What to Wear on s Summer Day…Giveaway

What to Wear on s Summer Day

 

French Husband and I worked in our overgrown courtyard today. The intoxicating explosion of jasmine growing on our trellis has our neighbors asking, "Where is that perfume coming from?" 

We cleaned the fountain that our fish are living, and found that our oldest fish (fifteen years old) was not well. French Husband calls it, "Slipper" because he is puffy round, like a fat bedroom slipper. In French slipper is "Pantoufle".

I swept a million dried rose petals into little piles on the cobble stones.

Gardening with French Husband puts me in a good mood, doing it alone does not.

 

What to Wear on s Summer Day

At the brocante I found a pile of white cotton, handmade nightdresses from the early 1900s.

Most were sleeveless, Some with sleeves, most with monograms and mother of pearl buttons.

 

What to Wear on s Summer Day

Why not wear them out at night?

Why not out in the garden while watching the moon rise, tucked in the arms of the one you love?

Why go to bed, when you can sleep outside under the jasmine? And stuff a pillow with dried rose petals?

Why live ordinarily when it is the only life we have?

 

What to Wear on s Summer Day

Tell me your summer dreams?

What do you dare to do?

What makes you happy during summer?

Have you had your first strawberry, melon, peach, pear, plum?

This evening our close friend (Who tried to commit sucide nearly two months ago, thankfullly is feeling a bit better– Thank you for your many prayers and good thoughts sent!) is with us.

We are having salmon, and I made goat cheese and dried tomato bundles.

Strawwberries and cream for dessert.

What to Wear on s Summer Day

If you would like a white cotton nightdress (one size fits many and most) leave a comment, and I will pick five tomorrow and send them out.

Happy Sunday Summer!



Comments

162 responses to “What to Wear on s Summer Day…Giveaway”

  1. Ooh I would so love to have one of the night dresses. I love antique clothing and textiles. It is fun to see all of your brocante “finds” on your blog.

  2. I would wear the nightdress in the cool mornings and evenings while sitting on my small patio… my summer dream is to construct an old-fashioned clothesline on which to hang my vintage linens.
    What makes me happy during summer is watching flowers bloom, taking a boat ride on the lake, and having friends and family over…I dare to create a small fountain myself on the back patio! Jamie V in MT
    http://rem-nants.blogspot.com
    jamievowell@yahoo.com
    What do you dare to do?
    What makes you happy during summer?

  3. This year my summer dream is to build my mother-in-law a little chicken house so she can have the rooster she’s always dreamed of having. I want to use old wood chairs for the nesting boxes and hang a picture or two on the walls. A shabby chic chicken house is what I dream of this summer.

  4. Dreamy!
    I love sitting on my back porch before everyone has woken, and listen to the birds. We have doves that nest right outside our bedroom window. They twwwrrr along so prettily in the morning.
    I would love one! I’d wear it while I sit there sipping my coffee and listening to the birds!

  5. Curling up to read. The summer, July specifically slows down slightly so there is time to relax and read. I’ve got about 10 books in my stack ready for my undivided attention. I can’t wait!!

  6. is slippers doing better? i agree with you.. it is nice to have your husband there and do the yard rather than alone.
    would love to be the recipient of one of your nightgowns. i would wear it and pretend i’m back in the south of france in bed in the cool evening, hopefully smelling jasmine scenting the air around me and my ah.

  7. your description of dinner made my mouth water!! well, since I just moved to Fiji everyday is summer! I am reallyyyy looking forward to mango season which is quickly approaching. coconuts are really inexpensive here and I have been making dinner with lolo (coconut milk) every week. but my most amazing summer dream for while I am here is to get my scuba diving certification and then going to Beqa island to dive with sharks. even as i type all of this my life doesn’t sound real to me yet!!
    love your blog, as always. glad to hear that your friend is doing better 🙂

  8. denisesolsrud@hotmail.com

    what an absolutely splendid idea. what a dreamy thought. and you are right, we only have one life. do those out of the way special things. i have often gone out in dark
    to view the country skies and the diamonds in the heavens. of course,i would love a gown as i have been a gown girl since a child. good luck,girls. Bestest,Denise

  9. Who wouldn’t want one of the beautiful night dresses. They would be great to wear in our hot summers out on the patio at night. Just had the first peach of the season and enjoyed it so much.

  10. ardisjo@earthlink.net

    Loved your fashion blog. Wrote down the guidelines. It helps to know what one is looking for while shopping. Not much available 5/6 hours north of Willows. So a French night dress would keep me on track with the new fashion statement. Spring is best and summer is better. The hayfield is green, the lavender is blooming, the sunflowers are growing, the animals are all happy and we are opening red wine to sip on the deck this evening. Thanks for your inspirational writing.

  11. In my youth, I collected old nightgowns etc. and wore them out, so I agree with you 🙂 My favorite was an old pair of linen split bloomers I found in Amish country. I put my arms through the leg part and pinned the front closed with a vintage broach. It was my favorite summer top!

  12. How whimsical! How romantic! How perfect for summer and.moonlight!

  13. I would dare to wear the nightdress with nothing underneath; nestled in the arms of my husband of 36 years!
    Your caring and sharing is uplifting.

  14. I think that white cotton night dresses are so beautiful- I am not sure that you would have one large enough for me but they are so pretty..
    I am looking forward to summer nights to enjoy the stars with my beloved and to smell all the gorgeous smells of summer.
    wishing you and yours a very happy one,
    warmest regards,
    Anna

  15. Stephanie M.

    I am leaving the heat of Texas and heading to NW Illinois for a few mos. So happy to see all of my girlfriends where We plan to have a slumber party and watch movies all day. A nightdress would be so perfect. Wish you could bottle the jasmine or make sachets for us. It is one of my favorites scents.

  16. Jan Ballagh

    Love, love love antique clothing and especially when it is French. I don’t own any, but would love to have one of these pieces. It would be so much fun to wear over so many things. That is exactly the kind of clothes I wear. Linen – cotton – and loose. I loved the link yesterday and have it in my favorites. Jan

  17. Such lovely vintage nightdresses should certainly be worn.
    Perhaps while lying in the porch swing on a warm afternoon
    reading a good book. Marie

  18. Summer dreams… here are small ones and big ones… The smallest but must urgent right now is to find the owner of the teckel mix that we found tonight while walking our dogs. He just joined the company and refused to leave. Young, black, shiny and very playful. I really do hope that his owner will appear, this little fella does not deserve going to shelter.
    Big dreams for this summer… Sun. More sun. Warm sea, a lot of swimming. Right now I’m packing my bags… I hope, I really do hope in two weeks to stare at the Moon in Tarn 😀 Last night we celebrated our summer solstice feast and it is a turning point for the summer here. Och, well, so far it has been windy rain all the time, miserable. But yes, even here the strawberry season has started!

