We just couldn't resist...

.....a trip to Bordeaux. Any excuse for not working eh! Karen had to drop her cousin at the airport so it seemed only right to combine the journey with a shopping inspirational trip into Bordeaux. Using the park & ride facility, we were able to take a leisurely tram straight into the heart of the city, arriving near the Grand Hotel & Opera House.

Just around the corner is the most amazing macaroon & chocolate shop....yum, yum.... If you look hard at the top of the photo you will see the amazing chocolate shapes they make, like a basket ball and shoe, (sorry the photo is not better but the sales assistant was getting suspicious!).

There are such beautiful buildings in Bordeaux, so much to see.....every street has something interesting, perhaps a church or a pied à terre nestling between.

Lots of carvings, ironwork & intricate details.....isn't that door knocker lovely?

But this trip was not for looking at the architecture....well, not much anyway....it was Kelly's first time in the city so we just had to shop! Off to the Rue St. Catherine...ooooohh, shops as far as the eye can see. As the saying goes......so many shops, so little time!

All that shopping is thirsty work so L'Autre Salon de Thé at 11 Rue des Remparts is a must.

This is a little gem, a short walk from the main shopping street. This place is so inviting. Crystal chandeliers, antiqued mirrors & an amazing array of cakes. How nice to drink tea out of china cups & nibble on home-made cakes. The choice of tea is extensive & each person gets an individual pot. There is a wicked-looking hot chocolate topped with a swirl of Chantilly cream as well as lots of other drinks to choose from. But the cakes........double chocolate cake, tarte au citron, gooey fudge cake, lemon meringue pie, apple & summer berry crumble cake & some of the biggest scones we had ever seen. And after all that cake.....more shopping of course!

And finally, just had to include this....

When you know us better you will realise this is a very rare photo of Karen as she's very camera shy!

                                                               Á bientôt,

The last of the lavender....

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The weather is definitely getting more autumnal now, chilly early mornings and evenings. So this weekend I decided it was high time I harvested that last of the lavender. To me, this signals summer is finally over; time to tidy up the garden ready for winter. I have to admit, I have put it off this year as I’m not particularly looking forward to the cold weather. We had an unusually cold winter last year so I’m hoping that this year will be milder.

Today is a very overcast, rainy day, ideal for keeping cosy in the house and stripping the lavender. Collecting the lavender is a job I really enjoy; it’s like an aromatherapy session. The perfume that comes from the basket is heavenly, and when I strip the steams, it can be quite heady. The oil seeps into hands so I can smell it for ages afterwards. It is time consuming and, as Kelly is away at the moment, I had to tackle the task alone. Not that I'm complaining, it's quite therapeutic.

© petit pica

The vintage lavender tin was a present from my daughter M, found at a vide grenier. For those that don’t know, these are a bit like car boot or yard sales. I love it’s design and kaleidoscope of colours. The Pip Studio plate was a present from Kelly. It’s normally on display in the Petit Pica attic but it proved ideal for pouring the lavender buds into the tin.

Of course, after all that “hard” work, a reward is needed - a cup of tea and macaroons. There were three of each but I couldn't resist eating one on the way back form the shop!  I LOVE these but I did limit myself to only two. As Kelly wasn't here to help me eat them, M finished them off when she came home from school.

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We are very fortunate to have a patisserie/ chocolaterie shop in our local village. They make amazing cakes and chocolates. These macaroons are so crumbly on the outside and gooey inside. Really yummy! They have so many interesting flavours to choose from. Today I chose framboise/rose (raspberry/rose) and cassis/violet (blackcurrant/violet), my current favourites.

And what is this lavender for? It will be used in some items for the shop but you will have to wait a little while for the reveal.

À bientôt,

Bienvenue to the Petit Pica blog....

source

Thank you for passing by, pour yourself a grand café, make yourself comfortable & we'll tell you how it all started.

So why Petit Pica?

Although originally from England, we have now both settled here in the Aquitaine region of South West France. It's a lovely place to live with lots of character, pretty villages & good wine too! An ideal place for anyone who loves of all things French.

One day over a cup of café, we were discussing how we were both been keen to sell items we found in France, as well as revive old furniture. You could say we are both magpies addicted to collecting old & interesting French things. So we decided it made sense to join forces & Petit Pica (little magpie) was born.

Our shop will stock items we have found, together with handmade items using vintage French materials. We also revive tired furniture by painting to give it a new lease of life. After much struggling working out websites, trying to upload logos in the right place etc., we managed to set up our Etsy shop, Facebook, Twitter & this blog - so we can finally say Petit Pica is open for business - yay!! 

© petit pica

 We had our first sale last week, a pair of pretty bedside tables. They were in a sorry state when we bought them but with a bit of our pica magic, they were ready to grace a bedroom once again. We had grown quite attached to them & were sorry to see them go - like the first child leaving home! We must learn not to get attached to items in the shop! 

We have launched with a beautiful collection of linens but there will be other items to come too, so watch this space!

Visit the Petit Pica shop

  

Through our blog we will not only keep you updated with the latest additions to the shop but also share a little slice of France. We hope this gives you an essence of the France we love.

 À bientôt,