Sunlight coming through

This morning feeding the girls. Stunning!

Life in Normandy, bursting with activity!

Working like mad to get everything done!
Preparing the construction of the barn. Plants arriving for the various projects. And taking care of the horses! But we love it!

Buis de France.com 'Slowly working to perfection'

Just spend 2 days pruning Box plants. Buis de France.com has a large collection of different sizes, and shapes. Those fields with all those different buis, which are pruned once a year to structure their forms, and slowly they reach their perfect form!
It's fascinating as one becomes a sculpture and at the same time this deep respect for the beauty of the Buis. Some of them are more than 4o years. By pruning them annually they have become very sturdy and full of energy. The proof is that this summer's high temperatures and drought didn't affect them very much.
www.buisdefrance.com

Natural colours is always the most impressive! It's all about colours!

 

Natural colours are always the most impressive! Nothing needs to be added!

International bio apple chutney

First production Apple Chutney this year! It's totally bio, apples and herbs from the garden.
The chutney should be called International Apple Chutney! The ingredients come from various cultures. The nutmeg and cloves are a heritage from a visit to Banda Neira many many years ago! Ketjap Manis and Sambal is from my life in Jakarta. The Apples, the fresh rosemary and cider vinegar is from Normandy.
To be able to supply all the fans, next production this weekend.
This combination can only be tasted in 4 weeks time. It needs to settle first!

How to braid living willow branches

By braiding living willow branches, one can create the most amazing structures in a garden or wherever one likes.  And as it continues to grow you can keep on twisting them in a shape the you like.
One of Pierre's great specialities

Home made apple chutney and walnut pesto

The tree in front of the house gives so many apples, that apart from feeding them to my horses. It calls for serious production of apple chutney. This year I will combine apples with romarin, it will be totally bio.
This impressive walnut tree is my view from the bathroom. Eagerly waiting for the harvest and to make parsley-walnut pesto.

Beautiful DEDEM hand-printed velvet for the interior

Just send 10 meters of amazing hand-printed velvet. The colour is so different and rich. The motive is simple but so strong. Really happy with this result, it will make a dramatic change to any interior.
I hope Odette Welvaars will love it as well as she ordered this.
www.welvaars.com

A special order for a dining room. Very satisfying to give those linens a new lease of life.

A special order for a dining room.
The heavy French linen does really justice to the colour. Very satisfying to give those linens a new lease of life.
It will look amazing in the dining room with the table cloth together with cushions of the chairs.
One could call this a very sophisticated way of recycling!

Unexpected beauty

Sometimes one comes across unexpected beauty, which is already a huge pleasure. When it's created by nature it becomes 'bloody marvellous'!

invitation

za. 28 & zo. 29 mei, 12 - 18 uur

Graag nodigt Hella Pais u uit om op feestelijke wijze de zomer in te luiden samen met Odette Welvaars en Marie-Louise van Dedem.

Antiques & Interior

Odette Welvaars brengt antieke Zweedse meubels en bijzonder kleingoed uit haar collectie mee. www.welvaars.com

DEDEM CREATIONS presenteert ‘DEDEM among friends’

Een unieke collectie van handgemaakt textiel, linnen tafelkleden, handbedrukt fluweel,  en een kleurrijke vrolijke collectie informele kleding.

dedemfr.blogspot.com

Hella Pais Interieurs

Hella Pais toont u de nieuwe collectie van Designers Guild en schilderijen van oud-balletdanser Han Ebbelaar.

Met kaasjes uit Normandië, lekkere hapjes en zomerse wijn hopen wij er samen met u twee gezellige dagen van te maken!

Hella Pais Interieurs

Laan der Hesperiden 170

1076 DX Amsterdam

tel: 020-6271341

www.hellapais.nl

Wild Garlic - Ail du ruisseau

A new discovery, at least for me. Wild garlic or Ail du ruisseau, very difficult to grow, while here in Normandy you find bushes of it. Very good to use in salads, risotto, soup basically anything. It has a very nice perfume. The taste has nothing to do with ordinary garlic. Really very nice indeed, plus beautiful flower.

1st day out without Mom!

1st day out after seperation from the mares. They seem more than happy! They have auntie to watch over them. So far so good!

The magnificent expo of Ai Weiwei in London

Visited this magnificent exhibition of Ai Weiwei in London. Such a pleasure to see an expo where the artist succeeds extremely well in combining his political message, his culture, the history and beauty! Bravo!

Spanish Riding Shoes, original shopping on the web!

Everybody is always raving about Italian shoes, English Shoes, French shoes, elegance and tradition etc.
It has been while since I discovered the Spanish short boots, but recently I discovered the most amazing shoes. Instead of the 'English Brooks for women or the 'Richelieu' in France, There are the Spanish Riding Shoes. Well made, so elegant in it's simplicity! As it are 'working' shoes, they are amazingly comfortable. And the price is so reasonable!
One can find this at  www.valverdebotas.com Go to riding shoes and you will find the Zapato Polainas Cordan.

The picture doesn't do it any justice.

Arles, original shopping!

Has been a while since visiting Arles. And it's always very nice to be back. It's a city which has remained itself over the centuries.
It's also so inspiring to find items which are not for sale in the rest of the world.
I came across also those amazing items which are all to be eaten!
Or the items to clean with.
The museum shop of 'Foundation Vincent van Gogh' is excellent as well, very good t-shirts!

The foals have establishd a delicate balance of eating together!

After a very hot summer with not much grass to eat things are looking up. The grass is green again, and cool enough to play!
The 3 foals of this year have established a delicate balance when eating together. The secret is that there is more than enough for everybody!

DEDEM, to be daring with colours II