  19. Mmd. Tortoise

    Hi Corey,
    I have always been amused by the
    concept of “one size fits all” but
    would love to see how one of your
    beautiful night dresses fit this
    5’10 body.
    It would also represent a nice
    change for those who see me
    when I fly out the door at 5
    in the morning to scare away
    the crows who squawk in a tree
    overhanging my balcony. Presently,
    they are used to the plaid
    flannel clad nut case with
    broom in hand. I think it
    time for a change in dress
    if I am going to continue
    to make such appearances.
    That aside, my heart was made
    happy to hear about the
    progress of your dear friend.
    May the power of prayer
    continue to be with her.

  20. Anne Gsolfot

    In the 70s and 80s I wore only nightgowns like the ones pictured. I haven’t seen them in the stores for years – it would be the ultimate luxury to snuggle in one again in the arms of my precious husband.
    My summer dreams will be waiting out the heat in southern California and praying the cooling rains come soon. I love to listen to the rain. And to the birds chirping all year ’round.
    Corey, your blog brightens my every day. Thank you for your generous sharing of the days of your life. xoxoxo Anne

  21. I love your picturesque way of writing…you make me appreciate the beauty found in the common things. Those gowns are beautiful! My daughter and I would probably have to take turns wearing it out in the late evenings and early mornings to tend the vegetable garden and care for the hens.

  22. Here in the Midwest we are sweltering under a very persistent heatwave, and your lovely night dresses look like a cool refreshing drink of bubbling spring water! Your courtyard sounds wonderful – and you are absolutely right – yard work or gardening is always more fun with a partner! I love to watch spring unfold into summer and look forward to mornings and evenings on the porch with summer breeze kisses on my face. Happy Summer!!
    Evelyn in the Midwest

  23. rebeccanyc

    oh, please choose me! and you wouldn’t even have to send it…. I’ll drive right over and pick it up! the one I love and I are in Uzes right now…that can’t be too far away from you…this would be perfect to wear on our roof top whilst making wishes on stars….

  24. I always have the kids with at the brocante, so I never have the time to look through all the linens… I dream that one with my monogram is waiting at the bottom of one of those piles.

  25. Dear Corey,
    Since Summer here is often overwhelming with temperatures, humidity, and weeds growing apace…I like to seek out some dreaminess to counter the work. Staring at the sparkling blue water at the river beach…watching fireflies from the screened porch…wearing one of the lovely nightdresses would certainly add to the romance of those times. Perhaps wearing one during weeding would do the same?
    Love to you and gratitude for all you share. xo

  26. oh corey my only summer wish is to return my father to his normal comings and goings- including driving…usually there would be plans for the shore or day trips here and there,but this year has thrown us a curve…so back yard fun and adventure it is…no jasmine but roses ,tigerlily, geranium, black eyed susan, and green grape vines-a nice bottle of wine, a few candles and i am happy -(i forgot to mention the cats– tt and prince bubalu de la mer(bubbles for short)– share in this holiday spirit with us. i am truly happy we are able to do this at all. will you sell that which is not won by the lucky five…i have desired one for so long and i see one pictured has a g-i check the store frequently so maybe…..a beautiful post as always-summer is my favorite time of year -oh all the possiblities . most importantly love peace and strength to all who carry a weight like your friend-i am glad to hear of his progress…will continue to hold his heart close in prayer to lighten his …

  27. Priscilla G

    What I love about summer is not having to wake to the sound of the alarm clock going off at 5:30 AM in the morning. I also love being able to stay up late reading, watching old movies or staying up ALL night to do my art!! I used to wear a long sleeved white cotton nightgown when I was young and still living at home. Now, I do have a pink one. It feels special…all billowy and I can eat as much I like in it LOL!
    Your dinner sounds lovely.
    I would love one of your white french gowns…anything french brings me closer to the memory of my beloved french mother.
    How generous you are to offer some of your lovely gowns.

  28. barb in minnesota

    This summer I am spending my free time helping my mom get her house refurbished. My dad died 10 years ago (which I still can’t believe) and she is finally at the point where she can stand to change things, so we are painting and carpeting, and picking out some new furniture. It’s been a special time for us to spend together and I’m so glad I can do this with her. I am also helping her downsize her gardens a bit, so she can enjoy them instead of working like a dog in them. It’s all a matter of degrees, and I’m so happy to be able to do this. Not that I wouldn’t trade places with you – but Provence will have to wait a bit for me. Happy summer to us all.
    Barb in Minnesota

  29. The birds are singing, the breeze dances through the trees, the sun shines in a blue sky – summer.
    I wish your friend well.

  30. Rosemarie

    At the end of a hot summer day, there is absolutely nothing better than a shower, then slipping into a white cotton nightie that has been dried in the sun. SUMMER BLISS!
    Absolutely adore the image of you out in the jasmine-scented garden in yours . . .

  31. Aaaaaah….I envy you the ability to sit outside and watch the moon rise! In Texas, the low temperatures have crept up to the low 80s, so we look at the moon from indoors, in the air-conditioning. Your fragrant, cobblestoned patio sounds idyllic.

  32. Kate L.

    California summer dreams include:
    1. Savoring the sweet taste of the first apricots from the little tree we planted a few years ago.
    2. Finding new ways to prepare the avocados that fall from the tree daily (latest experiment barbecuing on skewers, yummy!)
    3. Enjoying the juiciness and refreshing taste watermelon everyday!
    4. Finishing up the back porch and installing the “sleeping bed” so that in the heat of July, August and September sweet dreams may be had outdoors. (and those dreams would be even sweeter in a white cotton nightdress from France ;).
    Thank you for number 5.
    5.Realization that my summer dreams are also what I have to be grateful for this summer!

  33. I too would love one of the nightdresses. To be worn at the end of a nice quiet stitching day after a nice long tub soak whilst my head rests on a lavender pillow. Evening Repose tea on the nightstand and a good book that I have not yet travelled through too far, thus ensuring many more similar nights to look forward to.
    Carol

  34. The night dresses are beautiful! My summer dreams are to enjoy my time with my children while they are out of school. We plan to make several trips to visit family and to spend lots of time around home being lazy and just being with each other!
    Thanks for the great giveaway!

  35. Take stock in what you have right in front of you! Dreams can be so sweet but reality can be dreamy!

  36. What a generous giveaway! And what a wonderful item to wear. I love old textiles and something from France, it would be treasured.

  37. YOU BETTER COME SEE ME88 YOU ARE NOT EVEN TWO HOURS AWAY!!!!! I’LL SERVE WINE IN THE GARDEN!!!!!!

  38. My first time to comment, Corey…but i should have said this long ago – your blog is such a gift to me, and i want to thank you for being so generous with your time and wonderful, interesting life. I am in Texas, and look forward to “traveling” to France, Hong Kong, and many other places with you through your blog. I am about your age (2 years older than you), and feel like you are a friend. Thanks again!!!

