Bon dimanche everyone!
It has been a whirlwind week especially after announcing on social media we have made the decision to relocate to France. I’ve had SOOOO many people reach out about buying some of my furniture, wanting to know how details on the move, even several people wanted to buy the cottage. I’ve had to put the brakes on all of that because there are many steps to take before myself, the hubby and the kitty clan get on the plane to the French countryside.
I plan to share every step of the process: from applying for a long term visa to buying a home to learning the language and so much more. So what is on our agenda for the BIG MOVE this month: applying for the long stay visa & editing our home in prep for our first yard sale. Both of which are quite daunting. There are lots of things we just can’t take to France like our electronics. So all our small appliances & TV’s will need to be sold. Then it’s just going through other things: dishes, decor, clothes etc. and pairing down to what we really want & actually need. Like I said…daunting. But we should be ready for our first ever yard sale on Sunday, June 30th.
In addition, I’ve been prepping for my pop up at the Mount Hope Farmers Market on Saturday, June 29th. This is my opportunity to edit my personal vintage collection that I have decided to part with. Plus some of the paint projects and fun bits that I will be bringing need to be finished up.
So I have been working on all of this as well as at the farm & my weekend part time gig. Oh and let’s not forget maintaining the garden. Busy busy busy. Hope you enjoy what I have pulled together for you this week.
xo- Jenna
Visa long séjour
The long stay visa is for any foreign national that plans to stay in the EU for longer than 90 days up to a year. So if any of you were thinking about renting a cottage in the French countryside for the summer months or planning to relocate there to live you would need to apply for one of these. Starting in 2025, any visit to the EU from the U.S. will require a visa but not this one for short term stays.
There are several different types of long visas but they roughly breakdown into 4 types:
tourism
education
employment
family purpose
Once you fill out the online application (fees apply), you then schedule an appointment with the local French embassy consulate (which for us is in Boston) for your in-person interview. They will notify you of their decision usually within 15 business days but it can be longer due to an influx of applications.
Sounds simple right? Mais non! In our case there is a lot of paperwork we need to gather, a dossier that needs to be created, new passport pictures taken, etc etc. I will be detailing the exact process from beginning to end on here so you know what to expect in case this is a dream you have to move to France. Let me go through the surprises (if any) so I can make your experience smoother. I’m sharing the behind the scenes with my social media subscribers. Click here to subscribe.
FYI: you cannot apply for a “visa long séjour” more than 3 months prior to you going. Since I am heading over in September & the hubby in October we are starting the process now so we can have our visas secured before the end of the year. Fingers crossed everything will go smoothly being the over planner I can be.
Dahlia Dreaming
I’m excited to say that all my dahlia tubers have sprouted! Some are a little further on than others but they have all broken through the dirt and are slowly growing bigger each and everyday. Originally I planned to just plant 6 French named dahlias but once I got them in the ground I realized I had room for 2 more varieties and quickly researched to see who had what still available. Luckily I was able to secure ‘Creme de Cognac’ -a pale pink/salmon double blooms are paired with a dark purple underside giving the petals a unique rusty, orange hue; and ‘L’Ancresse’- a classically vanilla ice cream colored dahlia which at times it might have a touch of lavender in the center of the bloom.
I am super excited for this year’s dahlia season & the many blooms that are bound to come. Right now I have pinched all the ones that have at least 3 sets of true leaves- this will ensure more blooms. Weeding & watering as needed. It’s not too late to plant dahlias for the season as we had a longer Spring than normal however I would look for varieties that grow quicker if you are looking for early blooms like Arabian Night.
Floret is a great resource for growing dahlias. Here’s a how to from their website.
These are the varieties I have planted this year:
cafe au lait
cafe de paris
cafe au lait supreme
avignon
citron du cap
normandy bright day
l’ancresse
creme de cognac
All of these I plan to find for our home in France where we hope to have a micro flower farm. Dahlias, roses, lilacs, hydrangeas, and so much more. Our goal is to create a functional but beautiful looking farm set up with the hopes of having events there too. Maybe even a pick your own which is unheard of in France. So I am embracing everything that I have learned in my own garden along with what I continue to learn at the farm to help me create the flower farm of our dreams. Stay tuned!!!
Clafoutis
Probably one of the easiest desserts to make in French cooking. I so look forward to making this each year and it can be made with a variety of different fruits but the classic will always be cherry. But the French even argue on which is the classic: pitted or unpitted cherries. Personally I prefer pitted but it is good either way just be careful not to break a tooth with the pitted version.
Here’s my favorite recipe and yes use the kirsch. It makes the dish!
You can bake this in either a cast iron pan like this one or use a tart/quiche dish like this one. *
Sunday Saves
Just a few links and things that caught my eye this week….
Did you know that US sunscreens are less effective than European ones? My favorite French skin care line Caudalie has come out with a NEW suncreen which is a 50SPF. When you spend $100 or more, you get a really cute denim tote bag. Use code: ONTHEGO *
How to Shop the Paris Flea Market Like a Pro via House Beautiful. Personally I love exploring the brocantes in the countryside because as we all know everything in the city is more expensive. Plus that’s where they shop before bringing it to their stores :)
When we first visited Paris we rented an apartment with Paris Perfect Apartment rentals (which I HIGHLY recommend). Here’s their blog on favorite places to visit in rue Cler right where we stayed.
7 Gardening Ideas That Will Make Your Garden Look Fresh Out of Bridgerton (which BTW the second part came out which was much better than the first 4 episodes)
Hey locals! Farmaesthetics is now open for the season at Sweet Berry Farm in Middletown.
I have been living in these shoes just about everyday. They are the classic French summer shoe. *
Did you know that Aperol has come out with a RTS (ready to serve) option? Yep! no more buying all the ingredients. They have these great individual serving bottles. All you need to get is ice & orange slices. Check your local liquor store to see if they have it in stock. PS… always ask if they can order it for you. Most likely they can :)
Last chance to come with me to Normandy this Fall! Click here for the details. *
*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