Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

France and where I live…

                Streetinfrance
"No, nothing can be that lovely. I will have to come and see for myself…" Lee.
I live in a typical non-touristic small village in the south of France. It has been around for over a thousand years. Our home is a maison de village. We live down a very narrow impasse. The sidewalks are cracked, people hang their clothes outside their windows and cars are parked every which way. It is not romantic, nor chic…but it does have a simple charm to it.
Sure I over look the telephone wires, garbage cans, the graffitti on the walls, and the plastic planters on the window sills…Beauty is where you find it. I hope you will visit the south of France Lee, I know you will find it lovely too.
                Frenchvillagefacade
" …I know from looking that you have marvelous things to take photo’s of but I do believe you could make the most mundane item look beautiful." Darla. I don’t know about that. Though my son Sacha says, "Anyone can take a good photo of France, they need only to go outside and click their camera, France is beautiful."
Darla, If I could I would tell my neighbor to take down the plastic Santa Claus. Then I would "photoshop" the telephone and electricty wires away. But since I do not know how to do that, I usually take photos upclose as it prevents one from seeing the things one doesn’t want to see.
               Villagestreet
               Fountain
        (Photo: of the fountain in our garden, that we created using old stones.)

"Corey, have you lived in France long enough to have gotten used to it. You know, so that you take everything for granted and don’t notice the different and beautiful details any more. Are you still in a state of awe?"~elaine~

France has a soul. It has history, it welcomes the new. It has the wisdom of an older person, yet the spark of a sixteen year old. Yes I am still in awe, though there are things I don’t like and I wish my family in California weren’t so far away… I must admit that France has stolen my heart. After twenty years of living here I can honestly say that I am more awestrucked than ever!

               Insidethearmoire

"…my favorite would be a peak into your blue/gray armoire and the shelves with the old book pages and white china/pottery…i would so love to have those old pages…is that your design or was it the magazine stylist." Cre8Tiva.

My home is my own design. It is my canvas.

               Frenchantiquesp

Luckily I grew up with an ultra creative Mother, who could create masterpiece vignettes using anything from my Dad’s barn, such as bailing wire and an old tool box. Also I have a French Husband who doesn’t mind if the house leans towards the romantic femine side, or if I stripped it down to a sleeping bag on the floor.

note: The crown is from Ribboned Crown.

                Redpants

"I have a perpetual question. Are all your {and French, in general} walls a shade of soft gray-ish? It seems so, from your photos. It seems so, from other French blogs I have seen. And with small spots of color added, against the pale background of these walls?" Mari-Nanci

It must be the natural light in France that gives that hint of grey. Because the walls in my house, with the exception of the kitchen, are painted flat white. Simply because I can’t decide what color to paint them.

                Maisondevillage

                                                       photo: A rue in my village.

more photos to come…

                Frenchantiquechair

TACE wrote, "…How can there be so much detail on a chair?? Gorgeous. Makes me wanna start hammering those upholstery tacks into everything I own!"

Out of all antiques, French armchairs are what I love most.

                Img_4717

"I’m curious, Corey, does your wardrobe, what you choose to wear on yourself or perhaps buy for French Husband to wear reflect your decorating sense? … Also, do you frame your photographs and hang them up throughout your house?" Susanna.

I do not have any of my photos, nor of others hanging in my home. Though I have recently thought of hanging some photos of the children when they were little.

Regarding my wardrobe… I love to go shopping for others but not for myself. My clothes are basic, and mostly black which is easy to manage.

                 Frenchkitchen

Miz Booshay, "Is your bathroom also antique? I was hoping to see your kitchen."
Next week our bathroom is going to be re vamped. I am excited because I found an old claw foot tub for a song. After that the kitchen will be remodelled…if you look at this photo you will see there isn’t much of a kitchen counter to work on. Plus there is one cupboard which is under the sink.
more later…
                Blueshutters
Maison de village: A home in the center of a French village. Maison de village usually shares at least two walls, nestled in between two homes. The wall are at least three feet thick of stone. Which means the shared wall is six feet thick. Sound proof and natural insulation assured. The Maison de village are typical three to four stories high. Ours has three floors. Usually they have a vaulted basement in stone and a bird’s eye view from the attic.
" I really enjoyed these shots. I NEVER imagined your living in a "maison de village" — I figured it was an old country home with a huge garden, like so many expats have and/or aspire to. It’s interesting the images we get in our minds…" Betty.
"Do you happen to have those sweet French blue shutters on your home too?" Teresa asked.
              Blue_shutters_on_a_clear_day
Blue shutters rule, then green, after that it is a toss up. Ours are green.

