The Perfect Gift: Letter Cookie Gift Bag
Hey. The school year is long. And it never hurts to try and get on the teacher’s good side early on. : ) So I asked Amy of This Heart of Mine to create a sweet back-to-school gift for teachers — something fun you can bake with your kids! (Take note: the squeeze bottles are genius.) — Gabrielle
Another summer is at its end and school’s start is coming soon (or maybe it’s already begun!). It’s hard to part with the lazy days of summer, for student and teacher alike. Lucky students, they get new gear, new backpacks, new pencils, maybe new clothes if there was some summer growth. Teachers might get a few new materials too, but why not help start their year with a little extra sweetness?
… Living With Kids: Blair Stoker, Revisited
Do you remember Blair Stocker’s thoughtful, art-filled home? I thought you might. Her family is clearly a creative bunch that surrounds themselves with the treasures they’ve made plus everything else that inspires their artistic leanings. So when it was time to transform her daughter Emma’s room from little girl heaven to teen-approved sanctuary, there was no shortage of brilliant ideas and the DIY-ability to execute them. Welcome back, Blair!
Q: Tell us why you decided to redecorate your daughter’s bedroom.
A: We painted Emma’s room pink when we moved into this house, back in 2002 when she was three. A few years later, we gave it a new coat of paint in her favorite color at the time: purple. A light purple, but purple. A fresh coat of paint, new quilt, and a closet clean-out occurred, and we considered that space good to go for a while.
… Switzerland
Waving hello from Bern, Switzerland! It is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Gasps escape us at every turn.
We walked through Old Town this morning. Did a little back-to-school shopping. Listened to, and watched, the famous clock chime. Swam in the Aare River (hands down the prettiest river I’ve ever seen). Then picked up sandwiches for lunch.
Now we’re at our laptops, while the kids settle down for the afternoon with a movie. Stay tuned, because I have a fun giveaway for you today!
P.S. — Feel free to join our adventure on Instagram.
Olive Us Episode 7: How To Buy Eggs from a Petite Farm
Here’s the latest from Olive Us! Join Betty, Olive & Maude as they visit our French neighbor to buy eggs.
Bonjour hens and roosters!
The Perfect Gift: French Braided Welcome Wreath
August is one of the year’s biggest moving seasons and chances are you have a dear friend settling into a new home right this minute, or some new neighbors who looking to make friends. So I asked Miranda of One Little Minute to come up with something lovely to make as a housewarming gift. Take a look at her adorable idea! — Gabrielle
Inspired by the french braid trend, I came up with this simple, french-braided fabric wreath and know it will make an easy, versatile housewarming gift. I chose to make it with bright gradient colors of fabric scraps, but I think it would look equally amazing in raw burlap or all white linen. Gorgeous! There are so many possibilities that you could use this technique to match any style.
After you make your wreath, feel free to download and print the free Welcome Home Tag to make your gift complete!
… Love The Place You Live: Haras du Pin
Not long after we moved here, when we’d driven around a bit, we noticed signs that said Haras du [fill in the blank], all over the place. When we inquired about them, we were told they indicated horse breeding farms, and that the horse-breeding capital for all of France was right here in the town of Argentan. It’s called Haras du Pin. (You can pronounce is Huh-rah-do-pan.)
I can’t wait to tell you about our visit, but first, I need to apologize. I intended to write about William the Conquerer’s Castle in Caen for this post, because we spent Saturday in Caen running errands. But I didn’t get any photos! Not one. So I’m sharing our visit to Haras du Pin instead. It happened one year ago this very month. So the good news is: at least the photos look seasonal. : )
… Another French Cottage, But It’s Already Fixed Up!
After posting cottage prices last week, I’ve been getting emails from readers who are curious about buying property in this region of France. With good reason! It’s definitely a buyer’s market right now. But many people want to know if there are any cottages available that don’t need an overhaul — that have already been redone.
Which made me think of the charming cottage pictured here! It was purchased and lovingly revitalized by a couple from England (I know them from church). The couple is moving back to England to spend more time with their grandkids and have decided to sell.
The property is amazing. The kitchen, living room and bedroom have all been redone. The garden is full of fruits and flowers — apple trees, raspberries, blackberries. Ivy grows happily up the stone walls. And it’s very near the charming town of Carrouges, home of a super cool castle and one of our favorite cheeses.
