Spring~

A new bunting is ready for the Sheshed♥They fade as summer advances and by October they are bleached..so I like to make a new one every yr..Fat quarters..cut triangles..sew inside out..reverse..press ..slip into seam binding stitch again..easiest dress change :)Just need to do the final ironing before hanging..

I made little cookies..had lots of teas..coffees..

Made paper flowers..I follow @ loulei and lorra on IG   such great ideas she has..this is all her..except that I hand painted the poppies through a Youtube video by Peter Sheeler.
I have mentioned him before..love his videos.

One of our son-in-laws will be 50 next month..I asked my daughter what he would like..she said your marmalade..so I tried a new one..
I must say..it's tasty..shy away if sugar is a foe..Jacques got some too and he likes it..it's runnier than normal..like we had in France..
And guess what?
it's a bread machine jam..I had never made one.
OHMYGOSHEASYPEASY.

You can find her recipe here.

I will translate for you..

3 oranges
1  grapefruit
1 lemon
1 can crushed pineapple 10 0zs.
 6 cups granualted sugar.

So..you wash all your fruits..cut ..remove pits and chop in a food processor.
Add all the fruit plus the pineapple in it's juice and sugar in the bread machine.
Select "Jam" setting..
mine was 9.. I think..
Put into sterilized pots..
I then flip mine over till cooled..
She also added chopped marashino cherries..I did not.I felt it would be way too sweet as it already is.
My jams keep forever in the basement fridge.

Made some muffins too choco chip raspberry but I cannot say they are stellar.I only like then zapped in the micro..so I'll pass on sharing:)
Too dense I find..found..

We still have tons of snow..I will start some seeds in the basement very soon..I need to gather the pots ..earth..install the lights.
What I really need is a new bed..
Too old to add more work..so I'll nurture the tomatoes until I harvest the garlic..which by the way is still so good!!

Played with new pencils a gift from Nancy..paints..stamps..papers..
the toys:)♥All the toys.
One of my daughters came in my craft room this past week..
she said :"someone will have to move in..lol.."  "moving all this would be ..a lot."
I beg to differ.
My craft room is quite organized..not IG pretty but organized and nothing too much..I've recently seen craft rooms that are like Michaels..
Not here..anyway she made me laugh:)
After 45 yrs..you have "stuff"..NOTHING like the Marie Kondo show on Netflix.
I am a neat freak.
That would simply drag me down into an abyss.To have rooms that were piled high with things.
I love coming home.
I do..I love our home.
It's bright and airy..and I can breathe and look out back and see pretty..not to mention my sink,,
Oh my sink..
Noah was trying to get his mom to stop talking while he was watching a movie here..and he said go back at look at her sink:) He is so funny!!
I showed Oli my sink and said "Look Oli..it's impeccable"! He looked at me and said:"Nana,you're impeccable"!(Not sure he knows what that is.. I love them all so much..
Oh these Littles crack me up!!!

Watched Beautiful Boy on Amazon Prime..I love Steve Carell..and Timothée Chalamet was outstanding IMHO.Maura Tierney wonderful..
What a deeply moving movie..troubling..because you never want to see a child you love suffer so much.
Never in a million and one years.

Small Pleasures.A new sink..lol.

Once you live Provence..it never escapes you ..
I can tell you from experience..

In 2017 we stayed in 3 places..in 2018 .. only 1 because I had fallen in love with the pretty ,remote home..

Above..my new old sink:)

Below my fave sink..in Aix..this was like an old trough♥In a modern apt in Aix..it was stunning.Jacques didn't find it practical..lol.

In all the other places we stayed..below..different versions of..

And that's where I fell in love w/ cast iron.
My sink in Provence..

 From my journal

We moved here about 18 yrs ago..and had our home built on a lot Jacques fell totally in love with..

He did a lot here..even built the whole She Shed w/ Fred's help w/ the trusses and me for the siding and deco:)

As time goes on ..sometimes things need to be fixed or done..
The shingles already needed replacing so we went with something that should last as long as we do and more;)
This was a few years ago..


Our double sink in the kitchen(you must be so enthralled by now;)..on bated breath..  LOL..needed replacing..

the right one had a crack..and started leaking..:(  

Even before that..with hairline surface cracks (thermosolid)..about 3 yrs ago..I started saying..:"we're going to need  a new one.."

~That was met with such exhuberance..I had to wait till it started leaking..;)

So a farmhouse sink was in my mind..nope.. too much work cutting cabinets etc..If I was forty..maybe..but at 65 and 78..  let's not get into renos.

Provence made me love cast iron sinks..

you know heavy..indestructible ..and reflect Provence.

That's what we did:)

I found one..bought it..and a good friend I had in real estate who is  great at  everything..came and installed it for us.

