New Year, New City, New Faux French Chateau......

If you keep my physical address, please do so in pencil. One thing for certain is that it is going to change!

We have returned from our 14 month adventure in Saudi Arabia and have been transferred to Oklahoma City, OK. We've  purchased a new Faux French Chateau and will be closing on the home next Monday. Then the fun begins. As with most homes, some things in the house have become dated and I'll want to make some cosmetic changes to the home.

So if you are curious about how to change a home to make it "your own," follow me over the next few months as I turn this home into one that reflects the French aesthetic that I love so much!

So goodbye to My Faux French Chateau Texas. What a great house. We had so many great times in this house. So many memories.....

Me: "Is this Heaven?" MH: "It's Provence."

 

Looking out our hotel window in Gordes France

 

Chances are, if you're a fan of the 1989 movie "Field of Dreams," you immediately understand the meaning of my post title today.

 

MH and I just spent a magical week in France with 4 nights spent in the small Provencal hilltop village of Gordes.

 

During these 4 days we explored Gordes and many other beautiful villages of Provence. Sometimes, as we walked the old stone streets with the flowers blooming all around us and a mountainous green background behind us, the beauty was so spectacular I'd feel like crying. I'd be in awe, look out at the sky, and say "Thank you God."

 

I would sometimes see a sight so beautiful that I simply couldn't grasp words adequate to express my feelings. So I'd simply look at MH and ask, "Is this Heaven?" On cue, he'd look at me and smile and say, "It's Provence." I'd then say "Provence? I could have sworn this was heaven."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Field of Dreams

Ray Kinsella: Is there a heaven?
John Kinsella: Oh yeah. It's the place where dreams come true.
[Ray looks around, seeing his wife playing with their daughter on the porch]
Ray Kinsella: Maybe this is heaven.


 

 

 Au revoir, Mitty

 

My Favorite Picture From France

I took over 1,000 pictures while in France last week. Every turn I made revealed a scene worthy of a photograph.  Beauty was everywhere, but for me, nothing captured the essence and uniqueness of France as did this photo!

 

 

 

This celadon green Fiat Nuova 500, the size of a Barnum and Bailey Circus clown car, appeared to be driven by a somewhat bored petite chien (little dog.)

 

 

 

 

With her coordinating "500" suitcase strapped to the boot of her car, I imagine she's on her way to The Cote d’Azur or St. Tropez  for a mini-holiday or a soiree of some sort!

 All that is missing is a scarf casually tied around her neck, whipping in the wind behind her!

Bon Voyage! Mitty
 

Bon Voyage!

 

 

 

 

 

We're off to Provence and then Paris to do a little treasure hunting.

 

Look for new French Brocante items in MFFC in late July!

 

Bon Voyage! Mitty

One of the Joys of the Expatriate Life.................Travel!

Months ago, when MH put down his cell phone and told me that he'd just received an offer for a career opportunity in Saudi Arabia, one of the first things I asked him was "How far is Saudi from France?"  Predictable, huh?

 

MH and I have lived in Saudi for about three months now and are settling into our new home and community. I've found that part of our day to day conversations with new friends here in Saudi center around travel adventures and upcoming travel plans.  While being away from home and family is emotional and difficult at times, the life of an expatriate (expat) appeals to MH and me and our love of travel. Most companies who employ expats offer generous vacation and/or R&R time to allow employees and their families to get away and travel home or to other desired destinations.

 

So for MH and I, our first expat getaway is almost here!

 

On Wednesday we leave for FRANCE!  It's a short trip this time, just 7 nights. We're flying into Paris and then taking the TGV train to Avignon. The TGV,  or "Train à Grande Vitesse" is France's high speed train system that travels to over 140 destinations within France and at speeds over 200 MPH. I love the TGV and it's one of the experiences in France to which I look forward. The train ride from Paris to Avignon takes about 3 hours and provides a great window upon the constant beauty that is the countryside of France.

 

 

Map showing the TGV Train Routes

 

 

 

 

Fellow traveler on the TGV in 2011

 

 

 

We'll pick up our rental car at the train station in Avignon and drive to the village of Gordes in the Luberon region of Provence. Gordes is perhaps my favorite village in France and holds for me such special memories from our first trip to France in April, 2003. It will be our base for daily trips to surrounding villages and their weekly brocante markets.  I'm so excited and can't wait to find some new treasures for my store! After a few days in Provence, it's back to Paris on the TGV where we'll spend 3 nights.

