A Winter Mantel
In Brittany, we don't really have seasons... It's never really cold and never really hot... This winter is very different. January has been colder than usual, but it's very sunny, so it doesn't snow. Still temperatures won't rise, I think it's safer to let you in!
La Bretagne, c'est un climat doux avec des saisons peu marquées... Enfin, ça, c'est d'habitude... Parce que cette année, le mois de janvier est le plus froid depuis mon installation au Cottage. Il fait froid, mais beau, et du coup, il ne neige pas. Mais enfin, vous serez mieux à l'intérieur, entrez-donc.
I've created a very simple mantel decor for winter.
J'ai créé un petit décor tout simple pour mon manteau de cheminée.
I kept my collection of bottles and glass flooats and I chose to add some winter bulbs. Had I chosen fake flowers, I would have had beautiful blooms all at the same time...
J'ai conservé ma collection de bouteilles et de flotteurs en verre. J'y ai juste ajouté quelques bulbes d'hiver. Évidemment, si j'avais choisi des fleurs artificielles, tout aurait été en fleurs en même temps...
But I chose real bulbs, so of course they are flowering when they are ready and not on the only day a small part of the living-room is tidy enough for a picture!
Mais j'ai préféré de vrais bulbes plantés un à un de mes blanches mains (en fait de mes mains gantées...) et ils fleurissent quand bon leur semble, non quand je suis prête à faire une photo.
Only the hyacinths are blooming for now and they smell heavenly. I'll take a picture when the paperwhites and the amaryllis are ready!
Seules les jacinthes sont déjà en fleur et embaument toute la maison. Je prendrai une photo des narcisses et de l'amaryllis quand ils s'ouvriront !
It's nice to have a mantel decoration that I love as the cats and I spend a lot of time inside since it's colder than usual.
Il est bien agréable de profiter de cette petite déco en ce moment où les chats et moi passons plus de temps que d'habitude en intérieur à cause des températures.
Shadow spends time watching through the windows... It makes it impossible to keep them clean, but I do think a cat adds some charm to a window sill.
Shadow passe son temps à observer le jardin au chaud derrière la fenêtre... Du coup, la vitre n'est jamais propre, mais un chat sur un rebord de fenêtre, cela ajoute tellement de charme !
Milo sleeps inside a lot and goes in the veranda only when I go out (the two cats hate each others and I don't trust them to both stay inside when I'm not here... they would fight for sure). And yes, I know how dirty his pillow case is and I need to change it...
Milo dort à l'intérieur tout le temps et ne s'installe dans la véranda que quand je dois partir au travail (les deux chats se détestent et je ne leur fais pas assez confiance pour les laisser ensemble en mon absence... ils se battraient sûrement). Et oui, il faut que je change sa housse de coussin...
I didn't really have clothes for so low temperatures (by low I mean around 30°F, which might seem pretty warm to some of my readers), so I had to buy a warm hat instead of my usual elegant (or so I think) hats... I decided to choose a funny pompom one!
Je n'étais pas vraiment équipée pour des températures aussi basses (enfin, nous ne sommes pas descendus en dessous de -4 ou 5°C, ce qui doit sembler bien doux à certains d'entre vous) et j'ai donc dû investir dans un bonnet... Quitte à abandonner l'élégance, je me suis dit qu'il fallait y aller à fond et j'ai choisi un bonnet à pompon !
A la prochaine fois,
PS: I know I should have put the laptop away before I took a picture or created a vignette on the little sofa side table... But trying to have everything perfect last year meant that I nearly didn't post anything... So this year, I just shoot a picture once in a while of Cottage as he is that day... There are plenty of other blogs if you want to drool over perfect pictures... Oh, and I can't resist adding this picture of the rays of sunshine on my stone wall...
PS: Je sais, l'ordinateur aurait dû être rangé avant que je ne prenne les photos, un petite déco sur le guéridon à côté du canapé aurait été sympa... Mais l'année dernière, j'ai fait beaucoup moins d'articles car j'attendais des moments de perfection pour prendre des photos... Cette année, si la lumière est belle, je photographie Cottage tel qu'il est.
PS2: I'm linking with:
There was just one year when we lived n Brittany that we had two whole days of snow, only a light covering but very pretty.
ReplyDeleteYour mantel looks delightful.
We had quite a huge amount of snow the year I settled in Cottage... and since then, next to nothing!