Comments

86 responses to “France and where I live…”

  1. carol

    Corey, this is an enjoyable peek into your world.

    Reply
  2. Jeanne

    Thanks for your lovely tour………..
    I love you dearly
    I leave enchanted everytime!
    I am so happy you are my friend……….
    Love Jeanne
    You bring to me and a multitude of others.
    Much love and joy and happiness! ^j^

    Reply
  3. Edi

    Family is also my biggest negative in living in another country – even one that is within driving distance.
    If only we could transplant our families to our own country or city! I have a hard enough time getting them to VISIT 1000 miles away – I don’t think I could get them to move.
    Though I’ve only lived here 12 years – this is my home. Should my dh die – I doubt I’d leave this country.
    Home is where I am now.

    Reply
  4. maryse

    i have to say that i love your neighbor’s santa. might love it less come april 😉

    Reply
  5. rochambeau

    Thank you!
    Love seeing more of your world!
    So nice!

    Reply
  6. Shannon

    I have to say that after staying with Corey, her town is incredibly charming, her home is beautiful and I took all sorts of pictures from different angles so that I could glean ideas for my own home, and France is simply like living on a movie set. Even the graffiti is romantic because it’s all in French!
    France is food for the eyes. A gluttonous amount of food!!

    Reply
  7. rochambeau

    PS
    Did I spy a Donna O’Brien crown?????

    Reply
  8. Betty C.

    Corey, I really enjoyed these shots. I NEVER imagined your living in a “maison de village” — I figured it was an old country home with a huge garden, like so many expats have and/or aspire to. It’s interesting the images we get in our minds…

    Reply
  9. Darla

    These walks through your village are such a visual delight. Lets see, I’d love to go to the local market, and the post office, and the bank. Just your usual rounds. Will you take us with you some time?
    Darla

    Reply
  10. Julie Ann

    A lovely insight Corey, thank you. I would worry not about the inperfections. Is it not the inperfections in the broccante finds, the patina of wear on an antique piece of furniture that give these objects their unique character and charm ? Is it not the way the French woman grows old gracefully (albeit cleverley!),but without resorting to the knife that gives her that wonderful elegance ? Leave in the inperfections or you risk the chocolate box effect and your amazing photographs become less real. I have more questions:
    1. Where can I get my hands on the “Victoria” magazine feature creating such excitement please – perhaps an helpful American member of your community may assist me in my quest ?
    2. Corey, does your fabulous eye for interiors and all things beautiful extend to the wardrobe ? I cannot see that it would not. I am guessing classic with a twist. Some beautiful brocade perhaps, vintage shawls and silk scarves.. ? Would love to hear all about your chosen style. Would a wardrobe preview be too intrusive…?
    That first picture is exquisite, Jx

    Reply
  11. Travelingmama

    I love the way you show the beautiful side of France. Marseille is such a beautiful city and the people kind and gentle!

    Reply
  12. AnnieB

    it is so true what you say about beauty being everywhere we just need to find it (and the bit about taking close-ups resonates too) – this is a timely post for me as myself and Mr G have been recently talking about moving to the south of france from london but worrying that we have too romantic a notion of how it might be. Maybe not…

    Reply
  13. Candy

    I love that you’re sharing your home and village with us. I feel like I just took a walk down those quaint streets. I think it’s beautiful. You never know we may show up on your doorstep if you keep this up. It’s all so inviting. My husband has a client who has an apartment in Paris she keeps trying to get us to use. I told him I’d go on one condition – that I get to meet Corey while we’re in France. How cool would that be!

