Lavande

What is it about lavender that is so enchanting? I think my love of lavender started many years ago, when my family and I first visited Provence. We went to a lovely place, hidden in a valley, not far from the village of Gordes in the Vaucluse. Amidst a field of lavender was a weathered and beguiling building - the Abbaye de Sénanque. There is something about that place that really enchants you. The heat, the sweet smell of lavender in the sun, and the buzzing of bees all around - very dishevelled and wonderful.

The smell of lavender will always transport me back to provence. I always picture the warm colours of Roussillon, or the clear blue sky, or even the potted pansies in January. Sigh.

The Abbaye de Sénanque produces several lavender products - but the beauty of the place is what attracts me.

There is nothing better than Lavender sachets. I love the colours of the Provençal fabric.

I make dried lavender bunches such as these often. I pick the lavender from my backyard and then make wands... a very agreeable pursuit!

I have no words to describe the beauty of this place - though I would venture a guess that fairies live here...

Speaking of which! One of my favourite flower fairies - the Lavender fairy! I once received a gift set of lovely perfume and lotions all stamped with her impish visage.

The iconic solitary tree amidst lavender fields. This picture is symbolic of all of Provence...There must be hundreds of solitary trees there, but every picture is beautiful to me.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer weekend - and I hope you come across some lavender, wherever you are!

xox

A.

Birthday Cupcakes

It was my birthday the other day, oh joy, oh rapture. I started my day with a cup of tea in my favourite Tintin mug. Tintin for the win!


My little brother Marc was ever so sweet... he bought me some lovely cupcakes from "The Cupcake Shoppe" at Yonge and Eglinton. My fave was the vanilla with the buttercreme on it... note the miniature strawberry.

Aaaand I was super excited to serve them on my strawberry plates. Cute.

I like my birthdays to be pretty low-key, nothing too loud or celebratory, not sure why... but cupcakes sure do make my day. Thanks mon frèreau.

xox

Ave

I am patiently waiting for the moment when my parents return from Paris with a box of Ladurée macarons tucked into a fanciful box for me. I've never had the true Ladurée macarons, of course, so it might be possible that I detest them.... however, how could such a lovely thing be horrid? Just look at their undeniable beauty.... Even the napkins are gorgeous. I wonder if they`ll bring me one back from Paris...

You just know I`ll endeavour to recreate lovely images such as these and most probably fail utterly...but one can dream...

Oh joy oh rapture, beautiful boxes that will last way past the expiry date of the macarons... I`m keeping my fingers crossed for a beautiful one!

Oh deary me. I know this definetly won`t last on the plane, but next time I go to Paris, this will be on the menu, without a doubt.

Et voilà, rich, well-dressed girls with their Ladurée ready for a pique-nique sur la Seine. Fantastique.

Actually, this was the picture I found earlier that really got me in the mood for some macarons...

xox

Ave

Apricots and Dream

I recently bought one of the best smelling body lotions in the world. Apricots and Cream by Philosophy. I'm a big fan of the company generally, sometimes they don't get it quite right though. I don't really know if I've ever wanted to smell like a piece of fudge, but that's besides the point. Apricots and Cream is so delicious-smelling, it's hard to believe. It smells like the real thing, and it kind of makes me want to whirl around happily in a meadow. Or something like that.

I made a Polyvore set which is somewhat evocative of the feelings that lay bottled up in that utilitarian-esque exterior of the bottle. You can make your very own satisfying Polyvore set at http://www.polyvore.com . It's addictive. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Simple beauty....

You really should at least give this a sniff next time you're in your friendly neighbourhood Sephora. I promise you won't be disappointed.

xox
Ave

Blog Lovin'

Follow my blog with bloglovin

Roussillon, Vaucluse

There is a small, small town in southern France, in the heart of Provence that holds a dear spot in my heart. The town of Roussillon, is where I spent the winter of 1997 with my family. I wasn't too pleased to be away from my friends and my life in Toronto, but as the weeks and months passed in the big, old, house, I started to enjoy myself. Daily bike rides, flowers in January and trips to the market were all part of the charm. Here are some photos I took when I visited the town again with my friend Ali last summer. Charmant, non?



This is a view of the town from the entrance to the "sentier des ocres", the area where you can walk in the ochre quarries. Of course, this is what gives the warm orangy colour to the walls of the town. I used to say it was because the walls had soaked up the sunshine, and I'm still inclined to say the same.

Le val des fées... A nice name for a rather magical spot....

We could hear the sound of the bell tower through the chimney as it was right above our house. There's Ali under the arch. :)

I don't know the purpose of this arch, but I love it anyway.

Place de la Mairie is so cute, and so warm looking, even when we were there in the "dead" of winter.

This is the view from the Castrum, way up above the town. A short walk, by all accounts, but it still seems a world apart.

Eh oui, c'est chez nous! Well, it was chez nous while we were there. In those days, the house was called "Les Genets" which is what you call broom plants in French. Broom is an unfortunate name for a lovely plant with yellow flowers.

Et voilà, that is my mini tour of Roussillon. If you get a chance to visit, do go... it's so cute. I'm sure I'll be talking more about this magical place soon...

xox

Ave

Let Them Eat Cake

I've been meaning to re-watch this movie for a while now. It's not even remotely close to being my favourite movie, but I do like what Sofia Coppola did with this. The story doesn't even matter so much (well, it does, but it's not the focus), what you concentrate on mostly is the fact that every frame is like a work of art. It's kind of like watching a bunch of paintings unfold before your eyes.
If you haven't seen it, you should because it's rather inspiring.

I like this scene because of the way her dress is all billowy behind her. Lovely.

Are those some Laduree macarons I see? Mom and Dad have promised to bring me some back from Paris. Yip yip!

Who doesn't want a beautiful fan? Maybe I should start collecting some... hmmmm...

This was one of my favourite scenes in the movie: shoes everywhere, and feathers and fabrics and cakes. Lots of cakes and champagne.

I think I need a chaise longue surrounded by cakes. that would please me. I don't particularly want a lacky to put my shoes on while I lounge though. That's not my style.

If you haven't ever been to Versailles, there really isn't a good way to put it into words. Huge palace, very beautiful (surtout the gallerie des glaces), but the gardens are the most spectacular part, I'd say. They're immense, and there are mini palaces throughout. I never got to her little hameau village type thing, where she played at being a peasant, while the real folk busted their humps in the world... That's my next mission when I go back to Versailles. I must say though, the Grand Trianon is breathtaking as well.

Happy Travels, or Happy Imaginings, my friends.

xox

Ave