  39. My smile broaden tremendously today, hearing of your dear friend’s depression lifting. I’m someone who has struggled with depression for many years, so my continued wish for them is; may they have a smile, light heart, and a friend like you every day.
    While out for a Saturday drive with my mother, we found a farmer on the side of the road selling,Queen Cantaloupes. What a sweet and juicy treat it was, and the largest I have ever seen.

  40. Funny, I just came back from shopping for a nightdress. I bought two and am returning one so I would love to win one of the cotton ones as a replacement! thank you!
    I like it when I garden with my husband too. That way I can share the discoveries in the garden. My husband likes it when I garden with him. That way he can tell me what to it! 😉
    This summer I hope to continue our gardening work and I have a little space I am calling my “Secret Garden” which I am going to build slowly.

  41. Dreaming of an early midsummer morning, when the air is still cool from the night, standing by my open window in your nightgown, looking in the garden, sipping my first cup of Earl Grey, thinking of you. *apple-polishing my little heart out*
    So good to hear that your friend is feeling better! xxx
    Watching “French Kiss”.

  42. Marilyn from Chico, Ca

    I would love to have a nightdress. It’s a good thing one size fits all because I’m one size 😉 I garden alone and I agree doing it with a mate would make it much more enjoyable. Gardening alone is just a chore but I love sitting outside in the early evening enjoying the results.

  43. In my summer dream I see, feel and smell jasmine, fragrant meadows hot on a summer’s afternoon, when the air is heavy with the aroma of grasses, herbs and wild flowers and the meadow is buzzing with insects. In another scene I am sitting on an empty beach at dawn watching sunrise with my other half. Then I am riding a bike with my daughter, through the forest, we stop to pick blueberries, we eat more than we pick until our hands and tongues are all purply blue….. and that’s just the first hour of sleep :-).
    Glad your friends is feeling better and in the company of those who care.

  44. Oh my! One of those might actually make the extreme humidity of a Japanese summer bearable!
    What makes me happy in summer? The beach, iced coffee, soda water with lime and lots of ice, my kids with sun-kissed cheeks, watermelon, and fire crackers. :o)

  45. Eva Comeaux

    I would love to win the nightdress. 🙂 We are currently in an apartment due to a recent sale of our house in Texas and a move to Oklahoma. We gave our son the cooler bedroom and we are in the one without much circulation. The nightdress would be very welcome!

  46. NancyO.

    You’re one of my first reads every day…always something inspiring in your words for me.
    Summer for me means flowers in my yard and fresh vegetables at the farmers’ market, but my favorite thing about summer is fresh peaches.
    I would love to win an antique nightgown…it would surely give me restful sleep and pleasant dreams.
    Thank you for sharing your life in France.

  47. My summer dream is to live simply, and learn to be happy with less, to embrace each day and to really live the only life.
    The goat cheese and dried tomatoe bundles sound so good – are you going to share the recipe?
    These night shirts are lovely – I remember when you could buy them in April Cornell here in the states – very comfortable, reminescent of a time gone by.

  48. I love the bright sunshine of summertime. The house is filled with light and everything seems so alive. Steve and I take long walks to the park with Fearghus, our cairn terrier, in the bright evening hours. Second to springtime this is my favorite time of the year.
    Those are gorgeous details on the cotton nightgowns. Lovely!

  49. I would so love the nightdress. I am a dreamer like you only you make your fairy tales come true.
    Smiles, Dottie

  50. Ann Hadley

    I lie outside in my coton gown
    On a midsummer night
    The stars dance, sparkle,and shine
    The moon takes flight
    Memories appear, grow and twine
    Love showers down.

  51. My summer dream…to lie floating in a limpid pool bathed in silver moonlight with the serenade of cicadas undulating the air. The sweet scent of honeysuckle perfuming the thick southern night air. Stepping from the pool with dripping diamonds of water puddling at my feet, a scattering of summer jewels being sipped up by the dry earth. Slipping into an exquisite french linen gown, snuggling deeply on a feather ticking and passing the night on the sleeping porch.

  52. meppybn

    Thank you once again for the reminder to not just live life, but to live it to the utmost, each day we are given. This past year has been extraordinarily hard and most days I have had to ‘choose’ to live with the fragrance of hope and courage….

  53. Delphine

    In an Australian summer I garden in the twilight. I love the evening colours, the pink and grey sky, the deepening hues of the garden. I refresh the plants with water and they lift their heads in appreciation, after a hot day. Together we sit and rest and watch the evening sky bloom with heaven’s lights.

  54. Summer dream is to take these first days of retirement and live without schedules…eat when hungry, sleep when sleepy, make things, open books and re-read long ago favorites, paint those still lifes.

  55. I so wanted a beautiful white nightdress like this for the hospital when I had my first baby. I just pictured myself unbuttoning the little mother of pearl buttons to hold the baby to my breast. My friends who had babies already told me I was nuts. They talked about blood and guts, which did not go with a beautiful nightdress. Sigh…
    I love bicycle rides in the summer, between the cornfields, under the arc of shade trees, dodging the grasshoppers which leap across the bike path. Then we stop at an old-fashioned ice cream shop where women wear Colonial dresses and scoop dips of ice cream into metal cups that they whirr into thick chocolate milk shakes. How big are those nightdresses?

  56. Mu summer dream, to float over the mountains and lakes of this beautiful place where I live, like a bird, drifting silently over the countryside with not a care in the world, and of course…I will be floating in this gorgeous nightgown 🙂
    I’ve had my first strawberries from my very own plants…working in my kitchen gardens makes me very happy!

  57. I am starting every day this summer listening to a feathered symphony and ending each day counting fireflys. I am lucky indeed, and grateful.

  58. these white gowns
    are my favorite thing EVER
    to sleep in…
    my entire life it has been so.
    in florida we had no air*condition
    when i was young
    and these were the coolest bits
    for sound sleeping…
    we had sleeping porches
    where all the kids would sleep
    on narrow twin beds
    during the warmest months
    and
    whatever breeze
    was handy would be welcomed.
    later as a teen
    these gowns
    were all that could touch my skin
    after long summer, sunburn
    beach*days…
    still
    i wear them…
    some so old from washing over
    and over
    and over again.
    some mended several times
    around the lacy parts.
    why are Nice Ones
    so hard to find now?
    i have no idea…
    anyway,
    Summer Dreams?
    i live mine as much as possible…
    it takes so little to make me smile
    and
    my sunflowers are blooming
    and
    Carolina Wrens are nesting
    on my front porch swing
    right behind
    the big red pillow…
    {{ we are on day 11 of incubation.
    we will see
    we will see }}
    i am hoping to win
    but if i do not
    i hope whoever DOES win
    has sweet dreams
    of
    sunflowers blooming
    and
    Carolina Wrens nesting …
    {{ you are such a sweet to share }}

  59. Lovely nightgowns! Our family enjoyed a walk around a lake today and then grilled steak for dinner together at home. A dreamy summer day! 🙂

  60. martina

    Oh I would so love one of those night dresses. Much more stylish than my usual summer evening garb of an old tshirt and pajama bottoms that no longer fit(they are too big!)
    MMMMM the smell of jasmine in a summer evening after gardening chores are done and you can relax! Here there is the smell of roses, lavender and sugar snap pea blossoms. So glad your friend is doing better, we’ll keep praying for him.

