Thoughts from the cookie . . .

About 10 years ago, we were eating in a Chinese restaurant and at the end of dinner I chose the cookie that contained this fortune:

It has lived in my wallet, behind my drivers license ever since and if anyone asks me what my personal philosophy of life is, I would just quote from the cookie. 

I'm off tomorrow. Next blog from Duras!

Au revoir! 

Getting my crafting groove on: "the frame job"

I have had a couple of paintings, done by Jamestown artist Tom McAleer, kicking around for a couple of years since I bought them at one of his open house sales. It's not that I don't like the pieces, just that I have been lazy about getting them framed and finding an empty wall.

I looked at them yesterday and realized they would both work really well in the Clocktower Cottage. So, with a shortage of time--not possible to get them framed professionally--I came up with an interesting and CHEAP solution.

Here's what I did:

Went to Joanne Fabrics and bought enough trim to go around the perimeter of each. 

Then I got out my hot glue gun and attached the trim to the sides of the canvas.

When I had them both finished I needed a way to cover up the rough spot where the cut edges meet, so I made these:

And then I stood back and said "Why didn't I think of this before"??

Now, I just have to figure out how to get these in my luggage.

Enamel pitchers on my radar

I absolutely LOVE these funky vintage enamel pitchers. I took this photo in the town of Gigondas at a cute cafe' where we had lunch on our first trip to France. 

A week from Sunday I plan to take the day off from painting and redecorating to go antiquing. There are antiques fairs scheduled that day in Eymet and Bergerac. If I could score a couple of these, especially in white or shades of blue, I would be a very happy woman.

It's always something . . .

Item one: So last week I ordered some furniture from Maisons du Monde and selected the option of wiring funds for the payment, which had to be received in three days. I selected this option, versus using a credit card, because I have a bank account in Italy and keep some euros there. So the next day, I went to my online banking site and made the transfer. This morning, four days later, I received an email from the company indicating that payment had not been received. So I went back to my bank website, looked at my balance, and sure enough the money has been taken out of my account. I have sent two emails to Maisons to ask them to check for it again, but so far they have only sent me back form emails. Arrrrgh!

Item two: last Friday afternoon I took my box to be shipped from the UPS Store. I spent nearly an hour there filling out customs forms--indicating each item in the box, its value and weight. It cost a small fortune to mail this box, but I was guaranteed delivery in three days, anyway I did it. So, when I started reading Rosalind's email this morning saying that the parcel company had been there, I was excited that all had worked acording to my plan. But no. When I read further I saw that the box came with a bill for an additional 117€ in customs taxes and they refused the delivery because they didn't want to pay the fees. Arrrrghh!! So now I am trying to get Rosalind to call and reschedule the delivery and wiring her the funds to pay for it. Who knows where the damn box is now?!

Stay tuned . . .

Addendum: finally, Maisons du Monde has received my payment! My order will ship on June 2.

Addendum 2: I called the guy at the UPS Store who helped me on Friday, explained my problem, gave him a credit card number, and he said he'd see what he could do. About 45 minutes later, he called to say he was able tobtrack the package, pay the customs taxes, and that it should go out in tomorrow's delivery. Yay!!! Double Yay!!!

Already done . . . Still to do

Already done:

Appointments with banker, realtor, notary, caretaker, telephone tech, painter, handyman.

Sent paint sample to painter.

Shipped box to myself from UPS store.

Ordered furniture from Maisons du Monde.

Ordered lighting fixtures from France Luminaires.

Wired euro funds to notary for balance on house purchase.

Still to do:

Figure out wardrobe, including clothes for painting and cleaning. 

Decide on suitcase.

Pack clothes and deco items that did not fit in shipped box.

Confirm Michaela to watch Stella.

Make enough dog food for the length of the trip.

Figure out where to park at Logan airport.

Go.

One more week!!

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  One week!!!!!!

Yahoo!!!!!!!!! Giggling!!!!!!

WOOT-WOOT!!!!!!!!!!!

Shabby and chic

You know I am a sucker for a pretty English setter. Still, I'm pretty sure I would not let Stella sit on this very lovely fateuil. This pic is from the blog frenchchicandshabby.

Possible solution for ugly island

I was at IKEA today and was looking at their precut countertops. Some of them are very nice and I was particularly attracted to the butcher-block type counters (comptoirs in French) which are solid wood and a nice thickness that gives them a look that is more expensive than the actual price tag.

