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 ......"

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!

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!

summer food - la tomate

Summer food... we want fresh, we want healthy, we want quick and abundant and high in colour.  La belle tomate makes an appearance nearly every day on our table during the summer.   Oven roasted, sun dried, puréed in a gazpacho or quite simply sliced and seasoned with olive oil  as a salad.

Doesn't take much ..... some good tomatoes, olive oil, olives, basil leaves, 

some rock salt, maybe a few anchovies ......

part of the enjoyment is the beauty of the fruit itself ...

and what to serve alongside for a quick and easy lunch on a hot day ....

this combination  has been happening a lot here this summer, tomato salad and goats cheese

 baked in the oven on a slice of good bread , a little olive oil and a few sprigs of thyme ...

it really only takes a few minutes ... 

 and it looks so pretty it can go straight from the oven to the table

all these great pictures were taken by my daughter Ella, you can see more of her photos  here .... please excuse her for not updating too recently, she is busy living her life!!   :)

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for the last of my august giveaways - this one you do not want to miss!!

summer entertaining - improvisation is the key!

While we were on holiday in the south last week, we kept the meals fresh and simple, but in the evening it was nice to enjoy our dinner al fresco and dress it up a bit!

Of course, away from home, I had none of my familiar 'accessories', but one little foray to a local brocante fair provided me with a heavy linen sheet to use as a table cloth, and some charming vintage glasses and pitcher that immediately gave a 'special' feel to the table.

Added to that a few candles in champagne glasses and really the simplest of flowers, nothing more than branches of pink roses and a variegated greenery.  First we tried them in tall wine glasses, then finally simply laid them down the table centre.

White plates and the simplest of cutlery, summer can be easy on the eye ...

How about you, do you like to improvise a special table now and again, or is the holidays for making life as simple as possible?

all the wonderful close up shots here are by my daughter Ella - thank you sweetheart!  :)

back in the swing - todays loot shoot

 Well I'd call this a good start to the fall season for brocante fairs.  Out late at a friend's birthday party, up ridiculously early, then home to prepare lunch for friends also just back from their holidays.

 A most eclectic loot shoot ranging from box bushes for the garden, to a nother wonderful white tureen, to some stunning latin prayer books all in black, to a punchy 'hermes' orange ottoman; to pâté dishes; to street signs; to wooden boards; to monogrammed napkins; to vintage coffee balls etc .....

I hope that you have had a fun weekend, and that you've taken the time to enter the latest fantastic giveaway.

Thank you for reading me!  Have a wonderful week to come!

end of the holidays

It's the end of the holidays!!!  Tomorrow I'll be up at, no actually well before, dawn for a fair.

Thank you for reading me through the summer,

as from next week I'll be back to my regular, nearly, daily postings ....

I am more than fortunate to have readers like you, thank you!

here are a few shots of the architecture I enjoyed while on holiday in the south ...

tomorrow hopefully I'll bring you a loot shoot.