 

 

Picture from our first trip to Gordes in April, 2003

 

 

Au revoir, Mitty

 

Saudi Move Update!

So I'm packed and ready to head to Saudi.
 

I was supposed to fly out a week ago today with MH but my Saudi Visa was not ready. I'm just waiting for my passport stamped with the Saudi Visa to arrive and then I'll make flight arrangements......again. I was mentally and physically ready to leave, scurrying around attending to a thousand details kept me energized and ready to go.
 

Waiting has allowed me to stop and think. I'm filled with a flood of emotions, varying from hour to hour, moment to moment. They come and they go. I'm excited for this new adventure and what will undoubtedly be a multitude of new experiences, but I'm sad to leave my friends and family, my home, and, especially, my little girl and new son-in-law (o.k., so what if she is 31, she's still my little girl!)
 

I just know that I can always come home. I can hop on a plane and be here within 24 hours if I need to or want to. Knowing that I have My Faux French Chateau waiting for me to come back and breath life into her again makes me smile and gives me a sense of being grounded. How is it that this house can be such a part of me that I almost think of it as a living, breathing entity that will always welcome me home again?

Oh well, I'll let you know when I hear any news and make my travel arrangements. It's funny to think that perhaps this time next week I'll be making a new home in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

Who would have thought?!

Au revoir, Mitty

  

Shipment Moving Day!

I guess it's for real!

 

We're moving to Saudi.

 

I've spent the last couple of months preparing for the move including a health physical and the required immunizations (6 shots and one oral immunization!)

In addition to attending to a thousand details, I've been shopping, buying dishes, small appliances, sheets, towels.............all the things you need to make a furnished house your own, personal home.

 

For this move we're allowed both a small air shipment and a large sea container shipment. This is quite generous especially since we're not selling our "Faux French Chateau" in Fort Worth. I love my home and love knowing that I can come home to it for a few months every year.

 

So...........for well over a month now, one bedroom in my home has been filled to overflowing with items for the sea container and one bedroom has been the landing place for items for the air shipment.

 

The movers came yesterday morning. They packed and then loaded the air shipment first. (This shipment is filled with the basic items necessary to set up the house until our sea container arrives.)

 

 

Then they packed and loaded everything left into the 20 foot sea container. This container came out of Houston and I couldn't believe what I saw when it arrived! Check out the Saudi Arabia National Emblem on the side of the container. Seeing this made the move more "real" than it had been until that moment.

 

 

 

In case you are are wondering, the Saudi National Emblem shows a Phoenix Palm (also known as a date palm) and two crossed swords. The crossed swords represent the two kingdoms, Hijaz and Nejd, which were united by King Abdul-Aziz to form the Kingdom of Hijaz and Nejd in 1925.

 

About 6 1/2 hours after packing began, the doors were closed to the sea container, the lock was secured on the doors and it was off on its return trip to the dock in Houston. Hopefully before long it will be loaded onto a cargo ship and "set sail" to Saudi.

 

In a couple of months, it'll be exiting when the container arrives and I can unpack the boxes and finish making our new house our home.

 

Au revoir, Mitty

Vintage French "Joyeux Noël" Postcard and Christmas Cards

Since my first trip to France in 2003, I've been searching for and collecting vintage French postcards. When you come into my kitchen, you can tell the upcoming holiday or occasion based on what postcard is in my menu stand in my kitchen.  I love the whimsical designs of vintage postcards and especially love ones depicting holiday themes. So when I saw the card below, I had to add it to my little collection.

 

 

This beautiful vintage French "Joyeux Noël" postcard shows a beautiful young angel walking a snow covered street carrying a snow dusted "Christmas" tree. I love her long flowing blue robe, sheer pink shawl and pink floral crown on her head.

 

Although I'm not sending out old postcards, I have been addressing Christmas cards and, unlike last year, actually have already mailed some! I'm infamous for buying Christmas Cards and not getting around to mailing them.

 

This year, I did something different. I bought several different cards. When I was shopping, I'd look at one card and think of several friends who would like it. Then, I'd see another card and think it would be perfect for another person. So, this year I'm mailing out different cards to different people.

 

 Hmmmmmm I wonder who's getting the "BAH HUM BUG" card?

 

 

 

Joyeux Noël, Mitty

Christmas Reindeer All Aglow!

Last evening I began decorating for Christmas.

 

By this time last year I was almost finished decorating. But this year, with my "muscle" in Saudi (just for a short visit) and my Christmas decorations in our storage unit, I'm running a little behind.

