"HYDRANGEA=HORTENSIA"

I know, I know, I should be writing about something French today, but I just had to post these pictures! These are hydrangeas from my Mother's garden outside of Boston. While the white is not my first choice (I just love them in blue), I do think these are wonderful for the color variations: from pure white, to celery, to cream.

Did you know that 'hydrangea' in French is 'hortensia'?  So, our woman's name, Hortense (yes, I know, it is old-fashioned and you don't hear it anymore) means this beautiful, versatile flower! 

COLOR ON THE FLOOR

These small "throw" rugs, called "tapis" are sold in the markets in the South of France. They are actually, so one vendor told me, made/woven in Portugal, then the fabric borders are sewn on in France. One big center for this is in the mountain towns of the Pyrenees.

From the first time I saw them, I coveted them in ALL COLORS!. And, conveniently, they serve as very good packing material in a suitcase!

At 18 euros (@ $25) for the small size, they are a reasonable purchase. The colors really DO last (no direct sun, please), they wash beautifully in cold water, and are a joy each morning.

FRENCH DETAILS: part 2

So, having survived (quite well) the trip South, I went to join my unknown hosts and other guests at "Moutas", the "mas", or stone house, in Nyons, France. 

This is a cooking school, with two weekly sessions in June, and another two in September,  hosted and run by Anne and David Reinauer. Take a look at French Cooking Classes. I can't recommend it highly enough! Anne and David, along with chef Daniel Bonnot, have come up with a week of the highest quality in every way. The "mas" is lovely: with views of Mont Ventoux, it is comfortable and yet not "luxurious" (i.e. don't expect air conditioning...), the bedrooms are more than comfortable , the linens hang out on the line every day, the smell of lavender is everywhere, the wine is brought back in huge gallon/liter jugs every week, the mountain fed small pool is so refreshing, the day trips to vineyards, goat cheese artisanal farms, the lavender factory are fascinating and, of course, the food is unbelievable! But I think more than anything it is the warmth and hospitality of the hosts themselves that make this so unforgettable. It is truly a week I will NEVER forget and one that served as the best reintroduction to "la vie francaise".

I've kept in touch with Anne and David and went back once to visit (off season).

Here are some pictures, beginning with the cookbook containing the recipes we made during the week, showing the entrance to Moutas on the cover:

 Entrance to Moutas.

    

View as you approach Moutas.

Flowers at dinner.

View from the terrace: Mont Ventoux

The swimming hole!

FRENCH DETAILS: part 1

I have been waiting to write this post because the subject is very near and dear to me.

Several years ago, seven to be exact, I ventured forth across the big pond, all alone (toute seule, as they say) to a cooking school in Provence. Now, this was not your typical cooking school: no, it was more of an experience in French living and it felt very daring... I hadn't travelled alone, abroad, for many years. So, off I went.

I landed at De Gaulle airport, made my way to the TGV, settled into my luxurious  and oh so quiet seat, went to the "snack" car to buy the yogurt
(my daughter had said this was an absolutel necessity!), and watched the
countryside pass by for over two hours. Arrived in Valence, got the bus into
town, then a taxi, and FINALLY got to the hotel Le Pic. I was in heaven!!!

Note the wonderful Provencal colors in this hotel "handout":  I used this as reference for several designs I did that fall.

Here, from Homefires, you can see the direct influence:

 

There is so much more! I'll show, and tell, you more tomorrow, so check back!

COLOR FOR THE EYES!

Need a mood change? Having a bad day? Try these! Color Therapy Glasses.

It says these glasses "can be worn daily for 30 to 60 minutes." But then: "Or you can wear them as long as you like". Which is it? 

Anyway, they would be real people stoppers on the sidewalk!!

BOOKS YOU WILL LOVE: PARIS SHOPPING

About a year ago I stumbled across these books: well, actually, the "Quiet Corners of Paris" book as that was published in 2007. It is absolutely charming..... For months I would take it to bed each night, and,like a child's story book, reread the same pages over and over. I never tire of rereading this one.

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Then, in 2008, the publisher,The LIttle Bookroom, came out with these two books on shopping in Paris. But no, these are not your typical "shopping" books of the city: they are little gems in their sophisticated simplicity . The photography in both is subtle and gentle: it leads you into the shops and really makes you want to stay.

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In the "Made by Hand", or "Fait Main" book we see the shop "Oh Dis Le Moi" ( oh tell me): a gem-like atelierof flawlessly handcrafted jewelry. Or "Alexandra Sojfer", who has been hand crafting umbrellas in an atelier started by her grandfather. Yes, in Paris, one can find a shop totally devoted to beautiful umbrellas:and not the hole-in-the-wall kind we have here, selling umbrellas for $5.00.

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In "The Best Vintage and Collectible Shops in Paris" we find any and all kinds of antique and second-handstores. Again, the photographs are clear and lovely, many pages having a collage of shots in that particularstore. The names are wonderful: "Dans L'air Du Temps"; "Et Puis C'est Tout"; or "Au Petit Bonheur la Chance".

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I'm joining the party over at:

THE COLOR OF STONE

I've been seeing these "pebble mats" in many catalogs and am fascinated by them... The construction, the texture, and of course, the colors. These are from Pebble Mats, but really you can find them in oh so many catalogs

So then, of course, I began relating this to France! The color of stone takes on a whole new meaning when seen in France. Note the textures here, and the varied degrees of color:

our terrace in Saignon, Provence

entrance to our room in Seguret, Provence

the fountain outside hotel in Saignon

in Vaison

au Jardin du Luxembourg

And yes, these blues are for real. I think they seem even bluer because of the neutral stone, and the intense light.

