French la Vie https://www.frenchlavie.com French la Vie Sat, 11 Jul 2026 10:31:08 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 https://www.frenchlavie.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/poppy-1-150x150.png French la Vie https://www.frenchlavie.com 32 32 https://www.frenchlavie.com/2026/07/11/letting-go-of-fear-learning-to-with-guidance/ Letting Go of Fear- Learning to with Guidance https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/960086366/0/tongueincheek~Letting-Go-of-Fear-Learning-to-with-Guidance/ https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/960086366/0/tongueincheek~Letting-Go-of-Fear-Learning-to-with-Guidance/#respond Sat, 11 Jul 2026 02:00:04 +0000 https://www.frenchlavie.com/?p=85691 I’ve been afraid of dogs my entire life— for no known reason— most animals, really. My friend Jennifer has loved dogs for as long as I’ve known her, and her chocolate Lab ( chocolate doesn’t that say it sweet) is calm, timid, impossibly gentle. She has slowly challenged my fear— sat by my feet or […]]]>

I’ve been afraid of dogs my entire life— for no known reason— most animals, really. My friend Jennifer has loved dogs for as long as I’ve known her, and her chocolate Lab ( chocolate doesn’t that say it sweet) is calm, timid, impossibly gentle.

She has slowly challenged my fear— sat by my feet or rested at my side. I reached out and touched her—the third dog I’ve ever touched. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, but they weren’t moving- Instead, she came back and gently nudged me. Jennifer smiled and said that meant she wanted affection.

I thought that was such a tender thing—to ask so softly.

Perhaps love is like that. Not demanding that we do more or be more, but gently inviting us, one small step at a time.

Today, I took one of those steps.

]]> https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/960086366/0/tongueincheek~Letting-Go-of-Fear-Learning-to-with-Guidance/feed/ 0 https://www.frenchlavie.com/2026/07/10/filoli-historic-house-garden-woodside-california/ Filoli Historic House & Garden, Woodside, California. https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959996675/0/tongueincheek~Filoli-Historic-House-Garden-Woodside-California/ https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959996675/0/tongueincheek~Filoli-Historic-House-Garden-Woodside-California/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2026 02:00:36 +0000 https://www.frenchlavie.com/?p=85668 Filoli is a grand country home and garden completed in 1917 for William Bowers Bourn II, whose world stretched from California mines to banks and reservoirs. Architect Willis Polk gave that ambition a graceful form. Bruce Porter gave it a landscape that continues to evolve more than a century later. Garden rooms unfold one after […]]]>

Filoli is a grand country home and garden completed in 1917 for William Bowers Bourn II, whose world stretched from California mines to banks and reservoirs. Architect Willis Polk gave that ambition a graceful form. Bruce Porter gave it a landscape that continues to evolve more than a century later.

Garden rooms unfold one after another. Hedges become walls. Pools catch the changing sky. Orchards soften the geometry. Ancient oaks.

Long garden rooms. Reflecting pools. Walled enclosures. Orchards. Woodland paths. Gardens meeting wildness.

Around 75,000 bulbs are planted each year, sending rivers of daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and crocuses across the gardens. Spring arrives in layers. Color replaces color. One path tells a different story. The landscape never stands still.

After the Bourn family, the estate became the home of William P. Roth and Lurline Matson Roth, whose care expanded the gardens and preserved the spirit of the property for future generations.

The name “Filoli” comes from the phrase: Fight for a just cause. Love your fellow man. Live a good life.

Filoli is a living composition. A living painting where nature and gardener paint. Every path reveals another perspective. Every season changes the landscapes palette.

Filoli invites wandering. A doorway frames a garden. A garden frames distant hills. Formal design gives way to birdsong, fragrance, shifting light.

Sidenote: Before returning home, came to visit my friend Jennifer, who invited me to Filoli .❤

]]> https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959996675/0/tongueincheek~Filoli-Historic-House-Garden-Woodside-California/feed/ 4 https://www.frenchlavie.com/2026/07/09/home-bound/ Home Bound https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959894852/0/tongueincheek~Home-Bound/ https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959894852/0/tongueincheek~Home-Bound/#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:00:39 +0000 https://www.frenchlavie.com/?p=85663 I know I am going to be jet lagged- I always am. More to come when I can open my eyes. I am so happy xx]]>

I know I am going to be jet lagged- I always am. More to come when I can open my eyes.

I am so happy xx

]]> https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959894852/0/tongueincheek~Home-Bound/feed/ 7 https://www.frenchlavie.com/2026/07/08/summer-felt-dinner/ Summer Felt Dinner https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959748959/0/tongueincheek~Summer-Felt-Dinner/ https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959748959/0/tongueincheek~Summer-Felt-Dinner/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:00:29 +0000 https://www.frenchlavie.com/?p=85637 Life has felt full of wonderfully moments lately.  And then… We learned that our dear friend was heading towards an unexpected difficulty, it became clear that gathering before I left mattered more than ever. I prepared a dinner that was fresh, abundant, and nourishing— food that would fill more than our plates. I hoped the […]]]>

Life has felt full of wonderfully moments lately. 

And then… We learned that our dear friend was heading towards an unexpected difficulty, it became clear that gathering before I left mattered more than ever.

I prepared a dinner that was fresh, abundant, and nourishing— food that would fill more than our plates. I hoped the evening would offer a heartfelt thank you, a reflection of years of friendship, and a reminder of the love we have shared. A healing grace. 

We lingered around the table long after the meal was finished, talking, laughing, remembering, sharing mercies, offering comfort, and holding one another close in heart. The evening become more than a meal; a gift, hands held symbolically, prayers offered by hope and courage. 

I will see you in August!

PS between bites and plates, Gabriel read and read. The Pickle lives in books.

]]> https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959748959/0/tongueincheek~Summer-Felt-Dinner/feed/ 2 https://www.frenchlavie.com/2026/07/07/brocante-eye-candy/ Brocante Eye Candy https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959702498/0/tongueincheek~Brocante-Eye-Candy/ https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959702498/0/tongueincheek~Brocante-Eye-Candy/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:00:49 +0000 https://www.frenchlavie.com/?p=85652 Muriel’s shop that we visit with our French la Vie groups is pure eye candy. The way she sets her jammed packed shop with intention and dedication to color and texture is delicious.]]>

Muriel’s shop that we visit with our French la Vie groups is pure eye candy. The way she sets her jammed packed shop with intention and dedication to color and texture is delicious.

]]> https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959702498/0/tongueincheek~Brocante-Eye-Candy/feed/ 3 https://www.frenchlavie.com/2026/07/06/living-with-antiques/ Living with Antiques https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959460395/0/tongueincheek~Living-with-Antiques/ https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/959460395/0/tongueincheek~Living-with-Antiques/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2026 11:00:32 +0000 https://www.frenchlavie.com/?p=85626 With antiques, a home becomes a living, breathing story — a place filled with emotion, memory, and soul. When I go looking for antiques, I discover, and allow something unexpected to find its way to me. What I mean is it is not always about searching for what one needs or what one imagined one […]]]>

With antiques, a home becomes a living, breathing story — a place filled with emotion, memory, and soul.

When I go looking for antiques, I discover, and allow something unexpected to find its way to me. What I mean is it is not always about searching for what one needs or what one imagined one wants, but about noticing what speaks to you. A worn surface, an inviting texture, a mark left by time — these are the details that create connection and bring depth to a home- that express character.

They surprise you, invite you in, and encourage you to look beyond what is immediately seen — to discover the stories waiting within.

A home that surprises you, that draws you closer, that makes you smile with curiosity that taps your imagination.

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