show that sapin!

If you have already decorated/posted/dreamt about your 

tree this year then here's a chance to show us.

Don't be shy, I've already shown you mine, and it has been called "whimsical", "french", "elegant", "bare around the top", "in need of love", "perfectly imperfect"! and probably alot more I don't know about! 

I'm officially inviting you to link up to this little post with a

picture of your tree and a link back to your post, even if it's a few days old.  The only thing I ask is that the photo you choose to link up with be a picture of your tree so that we end up with a whole row - or two - of different Christmas trees.

No prizes, no giveaway, just the promise of my endless 
esteem and gratitude (which I don't dish out lightly!?!)

The floor is yours, thank you for joining in!

PS.  I'm sorry if this is very old hat and already been done a million times on the blogosphere - this is my first Christmas as a blogger so please indulge my inexperience!


PPS  Forgive me - I am again having major emails problems, so if I don't reply to any of you, it may be because I haven't received your message.

french brocante tours

Wandering away from the holiday season for a while and thinking aloud about a project I have for next summer.  I'd love to have some input please.  

I'm thinking of offering brocante tours here in Spring and Summer 2011.  Along the lines of long weekends including brocantes, good food and wine, private château and garden visits, country walks, possibly a trip to Giverny.  Never straying further than an hour away from our valley.  Accommodation either in our cottage or in nearby  B&B's in friends' châteaux or country homes.

Of course there are companies out there offering this sort of thing already.  Mine would be low key, small groups, never more than I can drive around in a large car.  Personalised and pampered.

I know I can always count on you for an honest opinion and loads of good ideas, so tell me, what do you think I should be offering?

Thank you so much for your help.

le sapin de noël

Braved the snow this morning to drive to the farm where I always buy our sapin de noël.  I know the Christmas trees here are locally produced, and the staff incredibly patient when I want to look at a dozen before choosing!

Love their unharvested apples that look like they've been left to decorate the orchard.

At home, the tree was cut slightly to fit, then stood in a bucket with stones and sand, and given it's first watering.  I find that this size tree can drink about 3 pints of water a day.  Just like fresh cut flowers!

Hesitated about leaving the tree with lights only .... but  ... no, it's irresistable to dig out the trunks of decorations from the barn and rediscover the old favourites.

Roasted chestnuts on the fire while we decorated - love that fragrance

How about you, is your tree up yet?

Thank you Julie

A thousand thanks to dear Julie, at Being Ruby, one of the most generous bloggers around. Today she published a lovely post about my brocante, you should check it out just for the beauty of her photos.

Thank you ma chere amie!!

table ideas

Getting a bit table obsessed at the moment with lots of dinners here and our Christmas brunch coming up soon.  Took a quick tour around Sia, one of my favourites for some table ideas - Loving these.

Tomorrow I go to buy our Christmas tree - tell you all about it!

une journee de neige

So what do you  on a snowy day?    Buckets of snow falling here but life must go on!!  Having fed the horses BRRRR!!!, decided not to take the children to school YAY!!!  I had to take a parcel to the bureau de poste and realised I had time to go to the market BIEN!!! and even stop off to admire the view on the way home, where I'm now going to make a pair of curtains and a cake!

Busy but happy!

PS.  Sorry to disappoint, but while the top gates are ours,  the gates in the second gate photo, belong to a beautiful property on the river edge, just a few minutes from our house, and I always slow down to look as I drive past.

holly bush tutorial

I love having Holly bush topiary either side of my front door for the holidays.  Only hitch in that is that topiaries are pricey and it's very difficult to get them with berries.  Each year I solve this minor dilemma by making by very own holly bushes.  Here's how.

Position a thick straight branch in a terracotta pot  and jam it into 

place with large stones, sand and gravel.

Attach chicken wire and large pieces of florists foam to the top of the stick.

This part doesn't have to look good but it must hold well.

Raid a holly tree, I have a huge one in my garden,  for branches with berries.  

For each topiary I use a whole wheelbarrow of holly branches.

 Start pushing in the ends of the holly branches.  Bearing in mind the 

finished size you are aiming for and keeping 

the wire and foam evenly covered until they disappear completely.

 Find a basket full of moss, yes . I'm afraid that is snow on mine, I told you it was cold here!

Lay the moss neatly around the base of the 'tree', making sure 

that the gravel and stones are completely hidden.

Position the pot and turn to wave to the admiring crowd, well ...
to the occasional blackbird in my case!

We just need to add a few lights, but that will have to wait until this weekend!

Hope you liked my little "how-to" ...

more ideas coming soon!