I'm joining Frenchy in Le Chateau des Fleurs "French Obsession Party"!

MAISON ET OBJET: con't.

Two more weeks until I leave! I've been doing more research on line, printing out various schedules, "plan d'access", ideas for shopping, restaurants, walking tours. One of my very favorite websites/blogs isParlerParis. I have been following Adrian Leeds for maybe five years now..

And, finally, I will meet her. We have rented an apartment through ParlerParis, "Le Provencal". Oh so charming.... in the 4th Arrondisement, the Marais.

And, I have wanted to go to one of their conversation groups, held several times a week, or another one held only the second Tuesday of each month. And yes, I WILL be there for that one! Just can't wait. I will post pictures of the event, for sure. I am forever trying to improve my French: I worked with a private tutor here for several years, now I take a class at least one semester a year, I am a member of our "Franco-American Group", have cultivated French friends here, one in particular who is from Toulouse and married to an American.

What is it about the French language? Well, for me, it just does seem very "familiar". I feel at home. I tried Italian and just got nowhere. I started Fench in grammar school, and continued through one year at college. Then, I dropped it completely. Now , I can't get enough!

Here are a few pictures of France: no, not Paris... but the South.

Shopping the marche' in Nyons.

Oh the colors!

This was cutting the very end of what was left of the lavender; by September the season is long over.

Here, at the "moulin d'Alphonse Daudet".

We had just finished reading "Lettres de Mon Moulin" de Daudet, and I was dying to see the actual site. It is a real destination in France and to the French. Located in Fontvielle, just outside St. Remy, it attracts tourists and literary followers from all over. Hot, dry, dusty, rugged country here. Fabulous!

IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS!

Just how neat is this:

   

  

A "watering tea pot" from Urban Outfitters..... my daughter gave it to me just a week ago.

Not sure if they are still available: she had bought it on the sale table...

P.S.  Don't you love the orange table? She had just bought that from CB2.

Hmmm, seems they are out of this table, but here's another style.

"THE INFLUENCE OF COLOR" : presented by IFDA

All about COLOR! This was a presentation this morning as part of the New York International Gift Show, and put on by IFDA: International Furnishings and Design Association. Speakers were from Veranda magazine and Design-Options.

The many and diverse influences on color today are:

• Eco-Conscious Living/Organic


• Luxe Life/Victorian flavor


• Royal Statement


• Tribal Quest/Global


• Red Hot


• Romance


• Retro


• Pop


• Runway Fashions

And, as to color: well, it is really an all-encompassing list, but right at the top is RED !!!!!!

See the Neiman Marcus catalog: it's RED that tops the list for fashion.

And it's RED that is seen in Veranda's newest fall issue:

And more RED:

Towels from World Market.

Arktura Table

Yes, there are many other colors on the quite near horizon!

Black & White

Plum/Purple

Gray: replacing brown perhaps?
wonderful when paired with burnt orange/rust
blue-grays to charcoal

Orange Zest: this has moved into the coral range, away from a "real" orange

Yellow: mix with black or gray

Blue: a perennial favorite. Aqua seems to be waning, but periwinkle and turquoise are gaining.

Green: yes, the citron is still very popular. Combine with black for contemporary look.

Neutrals

The new issue of House & Garden has some really wonderful COLOR ideas: I'll report on those tomorrow!

Hudson Valley Farmers Markets

Finally, there are lots of very good local, farmer's markets in the Hudson Valley! Even the New York Times has been up here, visiting and photographing.

My personal favorites are Millbrook and Rhinebeck. In Millbrook, on Saturdays, you can find my friend Kate Weiner, in her booth "The Art of the Tart: Rustic Tarts in the French Style".  All are fabulous: Kate, the booth, and her tarts! She shops locally and seasonally: from asparagus in the early summer, to berries, to peaches, to this weekend:

"Tarts this week are apricot poached in saffron syrup; apple; blueberry with lemon zest; mirabelle plums (the golden kind) poached in sweet marsala; pissaladière (onion) with or without anchovy." (This from her weekly email, sent today..)

 Next is the Rhinebeck Farmers Market on Sundays. Here, for me, is the luxury of so many different kinds of lettuces, arugula, bitter mustard greens, watercress. Mix those with homemade mozzarella and add some local tomotoes, shuck some local corn, and you have one of the best dinners

ever!

Lake Champlain, New York

This is where we are right now:

The Champlain Islands, specifically North Hero, Vermont. Lake Champlain is between New York State and Vermont, but the islands are part of Vermont. We arrived via ferry from Plattsburgh, New York (white caps, high wind ! and we were the very first car in the front of the ferry!) But you can also approach from Vermont, north of Burlington, via a bridge.

In any case, this is a truly beautiful part of the world.... Water, water everywhere. Antiques. Good food. Nice people. I will post some more pictures when I am home and can organize them, but for now, take a look:

Sorry, I wanted to post more photos, but the upload speed here is so...... slow. So here are a few.

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And here are some places we stopped by today!

My Clematis!

Well, this is truly the very first Clematis flower I have had! I planted this very small plant over two years ago, almost dug it up entirely after a big snow storm last winter, and have been nursing it ever since. As you can see, I put this wonderful old rusted trellis behind it, and both are against a high wooden fence. Didn't really think I'd see any flower until next spring/summer!

And then, much to my amazement, I realized, YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS! I have been frustrated with my digital camera in that I wasn't able to zoom in very close to an object: it would get fuzzy if I came in more than about three feet. Well, I finally got out the direction booklet, and realized 'ah yes' there is a button right there to enable close-up zooming.... in fact, within three inches! So, voila, I am set. No need for a new camera I guess!

Here is the result of my new "trick":