The precut slabs are 73 1/4 inches long so I will have to measure the island to see if the size works. If it's a little too long I can have Ludovic cut it to size.

I'm thinking that if I paint the island white and add the wood tops I can solve the problem without spending a fortune.

Here's the IKEA top:

And here again is the ugly island:

 

Lighting: DONE!

I ordered my lighting fixtures today, and after many days of adding and subtracting items from my cart, I finally decided on these.

For the kitchen:

Two of these over the island:

This one over the kitchen table:

The matching wall sconce, just because I have to replace the very ugly one:

AND . . .

For the living room:

I am sooooo excited to see everything!!

The 25 kilogram box

So today's challenge was to ship as many personal and decorative objects as I could possibly fit into this box, which I got at the UPS Store in Newport. The UPS deal is that there's a flat rate to ship up to 25 kg (55 lbs) internationally, and they guarantee delivery in  3 days. It's not cheap! But there's no way I can carry 50 extra pounds along with my checked luggage, so it's a necessity.

Here's the box:

Here's what I put in there:

Two slipcovers for couch and loveseat

Italian Moka coffeemaker and milk frother (I HATE the French Press!)

Vintage crocheted tablecloth and vintage crocheted lace doilies

Starfish and shell garland from Beaufort

1 dozen shell buttons and a spool of jute twine

Cabinet knobs

Cans of Fiddes wax, chalk paint powder, blue tape, mini paint roller and extra rollers, trim brush

Hammer and picture hanging supplies

Two screwdrivers, measuring tape in metric

Two large photos printed on canvas

Box of Purex 3-in-1 laundry detergent

Apron, dishtowel, sponges, garbage bags (so I can get to work when I hit the ground)

I can't remember anything else. It weighed in at a hair under 40 pounds.

Ready to go:

New stuff!

So last night I finalized "mon panier" at Maisons du Monde and decided to buy the following items for Chez moi. They will ship on June 2 and hopefull arrive shortly thereafter.

Two of these chairs will go in the living room:

Two of these cute (and VERY blue) tables will go on either side of the loveseat:

These chairs (4) will replace the stodgy wood ones around the kitchen table, which I plan to paint white with a little distressing and antique glaze.

And this big red clock will be the focal point on the wall over the kitchen table:

Stealing a page from Calix's playbook

I am finding that the lovely, temporary nature of chalk is the perfect medium for figuring out furniture placement in the Clocktower Cottage. Since I have no chalkboard of my own, I find myself sitting on the floor in Calix's "art station" to doodle new ideas.

Tidewater

I looked online to find a room painted in Tidewater, the wall color I plan to use in Duras. Here's a good example above. I also bought a sample-size jar of it and painted a small table to see what the color does in various light conditions. I think it will work very well with the linen, navy and gold scheme I plan to use in the livingroom.

A brief lesson on the wines of Duras

Note that the Cotes de Duras appelation is marked in orange, near the center of the map.

Cotes de Duras is an appellation for red, white and rosé wines that come from a small area of southwestern France. In fact, the vineyard area, which covers land in the northwest corner of the Lot-et-Garonne department, can be considered a small offshoot of the larger Bordeaux wine region. Red wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and white wines based on Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc are – perhaps not surprisingly – the appellation's specialties.

The vineyard area centers on the town of Duras, which lies on a river-carved plateau of hills and valleys that is bounded to the south by the Dropt river valley. Broadly speaking, the landscape faces south, and the land rises gradually from the river to the hills along the northeastern border. The vineyards of Entre-Deux-Mers lie to the west, while Bergerac is to the east.

Cotes de Duras vineyards are largely planted on limestone slopes and hilltops, rather than on the gravel soils that are common further west. Instead, chalky, clayey limestone soils dominate vineyards at the top of the slopes, while sandy boulbènes soils are found in the lower-lying land nearer the river. These soils are good for viticulture and retain sufficient water for vine hydration without waterlogging the plants.

The maritime climate here is not dissimilar to that of Bordeaux, although being slightly further from the coast there is a little more seasonal variation. Mild springs encourage early budbreak, while warm, sunny summers provide excellent opportunities for ripening, particularly given the area's southerly exposure. In autumn, morning fog followed by warm afternoons is conducive to the development of Botrytis cinerea, and some sweet white wines are made under the Cotes de Duras appellation.

Permitted grape varieties in Cotes de Duras wines borrow heavily from their Bordelais cousins, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc making up the red wines. These wines lack a defining characteristic and are similar in style to many from Bordeaux. The appellation's dry white wines are generally drier and fresher in style, and may be made only from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle, Mauzac, Chenin Blanc and Ondenc.

