Cozy Homemaking

Aveyron March 2014 - part three

This trip to Aveyron helped me going back to the swing of taking outdoors photos. It'd been so many months since the boys went back to school & then the move, I had missed being outside so much, and taking photos just as much. (although I never stopped taking photos, I had not posted nature photos for so long, it felt like eternity !) Here are some that helped me make peace with my sometimes uselessly troubled mind.

How I love to look at all these plants that grow on top of ruins or castle walls. Noone sowed them, they grew by themselves & brave the elements without any help. And yet, hardly anyone really look at them. I know I do.

ox

S

the last drupes

From my kitchen windows, I can see a huge Celtis australis. It is giving its last drupes to the many birds that stop by here. Herring gulls, ravens, pigeons and more.

Aren't their colors so lovely ?

Happy Friday everyone. Thank you for stopping by.

ox

Sonia

 

PS : there's still time (3 days, actually) to use code 2014 in the shop & get 25% off anything shopwide. (that can be a 15U$ discount on maxi scarves or 11.25 U$ on wool zipped pouches !)

I could see a huge Celtis australis from the living room of the previous apartment ... and surprise, I can see another (or several, even) Celtis australis from the living room of the apartment now as well ! I love these because they grow tall, still have leaves until late in winter, with lots of dark purple berry-like drupes which feed an incredible amount of birds, even coming from the seaside. (so that we can see European herring gulls even in the heart of town)

December 15th

Amazing how the weather's turned to rainy & muggy in the matter of days. Thank goodness it avoided moving day ! Lots of leaves have fallen now, and while they looked like golden in the December morning sun, they now look almost coppery on a dark December afternoon.

December 19th

Can't get enough of the raindrops looking like jewels at the tip of every branch & at every drupe. Such a lovely sight to see on a rainy day !

Wishing you a lovely weekend ahead ! Thank you for visiting !

ox

S

Thank you very much for the birthday wishes for my mama, yesterday ! I forwarded them to her & she really was touched.

So here are the other photos from the "dry is beautiful too" series. I like these even better, I think !

Isn't Nature grant ? I love the poetic beauty of these pods & seeds. Their colors, their shape & structure. Everything becomes more minimal, much more than when they're fresh.

I'm still making making making. Whenever time allows. In the meantime, and since summer is over, the "Endless Summer" buckets were marked down. And the sale section is rather filled of awesome handmade goodness at a super nice price. (dare I say Christmas is now  3 months away *only* ? Ouch)

Wishing you a beautiful day, thank you for blessing me with your visits & comments !

ox

S

Dry is beautiful too, I have no doubt about it. Sometimes it takes a little longer to appreciate the beauty in this stage of a flower's or a plant's life, but they sure hold as much grace & interest as when they are in full bloom.

Today's my mama's birthday ! Joyeux anniversaire Maman !! We'll have a very simple (yet meaningful) celebration at lunch time today.

I hope this post finds you happy & healthy. More photos tomorrow, I didn't want to overload today's post !

ox

S

So it's now officially autumn season, in northern-hemisphere and spring in the southern one, so I wish everyone of you a smooth & enjoyable change of season. Of course (I know it's not obvious, but it's some kind of complain from me, I'm sorry) it's still very warm here. This weekend for the wedding we attended, it was above 31°C (in the shade), and everyone was looking for the shade when we were waiting out of the city hall & church. As a matter of fact, we are all down with colds today, either with achy throat or with a runny nose. Shoots. Anyway, such is the change of season, but I'm sure the heat didn't help a second.

Here are three photos I took on the last day of August. They have that autumnal feeling (again) but with this harsh, hot, summer light.

Lonicera etrusca / Etruscan honeysuckle / Chèvrefeuille d'Étrurie

Viburnum tinus / Laurestine / Laurier-tin

Pistacia terebenthus / Turpentine tree / Pistachier térébinthe

Tomorrow I'll share photos of another kind. Less flamboyant, but just as beautiful. Wishing you all a great start to the week, and healthier than ours !

ox

S

As we, Northern-hemisphere girls, are slowly (or not) but surely moving forward autumn, I need to share with you, today & tomorrow, the last batches of photos from our summer vacations.

