Related Stories

• French la Vie, Another Way to Experience France is to Join Us... Winner and More
• Do You Know What these are?
• Spring is Here and so the French la Vie Starts Again

French la Vie: Another way to experience France is to join us in antiquing.

My friend Nelly, a favorite antique dealer of mine, and Chelsea, the new be.

We are on our second day of the French la Vie, and everyone is happy with their brocante finds.

I will write more after the week together, but here are some notes and photos for...

Related Stories

• Do You Know What these are?
• Spring is Here and so the French la Vie Starts Again
• When Are You Coming to France? The French la Vie Dates for 2025

The French la Vie spring 2024 kicked off with hugs and readiness. The van was full instantly.

I will post photos of our time together over the next few days and send little gifts to some lucky winners. 

In today's guessing game, do you know what these are?

Add a comment. The first one to guess what both pieces are will win a...

Related Stories

• Spring is Here and so the French la Vie Starts Again
• When Are You Coming to France? The French la Vie Dates for 2025
• 2nd Day Tiny Things Giveaway

Spring and the start of 2024 French la Vie are here!

Tomorrow, the first group of the year will be here again. I am so happy to reconnect with them, and I know we will have a fabulous time. It doesn't matter if you come alone or with a group, as is the case with this group. They did not know each other before, and now they are coming...

Related Stories

• Do You Know What these are?
• When Are You Coming to France? The French la Vie Dates for 2025
• 2nd Day Tiny Things Giveaway

"On the weekends, when I grow up, I want to be a paleontologist.

On Monday, the first day of the week, I want to study the other planets, the moon, the stars, and other things.

On those other days, I want to make things like parks and houses, and on the days before the weekend, I  want to do races with motorcycles and cars and other...

The unforgettable Kristin Lespetites Carabistouilles …  

You wove magic with your generous, effortless, immense creativity. Endless ideas for every season. A storybook home,  where every nook and cranny, held your living touch. I met you at a flea market 32 years ago when I bought a red cafe au lait bowl, and boldly asked if...

Author and poet from New Zealand: Jessica Ulriche

40 days of war, I endured harrowing days in northern Gaza as Israeli warplanes bombed the homes of my whole neighborhood, Tragically, my own home was later targeted, leveling it to the ground and claiming the lives of my mother, sister, and brother, while leaving my youngest brother and father injured.

Amidst the genocide, internet connections...

Dear Friends,

I want to extend my deepest gratitude for your incredibly generous donation to support our evacuation from Gaza during these difficult and challenging times.

Your kindness and compassion are providing my wife, baby, and me with a lifeline during this war. Your support is not only helping us escape the devastating impacts...

by Sonja Danon, Organiser of the Go Fund Me for the family we helped:

An update to our donors: We cannot thank each of you enough for the outpour of support to make this evacuation a reality for Mohamed and his family. Although a ceasefire would enable the many other families in Gaza to be protected from constant bombardment, that is not...

you and I are here

in this endless universe

together

happy

healthy

safe.

what a glorious miracle.

long may it be.

Even though the children joyfully excitement gathered Easter eggs, and ate chocolate throughout the day,

the message of Easter is far greater than that.

Love is stronger than death,

but we must prove it every single day by our actions,

to walk in the path of love, and reject the path of darkness.

Thanks to everyone who generously donated to our GoFundMe for Mohammed and his family.

They have yet to be out of Gaza, but hopefully, within two weeks, they will be.  

Thank you for following me and, by doing so, giving me this platform to cast a pebble that brought on ripples and helped a family.

Beverly, please let me know...

Thé Brocante Bug

can bite anyone,

and when it does you are under

its spell for life.

There isn’t a cure.

Yann spotted this old Harley.

I waited to see if he was drooling.

If he was biting at the bit.

But alas he hasn’t been bit.

Maybe because he tends to my addiction,

maybe one per family is enough? 

Has it bitten...

As I witness their unwavering faith, courage, and the strength of their hearts, I am filled with a deep sense of awe and reverence. Their resilience in the face of adversity inspires me to keep moving forward and striving for a better tomorrow.

Mohammed and his family are on the waiting list to flee Gaza to Egypt, possibly in two to three weeks....

Mohammed lives in Gaza with his wife and 10-month-old baby Karim. When Israel declared Northern Gaza was unsafe for civilians and that an imminent attack would take place, the family discussed what to do: Either abandon everything and head to the south with only that which they could carry or stay in their home. Mohammed's mother thought...

Favorite Violets.

The bravest little flower

Dares to bloom before spring announces itself

Receives a white winter coat and a heavy tiara of raindrop diamonds, 

Blooming purple with a note of glee.

Here I am, such a graceful little flower reminding me of faithfulness against the...

There are moments in an ordinary day that enter the heart,

changing it with each beat.

Moments that cannot be explained only felt.

Moments when everything becomes crystal clear and,

in the next breath, dissolves into a mystery.