DeleteOh Magali, your cottage is GORGEOUS in any season. Your hard work shows and is brilliant! Bon week-end!
ReplyDeleteMagali, I love the ironstone filled with flowers. I know the hyacinths smell so good. I like seeing real life photos instead of staged and I just love the texture the stone wall adds. It is cold here, too this weekend, but then warms back up next week.
ReplyDeleteI love your mantel decorations. I have hyacinths in vases and pots too, and only one is ready to bloom any day. Even though they were all planted close to the same time. I don't care. If they bloom at different times, it means I'll have blooms longer through this dreary winter season. Oh, by the way, you can have our snow!
ReplyDeleteCindy
I adore the stone wall magali! So 'French' :).
ReplyDeleteAnd I think you could make any hat look elegant...
It has been strange winter here as well, sometimes it is warm and then cold and at home (I'm at my sisters visiting) we have had snow only 1 time this winter so far - sometimes we get none other times more. I didn't realize you usually have warmer winters where you live.
ReplyDeleteI love your flowering bulbs. Did you have them in a sunny place and then move them to the mantle? Don't worry about being perfect before taking a photo. There is only one perfect being.
ReplyDeleteI kept them outside on the patio for December and the beginning of January.
DeleteYour bulbs look stunning. I also love your mantle and stone wall. Everything looks beautiful. WHo cares about the laptop-it's real life! Stay warm.
ReplyDeleteI noticed hyacinths at the grocery yesterday and stopped for a minute to breathe in their lovely fragrance! Pretty mantel! And I would rather you and Cottage be "real" and write a blog post, than perfect and we never hear from you! No one's house is perfect in real life.
ReplyDeleteI'm now waiting for the amaryllis to bloom... And as it's real life, the hyacinths will be over when that happens!
DeleteMy paperwhites have already bloomed. If my hubby didn't have allergies - I'd have hyacinths all over too. I love the winter "floral" break! Isn't weather altogether different everywhere. We lived in Colorodo where it snows almost till May but the air was very dry. We have almost no snow in Missouri where we moved last year but it is very damp and we are cold. I tell my hubby to put another sweater on. Keep warm and cozy. My hubby is bald so he wears his hat IN the house! It keeps you much warmer! Your mantle looks lovely. Your home is pure delight!
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful Magali. Love your mantel. Milo and Shadow are so sweet. I would love to see some sun filled days. We have not seen the sun in over a week. Enjoy some of that beautiful sunshine for me.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Kris
Seeing you in the mirror it looks like you are bundled for cold!! It has been cold here as well (Oregon) usually in the 40 degrees dropping to 34 degres at night now and snow all gone--yahoo!
ReplyDeleteJ'aime bien ce petit bout de chez toi.
ReplyDeleteMa cousine qui avait deux chats qui se détestaient cordialement, un jour en a eu assez de devoir sans cesse se méfier, elle leur a fait de petites applications d'huile foie de morue (surtout pas de la désodorisée), elle les a enfermé dans une pièce pas trop grande, elle a entendu des miaulements d'attaque, des miaulements de détresse et après un grand moment, plus rien, elle a fini par ouvrir la porte et les a vu en trai de se lécher l'un et l'autre, depuis, tout va beaucoup mieux.
Bonne soirée. Bises. Babette
I for one don't want to see perfectly created vignettes. I like the every day real. Every year I say I'm getting bulbs to enjoy during the winter, and I always forget.
ReplyDeleteBrenda
I love the white planters you used for forcing the bulbs to grow. This is the first year we forced bulbs (paperwhite narcissus), and I love having spring show up a tiny bit early. I think we'll have some hyacinths next year. No matter what we choose, we will certainly enjoy them.
ReplyDeleteWe have 6 cats, and there is so much strife in the household. They have been living together for a long time, too. There are so many fights and a lot of yowling. Just like kids with a bad case of sibling rivalry! Your kitties are gorgeous, by the way.
I love Cottage's stone wall and thick window sills. Thank you for showing us.
Take care, Fonda
Hi Magali, I love your mantle. The blue feather wreath is divine and the bulbs really give you renewed hope that Spring will come again. Your sweet cottage is looking so wonderful you have really done a great job. Love it all! Have a wonderful day. Stay warm it is very cold here in Utah to.
ReplyDeletexoxo Jo
I love everything on your mantel! Tell us about your wreath or have you alraedy?AriadnefromGreece!