The vineyards surrounding Duras have been producing wine for centuries and, over time, have been associated with both the Bordeaux and Bergerac regions. Cotes de Duras has been an officially recognized appellation since it became an AOC in 1937 – a lot earlier than many other Sud-Ouest appellations.

(Text from the wine-searcher.com website)

Cute, cheap, and French

I saw this cute craft project online and I am determined to make a set of similar candles for the Clocktower Cottage. I'd rather have blue stripes than the red so I looked for a source and found several places to buy similar jute ribbon.

A roll of 12 yards costs about $10 and I can picture several ways to use this stuff. Around a vase filled with dried flowers, to hold up simple burlap Roman shades, as an accent for a pillow or on the edge of a shelf. I could weave them to create placemats, or coasters! I love this stuff!

Assembling the team

First it was Rosalind, my realtor, who had all the answers to all my questions. When I asked her to recommend people to help me with my Duras endeavors, she sent along emails, phone numbers, and even called them first to see if they'd be on board to help me.

Since then I have written to Sue and Ludovic, who have written back, and both have pencilled me in for one or more days of my visit. Ludovic only writes in French, so it's good practice for me to receive his notes and try to decipher them.

On my own I found Julie, who will be at my place on Tuesday morning to start painting. I also found Tony, of Aquitaine Internet, who is doing all the legwork with the telcom/broadband companies to get wifi set up in the house while I am there.

So my team consists of Sue, the housekeeper/caretaker; Ludovic, the jack-of-all-trades, who will help me move furniture, haul things away, and put up all my new lighting fixtures. Julie, the painter; and Tony the tech guy. And, of course, Rosalind, who is my "concierge" in Duras. Then there's me.

The team is in place!

Learned something interesting . . .

As I am trying to figure out the best way to set up the house for internet, I got a note from the cottage's current owner, who was responding to a question I had about their television provider. Normally I would not care about the TV, but the cottage comes with two of them so I was curious. She said they have a satellite dish (which I never saw because it's on the backside of the roof)  and a Skybox, which gets TV stations for free from the UK, including BBC, CNN, etc. I didn't really believe there was such a thing as free TV programming anymore, so I sent her another note asking for an explanation.

Well, it seems that British folks living in France have all figured out how to bring their Skybox service to France with them, even though viewing UK telly is illegal outside the UK. So, it's all a little hush-hush, but the bottom line is that I get free English-language telly. Free! How cool is that??

The downside is that I can't call Sky to have them piggyback internet service with the TV service because they don't know I will be illegally watching with my satellite dish. Oh well.

Doing business

So far, everyone I have spoken or written to in France has been helpful and friendly. On my list this week is banking, insurance and wi-fi and I am satisfied with the level of response I am getting to this point.

I asked Rosalind to recommend the bank and she sent me to Credit Agricole, which has a branch in Duras (actually just a short walk away from the house) and the branch manager Madame Feytout cheerfully welcomed me to her bank in a nice email. She said she would forward my information to one of their English customer specialists so we can start an account. I hope to hear from him tomorrow as I would like the account set up before I leave the states so I can wire myself some money to be used on projects and purchases while I am in Duras.

Madame Mitteau from the Agence Generali-Duras, sent me a quote for homeowner's insurance. I am delighted to report that the yearly premium will be about 400€ per year and I have the option of paying in cash or cheque, or I can pay monthly by bank account debit. I think I will go with the cash as the amount is too small to warrant dividing it up in installments. I will meet her to finalize the policy when I arrive in Duras.

I called the English help line at Orange this morning and was on hold for several minutes listening to a terrible, brooding song which I can't get out of my head now. Orange is the new name for France Telecom, the largest telephone provider in France. It is government operated and they are the only ones who control the phone lines into homes. I don't want a land-line phone, but I still must have the line in order to get ADSL and wi-fi service. Orange also provides television, but I don't know if I want that yet. So the guy on the help line was very pleasant and checked my address to see if there was already phone service to the house. He said it appeared that there was not a line in existence and asked if I had a telephone pole nearby. I laughed and told him I had no idea. He gave me the email and phone number for the English-speaking department that installs phone lines. I sent them a note this morning, but have not heard back yet.

So, banking, insurance and phone service are not exactly the fun parts of this process, yet it is giving me great satisfaction to know that things are chugging along.

Looks I love

I am loving this shabby chic kitchen look from houzz.com.

