Bonjour everyone! Bonne l’automne! Happy Fall! It’s been a very busy few weeks tackling projects here at the cottage. I’m sort of kicking myself we didn’t do some of this sooner but hindsight is 20-20 right? We were hoping to have everything done by the end of the month by it’s looking like we need a few more weeks as we are waiting on materials to come, things to dry and garbage to be picked up. So we both are just trucking along trying to get things accomplished inside & out of the cottage. Only 2 rooms inside left to stage & photograph and then the exterior. Then we will be ready to list. So for you in this week’s newsletter I am reflecting on what we had here at the cottage and what is yet to come in France.
On a “save the date” note, I had postponed my pop-up at Mount Hope Farm yesterday due to the heavy rains. So I will be definitely be there next Saturday with French baskets, candles, soaps ad more. Then my last pop-up for the year where ALL my furniture makeovers from the shop & the cottage will be at the Bristol Vintage Market. This will be your last chance to shop with me in person for 2024 (unless you join me in France next year!) Get your tickets to the market here!
Also only one more week to shop my Etsy store for the year!
Hope you all have a wonderful week and hope to see some of you locals at the markets.
xo- Jenna
Reflecting for a moment
It is been a bit of tough time as I have been staging photographing each room at the cottage because within the next day or two, pieces from that room I posted for sale have sold and room became more and more empty. To walk into the space and see it in packing chaos just made me stop & reflect the first time we walked into the cottage. I reflected on my vision for each room & what type of home I would create for us. Some rooms were easier to envision than others like the living & dining rooms. The porch room went through several transformations, the bathroom was our only gut & remodel job I designed and other rooms just eventually fell into place over time. I started to remember when we first arrived here how excited the kitties were to have so many windows to look out of. The first holiday I used my fancy new stove. The week it was photographed for the book. Our first cozy movie night in the snug. So many spaces filled with many memories. Our little cottage felt like a hug when we first viewed it. We felt the cozy before any of our furniture was in. Over the last five years we have created a “home” that was beautiful, functional, cozy and loving and we will miss it. It’s bittersweet as I pack things up but I am also excited for what is yet to come abroad.
Moving can be chaotic for anyone but I am determined to stay organized and make the most of our move. I have started a spreadsheet so I can have a list of every box, container & furniture piece for the moving company & the insurance company. Each item is numbered with a value amount. this is important for any move but especially for moves abroad. I prefer t pack everything myself instead of hiring a company to do it because it will make unpacking way easier as everything will be labeled by room. Here’s some of the tools I am using to make this move seamless:
Moving boxes. These ones are great and affordable. Plus when you are loading a container having the boxes all be the same helps. Several sizes available. *
Mattress cover. This one is great! It’s water proof and I was able to fit both of our mattresses into one cover. However ours are fairly lightweight. *
Vacuum bags. These are life changing! I am using them for all my throw pillows and then popping the shrunk bags into a plastic crate. Tip…the pump is kind of useless just use your vacuum. *
Make sure you are following me on Instagram to see what items I’m selling from the cottage.
Searching for our next home
When looking for a home there are lots of factors involved: budget, neighborhood, size etc. When looking for a home abroad you need to be more realistic and less romantic. It is very easy to get consumed in the beauty of blue shutters and stone facades and think OMG that’s the one but the truth of the matter is that there a LOTS to look at when purchasing a home in France especially in the countryside.
We actually started the home search the minute we decided to move to France thinking well we already bought a house there it should be easy to find one from abroad & have it ready to go once the visas were approved. Mais non! This is my advice… you need to be there to physically see the house in order to make a decision. There was a home (not the one above which BTW is under offer) that we thought checked all the boxes from the online listing. We reached out to the agent and scheduled a video call tour with her. We knew we liked it a lot so I asked an Instagram friend who lived not too far from there to actually go a tour the property (incognito) for us. She took tons of pictures and videos and then we did a whatsapp call with her & her husband to discuss the tour. Long story short… she saw the potential like we did but we would need to invest at least 80K in things like heating (there is none), electrical (whole house & gite needed updating), the septic (needs to be replaced) insulation (none), windows (they are all single glazed) and appliances (they do not come with the house). That’s before we do any of the cosmetics stuff aka decor. The listing agent did not say anything to us about most of that list during he video tour. So this one became a hard pass.
We made the decision to put our wish list of homes together. Once we get to France we would schedule appointments from that list to see the homes that checked all the boxes “if” they are available then. This way we can make the right choice for our budget & needs and see if it gives us the same feeling we had when we walked into our current home. You cannot get that from an online page. What looks soooo good usually isn’t in person. But that’s true in life. We all get so caught up in the easiness of online shopping, the beauty in pictures of homes & places on social media, the truth is seeing it with your own eyes evokes a different feeling, a different response, a different moment.
So my advice…wait to see it in person. If it means you fly over, tour houses then come home and make a decision, do it. Or in our case, move to temp housing (our cottage) and then tour & make a decision. There is nothing like regretting your home purchase. It will hurt your heart & your wallet.
Tarte Normande
It’s apple season (saison des pommes) and apples are a huge commodity in Normandy. What grapes are to southern France, apples are to the north. Calvados (apple brandy) and cidre orchards dot the Normandy countryside. Where we are we are surrounded by both apple & pear orchards where you can tour & taste the literal fruits of their labor. One of my favorite desserts to make with the local fruits is Tarte Normande: a flaky crust filled with the fruit of the season amongst a custard filling with a splash of Calvados. This dish is very easy to make (including the crust) and you will want to make it over and over again. I add it to my Thanksgiving dessert table every year.
David Lebovitz has a great recipe. Click here for the details.
Sunday Saves
Things that caught my eye this week….
5 Signs You’re Eating Too Much Sugar I’ll be honest I have identified with a few of these signs lately.
Do you keep your phone on silent? I do. It doesn’t mean I don’t check it but I keep it off except for certain app where I have it on vibrate. Here’s an interesting article: People who always keep their phone on silent typically display these 7 traits
Know your cheeses and their seasons: which to eat in France in September
Americans Can Finally Renew Their Passports Online 24/7 This is a huge thing for me as I will be in France when mine expires.
Move Over, Nancy Meyers—10 Ways I’m Channeling Meg Ryan This Fall On this first day of Fall (l’automne) I’ll be watching When Harry Met Sally while packing the snug in a cozy sweater of course.
Rebecca Plotnick’s 2025 calendar is now available. What I love about her calendars is that you can frame your favorite Paris pics from it in your home.
I started using this moisturizer from Caudalie. So far really like it- great for sensitive skin. *
Loving these sweet little toile bags from my friend Molly’s shop. They make great travel bags or even to keep in your purse. Hand crafted in Versailles, France.
*Please note that some of the links are affiliate links including my Amazon shop where I do make a very small commission at no additional cost to you when you shop my links which helps me continue to provide this free bi-weekly newsletter.
Merci beaucoup for your patronage! xo- Jenna