Many moments in the rhythmic nature of the day;

Fleeting, concrete, carving, and uncertain,

...

Olivia, two years and five months old.

Please help us evacuate Sonja's friends, Mohammed, his wife, and their baby son from Gaza to Eygpt - Donate and Enter to Win a Free Stay in Paris. We've raised €14,000 but still need €6,000 more to give them a safe exit. You'll be entered into a raffle for every $50 you donate and/or if you share our GO FUND ME link on your social platform to...

Without the fear of being killed while going to the market for baby formula,

and then quickly go back, hoping your home is still standing.

Years ago, there was an interview about Mother Theresa in India caring for the dying.

In this particular interview, Mother Theresa was feeding a starving baby while reporters pestered her...

My niece, Patti, is visiting Chelsea and her family in Paris to celebrate her father, my brother’s heavenly anniversary. 

When Patti was 16 years old, my brother Marty and she came to France. I met them in Paris, and then we continued to the south of France.  We stocked up on many memories, especially climbing up the Eiffel...

Related Stories

• The Language of Flowers
• When Are You Coming to France? The French la Vie Dates for 2025
• The Winners But Not for a Chicken Dinner

I have been sad witnessing what is happening in Gaza with Palestine. 

It is beyond the scope of any human emotion or comprehension.

And yet it is here.

Begging us to take a stand, to be the power of love that will save us all.

So, I went to my blog archives to find a story of Annie to guide me.

This came up:

2009

...

Related Stories

• Orange Onion Salad

The language of flowers, do you hear their message? Strong in gentleness, faithful in their offering of beauty. Giving without asking why or how. Flowers speak a language without words, yet the message is deeply rooted in us.

This Zinnia celebrates its uniqueness by wearing a crown of striking gold. It doesn't seem to...

Related Stories

• My Niece Patti is in Paris!
• Until Next Time
• Last Night

Pasta with Asparagus al dente. 

Cook Pasta in a few minutes less than what is written on the box.

While the water is doing its best to boil, prepare the sauce.

Saute a hearty handful of pine nuts and put aside,

Saute strips of smoked salmon,

Grill the asparagus with olive oil and salt,

Pour cream into a pan and heat,

Grate...

Deep and tender

Bitter and blistering

Spreading open

Mend the wounds

heart and soul.

Thank you! Thank you each of you who made this possible. Thank you to those who shared this to your posts and friends, I am grateful, overwhelmed. Thank you.

The French la Vie, we believe that the best way to experience the heart of Provence is by exploring its picturesque towns and villages through the eyes of its people. That's why we curate intimate groups of no more than four guests and create a one-week itinerary around handpicked brocantes, stunning landscapes, and charming...

The unending violence in Gaza is unimaginable. 

The hostages are caught in the indiscriminate bombing, as well as millions of innocent Palestinians.

I am asking for help for a family in Gaza, who are friends of a very dear friend of mine, and though the support has been generous, it isn’t enough to pay for their exit from Gaza. 

I...

I have sad news. Mohammed’s family’s home in the north of Gaza was bombed today. His mother, his sister, and his brother were killed. Mohammed, his wife, and their ten-month-old baby are in the South.  

Thank you for donating to my friend Sonja Danon, who desperately seeks a safe passage for Mohammad and his family.

...

Thank you to those who have sent money to my friend Sonja

to help her Palestinian friends leave Gaza.

GoFundMe

Questions and concerns about GoFundMe for Palestine,

please read their statement by tapping here.

Chelsea and I marched today in Paris for a permanent ceasefire.

These are some of the banners we...

"Desperate Palestinians are creating GoFundMe accounts to ensure their families in Gaza find a safe way out of the region. I follow many Palestinians on Instagram and have donated to their GoFundMe. The Palestinian family I am asking you to help my friend knows them personally, and she is as desperate as they are. She is trying to save their...

Please help my friend evacuate her close friends from Gaza.

I would greatly appreciate any offer you make.

Mohammed, a 26-year-old journalist from Gaza, nearly lost his life last November when Israeli forces bombed his home, killing his uncle.

Married with a one-year-old son, he relocated his family from northern Gaza to the southern...

CEASE FIRE PERMANENTLY !

A pick me up,

A nutty chocolate pop-in-your-mouth deliciousness.

A ton of praise for something simple to make.

In a bowl, add.

Half of a cup of six various nuts and chews

In mine, I put half of a cup of (unsalted)

Roughly chopped walnuts,

Hazelnuts

Cranberries

Pistachios

Chopped apricots

Chocolate chips

and 

1/4 cup of...

Are you ready to embark on a cheesy adventure? I'm talking about an adventure that will take your taste buds on a wild ride and leave you feeling oh-so-satisfied. I'm a self-proclaimed Cheese Yum Bum, and here to share my knowledge with you. 

French grocery stores are a cheese lover's paradise, with a plethora of...

First signs of spring.