* Chic Provence Interior Design and Provence Tours *

Mission Style Circa 1790 in California

2012-01-31T20:07:00.000-08:00

My daughter Lisa made a goal to visit all of the twenty-one 18th C. missions that were built "a day's journey by horseback" (or about 30 miles apart) up and down the coast of California. On a recent gorgeous Sunday we had the chance to visit Mission San Miguel Arcangel in the central coast. As a designer who loves color, crumbling & derivative architecture, decorative painting on walls, history and celebration, I found it a stunning place to spend an hour or so.

a portrait of the patron saint Michael the Archangel
hangs on the frescoed walls of the long, narrow

church; the walls are the original decorative

paintings by Esteban Munras from the 1820's

the front entry of the church is simple and austere with
a large carved and painted wooden door and quatrefoil windows

one of the buttresses on the side of the long, narrow church have
helped support it through earthquakes and the harmonic
vibrations from the nearby Union Pacific Railway railroad

one of the gateposts from the original enclosure
of the mission grounds stands proudly today
in the California sunshine

another massive carved and painted door
with a heavy oak lintel opens onto
the mission arcade

another original gate onto the enclosure that
housed and protected early missionaries

the stunning altar and surround are heavily
decorated by Estaban Munros in 1820 in
the Neo Classical excesses he saw in the
churched in Mexico at the time; today
is exactly as it was when he finished it

this energizing burst appears on the left side
of the church alongside the classically
referenced blue painted columns

the entry to one of the carpentry areas is a
brilliantly orange painted arch with stylized flowers;
the dado wall with the border of red flowers
continues the length of the colonnade

closeup of the decorative painting
dating from 1820

a display of the implements and tools used
in the contraction of the 1797
Mission San Miguel Arcangel

***

Franciscan missionaries in the late 18th Century California

by 1820, a total of twenty-one missions had
been established along the California
coast by the Franciscans; while they
are all existing today, Mission
San Miguel featured here has
the most preserved interior
and decorative elements of
all the missions

a photo taken in 1920 shows the details characteristic of the California
Misison style: colonnade of Roman arches, white unadorned exterior,
clay tile roofs, deep overhang... these architectural elements
are widely used in buildings in California today

above old photos of

Mission San Miguel are

from the

Library of Congress

***

Space is Limited!!

Chic Provence Tour in

the spring! reserve by

March 1, 2012

***

check out my NEW features..

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Winner! Chic Provence Design Tour Giveaway of Rough Linens!

2012-01-23T11:44:00.001-08:00

Wow! I'm so thrilled (but not surprised because Tricia Rose's linens are so spectacular) at the response to the Rough Linen giveaway! Many many thanks to everyone who visited, commented, followed and helped me spread the word about our Chic Provence Design Tour Printemps 2012!

And now, after a lot of work getting the drawing ready... checking out all those wonderful links, follows, tweets and blog posts... we have a very lucky winner! I've also listed all you wonderful bloggers who placed my button or posted about the Provence Tour on your blog. I am extremely grateful to all of you.

And now... the lucky winner! David McGrievey won the drawing! Be sure to check out his wonderful blog, An Illustrated Life and enjoy not only his pithy writing but his wonderful illustrations peppered throughout... pure delight.

David I hope you will send us an illustration of your wonderful new linens after you get them from Tricia Rose at Rough Linen! We'll be waiting.

one of David's illustrations.. you are very familiar with

his work I am sure!

***

we are filling up quickly..

act now to join us on our fabulous

Chic Provence Tour in

the spring! the deadline

for reservations is

March 1, 2012

***

check out my NEW features..

a picture from

Ma Vie Quotidienne {My Daily Life} here

visit Chic Provence Marketplace here

find me on Facebook

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A Fabulous Chic Provence Design Tour Giveaway from { Rough Linen }!

2012-01-20T05:57:00.000-08:00

{ Enter Now to Win Fabulous Rough Linentm Table Linens! }

{ contest ends tonight at 9 pm PST }

Hello dear readers, I hope your holidays are full of peace and joy! Today I bring you a chance to win these stunning linens from Rough Linen... just in time for those post-holiday celebrations!

I'm very excited to tell you about this incredible Chic Provence Design Tour 2012 special giveaway!