I still plan to do the pale blue-green walls at Clocktower Cottage, but I want all the other elements to pop in soft white tones.

This pic makes me want to add some soft fabrics into the mix, but I am not yet sure how that will work given the present cabinet situation. 

I love the way the natural vines soften the edges. I will have to spend a day traipsing through fields to find some wildflowers and vines to dry to bring some nature into my design. Being in wine country, I hope I can at least get my hands on some grapes.

The ugly workstation

Right now, the Clocktower Cottage has an island that was clearly an afterthought. It was poorly installed, is too heavy-looking and has an ugly formica top in a terrible color. In a few words: it must go!

Here it is:

I saw this nice marble and wrought iron island online and now I am trying to find a way to recreate it in Duras.

 I sent the photo to Julie, the woman who is going to do some painting for me and she is working on tracking down a metalsmith she knows who makes custom gates and railings, etc. She also knows where to get marble worktops, so perhaps she will be able to coordinate this project for me.  I think the kitchen will feel bigger and less stodgy with a see-through island like this one.

Three weeks!

I am trying hard to stay focused on my project in France despite being somewhat sidelined by a husband who recently underwent surgery and who needs an awful lot of my attention. While I am happy to give him everything he needs, I have to admit to feeling emotionally and physically wiped out much of the time. 

Thinking about the Clocktower Cottage and mentally rearranging furniture, imagining funky pieces of vintage wall art on certain walls, figuring out how to turn grain sacks into Roman shades, thinking about everything I will throw out and what to keep, is a good way to cheer up and distract myself so I dont get too lost in matters out of my control.

I asked my Realtor for some recommendations for a handyman and a housekeeper and she provided a couple of people she knows who come highly recommended. 

The handyman's name is Ludovic Mora. I love the sound of it! Surely he is the sullen type with hunched shoulders and a constant five o'clock shadow. Perhaps we will have a pastis together at the end of a long day, then he can return to his donkey, whose name could be Marie. Maybe he brings Marie with him on odd jobs and she snorts her displeasure when he ignores her for long periods. I could do my part by having a selection of treats on hand. Carrots seem so cliche. What else do donkeys nibble on to pass a dull day?

The housekeeper's name is Sue O'Neil. Just Sue. Just O'Neil. I'm having a hard time trying to create a mini fantasy encompassing a woman with that name. But, for a housekeeper it's a perfectly good and efficient-sounding name. Someone who can be trusted to get the job done. Someone who speaks English! I wonder what language Ludovic speaks. I wonder if he has a nickname. Ludo? Vic? Gosh, I am just a nut!!

Lighting!

This is the fun part! Of all the components required to make a house special, unique and reflective of the owner's taste, I think lighting should be given a top priority and an ample budget should be set aside to be sure that at least the living, diningroom and kitchen all have fixtures that have some wow factor. I love lighting fixtures! I wish I could buy new ones every year, like eyeglasses, but the reality is that they are expensive--and should be--so it's important to get this purchase right the first time.

Tonight, while doing my usual surfing for house things in France, I FINALLY came across a great, did I say great, online lighting shop called france-luminaires.com. I have been looking for one for several days and just kept finding places like the French equivalent of Home Depot--nothing special. France Luminaires is just what I was hoping to find. The selection is fantastic! The prices are reasonable and they offer free shipping in Europe.

Here are the fixtures that have caught my eye:

Livingroom

Dining area

Also this sconce: 

I still need to find a pair of simple lights for above the island in the kitchen. No problem. I'm sure, given a little more time to browse, I will spot something perfect. I love, love, this shop!

The list grows

http://fabulouslyfrench.42stores.com/

Check out this great vintage homegoods shop. It's about 15 minutes from Duras in the town of Eymet, where I have been to the market and to shop several times. This is one of the many places I am including on my electronic "Decorate Duras" list. Lucky for me there are a number of cute shops like this and I have also discovered an Annie Sloane stockist nearby in Miramont de Guyenne--just in case I want to buy a litre of a special color to paint inside my wall cabinet.  

On a more practical note, I have identified the shop where I can buy custom made window screens called "moustiquaires," in French. Here's the thing. The word for window screens is based on the word for mosquitoes: moustique, so, admittedly they have mosquitoes in France. But nobody in France has any screens on their windows--go figure! 