There is plenty of storage and barn space, like behind the green door above. FYI: Here in the countryside, empty barns that are attached to homes act as garages, filled with bikes and gardening tools and tennis rackets. We park our vintage Renault in a barn at our house.
And the property includes a terrific outbuilding (the photo with the brown door). The outbuilding could be turned into a guest house or an artist’s studio. It’s super inspiring and gets my imagination going whenever we visit.
But maybe the most inspiring thing is the views of the countryside from the cottage. Rolling hills, fields and forests. Gorgeous!
And all the work is done.
Of course, that means the price goes up! A cottage like this is listed for 199,000 euros (which is approx $280,000 depending on today’s exchange rate). Not a bad deal for a nice-sized slice of the French countryside. You can see the full house listing, plus interior pics, here.
P.S. — For those who are seriously shopping, if you don’t speak French, a house like this is extra-dreamy, because the sellers will be easy to communicate with. Even better, you can contact the owners directly and get a price that’s 10,000 euros less (because no agency fees). If you do want to contact the owners, just let me know and I’ll send you their email address.
New York
Here I am, feeling like I just got back to France, and now I’m flying to New York today. Hooray! I can hardly believe my luck. I’ll be there through the week to help host and put on Alt Summit NYC (which is going to be amazing!). The weather will be summery and hot (no surprise), but even in the dog days of August, New York is so appealing to me. You too?
Extra-fun: my French friend Caroline is coming too! She’s never been to New York — never been to America, actually — and she’s over the moon about it. I have meetings and appointments throughout the week, but Caroline will get to play tourist. During the plane ride, we’re going to map out an awesome NYC itinerary. For Caroline, it will include cupcakes because… SHE HAS NEVER HAD ONE.
(Don’t you think that deserved all caps?)
She’s had plenty of chances when she visits Paris, but she wanted to wait until she could have the real thing in America. Isn’t that fantastic? If you were planning a New York itinerary for Caroline, what would you put on your don’t miss list?
Historic photo of Grand Central Station from the NYC Municipal Archives.
P.S. — I have tons of fun posts for this week, including 3 more for today, so definitely stay tuned. Cottage Shopping
On Monday afternoon, we visited two more cottages for sale in our area. I think of them as Cottage #2 and Cottage #3 (because we visited Cottage #1 on Friday). Cottage #2 was charming as can be, but had major mold problems, so we passed on that one almost immediately. Cottage #3 (pictured above, see more pics here) was pretty much fantastic.
We really like it! It’s on a bigger piece of property than the first cottage, and the structure is more sound. The living space is almost non-existent — just one room with an amazing old oven. There are attached barns on either side of the one room, and huge attic space above. So if we bought it, we would need to work with an architect to create more living + sleeping areas in the attic or barns.
It hasn’t been lived in for many, many years and it’s currently classified as a barn instead of house. So before we can consider it seriously, the homeowners need to get a certificate that says the building is allowed to become reclassified as a house. But we were told we could go ahead and start getting bids on work if we’re interested.
This would be a major endeavor. (Understatement!) The property needs electricity, a septic tank, and roof repairs (luckily, not a whole new roof) just to get started. That’s before we get into projects like adding a stair case or creating bedrooms. I am no stranger to renovations, but this definitely intimidates me!
Ultimately, we love the idea of having a little place here. Something to keep us connected to France even after we move home.
For those of you who are curious, in our area, bare bones properties like this have low, low price tags (this one is around $33,000 after taxes), and require approximately $65,000 in work to make them liveable. The low price tag means we could buy the home outright without having to get a mortgage, then save up for the improvements as we go.
Tell me, friends. Does a project like this appeal to you? Or does it give you a headache just thinking about it? : )
P.S. — Do you know of an amazing architect that would love a project like this? Living With Kids: Shannon Molenaar
There’s a point during all of these Living With Kids tours when I fall in love with the home I’m featuring. It’s either a charming entry or a pure-white kitchen or a particularly messy craft room or even the way the sunlight streaks through a master bedroom and warms up the entire post. Sometimes it’s not even a photo, but rather a sentiment about this wild journey we’re on that makes me stop and pause for minutes on end. And sometimes, it’s shelves. Friends, I’d like you to meet Shannon. I’ve hereby appointed her the Queen of Shelving. You’ll see why after the jump. (Bonus: If you like a white, more neutral home, this tour is for you. And if you prefer lots of color, this tour is for you, too.)