The talented and very lovely Tricia Rose of Rough Linen has offered her gorgeous Orkney Linen tablecloth and eight napkins, proportioned to the size you need for your own table for a Chic Provence readers' drawing! Her linens evoke the spirit of the south of France and are handmade from the oldest fiber known...incredibly durable, chic and smart, you will use these linens for generations. To receive fabric samples from Tricia, go here.

Indeed Tricia was inspired in her linens business when she lived in a Napoleonic fort turned fabulous home on one of the islands off the coast of Toulon in the Var. Can you believe anyone could be so lucky? Here are some views of her home; when you see these you will understand her love of all things natural. She lives by the sea still today where I have visited and had tea sitting out over the water.

above are Tricia's stunning view from her home in the Var, the

gorgeous herringbone floor inside her home, and a plan of the

home, once a Napoleanic fort

This incredible giveaway is to promote our extremely popular Chic Provence Design Tour Printemps 2012, in Provence.

***

To win this chic, elegant tablecloth and 8 napkins (or its equivalent

value of $250 in Tricia's other linens):

All you have to do to earn ONE chance in the drawing:

Follow Chic Provence
Like Chic Provence on Facebook
Follow Chic Provence on Twitter
Share this post on FB, Twitter and Blogger (icons below post)
Leave a comment here so I can place your name in the drawing!

To earn TWO chances in the drawing, do the above plus:

Place our Tour Button on your blog right away and link it to http://bit.ly/chicprovencetourprintemps2012

Finally, to earn THREE chances in the drawing, do the above plus:

Write a blog post about the Chic Provence Design Tour Printemps 2012 by January 18, 2012

Of course, I'll post a link on my blog to everyone who posts about a Chic Provence Design Tour just below my tour button on my right side.

The drawing will be January 20, 2012. Tricia Rose will work with the lucky winner directly to give you exactly the gorgeous linens that your heart desires!

I am so grateful to everyone for helping me spread the word about our very popular Chic Provence Design Tour 2012! We've already sold many spaces so be sure to register before January 15 to get the $300 discount for early registration! Join us in l'Isle sur la Sorgue for an unforgettable journey in the heart of Provence, with a designer blogger as your guide and a very luxurious villa as your home!

This is your year to take time for YOU! Join us!

{ Bonne Chance! }

***

NEW features..

a picture from

Ma Vie Quotidienne {My Daily Life} here

visit Chic Provence Marketplace here

find me on Facebook

follow me on Twitter

***

Thank you so much for visiting Chic Provence... Kit

Happy New Year from Chic Provence!

2012-01-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

Before January gets to be too far gone, I'd love to wish my brilliant readers

a happy, peaceful, healthy, safe and very creative 2012!

I'd also like to thank you deeply for

your loyalty and support of Chic Provence..

it truly means the world to me and makes me feel

connected to you all.

NEW features..

a picture from

Ma Vie Quotidienne {My Daily Life} here

visit Chic Provence Marketplace here

find me on Facebook

follow me on Twitter

***

I've extended the Early Registration discount!

Register now for our Provence Tour and

get $300 off the total, all inclusive price!

Hope Yours Was Wonderful!

2011-12-25T14:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas Love:

wearing sweaters given by in-laws, and after major gifts

{sweaters, alpaca throws, Nespresso machine, messenger bag}

the simple snow globe elicited the most delight!

***

NEW features..

a picture from

Ma Vie Quotidienne {My Daily Life} here

visit Chic Provence Marketplace here

find me on Facebook

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Christmas Chez Nous

2011-12-21T08:27:00.000-08:00

Lovely Christmastime is here again! This year I was inspired by the light... since we've had a nice little run of really good weather, the light has not been gloomy and dark, even for Winter Solstice time. I wanted to capture the pretty light of day and infuse our home with it's cheerfulness even at night.

Using things found, I pulled together our Christmas home in no time at all... the perfect setting for our Christmas Eve dungeness crab feast and Christmas morning brunch.