Today's photos have a more summery vibes to them (normal, since they were taken in the heart of summer !), while tomorrow's will have a more autumnal feeling to them.

I'm having a little hard time managing my work time since school has started again, and because of the boys now in two different places with different schedules. We pick them for lunch, which is why it is even more complicated. But I don't regret it. A single minute. It's always been an obvious choice to go pick them for lunch, even though schools are not so close (by foot). It just takes extra organization & planning, may it be for lunch making or for boys picking up. It's just that I really need to work things out even more efficiently now, so that I can keep on making things. (add to this grocery shopping, exercising, housework, and the day has gone, literally)

I'm so full of ideas & motivation right now, but I'm simply not finding the right amount of time to get it all done. I really need to find a solution for working even better, on shorter amount of time.

Have a great middle of the week !

ox

S

I'm glad you enjoyed yesterday's photos. Today's photos were taken at the same exact spot, on the same day, but something really appealed to me, and I couldn't stop taking photos of it.

I found it had an "abstract" or "lunar" feeling to it, you'll see why.

Or maybe it was simply my way of seeing it & photographying it, I don't know. Either way, I found it was interesting to see & interesting to share.

I hope this week's treating you well. And if sadly it isn't, please take some minimal time to take care of yourself, for it's necessary for your soul & your body.

ox

S

I have not finished sharing with you the photos from our summer vacations (in July, in the Alps) This little series of photos was taken by the stream that was running down the renting house. Needless to say that we spent quite some time there, simply admiring & observing, playing with stones, with leaves ... little & big children had fun all around !

a sprout and its shadow

colorful leaves in the greige stream

a little cairn, to leave an ephemeral trace

a man made ephemeral track (leaf, by hubby)

animal made tracks (of a beech marten - identified by hubby)

hubby's hand in the stream's mud

... and a winged & curious little friend, helping me saying
"thank you for your visits & your comments & your presence in general" !

☺

More photos tomorrow !

ox

S

Thanks a lot for your kind words about the zipped pouch last week, it sure did warm my heart ! I've worked many hours on it (apart from dyeing the different materials with different plants), so it really is a work of the heart.

September ... already. Where did August go, I don't know. Maybe it got lost in my husband's tons of work ... so long for a "lazy" July ... I am more than ready for fall, for chillier temps (it's still 32°C in the afternoon here, and at least until the middle of the week), for a less strong sun, for wearing layers ... but more than ever this year, I am SO NOT ready for my boys to go back to school (on Tuesday) I'm getting very stressed out & anxious about my eldest's entering in his new school. I know it's not worth worrying so much, but I can't help it, and it's making me crazy. (sincerely) I'm having a hard time starting to "let them go". But I think that more than this, I see the other (read = the older) preteens/teens as a threat. I don't question my own children's education (of course !!) but sometimes I wonder about others' ! Maybe that living in a region (or a country ?! there I said it) where respect is the least of everyone's principles. (they have any, that is)

Yesterday we finally managed to escape in nature & I picked "Leuzea conifera" (pinecone thistle / leuzée conifère), it's the time of the year when you can spot them. (like this, two years ago) I'm trying to learn my lessons from Nature.

And this Leuzea is trying to tell me that we parents are here to create seeds (our children), protect them as they grow, and little by little, open our arms to let them go by themselves & take their flight, so that they can settle somewhere at some point, grow again, and make their own seeds. And this, no matter what the outer world conditions are, seem, or feel like.

Smart little Leuzea, right ? Smarter than me for sure. - Oh well, maybe that the fact that I get emotions & that Leuzea doesn't, helps it let its seeds go, and doesn't help me letting my seeds go.