    Reply
  14. Toni Brown

    I want to touch that garden fountain, let dappled sunlight hit my face as I sit under those leafy trellises. More! More!

    Reply
  15. angela marie

    Oh Yes! I want more!
    More please!!

    Reply
  16. Holly

    France and painted shutters…
    all in different colors.
    I love your photos
    just the way they are
    and…
    I love your fountain!
    More please!

    Reply
  17. Mo’a

    Thank you for the wonderful tour. I was enchanted by the South of France, Monaco and the Italian Riviera when I was there this past October. I thought of you so often as we were traveling around that area.
    One of the things I loved were the laundry lines on the side of the buildings. The people were so kind and always made eye contact with us…some of the towns in Italy were like yours not touristy at all…we were visiting people that had a home in one such a town.
    My family is full of expats, when my son was deciding to live in Denmark I told him about the feeling an expat has…that hole in the heat that never gets filled…always loving the country you are from and at the same time loving the country you are living in…that when you are in the country of your birth, you long to be back in the country you have chosen as home and vise versa.

    Reply
  18. apt. a {berriehead}

    share more share more! ya know how much I love your photos?? This much (see me stretching my arms as wide as they can go?) Yes yes France is beautiful, but not nearly as beautiful as you! xo

    Reply
  19. Catalina

    You are right Corey…I love France as well (I miss my family as well…and my country landscape and ways too..;nd other places and people from wehe I used to live as well) I have been here only for 4 years now even if came on holidays several times with french husband (mine 🙂 )
    I love the light and the magic of some places so much here in France. Coming to La Rochelle sometime…? 🙂

    Reply
  20. Merisi’s

    Uniquely yours, your style, each and every picture. I have notice those shades of a soft blue gray in your photos, I was wondering whether it was the same reason that Roman walls Roman always seem to have a shade of reflection of terracotta, even if they are
    painted white.
    I know the Tate Collection’s Roman Color Studies (http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/WorksList?cgroupid=65831&page=1)
    but I couldn’t find an equivalent about French (Medi) colors.

    Reply
  21. Teresa ~ French Poppy

    Your village looks very comforting. Do you happen to have those sweet french blue shutters on your home too?
    Teresa
    xo

    Reply
  22. Karin

    Lovely photos as always. And I’m sorry to disagree, but I found many romantic and chic things in them.
    I so wish I come visit and see “your” France. Until then, I will continue to visit your blog to fulfill my dreams.

    Reply
  23. beachy

    Corey, you’ve made a beautiful and romantic place even MORE beautiful and romantic, by the words you write and the photos you portray!

    Reply
  24. April

    It IS indeed all so beautiful.
    But it strikes me that your words should resonate in all of our places. All places have a soul whether old or new, sad or happy, forgotten or celebrated. I appreciate your reminder to open my own eyes to the beauty here in northwestern snow-covered Illinois. It IS indeed beautiful, after all…

    Reply
  25. martina

    Your blog is the dessert of my morning internet check. Your home is stunning! I’ve never visited in person but it definitely is a home and not a house. You can feel the welcome and happiness in the photos. My living room is painted a dark butterscotch color-because I thought it looked like the color of a French interior…Looks like a trip to Benjamin Moore store this year may be in order.

    Reply
  26. Rosemary

    Your posts are delightful Corey. I love them.
    You live in a beautiful place surrounded by beauty.(You are pretty cute too)
    Have a glorious day!
    Rosemary

    Reply
  27. Britt-Arnhild

    I am mesmerized……..
    What about your studio? Will you give is a glimpse?

    Reply
  28. Carolyn

    Corey What a lovely morning I have spend with you in your village. Thank you. And I think Darla’s suggestion was great of goign with you to the normal places also. Yes?
    I can;t wait to see you claw foot bathtub. I have a claw foot tub (pink on the outside!) hiding out for the winter at Stoney’s use this year there. Not sure what I am going to with it yet, plant it or maybe recyle water to fountain shower head and do bog planting in it, or or or. I know the thought of what it shall be will come instantly once it comes out of winter storage to my flower lot. It’s one of those “winter dreams of looking forward to spring” that I have to savor. You dear Corey are always a bright light of happiness to read and see.