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw your laptop on the table I thought, "Oh, so that's where Magali blogs. How nice that she gave us a look at that lovely space." I prefer the natural look of the bulbs to fake flowers. And like a cottage garden, everything blooms at different times. I think a cat in a window is so charming, and it always reminds me of Petula Clark's song The Cat In The Window. And now you've got me singing that song in my mind. The light on the stone wall is stunning. Love seeing your reflection in the mirror. Cute hat! xo
ReplyDeleteYour mantle is looking so beautiful .. specially I live the hyacinth and huge glass jar..
ReplyDeleteA beautiful wreath and I love the large glass jar too. Keeping the cats at bay from each other can be challenging, I know. Milo sure looks cozy:). Keep warm Magali, Kathleen in Az
ReplyDeleteMilo knows how to make himself comfortable!
DeleteDon't change your posts, they are lovely. I love your stone wall, it's so pretty and your living room looks so warm and comfortable.
ReplyDeleteYour kitty's are adorable. So sorry that they don't get along.
Try and stay warm. We have had some chilly weather also since out big rain storm. It was 74 today and going up more tomorrow. But then by Tuesday it will be chilly again and more rain to come. We really need the rain to fill our lakes and rivers.
Enjoy your week coming up and stay warm.
Mary
Je viens de terminer un bonnet rouge magnifique mais sans pompon qui ne me va pas du tout, j'aurais du opter pour un spécimen comme le tient, j'adore les bonnets à pompon, ils sortent de l'ordinaire et quant il fait froid autant garder la tête bien au chaud.
ReplyDeleteJ'aime beaucoup ton salon...
mais j'étais en train de me dire que tu avais abandonné les captures d'écran de tes séries préférées dans lesquelles tu piochais des idées pour la déco de cottage ;-) et tu nous donnais aussi des idées à nous lectrices et lecteurs
Passe un très joli week end, il fait moins froid, profitons en
J'adore les jacinthes et ton bonnet à pompon ! Ta déco est bien sympa et Cottage semble bien confortable... mais vivement le printemps ! Bises
ReplyDeleteYour winter mantel looks so pretty with your sparkling glass and flowers in those sweet ironstone pots! It's been cold here, but gray and gloomy, so I envy your sunny but cold days. Isn't it nice to be home when the sun is shining in cottage and the cats are soaking up the warmth of the sun? Your new wool hat is adorable.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your photos of cottage and have a wonderful week, Magali!
My favorite photo is the one looking through the window in the door -the view is so homey and welcoming!
ReplyDeleteYour winter mantel looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed looking at all of your photo's - especially the reflection of you in the mirror!
May the new week ahead be good for you
All the best Jan
Ahhhhh, the sun. We haven't seen it lately, as in all month. Wait, that's a lie. We had one afternoon of sunshine. I can almost smell the hyacinths now. Always love reading your posts. And a room that looks lived in is way better than a staged one. Stay warm....
ReplyDeleteNancy, the sun is avoiding Brittany since the beginning of the week as well!
DeleteI thought of you today while at the grocery store, I saw organic flax, Chia, and other flours. And while walking through the floral department, I drooled over some hyacinths.
DeleteVery elegant, Magali - we expect no less, of course! Love the hat!
ReplyDeleteI love your photos, dirty cat pillows, laptop, and all. It's real life. =)
ReplyDeleteCats definitely add charm to windowsills! Your pics are always beautiful Magali!! Cheers.
ReplyDeleteHyacinths have the most heavenly smell in the world . It's been a while since I forced a bulb. I should do it this winter.
ReplyDeleteThe weather is so unusual all over the world. Fortunately, we've had a pretty easy winter so far; very little snow and not too many frigid days. Stay warm, Magali! Love the simple mantel decor - I'd love to smell those hyacinths! Thanks so much for linking up at Best of the Weekend!
ReplyDeleteMagali, I live in Greece and here too it has been way too cold for us. We usually get as low as 40 but this winter things have frozen over. In our little town we had snow and it stayed for days where normally it only stays for a few hours once every ten years.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will join us at Sweet Inspiration Link Party which I host every Friday.
As always I love you cottage. I love the texture of the stone wall and I really loved your winter mantle. It doesn't have to be perfect to see the charm you have created there. I hope that spring comes early for all of us so then we can be warm.
ReplyDeleteMagali, please don't change the lovely and natural atmosphere of your beautiful home - it is real and authentic, just like you!
ReplyDeletePoppy