I hope September will treat us all well, or at least not too bad. Here's to hope !

ox

S

In the butterfly garden, back in July in Digne-les-Bains, my eyes got caught by a shrub I had never seen or heard of : Colutea arborescens / Bladder senna / Baguenaudier. Its pods were so translucent, poetic & mysterious, I had to take some photos to share with you ...

It's actually the fruit of the shrub and is an inflated bladdery pod which dries to a papery texture. It is 2 to 3 centimeters long and contains many seeds.

Wishing you a day filled with little good things.

ox

S

We're back from our little getaway. We enjoyed our time, were relaxed all the way, finding our way where we really wanted to go. Big bag of laundry to do today, but that was expected ... right ?

Here are more photos from fauna & flora from last July.

I hope you had a lovely weekend, or at least not too bad. I've worked on the train (so glad that the boys can entertain by themselves now, at least for periods of time) and I hope to show you this week some little nice things.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope life's treating you well.

xo

S

I'm so happy you like the story of Miranda, I thought I had to share. Back to the photos from our vacations last July. These photos were taken in the "Réserve Géologique de Digne-les-bains". Basically a lovely & original park (with a Japanese garden and all) with a museum about geology & fossils, and with a butterfly garden. Quite lovely if you ask me !

lots of water, very enjoyable on the hot day it was !

this one was huge & spectacular (and so refreshing !)
you can see a different photo of it here

an installation by Andy Goldsworthy (neat, indeed)

a shelter for insects

and butterflies, butterflies, butterflies !!!

loving how the background looks like a painting (windy day)

They were literally posing for you !

Now tomorrow we'll be off to a rainy yet magical place. We've lived next to it three times in our lives, and I won't count how many times we've been there. We were there after hubby & I met, when I was expecting our first child, when he was a baby, when I was expecting our second child, and with both of them at different ages. It's not a natural place, but we find our way, and manage to take the best out of it (which means we totally disconnect from daily life) I can say we know every possible corner, hotels included, to feel comfortable enough & not stressed out at all. We hate the crowd (I know, so why going there ?) so we always try to do things in different schedules (compared to most people). Besides we do very few attractions, don't want characters autographs or photos etc, so we're pretty relaxed when we're there. Anyway, I'm not trying to justify myself, just to explain our personal approach to it.

Have yourself a dreamy weekend ahead.

ox

S

This past week has been filled on many levels, not always good & pleasant, but this is how life goes. Anyway. Here are today photos taken around the house we rented in July.

strawberries & elderberries growing in the garden

simple but always sweet

Plantago media / Hoary plantain / Plantain intermédiaire

growing wild too, Lavendula angustifolia / Narrow-leaved lavender / Lavande officinale

I was surprised to stumble upon pink yarrow !! I didn't know it existed !

I will do my best to have a shop update on Sunday. Yesterday we spent the day with my 94 y-o grandpa, it was lovely. But it was unplanned, so I didn't do anything shop related yesterday & am a kind of a day late compared to what I had planned. Nevermind.

I hope life is treating you well these days. I wish I could send sunshine & warmth to the ones of you who are lacking of it. I'm getting tired of summer, yet it's very far from being over, here. I would love to have a good thunderstorm now, but it's not in the plans !!

ox

S

(auto-posted blog post while I'm away)

My last series of photos was not taken in the pond so to speak, but in a tiny water space, like a micro pond, if you want.

There, grows duckweed / lentilles d'eau (aquatic plants which float), which I find very beautiful.

And my eyes got caught (once again !) by something floating above these duckweed. It was a butterfly, and sadly, it was not alive anymore, and its position made me think (once again) of John Everett Millais' Ophelia painting.

I should be back home tomorrow, I hope you had a lovely time while I was away. Thank you for stopping by, always.

ox

S

(auto-posted post while I'm away)

Still around the pond, I had the opportunity to take some shots of a dragonfly that was doing rounds & rounds above it. When it finally stopped by a leaf, I snapped away ! I think I have identified it as being a Keeled Skimmer / Orthétrum bleuissant / Orthetrum Coerulescens.

