new friends in our cottage

I have often said how blessed we are to host such wonderful guests here, from all over the world.

Peonies & Lace by Dee Kirkham

This week has been no exception.

Not only have these three ladies been totally charming as they have sped around Normandy, visiting churches, markets, brocantes, landing beaches ... you name it!  If it sat still they saw it!

Crock & Cheese by Mary Jo Querry

Mary Jo, Chris and Dee are also extremely talented artists.  They paint together or individually, their friendship deepened through their shared passion and talent.

Sunflowers in Chinese Blue by Chris Hooker

 In between visits they found the time to make friends with Gibson and Ghetto

 - hugely appreciated by these playful pups.

Take a moment to browse their sites, I promise you, you won't be disappointed!

Dee Kirkham

Mary Jo Querry

Christine Hooker

our french country guest cottage

Well the snow has one as quickly as it came and it's just as well because tomorrow my new brocante and guest season gets underway.

Our guest cottage has had a big spring clean.  No major work required, but a new lamp here and some different curtains there ... you know the sort of thing.

This week and next I shall be hosting guests who want to shop at the big antique fair on our side of Paris, as well as checking out our local dealers and my secret addresses.

Of course this year  there are the group brocante tours too.  I'm delighted to say that the April tour is now fully booked, and there are only a few places left on the September tour.  Today I have to finalise details for the September itinerary, and send that to everyone who's been in touch about the tours.  If you would like to receive that info , just drop me a line.

Early April and all of May are going to be busy, busy, busy with individual buyers coming here to shop.  I'll be driving a big truck around Normandy, as we buy at dealers and fairs, and tick items off their wish lists!  Many of the guests have been here before, and it really feels more like meeting up with old friends, than greeting clients.

It is uncanny how we only have the most charming visitors here!  While I was preparing the cottage, I picked up our guest book and smiled to read the messages that guests leave behind.  A few simple words conjure up faces in my mind.  I remember the excitement as they discover a fair; or the fun they had with our dogs; or taking them to our local farmer's market   ... I can honestly say that we are blessed.

preparing for guests

Whenever I prepare our guest cottage for new guests arriving, I invariably think about my grand mother.    An elegant lady and a fine housekeeper.

When as a little girl, I stayed with her, she always placed, on my bedside table a tiny vase with a handful of blooms from the garden.  I loved this attention to detail, a sweet welcome, an accompanying gesture that made me feel cared for.

So today, as I tidied the cottage, and made up the beds, my last task was to pick a few flowers and pop them into vases.  Some for the kitchen, some for the living room and some - of course - for the bedside table.

How about you?  What is the special thing you like to do, to make guests feel welcome?  Or, alternatively, what is the thing you most remember, that a host or hostess prepared for your visit?

guests to our cottage buying brocante

I am sometimes asked how easy it is to find the loot I show each week.  this is a very difficult question to answer: a bit like asking "how long is a piece of string?".

This week however I can show you exactly what can be done, if you have the sticking power and the determination, even though you're just visiting France for a short time on holiday.

We have been thrilled to meet Tricia and Allan, a delightful and most interesting couple from Charlotte, North Carolina.  They stayed in our cottage for 10 days, and came here to holiday in France and to indulge their passion for  brocante.

Tricia and Allan are used to travelling, they already visited France and - with a sat nav in the hire car -  they were happy to find their own way around.   I shared with them my best addresses, and pointed them in the right direction for the Sunday fairs and then ....  they just had fun!

They had a sure eye, and it was a joy to see the pleasure they got out of their shopping sprees.   

They bought for their own home; they bought to gift to friends and they bought for Allan's outlet in the town of Charlotte.    Allan sells antiques, by appointment only, if you're passing by you can reach him here.

So now of course,  I can hear you asking the question: "but HOW are they getting all that stuff home?!!"

Well the answer is that there is no easy answer!   Some goes into their baggage, some into excess baggage (ahem!), and some goes into our flat rate postal boxes, or even into some large brown boxes.

Let's just say that Allan and Trish got to know our post office quite well!  :)   But that's fine too.  We all have our little pleasures while on holiday.  For some it maybe fancy restaurants and champagne, others may be drawn to the casino or the racecourse, and for some it is brocante fairs.  C'est la vie!

We wish them a safe journey home, and thank them for being such charming guests ...... as indeed visitors to our cottage do tend to be.

twin pleasures

We've got double fun this week, as among the lovely guests to our guest cottage are two totally delicious little twin girls.

They may have travelled around the world to visit us, that has never stopped them smiling and being up for any fun going on around them.

Jet lag seems to be an unknown concept, so  .....

they have taken apples to the horses each day, 

played in their bedroom ...

(I had such fun reworking the cottage to accommodate twin beds)

discovered some of my girls' old friends ....

brought our little play house back to life ...

and finally they have given Gibson the opportunity to feel big and  responsible, 

and for that he is truly grateful!

great guests in our cottage

We have been lucky this year to have such great guests coming to stay in our cottage.  Many visitors from Australia and from the States, all totally delightful.  

Just today, I waved goodbye to Debra from 5th and State.   She stayed for a couple of days, and it was great to get to know her and show her around our part of the world.  You'll hear more about her visit later on.

In August,  Julie from Being Ruby came to stay. If you know Julie's blog, you'll be familiar with her talent as a photographer, and today she has been kind enough to write a post about her stay in the cottage and show some of  the beautiful pictures she took here.  She has such a good eye for taking a picture, I just love these shots.

I think she might share some of her pictures of our brocante hunting soon, so if you'd like to see Normandy through her lens pop on over and say hi from me.

Thank you Julie, you are the best!!

play houses, jugs and meadow flowers

You can tell I'm still winding down .... had some more fun with flowers today!

Preparing our guest cottage for a family arriving with children the right age to enjoy the adjacent play house.

I walked up the path to feed the horses and found some pretty field flowers,

then I dug out some old enamel pitchers,

then one thing led to another and finally I just grabbed the camera and went for the whole thing!!

I sure hope they enjoy it!!