french delights.

What a combination- Inoui scarves & Zoe Bonbon necklaces.

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BLACKBOARD

 

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mother - mum - mama - madre - maa

As one of the best days of the year is just around the corner (13th May), we thought we'd give you a few gift ideas from our lovely store. We couldn't resist doing a hot pink theme for this post, but just so you know nearly all of these products come in different colours. So if pink is not your mums fav, then you'll have to come in and look at the rest!

In this pic from top left to right:

Cire Trudon - Little Red Riding Hood candle

Dinosaur Designs bowls & jewellery

This Little Piggy went to Prada book

Marie Daage- Limoges cup

Little book - Handwritten notes to my mother

Voluspa candles and room fragrances

A selection of fab cookbooks

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de-LUXE- guides

Welcome to the ultimate city guides- LUXE. They fit perfectly in your travel bag and fold out to inform you of the best secrets of the city you're in. Having sold over a million copies proves that they are pretty darn good...

We have all used them and discovered areas of cities we would never have gone to..

A great little gift for your friend going on a holiday.

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Annie Kelly -- an inspiration --

Decorator and journalist Annie Kelly has authored many books including Casa San Miguel and writes a book column for 1stdibs.com . 
She writes on design for several magazines, including World of Interiors, 
and is also the editor in chief of the New York Observer Home magazine. 
The incredible photographs in her books are taken by her husband,  
Tim Street-Porter.

We sell Rooms To Inspire in the City, Rooms to inspire in the Country and Rooms to Inspire by the Sea. Heavenly.

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BLACKBOARD

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Just fab....

Here is a snap of some of the new Zoe Bonbon bracelets we got in. We love ALLLL the colours!

They make a perfect little birthday present.

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under the walnut tree

To all my culinary friends out there. This book is simply so luscious I took it home the day it arrived, (along with Kelly and Alice)....

Take ginger for example. Home made dry ginger ale, deep fried ginger to garnish salads and every ginger tea imaginable... and I haven't got to the curries yet!

Just having a week alone focusing on ginger would put me in ginger heaven!!! These two Scandivanians have created something so good, you just want to find the walnut tree and curl up under it.

Speak of the devil, my sister-in-law has just opened 'Walnut Cottage' in Burrawang for weekend stays. It is so so romantic (and old), and blissfully quiet with Burrawang Pub a stones throw away and Burrawang Cafe also just across a country lane.

I am staying there soon, so will keep you posted. For all you sneaky instant gratification girls- perouse it here.  Beware, it will make you want to book a weekend away...

Now something to stir the honey pot, Alice and I are putting our culinary skills into action, and coming face to face with each other in Le cook off !!! Stay posted all you hungarians...

 

{SC - LJ}

NEW IN STORE

Some delicious new Zoe Bonbon necklaces and bracelets have arrived from Paris. Some of the pieces in the new collection have resin animals on them. Rhino's, dogs and rabbits. So sweet and a great range of colours. Check out le blog here.

One of the new books which is particularly inspiring is 'Nature. Simple, healthy and good' by Alain Ducasse. Ducasse states "It is time to come back to the bare essentials and regain the pleasure of cooking simple vegetables, cereals and fruit that are so key to a healthy and balanced diet. It is my role as a cook to bring people back to the tastes of nature, because to eat well is to live a better life".

Come in and check out our new stuff.

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Larissa's casa...

Sherlock always knows where the action is. I just bought the new Lionel Richie CD, and started dancing to the tunes in my garden room. Lets just say, he thought mummy had gone a little mad.

It's the sunny weather outside that allows me to feel full of extra energy. Once those french doors are swung open, I feel unleashed!!!!!

I couldn't resist snapping up the last Hydrangea Iosis cushion from the shop. And the timing was great as I am still getting so many new buds so late in the season!!! 

-- Oh what a feeling, I was dancing on the ceiling -- 

April saw a lot of gardening changes in my abode. I decided to start from scratch and re-plant all of my herb garden. It was a little sad to farewell the rosemary bush that I had sung to for the last six years. It did however prompt me to cook a scrummy baked lamb that night. Rosemary - remembrance...

