

Our short break in the South was spontaneous, hilarious and exactly what I needed after a long summer and before a busy fall.

Less than  a week before we left, I was still searching for somewhere to stay for ... me .... my dear husband ..... our four children ..... their friends .... and two dogs!!  YUP!

This holiday was meant to be.... as a few days before our leaving date, a huge house materialised, complete with a ton of bedrooms, a pool, space for the dogs to run around, easy access to a sleepy little village and bikes for everyone.  For a week we forgot about internet (well almost) forgot about the news, practically forgot about the car, and wandered from pool to table to river to pool to table in a happy haze.

If you are feeling weary, I can recommend no better remedy than heading off with a bunch of youngsters aged between 15 and 21. 

Why was it such a good idea to holiday with teenagers?  

Because they just wanted to relax. 

They liked to smile and laugh the whole time.  

They were not picky - about anything! 

They got up late, which meant I could have a first breakfast and cup of tea alone on the terrace MMMM....

They listened to a most eclectic selection of music, and the house was filled with 

jazz, rap, reggae, rock and classical airs all day long

They let me beat them at cards and at tennis! (OK so they are very polite kids)

and whatever I put on the table was immediately devoured! 

Which brings me neatly around to a favourite summertime dessert

LE peach tart, a feast for the eyes, and super quick and easy to put together.

These are more photos taken by Ella, great pictures in a not so pretty baking tin, plus the tart was left a few minutes too long in the oven, but hey!  these things happen... and there was definitely no tart left by the end of the meal so it can't have been that bad!

To make a peach tart for a bunch of hungry teenagers, first make a delicious sweet pastry, I'm sure you have your favourite recipe, I like mine rich in butter, sugar and maybe some ground almonds.

If you are feeling like a saint, you'll blind-bake your pastry base.  This is a good investment of time, because the peach gets so juicy, if the pastry isn't pre-cooked, it will just go soggy.

While the pastry is in the oven, pour yourself a glass of wine, press PLAY on anything by Bob Marley and wash and slice your peaches.  I don't even skin them, because the fruit looks prettier with the skin still on (even if you go for this year's fashionable char-grilled look !!)

Take the pastry out of the oven , choose another CD,  sprinkle a little sugar over the base, quickly arrange the slices of peach, sprinkle more sugar and pop the whole lot into the oven.

Keep an eye on the tart  because there is a danger of it - ahem - caramelising.  I'd say about half a CD and two glasses of wine and the tart will be done!

Voilà  - I hope you also have some happy carefree moments to remember from the summer.  Thank you for reading me!

{Creating the Ultimate Dining Room}

Whether your traditional or cottage, farmhouse or industrial creating the ultimate dining room is easy if you follow these simple tips. (don't forget that Thanksgiving will be here before you know it!)

The table - every dining room should have one.

My favorite type of table is a big hunkin' farmhouse one.  I love the aged wood from the reclaimed lumber tops, mixed with all kinds of legs. My friend John Duffy, from Stable Tables specializes in making custom tables with all kinds of wood, mixed with all kinds of bases and legs.
He recently made this round table with a iron knitting base for the bottom. Awesome!

My dining room table was made by John about 2 years ago, and it is my favorite thing in the whole wide house!

The Chairs  - lot's of them.

The whole point of using my living room as a dining room was so I could have a giant room, with a giant table, and have tons of people over, and hopefully have giant plates of food (that's edible).

So, I needed chairs, chairs, and more chairs.

I find them everywhere. People leave them at my back door. I find them in the trash and at yard sales. I might even purchase some from time to time. And I almost always spray paint them. Seasonally.

When not in use in the dining room, I place them around the house. Bedrooms, hallways, even my powder room has a chair in it.

Dishes - pretty much anything goes.

I mix and match. I buy sets, partial sets, half sets, broken sets, one of a kinds, pairs, WHATEVER I like.

Then I throw them all together on the table, and voila. Dinner for 72.

Fun, quirky, cute, and nobody gets the impression that they need to be on their best behavior, or that anything near fancy is coming out of the kitchen.

In other words, it sets the mood for the whole night. It's eclectic, just like the people there. And that's how I like it.

A place to put all your stuff - a buffet.

If you're like me, your not serving each person individually and plating the food like your some fancy smanchie chef. Nope. Your throwin' it all in one spot and telling everyone to get up, cause it's time to eat.

But I will put in on/in something cool. So, while my cooking is not so hot. I can put together a mean display.

Yes. I found this buffet in the trash. I know. Crazy.

And don't forget the drinks.

Slap those bad boys somewhere interesting, and you'll have your guest ewwing and ahhing all night. 'Cause the bar of course is the most crowded part of the house when you're entertaining.

So, all in all these are the basic parts you'll need to create your own "ultimate dining room". 

Want more dining room ideas?  You'll have to wait for my Flea Market Dining e-zine, which will be coming to you very soon. FREE. You're welcome.

Or, you can peek into my boards on Pinterest.

Here for Thanksgiving ideas. And, here for dining rooms.

Another 'Out to Sea' Dress and a Little Sailor

We spent this past weekend up in Lake Geneva, WI celebrating Caspian's 1st birthday and my father-in-law's 60th birthday.  Knowing that we were going to be up to the lake, I couldn't resist making another dress from Sarah Jane Studio's new 'Out to Sea' fabric line.  It just had to be done!

Here are the girls wearing the two dresses that I made for them.  I shared Matilda's dress in a previous post (which is made from my Charlotte Apron Dress Pattern), but I made a different style dress for Miss Savannah.