Hoping your holiday is filled with light, warmth, love and peace!

this simple green wreath adorned only with pinecones

is a refreshing sight in front of the mirror

the Christmas tree peeking around the corner to

see what all the fuss in the dining room is!

the mantel holds fresh white tulips in vintage glass

the mid-century star keeps company with the

rare pink coral and the silver fish on the

windowsill

the lovely Christmas Tree 2011! I just wanted to use

green and white, and these giant balls were the

perfect choice (from my stash of ornaments, that is!);

I tucked white starfish in the branches

and we're done!

this old French painting of a battle scene (inherited!)

sets a somber & serious tone... so I used
antique paper Chinese lanterns, pink peonies and
Mexican angels to lighten the mood; flanking the painting are

wrought iron peacock door panels

silver pitchers holding peonies reflect

the light and bounces in back into the room

dining room is ready for the festivities!

I started to create a flowery centerpiece then I decided I

really like the simple beauty of the

way the bottles of water capture and disperse the light

and left it at that

Christmas place settings using vintage pieces:

French flea market silverware,

the dishes (you've certainly seen a lot of those Minton

dishes I scored at l'Isle sur la Sorgue last Easter!)

and the heavy 60's goblet

***

thank you for visiting, today and always!

Kit

NEW features..

a picture from

Ma Vie Quotidienne {My Daily Life} here

visit Chic Provence Marketplace here

find me on Facebook

follow me on Twitter

A {The Provence Post} Giveaway!

2011-12-16T05:52:00.000-08:00

Soon I will be offering a Chic Provence Design Tour Giveaway from Tricia at Rough Linen... but in the meantime, head over to Julie's at The Provence Post. Today she is offering her pal Linda Dannenberg's French Country Diary 2012 as a fabulous giveaway!

Full of the charm of the French countryside, you will be transported each and every day with the beautiful images and Pierre Deux fabrics featured in this classic. Even if you use iCal for scheduling, treat yourself to this tactile delight in menology!

Go enter now, and enjoy Julie's incredible blog!

BONNE CHANCE!

***

a picture from
Ma Vie Quotidienne {My Daily Life} here

find me on Facebook
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thank you for your visit! come again soon!

Kit

Au Nom de la Rose Gâteau!

2011-12-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you have something extra-special to celebrate this Christmas season (an anniversary, birthday, wedding, baptism?). This incredible rose-covered gâteau would be a stunning centerpiece for your magical fête. What on earth could be more appealing than fresh roses tiered with ladyfingers all tied up with a shiny ribbon?

The best part is that this showstopper is not difficult to make. Really.

Au Nom de la Rose, the fabled shop on Rue du Bac in Paris, has provided us with a quick little instructional video, below. Yes it is in French, but just take a look at how simple this is to construct. Hey, you could make a couple of them, non? :) If you do, you MUST send me pictures!

And, non, cherie, you may not actually eat this confection! It is a feast for the eyes and nose only!

this looks almost impossibly beautiful, non? perfect

for a rustic-chic celebration as well as something

more elegant... and you could use different colored

roses & ribbon combinations, bien sûr!

a singularly lovely rose

masses of roses

the storefront on rue du Bac, Paris

a basket casually dripping with roses, luscious!

as you can see, the ladyfingers are held

onto the form with rubber bands that

mademoiselle has tied together then

covered with a wide ribbon

won't your family and friends just

be floored when they see your masterpiece?

au nom de la rose

46 rue du Bac, 7e, Paris

see the short, brilliant video here

***

thanks for visiting! Kit

We Seriously Considered Lobster {anarchy!}...

2011-11-26T11:23:00.000-08:00

...for this Thanksgiving, but, as Dani put it so well, obligation to tradition overwhelmed whim, so dinde rôti* it was, albeit butterflied this year.

We gathered around a table that had been hastily put together for a wonderfully casual family style celebration (with all the cooking to be done, the table kind of took a back seat until the last minute!) and enjoyed what all agreed was one of the very best Thanksgivings ever!

And with the menu's nod to our southern US roots (dirty rice dressing, to die for!) and our love of the other South, the south of France, (duck rillettes with prune/armagnac sauce), we truly feasted and lingered long at the table!

