Hearts of all kinds find their way to my house.
Wood hearts, carved hearts, paper hearts, metal hearts,
small hearts, large hearts, flower vase hearts ...
A few arrive as gifts, some come as travel souvenirs,
and many come from office supply or gift stores.
Even though the skies are bright blue, horizon to horizon,
and the temperatures are predicted to be in the 70s for the next three days,
it is February which calls for heart decorations.
The collection of hearts on the breakfast table includes many
French connections and inspiration.
Neutral Colors
While red and pink are the expected colors for February hearts,
neutral colored hearts in a white ceramic bowl give a French feel to the collection.
B*O*N*H*E*U*R
A natural-colored linen heart with bonheur (happiness) embroidered on it
is one of two hearts in the bowl that came from France.
While touring lavender fields in Provence,
our small tour group stopped for lunch at a hilltop village
that overlooked lavender fields we had just walked through that morning.
Handmade
With great bonheur, I found a small boutique de souvenirs (gift shop)
filled with items handmade in France and bought several hearts.
The hand-carved wooden angel wings peeking over the bonheur heart
came from the same boutique.
Distressed white-washed finish
The wooden white-washed heart is the second heart in the bowl
that came from the Provence area boutique.
A close-up shows the natural honey-colored wood grain that blends with the
pine posts and beams throughout our house and French country houses.
Blend of materials
The hearts on the table include linen, wood, metal, twine, and paper materials...
a wonderful mix of refined embroidery, rustic metal, carved wood, and modern paper.
A typical French approach to a collection is to include old and new,
rustic and refined, simple and elaborate, blending them together harmoniously.
Attention to details
A hallmark of French design is attention to details that lifts the ordinary to extraordinary,
making a common-place item elegant, setting it apart from other lackluster similar items.
While the white paper hearts may or may not be French,
their design reflects French inspiration.
The extra thickness of the paper, the tonal texture of the paper's pattern,
and the pinked edges of the heart elevate the paper heart far above the usual paper heart.
Hearts on the breakfast table fill me with happiness
and remind me of elegant French design.
Does French design appeal to you?
If yes, what do you like most about French design?
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Have you heard?
There is a new linking party that started
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Four of my friends who are also Texas bloggers
will be hosting
Thoughts of Home on Thursday
Everyone is invited.
Their button grabbed me right away... all that beautiful blue.
Hope to see you there.
Botanic Bleu will be....
celebrating friendship, decorating, recipes, gardening, and inspiration.
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Please join me at these inspiring sites...
SUNDAY
Table It @ Rustic and Refined
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