 

So I purchased two reindeer and a vintage style Christmas tree and decided to decorate my Swedish secretary with them. I loved the way they looked and went to bed happy with my little Christmas grouping.

 

This morning I was surprised when I looked at the reindeer and noticed the sunlight streaming through the window and falling on the very top of the Christmas tree. It was so beautiful that I had to run and grab my camera.

 

A few minutes later, I looked at the secretary again and was amazed to see the reflections from the glitter on the reindeer falling all over the secretary. It reminded me of hundreds of stars filling the night sky.

Before long, the whole secretary was covered in twinkling stars! It was beautiful and magical looking.

 

 

Joyeux Noël, Mitty

 

French Sabot Chocolate Mold for Christmas Gift Giving!

Do you remember a blog post that I shared last Christmas describing the use of French clog-styled shoes called "sabots" as a significant part of French Christmas traditions?

If you did, then you may recall the following from the post,
 

"In France, Father Christmas is called Père Noël. After dinner on Christmas Eve, French families prepare for the arrival of Père Noël and his donkey, Gui (French for "Mistletoe.") Children fill their shoes with carrots and hay and leave them by the fireplace for Gui. A glass of wine is placed beside the shoes for Père Noël.

In earlier 18th and 19th century France, peasants’ wooden shoes, called "sabots", were often used at Christmas time. Today shoes of any kind are set before the fireplace for Père Noël to fill. You can still see sabots throughout France in candy and pastry shops where chocolate wooden shoes are made and filled with candies."

 

 

 

Since I didn't have a Sabot to fill with carrots and hay, I used one of my favorite pairs of shoes instead.

 

 



Well, a few weeks ago I searched and found a wonderful vintage French chocolatier's sabot mold in an Etsy shop on-line!  I've decided that I'm going to attempt to learn a new skill this holiday season and try my hand at molding chocolate for Christmas gift giving. So I purchased the sabot shaped mold!

It arrived from the shop in France....................

........wrapped in paper from a French bakery or "boulangerie,"

.........and is sitting in a kitchen drawer waiting to be used! I'm doing my research and will share my chocolate molding attempt with you soon.

Until then,

Joyeux Noël, Mitty



Thanksgiving Blessings!

If you read my last post, you know that my life is quite busy right now (how's that for an understatement?) As we work through the process of moving to Saudi, I'm sure my mind will be focused on the details and logistics of the move. So I apologise in advance for what will probably be inconsistent posts at best! But I love this Blog, and I love sharing small ways to make your home more enjoyable, so I'll still  be drawn to writing from time to time. We can make this transition together!

 

Over the past few days we were blessed to have family in from out of town for Thanksgiving! We did the usual Thanksgiving things ............ cooked all day, ate too much (in far less time than it took to prepare everything) and reminisced over stories from family "get togethers" of the past. As I get older, holidays become more bittersweet for me. I'm flooded with memories of holidays filled with people who are no longer here and traditions that are no longer possible. But then I'm filled with love for the people who are with me now and the new holiday traditions that we are starting.

 

I thought I'd share with you some pictures from my holiday table. I love to make flower arrangements and love to decorate the table for special occasions.

 

This year I used a color that I rarely use in my home....orange! I know it's a typical color for fall decorating, but I don't incorporate it into my home.

 

I have deer antlers decorating several places in my home and used a couple of them on my table along with a couple of small pumpkins and pheasant feathers.  I used a simple glass cube for the flower arrangement and filled it with orange roses, lime green hydrangeas, wheat sheaths, pheasant feathers and green berries.

On the table I chose to use round burnt orange colored place mats instead of a table cloth (which I rarely use) and napkins decorated with fall foliage in orange, gold, brown and a touch of lime green. I love the visual interest of multiple textures so I used round, woven rattan plate chargers.

I added small white ceramic turkey shaped salt and pepper shakers and place cards embossed with turkeys! I loved the place cards but thought they were a bit too plain so I "hot glued" a small silk orange ribbon to each one. (OOPS, I just noticed the step ladder in the picture! Did you notice it? I'm pretty short so there is usually one close to me at all times!)

I pray your Thanksgiving was filled with love and that the most important "decorations" at your table were the smiling faces of family and friends.

 

 

Au revoir, Mitty

My Faux French Chateau...Living a French Life in ?????

When I contemplate the entirety of my life I think of a life of change and adventure.  My husband's career of 35 years with the same company has entailed moving 12 times thus far. We've lived in various locations in the U.S. plus 4 1/2 years abroad as expatriates in Balikpapan, Indonesia (Island of Borneo), Brunei Darussalam and Duri Sumatra Indonesia.