  61. Theresa

    Hello Dear Corey,
    I love the smell of the morning summer air and listening to the birds sing even before the sun is up. I also love to look up to the sky and make pictures out of the clouds, some look like faces, others like angels or flowers. And lastly I love to look at the brightness of the moon and say goodnight to my mom and dad who are in Heaven.
    Thank you for the lovely giveaway. I would infuse the nightgown in a soothing lavender wash and sleep like a very glamorous baby!
    Theresa

  62. I love waking up to beautiful songs of the birds and in the evening our yard in the woods turns into “magical twinkles dancing”. I have never seen anything like the past three nights where it seems like it is raining “glitter”!!! Oh and the aroma of my fresh herbs is intoxicating!!! I just wish it wasn’t so warm…….

  63. Janell Cleveland

    My summer is perfect when I am up early watering my flower beds-assuming that there is not new damage from the resident bunnies who think I have provided a daily brunch for them! Your offer of a vintage gown would be a wonderful addition to my morning ritual!

  64. Summer mornings…mist rising off the lake,long walks with my Dad.
    Summer afternoons…floating in the inner tube,reading in the hammock, looking up at the tall pines.
    Summer evenings…BBQ and seeing who can spit water melon pits the farthest!
    Summer nights…bright stars in the northern sky,romantic kisses and French cotton nighties 🙂
    Thanks for a chance…and for your never ending kind and generous spirit.

  65. A white cotton nightdress sounds angelic and Heavenly and ooooh would I love to have one! I am watching our raspberry bushes closely and so look forward to their ripening and eating with chocolate cake~a fine indulgence. Happy Summer!

  66. My summer dream came true with a son’s wedding last weekend up in the Appalachains (NC) after another son’s wedding 3 months ago. Yes, 3 months apart! I wish I could bottle up the joy and the gladness! The reception was held on the lawn of a B&B owned by a European couple: French and Italian. So gracious to all of us and yes, we had quiche one morning! My son wrote his dad: “Thank you for making me into a man worth marrying.”
    Summer is just beginning with such words!

  67. I’m glad that your friend is feeling better… Spending time with you & FH must surely help.
    I love the summer nights sitting on the back porch watching the swallows and sometimes the bats swoop for their dinner. The low din of neighbors chatting & enjoying their evening also… the twinkle of fireflys.

  68. I wouldn’t even dare wish for this wonderful prize. And I would wear it!!! Oh what a treasure. Thanks Corey for your graciousness.
    Aah, summer. It’s already too hot here to enjoy being outside unless it’s after dark or very early in the morning. My favorite times. I love to just sit there and hear the leaves rustle in the breeze. Have some soft music playing… and be out there with husband or friends.
    Delighted you are spending the evening with your friend. What a wonder to see God’s work!
    Be blessed, xo marlis

  69. Jeannine

    Oh Corey, thank you so much for the lovely description of your courtyard garden 😉 A move to the East Coast meant leaving my beloved jasmine on our old brick courtyard behind in the South. I can still close my eyes and remember that sweet fragrance.And to think I thought I was the only wicked one to garden in her nightgown–haha
    I do hope time continues to heal your friend… and also the senior citizen fishie.
    I may never be fortunate enough to visit Provence in person, but thank heavens for your delightful words everyday to transport me there in my daydreams. A French nightgown would be very special too 🙂
    Today we picked blueberries and I experimented and made a yummy cream cheese pie pastry. It was a toss up which was better, the fresh berries or the decadent pastry surrounding them. Also put just picked corn on the grill slathered with just churned Amish butter 🙂

  70. Linda G.

    It sounds like we all associate dainty white cotton gowns with dreamy, romantic summer nights, and I am no exception. I live in the city but my tiny courtyard is awash with white impatiens, pink begonias, and magenta geraniums. I am fast approaching a major (advanced!) birthday milestone, but still picture myself watering my flowers in a soft white nightie. And as for my first fresh strawberry, or plum, etc., I am waiting patiently for the first Muscatine melon — a succulent type of cantaloupe, but more juicy and flavorful, that ripens later in the summer. Golden dreams, Corey. And bless you for caring for your fragile friend.

  71. Christine

    I love most about the summers taking a good book, getting a beach chair and sitting with my feet in the Atantic….nothing beats doing nothing but smelling the sea air, watching kids jumping in waves, the smell of sun block and sand between your toes. it’s the time of year that gives you permission to just be.
    what a lovely give away Corey……..
    Thank you.

  72. This weekend I fulfilled one of my summer dreams (or activities). Every year for the past 11 years my cousin and her family comes and stays with my family for an extended weekend. The trip is filled with lots of good food, great conversations, staying up way too late, watching movies and shopping. Our children ( 6 between the 2 of us) are very close and love this annual event. I was able to spend a week with her almost every summer when I was growing up and have such fond memories. We both are so happy to be able to continue the tradition.

  73. I was just about to email you with a question….. We harvested our first zucchini and as I served it up I told my husband to make a wish, but as I held the zucchini in my fork I wondered “does it need to be a garden related wish, or can it count towards a new couch…?”
    Well, couch or not the zucchini was great. My perfect summer unfolds every morning when I step out into the garden to water and tend to the vegetables with my two toddlers. They are more amused by the weeds and water them! I have dreamed of such a summer for years to garden along side my two best buddies.

  74. Love the romance!

  75. Last night I had the best dream I could dream about. My Ukrainian friends came to visit us, but we’re actually living not in HK but in Paris!! The memory of your garden’s sweet perfume will stay with me forever! I have lavender in my commode drawer that I picked in your courtyard and dried 😉

  76. We ALSO had strawberries and cream tonight at dinner—although my son had “raided” the strawberries, so our portions were a bit small! He was home for a visit–and I couldn’t bear to make him stop eating them. I would soooo love to have a nightdress—-for sleeping or even wearing over leggings…so, please pick me!

  77. Shirley McAfee

    It is getting very warm in Georgia and the deer and rabbits are eating my roses and blueberries. That is the down side, but it is nice to sit outside in the evenings.
    The night gowns are lovely.
    Shirley

  78. I have a small strawberry patch in my garden. I picked the first handful last week and ate them fresh and warm. So delicious!

  79. I was lucky enough to be in Provence last week and had my first summer strawberries and cherries. Sublime. Home briefly to Melbourne and a cool blast of winter and heading tomorrow to stay with my family in San Diego for 3 weeks. 3 weeks of summer in San Diego with my wonderful family – doesn’t get much better than that for summer wishes!

  80. i believe your blog was the first i ever read. all those years ago you hung in mid air like a perfectly ripe peach one day, the next a smitten bowl of ruby cherries, some days not fruit at all but as present and inspiring as a china blue sky, yet all days, yes, all days, soulfully nourishing.
    thanks for being you….

