Entertaining
Yesterday I received an unexpected package, which once opened revealed a delightful surprise. It was an advance copy of Sharon Santoni’s newest book, My French Country Home: Entertaining Through The Seasons.
Illustrated with stunning photographs of French country life, this coffee-table-size book shares inspired and inspiring entertaining ideas. Organized by season, the chapters cover topics from decor to menus and recipes, traditions and customs, and observations on living from a place of connection with the land and the seasons.
Each page is a visual feast, and I’m looking forward to savoring this book, and even trying some of the recipes!
You can pre-order here, and book will ship on the release date of August 8.
Entertainment
We went to see “Dunkirk” over the weekend, and I highly recommend it. It’s a gripping story, and while there are some tense battle scenes, there’s a notable absence of graphic violence or gore. There are three interwoven story lines introduced at the beginning of the film, each with its own timeline. The film alternates between the three perspectives which can be a little confusing at first, but toward the end of the film the timelines and all of the characters converge. The storytelling is very well done, and the performances are skillful and understated. The score is excellent, and helps tell the story without distracting from it. I think this film is going to be a big contender come awards time.
Renovation
When we moved into our house a little over 20 years ago, the kitchen and existing bathroom hadn’t been updated since the late 1960’s. We had a very limited budget at the time, and the house needed a lot of work, so we did some “quick and cheap” surface updates while moving in. We’re now ready to tackle some serious renovation to both the kitchen and bathroom. We’ve begun meeting with designers and contractors, and getting some ideas and estimates. The idea of being without a kitchen for weeks is daunting (not to mention the cost), but we just can’t put this off any longer. I promise to document the whole painful process once we decide on what we’re doing and get underway.
(No, that isn’t my kitchen above. Just like the look. Via Pinterest.)
Have you done a kitchen renovation? Any pearls of wisdom to share?
