French la Vie https://www.frenchlavie.com French la Vie Mon, 05 Oct 2026 20:13:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 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/2026/10/05/creating-your-home-with-colorful-antiques/ Creating Your Home with Colorful Antiques https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/971026514/0/tongueincheek~Creating-Your-Home-with-Colorful-Antiques/ https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/971026514/0/tongueincheek~Creating-Your-Home-with-Colorful-Antiques/#respond Mon, 05 Oct 2026 11:00:41 +0000 https://www.frenchlavie.com/?p=86697 The perfectly put muted home soothing and soft like butter. I understand it. Truly, I get it. In a world is moving entirely too fast, walking into a room wrapped in moon light, linen, and a color define on the paint sample as: whisper of peace it can feel like a long exhale after a […]]]>

The perfectly put muted home soothing and soft like butter. I understand it. Truly, I get it. In a world is moving entirely too fast, walking into a room wrapped in moon light, linen, and a color define on the paint sample as: whisper of peace it can feel like a long exhale after a glass of Sauvignon.

It is like a perfect Sunday morning where nothing is expected of you, as you open the shutters hearing the distance church bells, and the Gregorian choir echoing in the distance. It is soothing, and it has its place.

But sometimes, pop goes the weasel!

You look around the room and realize that while peace is lovely, a little bit of daring mischief is divine.

Is your sanctuaries weasel popping, or the zen meditation in the living room, or is it somewhere between a blank canvas and roasted red chili peppers on the grill.

The magic happens when you let a little bit of the unexpected dance across the floorboards.

Imagine hunting through boxes of a weekend brocante.

Your eyes pass over the usual suspects,

and then—bam!—

there it is-

 A cupboard, but instead of being sanded down to a smooth patine, it wears a coat of unforgettable burnt orange that has survived since it begin. 

Or perhaps it is a collection of mismatched, century-old bottles in an array of jewel tones, sitting inside a rusty black iron urn, balancing barely on an orange velvet stool, and it makes you grin every single time you walk by.

Bringing color into a room does not necessarily create chaos; creates a spark. It is the chunky, colorful necklace paired with a simple linen dress—a bit of contrast such as a daring wink when everyone expects a nod.

Oh. It’s okay to let the world have its soothing beige moments. But don’t be afraid to throw open the windows, invite the pigment in, making a splash.

Maybe it is also true about ourselves too.

]]> https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/971026514/0/tongueincheek~Creating-Your-Home-with-Colorful-Antiques/feed/ 0 https://www.frenchlavie.com/2026/10/04/getting-ready-the-unpractical-way/ Getting Ready the Unpractical Way https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970980974/0/tongueincheek~Getting-Ready-the-Unpractical-Way/ https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970980974/0/tongueincheek~Getting-Ready-the-Unpractical-Way/#comments Sun, 04 Oct 2026 11:00:22 +0000 https://www.frenchlavie.com/?p=86760 The first thing I did today was ignore what I was to do, and went to a brocante. There were two dealers there who told me they come once a year just to clear out their extra stock. I just happened to be the lucky person who was there at the right time. They were […]]]>

The first thing I did today was ignore what I was to do, and went to a brocante.

There were two dealers there who told me they come once a year just to clear out their extra stock. I just happened to be the lucky person who was there at the right time.

They were selling things for under five euros. I couldn’t believe it! I asked why everything was so inexpensive, and they said, “We just want to get rid of it.” I thought, “Oh, happy day for me!”

Then I came home and had to focus on putting everything in order for my group. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone to the antique market this morning, but that thought came several hours too late. Now I have a few things to do, I like working under pressure, and you?

]]> https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970980974/0/tongueincheek~Getting-Ready-the-Unpractical-Way/feed/ 4 Weekly Top Posts: 2026-10-04https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970952720/0/tongueincheek<ol><li><a rel="NOFOLLOW" href="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970622906/0/tongueincheek/~Brocante%3a-Perfect-As-Is">Brocante: Perfect As Is</a></li> <li><a rel="NOFOLLOW" href="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970408001/0/tongueincheek/~The-Most-Lovely-Review">The Most Lovely Review</a></li> <li><a rel="NOFOLLOW" href="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970714313/0/tongueincheek/~Friends">Friends</a></li> <li><a rel="NOFOLLOW" href="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970213958/0/tongueincheek/~Day-Four-with-the-French-la-Vie">Day Four with the French la Vie</a></li> <li><a rel="NOFOLLOW" href="http://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/969996302/0/tongueincheek/~Where-Do-We-Go-During-the-French-la-Vie">Where Do We Go During the French la Vie</a></li> </ol><Img align="left" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt="" style="border:0;float:left;margin:0;padding:0;width:1px!important;height:1px!important;" hspace="0" src="https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/i/970952720/0/tongueincheek"> Sun, 04 Oct 2026 04:00:01 GMTtag:feedblitz.com,2026-10-04:tongueincheek/2026-10-04T04:00:01-00:00 FeedSplice by FeedBlitz https://www.frenchlavie.com/2026/10/03/grandpapa-olivia/ Grandpapa & Olivia https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970945433/0/tongueincheek~Grandpapa-Olivia/ https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970945433/0/tongueincheek~Grandpapa-Olivia/#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2026 11:00:49 +0000 https://www.frenchlavie.com/?p=86752 Talkin’ about riding bikes on the pump track.]]>

Talkin’ about riding bikes on the pump track.

