my happy place: the work of tim evan-cook

i love photographer tim evan-cook's work so much that i had to make it my afternoon happy place...

aren't you glad i did?  tim's work is endlessly unique...his range astounds me.  xo mrs. french

via sarah kaye representation

my happy place: a manzanita garage

happy december friends!  i am now starting to feel the pressure of the holiday season.  i am going to do my best to turn the stress into happy excitement....b does his part to help with this.

you never know exactly what you are going to end up with when you book a vacation home online.  i had gotten a late start this year, so finding a place was particularly difficult.  i am not sure how i found our little manzanita cottage...it was an accident.  i know that i didn't find it through my typical routes and there really wasn't many photographs...i just had a feeling.

mr. french, b, and i pulled up to the little red house and loved it from the outside.  red shakes, firewood on the step, i knew it was going to be cosy.  cosy is a bit of an understatement.  the sweet little house was small and we were hosting thanksgiving for mr. french's parents too.  i was thinking we could make it work...but then it became quite obvious that this home was missing a diningroom and a table big enough to seat the whole french clan.  mr. french and b were out back, while i sat inside trying to find a nice spot on the floor to set up a thanksgiving meal, when mr. french came in and said he had found the missing dining room.  it was in the garage...

(of course i was way too scatterbrained to get a picture of the whole spread, the photographs were taken in between running back and forth to the main house and really couldn't do this space justice)

it was magical.  there was an old record player, twinkly lights and a wood stove.  i could have never imagined anything so wonderful.  b thought it was his own little hideaway.  we ate too much and danced just enough...i want to go back.  xo mrs. french

inklore

do you know sam?  i am sure most of you do.  if not, you are in for such a special treat.  sam is the lovely gal behind the most wonderful block-printed housewares and accessories, inklore.  i stumble into sam everywhere and even before i read the words to go with the pictures i know each and every perfect item sam made.  she stands out in the best way...

she stands out quietly.

i honestly love it all.  i could never pick one, but if i had to choose i would base it on practicality...i need the simplicity apron in canvas.  i finally realized why all of my pretty tees were coming up with wee holes in the mid-section...i think sarah may have figured it out.  the friction from my icky tile countertops is to blame(typical mrs. french tangent)...this apron is just what i need and so pretty i won't mind wearing it all the time.  inklore is pretty and practical...isn't it too wonderful when that happens...

you can see the time, heart, thoughfulness sam puts into each and everyone of her inklore pieces.  i can't think of a better reason to put them on your gift list...actually, i can't think of a better gift to give.

thank you sam.  you make everthing a bit nicer...xo mrs. french

i heart monday.

i have missed all of you.  i hope my readers here in the states had a lovely thanksgiving...and the rest of you had a beautiful weekend.  i have to say there was a bit of magic surrounding the frenches...more later.  until then, i hope you enjoy today's list.  

i heart this chair.

i heart these green boots.

i heart this tunic.

i heart this stationary.

i heart this faux sheepskin.

I heart these cozy pants.

i heart this dishtowel.

i heart this tote.

i heart this blanket.

i heart this postcard.

i heart this "cashmere tunic."

i heart this tea cosie. 

i heart this inspiration board.

i heart this doormat.

i heart these trousers.

i heart this teak tray. 

i heart these shoes.

i heart these hairpins.

i heart this cake stand.

i heart this chandelier.

xo mrs. french

we are at the coast without the internet...i am typing this on my phone. happy thanksgiving to you and yours. xo mrs. french

hansel from basel

i suddenly have the urge to ditch all of my boring jeans for pretty tights and thigh highs...

hansel from basel is to blame.  xo mrs. french

sadie olive

the charm in vintage pieces are the stories they hold within them.  i can't help but think that the stories in sara's shop are more romantic and unforgettable than most.  sadie olive is one of my all-time favorites.  i think the first things i fell in love with were the pretty french clocks.  the clocks drew me in and i kept going back again and again because each piece seems more special than the next and the photography makes my heart beat fast...

i could write a book...if i had the time and needed an idea i could go to sadie olive and i know i could find a story in there somewhere.  

even as i write this post, continue to scroll up and down to take it all in.

sara also has a beautiful photography shop, warm whispers...

i am not pretty sure you know how i feel about that.  etsy is a prettier place because of ms. sara duckett and her shops.  she has also prettied up my bliss and i have to thank her for that too...xo mrs. french

fun.

{find these lovely deer in bree's shop}

my friend bree made me blush and i liked it...she asked me a few questions for her sweet blog.  i am so honored she wanted to ask...

oh and i am in complete awe of her work...a huge photography crush.  

xo mrs. french

my happy place: my windowsill

i am not sure which happened first...my love of whites, grays and browns or b's love of collecting.  somehow we merged.  

i started putting the bits and baubles b collected on the windowsill above my kitchen sink and something wonderful happened (wonderful to me at least)...

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i would love to design my surroundings strictly around b's sweet collections.  i knew that becoming a mother would inspire me, i just no idea how much.  life is nice...xo mrs. french

my happy place: norm arkitekter

my happy place images this moring come from danish architects norm arkitekter.  i was so drawn to the stark white (shocker) combined with warm woods and industrial grays...

many times i feel as if my heart will always lie within traditional interiors...then I see work like this.  modern but warm...it's nice to have options...xo mrs. french

via my scandinavian retreat

i heart monday in the afternoon.

as promised...

I heart this sweater.

I heart this shaker.

I heart this handbag.

I heart this original.

I heart this blouse.

I heart this saint.

I heart this pedestal.

I heart this raincoat.

I heart this creamer.

I heart this poster.

I heart this lamp.

I heart these rugs.

I heart these boots.

I heart this beauty bag.

I heart this agate.

I heart this sweater.

I heart this horse.

I heart this tank.

I heart this hat.

I heart this tin.

I heart these cords.

I heart these boots too.

I heart this case.

I heart this platter.

it's fun to fill my afternoon with hearts...xo mrs. french

little polaroid collections

finally!  monday morning is here!  and i have everything in my shop.  i say it over and over again...i love polaroid photographs.  i love digital as well, but i feel as if polaroid is where my heart resides.  i have been trying to come up with a way to display my polaroids that is special and i think i have!  presenting....little polaroid collections, now in my shop!  each collection is themed and consists of 4 polaroids i love the most mounted on plywerk.  each photographic print is mounted on maple plywerk and ready to display however you see fit...i so hope you love them as much as i do.  here are the collections that i am so darn proud of:

~quiet

~collected

~sauvie

~pretty

each collection can be hung or propped...i find the best way to hang them is with velcro, although each piece of plywerk is also ready to hang easily on a nail or picture hanger...

there.  it feels real now...i will be back later today with an "i heart" i am also pretty thrilled about...xo mrs. french

pssst...and you can by each polaroid plywerk separately as well...stocking stuffer?