    Reply
  29. Jill

    I wonder what made you move to the south of France after living in Paris? Does French Husband have a versatile job? Of course, it all sounds wonderful to me – I’d like to live in your village and have an apartment in Paris!

    Reply
  30. Dee

    Love the pictures…LOVE your kitchen…REALLY love the stove!
    I’m with you on white walls…I have the same in my home!
    And wearing black…can’t go wrong with black & white! It goes with anything!

    Reply
  31. Alina

    I was curious if you had a claw foot tub. From the little I’ve seen (Paris, parts of Normandy) France is beautiful and I would love to be able to see it all one day.
    Aside to Candy: make use of that apartment in Paris. It is an offer most of us would kill for and you will not regret it.

    Reply
  32. the farmers wife

    Stunning. Your life and town seem so exotic but that’s because I’m sitting on the Illinois prairie. I’m sure the same is true in reverse. I’m so excited that I get to go to France every morning over coffee! How great is that?

    Reply
  33. Melissa’s Cozy Teacup

    I love the way the buildings all look like they are made by the same person with the same materials. Here, in my city, everything is mishmosh. There was no planning of it at all and it looks it!
    If I were mayor, I would remove all the billboard advertising, severely punish all graffiti vandals, and create more parks with fountains, flowers and benches.

    Reply
  34. Massilianana

    Oh my ,I love the old old books on the shelf . They look like they are made of fabric , they look so soft . Is it a little crown sitting on top of them ? And I also love the green chair . The color is gorgeous .
    I love red and the tiles in your kitchen look wonderful .
    And I like you twisting your nose in your mirror self-portrait , very Samantha Stephen’s ! 😉

    Reply
  35. ginny

    In the latest magazine (Romantic Homes?) where you and your home were highlighted, you had a wonderful old “Prix” sign on the wall. I keep going back and looking at that. Are signs like this difficult to find?

    Reply
  36. Julie Ann

    How wonderful to see a rare picture of you ! Black basics perhaps and a wise choice but I knew there would be a twist and there it is in the chic silk scarf. Of course there also is the twinkle in the eye. Jx

    Reply
  37. Miss Sandy

    Thank you for sharing the glorious and intimate details of your life with us!

    Reply
  38. rebecca

    It’s WONDERFUL that your son appreciates his home. Most of us don’t do that until we are much older. We tend to take it for granted.

    Reply
  39. Lisa

    Corey, I love the incongruity of the plastic Santa scaling the front of that house. Its just the thing I would take a photo of.

    Reply
  40. annieelf

    Hi Corey, Seeing where you live brings a bright spot to my day. Annie

    Reply
  41. miz Booshay

    So much beauty.
    It is hard to believe.
    You really still live in Ca., don’t you.
    On a set.
    :o)

    Reply
  42. Amy

    Had I known you were looking for a claw foor tub, you could have had mine for free! It came with the house we own in Florida.
    The plastic Santa gave me a chuckle…
    I love the charm that the streets exude….narrow…with tall buildings shadowing them… I have a picture of my daughter when she went to England…where she is standing in the middle of such a street…that I love so very much.

    Reply
  43. Elizabeth Meredith

    Thanks for the wonderful pix. I hope you don’t mind but I put the one of your garden gate on my desktop as “wallpaper”. I love the idea of a walled garden and the cherub is just the right touch. Thanks for sharing so much of your life with us. God bless you.

    Reply
  44. Becca

    Corey … it is so much fun to visit your village in the middle of a Pittsburgh winter! Thank you for your generosity of time and talent that bring so many of us so much joy. You are a blessing.

    Reply
  45. Elaine

    Dear Corey, you make everything seem so “storybook”. I look forward to seeing you here each day.

