Summer sundowners

Just wanted to share with you a couple of snaps from a dinner we hosted in the garden the other day... I love the rustic look and adored using the hay bales and tree stumps as stools and benches.

The evening actually ended up being a great deal larger than planned as the neighbors heard the music and all came up to join us :)

`

Recent happenings

Meet Bird Bean... I awoke the other morning with really loud cheeping in my ear so went to investigate thinking that my other half had left the door open and a bird had flown in... after half an hours search I was dumbfounded... eventually I realized the voice was coming from above me... so up a ladder i went and pulled down a light fitting and there peeking out was this little fellow... So cute... He's taking food well but he's very young so Im doubtful he will live but I will keep you informed :)

Another thing that we have been upto is collecting figs from the garden trees. We have so many this time of year that I never know what to do with them and i hate to think of them going to waste on the tree. Last year I made fig chutney and stores of that are now low so I will be making another batch of that as soon as I find time.

Baby hens have been released out into the garden now... Always a bit of a worrying time of the year as we have had little ones wondering off and not finding their way home. We live on the edge of a big forest and Im sure Mr Fox has been sniffing around even with our dog guarding 

And lastly I thought Id share with you a pic of me and Evie walking up in the mountains last weekend. We are so lucky to live on the coast and an hour from the Alpes. Best of both worlds really :)

A Walk Through the Spring Garden

This is my favorite time of the year in the garden. Although we are not yet reaping the benefits of what we have sown we sure are living in splendor. The apple blossoms are in bloom and everything else seems about to follow suit with buds exploding everywhere. 

The babies are not so cute anymore sadly, all their nice soft downy is falling out making space for little feathers. As ugly as they may be they are still very sweet. they are still too small to live outside so I have them in my laundry room under a heat lamp. Not the most ideal place for them but I fear the barn house won't be safe enough as our neighbors dog roams about the place and I worry she might just fancy a little feathery snack. Evie and I have them out in a run during the day while we are gardening and the simply love scratching about in the dirt looking for bugs.


Potatoes have now broken the surface which I am happy about. I've done something different this year which I don't know will pay off or not... I chatted supermarket potatoes... I just hate the waste of buying seed potatoes as here in France they come in a crate and I simply don't have the space or the appetite for that amount so each year they go in the bin. Im trying a few varieties this season. Red ones which are my personal favorite so I hope that the books are wrong and they work out ok.

My first strawberry patch has been planted out too which is great. I have so many plans for these little beauties this year...
im wondering though whether I need to get another patch down as we are definitely going to need a good amount.

Black Rock Table Decoration

Another quick Table decoration. Not very elaborate but it did the trick. I love using candles and water together. This was actually a very cheap creation as most of what is used are things that I collect and keep to re use in designs. 

An Update Of Goings On

Been a busy week, had my husbands cousins come to stay with their two young children so out seeking time was filled up with going to the local wildlife park and aquarium. It was a great weekend but Im glad its over and I can focus on getting the house cleaned again and getting back to my organized life.  Above is a picture of my second baby, Ive not named him but he/she is my pride and joy. Its a little Cheyenne pepper plant that I started from seed and its doing beautifully. Cant wait to use its fruit in future food projects.

I took this photo of these jellyfish while visiting the aquarium in Monaco which Im quite happy with. Im no photographer but I am in love with my camera and love learning to use different settings and new techniques. The other photo is of a part of quilt I have finished. Im planning on making it into a cushion cover for my mums birthday, perhaps sew a few hearts onto it but Im not sure yet.And finally this is my naughty little Evie, now walking and helping her mummy with the baking. I think she looks like a little crab :) 

Pink Glam Table Decoration

 This table decoration I did for a dinner in Monaco. Some fairly young female guests who were staying onboard were heading out for a night on the town so I wanted to create something glitz and glam for them to make them feel that extra big special before their big night out. 

Doodles and seedlings

Baby Evie

Been another busy week garden wise. Most of the seeds and sprouted and grown vigorously on my window sill. Sadly we have had a lot of wind so going out into the garden has been a bit of a nightmare and Ive been unable to plant anything out creating quite the back log.

I put out two of my baby melons to see if they could handle the temp but sadly the didn't like it and have wilted their beautiful new leaves. Thankfully all was not lost as they are still alive and back on the sill to be nursed back to health.

Im adding a few pics of sketches Ive been doing while stuck inside and also the start of one of my new quilts. The sketches are by no means great but as this is a blog about what I have been doing and little inspirational bits then I figured they should be included somewhere.

Ive been starting quite a few quilting projects actually now that the sewing machine is back up and running. I will post some pics in the next few days.

A Quick Table Decoration

A simple and elegant table decoration used for a dinner with acquaintances. At the bottom of the dish is glass crystal shavings bit I've used plastic wrapping before to much the same effect. Paint some dried twigs white and then rose petals. The town in the background is St tropez port where we were moored that evening. Ive spent a lot of my time as a stewardess in St Tropez, the playground of the rich and famous. 

At First I didn't see the fascination with the place, everything was over priced, there is only one road leading in which means during summer time it can take upto four hours to get to from Cannes when it should really only take one. But now Ive grown to love the place. There are many hidden gems there that the 'rich' will never get to experience like Pierre the fish man. He works in the little fish market in the port where all the chefs go to buy the seafood for their clients. Talk to him for half an hour one day and he will remember you for years to come and when you say its a fish for your own table your most likely to get it free. He and his family make a killing because in St Tropez, the higher the price the more people will want it. Crazy place.                              

