posy

The smallest, simplest things make such a difference. A posy, courtesy of Eveline, whose undervalued concept of selling freshly cut, random-coloured and intensely fragrant roses direct from her walled rose garden in Avegno is one of my absolute favourite spring/summer pleasures. Prices are great too: CHF 1 to 1.60 a stem. She has a large fridge from which you can pick and choose your blooms, and a tatty old till into which you are invited to deposit the relevant amount. The whole transaction is based entirely on trust, which makes it all the more charming. Eveline has 2 fridges laden with roses (does anyone know of a third or even a fourth?), one is, as stated, outside her house and garden in Avegno and the other on the piazza here in Verscio. 

shady spot no.1

The time has come for summer guests. Every year we hope they return and this year, we shall not be dissappointed. The heat is practically unbearable (for some - not for me - and possibly for the houseguests as they arrive from cooler climes) and therefore I thought it might be a good idea to think about shady spots. Here are a few which might take our guests' fancy and which will give them a taste of things to come (you know who you are!). The sunlounger is my particular favourite and in the afternoon there is nothing better than to read ones favourite book and nod off ever so slightly.
We are considering launching as a B&B...

a toast to summer

 It's that time again. It's summertime at Toast. Go see before there's nothing left.

diptyque

Wide-eyed and innocent I walked slap-bang into the middle of the London fashion scene that eventful January day in 1990. I had landed myself a plum job, had a rather dashing brand spanking new boyfriend to go with it, and would remain there (with the job) for more or less 7 years (the boyfriend has lasted longer, he's still here). How fantastic that felt, my own office, my own little department, even my own clothing allowance... oh baby, it couldn't get any better than that, surely? They were formative years, I was so young and impressionable and when anyone said "Jump!" I would reply without blinking "How high?". Never anything wrong with my work ethic, I can tell you (thank you, dad). So yes, fashion darling. The 90's, Katharine Hamnett - KH. She was a force of nature. She inspired me so much with her British, rather posh background and her solid as hell environmental beliefs (the first designer of them all to champion and fight for organic cotton and ban the use of PVC in her collections). The lady who in 1984 went to 10 Downing Street to meet Maggie Thatcher wearing one of her infamous t-shirts bearing the slogan "58% DON'T WANT PERSHING" (note the leggings - SUCH a good look - we've come full-circle once again). The woman really is mythical and hugely interesting so I urge you to leaf through her website and find out more about her work today.

By now you'll be asking: "And what does any of this have to do with the picture above or Diptyque?" Everything actually. Katharine was the one who introduced me (and everyone else in the studio, I'm sure) to the wonder that is a Diptyque candle. One of her personal favourites was 'Baies' if my memory serves me well. They were as much part of her style as her John Smedley jumpers and her black shiny skinny trousers. Over the years, my own absolute favourite has become "Tubereuse". Once I had been promoted a few levels and was able to attend the glamour that is Paris fashion week, a stop at the shop on the Boulevard Saint Germain was always on the agenda, no matter what. The excuse tended to be "Well, Katharine needs one so I simply HAVE TO go!". Now of course you can buy the candles and scents in select department stores and other exclusive boutiques, but there's nothing like visiting the charming shop in all it's old Parisian glory. I still love the packaging (the paper bag is simply wonderful and another fine example of how right you can get it when you use the perfect font). These candles really are in a league of their own, you can't just call them a 'scented' or even 'perfumed' candle - whether lit or not, their scent wraps you in a state of bliss while looking drop dead gorgeous just stood on your dresser - I defy any other candle to look and smell this good. I am totally biased of course; as I'm sure you'll know, scent is one of those senses that plays havoc with your memory. Nothing takes you back 20 years with quite such force, emotion and ease as a familiar smell (although Dr Who does a pretty good job too, I'm told). So leave me here, reminiscing and smelling my little treasure which was brought to me by my very kind angel and roving ambassador (merci encore, ma chère).

soft stones

Down by the river, there are piles of stones. Beautiful smooth, stones in the most wonderful colours. Quite a few of them have found their way back to our house and now adorn various corners of the house (coffee table, desk, bathrooms etc). Inspired by these beautiful stones, a rather talented English lady, who by my good luck just happens to live down the road from me, decided to work her magic hands by skillfully felting these stones to create soft, seamless versions of the originals (hidden beneath). I could wax lyrical about the many talents of this lovely girl, and I probably will on this blog, as she does have a knack of coming up with the most beautiful, simple creations. Her birds, for instance - that's another story I'm just waiting to write about. If she lets me, one day I will even try to capture her own personal style by snapping a photo of her as she's cycling through the village or just standing in the crowd - she always looks nothing less than fabulous. Visit her own delightful blog SalcottRoad for a peek at her wonderful collection of creations.

blue and white friends

I remember a few raised eyebrows and puzzled looks when our wedding list was distributed in 1994. Not from our family, but our friends (some of them at least). It was just not 'trendy' or 'very now'. But we knew what we wanted. We both always loved simple style. My Cornish Blue was, and still is, just as indispensable as the previously mentioned Agatha Christie collection. Not for us the Royal Doulton nor the trendy pieces from the Habitat china collection. My stripey friends have seen me through numerous trends and admittedly, there were short periods of 'I need a break', yet every single time they resurfaced I loved them even more. Here is a perfect example of a classic design that transcends time and is never pigeonholed into any particular 'era'. Not really being someone that goes for shabby-chic or the cottage-look (which is not to say that I'm not an admirer) we always favoured the modern and our homes do tend to look rather minimal, with clear lines. This can come across as hard but remarkably, timeless pieces like the Cornish Blue look even more powerful when they stand on our modern oak dining table. I prefer them there, with a modern backdrop, rather than in a traditional dainty English country kitchen. Ultimately they also serve as 'buffers', softening and warming up the sometimes hard lines of a minimal home. What I so love about design that's this good, is that it looks just as fabulous in a Bauhaus home as it does in Spring Cottage, Devon.