Clearing up a small mystery

I received a lovely letter from the current owners of the Clocktower Cottage, which they named Beaumaris. I had wondered about the odd choice of name, which means "beautiful sea," in a place as far inland as Duras, but Pam has explained the charming origin here. How romantic to name your happy place after the town where you met!  The letter is below:

Hello Donna,
Rosalind very kindly passed on your email address so that I could write and tell you a little bit about Beaumaris, soon to be yours.
I would like to say that Beaumaris has always been a "happy house" for us, and I do hope that it will be the same for you.

The name "Beaumaris" is the name of the seaside village in Anglesey, Wales, where John and I first met. It is a special place for us. When a friend, a stonemason by trade, heard our story he made the name plate that is now outside the house.
You will also see the stained glass window in the kitchen has also been specially made for the house, and the shape is quite unusual. It depicts the cross of St George, the patron saint of England, and the Fleur de Lys of France. It was made by "Jennifer" who used to have a studio in Duras where she used to restore stained glass windows, particularly from churches. She now works from home in a village called Landerrouat, which is not far from Duras. By the way she also made the two oblong windows in the kitchen/lounge.

In the kitchen you will see a set of scales and a row of hooks attached to the beam on the left as you go into the kitchen from the road. We found these when we were doing restoration work. Apparently they are meat hooks and scales as Beaumaris used to be a butchers shop at some time in the past. 
On the wall above the dining table is a wooden ox harness which we bought in France at a "vide grenier".

The metal wall lights in the lounge come from an old public house in Huddersfield, Yorkshire where I originate from. It has long since been demolished. The wooden ceiling lights and wall light come from an old house in Liverpool, where John originates from.
The lovely hanging gas/candle light fitting in the lounge is French and is complete.
There is a fabric covered chest which also comes from Liverpool, and if you remove the bottom of the chest you will find that J.H. Fellowes made it in 1971. We met Mrs Fellowes in 1989, and she was a lovely old lady. She was moving house and didn't have room for it so we bought it from her.

As you go up the stairs all the mirrors on the walls are from various places in England and Wales, and are of some age.
The large wooden chest at the top of the stairs is very heavy!  The owners nameplate has been removed at some stage, but on the inside of the chest is the name plate of the provider, Carrington and Co, Silversmiths, 130 Regent Street, London.  On some of the compartments the  labels are still there indicating which pieces of silverware go where.

On the wall above the double doors on the landing is a hand worked mantle surround. This was bought in France.

In the bedroom the gold Chinese carpet is one that we brought back from Hong Kong. I am not sure how old it is as we didn't buy it from a shop but from a friend.
The picture above the bed also comes from a public house in Huddersfield. 
The marble wash stand was bought in France.
In the cupboard under the window are some very old tiles. We think they may have been on the hearth when there was a downstairs fire place.

There is a story behind most of the things that we are leaving with the house, so if when you have a look around and there is anything that you would like more information about please do not hesitate to contact us, and if we can help we can.

Now to things "more practical"!!!

In the upholstered chest there are extra curtains.
Upstairs there are sheets, duvet covers, blankets, towels etc.
Downstairs there is everything you should need in the way of crockery, glassware, cutlery, pans etc. 
There is a toaster, kettle, food processor, mixer, iron and ironing board etc.
It should mean that when you come over to France you will not have to think of bringing bedding, towels etc.

In the loft we have left things that we think will be of use to you, spare tiles, wood etc.
By the way you will see that there is a stone recess into the tower, and we have no idea what it was for. We would like to think that it was where soldiers sheltered when Duras was a true fortified town with perimeter walls. The bottom step of the staircase is also stone. Why? We don't know!

The key to the ISOA double glazing system is in the small drawer of the tall unit in the kitchen/dining area.
The gas bottle is under the sink.
Mr Beauge, the electrician , has been and carried out the necessary work.


We will leave some documents with Rosalind before we leave, and if we can find some photos of the house when we were doing the restoration, we will send them to you.

Unfortunately Donna we will not be at the signing on the 2nd June, as we have to return to the UK. It would have been so nice to have met you. Maybe we will meet sometime in the future, as we will certainly take you up on your offer of two weeks holiday a year for five years. 
You will have to let us know how we arrange this. We normally prefer to come in May/June or September/October and not in the peak holiday season. It is so good to know that we haven't completely severed all our ties with Beaumaris!!!

I am sure you will be very happy in Duras as the people are so helpful and very friendly. We have made so many French friends that we will be keeping in touch with.

I think that is about all for the moment, but should you need any more information about anything at all, please do not hesitate to contact us.

With very best wishes,
Pam and John

Sent from my iPad