This dress is a basic peasant style dress with a flutter sleeve and a double layer ruffle down the front.  If you've never sewn a peasant dress, you should definitely give it a try.  It's probably one of the easiest garments to sew because the fit is very forgiving and it will take you no time at all to whip up.  Definitely great for a beginner!

I decided I wanted to add in some seersucker with the 'Out to Sea' line because nothing says nautical summer more than seersucker.  I had this pink and white stripe in my stash and used it as an accent for the ruffle and sleeve.

I did a double layer flutter sleeve with the pink anchor fabric on top and the pink and white seersucker underneath.  I did a rolled edge on my serger to keep the sleeves as light and 'fluttery' as possible.

I'm really happy with the way this dress turned out and Savannah seems to like it too!  I adore the rich navy blue and pretty pink. Such a classic, timeless combination.

How grown up is she looking?  Four going on sixteen........gosh, I sure love that sweetheart.

So with all these nautical dresses, I couldn't help but let Caspian join in the fun with a cute little sailor suit.

Here is my husband, Brett, and Caspian Finn.  I think Caspian looks so much like his daddy!

Caspian's sisters sure love him.....poor guy.  You can just see the look on his face, 'please stop smothering me!'

Here is Daddy and his boy.

I did sell some kits to make the dress that Matilda is wearing that I listed in my Etsy shop. It included all the fabric, trims, buttons as well as the printed sewing pattern to create the exact same dress in up to size 8.  I shared the kits over on the Facebook page first and they sold out very quickly.  I don't plan to offer anymore of this exact same kit, but if you are interested in future dress kits, please join us over on The Cottage Mama Fan Page on Facebook.

Have a great day!

Marianne & NYC = Milly

Some girlfriends and I try take a trip to NYC every year around Christmas, but this year we are heading to NYC during fashion week and we are going to the Milly show.  Here is my Milly wish list:

 Images Via Neiman Marcus

August giveaways - N°5 two stunning cushions

 Can you believe how fast the month of August has passed?!!

Today is my fifth and last giveaway, and I have to thank each of the sponsors who have donated so generously each week to make this giveaway season so spectacular.

Thank you also to everyone who has taken part.  Your enthusiasm for each new prize, and your willingness to share on facebook et al, is amazing.

Without further ado, here is today's giveaway, which I know you are going to adore ...

There is a talented lady, bearing the dreamy name of Jessica Chauvot de  Beauchêne, who lives in a century old village in Switzerland.  She is originally from Connecticut, but she fell in love with a frenchman, and has since settled in Europe.

 She creates these wonderful cushions from old linen sacks, with the original writing, or with logo and writing reproduced in traditional style.

She writes a charming blog, and she has an amazing etsy store, all under the name of Atelier Be.

She and her husband moved to Switzerland  at the same time as her parent's in law were emptying their family's Norman farmhouse which was packed to the rafters with trunk upon trunk of old textiles, etc.    [NDLR, excuse me while I sit down and breathe deeply!]

She  took as much as she could possibly fit  with no clear idea of what to do with it all.   [Pass me the smelling salts]    ......  Eventually creativity sparked and the Atelier was born, the Atelier Be website  and etsy soon followed.  Now she  searches from brocante to basement looking for old fabrics to re-purpose and infuse with new life.  

So Jess's very generous giveaway is for TWO  pillow shams [that would be cushion covers for the British amongst us! ) of your choice, shipped anywhere in the world, so yet again this giveaway is open to all.

How to enter?

First of all visit the Atelier Be etsy store, take a good look and come back here to tell us which pillows you prefer

If you would like a second entry then click here to find the Atelier Be facebook page, give them a new like and come back to report!

The will be chosen by random draw next Tuesday evening at midnight Paris time

And finally, for those who are dying to know if they won the right to commission a pve design   design of their house or pet, I am happy to announce that the winner of last week's giveaway is ......

Kim  who writes the charming blog White Whispers 2 U

Congratulations Kim,  and consolations to everyone else who joined in - you can still have a commissioned portrait, just get in touch with Patricia at pve design and put in an order!

Wishing you all a delightful day!

A Week of Many Firsts.......1st Day of Preschool

So this is a busy week around here.  The girls had their first day of preschool on Monday and their first day of tap and ballet class on Tuesday and we have our little man's first birthday coming up on Friday.  Whew.......that's a lot of firsts all in one week!

It's hard to believe that both my little ladies are in preschool this year.  This is Matilda's first year and she is in the three year old class and this is Savannah's second year and she is in the four year old class. It works out really nicely because both girls go on the same days which allows me a little alone time with my little guy.

Miss Matilda was so excited for her first day........

Savannah was excited to see her friends again and show Matilda the ropes.......

Savannah is really into purple lately.  Can you tell?  She picked out her own outfit.

These silly sisters truly love each other.  As much as they know how to push each others buttons, they really adore one another......

The first day of school was just an hour and the parents attended with their student.

Savannah loved showing her sister exactly what to do and where to go.  The girls are in different classes, so my husband took the day off and went with Savannah and I went with Matilda.

Here are some pictures of Matilda's first day in her class.......

The girls had a great time on their first day!  Today was actually the second day and they both went for a shorter day without the parents.  Both girls were absolutely fine........they barely even looked back at mama (which was quite different than Savannah's first day last year.......oh, the tears).  My girls are growing up. I am so excited for them and all the fun they are going to have this year!

And this goofy guy.......he and I will be doing a lot more hanging out this year (which I'm really looking forward to).  I seriously cannot believe he will be one year old in a couple days.  

Where did the time go? {Sigh}. I guess they all eventually grow up..........