  81. Eileen Engel

    Eileen says….When my mother-in-law passed away some 25 years ago I found a beautiful white night dress similar to the ones you have pictured. I brought it home with some other treasures she had in her home that meant a lot to me. Somehow with raising children, etc. it was misplaced and I have never found one again. Always treasure them for you never know what may happen to them.

  82. It is true i want and need another white gown and have been looking for one for several months. the stores are full of knitted floral pajamas, or short flimsy nylon and polyester wear.even today both at a thrift and retail store i looked for one.
    the gown i have and wear several nights a week was used when given to me by my sister. it is long to the floor, loose but not full, there is a bit of eyelet at the top and a few small buttons, but all i have to do is slip it on over my head.the little tiny straps are almost thread bare i wear it so often,(years now) (and yes, when the time comes i will replace the straps).
    i love white gowns in the summer (about 6 months of the year). here in florida it is very hot and humid, and something about white cools my body.i sleep better in a sleeveless white gown, i feel cool and almost naked in a white gown. when i slip into mine at bedtime i love the way i look, i look clean and pure. in the morning when i wake up i still feel cool and feel like i am wearing not a stitch of clothing,
    i start my day quietly making coffee, and then i sit with my legs ticked under me enjoying at first the silence and then the first sounds of the morning.
    every day, my little guest lizard is sitting on the front screen door, the birds are singing and the squirrels are talking. it is quiet and cool , i read a few comforting and inspiring scriptures, i wait for my husband to come sit with me, and finally when the time is perfect, i dress for the day.
    every night ends and every day begins better in a white gown. a white gown is romantic, pure, chaste and angelic and nearly like a christening gown to me. i would love a wonderful gown for every night of the week
    Corey, i am happy you and French Husband had the chance to garden together, and i do hope the little “Slipper” is better now . Most of all it is a blessing to hear your friend is better. She must have the most beautiful of her choice in the white gowns. please give her my love and prayers for peace and joy to fill her heart and mind. love, xoxo jody,

  83. Kristin McNamara Freeman

    Summer has been slow coming here in the Rockies; had two delicious strawberries tonight – the first. Six small bottle on the dining table hold the most fragrant peach floribunda roses that open and become a pale light pink/apricot. The fragrance fills the bungalow. For lunch today had a salad of fresh beet greens, spinach, arugula, Swiss chard and orach from the garden. Soon peas and beans from seeds sent from France will be on the plants…now blossoms are covering the leaves. Summer bounty is a delight for me.
    As I read your words each day for oh so many years now, I am always taken to that place of seeing and breathing in the fragrance of your experience. Always thankful for everything that you share with me in your blog.
    Happy, sweet summer day, Corey.
    Kristin

  84. this summer I am planning my daughter’s wedding. which is next Saturday. Summer, itself makes me happy. The smell of honeysuckle vine, lightning bugs, peaches, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, new mown grass, flip flops, sprinklers, the fourth of July, the beach, the mountains, my children, no school, long days and I could go on and on. I have had my first strawberries and blackberries, and blueberries. Also my first vine ripe tomatoes. Yum.
    Why live ordinarily when it is the only life we have? Love these words. Will tape to the bathroom mirror!!!
    Thank you, Corey

  85. My summer day is redolent with jasmine, roses, hydrangeas, herbs all running riot in my garden front and back. I love to walk barefoot in the early morning along the smooth gravel paths, coffee cup in hand, my legs laced with morning dew, my heart drinking in a garden created over the years, its myriad heights, hues, shapes, textures, added and subtracted at whim or great planning. The old clay and alabaster pots sheltering my ever changing arrangements of foliage and flower beckon, an old bench begs for me to sit, close my eyes, absorb this fragrant place. It’s very simple: old roses, the wisteria and honeysuckle, the hollyhocks ready to pop, the tall firs careful not to block the sun, the gentle hemlocks and native plants protecting the fragile understory, a California bay, now the canopy tree, an ancient espaliered pear tree, the blueberries turning sapphire, the buds of raspberries following behind.
    My home is for sale in July, and this garden, the joy of my summer days, all my days, must be bequeathed to others. It is not the first I’ve left behind, but I love it more than the house. Gardens are for losing, giving, sharing, loving. Gardens are forever.
    Thank you for your inspiration.

  86. Katie A.

    My favorite summertime memories are with my Granddad. He grew watermelons every year and would always bring us the best ones. Nothing can ever compare to the juicy sweetness of my Granddad’s ice cold watermelons on a hot Florida afternoon! He gave me the nickname “Too Sweet” because when I was little (still running around in nothing but diapers!) he gave me my first slice of watermelon. We have pictures. It was HUGE! I stood there holding it and looking at it, not sure what to do with it. I then lifted it over my head, squeezed, and giggled with delight as the juices ran over my round, bare belly. He laughed and told me I was “too sweet.” The name stuck 🙂 And so did the love of watermelon! My sweet Granddad has been in Heaven for eight years now. I’m sure they’re letting him grow watermelons..though I doubt Heaven is anything like a Florida summer day!

  87. What makes me happy during summer time? To be where the lawn ends and the field begins in Willows.

  88. my summer dream is to be healthy enough to sit in the beautiful sunshine playing with my lovely first grandchild and eagerly awaiting the birth of my second grandbaby. You see, all of those things are miracles, everyday miracles to most but to us they are the most exquisite miracles. We are here, now, and by his blessing we are able to share it with our loved ones. So a little salmon, some bread, melon, cheese and a sip of white wine and the summer days are perfection! Enjoy.

  89. Oh I would love a chance to have one. Thank you.

  90. beate.teale@gmail.com

    why live ordinarily indeed! totally agree Corey. I have been following your writings for a few years now. Each evening it feels relaxing to read your experience of France. My DH and I have been blessed to visit France twice and on the second visit I persuaded him to accompany me to a brocante. A beautiful morning turned grey, cold and wet and stalls started to close. So I visit the brocante via your visits: thank you. Sipping a G’n T in a wicker lounge, arrayed in white lace, in our garden (or anyone’s garden really) with DH, frangipani and stephanotis sending their scents sounds like a perfect combination, thanks for sharing with your readers, beate in Australia

  91. Corey,
    here we are
    d a n cin g……
    I love your mind
    your dedication to
    beauty
    to what you
    have and to
    what you share…many of your friends….those you see and
    those far a field…
    suicide is a friend to none,
    I send on my winter night
    love………..
    arohanui
    (Big LOVE)
    to
    those you
    love
    and I thank thee sweet Corey
    I love the sent of my ‘honey’, his arms to bath in, his strength of mind…the warmth and challenge we engage in.—-for I am fortunate to be ‘us’
    x

  92. Barbara B

    Summer and strawberries…I am seeing myself many years ago on a first trip to Europe. I am 20 and being driven through the countryside by the young man I love and have come to Europe to see again after 5 years of letter writing. Suddenly he stops the car. By the side of the road is a patch of wild strawberries. Happily we pick the small sweet fruit. We take none away for later. We live in the moment. We eat and eat, licking the sticky berry juice from our fingers, taking joy in the perfect summer day.
    The young man and I drifted apart. I’ve never again discovered a patch of little strawberries growing wild. But I still love the young people we were then, the way we knew how to live in the moment, and the memory of those small sweet berries on a perfect summer day.

