Bon dimanche!
Hope you all had a wonderful week. It was a rough one weather wise here in RI. I had a bit of heat exhaustion from working at the farm and that's with drinking water with electrolytes & using my neck fan.* We had a little break in the humidity this weekend which helped but I am really not cut out for humidity.
So this meant I worked on inside projects after work. Mainly the bathroom refresh. All the walls & ceiling got a fresh coat of white paint. I'm using Farrow & Ball's All White * It is exactly that...pure white & bright. The trim & paneling that also got touched up is Farrow & Ball Manor House Grey * which is in the hallway, dining & living room as well.
The vintage marble piece that I found for a backsplash for the sink has been installed. All that's left is to bring out the plumber to install the new faucet *, change up the shower curtains & refresh the decor a bit.
Giving it a good scrub top to bottom today too. I like to use my Marseille black soap * for this. It's a concentrated paste so a little goes a long way. But it really gives it a good deep cleaning.
This weekend I'm wrapping up some other in the works projects: trim work in the guest room & bar cabinet makeover. Then my focus turns to prepping my pop-up at Mount Hope Farm on Saturday. I'll be bringing more French baskets, bags & soaps, vintage finds and a few furniture makeovers. Plus fresh flowers from the cottage. Definitely will have a few posy vases but I think I am also going to have a few bouquets as well. But get there early…. flowers sold out within the first half hour.
Meanwhile in France, our little cottage in France has been very busy with guests. Both July & August are completely booked. We still have some availability for September before we close it for the season. On a good note, for 2025 we will be making it available for long term stays! You will be able to stay in the cottage for up to 3 months and we will be offering a special discounted rate. You can actually “live” in the French countryside. More to come on that! I am also narrowing down the dates for my retreats for next year too. Just want get through our visa application process first. But excited to say that it will include cooking workshops, tours & of course lots of brocante shopping. If you are interested in being on the “first to know list”, send me a message with your contact info.
Save the Dates
Saturday July 27th from 9am to Noon for my pop-up at Mount Hope Farm with all things French Country Cottage.
Saturday August 3rd from 8am to Noon for our next yard sale! Follow me on Instagram for a sneak preview on Friday.
Hope you all enjoy what I have pulled together this week for you! xo- Jenna
Tomato Tarte Tatin
Tomatoes are in season! We have just started to harvest from not only our cherry tomato plants (which have grown into the very top of the arbor) but our larger tomatoes too.
There is nothing like sliced garden tomatoes with some fresh herbs, a drizzle of good olive oil, a sprinkle of fleur de sel and either crumbled goat cheese or fresh mozzarella. Simple, hearty, delicious. Oh and some good crusty bread to sop up all those juices. But if you want to get really creative: try a tomato tarte tatin. Makes a great main dish or even a starter.
My favorite version of this comes from the cookbook The Cottage Kitchen * by Marte Marie Forsberg. You can be really creative and make your own puff pastry or keep it simple with premade store bought. I made this recently with a different twist- hot honey. It added a little zing to the tarte. This is the one I used. *
Here is the link to her recipe but definitely consider getting her book. Full of wonderful recipes for seasonal cooking.
Bon appetit!
Ducey-Les Chéris
It’s been awhile since I shared a village near our cottage. So I thought I would share a place I visited this past February while we were in Normandie. It’s on the ride to my favorite brocante which is located just across the river bank but this time I stopped and walked around this quaint little village. Founded in 1066, the Duke of Ducey participated in the Norman conquest alongside William the Conqueror. The village is small-ish (pop 2700) and it actually on the bikepath/hiking trail that leads to Mont St Michel. This was a layover stop for many of the centuries for people making the pilgrimage to the famous Mont. Did you know that there is a biking/hike trail that starts in Paris to Mont St Michel? It’s called the Véloscénie.
Although the inside was closed when I visited, the Chateau des Montgomery grounds were beautiful to walk about & see. The village is filled with quaint little shops, restaurants & boulangeries. A must see on the way to the vintage shop just down the road.
Learn more about the village here
Book your stay at our cottage in Normandy, France
Sunday Saves
Some of the things that caught my eye this week…
What to Plant in July for a Late Summer/Early Fall Harvest I am already in the process of getting the garden ready for this. I plan to sow radishes, carrots (attempt #2), lettuces, turnips, beets, peas & beans. Fingers crossed it goes better than before.
6 Tips for Keeping Your Lawn Green in the Summer Heat It’s one of the reasons why we started to veer over to a clover lawn which can handle drought & heat conditions and still look green.
Le Creuset Is Retiring This Popular Color—Shop the Final Sale Now However they just released this awesome stock pot that everyone in New England needs to own. *
Speaking of Lobster, you NEED to try this recipe: Shallot-Roasted Lobster. This Staub griddle pan is an investment piece for your kitchen but sooooo worth it. *
How to Set a Table the French Way via Remodelista
It’s been 1 year since the book Small Spaces Big Appeal came out that featured our little cottage as one of it’s showcase homes. It’s currently 50% off right now on Amazon! If you haven’t gotten it yet, this is a great opportunity to grab it*
How to Make Iced Coffee Like a Barista I’ve been on an iced coffee kick lately and of course it makes it better when drinking it from my fancy Diptyque glass. Mine was a gift from my mom but this one is similar. *
My favorite sneakers are now available on Gilt.com for a REALLY good deal! *
9 Cheapest Kitchen Transformations, According to Experts via AD. Once the bathroom is complete, I am moving into the kitchen to tweak a few things in prep to put the house on the market. And yes our beautiful stove * will be staying with the house as I have already found a new one that I am really excited about for our new home in 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 weekly newsletter.
As always….Merci beaucoup for your patronage! xo- Jenna