{a French birthday lunch celebration!}

 It was a perfect birthday lunch, one fit for a princess (within romantic walls aged by time.) The perpetual foodie, I was thrilled to dine on a cassoulet served table side - crispy duck confit & toulouse sausage with haricots lingots. Afterward, strawberries served beneath a sweet fromage blanc and of course cups of cafe creme (with a delightful treat, a petite spoon, & little cubes of sugar on the side) to finish the meal. 


Thank you to all of you for your sweet birthday wishes! They made my day that much brighter! xo, Jolie

Meringue in France

...Can't stop wanting to buy & eat these every where I go...

{Flowers of France}

{Sun Drenched Lady Banksia in a beautiful abundance}

 {A garden rose peeking through the fence of an elderly couple enjoying their garden}

 

{Lemon Iris lining the Canal Midi, bending with the spring winds} 

 {A profusion of seemingly royal iris}

 It is increasingly hard to resist coming home with bundles of flowers each day as we return to our maisonette, as spring has provided southern France with the flowers of which painters dream. Around every corner is the possibility for something beautiful - petite fleurs peeking through rock walls, vast fields of poppies bright in the sunshine - a perfecting setting for "finding a new way through the world." 

xo, Jolie

(PS Things are becoming quite interesting with the election of a new French president. To witness French politics in France is an experience.)

Within the walls of a French city...

Within the walls of this old fortified city, we found delightful treasures - walls of soaps with scents so divine it's difficult not to purchase each one - a freshly caught delicate piece of fish drizzled with a sauce of creamy butter, a glass of cold white wine while basking in the sun, and grandiose sweets puffed to perfection. 


(To read further about the city of Aigues-Mortes, you'll have to read my future guest post on Overyonderlust, coming soon! www.overyonderlust.com ) 


xo, Jolie

{Aigne, our little village} La France

I spent day two of my trip to France enjoying the village and the sweet surrounding area, recuperating from the long journey. Returning to our maisonette here is like returning home...a home with soft light and open shutters, open to the intoxicating smell of wild herbs, and to the view of ivy slowly covering the worn provence-blue shutters of a neighboring home. 

The quiet village encourages moments of repose, with a fresh glass of rosé and glistening strawberries just picked from the garden and sold at the market. I can't get enough of the dusky golden afternoon sun shining down on bright fields of red poppies. And I always look forward to our drive beneath the towering trees reminiscent of the peaks a cathedral. 

xo, Jolie

{A Voyage to France)

Bonjour my darling readers! Maisonette will be visiting France for the next

month (that's the reason for my lack of blog posts the past week. I've been

preparing for a long journey!) Yesterday we arrived in Toulouse, piled our

baggage into the car, and took off into the beautiful country side toward our

little home in our little village.  

I'll be posting my daily French dalliances on Maisonette & you can look

for fully detailed, "yonderlust" filled posts soon @ {OverYonderLust} 

xo, Jolie

{My latest shoot with Sarah Lim}

My goodness Viva Las Vegas was whirlwind of fun! Pardon the lack of posts lately, life has simply left me with little time for updating! The good news is that I have a special sneak peek for you of the amazing photo shoot I did with Sarah Lim. Also, coming soon are behind the scenes shots of my trip to Vegas. Enjoy! XO, Jolie   /// {Photo Credit: Sarah Lim www.sarahlimphotography.com}

 

{New Series: Luxurious Lingerie}

When I asked you what you'd like to see more of on Maisonette, I was pleasantly surprised with a sensational request. "More knickers!" she shouted. Any why not? My collection of unmentionables is ever-growing and I would be delighted to share with you my latest finds. After all, who doesn't enjoy the sound of crinkling tissue paper wrapped around a soft new matching set of delicates?

Claudette's Spring 2012 looks call to mind how nice it feels to slip on fresh fleshy undergarments after a day spent in the garden, before slipping on a dress for a night out. The crisp edges, the muted colors, the silken structure provide the quiet glamour needed beneath a soft spring wrap dress.

What are some of your favorite lingerie companies? I'd love to hear your favs in the comment section.

{images: Claudette - Spring 2012 // idea suggested by pvedesign.blogspot.com}    

Oh! And please be sure to select your vote for what you'd like to see more of in the poll on the right. And if you'd like, tell me your ideas in a comment! 

xo, Jolie 

{Exciting News! & New Design Reveal}

I'm simply over the moon with excitement to announce that my debut album will officially be released this fall (which happens to be my favorite season.) So many glamorous updates have been made to fit the jazzy mood -- you might say Maisonette has been gifted a fabulous new facelift! What do you think? Please do tell!

A Little Task List For You (so you don't miss out!)

{A Makeover}

Pardon the missing blog post today! Maisonette is currently receiving a fabulous makeover in anticipation of my debut album slated to be released this fall. We can't wait to show you the charming new look!

To help with the new design, your opinion about Maisonette's future would be much coveted, so please don't be shy and commented with your favs and what you would like to see in the future. Also, take a moment to answer the poll up top! xo, Jolie Goodnight

{Good Morning Monday}

Happy Monday Lovelies! Despite the tendency to groan about the busy work week, this week's busy is sure to be bounds of fun...but first, a cup of creamy coffee out in the sunshine so that I can wake up gently, before making a mad dash for the day. There are so many good things to come from hard work, how could I begrudge this week? Today, a meeting with an agent (a chance to sing a couple of tunes,) a ladies' lunch, the fabric store, a few quick errands, and eventually lauding at my sewing table...