Here, then, à table!

we quickly gathered purple sage and

hydrangea from the garden, then put

colorful leaves from our neighbor's tree under

our autumnal centerpiece

Gala's cream china with gold borders, the

Minton plates from the flea, country French

goblets and silver on a table laid

with old French sheet and gorgeous

silk embroidered overlay,

another flea market find!

my caterer/events daughter Lisa was aghast at

how I just "rolled" the napkins! they should have

been laid flat and hanging off the edge of the

table to be perfectly "au courant"!

assorted silver serving pieces stand ready (to be polished)

for the feast to come! They are all cherished gifts or

flea market finds

we chose the same wine for dinner, serendipitously,

that Steven chose for his prune/armagnac sauce for

the incredible Duck Rillettes he made for us!

another view of the centerpiece... our Thanksgiving

table comes very close to looking quite

Christmasy this year!! except for the autumn leaves!

***

we all had a wonderful day,

except, perhaps for this

little fella:

*butterflied turkey... it cooks so

fast this way, I must confess it

almost burned... but was

delicious!!

***

I hope you had a WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING

and are enjoying our only decently long

holiday weekend of the entire year!

merci pur la visite! ... Kit

A Chic Provence Design Tour Printemps 2012!

2011-11-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

With winter's chill just a whisper away, it's time again to plan a Provence tour in the spring! Nothing will put you in better spirits than knowing that you, cherie, will be exploring Provençal markets, chic shops and brocantes to your heart's content. And that you will experience Provencal life and its many beautiful aspects from a designer's point of view, knowing that every detail is taken care of for you. A little luxury in Provence will soothe the soul.

We are quite excited to announce our second annual springtime Chic Provence Design Tour to the heart of Provence, l'Isle sur la Sorgue, for May 11-18, 2012. You will find incomparable inspiration for your Provence design ideas and projects on our tour in the company of like-minded souls!

C'est fantastique! Cherie, you must join us! You know you want to. You need this trip! You must enjoy a Provence Tour this 2012!

one of the stunning bedrooms that awaits

you at your Provençal villa... sweet slumber!

our villa courtyard... this is where we'll do

our morning yoga and stretching & have our cafe au lait

if it's just too sunny outside, a little couch time

with a good book might be just the thing... sipping

a little Bandol, perhaps?

one of the lovely surprises that are an

everyday sight on a Provence tour, the land

that celebrates beauty in all things

we'll have an afternoon tea in the

stunning courtyard of

Mas d'Ange (House of the Angel)

perhaps just a quick stop at an

incredible confiserie provençale to

stock up for our breakfast treats;
your Provence tour will delight you
every moment!

one of the lovely views of the Provence

countryside... this is outside Oppede le Vieux

you'll be visiting the land that inspired Van Gogh's

stunning Almond Blossoms!

my favorite map of la belle Provence,

courtesy of ProvenceWeb; your
Provence tour will be centered in
the Vaucluse

ah! we arrive at the Cafe de France

in l'Isle sur la Sorgue

just in time for le dejeuner after a

busy morning at the brocante!

we'll take an electric bicycle ride

through the vineyards... and stop for

wine tastings along the way!

I love this mairie, the town hall, of

l'Isle sur la Sorgue

I loved this mid-century upholstered

canape at the brocante.. look at those

colors! When I circled back it was gone!

some simple ironworks artifacts... wonderful

for shipping home, because they don't break!

this vendor specializes in vintage silver only!

basque stripe fabric is everywhere at the

markets in Provence in the spring!

these two jugs made their way back to

my home after our last Provence tour!

perhaps you will need one of these,

hmmm cherie? baskets from

the French Basketeer!
no Provence tour is complete
without one!

... and no Provence tour is complete without at least

one culinary adventure... a cooking class, cherie!

and this one is in a chateau!

another day we will spend a gorgeous

few hours in this beautiful hotel, having

a cooking lesson if you like, or

stopping in for lunch or tea

can you smell the lavender yet?

***

a sample of our seven day tour, you

won't want to miss this!

download brochure, and click through

for the video here!

***

Chic Provence Design Tour

Early Spring Provence

2011-11-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

While we are busy getting fall underway, here's a little reminder of spring to cheer you!

could anything be prettier than this

chateau in the Luberon in the spring?

photo by Steven McCormick

***

thanks for visiting! Kit

Happy Birthday Claire McCluskey!