Q: Please tell us all about you and yours.
A: I’m Shannon, stay-at-home-mom of two little truckers: Tyler, who is three years old, and Trevor, who is almost nine months old. My husband, Lieh, is our rock! He is the calm steady influence in our lives while I am the whirlwind of emotions, desires, and what ifs. You could say (he probably wouldn’t) that I dream big, and he helps make things happen when the time is right!
My favorite hobby is reading fiction novels, from the ones your high school teacher recommended to fast-paced young adult books. Divergent, anyone? My heart races with anticipation upon entering a thrift store or flea market; I go often, and then some! I even look up thrifts and fleas before every vacation we take, and plan our itinerary around them! We also love to travel. And even though traveling with little ones is extra work, kids know there is still magic in the world and they know where to find it!
… London Olympics: A Report
Oh my goodness! It was a quick trip, but so worth it. Here’s a little report on our trip to the Olympics in London accompanied by images from my Instagram stream. Note: we didn’t even have tickets to any events. Hah!
We drove in to the city Sunday morning. We looked into taking the train, but decided to drive instead and it was clear roads the whole way. We parked in a little parking garage at Thomas More Square, which is a short walk from The Tower Bridge. The parking lot was almost empty because it was a Sunday morning. Easy!
We walked to the river, emerged between two buildings and the first great view of the city was the Tower Bridge with the Olympic rings in all their glory! We gasped and cheered. What a sight!!!
Next, we walked toward the Tower of London hoping to get a glimpse of the women’s marathon. The turnaround point was right at the Tower. By the time we arrived, the marathon had been going for about an hour.
… Living With Kids: Geralyn Broder Murray
Geralyn Broder Murray is a writer. Lately, I’ve started to notice that good writers create some of the most awe-inspiring yet completely comfortable, at ease homes. I guess it all goes back to the concept that design is nothing more than the telling of a story, which makes a home a very, very personal compilation of important treasures and memories to never forget and all the other photos that don’t make it into an album. Geralyn’s home tells a tale I’d like to read over and over again. Want to read it with me once more? Here goes! Friends, I’d like you to meet Geralyn.
Q: Tell us all about the family who lives here!
A: This is home to my lovely, funny husband Chris, an award-winning video editor who tackles 100-mile bike rides on the weekend for fun; our eight-year old daughter Reese who adores math and playing family in equal measure (“It’s so hard to the be the mom of eight kids, Mom!” she often says to me in the hallway, exhausted, juggling three baby dolls and a plastic stroller); our five- year old son Finn — widely known as Mr. Inappropriate (anyone with a small boy will understand) — who adores any sort of ball, as well as art, inventing things, and driving his sister nuts. There are also two dogs (one big and hairy, one small and a bit smelly), along with the bossiest cat in the world. This cat has an aversion to closed doors, regardless of which side of said door he is on.
Q: Share your home’s story with us; how did it come to be yours?
A: Sometimes, a home chooses you. In our case, we were living in this very same neighborhood with our daughter (at the time, just a toddler), in a smaller home (980 square feet) and we were over for dinner with dear friends two blocks away. They announced they were moving; we were crushed, but by dessert we looked around at the house that was a good 700 square feet bigger than our own and decided we should buy it from our friends. That is this house.
… Living With Kids: Sandra Harris
This is the story of a happy little home in Vancouver, where the decoration of preference is joy. I like Sandra’s house because it’s a fresh space that brings a smile with every pop of bold color and an abundance of statement pieces where you least expect them, but I love it because there’s a clear choice happening in this house. And choosing happiness in everything that surrounds you usually ends up in a life overflowing with it. Friends, I’d like you to meet Sandra. May this peek into her home bring a bit of happiness to your morning! (Related: Aren’t peonies the cheeriest flowers ever?)
Q: Tell us all about the creatives living in this home!
A: Roll call! Everyone line up! We have the man, our six year daughter who just finished first grade, and me.
I joke that my husband and I are recovering creatives because we both grew up in working class homes where it was all about having sensible, reliable, responsible paid work. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but having any life other than that was a bit suspect! We both were and are passionate about jazz music – he’s an amateur drummer and I’m an amateur pianist – and art and theater. He’s also had some photography shows, while I am still learning feverishly. It’s my new obsession!
