This Weekend in Provence..a Provençal Auction!

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

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

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

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