Summertime

It has been busy, as summers always are over here, not frenetic-and-all-over-the-place busy, but rather the more agreeable stop-and-study-the-details kind.

We've been doing things like try to save the insects that have been disastrously doing laps in the swimming pool.

And attempting to catch sight of the trio of huppes that call the trees around here home.


There have also been the occasional green-frog photo opportunities; although those have gotten rarer now that it's so hot.


What of the house? We have left the decorating for after the summer, so the kitchen is only just a little better-looking than in this photo, taken a few weeks ago, after we finished opening up the wall that made the kitchen such a dark place.


Except for the apples and pears I have been sewing for a few weddings, not many new things have been coming out of my sewing room. I have started pillows of a completely different kind, pillows woven from dreams, and no I am not being lyrical here, that is the plain truth, but I will tell you about them some other time, when summer is over and we've had our fill of insects, frogs, and birds.

P.S. If you want a whiff of what summer smells like over here where we live, you can go check out my Big Lavender Bag Sale over here.

This Blog is What?

It started quite some time ago. I'd look at this blog and feel a certain disappointment. I had let it become just a place where I post pictures of stuff -- stuff I make, stuff I sell, stuff I buy. Once upon a time, I had a blog where I was more open about the things that was going on in my head, and talked about stuff that affected me. That blog excited me so much more, and I remember I'd daily be making mental notes about everyday occurences that I wanted to share with my readers. That blog touched people enough that it was eventually made into a book.

With this blog, I think that from the beginning I felt a certain hesitation. Since it was linked to my online shop, to my business, I was afraid of getting too personal, of appearing unprofessional.

This blog, I think, is up for an overhaul.

Reworked Vintage

More new things I've been working on: vintage keys and pocketwatches made into ornaments. I like the feeling of transforming the old and forgotten into the pretty and functional. They will be in the shop soon.

New Things at the Shop

Bounty, a set of six handstamped lavender sachets perfect as wedding favors.

And the Yoda Pears, handwritten with Yoda's famous quote, which Mayabird reminded me of.

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Les nouveautés à la boutique...

Bounty, une série de six sachets de lavande imprimés à la main, parfaits pour les mariages.

Les Poires de Yoda, ecrites avec la fameuse citation de Yoda, dont Mayabird me rappelait .

My Latest Etsy Purchase

Oh, yes, I don't just sell my creations over at Etsy, I give the love back and buy all sorts of superb things from other sellers over there.

My latest discovery is artist Jennifer Schell, who makes custom portraits. My husband likes comic books and loves the spring roll, so I thought combining the two would make a great birthday present for him. And I was right, he loved the illustration Jennifer made from a photo I sent her.


Although he did say, "But you should have told me! I would have shaved!" Vain man :)

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Je ne fait pas que vendre mes créations sur Etsy, j'achète également toutes sortes de jolies choses qu'on trouve là-bas.

Ma dernière découverte est l'artiste Jennifer Schell avec ses portraits personnalisés. Mon mari aime les bandes dessinées et adore notre petit nem, alors j'ai pensé que la combinaison des deux ferait un bon cadeau d'anniversaire pour lui. Et j'avais raison, il trouve magnifique l'oeuvre de Jennifer, une illustration faite à partir d'une photo que je lui ai envoyé.

Bien qu'il a dit, "Mais tu aurais dû me le dire! Je m'aurais rasé!" Vaniteux, mon homme!

Yes, They Can Be Trained ;)

As many of you know, my husband and I love going to vintage fairs and flea markets on the weekends, although we always end up getting very different things. He goes for stuff like WW2 cigarette lighters and Ricard pastis glasses, while I pick through old glass bottles, floral teacups, and miniscule porcelain dolls. He rolls his eyes at what he thinks are my too-girly bricabrac; I do the same at his too-practical, too-manly finds.

Then last weekend, after disappearing for a few minutes amidst the summer throng while we were at a nearby flea market, he reappeared holding two small things in his hand. These:

A really lovely leather sewing kit and a precious copper needle holder. "I think you'll love these," he said.

I quickly glanced at his other hand to check that he wasn't clutching some big ugly object like another World War 2 helmet (a purchase he made two years ago that still makes me shudder). Nope, nothing. Just my kinds of girly, romantic, beautiful things.

Men are from Mars, women are from Venus, they say. But it seems that, at least for these two extraterrestrials living together, in flea markets they will meet.

This gorgeousness is now part of my latest La Couturière, "the seamstress," a pack of basic needs for the vintage lover who also loves to sew. Click here to see.

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P.S. Il me faut aller coudre quelques fleurs maintenant. Ce soir la traduction française, okay?

Yippeeee! (or, we survived the moving!)

It was stressful, and the decorating is not finished yet, but we have done with the moving! And because I am still too tired to talk too much at the moment, I'll let pictures tell you how our little family is taking a break from all the things we still have to do to make our new little house in the country a home, and is just hanging out for the moment, enjoying the beginning of summer.



P.S. Thank you, Patricia, for the first three photos!

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Il a été stressant, et on a pas tout à fait fini de décorer la nouvelle maison, mais le déménagement est fait! Comme je suis toujours trop fatiguée même pour bavarder, je laisse quelques photos vous dire comment notre petite famille se repose, en oubliant pour le moment les milliers de petites choses qu'il nous reste toujours à faire, et profite du début de l'été.

P.S. Merci, Patricia, pour les trois premières photos!