2011-11-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

Since I have only (4) brothers, my cousin Claire is all the more precious to me. Today is her birthday, so I thought I'd post images that will mean a lot to her... really, only she will actually "get" them, but they are kind of cool, so I hope you like them too. These harken back to our childhood frolicking on the Gulf Coast and in Savannah.

Happy Birthday Claire!

Amie's wicker couch... now happily in Claire's

adorable home in Savannah

Amie and Bompoon, so very long ago, on

Coffee Bluff in Savannah

great aunt Kate's chapel in St. John's

Cathedral in Savannah

carved detail from the fireplace in the dining

room of the house in Apalach

chandelier in the dining room of

the house in Apalach... we used to watch

as the bugs got trapped in the points of

the glass and the housekeeper had to

empty them out every week!

the fort named for our grandfather in Apalach

a peek inside the fort shows this old,

crazed mirror where girls used to check

their appearance before going into the

WWII era dances

I know Claire would love a bed like this!

and living by the sea, she would adore a

table made from seashells

Claire loves blue and white

Claire, you know who this is, you and I will end up striding

by the sea just like her when we are 93 too!

***

Love you lots on this

very special birthday

of yours!!

***

beautiful beach house decor by Anne Selke

found here

***

Do you have someone special to you

whose birthday is coming up?

How would you celebrate that person?

***

thanks for visiting...! Kit

Cute Lil' Bookcase

2011-11-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

got this little Chinoiserie-inspired sweet treasure at the flea market...

on a beautiful sunny morning wandering with coffee in one hand

and chocolate croissant in the other

this little treasure was buried behind a pile of "junk"..

you have to take things out, put them alone in the

sunshine to really see them and make your decision

whether to buy or not...

and at $12, I couldn't resist!

what do you think?

***

thanks for visiting! Kit

This Weekend in Provence..a Provençal Auction!

2011-10-28T09:29:00.001-07:00

Meet me there! well, actually I will be there in spirit only. It seems the best auctions in Provence all happen in the fall.... which is one reason why I want to plan a Chic Provence Design Tour for the fall. It's an irresistible time to be there!

If you are lucky enough to be in Provence this Sunday, head over to the Château de Sanilhac near Uzés... preview Saturday October 29 from 11 am until 6 pm. Auction begins at 2:30 pm Sunday October 30. After a long leisurely Sunday lunch and game of boules, let's head on over and see what treasure await us there!

charming little round mirror framed in carved wood

this rare silver "confiturier" (jam pot) with two pigeons

on the top is one of many stunning silver pieces

at the auction

a perfectly Provençale piece, the "panetiére" in

walnut once hung on a kitchen wall and held

the daily bread safely away from animals and other pests

beautiful Directoire era day bed in walnut will go

for about €1000... don't you wish you were there

to snag this one??

Ecole française painting from the

Restoration epoch, €800 or so

a bronze by Louis Bottinelly

a XVIIe Spanish century console table with

beautifully carved golden legs

this golden bronze clock has Cupid reminding

us that time is fleeting... take love while you can!

the head of Christ carved in stone

a stunning pair of griffons in clay from

the XIXe century, about €4000

called a "frame with the shape of a gendarme's cap" this

little wooden charmer will go for about €200

this ecole française painting of a French soldier

beginning of XIXe century makes me smile

one of a set of 8 utterly charming lacquered

wood Provençale chairs

this Picasso ceramic from mid-century Vallauris

can be yours for perhaps €1000 or so... an original,

bien sûr!

how would you like this inkwell on

your desk? at €10,000, un peut chér!

***

thanks for visiting! Kit

A Deep South Home Tour & Pickled Shrimp

2011-10-20T14:49:00.001-07:00

Well, hi y'all!

Purely by chance, last week I found myself in Augusta, Georgia on the very same day as the spectacular Summerville 34th Annual Tour of Homes. When my uncle said he needed to do a little work at the piano that Saturday afternoon, I leapt at the chance to wander through some of the most beautiful, original, hospitable, and eminently livable homes that ever graced this weary old world.

