61 - French market, Brocante, Flowers & Rest / Life in my French Farmhouse

Bonjour! Is there anything more French than a farmer's market gathered at the foot of a centuries-old cathedral, even under rain and strong gusts of wind? A coming storm will never keep us French from our weekend ritual. Cheese, fresh bread, seasonal vegetables, we show up regardless of the weather. The market is woven into our culture. Of course we go to fill our but we also go to see familiar faces, a few minutes to exchange with neighbours, storeholders, friends, colleagues. These small conversations matter. Week after week, they create continuity. The market is where community takes root and where we are reminded that we belong to something shared. After the cathedral market on Saturday mornings, I never miss a stop at Oliven Bassett, a beautiful brocante curated by Lisa Brown, an English expat whose eye and generosity shape the most welcoming space. She gathers exquisite plates, silver cutlery, delicate dishes, all displayed on antique furniture she sources locally. Everything feels thoughtful and harmonious. I hope you enjoy the visit. One joyful detail from that morning, my first anemones of the year. They are among my favourite flowers, perhaps because they arrived so early, carrying a quiet promise of the months ahead. I love their long slender stems and their soft expressive heads. They stand lightly, almost animated, as if in conversation. A small note, if you bring some home, they prefer very little water in their vase. Just a few centimetres is enough to keep them happy. After finishing the cushion I stitched over the past year and sewing the pair for the canvas, I seem to have fallen deeply into a needlepoint phase. I found several vintage needlepoint books online and have been completely absorbed in them. The patterns, the colours, the traditional motifs, they have sparked so many ideas. If you have favourite sources for needlepoint charts, I would truly love your recommendations. Websites, books, Etsy shops, anything at all. Finding well-designed charts has been more challenging than I expected, so I'm very open to suggestions. Thank you in advance. Not long ago, I found a lovely set of vintage glass cups engraved with delicate stars. I was instantly taken with them. They felt festive yet refined and they immediately gave me an idea for a dessert. Something simple but presented in a way that lets them shine. I also drove to Bordeaux to collect the paint for our kitchen. I chose a colour from Ressource and since I hadn't used their paints before, I wanted to visit the shop in person and decide carefully on the finish best suited for the room. While I was there, I took a little time to explore their wallpaper selection as well. Truly beautiful designs, very refined and tempting for future projects. As often happens, plans shift unexpectedly. Just as I was ready to begin updating the kitchen, I realised I needed to slow down and rest for a few days. A big old cold had gotten the better of me, so I decided to spend that quiet pause at my mother's home in Brittany, where I am right now, and it feels like the gentlest place to recover and regain some energy. The kitchen can wait a little longer. À bientôt.