Monday Monday

My dads been over visiting this last weekend. He is a yacht captain and so came from Montenegro where he is based to visit the yacht show and us. The last few days have been spent cooking and dropping subtle hints about DIY projects around the house. Ive had shelves put up in Evies bedroom and the living room so far and we still have another day tomorrow :)

Been baking a lot also, trying to get rid of some of the mountain of chocolate that we still have left after easter. Cookies, cakes the lot.

Weather has been awful so no need to go out and water the garden although it has set me back a little with the planting out of all the seedlings I have taking space on every windowsill in the living room.

Also thought Id include a photo of the most amazing chocolate shop window we walked past the other day in Cannes. I would love to be able to make these, they look too good to eat

Did manage a lovely lunch on the beach. A friend of ours had a quaint beach wedding from which Ive included a couple of photos of :)

Antibes Yacht Show

At the start of every April means the Antibes yacht show. Its a three day event where crew and owners gather to look at new equipment for boats or to have a look through the yachts in port to see whether anyone might want to rent them.

Its a very boring weekend and thats where I have been hence the lack of blog activity. Going on with the boating theme I thought I would show you another of the table decorations that I created.

White Rose Table Decoration

Part of my job working on the super yachts is to create an atmosphere of complete luxury for the guests onboard. Each breakfast, lunch and dinner I would create a different decoration depending on what the flowers are in season and what the guests are eating.

Quite often these tables can cost a fair amount of money. Orchids and roses don't come cheap especially if you are ordering them from afar. Once used they usually get thrown straight out as it isn't the 'done thing' to re use them. Such a shame really but thats part of the job. I usually take the used flowers to my own room so its not such a waste.

This is one of my evening tables created with white pebbles and roses. The tableware is Versace and the bay is St Jean Cap Farrat

Absence

Sorry about the lack of posts the last week. i flew over the the UK to visit my family. Sadly my granny Rose died while I was there so it was a very bittersweet trip. She had been ill a very long time so it came as no surprise but still a sad sad week. I'm home again now and so back to blogging :)

A little about my work

When I was 18 my family moved from the uk to the South of France as my father is a yacht captain. I followed in his career choice and became a stewardess and after a short time a chief stewardess which basically means I run the interior of the vessel and act as the personal assistant to the owner or guests.

This yacht pictured above is one I have the great chance of assisting with the build and helped the interior designers Versace set everything up on the inside.

Ive travelled a lot of the world doing this and have the most amazing memories.

Now I have a family its not so easy to pick up and leave for foreign shores so I choose smaller boats which stay in France.

The snow has arrived!!!

It snows once a year here on the cote d'azur but very rarely does it snow much or settle. 

I love the snow, especially when I all wrapped up warm inside with hot ribena and a snugly blanket :)

Our Winter Holiday

Hi everyone! Thought I would tell you a little bit about our winter holiday that we just got back from.

We are very lucky that my partner has an apartment in the mountain town of Megeve which is in France right next to the Mont Blanc mountain.

It was Evies first tim in the snow as last year she was to young to bring her up and its too warm this time of the year on the coast to expect any snow.

It wasn't really a holiday for a mini break and there wasn't much to do as Evie is still little and we didn't want her in the cold for long.

Anyway here are a few shots :)

Apologies

Right then, my sincere apologies for not having written in a while. Ive been working and being a mum, moving into our new home and having everyone here for the festive season.

Finally its January and I can start to concentrate more on my blog and crafts. Not that I have not been crafting during my absence.

Here is a little picture of how fast Evie-Rose has grown

Be back soon with crafty posts :)

My baby Evie-Rose

This is a picture of my little angel Evie-Rose who was born December 15th 2010.

I had always wanted to be a mummy since a very young age. Being a very creative person I have so many plans to do with children and having one of my own couldn't come soon enough. Even better, shes a girl so I get to do fun things like make her clothing and jewelery. I would love a little boy as well but I think I would have problems being far to 'involved' as he got older. "Mums so embarrassing she still makes me little cakes when my friends come round" are words that haunt my fantasies. But Alas, my firsts a girl so I get to have all the fun in the world!
I cant wait until I can host her special birthday parties and buy or make her princess dresses! Shes only 2 months old so I'm going to have to wait a while I think... hehe

More about me...

This is a picture of my partner and I. I say partner, we have a baby together and have talked about marriage for along time so I know its coming. I'm just waiting for... the big question. Hopefully he wont keep me waiting to long as I cant wait to start planning all the little details (as if they are not all thought out already)

Fabien owns and runs a company that specializes in sound and lighting for special events, He works mostly in St Tropez and Monaco but also works alot for the Cannes Film Festival etc. Hes always very busy and so unfortunately, I only really get to see him when hes working at home in his office. I have made myself a little nest in his office where I can sit and do my crafting while he works. Otherwise Id be pretty lonely.

I used to work for some of the richest, craziest people in the world. I chief stewardess ed on super yachts for 6 years. Ive seen all sorts, Billionaire junkies, vogue orgies, royalty, Russian arms dealers, celebrities you name it. It was a good insight to 'how the other side live'. But there was one thing that I came away from all that with... the knowledge and proof that money doesn't buy you happiness. I would see some of the richest people in the word, miserable. Surrounded by a sea of people but all alone as they couldn't trust anyone. We (being the crew) actually felt sorry for them. So now I know now that I have left my work to become a mum, that money doesn't bring you happiness. At all in fact.

So stop working so hard and enjoy all the things that are free in life, the things that can make you truly happy. Love, family and food!!!!!