    Reply
  46. Lynda

    Thank you for this glimpse of where you live, Corey. One summer twenty years ago I took a French immersion course in Nice and left a piece of my heart there. The Provence region was so beautiful! I loved the vieux ville of Nice ~ it was my favourite place and I’ll never forget it. ~ Lynda xo

    Reply
  47. Abbie

    Good Evening Corey,
    You just made me cry. Quite literally, while sitting in front of my PC, you made me remember what I absolutely love about Europe. I truely miss the tangle of narrow streets, the worn cobblestones and steps, all the ‘crap’ that hangs from the sky between windows. The seemingly random mass of wires that modern technology demands.
    It is all gorgeous to me. Every detail you highlight, even the plastic Santa, is beautiful.
    My most favorite part, though, are all the tiny doorways and small windows that let you take a small peek into someone else’s home/life. Having never lived in an ‘old’ village, I was driven crazy as a child with curiosity as to what lay behind all those doors…
    ♥Merci,
    Abbie

    Reply
  48. Di Overton

    Fascinating insight Corey. I can’t wait to see it in the flesh. This year I promise.

    Reply
  49. Alice

    Ahhhhhh, the narrow streets of Europe. So tre’chic. I love how you have captured the simplicity of the city streets. I cannot wait to see the bathroom redo. Somehow I think it too shall be all vintage! I can’t wait. As for wardrobe…basic black…I love it…there is nothing more classy and chic than basic black!

    Reply
  50. Sheila

    How lovely to see your surroundings, and the way you put things together. You have your mother’s gift.
    I do love Europe, the streets, the buildings, the feeling that it has been there forever. So comforting.
    Thanks Corey..!
    hugs
    xx

    Reply
  51. bonnie Buckingham

    Peek a boo, we see you!
    Bonnie

    Reply
  52. Kimberly

    Once again you have transported me from the ice and snow to a village filled with color. I love it and just to think that this blog is free! You could charge admission for this ride. 🙂
    Blessings, Kimberly

    Reply
  53. Franca Bollo

    I’m still waiting for the blog about sex you promised the other day… Maybe you should have Yann guest write it for you. I’m sure he’d get right down to business. And please, men aren’t the only ones think about it.
    —————————————–
    Hey Franca Bollo
    If you weren’t one of my younger cousin I would wonder about this comment. Yann says he told Sheba and you plenty in Iceland!

    Reply
  54. Elaine L.

    I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the photos you posted today – wires, trashcans, santa and all.
    Having traveled through France, they give me good idea of how and where you live. As we rode through all the quaint villages, I thought it would be such a dream to actually go into a typical home with a real family and see how they decorated and lived.
    How is it that the wires, clothes hanging and trash cans look so quaint, when in my town it just looks like plane trash. LOL
    It’s so nice to be able to read your words and about your life and have a better visual image to go with it. It all fits together and makes me feel like you are a dear friend.
    ~elaine~

    Reply
  55. Vicki

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful home, love it!!! I was wondering what is next to your stove that is white, a cabinet of some sort??? Looks very interesting!!! You are such a sweet and interesting woman!!!

    Reply
  56. TACE

    Oh boy, all kinds of eye candy today!!! I love the description of your house, SIX feet of stone between neighbors…sounds wonnnnnderful compared to the apt we lived in before this house. hahaha
    The chair, the upholstery tacks, oh my. I have upholstery tacks you know. They’re just begging to be hammered into something…but I can’t make up my mind. I use them as regular tacks on occasion.

    Reply
  57. cruststation

    I love the flowers and shells in your crockery cupboard -are they always there, or there for the photo op? This must be the most adorable photo of you…it seems you get cuter by the day! 🙂
    ————————————
    Hi Cruststation,
    Nope, the flowers and seashells and dust, are there year round. In our home there aren’t any cupboards (except under the kitchen sink) and only one closet. So every inch in the armoires are used for storage.