  93. Strawberry Fields Forever
    Strawberry fields young and old picking berries in the hot sun thinking of the new bike,
    Strawberry shortcake,strawberry rhubarb pie,strawberry jam…..yum
    Families laughing, children running, playing outside until late at night.fire flies, swimming
    Fire pits to sit around,,roasting marshmellows, smores, camping songs,Do your ears hang low do they wobble to ans
    Strawberry Fields forever
    Summers are enchanting
    White night dresses to where to my friends house for coffee in the morning
    oh summers
    Glad our prayers and good thoughts have helped…if your friend is a woman I think she should receive a white night dress and have coffee in the morning with you:)
    Thanks Corey for your blog
    xo

  94. Marie-Noëlle

    What makes me happy during summer…
    1- WATER.
    Any “body of water” I can dip in : sea, lake, pool, river, stream, …
    2- summer fruit.
    melons,apricots,peaches,raspberries,”nectarines”,”brugnons”,strawberries, …
    3- the long days.

  95. Summer = local farmers markets, picking tasty strawberries and blueberries, eating corn on the cob, sharing all with family and friends. Hope everyone enjoys summer!

  96. Debra Pinheiro

    These dresses remind me of when my daughter was young and we would play dress up with the Victorian whites in the hot summers of the central valley of California. We have many photographs of those special days. I had forgotten all about them until I saw your post. Thank you for bringing back some wonderful memories!

  97. My summer dream is that whatever Is eating my garden, leaves it alone and it begins to grow!!! I dream we will have some warm weather and rain so I have some tomatoes before frost!!L.
    I love antique linens and that is so beautiful. It would look great over my jeans, having some lobster down at Shaw,s!!!
    Quite an amazing and generous gift !
    Your friend is lucky to have u pulling for her.
    Enjoy the summer (and the tomatoes)
    Dd

  98. Karen C

    My husband thinks my choice of nightwear is terribly unflattering so perhaps one of these beautiful romantic gowns – worn with a dear little chain of French brocante charms – will make him remember the beginning of the summer we spent in Paris and that I haven’t forgotten the art of seduction at all.

  99. Oh, these are so beautiful! They remind me of my great grandmother’s nightgown. It wasn’t in very good shape and is but a memory now.
    Summertime is most special for the fresh produce you can buy at the farmers market, the bird-song outside your windows and waking with the sun each morning watching the sky fill with light and the warm sun on your back when you are out in the yard with the dogs. Long, mostly quiet days appreciating all that is growing and alive in nature, that is what I enjoy most about summer.
    Your blog is simply the most inspiring blog I visit! Thank you for taking the time to share your life with the rest of us who may never even get to visit France.

  100. Nancy from Mass

    I love summer nightdresses! so comfortable!
    My plan this summer is to paint my house…it’s looking pretty shabby, and to watch my garden grow.
    I have had my first strawberry already (home grown). I did what the French do, i closed my eyes, popped it in my mouth and made a wish. It was so good!

  101. I’m so glad to hear your friend is starting to feel better.
    I would love to spend a summer somewhere with a milder climate so I could ride my bike and picnic and smell the jasmine – alas my plants here in Phoenix are burning up and blowing away as I type. I do have a little dream to climb to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and stand under the waterfall there.

  102. TEXAS FRANCOPHILE

    It so interesting to read all of the posts about summer dreams. In Texas we hunker down and prepare for the dog days of summer. Yesterday was our first 100 degree day ugh. So my early mornings are spent talking to my roses, hydrangea, ferns, caladiums. Snipping, feeding, watering. I’m usually in my nightgown. How wonderful ! A white nightgown from FRANCE! Yes I would treasure it (sleeves please) ! Thank you for your generosity. FRANCO

  103. Ah Corey I just love the way you write! And why not wear those night dresses out in the garden!?!! The mental picture you paint is so romantic and fun!

  104. Beautiful nightgowns! Speaking of summer and nightgowns…my Dad fixed my lawnmower and delivered it at about 6:30 a.m. one morning last week. I was so excited I ran outside in my nightgown to see if it started for me.
    It did! The first (but maybe not the last) time I’ve started a lawnmower in my jammies!

  105. christine

    Wild strawberries – simply the best gift of nature, strawberries and cream in one tiny berry. I have hundreds in my front courtyard, and so never, ever manage to do any weeding at this time of year, too distracted by these delicious jewels of flavour. Gorgeous linens Corey, xxx

  106. We have a summer condo on Hutchinson Island in Florida. We are fortunate to have a great farm stand where we can buy the freshest strawberries, peaches and other fruits and vegetables.
    A white nightdress would be lovely. I have a picture in my mind of Sophia Loren standing on the roof of her apartment as a fire burned on another floor below. She held her two sons close to her, tucked under her arms arms as she dared the fire to even come close to her young cubs. The sheer force of her nature would protect them. It was dark and her white nightdress billowed out in the wind…….

  107. Brother Mathew

    Keep the house-coat-night-gown thing. I just want to leave a comment. A rose pedal stuffed pillow??

  108. Julie Loeschke

    I am enjoying the beautiful,soft morning air.I’m so glad that your friend is feeling better.:)

  109. Please count me in. this is fabulous.

  110. Chris M.

    My summer dream…to wait for the moon on my candlelit patio. Watch the Morning Glories slowly spiral open. Quiet conversation. All with a glass of champagne.

  111. We are in the middle of Tropical Storm Debby on St. Simons Island, ending a long, long drought. I’ll actually be able to really get my garden growing this summer, my true love, working in the flower beds, getting my hands in the dirt…watching everything grow! This nightgown is the perfect thing to wear after a long day working outdoors. I love it! Please count me in!

  112. Not sure if my other post made it! Please count me in!

  113. I’m SO “tickled” because this has MY name written all over it!! I have always refused to wear anything to bed EXCEPT white cotton !! I’m sure others wear sexy little night gowns. (my poor husband…right?) P.S. I still wear a head full of rollers to accompany my nightgown. Hee-hee….Maybe a cotton nightgown from FRANCE would set the “tone”:)

  114. Summer nights – The sound of the frogs from deep in the woods behind the house, going barefoot and feeling the cool of the deck under my feet, watching the granddaughter run under the sprinkler “just one more time” before it’s time to come indoors and Baxter rolling around on the lawn in sheer pleasure.

  115. Mary Kanza

    I would love a cotton night dresss. Please save one for me, please please please.

  116. I was so busy yesterday between preaching and leading a book study that only now I have gotten to read your post. I’m probably too late to the slumber party, but I would love one of these.
    Summer plans: washing windows! Summer dreams: long days eating homegrown tomatoes, peaches, raspberries, knitting and peace!