 

And so I want to share with you our latest adventure!

 

The My Faux French Chateau blog posts will soon be coming to you from...........................................

 

Al Khobar Saudi Arabia.

 

Yes, that's right, I'm going to now attempt to recreate a French home in a villa in Saudi!

 

But that's not all!

 

Living in Saudi will put me a few hours closer to France and allow me more opportunities to spend time in France and more time to hunt the French Brocante Markets! MH and I are also going to spend time looking for a little place to call our own in Southern France. (And I mean little, maybe 800 - 1,000 square feet!)

 

So while my heart is in all things French, I'll be posting a little about Saudi as well over the next few months. MH is heading over in January and I'll follow 6 weeks or so later. We are keeping My Faux French Chateau here in Fort Worth and I'll spend several months out of each year here in TX.

 

 

I hope you'll keep visiting my blog from time to time and join MH and I on our new adventure! 

 

Au revoir, Mitty

 

 

Lovely Little Vintage Wooden Step Stool

 

For those of you who love to repurpose vintage items, you'll love this!

 

This lovely little painted country step stool was just added to My Faux French Chateau Store!

 

Purchased at auction, this step stool is the perfect width and height to use as a bedside table, or as I've done, as a book shelf.

 

 

 

 

This step stool is incredibly sturdy and has a wooden X-shaped brace in the back.

 

 

 

 

 

The beautiful look of distressed yellow paint on this step stool is perfect for any French Country decor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

To spur your imagination, here are a few pictures of creative uses for ladders and step stools:

 

 

As a bedside table...................

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart)

 

Or as a storage unit in a bathroom.............

(Photo courtesy of Pinterest)

 

 

 

(Photo courtesy of Pinterest)

If you're interested in my little step stool, it will be available in my store within 24 hours of this post!

 

 

 

Au revoir,

Mitty

Fall Decorating - Do Pumpkins Have to Be Orange?

I love Fall and Fall colors - vibrant oranges, yellows, reds and burgundies. But the idea of orange pumpkins in my great room didn't excite me. So when I saw these amazing Turquoise, blue and white velvet pumpkins, I knew they were perfect for My Faux French Chateau.

Found at the LoveFeast Shop at http://shop.lovefeasttable.com/category/velvet-plush-pumpkins these "Velvet Plush Pumpkins" are available in several sizes and colors. My pumpkin colors are "Turquoise", "Smokey Topaz" and "Snow." What I especially love is that each pumpkin is finished with a natural, organic, hand picked stem. 

So, aside from the blue color, they look real!  I will admit though that I have a few miniature white pumpkins in the arrangement as well. I love the look.

 

 

I'm late to the velvet pumpkin fashion though, as once I started searching the Internet, I saw several beautiful posts about these velvet pumpkins!

 

 

 

I love this arrangement by Edith and Evelyn Vintage!

 

 

 

 

This arrangement by Centsational Girl is lovely as well!

 

 

 

 

Enjoy this beautiful October Day and all the colors that surround you!

 

 

Au revoir, Mitty

 

Bittersweet Fall

I've been sitting here this morning thinking about decorating for the Fall season and looking at pictures taken by my brother, Rick Burgess. Rick spends his "free" time traveling the state of West Virginia capturing the state's natural beauty in photographs.

I have readers from all over the world, many of whom have never been to the U.S. and are as curious about and enthralled with this country as I am France. So, for these readers, I thought I'd share some information about a small piece of life here in the U.S. through Rick's photography.

For those of you who don't know my history, my family has lived in the state of West Virginia for many generations and the soul of my family can be felt floating in the winds above the mountains in this beautiful state. When I'm in West Virginia, I feel surrounded by the joy, laughter, pain and sorrow of family members who lived out their lives in this state. I moved away from WV many years ago but always feel a longing this time of the year to "go home" to reconnect with the place that most shaped me.

For me no one person captures the essence, soul and beauty of West Virginia like Rick. His love for his home state can be seen, even felt, in each photo.

Each Fall season finds me filled with bittersweet memories of West Virginia and I want to be home to see the mountains ablaze with the warm yellows, oranges and burgundies of Fall. Since I can't be home, I find solace in the beauty in Rick's photos. For me, they are the next best thing to actually being there. I can almost smell the changing leaves and feel the warm sun of an October day in West Virginia.

I hope you enjoy these photos as well.

Au revoir,

Mitty