We’ve both spent many years going back and forth between how to balance earning a living and living out our creative passions. There’s no perfect solution, though. I think it’s one of those issues where by just asking the question you end up with powerful life changes.
Q: How did this house become your home?
A: We had been living in Toronto right downtown for ten wonderful, creative, gritty, urban years when life drew us back west to Vancouver. Think a low-key Seattle; very much a part of the Pacific Northwest and, in many ways, the antithesis of the east coast life. It’s all about the outdoors and natural beauty, and is a much smaller and slower paced place.
… Olive Us: Episode 6: Spring Cleaning
It’s been several weeks since we shared an Olive Us episode, and we’re so happy to have a new one today! In this episode, titled Spring Cleaning, Ralph, Maude and Olive work together to prep their bikes for a ride on a sunny day. Isn’t it lovely to work hard, then enjoy the benefits of your hard work? We love it!
Friends. They are not wearing helmets. Yikes! (If you saw the original trailer, you may remember this.) I wish I had a good excuse, but honestly, it didn’t even cross my mind. In the barn at La Cressonnière, where we filmed this, there are a dozen bikes and not a single helmet. Wearing helmets for casual bike riding doesn’t seem to be a big thing in France. If I’d been thinking, I would have stopped at the sporting goods store to pick some up. But clearly, I wasn’t thinking. My apologies in advance! That said, I hope you enjoy the show anyway. : )
For those of you who’ve emailed, asking how many episodes to expect, here’s the plan: we have one more Season 1 episode to share, and a possible bonus episode (or two!) as well. We share those over the next couple of weeks. For Season 2, earlier this month, we filmed 8 awesome episodes! They’ll start airing in late August or early September. We’re excited!
P.S. — Want to stay up to date on all things Olive Us? Go ahead and subscribe to the newsletter. Living With Kids: Kirsty Gungor
This is the home where Kirsty lives with her four men, three of whom are under eight! At first glance, you might not see bold traces of their existence, but that’s just because Kirsty’s overwhelmingly feminine and clean romantic style is such a scene-stealer. It’s a trick, isn’t it, to retain your aesthetic and make it work even when you’re a tad outnumbered? It’s clear that this is a home designed to foster bright memories and happy moments, whether you love pink or not! Please enjoy this one, friends!
Q: Please tell us all about you and your men!
A: My name is Kirsty and I’m mom to three magnificent little boys: Parker is seven, Monty is five, and Elliot is two. I’m also a wife to (the equally magnificent but who probably won’t enjoy the adjective too much!) Phil, who has been the love of my life for the past 12 years. Our family lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but I’m originally from South Africa and moved to the US when I was 15.
My husband is a music pastor at our church. I’m a stay-at-home mom most of the time, but about 20% of my week is spent teaching ballet and jazz to 60 little ladies. While dance has been a lifelong passion for me, I’ve recently started freelance writing and photography for a few local magazines, as well as portrait photography for families in the area — newer endeavors but opportunities I adore. And I also write a blog called Lovelies in My Life, which is a sort of photo journal celebrating the beautiful things in life.
… Summer Pranks
This week, we’re staying at our cousin’s house in Colorado, and yesterday morning, we woke up to find the house had been toilet-papered! Our little kids were wide-eyed with fascination and delight — they had never witnessed anything like this before.
Did you ever go toilet-papering as kid? As a teenager, I loved it. It felt sneaky, and a little cheeky (toilets!), but ultimately harmless. I ran with a pretty straight-laced group of friends (no drinking or partying), so toilet-papering was a good outlet for excess energy on the weekend. We would toilet paper friends’ homes, the homes of boys we had crushes on, even the homes of teachers we knew could take a joke. And I loved when my house was the target as well. I felt like it implied that people knew my family had a sense of humor.
In contrast, a friend that grew up on the East Coast, told me toilet-papering was considered as serious vandalism in her town, and that people were offended by it. So I know it means different things in different communities.
What’s your take: Innocent pastime? Or would you be offended if your house was toilet-papered (no egging, no forks in the lawn, just plain-old toilet paper)? Did you ever try it as a kid? Would you let your own kids toilet-paper someone’s house?
