An ALMOST Amazing Sunday

{disclosure: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. provided me an Advanced Reader Copy of a new book, So Close to Amazing by KariAnne Wood. All opinions, comments, and my amazing Sunday are my own.} 

Some days I barely get my clothes thrown on, let alone any jewelry or make-up, and out the door I dash rushing to the appointed time and place with only seconds to spare. Nothing amazing happening on those days other than arriving in one piece, almost close to the time I should be there. 

But Sunday looked like it was going to be an AMAZING day, an amazing Sunday.  

A Sunday with French élégance, a day in which events slowly and smoothly evolved full of joie de vivre... 

French Design on Friday 21

~ Cuisine ~

Château de Chenonceau 

l'Orangerie Restaurant 

Is there anything more synonymous with France than food? List the top five things France is known for and food will be in the list. Hence, food must be included as part of any discussion of French design. Renowned for le Cordon Bleu cuisine training, Michelin five-star restaurants, Julia Child cookbooks, mouth-watering croissants, sidewalk cafes, neighborhood bistros... France offers delectable meals in a wide-range of settings, all offered with French panache (flamboyant style or manner). 

French Design on Friday 20

~ Garden ~

Olive Tree Topiary 

French design is instinctive in France, a natural reflection of one's heritage and surroundings. Accepting trendy French Country from non-French designers may or may not provide the look inherit to French homes. For Francophiles who admire French design, we have to study French design for its details if we want authentic French style in our homes. 

How to know if something is French in design can be found by studying photographs taken in France. Truly a picture is worth a thousand words and can offer real insight in French Country, both design and way of life. 

Take a look at how Parisians use olive tree topiaries in their city gardens for ideas on how to create a French-inspired garden in your home. 

Gardening in a big city like Paris can be challenging, but containers offer a solution for adding a touch of nature and green to city sidewalks, courtyards, and balconies. Key ingredients in Paris gardening are using hardy plants that 1] withstand harsh city environments of end-to-end paved surfaces and 2] thrive as a container plant.  

Create a Potting Bench in Coastal Colors

STEP BY STEP GUIDE 

Is functional design all you need to be happy with a potting bench? 

For me, I want a little something special, a little extra ZING, not just function, in any design. We needed a potting bench on our porch, and to give the potting area a little pizzazz, I decided to create a potting area filled with coastal colors. 

French Design on Friday 19

~ Flea Markets ~

Where does one find genuine French design for her home... at a bargain? 

French design spans centuries, and French families inherit furniture, art work, linens, china, and silverware to furnish their homes. Don't have a French ancestor from whom to inherit? Good news. 

French design can be bought at a bargain price. 

Each year in France over 15,000 flea markets, brocantes (second-hand goods), and vide greniers (empty the attic) attract buyers searching for vintage items no longer being passed on to the next generation. 

Les Puces de Saint-Ouen in Paris, the largest and best known flea market in France, is open every weekend, but commands high prices for quality antiques.