]]> https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970945433/0/tongueincheek~Grandpapa-Olivia/feed/ 4 https://www.frenchlavie.com/2026/10/02/brocante-o-holic/ Brocante o holic https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970918598/0/tongueincheek~Brocante-o-holic/ https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970918598/0/tongueincheek~Brocante-o-holic/#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2026 11:00:35 +0000 https://www.frenchlavie.com/?p=86744 For the Love of French Antiques French Husband had barely parked the car at the brocante when I jumped out. Having the brocante bug is uncontrollable. It grabs you and pulls you wherever antiques can be found. Is there a cure? God, I hope not. If there is I am running far from it. As […]]]>


For the Love of French Antiques

For the love of French Antiques

French Husband had barely parked the car at the brocante when I jumped out.

Having the brocante bug is uncontrollable. It grabs you and pulls you wherever antiques can be found.

Is there a cure? God, I hope not. If there is I am running far from it.

As soon as my eyes fell upon the thickly painted, white-ish grey cupboard/buffet, I knew the brocante bug would begin to boil.

Why couldn’t I have the shoe bug, or the candy bug, or the magazine bug, or the makeup bug? Why do I have the furniture sized brocante bug? 

Looking over the whitish-grey cupboard/buffet piece, I knew it was a perfect fit. The height and length were ideal for the kitchen, and it would fit against the wall perfectly—like a silk glove on a hand—if only there weren’t already an armoire there, that is.

French Antique Kitchen

Have you ever done that, mentally start moving things around in your home so the something you want will work? Usually, I have an utter mental gymnastic of moving every thing right, left, up, down, inside out and backwards to make thing work. Today my mental gymnastics went like this:

I could sell my armoire. That was the only option.

I stared at the one of a kind beauty and whispered, “Bad bad brocante bug!” It didn’t even blink, that nasty broacante bug, poking at me.

To make matters worse, next to the cupboard/buffet piece were six dining room chairs. Caned seats, grayish color, late 1800s, perfect condition.

I do not need another chair.

Now here is the ticker… the chairs all six of them cost less than one chair at Ikea.

That is the biggest pain of all: When I find antiques in good condition, lovely patina, authentic, under price and DO NOT NEED THEM, nor have room.

Wait a minute… I could fix things to the ceiling?!

My name is Corey and I am a brocante o holic.

I kissed the cupboard/piece and the chairs goodbye, then wished I didn’t need to drop five pounds otherwise I would have some big salty fried delicious thing.

]]> https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970918598/0/tongueincheek~Brocante-o-holic/feed/ 7 https://www.frenchlavie.com/2026/10/01/put-goodness-first/ Put Goodness First https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970867853/0/tongueincheek~Put-Goodness-First/ https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970867853/0/tongueincheek~Put-Goodness-First/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:00:56 +0000 https://www.frenchlavie.com/?p=86740 Perhaps the way we meet the world begins in the way we speak, the way we listen, and the care we offer to the person before us. In each moment, we have the choice to move with gentleness and compassion, even when turning away might feel easier. Through the small acts of kindness and awareness […]]]>

Perhaps the way we meet the world begins in the way we speak, the way we listen, and the care we offer to the person before us. In each moment, we have the choice to move with gentleness and compassion, even when turning away might feel easier. Through the small acts of kindness and awareness woven into our daily lives, we contribute, in our own way, to the healing and tenderness the world needs.

]]> https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970867853/0/tongueincheek~Put-Goodness-First/feed/ 4 https://www.frenchlavie.com/2026/09/30/antiquing-with-the-french-la-vie/ Antiquing with the French la Vie https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970821839/0/tongueincheek~Antiquing-with-the-French-la-Vie/ https://feeds.feedblitz.com/~/970821839/0/tongueincheek~Antiquing-with-the-French-la-Vie/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2026 11:00:08 +0000 https://www.frenchlavie.com/?p=86712 Where I have connected to wonder-filled friends, and have been invited to take you who have joined me on a French la Vie to visit, and experience what I have come to know and love. Let’s go antiquing. You know, I know, We know so let’s go! Not just for the stuff one can find—though […]]]>

Where I have connected to wonder-filled friends, and have been invited to take you who have joined me on a French la Vie to visit, and experience what I have come to know and love.

Let’s go antiquing. You know, I know, We know so let’s go!

Not just for the stuff one can find—though yes, there is plenty—but because it’s one of the most beautiful ways I’ve come to know France.

After more than 35 years of living here, it’s the brocantes, the flea markets, the hidden corners filled with forgotten things that have shown me the real France.

And the reason I started a blog.

Antiquing has taken me off the main roads and into the heart of little villages, through dusty attics, ivy-covered courtyards, and Sunday mornings that feel like stepping back in time.

It’s how I discovered so much of this country— by following the trail of objects and stories, and letting them lead me behind the scenes, behind the facade, into the soul of it all.

A completely, one of a kind, way to travel, to experience, to see France.

The brocante welcomes all types, crumpled or combed. It takes you the way you are, seduces, grabs you… and lets you find your delight amongst the collection of old things that still hum a familiar song.

Antiquing isn’t just shopping. It’s wandering, wondering, and falling in love with a place in the most unexpected, intimate ways.

Antiquing in France— is a beautifully immersive experience, it’s a journey into the heart of Provence, and so many of you have joined us over and over again. Thank you for letting me create an avenue to share my passion.

The French la Vie dates for 2027 are completely full. How did that happen so fast? Well, because many of you trust me, share the same pleasure of antiquing, adore France, and I guess like my cooking. Thank you for it all!

Imagine that. All of it.

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