my home grown christmas decorating - part 1

Having decided that I can most certainly start talking about christmas here at MFCH, I thought I'd kick the season off with a little home-grown decorating and gift wrapping.

After all, everybody's doing it;....

 it really can't be that tricky to throw a few things together, click the camera and write in a casual-off-the-cuff manner, "I just threw this little vignette together between walking the dogs and  breakfast  this morning".

But that would be a lie ....

My friends, you have no idea how long all this took....

 So today I raise my hat to all those talented designers, stylists, and bloggers who single handedly put together decor to turn Martha Stewart green with envy. 

 Believe me, it is not that easy.

Here are my very humble offerings: I aimed for a natural look and created a 'Happy Christmas' for the chalkboard in the kitchen, plus a few silver birch bark gift tags.

So after these superhuman efforts, I would really love it if you wrote and told me how wonderful you think they look,  I don't mind if you lie, I just want to hear the words!....

and if you want to mention what a good idea the bark and the berries were, then I'd like that too because I can assure you that half way through this little project I was losing the will to live .....

And  in the coming weeks, although I intend to bring you other christmas mood boards, I think I'll keep it simple and copy paste from Martha then cross my fingers that you don't notice ....

And while you are writing the compliments about my handwork,  seeing as how my morale has already sunk beneath the plimsoll line, you can also tell me  if you have already completely decorated your home and done all your christmas shopping ... hmmm, ..... on the other hand I'm not so sure

let the festive season begin!

french country style meets scandinavian chic

Just love these pictures of a home featured in Marie Claire Maison this month.   

House to a stylist with Designer's Guild, this interior mixes style with comfort; modern living with vintage furniture; simple with feminine and an altogether british touch of h.o.m.e!

 This sort of 'casually thrown together' look appears so effortless, but when you look closely there is some very clever and precise styling going on here.  

An overall white backdrop, simple mis-matched furniture, white painted floors (chippy!),  and a clever dose of duck egg/turquoise blue and soft pink just dropped in here and there, like a painter letting drips of his favourite colour fall strategically over a canvas.

 It is  a young family that lives here and for once you can look at the pictures and say 'yes!', I can see that working.

comfortable, modern and friendly,

 a style to aspire to ....

all photos thanks to marie claire maison

a french cuisine success story

Here is a story that I love.

Of a young british girl,
called Rachel Khoo

very pretty,

very talented,
living in paris,
she trained in design but

she loves to cook,
she blogs,
she writes, 

she has an editor,

who asked her to write a book about french cuisine ....

She decided that if she was going to devise and prepare 120 recipes for her book, then she may as well share them, and she opened up her t-i-n-y kitchen in paris to guests - well to two guests at a time because there wasn't space for more.

The address soon got rave revues and before she knew it she had the BBC knocking at her door asking her to run a series called The Little Paris Kitchen

Today the book is not only published but also translated into many languages!

Rachel is what the french call 'petillante' , sparkling ... she has a real freshness that is contagious, and she works like a charm in front of the camera.

Today she no longer serves food at home, she is a now a tv star, and consultant and book writer and WOW!  If she  were my daughter or sister or  friend I would be so proud of her!!

 I just love a success story like this one!

 

french christmas comes early

As if to reassure myself that there is still plenty of time to prepare for christmas, I take pleasure in thinking about packing gifts and decorating the house - the thinking demands so much less effort than the doing ....

A few ideas from some of my favourite french blogs.

Not looking for heavy and over laden, more for clean cut and bright...

what do you think of these ideas

gold stars and homespun linen from Bord de Scene

houses and bunting from Mo par Maurice

silver sparkles from Manon 21

french comfort food

Temperatures are dropping fast here, days are drawing in, and family dinner is enjoyed in front of a roaring fire.  No dish could be more typically French and more suited to the winter months that the traditional pot au feu.

We enjoyed this totally delicious meal at friends yesterday evening, and I was reminded just how fantastic, home-cooked, simple food can be.

The beauty of the pot au feu is that although it needs to cook for a long while, it is not labour intensive, and that from the one dish, you can actually create several meals.   There is the pot au feu itself of course, that is the braised meat and vegetables, but beforehand the bone marrow and delicious broth, and with any left overs the most wonderful hachis parmentier or shepherd's pie.

To make a pot au feu I buy several different cuts of meat, I prefer to stick to beef, a beef shank, a piece of rump and a couple of large bones.  You'll also need fresh vegetables: potatoes, carrots, leeks,  small turnips, maybe celeriac; a bouquet garni (parsley, bay leaf and thyme).

Start off by covering the meat with cold water in a large heavy stockpot, bring to the boil then let it simmer for a couple of hours with the bouquet garni added.  Add the peeled vegetables,  and let them cook then add the bone marrow when the vegetables are half cooked.