Image here. Living With Kids: Ashley English
The sign leading to Ashley English’s home should read Wonderland, perhaps even with a stern warning to Enter at Your Own Risk. It’s mesmerizing, this one. After only a few paragraphs and lush photos, I’d mostly convinced myself that we need more grocery gardens, wine-berry bushes, a secret room decorated as a cave, and a yome. (It is the yome, I think, that will hook Ben Blair into the idea!) Enjoy meeting Ashley, friends, and enjoy the moments of “Honey? Let’s move to the forest!” cravings this tour will surely evoke.
Q: Tell us about the family who calls this wonderland home.
A: I share this home with my husband, Glenn, and our 20 month old son, Huxley Wild. There are also two dogs (Fly and Dexter), four cats (Kali, Cleo, Jonah, and Blueberry), nine hens and one rooster, and about 50,000 honeybees in two beehives.
Glenn and I both work from home. We collaborate on everything. He does some freelance art consulting and various projects, but mostly we just sort of tag-team watching Huxley (he’s been with us exclusively since his birth) with juggling working on blogging, freelance writing, cooking (for both work-related projects and our own needs), gardening, property and house upkeep, and all of the assorted and sundry stuff of life!
… Art Museums + Kids
This post is brought to you by Art.com. Check out the rad new site and find out why Art.com says: We Are Art.
One of the best things I do with my kids is visiting art museums. In case you’ve wanted to try this with your kids, I thought I’d share my favorite trick. When we head to a museum, we always stop at the gift shop first. Each child picks out a postcard from the museum’s collection, and then we hunt for that art on the postcard during our visit. It’s a little thing, but it turns the explorations into a bit of a treasure hunt and helps keep the younger kids engaged. Have you ever tried it?
Speaking of museums + kids, last Thursday, I took the kids to the BYU Museum of Art. I wanted to see the Western Art in their Wide Open Spaces exhibit. The exhibit is heavy on the Maynard Dixon pieces, and I’m a big Maynard Dixon fan. So I was happy as could be.
I’m always drawn to Western Art because it looks like home to me. The colors, the vistas, all of it. My community, my neighborhood, my childhood was literally peopled with cowboys and Native Americans, and set among the red rocks and deserts and horses and big skies.
Have you taken your kids to a museum this summer? How’d it go?
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By the way, if you’re looking for pieces from your favorite museum, you’re in luck. The new Art.com site launched over the weekend with over a million pieces to choose from! The updated design looks amazing and it’s way easier to find what you’re looking for. My favorite new changes: 1) New tools to make searching easier — this is key! 2) You can upload your own images to create your own art. Which is awesome. And 3) Curated Collections by designers and tastemakers, like the gorgeous Vogue Vintage Collection. Take a look at the new Art.com and see what you find! Being Alone
On Friday night, I went to a movie on my own. (I saw The Amazing Spiderman. Have you seen it? It’s so good!) I hadn’t been to a movie by myself for ages and it felt great. I think I was craving some alone time after all the family reunion-ing and social interactions we’ve had since we arrived in the U.S.
When my kids woke up the next day and heard I’d been to a movie — by myself — they were kind of astounded. They know it’s not unusual for me to run errands alone, but I guess they haven’t seen me do something that’s traditionally social on my own. My conversation with my kids reminded me of this beautiful video:
Tell me, friends. Do you ever seek solo time? Do you ever go to dinner or the movies on your own? Do you like it or does it make you feel lonely? Do your kids seek alone time?
P.S. — My phone is still broken. So funny how much I miss it! Living With Kids: Kate Lewis, Revisited
Remember Kate Lewis and her whimsical Chicago home? There were those one-of-a-kind DIY light fixtures in her dining room, the hand-drawn goodness on her son’s walls, and swings in the studio, all of which made me smile the whole way through her interview. I could read it again and again, couldn’t you? So I reached out to Kate and asked if she had made any more lovely additions to her home. Luckily for us, she had. Even better, she sent pictures. And even better than that, she answered a few more questions for me. Friends, please say hello (again) to Kate!
Q: What’s new, Kate?
A: We’ve been busy! We’re spending a lot of time outside, enjoying our twinkly-lighted backyard at night, and our porch and new little garden in the front of our house, too. It’s been such a treat to pick strawberries, lettuce, and fresh herbs with the kids; it reminds me of my childhood in Tennessee when I would watch my grandmother in her garden.
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