    Reply
  58. Amber

    Oh Corey, I LOVE THIS! AWESOME to see all of this. So much fun for those of us living in the boring old American suburbs. lol!
    And that Santa cracked me UP! HAHA Not something you expect to see in a pretty French village. why didn’t they put that in Victoria?? LOL!
    Dumb question… Is the attic and the basement counted in the floors you said? Or is it thre stories PLUS those?
    ____________________________________
    Hi Amber,
    The attic and basement are extra floors that you don’t have to mop.
    🙂

    Reply
  59. Kristin Wight

    What’s wrong with the Santa? The first time I went to France around Christmas I feel in love with the santa robbers! : ) I had to have one but could not find the perfect one. I took pictures of them everywhere! : ) So finally, my sister in law went to France on the Ferry and found one! She sent it all the way to America for me! I love putting him out every year! I also like how the French stores put decorated trees outside their front doors. However, I must say, I have seen some very interesting floral shops! The French seem to have fallen in love with this metallic/plastic hot pink ribbon. Talk about fashion faux pas!
    _______________________
    Hi Kristin,
    Oh nothing wrong with Santa, except it is the end of Jan. and I want Valentine’s instead.

    Reply
  60. jennifer Paganellli

    wow, a true visionary , thanks for sharing…Jennifer

    Reply
  61. Miss Maddie’s

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and you have certainly shared that beauty with us.
    I have a girlfriend, Joanne who is coming to your area on Thursday to celebrate her 50th birthday and 30th wedding anniversary.She will fall in love all over again surrounded by such loveliness!

    Reply
  62. Lana

    It was wonderful reading about the maison de village … I did not realize that was a french term for a type of home. When my husband and I honeymooned in Provence last year we stayed at a wonderful B&B in St. Remy, named Maison du Village. The decor was very chic, wonderful breakfast in the gravel patio, and just as you described – a home in the center of the village, with very thick walls adjoining buildings on either side. Which meant no internet, except in the lobby area!
    Thanks for the education!

    Reply
  63. My Melange

    Corey,
    Thought I’d wait till all the photos were *in* before commenting!! Love your village house…and the village. I am also blessed to have a guy that doesn’t mind to much of a feminine touch..even pink in the living room. Though..he does have his own *man* room. And I like that old villa feel of no closets(like Italy too). You can have huge antique armoires in evey room. And you are waaaaay *too* cute in that picture. I think you look like a cherub, with that little impish grin 😉

    Reply
  64. Mari-Nanci

    Thank you Corey, for answering my “perpetual” question. 🙂 Yes, it must be ‘the light,’ for I certainly believe you when you say the walls are painted flat white.
    Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I have so enjoyed this entry. And can’t wait for more. 🙂
    Oh the bathroom… A re-do. But I remember a teeny bit you showed us a while ago… When you decided to take some pics of yourself, in the bathroom mirror. So cute of course.
    And I noticed the wall which was mirrored too. Simply lovely. Perhaps a softly colored wall hanging or some such. I was so taken with the look. Typical though. Even the bathroom is lovely in France. Well, in your home at least. 🙂
    And now a re-do… Well, I’m sure it will be equally lovely.
    Mari-Nanci

    Reply
  65. Hasmin

    I am in LOVE, LOVE, LOVE…with your rues and village. So quaint…I love visiting places like your “hood.” 🙂 Btw, that is the cutest picture yet, of you my dear Corey!

    Reply
  66. leslie

    There is something so whimsical about living in a village. Everything in the states is so new, and without a history. The planters, the clothes on the lines.. that adds to the charm.

    Reply
  67. tommie

    Love love love that green chair.

    Reply
  68. Lee

    A lovely post and a lovely insight into your world. I am in shock with the thought of six foot thick walls! I have a tendency to ‘over-engineer’ when building things but after that I feel everything I have done is flimsy!

    Reply
  69. Tamara Giselle

    I believe we share a love for things that others feel are too worn to love. These things have a soul don’t they? I have a delapidated dresser I bought because I loved the lovely drawer pulls on it. Who cares that it is missing the wood spacer between the drawers and it wobbles? I just pulled the drawer open and let some linen and lace fall out like it was an accident and left that way. No one notices the missing piece of wood, just the lovely linens, beautiful pulls and wonderful patina of the aged wood (although they are always reminding I left the drawer open or they try to shut it – silly people.) Call my home an orphanage for cast off furniture.