So ya..I am over the moon w/ my heavy second hand oddly shaped double Koehler cast iron sink;)

You would think that all the faucets etc on the right would be weird..nope.
Especially for me who likes everything in a specific place;);)
But it works..I had read reviews and it's true..
the whole left side is ideal ..ly unobstructed .

So pleased with a Provence sink;) Takes so little to be over the moon..a bit of sunshine on the sink..some oatmeal raspberry bars and cookies on the counter..and a little visitor soon..

My spring cleaning is well under way..I love that feeling of sparkly under cabinets..and over cabinets..
Walked to the mail..freezing walking home the wind in my face made my eyes tear up..tons of snow still!

This is a kitchen that was recreated  on the grounds of Van Gogh's Asylum..in St-Rémy,Provence..which reperesents the St~ Joseph's Sisters kitchen..of the film "La Créatrice"  featuring Juliette Binoche..
I'm all about kitchens and this one..floored me♥
Straight out of the camera..so forgive the poor lighting..

Notice the sink..again:)

Le Parfait..of course..:)

Isn't it amazing?♥
Have a good week!

Painting~Winter~Mr Rogers~

I never thought growing garlic and painting would become 2 of my favorite things in life:)
Funny I should mention both in the same breath:)

I have so many favorite things..

From cookie cutters to flowers..to vintage things..

from all my mother's things..to all the things I have been given.

I can't mention people here because they're just not things..:)

But I have had..have.. and will always have favorites..

even some I have not met♥

I think I have painted more this winter than any other winter..
I love it more and more.
The trick is not to compare yourself.

Just get some paints..some paper..a pencil..an eraser and even just one brush..
And try..

I can tell you that you can paint on beautiful paper..but sometimes..beautiful paper is not bright white..like the INTENSE jam jar..yet I like it..

Bright white..Mixed Media smooth paper..i.e. Strathmore..makes paint pop.

If you are just beginning...there is no harm in a tablet of the Strathmore Mixed Media..in fact I know fab artists that only use that..It reminds me of Fluid Hot press.

Cold Press..you have a shirt you have ironed on low..so some texture.
Hot Press..smooth..no tooth.
Both are fun..
I have some that is like blotter paper..and I love that too:)

And Prang juicy cheap watercolors are fine to try..  many are fine to try..

I have a few new journals..one was a gift..more a beautiful blank watercolor journal..2 new brushes..from Rosemary and Co..

I've taken a few art classes online..one..featured 4 paintings..
The first..the artist..Mr Sergei Kurbatov..showed us how to paint a morning street in Marseilles..the second was a meadow..the 3rd..Honfleur in Normandie..and the 4th Mountains..
I think my favorite is the Meadow.
My least..Honfleur..
the other 2 the same.  
Nothing extra..mine are..but I learned a lot about wet on wet..

and masking fluid..and saw his beautiful work♥
So glad I signed up for the classes!!

And yes Bonne Maman has been and will always be one of my fave food items:)


I should be starting seeds soon..not sure..are you?

Also..how is this for uncanny ...and beautiful art?

My tulips at the time I received this beautiful watercolor were in full bloom..
my friend Susan..painted this card for me.A perfect match.

Have any of you watched the Mr.Rogers documentary on Netflix?
I cried.

Go see..

I think we need so much more of Mr Rogers.

Says she who was watching Shameless at the same time.
I am a conundrum for sure.
So this is how we spend winter..

:)
I am not complaining.

Still winter..winter still♥

A bit of a mish mash post today..;

Lol what a food blogger my apple on the left is upside down;)

The light was just so pretty.

For some reason..I am looking at Easter..and it's 2 months away..and guess what? I am not hosting Easter..
Alain..our son-in-law turns 50 that weekend and a festivity is planned:)
That's ok..I love looking at my Peter Rabbit little things collected over years.....
How old am I again?

:)

I have to say..I love this..and I painted it almost 20 yrs ago..
I just found it..look how dull the pic looks:)

I think it was from a book..my inspiration..

not sure..

below is just today..  inspiration from an Instagrammer..Ziadm Mitri..  no lines..I think I like the little houses better w/ lines..pen lines..

I love the inspiration I get there..


I made 2 recipes from Half Baked Harvest..

The cookies I told you about..I freshly made them right before Oli came today..her mom's oatmeal choco chips ones..

He looked at them on the baking sheet and said:"Mmm..I just know these are going to be good"

He was right..warm w/ the chocolate chips dripping..oozing..ohmy..♥

The other I made of hers..  was this..
Half Baked Harvest..Oven fried Korean Popcorn Chicken..
So good..I even found the paste at my Asian.store..well..my is putting it largely..

it's about 45 minutes away..
the only thing I would do differently next time is put less soya sauce..even sodium reduced..too much for me.
But delicious!
Will make again and again.