Here is a twin-gabled Dutch Colonial from 1911. Renovated over the years and now filled with an eclectic mix of contemporary art and antiques, the home resonates with a bold, fresh elegance inside, while the manicured grounds and the staid, traditional exterior of the home exude the old Southern order a la early 20th C. I was not prepared for the joy of discovering the lightness of mood and the treasures found as I wandered from room to room. A delightful home.

in the barrel-vaulted foyer looking left into the dining room; the

art on the right is Australian Aboriginal and the left is Miro

the traditional twin gabled exterior belies the eclectic and

energetic mix of furnishings and colors inside

a stroll around the backyard, anyone?

the living room features a Nordic farm chair circa 1800s, artwork by

Ricardo Azziz, David Silva, Salvador Dali, Roberto Matta and the

gorgeous circa 1700 Chinese carved cabinet

I love this painting; the artist I believe is Ricardo Azziz

beautiful marble fireplace flanked by brilliant blue wing chairs

creates a very welcoming scene in the library

artwork by Miro

a closer view of the pretty sofa in the living room

a Calder hangs happily over 18c English antique sideboard

in the dining room

the spectacular solarium features Aboriginal Australian art with

rattan furnishings and stunning tile floor overlooking the

back patio and gardens

the tile pattern on the front patio at the

entrance to the house; beautiful in its simplicity

the rear of the house seen from about halfway back in the gardens!

love love love the mossy old bricks of

this garden pathway!

***

And now for a truly delightful authentically Southern

recipe for your next party:

Gigi's Pickled Shrimp Recipe*

*(does not taste like pickles!!)

2lb Shrimp

Sauce:

2/3 cup Oil

1/3 cup Vinegar

21/2 T Catsup

1 T Mustard

2 T Heinz 57 sauce

2 t Tabasco sauce

1 T Worcestershire Sauce

2 cloves Garlic

1 small Onion, chopped

2 T Pickling Spice

Boil and Peel Shrimp

Place Shrimp into sauce and let stand in fridge for 2-3 days

in a large ziplock bag

Remove from sauce and serve

You can stick each shrimp onto a cabbage with a toothpick!

Old fashioned, Southern, and VERY delicious, we have been

serving this dish for many years in our family!

Champagne is good with this!

***

Thanks for stopping by! Kit

Over Lunch: Planning Provence Printemps 2012

2011-10-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

May 2012 seems a long while away, but it is just around the corner when you are planning a week-long, inspiring Chic Provence Design Tour in the south of France! Yes, we are so excited to about our next tour! The team took a little time out this weekend from all our other busyness to sit down together and plan the wonderful things we are going to offer next spring. Of course, we had to do this over a little repas to keep our strength up and our brain cells optimized!

We set the table with... flea market finds from Provence, bien sur! We sharpened our pencils and got out the maps... and we have a fabulous tour planned for you. We listened to what our lovely participants last year said, and we have come up with an incredible journey for anyone who loves Provence, or would like to just find out once and for all if they do or not!

All the details will come soon along with the brochure, the dates, and you can start planning and dreaming about the trip of your lifetime!

vintage Minton china, old lace, lavender, rare pink

coral all inspire our planning session for our

next Chic Provence Design Tour in 2012!

***

these stunning French scenes are in the hotel La Mirande,

on the tour last year... a castle

built for the Cardinal when the Pope lived

in the Palace next door... in Avignon

circa 1309 AD

all photos by Kit Golson

using Nikon D70

***

thanks for visiting! ... Kit

The Breezy Chic Art of Regina Saura

2011-10-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

She's from Spain, and grew up with a photographer father. Her art really thrills me. I love the brilliant use of color, composition and perspective. I always love to see written words incorporated into works of art.

These large format (some are over 60" x 48") works would be brilliant in many settings: starkly sleek and modern, of course, but also in rooms of all natural materials such as stone, tile and wood.

What do you think?

Regina Saura

CaldwellSnyder

1328 Main St.

St. Helena, CA 94574

***

merci pour la visite!... Kit

Shipment from l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Brocante Est Arrivee!!

2011-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Although it was a few weeks ago, I can still feel the excitement I felt when I uncrated my treasures when they arrived from Provence. When the shipper called (finally!.. I had been waiting for months!) I made quite sure to be home the day and appointed hour of the arrival of these huge shipping crates... and was as excited as I get at Christmastime!