  117. I too would adore a white cotton FRENCH thing found by YOU!I too spent the day in the JARDIN, makes me so happy!My Italian hubby finally made a door that I found in ITALY over 19 years ago and landed for FREE into our outdoor table!It just transformed the little patio!My jasmine too is bursting fourth and the roses well they are done for now awaiting my second bloom!Sounds like you had a beautiful weekend!ME TOO!Its my 26 year anninersary today!

  118. Lisa-vet

    Hi Corey, reminds me of my Mom. Yes,I would to enter my name.. 😉

  119. It was worth it to come leave a comment just to read everyone else’s. I have a lovely little studio/living space in a building with no yard, but living in Colorado, there are many places which to escape. The neighbors had a bursting forth of dandelions which I would steal and saute for a bit. And I was sad to see the peach blossoms fall next door, but happy when the neighbor boy moved in and began throwing the fuzzy little green budding peaches through my open window while I work. And speaking of work, I’m always looking for some comfortable yet elegant gown to work in. I handcraft natural home, body and face care all day and it’s nice to feel both comfortable and elegant while doing so.

  120. The chalk scribbles on the blackboard in my kitchen reads
    “why settle for ordinary when what your soul hungers for is extraordinary”
    Everyday holds a banquet of beauty and blessing just waiting for us. Life can send storms but we must learn to dance in the midst of it and to be thankful for each moment. I begin each morning strolling through our little cottage garden- delighting in each new blossom, having fallen asleep with the scent of the lemon planted outside our bedroom window.
    Thank you for sending beauty and blessing in the form of this blog. I would definitely wear these out- to dance in the streets!

  121. i had one of these in the past. They rival
    a French trousseau sheet for inducing the most
    glorious sleep in natural fiber. Cool. Or great
    decorative touch across the foot of the bed.
    Don’t put my name in the pot. I have enough. I am
    Fulfilled and content desiring nothing.
    Blessings.

  122. Well I would just love to have one of the gowns. Wish I were there to go shop with you. I just love all the fabric and “stuff.”
    No melons yet, but they are coming soon. There are 5 tomato’s on our vines. Can’t wait.
    hugs..

  123. I would love to have one!

  124. Trinka Seals

    Summer, the smell of fresh cut grass. Eating watermelon
    on the back porch. A tomato sandwich for lunch.
    Such a grand giveaway.

  125. My goals for the summer;
    To savour each golden moment
    To help my dear little newly-blind cocker spaniel see the world through my eyes
    To look forward to the clean, crisp days of autumn!

  126. Jude Jackson

    Why live ordinary indeed. Drink iced tea from turquoise glasses. Pick hydrangeas and gardenias for the dinner table. Eat beautiful food everyday. Tomato, cucumber and avocado salads. Use the beautiful silver and old plates.
    Flirt with your lover while eating chocolate and dreaming dreams. Summer magic.

  127. I hope Pantoufle gets better. Never knew fish could be so old!!!
    My summer dreams – not having to go to work and enjoying the weather. I would work on my yard, just like you (wonder if I shouldn’t plant some jasmine for the scent!).
    I would tend the roses, pull weeds (who grow better than plants), water everything and sit outside for hours under a shaded umbrella. All our meals would be taken outside in a large wooden table with comfortable arm chairs and the dogs would sit happily at our feet – NOT barking!!!!
    That’s my dream – summer outside with no barking from my 4 barky-dogs.
    🙂

  128. Bichonfriz@AOL.com

    I would wear the nightgown with capri leggings while walking on the beach in the evenings. Can you tell that I’m picturing myself already walking along in the setting sun.

  129. My summer is filled with library programs except next week when I go to Truckee for the 4th of July week and the whole month of August when I will be road tripping with a friend from California to Alaska – the one state neither of us have been to yet. Alaska here we come. Would be lovely to have one of your nightgowns to wear with jeans and espadrilles.

  130. Ana María

    Oh, I hope I’m not too late to enter your giveaway Corey! I would love to win one – admittedly for one of my two daughters!
    Summer here in Miami: sweltering heat, daily rain and thunder showers, fresh mangoes, papayas, huge avocados. My garden: lush green, bursting with bromeliads! Praying for no hurricanes!

  131. Paula S In New Mexico

    Oh Corey, I would simply be in heaven with a beautiful cotton night dress. It has been soooo hot here in New Mexico already this summer. I would love to sleep out on my patio at night but am scared of bugs….silly I know.
    I have had melon already this summer. Tonight I get to pick some fresh apricots from a friends tree. Her tree is loaded and her tomatoes are kinda sick, so I will bring her fresh tomatoes when they ripen since it looks like I’ll have enough for an entire village this year.
    I hope your friend is improving. Many prayers coming your way.
    My husband and I share the gardening and I love being there with him. Even when we quarrel about what or where or how to do something…….of course I am always right !!!!! LOL We also have a pond but no fish. The trickling water brings many birds and even a few lizards…I call our home “The Love Nest”.
    Have a great day, Corey. Oh and btw, loved the clothing post from Saturday, my style exactly……..

  132. Helen from OC

    I wish I could wear the French cotton white dress made in 20th cnetury and walk around the lavender fields in your quartier!

  133. Hi Corey,
    Ohhhhh, this is so romantic. I do love to garden and have slept with rose petals in my pillow. The beautiful nightgown/blouse would be a wonderful addition to….everything. Thanks for continually inspiring me. Laurie

  134. Das042256@msn.com

    Beautiful cotton dresses are definitely something anyone would enjoy. Especially these with the pretty details. These make me think of the wonderful linens I bought when we were in Paris last year. It was a life long dream and now we are planning to return in 2013. I love the people, the markets the sights. We were warned before we went how rude the French were. Not the case in our visit, everyone was delightful. Our french was very limited but the people we met were very friendly and helpful. I can’t wait to return and love reading your newsletter daily to stay in touch with the culture and atmosphere of Francd!

  135. So many things to comment on in you post…
    I love to garden, but alas my husband does not. He works in his studio with the French doors open and lovely music drifting out to me. He calls me in to look at the progress he is making on his painting and I call him out to see some flower I have uncovered from the weeds. I guess that is sort of working together.
    Living beyond the ordinary…we only use cloth napkins, eat by candlelight even in summer when it is not dark, do not own a TV so we live our own lives rather than waste it watching others live.
    To me summer means long walks on the beach. We walk daily, but since I work outside of the home, the walks are short and early. Now that summer is here, we just returned for a hour long walk along the beach and I have a sweet collection of sea glass in my pocket…no blue, but I don’t give up looking.
    LIke another of your readers, I would wear the gown over leggings and walk along the water watching the sunset.