    Reply
  70. Tamara Giselle

    Oh and these photos are so romantic, wires, poles and even plastic santas! Love those crusty chipping stone and plaster walls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  71. nel

    What a gorgeous post… you have left me wanting to see so much more of your village and lifestyle. Thank you for sharing these wonderful images that give me a glimpse into another way of life.

    Reply
  72. Laura

    Oh, Corey! I think the most precious of all the photos is the one of yourself you chose to share with us…letting us see not only the artist, but also a rare glimpse of the woman who shares so much love, joy and beauty with all of us.

    Reply
  73. lei

    you gave a great place amber.

    Reply
  74. Heather

    Believe it or not, people here are trying to get a law or something passed to prevent people from hanging their laundry in their yards, because they think it looks white trash, or ghetto, or somesuch. When I look at that first picture I think that nothing looks out of the ordinary with laundry hanging outside. And who would want to deny people the right to sweet smelling, non-energy-wasting clothing? We live in a strange world.

    Reply
  75. DuBuhDuDesigns

    Such beauty even in the simplest of things..your images will surely influence my dreams tonight:)
    ~Christine
    ps..I like that self portrait of you..charming like all of your other photos 🙂

    Reply
  76. Bethany

    Again…all of these pics are soo lovely…and the way you answered many of the questions I have wondered myself….I have to say I really love that shot of you with the mischievious expression! And I agree about the blue shutters…indeed they DO rule! I recently painted my front door almost that same blue.
    Thank you so much for sharing all of this 🙂

    Reply
  77. letigreinfrance

    Your post makes some interesting points..
    I often look at your blog and other blogs with amazing photos of France and still get that feeling like I don’t really live in ‘the real France’ but when I look at the photos I’ve taken somehow I feel like it looks better than it is…I’ve chosen what to capture and what to exclude, namely the dirtiness, mundane aspects of life here. But it is a matter of perception as well. I can usually recapture that ‘wow I live in France’ feeling when we are driving through the lit up city at night.

    Reply
  78. letigreinfrance

    Your post makes some interesting points..
    I often look at your blog and other blogs with amazing photos of France and still get that feeling like I don’t really live in ‘the real France’ but when I look at the photos I’ve taken somehow I feel like it looks better than it is…I’ve chosen what to capture and what to exclude, namely the dirtiness, mundane aspects of life here. But it is a matter of perception as well. I can usually recapture that ‘wow I live in France’ feeling when we are driving through the lit up city at night.

    Reply
  79. andrea

    I feel as if you and I are walking along your streets, arms linked, as you show me around your beautiful village.
    Thank you!
    a.

    Reply
  80. anne

    I just love the pictures of your village, yes it does have alot of charm. Wish we had shutters but somehow they don;t seem right in England.

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  81. Joy

    I am in love with your blog. You epitomize everything I love about France! 🙂
    Joy

    Reply
  82. lindsay

    Reading your recent posts makes me want to start saving my pennies now so that someday I may walk hand in hand with my husband and explore these little villages. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  83. MARYBETH

    DEAREST COREY.
    I HAVE TAKEN A WALK I DREAM OF THROUGH YOUR
    TENDER AND ILLUMINATING PHOTOS. I THANK YOU FOR THIS XX
    OH…THE SELF PORTRAIT IS A HOOT AND SO VERY YOU!!
    NAMASTE,
    XOXO
    MB

    Reply
  84. stephanie

    What a treat! I adore open houses and never miss one if a home is for sale near me. Thank you for the tour inside your world.
    Your home is so lovely but it is you that gives it the warmth and personality that simply shines.
    x…x

    Reply
  85. susanna

    Corey, I am soooo enjoying reading these posts and love that you are open to answering questions about you and your home. You have such wonderful and elegant taste in decor. I really like the look of those old books on your shelf. They remind me of the worn edges on an old vintage dress. Beautiful. And your self portrait makes me smile – it really reflects your joyful, fun-loving spirit. 🙂

    Reply
  86. Penny

    What great photos! And what I wouldnt give for 6 feet of insulation from my neighbours
    🙂

    Reply

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