Recipe to follow...

Having just painted my two new guest rooms, I managed to enjoy a quiet afternoon reading the last chapters of "The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul". I sneakily sipped last nights Noble One, hoping John couldn't hear the distant clinking of ice, as there definitely wasn't enough to go round.

Feeling guilty I offered him a herbal tea when kettle duty came around (4:30pm to be precise!)

I love love love my mega sized Mateus mug, which mainly features thru winter holding my warming soups, but alas I had to drink a lot of tea after the many bottles of wine we knocked back last night...

With my Cire Trudon 'Proletaire' candle burning and the chocolate missing off my John Derian 'Madam Tuttle Card Reading' dish its time for a nanna nap!!!

BTW This is my first ever post. Alice has just informed me that it is going live immediately. Seriously I have stage fright, and would have tried a little harder if I had of known. My L plates should be displayed at least. So yes, Learner I am !

{SC - LJ}

wallpaper again

Considering lots of people have been commenting on our back wall lately, we thought we'd share a picture for those of you who haven't been into the store.

As mentioned previously, it is by Timorous Beasties from the UK.

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Astier De Villatte

In 1996 Benoit Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli opened a store on the ultra-chic Rue Saint Honore. They originally started out making furniture and decided to create a collection of ceramics that would enhance their tables. Little did they know that what was supposed to be a sideline would soon become an internationally sought after cult brand.

Astier de Villatte ceramics are entirely handmade in Paris. The collection is inspired by 18th and 19th century dinner services unearthed at the Paris flea markets.

Made of black terracotta clay glazed to create a milky white finish, the pieces are extremely durable yet surprisingly light to the touch making them perfect for everyday use. Each piece has slight irregularities which makes the brand unique.

A picture of the Astier store in Paris.

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Acqua Di Parma

Looking for a present for your Dad, brother, husband, uncle etc. ? Well we think Acqua di Parma is a pretty good idea! 

Acqua di Parma was established in 1916 in a small perfume factory in the old town center of Parma, the aristocratic culture-packed city of Giuseppe Verdi and Stendhal. Here, in this "small capital" of Italian savoir-vivre, skilled master perfumiers, with unexpected modern sensitivity, created an unusually light, fresh and crisp fragrance that marked a move away from the strong, aggressive perfumes of the day.

The Italians are well known for their citrus fragrances due to the amazing abundance of citrus fruits grown in the south. Most men come back for a second/third bottle of 'Colonia'.

Colonia became a symbol of Italian chic among American & European celebrities in pre-war and post-war years.

We also sell the talcumn powder, deodorant and (of course) the candles.

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Happy Easter!

Here are some Easter treats to make you jealous. Alice baked the buns on the left (sour cherry & dark chocolate = yum!) and the window display is from Ferg Bakery in Queenstown, NZ.

Mouth watering don't you think? We love Easter.

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what's that fragrance you are wearing?

Pierre Francois Lubin founded his perfume house in Paris in 1798. Lubin was the first perfumer to 'conquer' the new world in 1830 and soon his perfumes were known the world over.

In honour of Grace Kelly's extraordinary beauty Lubin created GIN FIZZ in 1955...

G-F is a soft floral fragrance with top notes of Bergamot, lemon, mandarin and juniperberry. Base notes of iris, lily, vetiver, oakmoss, musk and benzoin. It truly does smell like a quenching gin & tonic.

The fragrances in the bottom right corner of the picture above are by Mona Di Orio. Mona was born in 1969 in Annercy, France. Endowed with a natural sense of olfaction, Mona after studying art and philosophy, met Edmond Roudnitska at the age of 17 and became his 'protegee'. He was one of the greatest noses of the last century and created classics like Eau Savage, Dior Dior and Eau D'Hermes.

Mona's perfumes not only look amazing, but smell incredible too.  

Come in for a spritz!

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