  136. What a divine giveaway. I would be pleased to wear one with my sweetie under the moon. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

  137. Shannon

    Every Morning I wake up, make a cup of tea and make my way over to France via your blog. I hope to get there one day in person. Watching thunderstorms roll by, berry picking, reading with my toes in the sand, cooking outdoors, flea markets, and doing nothing are some of the things which make me the most happy during summer.

  138. What I love to do in summer is go to Provence!
    dede

  139. Marcia Fritch

    What a wonderful treasure.! I can think of many places to wear one of your treasures: sitting under our newly constructed pergola at night while smelling the flowers, listening to the fountain, and watching the sun set (waiting for the newly planted wisteria to cover the pergola and bloom), walking beside the lake while holding my husband’s hand, sitting on a rock by a lake or stream and listening to the water and birds, or maybe strolling through the French markets on a hoped for return trip to France. My husband and I, too, speak limited French, and have found the French people to be gracious on our travels in Paris and the countryside. We will always be planning a return trip! One of your treasures would certainly help to “tide me over”!

  140. Annie Freitas

    Something must be in the air – I too cleaned my patio yesterday. It’s a summer of new beginning for me and my kids we are charging head on into the unknown – wish us luck. so glad to hear your friend is improving!

  141. This is a very beautiful and interesting series of pictures, i enjoyed every picture, it has great detail in it, thanks for sharing the artistic work, i appreciate your work!
    High School Diploma

  142. I am living my summer dream-spending happy days and luscious nights here In France with my husband! The sky hasn’t been bluer, the fruit sweeter. Ann, time away with ones love is heavenly.

  143. I typed “ahh” and it changed it to “Ann”! Grrr. iPad!

  144. Your summer sounds divine! It is finally summer here in Canada and we enjoy every minute because we know winter is not far away. Your give-away sounds wonderful, please enter my name. Thank you so much.

  145. Dear Corey, thank you for your wonderful letter which I enjoyed each day on my trip these past two weeks, by myself to New York and Washington DC. (a dream and a dare). I have never been to Washington and was thrilled by the sights, especially the Lincoln Memorial. On my return our plum tree is so full that the branches are on the ground and I am going out today to collect the nearly ripe plums and arrange them in a sunny window and wait for that first luscious warm bite…

  146. I have a worn white nightdress that I found in a consignment store in Vermont about 10 years ago. The elbow wore through this winter and it is on my sewing pile. I sew constantly, but repairing and mending aren’t as fun as making something new, yet I think I’ll reimagine that sleeve before the cool winds blow again, come fall. It’s a great gown because on a cold night I can pull myself into a tight ball inside it and get very toasty. This one is all the more beautiful for its links to France and to you! I wish to win it, yet I realize that I’m lucky to have one, and if nothing else, this post reminds me to find and fix it soon.

  147. Carol;yn

    A couple of weeks ago the cherries showed up in the market…wonderful.
    I am always too late but if not put my name in for a gown, please.

  148. Rosemary

    First thing, summer always make me crave ice cream! Second, I want to work in my garden. I would love one of those lovely lacey gowns. Perfect for summer!

  149. Ah… summer. Wish we were having one. Summer doesn’t start in Washington until after July 4th… if we are lucky! Yours sounds so warm and gentle. I am so glad for the answered prayers for your friend. I know the time spent with you and French Husband will be another step in healing. Thank you for sharing the beauty in life!

  150. Linda Hansen

    My son has just left for the Marines. I am spending the summer away from home at the lake and considering how to reinvent my life! The owls hoot their greetings in the dusk. I can just barely make out their shapes in the canopy of trees above me. The lake splashes outside the windows at night, lulling me to sleep. I think a change from my regular pj’s to a lovely cotton night dress is just what I need to coax me into my new world! I’ve kept your friend in my prayers. Glad to hear things are better for all of you.

  151. Yes, definitely I would like a night dress to wear in the garden while I sip tea under the moon and stars.

  152. Our summer has arrived with some devastation in the form of flooding. We are beyond fortunate to have escaped damage but there are so many who did not and their homes and lives are now filled with so much loss as well as our fair city by the great lake that has suffered major infrastructure damage. But there is the hope that the carefree, light nature of summer will arrive soon!

  153. For me, summer means boat picnics, summer night skies filled with stars, the sparkle of sunlight or moonlight on the water, fresh vegetables, strawberries, blueberries, and bouquets of flowers from my garden -hydrangeas, sunflowers, coneflowers, daisies. I love summer!!

  154. Watching the birds in the yard……smelling the flowers…..feeling the sun on my skin and playing chess with my husband.

  155. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    I have the very simply white cotton nightdress that my grandmother wore after her wedding in 1893. She was “almost 17” when married in East Texas. Her mother had died when she was 11, of “softening of the brain” — brain cancer, we wonder? The mother knew she was dying so she spent a lot of time teaching her young daughter to cook, clean, and generally do all the things that she then was left in charge of. She cared for her father, older brothers, and 3 year old younger sister named Creg. When my grandmother, with the unusual name of “Ovilla”, was about to marry, Creg (then about 8?) made the nightgown for her. I’ve looked at it carefully and conclude some aunt or older woman surely helped Creg. But I’m confident that Creg carefully embroidered the monogram on the front.
    I have this proudly displayed on a wall in my bedroom. Would love to be lucky enough to get one from you to actually wear. If not, then it’s fun to read others’ stories and look at the pictures of your most recent brocante score. Cheers!

  156. this is lovely…and very touching!

  157. Pauline

    Last night I walked barefoot over the grass to my open front door.The broderie anglais hem of my nightgown dragged damp in the dew.The old roses perfumed the air and the stars twinkled and blinked in the velvet sky…..then I woke to the sound of rain and the flood gates being slammed into place.Please send me a dream coat in white vintage cotton so that I can at least recapture some part of my dream.

  158. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    Thank you!

  159. i would love the nightgown as i love anything vintage, french and anything antiqueish!!! what stories they could all tell! maybe if i ever ever have a day off, i can lounge around in my french nightgown and play in my craft room all day long….that would be a great summer dream! ahhhhhhhh, a nice dream

  160. To re-live those happy childhood days in rural northern wisconsin on my Grandparents farm. Grandma would send all us cousins outback in the fields to gather wild strawberries…just think…when was the last time I ever even saw one of those?…they were tiny… the size of a babys fingernail. We would gather and run and play in those wild fields all afternoon and return to grandma who was busy making baking powder biscuits to go with those wildly sweet little berries. Her ample bosom and sweet loving smile and wide open arms gathering up all her grandchildren that she loved each in their own way. It was a bliss I have never repeated and a feeling of being loved and cared for in a way that was like no other. God how I miss her.

  161. Corie,
    I’m sure I missed the deadline on the nightdress drawing…but I am so glad to know that your friend is better. They’ve been in my thoughts frequently. What a life-affirming menu to savor together. God Bless you all, and continue healing your friend.

  162. {{ why not wear one
    at the beach
    on a hot summer night
    when trying to catch a sea*breeze…
    that
    is what i am doing
    with the lovely gown i won
    right
    here… }}

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