Here are my wonderful brocante finds from l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue... frankly, it's not a lot, but it is packed as if it were an art treasure from the Louvre!

here are all three jugs... aren't they beautiful? I love the

original pear shape, and the last one still has the vestiges

of the red wine that was stored in it... beautiful relics of

a long ago time in Provence

this incredible wine jug is one of three I bought and

shipped home... it's a huge, 26" tall hand-blown

vintage Provençal wine jug from between the

two world wars

yes, if you look closely, you will see that the tag is

still on the jug from the flea market... and yes, it

cost only 45 euros! or about $60... incredible price!

***

next box contained the 11 vintage Minton china luncheon plates I

found at the flea market; here they are wrapped and packed

within an inch of their lives!

these stunning plates (OK, I'm a plate-aholic:) are each with

a different pattern, and all exquisitely hand-painted... I really think

they are quite beautiful, and since I found them at the end

of the flea market, I was able to get them for 80 euros, instead of

the original 500 euros the vendor was asking!

Are they stupendous?

***

yep, this very large well-constructed crate carried

three glass jugs and 11 luncheon plates from France

to my backyard with nothing broken... the crates

have since been recycled for a local Woodside

production of South Pacific... perfect, non?

What do you think of my treasures?

Come with me next time... I'm

planning another trip in Spring 2012..

details to follow!

***

then, just to keep the fun coming, I received my order for these

beautiful, smooth white linen euro pillow covers from

my friend Tricia Rose at Rough Linen! look at her

artful packaging!

the cases are truly wonderfully linen, smooth and cool to

the touch; here I have them in one of our salles des amis

to be enjoyed by our next house guest!

I think I could just curl up right here with a good book

and let the world pass me by for a few hours... these

pillows are so sumptuous and inviting now!

You can order from Tricia these amazing all linen bedclothes:

duvets, pillow slips, sheets... as well as table cloths, curtains and napkins...

be sure to visit her wonderful website... you

will love whatever it is you order from her... I've seen it all!

PS Tricia was featured in Martha Stewart Living!

PPS Tricia lives right on the water (north San Francisco Bay inlet)

in a very charming cottage she has

decorated in an amazingly refreshing way... I will be doing a

blog post about her home soon!

***

Merci pour la visite!.... Kit

And the Lucky Winners of {Hidden in Paris} Are...

2011-09-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

....Libby at An Eye For Detail and Karena at Art by Karena!!

Grand felicitations to both of you! Corine will contact you to personally send an autographed book to you. Be sure to let me know how much you like it!

***

merci pour la visite! Kit

A Chic Provence Giveaway! Hidden in Paris

2011-09-09T08:18:00.001-07:00

The brilliant Corine at Hidden in France has published her first book, Hidden in Paris,and I loved reading it! I already miss the characters... Annie, Lola, Althea, Lucas... and find myself wondering what they are up to now!

Corine is French living in Los Angeles, and her book is written with lots of little insights into the French way of thinking. I find her use of the English language completely charming and spot on for a native French speaker (and I know because I'm married to one!). I can already see the film, {Renee Zellwieger (Annie), Uma Thurman (Lola), Hilary Swank (Althea)}, and a narrator speaking English with that French accent and way of expressing things, and I can't wait to see it!

If you have been to Paris you will recognize the places and the paces of life described here, and it will make you want to head over there and take up residence off Avenue Hoch near Parc Monceau, and shop the daily produce markets on Rue Poncelet. Sigh!

You can win an autographed copy of Hidden in France here, enter below now!

Parc Monceau in Paris a la fin du siecle

Parc Monceau in Paris today

Rue Poncelet in Paris

Corine Gantz' new book,

a delicious read!

How to enter? Trés simple!

1. follow Chic Provence here

2. like my FB page

3. follow my Twitter

4. leave a lovely message for me here

Two lucky winners will have the book sent directly to them by Corine herself!

By the way, go over to Hidden in France today and enter for a Paris weekend giveaway!!

Bon Chance!

