5 wonderful people (Wendy/Netherlands, Kirsty/USA, Ros/UK, Sharul/Malaysia and Milagros/Puerto Rico ) started a new blog , Our Beautiful World, to share photos taken according to a weekly word prompt. The first word prompt today was WAKE UP! What do I wake up to? Usually here at the cottage in France two doggies who want to drag me out for their early morning walk. I usually come awake half way down the lane, lol, to the beautiful views of the sun rising over the valley and the hills on the other side. That is what I love waking up to every day, although sometimes we are completely in the clouds, so we can't see anything at all. Other days, the valley below is is hidden under a thick cloud cover and we are bathed in early morning sunshine.
Here are a couple of shots I took this morning about 6.30am, when I took the dogs out -
Sunshine through rolling mist, and the valley hidden under the cloud cover -
Mist condensing on the gate, forming beautiful water drops, can you see the tiny little strand of spider silk? -
The completed spider web on the gate backlit by rising sun -
Every morning is different, every morning is beautiful and waking up to this fills me with joy.
Toodlepip xxx
Every town has a market at last once a week. Our nearest town, a small place called Luzy, has a market on a Friday. And I love going to it. We went yesterday, and although it was raining, the market was quite busy. For once I had my little camera in my handbag so I decided to take a few pictures for you.
Womble through the market with me, if you please -
First stop is always our sausage lady, such a friendly soul, and her salamis are delicious -
Opposite it was one of three or four cheese stalls -
I love his noticeboard, child of the 70s perhaps?
Next, the bread man - can you imagine the smell of the breads-
Asparagus, aaahhhh, delicious, very late this year -
Next up, the veggie man with the veg plants for your garden, I had to buy some poirot ( leek ) plantlets yesterday to get them into our potager ( veggie patch ) this weekend -
some of his lovely fruit and veg -
Opposite him is the honey lady. Her husband is the bee keeper and they live in our little community up on the hill. See the acacia honey pots? Some of that honey has probably been produced by bees visiting our acacia trees :-) -
Here she is chatting to the "bird" lady who had a little stall next to her -
Aah, yes, another cheese stall. Cheeses are a very important to the French ( and to me ) so there are hundreds and hundreds of different varieties plus all the cheeses locally produced which never make it into the count -
This is where we buy or fresh, locally produced goats cheese -
And yet another cheese stall, I bought an amazing sheep cheese with chilis here, sh*t hot, but oh so delicious -
And another fruit and veg stall, the smell of the ripe fruit is so mouthwatering -
I really do enjoy going to the market. I love watching the people standing around in groups chatting away ( usually the men, lol, they are such gossips ), love talking with the stall holders and LOVE the fresh produce, so often locally produced.
I hope you enjoyed our little womble through a small town French market.
Toodlepip xxx
Here in France, we live in the middle of nowhere, the deepest countryside, on a little hill top, overlooking the village we belong to in the valley below us. Surrounded by cows and all sorts of wildlife with the nearest neighbour at least a kilometer away. Yesterday, I was working in the garden, being watched by little birdies picking at little critters in the grass for their little kiddies in the nest. Lots of littles there, lol, but these birds are tiny! But size really doesn't matter, lol, they are also fearless and couragious and couldn't care less about me being just a couple of metres away from them. So I got my camera and took a few photos of this glorious little creature -
I must try and find out what this bird is called.
Anyhoo, birds must have been on my mind when I went into my craftavan for a bit of creating, because I made two cards, both with birds on! -
Card 1 -
Card No. 2 -
We do have an owl in the barn, although it is very shy and we have only seen it a few times. Seen the evidence on the floor often enough though, lol.
I would like to link this post to Debra's BE INSPIRED No.146 over at the COMMON GROUND blog.
Have a wonderful weekend and be inspired by beautiful Mother Nature as well.
Toodlepip xxx
The weather stayed dry on Sunday ( well, most of the time anyhoo, it drizzled a little ), and we thoroughly enjoyed a womble through a couple of brocantes/vide greniers. Oh how I love to haggle with the French stall holders, most of them enjoy a good haggle as well, and we laugh and joke and both end up with a good deal. I usually manage to find something to bring home with me and Sunday was no exception. Today I'll just show you the new white treasures, as this is a Blissful Whites Wednesday post :-). I am going to leave my most favouritest item until last though, aahh it is so beautiful. So lets start with something small, which we all love though, buttons! -
Tiny little white glass buttons on a card -
A serene white cross -
A beautiful silk Holy Communion bow, it is huge -
A sweet little soap dish -
The most delightful 19th Century nighties, amazing condition and quality.
Nightie 1 -
Nightie No. 2 -
A few napkins, but as I don't have a full set, only 3, I'll probably make them into monogrammed lavender sachets -
And last, but most definitely not least, the favourite find of the day, this absolutely stunning very old silk covered chocolate box, by Marquise de Sevigne
Gorgeous, isn't it?
I'll be linking this post to the Blissful Whites Wednesday party over at the TIMEWASHED blog. why don't you join us over there?
Toodlepip xxx