You want to finish with very tender meat and vegetables, perfectly cooked marrow and a clear flavoursome broth - the secret for this is to to let the dish simmer but never boil.

When everyone is ready to eat, serve first of all bowls of broth, accompanied by small pieces of toasted bread, and the marrow sprinkled with rock salt.

Next serve each guest with a plate of meat and vegetables, accompanied by more broth if desired, and it is very very desirable stuff!

If there is any meat or vegetables left over, then be happy!  then next day the meat can be minced, and topped with pureed potatoes before popping into the oven to make a delicious shepherd's pie.

Comfort food doesn't get much better than this!

Bon appetit and thank you for reading me.

last of the autumn leaves and wayward dogs

I was taken for a walk by young Gibson and Sir Ghetto yesterday.  They said I needed to stretch my legs, and added that my lungs could use a little work out, which must have been why they insisted on running away at every bend and forcing me to yell like a madwoman until they returned.

The joys of country living ...

I took my camera - of course - and when I wasn't screaming at my companions I clicked away, at the trees and also at the ground.  You may remember that  I get a bit mesmerised by the patterns of the autumn leaves.

 So I happily followed the dogs around, and let them choose our path, according apparently to what smelt the most alluring ...so chic ...  as I was saying, the joys of country life!

 Now you see us ...

 now you don't ....

Surely I'm not the only one to be manipulated by the four legged members of their family?  Tell me please ...

being thankful

Today I have been thankful for 

°°°°°°°°°°°°

the autumn colours on the trees

my dogs so pleased to see me

the warmth and kindness of family life
 

my sons laughing out loud as they chat to  friends

my husband watching out for us

my freedom to manage my time

the company of new friends and old

the warm breath of my horse as he nuzzles my hand

the beauty of my daughters

the moodiness of the evening clouds

music in the house

family and good health

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Giving thanks and taking time to count our blessings,

wishing a very happy thanksgiving to my american friends

picture found on pinterest

painted floors - your opinion please

I am thinking long and hard at the moment ... about painted floors, or rather about paintING floors, and to be more specific, about painting MY floors!

Our home is fairly traditional in and out; colouring the floors would give a more contemporary feel, but what happens when we bore of the look?

I have looked at many pictures, and sighed at the gentle sheen of a dark wooden floor, or the lift given by white boards, but it takes a certain amount of courage that I have yet to muster before I can reach for the paintbrush.

In our guest cottage I painted the kitchen floor, but have been disappointed by the low resistance to scratches.  But that could be a question of paint quality.  That will be redone in the spring  which is fine as it's not a big room to cover.

So, who better to turn to than YOU, dear readers.  I know that between you there will be many who have painted floors at home, or who know other homes where it has been done.

Would you give me an outright thumbs up or shake your head and utter stern words of warning?

Many people have painted wooden floorboards, but has anyone painted on old tiles?  Have you painted hallways or kitchen with heavy traffic, or only kept to the quieter parts of the house?

And what about stairs?  How long is it before they start looking scruffy - please remember that mine is a country house, and the stairs are climbed by dogs and feet clad in riding boots!

Is there a paint you would recommend, and is there anyone out there - please - who has been able to compare a floor painted with special floor paint, and another covered in chalk paint?  I used Annie Sloan paint on the floor of the showroom, and didn't wax or varnish, and it looks good.

And finally, if you have used chalk paint, what protection did you add once the paint is dry.

So as you can see, my head is full of questions and with my guest season over, and a month before Christmas (and no Thanksgiving to celebrate, which of course I always regret, but that's another story), with all of that I am itching to go ..... all I need is your permission !! :)  I look forward to reading your advice, and I may even promise a picture or two of the results!


PS, and if you would like to see the home of a friend of mine, who just painted her floor white, then take a look here, she is very clever and brave!!

 

the last loot shoot of the year

 What a weekend!!  A totally charming client has been here since Thursday evening and we have shopped!  Boy have we shopped!

Non stop from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon, one good brocante address after another.

Together we bought a huge variety of items ranging from  18th century bathtubs, to 1950's chairs so popular in London right now.

Above is a picture of her loot shoot!!  All this she managed to buy in just 3 days!

 We found pairs of chairs; folding tables; textiles; glass ware; the Most Amazing painted demijohn! and much, much more.

I'll let you look at the pictures and hope that you enjoy them.  This morning was most certainly the last real fair of the year, so any loot shoots I do between now and March will be sourced at local auctions and the like.

Don't forget that this loot shoot is typical of the haul brought back by each of my brocante buying clients.  And, providing the buying decisions are made quickly, with the addresses I have to hand here, it is quite feasible to find this much great stuff in three days shopping at dealers and fairs.  If you are interested in shopping here for your store or for your home, just drop me a line and I'll give you more information.

Thank you for reading me,

 I hope you have had a wonderful weekend and the you will enjoy a good week ahead!