I couldn't resist added cropped photos, so you can see a little more details of its beautiful wings !

ox

S

(auto-posted blog post while I'm away)

In my last post we were around ponds, and I spent more time exploring them with my camera. Many little characters attracted my attention, but one in particular, which wasn't scared one bit ...

I'm so grateful he/she let me approach her/him ... Her/his eyes looked like they had been painted with gold, it was so pretty to see ! (it didn't simply look like yellow, it was truly golden !)

He/she then jumped out of the pond & found a shady spot to rest for a while. I must add it was a truly hot day (like 34°C in the shade), therefore shade was a necessity for everyone !

Again, he/she didn't leave as I was approaching a little closer with my camera. I tried not to scare him/her though, and was moving slowly & silently. I must have read too many Beatrix Potter's book, because I think I can see a smile on his/her face (in the last photo) ...

I was very honored to meet you & see you closer, little Cretan frog (Pelophylax cretensis) ! It makes me sad though to learn that you're an endangered species, and that you are threatened by habitat loss. (maybe not in the botanical garden, but your fellows)

See you another day, little Cretan frog !

Have a lovely weekend everyone ! Thanks for stopping by !

xo

S

(auto-posted blog post while I'm away)

Happy Monday everyone ! I hope your week is off to a great start. When this post will auto-post, I should be having a break from routine, which is refreshing. In the meantime, here are more photos from Sunday 07th at the Botanical Garden. I like to call this small series "pond reflections". (because that's what they are !) I think I could have stayed looking at those all afternoon. I understand better how poets or painters can be (or have been) inspired by such visions of everchanging colors, shapes, feeling & perception.

Oh, to be a dragonfly & to fly around these papyrus ...

ox

S

I'm so glad you're enjoying these photos from last Sunday at the botanical garden ! Here are some more, and I'll be sharing more while I'm away, so that I don't feel I'm late sharing those photos. Therefore there'll be a couple of "pre-posted" posts (don't be surprised)

tansy leaves (Tanacetum vulgare / Tanaisie commune)

a type of Rudbackia

Aaaah ... since May & June were relatively wet & not as hot as usual, nature, included at the botanical garden is not completely dry & burnt by the summer heat. And really, that's a pleasure & a joy to see !

I've been pretty busy preparing our stuff for the trip. My goodness how long does it take !! What an organization ! Phew. We shall be going to a much cooler weather & I won't be the one who'll complain about it ! It's been a warm warm week & a break from it will be welcome. Plus the house we're renting is at an altitude of approx. 1000 meters, so it'll be quite a change from ... approx. 0 meter of altitude LOL

The shop is now closed, at least until July 28th. Then I hope I'll have a handful of new things to share with you, early August. (besides photos from the trip !)

Wishing you a lovely end of the week & weekend ahead !

ox

S

More photos from the botanical garden (of Montpellier), on our little visit on Sunday 07th. I hope you will like these as well !

Punica granatum / Pomegranate / grenadier commun

Punica granatum var. nana / dwarf pomegranate / grenadier nain

 

Hot week here, we're trying to keep cool, but it's not always so easy. Keeping myself busy with our trip preps.

One last shipment (for the shop) will happen on Friday. Then the shop will close up to early August.

ox

S

So school's out. And summer is frankly here now. We had a lovely weekend, with one major surprise (we attended the baptism of friend's baby son, and they also got married that day, but the wedding was the "surprise" part !!). On Sunday afternoon I went to the botanical garden with hubby. I'll be sharing photos from the botanical garden this week, and maybe after if there are some left.

I'm preparing this week everything for our 2 weeks trip in the Alps (near Dignes-les-Bains) I'm very looking forward to much cooler nights & mornings ! And a little different nature too ! But what an organization beforehand ! Gary will be staying in the same cats' hotel as last year. It went well, last year, but I'm not looking forward to leave my baby for two weeks, even though I know he'll be in good hands, with other cats (which never happens to him now) It'll be a break from routine for him as well !