**drawing to be held Monday evening PST 8 pm**

***

Merci pour la visite! ... Kit

Before Everyone Else Is Up in Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

2011-08-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

One early morning in April we found ourselves walking through the roads and alleyways in l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, in Provence. We stopped in for un cafe et une croissant, then wandered through the quiet streets before the hustle and bustle of the day. Peeking into store windows and watching the locals get the day going, here is what we saw:

a sweet topiary window display

coffee and croissant

and the newspaper to start the day

I love a lot about this window; the lamps, the table

the colors, the shadowy painting... my reflection:)

the burly gendarme and his burly dog

get their morning going

couldn't wait 'til this antiquaire opened!

General Charles de Gaulle's speech in 1940

the "general store" in town before the day's rush

of customers

the Easter delectables in the window

of one of the confiseries

what's so funny chocolate bunny? :)

this antiquaries was just setting things up on

their terrace by the river

pillow covers pieced together from vintage French

linens of many types

the coolness of cement in a shaded garden terrace

peeking in another antiquaire

a doorway of local home; the colors

of apricot and lavender I love!

a cool spot to stop and rest a moment

a stolen kiss between the betrothed!

***

{all photos taken with my iPhone}

merci pour la visite! .. Kit

Dessert Blanc Bleu

2011-08-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

***

HELLO EVERYONE!

{Blogger has been driving me crazy lately. What is UP with Blogger? anyone else having nightmares with fonts, formats, etc?}

This evening is the first real summer one we've had. All summer long we have been freezing as soon as the sun goes down. But this evening... at le crepescule, it was lovely.

How could we NOT have dessert in the far back corner of the garden? How could we not use the beautiful hand-stitched blue and white throw over the table? how could we not cut dahlias and roses from the garden and toss them into a silver pitcher? and of course we had to bring out the beautiful Rosenthal bone china we use so infrequently. Then we realized we must bring out the old French fauteuil that is covered in needlepoint blue & white by Chris's own grand-mere with her own two hands. Incroyable!

The result is this little vignette that will forever remind me of our first warm evening of 2011.

merci pour la visite! ... Kit

I'm linking up with Between Naps on the Porch

for Tablescape Thursday!

A Little Southern Beach Cottage...

2011-08-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

...would be a lot fun right about now... a tall icy drink, palm trees swaying in the breeze, the screened-in sleeping porch, laughter and dogs barking in the distance... these are the things of the endless summers of my childhood. Although our cottage wasn't quite this adorable, it was the real thing... wooden cottage on stilts set back in the dunes in the palmettos at Indian Pass Beach on the Gulf Coast, with a wooden walkway leading to the front screened porch. With the sun hot overhead, as children we were not allowed outside between 10 am and 3 pm, so my four brothers and I played endless games of monopoly and cards, built forts and put on plays and art shows.

Those summer vacations are now more a state of mind than anything else. Wanna come play?

colorful vintage beach pails

pale seafoam breadboard walls trimmed in

white are the quintessential beach look

simple shelves made from found beach wood

cooling blues and whites among the mossy beach oaks

Fifi Flowers painted this very cottage; you can

buy this at her etsy shop here!

painted floor screened porch with colorful rattan furniture

is charming; the porch ceiling is painted blue to scare

away the spirits... of course!

the adorable cottage above is

one of the Mermaid Cottages on

Tybee Island, Georgia, near
Savannah where my dear
cousin Claire lives and

my mother was born

halfway between

Saint Vincent Island

and Cape San Blas

lies Indian Pass Beach

where we spent long

summer vacations

the incomparable white powdery sand of my

childhood summers on the Gulf Coast

St. George Island

***

Thanks for visiting!..... Kit

l'âne bleu Brings a Smile :)

2011-08-08T06:00:00.001-07:00

If you use color, pattern, shape and texture in unexpected ways you will create an element of surprise and delight in your interiors. Caravane, available at l'âne bleu... l'Art de Vivre au Sud in Marseilles, has put together an irresistible collection of pieces that are at once young at heart and sophisticated a la one.

Their cheeky, playful designs will always bring a smile, and what could be better for the spirit?

a fantastic rendition of a kilim-covered fauteuil

would lighten the mood of any room a

few notches!

this is my favorite color of blue; and I love the

pearly round shapes on the wall

the sculptural shape, light feel and

gorgeous color make this canapé

a star!

***

merci pour la visite! .. Kit