"When the Good Lord begins to doubt the world, he remembers that he created Provence." -Frederick Mistral

I have to admit, moving to “the country” hasn’t been exactly easy… But nothing in life that is worth it is easy, right? I have been spoiled by convenience for my entire life. In America, even if you live in the boondocks, you can still get guacamole. Not so much in Provence. But there is a trade-off… Slowly, slowly, slowly I am discovering that Provence is truly the most beautiful spot on earth.

Where else can you drive down little roads like this…

 

Where else do you come across a field of sheep or a field of bulls like this…

 

Where else do you have houses like this…

 

Or farmers market like this…

Or cars like this...

 

Where else are your neighbors the ghosts of Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Pierre Bonnard, Yves Klein… And of course, Paul Cézanne.

Saturday morning we woke up with the sun and began a 40 minute ride to the town of Aix-en-Provence which, if you recall, is where my friends Romy and the Apricot live. You can read all about them HERE. However, Aix-en-Provence is also where Paul Cézanne was born, lived, died and painted most of his masterpieces. I made a €6 reservation to have a guided tour of his family home, Jas du Bouffan. This is my idea of a perfect day. Take a look…

 

Our way home I asked my husband to take the street near our house where there was a little patch of “unclaimed” white irises that needed to be picked and lo and behold, we found another little surprise… A teeny tiny little lonely scared abandoned kitten. Obviously, I named her Iris. Never a dull moment in Provence.

 

Stay tuned for the next blog about our upcoming Saturday adventure! And don’t forget to follow me on Instagram HERE to get first dibs on my antiques before I put them on the blog! Today I have 2 charming petite gilt mirrors!

L'Herbier

Very exciting blog today!

I have always been obsessed with botany, if you can believe it. I think one of the most charming aspects of the study is the art of preserving herbs.                                                                                          

For five centuries botanists have dried and pressed plant specimens and attached them to paper as a means of recording different varieties. They would then be labeled with their Latin names, family names and location and date of gathering.

 

Collections of these “herbiers” are coveted. Usually housed in museums and herbariums, dorky people like me always make a point to visit these prized treasures...And I always drag my daughter with me which is probably why she hates my guts. To a teenager there must be nothing as boring as looking at dried herbs with her mother. I understand her pain because it’s the same way I felt when my mother used to drag me to Bullocks department store in Los Angeles to look at china patterns. But now I appreciate what my mother exposed me to and I am sure Gracie will as well… when she is about 85 years old.

As usual, with me, everything reverts back to interior design. And decorating with antique herbiers is no exception. Let’s take a look and then I have a big surprise at the end…

 

It’s not easy to find these collections and they are super pricey. Collections can run into the thousands.

 This set of 19th century herbiers is on 1stdibs.com for $12,000!

 

And now here comes the surprise! I found a collection and they are available in the shop! It’s the first time in all of my antique-ing life that I have ever come across a full collection. 38 total! I have framed 32 of them in a sublime antiqued gilt frame and 6 of them in a striking Monet blue faux bamboo frame. Each herbier is unique and labeled, circa 1920-1993.

 

Gorgeous as singles or in a grouping, they work in nearly every type of setting… Kitchen, powder room, bedroom, living room, entry or even a potting shed!

They are available in the shop today in the antiques category! Priced individually at $145 for the antiqued gilt framed herbiers (32 available) and $155 for the Monet blue faux bamboo framed herbiers (6 available). You can purchase as many as you like and what works for you. Just specify your quantity.

Click HERE to shop!

For more inspiration for decorating with herbiers, you can check out my HERBIER board on Pinterest HERE!

Book Club: How Not to Die

 

Catchy title, huh?

I read this book yesterday straight through without stopping. When you are as sick as I am, a book like this seems like an imperative read. But here’s the thing, it’s even more important for people who are not sick (yet) and that is why I thought I would recommend it to all of you. It’s quite a book. I don’t want to sound all preachy, however, it could very well save lives. So, I thought it would be fun for all of you to read it and then we could discuss it! Our very first book club book!

Just to whet your whistle, here are some snippets from the book:

Though breast cancer is the most common cancer specific to women globally, Asian women are up to five times less likely to develop breast cancer than North American women. Why? One possibility is their intake of green tea, a common staple in many Asian diets. Green tea has been associated with about 30% reduction in breast cancer risk.

Happier people are less likely to get sick.

People eating plant-based diets appeared to experience significantly fewer negative emotions than omnivores.

People who eat dairy-free, plant-based diets were found to have significantly lower blood levels of the PCBs implicated in the development of Parkinson’s disease.

Common foods that may be protective against radiation damage include garlic, turmeric, and mint leaves.

The lowest validated rates of Alzheimer’s disease in the world are found in rural India, where people eat traditional, plant based diets centered on grains and vegetables.

So as you can surmise, the book is about foods that keep you healthy. And I am all about this... I say, as I am sucking down a green juice. After reading the book, mark my words… You will never eat meat, poultry or eggs again! Why? Because it’s fucking gross, that’s why.

The book is a complete eye-opener so let’s discuss! Get the book, read it and leave your thoughts in the comment section and sadly say goodbye to beef bourguignon.

Saint Valentine

Meet Valentin. We love him. Teddy and Valentin? Not so much…

 

P.S. Make sure to follow me on Instagram HERE to get first dibs on new items on the shop. This week we had a little chinoiserie, a little group of table bells and today a brilliant 19th century French oil painting with the most beautiful moody midnight blue colors that you've ever seen! Tomorrow? Antique French mother of pearl dessert knives!