Since I'll be on a break, the SHOP will be closed from 11th to 28th. I will be shipping tomorrow (9th) & on the 12th (if needed). If you had planned to get something from the shop, please place your order soon so that you don't have to wait until August. Thank you !

Hoping you are all doing fine & had a lovely weekend !

ox

S

Days are pretty full right now, though I'm pretty sure it's the same thing for everyone ... I haven't visited many blogs lately, I surely owe a visit to many of you & I apologize. I cross fingers & toes that I'll catch up with you all this weekend, at some point.

Here are the second & last part of the photos from a week ago exactly. (though extra photos will be part of other posts)

this is Briza Maxima / Rattlesnake grass / la Grande Amourette

Cytisus scoparius / Scotch broom / Genêt à balais

this weird little thing is Cytinus hypocistis / Cytinelle
It is an ant-pollinated species of parasitic plant of the plant Cistus salviifolius

aren't these real little suns ?!

hubby helping me pick immortelles for dyeing

Echium vulgare / Viper's bugloss / Vipérine commune

and this is amazing plant is Ophrys apifera / Bee orchid / Ophrys abeille

I hope this post finds you well, and that you're off to a great weekend ahead. Thank you so much for stopping by.

ox

S

Happy June everyone ! One month to go until the boys' summer holidays, and like every year, I'm both looking forward to it and sad to see the school year end. Next year P (soon 11) & U (9 in August) won't be in the same school anymore, and I must say it breaks my heart for both of them. Anyway.

On Friday afternoon I went out in nature with hubby. It was unexpected but much appreciated. Here are some photos I took on Friday.

since it was warm again, the bees were pretty busy !
This one was on a Cirsium monspessulanum / Cirse de Montpellier 

everything was blooming & showing off flowers !

we spotted (and picked one to try, ahem) the first cherries of the season

beloved Rosa canina / Dog rose / Eglantier

I spotted this beauty in the fennel ! This is the caterpillar of
Papilio machaon / the Old World Swallowtail / Machaon

this is the dog rose minus its petals
and I think it looks as lovely 

it was very windy (really), hard to say from my photos,
but I had to wait more than once that the wind calmed down !! 

Trifolium campestre / Hop trefoil / Trèfle des champs

aren't the green stems amazing ?

what I think to be a Issoria lathonia / Queen of Spain Fritillary / Petit nacré

We picked three materials for dyeing this week. One that I had already tried & always look forward to using, and two that I never used & that I'm excited to use ! The pots will be bubbling this week !

On an unrelated note, a bunch of things in the shop (mainly pouches) were marked down & moved to the Sale section of the shop. (in case you'd be interested)

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead ! Thank you for stopping by !

ox

S

I didn't get a chance to share with you the last photos from our little 2-day trip earlier in May. Here they are today !

Yes, this is a slug's back.
I thought the pattern on its back was worth sharing.

star shaped moss

layers

hairy

hills covered with broom

Equisetum arvense / Common horsetail / Prêle des champs

I hope you've had a nice month of May (since today is the last day), and that June will smile to you as well.

If you missed it, there was a shop update yesterday, with many pouches, bucket & pincushions, made with Liberty of London prints & organic cotton twill.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend ahead ! May you be well & happy !

ox

S

I have more photos from the Lac des Pises (near Mont Aigoual) I'm so glad you liked yesterday's drops photos !!

I don't think I had seen this flower in the past,
I haven't identified it yet though

soft soft moss

I loved how pretty these leaves looked !
Fully grown, all pleated & tucked out before popping out of their buds ! Amazing !

we unfortunately came accross this unlucky little creature
we really didn't know what had happened :( 

Lac des Pises is a glorious place for all kinds of lichens growing altogther on same rocks !

wasn't this white one incredible ?! I cropped the photo (below) so you could see more details !

that mustard one is so delicious ! I'm a real sucker for yellow lichen I admitt.
But all kinds of lichens are simply mesmirizing !

I only have a few more photos from our two days around Mont Aigoual, next week !