The pie above is just a regular apple pie..but I just wanted to tell you..Pillsbury already made 2 to a package pie crusts are pretty good!
I always make my own ..apart from when I make 15 tourtières w/ my daughter and then it is fresh store bought..but frozen....
for individual pies..I make my own..Pillsbury is a time efficient..fun way to have a fresh pie on hand;)

Have a great week..
we're still freezing here with mountains of snow and ice..

but..it will come to an end before I know it.

Thanks for all the sweet birthday wishes..

Thank you for all the camaraderie..

I don't know if you have any idea how much it all means to me:)

Grateful~

Soon..:) ER  than later:)♥

Some Kind Of Wonderful~ Beautiful~

♥ Forgive this self-indulgent post~

But only once in your life do you become a senior citizen;)
That's me now.. 65.

At this point in my life I have outlived my mom by 10 yrs.. she was 55...when she left..my dad by 3.. he was 62.. 6 months after my mom..the night I got married..at 20.
A brother by almost 30.
And a sister I never knew..
Sounds maudlin..

It's not..I am grateful to see my Littles grow up.My mom never had this joy.
She would have adored her grandchildren..every single one of them.
Karina..John..Jennifer..Christopher and Mylène and Caroline..♥

There are seasons to a life..like those tulips:)

I am sure their mommy said:"It's nana's bday..  make some cards .."lol..
But it's the words♥Those are theirs.Those cards..my daughters cards and Jacques' cards..
Friends cards and....I acknowledge right here..  far fewer than when I was younger and could tie an elastic around them for safekeeping..
gone are the girlie lunches..

And girlie dinners.Jann Arden singing in the background..
I don't want to drive at night anymore..:)

And that's fine with me.

Anais Nin once said:"Each Friend Represents A World In Us.."

C'est vrai..

People come into your life for a reason or a season..and some forever.~A Lifetime..


The words the boys wrote:)♥

Really sweet.

Linda once told me little boys are so loving..she was right..

She knew ..she had 2;)
I never knew..and now I do.

That Carole King Wonderful Broadway in Canada show was fantastic..
It was in Montreal at Place Des Arts..
My girls brought me..it had been my Christmas present and it fell on the usual combined birthday for Caroline and I..

We rushed in through the underground parking as we were late..so I never snapped a pic..
.. looked online and this pic popped up..

I never thought I could sketch it..haphazardly.. I did.. and it's page 3 and 4 of this journal.

I keep saving journals because they look so pretty blank and I fear screwing them  up..

Well.. I can't take these pristine journals with me ..so..I went for it..who cares if they are not perfect..
(me).
Double page ..I had never done one..

Anyway GREAT show..makes me wish I could sing..at the very least dance;)

Great seats..Unobstructed views..oh and the sound..something so uplifting about a live show..
We all shed a tear.
LOL..That would be us.At an uplifting show..
2 of us are the biggest criers.

As you know when I see the boys I make sure I bake something fresh..these are so easy and quick and I am sure the recipe  could be halved..but I made the whole recipe..baked half.. and froze the rest of the balls..I'll let you know:)

They are from that adorable Half Baked Harvest girl  Tieghan....and they are her mom's recipe passed down to her..in her book..but you can find it here too:)
By the way..once your tulips start dropping petals..the deed's done..don't take them out and snip and wrap..the petals will fall..
To every thing there is a season..

On top of the above..

65 brought me ..a small pension..lol..to come..

A WONDERFUL heating blanket that I am using watching "Dirty John"..Oh how could anyone be so gullible..

Reading socks..
A new artist bag/pencils and handmade journal..

And a few words on a page♥ w/ a Fitbit.(Jacques)..we never exchange gifts really so this is big:)
He has had one for 2 years and loves it..

He felt I should see why I can get dizzy..and how many steps I do..do in a day..and will do once my gardens awaken.

Today?Mad Hatter Spring Fever Marie Kondo on a stepladder cleaning every high area w/ a shopvac and rag.

More steps than the FitBit can count..because it's up and down 3 steps..100 times.

The world is filled with some pretty neat..kind people..
I have been witness to that..many times.
Grateful..
 Can you believe that over 17 yrs ago..I "met" some great people I am still in touch with through Gardenbuddies..on a forum..I won't name all the names..but Terry and Susan  and Arlene and Debbie and Linda will recognize themselves..lol
and more..

but..wanted to show you this and how sweet?

I am not deleting it..evah.

Arlene was a Gardenbuddy..we yakked gardens for years..and one day we met!  Since then she has become an even more talented photographer than ever..and has taken up the ukelele.I applaud her.
Thank you for this A!


And a Happy Birthday Thursday to our baby..Caroline..42.

She's on the left..Mylène on the right who will be 44 this summer!

♥And that's about it;)