Recession Fun #6: Country Roads

One of our simplest pleasures this summer has been driving on country roads and stopping at the various farm stands. My favorite stand is not actually part of a farm but a little stand run by a couple who sell vegetables and beautiful bouquets from their garden. It consists of just a table, an umbrella and a hand-painted sign in their driveway but the bouquets are better than any you could get at a florist. They overflow with bicolor zinnias, black-eyed susan, and forget-me-nots. The stand operates on the honor system and has a sign that says you can leave an IOU if you need to. How lovely is that?

A Touch of Paris

While I’m completely content to be soaking up as much summer sunshine as I can in the good ole USA these days, I was craving a touch of Paris the other day. Maybe it was one of the thunderstorms that sent me indoors that caused me to daydream about a walk in Paris. I used to live in the 15^th arrondissement and my tiny apartment was just a short walk from the Champs du Mars and the Tour Eiffel. I would take walks or jog in the early evening with the tower beautifully lit up above me. It was a luxury to be sure.

Here are a few things I found that would add nice touches of Paris to a space. I want one of the Famille Summerbelle maps to hang in my daughter’s room and I love the Souvenir de Paris feel of the throw pillow from Target. The Eiffel Tower fabric from Michael Miller would require a much bigger commitment but I really like that it manages to be beautiful and whimsical at the same time.