I'll be sewing new pouches this weekend, with the most delicious fabrics (looking forward to sharing them with you !) But for now, you can get 15% off all the pouches currently available in the shop, using code 15POUCHESMAY242526 at checkout, until Sunday midnight (Paris time)

Have a delightful weekend ahead ! Thank you so much for stopping by !

ox

S

Back to the photos from two weeks ago. I'll admitt, these photos today are my favorites. I don't have often the opportunity to shoot drops, specially ones coming from fog, and boy did I have fun with these !!

It felt a bit like being in a fairy tale, specially if I add that we were alone there, that it was super foggy & super silent (except some birds, including a yellowhammer that greeted us).

On a totally different note, I have made & listed a midnight blue linen mug rug, matched with yesterday's coasters.

Thanks for stopping by !

ox

S

Very foggy and therefore really wet. That's what it was around the Lac des Pises, on May 10th. As we never get fog in Montpellier (too dry for that), fog feels as special & magical as snow, for us. (don't laugh) I have lots of photos from that day, I'll be sharing them over the next few days.

view from our hotel room in L'Espérou, in the morning

around the lake

mesmirizing, isn't it

ah yes, wet it sure was !

I felt so energized, with all that moisture ! (and it was cold too !)

this is U (9 in August)

We always love to go back there when we go to Mont Aigoual for a couple of days. It never fails.

Here is a video (NOT made by me, I precise !), which is so very beautiful. It's a bit long, but you can always fast forward a bit, and enjoy morning foggy views from where it is.

ox

S

Mont Aigoual - May 9th-10th // part three

Arboretum de la Foux

wasn't this tree pretty amazing ? It looked like twirling !

I noticed this little one, and observed it

crazy iridescent colors ! (it wasn't dead, I precise)

P found a heart shaped piece of tree bark, how sweet !
(I kept it & it's part of my nature treasures now)

such grace

I found this leaf particularly interesting as I thought
it looked like pleated grey velvet fabric

I take so much joy taking photos in nature, and so much joy in documenting our trips here. I hope you also enjoy the photos. More to come this coming week.

I shall be adding a special zipped pouch tomorrow to the shop. I'll be away from home most of the day so I'll be blogging about it & listing it at my return. Hand embroidered on both faces, with naturally dyed silk threads, on naturally dyed linen, and lined with organic cotton twill. If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen glimpses of it.

I hope you've had a lovely weekend. We've had March weather, which is super unusual. (rain, wind, sun, wind, rain, and chilly) This coming week is supposed to be sunny but not warm, and I'll take it with open arms, it'll be too hot soon enough.

xo

S

Mont Aigoual - May 9th-10th // part deux

Arboretum de la Foux

The arboretum was created 1900-1910 for experimental introduction of foreign species into France. Scientific efforts ceased in 1963, and it has subsequently been maintained for educational purposes by the Office national des forêts. The site is on a southwest slope between 900 and 1500 meters altitude in an environment very conducive to forest vegetation; some trees reach heights that are records for Europe.

 

more photos from the arboretum on Monday

ox

S

PS : if you want to help Kathreen Ricketson's children, this is the post telling how to do. I donated with Paypal.

On this very gray day, let me share the first photos of our two day trip to the Mont Aigoual (May 9-10th)

We left on a relatively warm day, and as we drove up the mountain, it got cooler & cooler.

And as we arrived on top, it was foggy. We never have any fog, down in Montpellier, way too dry for this.

We enjoyed it very much, as well as another typical characteristic of Mont Aigoual ...

... there were still snow patches on top of the Aigoual, which was highly enjoyable for snow deprived people like us !!

Spring does take its time over there, and everything is so much late compared to Montpellier, despite the fact that it is not that very far away ! There were small (wild) daffodils just about everywhere, such a beautiful sight to see !

And what takes the cake is the view you get from there ... On the photo below, you can see the Mediterranean sea, in the very far background. Can you see it ?

Back soon with more photos ! Have a wonderful day !

xo

S