Is there anybody out there?

Bonjour!

It has been a long time since I blogged last, and in recent weeks I've been asked by some if I'll resume posting.

I think it really depends on whether the blog format is still relevant to some of you, or if social media has made it obsolete. After nearly fifteen years of blogging, I felt increasingly as if I was talking to myself in an empty room … the lovely interaction of the early years has steadily gone down to nearly zero in recent times.

I thought I'd let you decide if we continue or not. Tell me in the comments below if you still enjoy the blog or if you think that Instagram has it all covered. You don't have to write a novel, a very short sentence will do.

So.. not to come empty-handed today; below is a picture summary of the past four or five months, which in short, can be described as a very happy, albeit hot summer.

Hope you are all well and have a beautiful fall season and autumn! 

xxx

Al fresco joys

Apple pie - scroll down to the end for the recipe 

Playing with a green, pink and blue color scheme, combining old and new. I've had the green Italian ceramic plate (Fasano Ceramiche) for more than 30 years, and I love how beautifully it goes with my "Mythical Creatures" china by Kit Kemp for Wedgwood.

Wiener

A simple Tomata/Mozarella dish with a mix of fresh, oven-roasted and sun-dried tomatoes.

Decoration project passage

Before and after:

A weekend at the beach at the dog-friendly Palace Plage (run by the Costes brothers)

Roley enjoying the room

One of my late summer favorites: stuffed tomatoes, courgettes and peppers

Garden terrace at the Pigonnet hotel in Aix-en-Provence

Dogs are also welcome here!

My grandmother's dressing table chair in a new look (fabric by Lewis and Wood)

The wallpaper in our bedroom is by the same artist (Melissa White), this time for Kit Kemp

My appliqué flower project - work in progress

Dressing room 

Clockwise from top left: Salsify picture by me, before, Casamance metallic textured wallpaper and with Jim Thompson fabric.

Bloody Marys on a Sunday 

Roasted figs (scroll down for the recipe)

Working on a new fabric collection for my inserts

Summer evening dinner for two

Apple Pie

5 large cooking apples, peeled and cut into quarters and then slices

2 eggs

250g sugar (8.8oz)

100g soft (almost runny) butter (3.5oz)

125ml milk (4.2 fluid oz)

150g flour (5.3oz)

1tsp cinnamon

2tsp baking powder

vanilla essence (optional)

Combine the egg and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Mix in the butter, then add the milk (add the vanilla at this point, if wanted). 

Combine the flour with the baking powder and cinnamon and fold gently into the egg/sugar mixture. Then add the sliced apples and gently fold in until evenly distributed.

Line a baking dish with parchment, fill in the mixture and bake for 45-50min at 180 celcius. Take out of the oven and leave to cool. Gently peel the parchment off the pie's sides. Transfer it with a cake lifter (or a large spatula) onto a serving dish. Dust with icing sugar once completely cooled off.

Roasted figs

Cut figs in half and place on a baking tray lined with parchment.
Place a thinly sliced goats cheese on top of each fig.
Spread a small amount of honey across the center of the cheese and place half a walnut on top.
Place under a preheated grill until the cheese turns runny and golden. 

For a vegan version: leave out the goat cheese

Tableware

Kit Kemp Mythical Creatures china here

Kit Kemp's Mythical Creatures via Wedgwood here

Fasano Ceramiche on Instagram here

Wallpaper

Emily's Garden wallpaper by Melissa White here

Tall Tree wallpaper by Kit Kemp here

Platinium by Casamance here

Fabric

Iliad by Lewis and Wood here

Hotels

Plage Palace (Palavas-les-Flots) here

Le Pigonnet (Aix-en-Provence) here