A weather correction, a manicure problem, the story of Rose Valland and a Parisian apartment I watched twice.
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I owe the weather desk a small correction. I said last week the weekend would be rainy and gray. It was cold — genuinely cold, the kind that surprises you in late March — but sunny. My sister spent the weekend shuttling her plants in and out of the garage. I herded everything that had not yet made it into a container onto the porch, built a fort of cushions around them and tucked a blanket on top. They survived. They are still waiting to be planted, which brings me to something I should probably have admitted sooner: I love buying plants and I do not love planting them.
My mom loves planting. We did it together many times, she has a green thumb and a love of gardening. Not to mention she is great at it. I seem to have inherited the part where you come home from the garden center with more than you planned, and skipped the part where you enjoy putting them in the ground. There is also the recurring problem of deciding to plant the day after a manicure. Every single time. And then I stand there puzzled about why they are dirty, chipped and did not last. I apparently learn nothing.
It is Holy Week and Easter is Sunday. The week is busy and I am trying to slow down and be present.
A few days ago I finished The Art Spy by Michelle Young — the true story of Rose Valland, a curator at the Jeu de Paume in Paris who spent the entire Nazi occupation memorizing everything going in and out. The museum had been taken over as a clearinghouse for looted art, thousands of works stripped from Jewish families across Europe, and Rose stayed. She watched. She passed shipment details to the French Resistance. On Liberation Day she was still there, and her records became the foundation for recovering what had been stolen. She has been largely written out of the history books. She belongs in every one of them because without her and her tireless work many more works of art would be missing and lost forever. If you loved The Monuments Men, this is the book you have been waiting for.
I cannot let a week go by without sharing a beautiful space, and this week on Homeworthy we are inside the Paris apartment of antique dealer Agathe Derieux. This home has been in her family for generations — she grew up in these rooms, her mother and grandmother before her — and she has made it into a home for her three daughters. Eighteenth-century painted canvases alongside modern whimsical pieces. A kitchen straight out of the French countryside. Each piece tells a story. I watched it twice and wanted to move in immediately.
A few things found their way into my cart this week, this dress, this shirt and this bag. I haven’t bought anything yet because I am waiting for a few things to arrive that I ordered last week. I love this dress, you can dress it up or down with a simple change of sandals and bag. Add your favorite jewelry and you will look fabulous!
Outfit Details~Click for Details
If you missed it, I joined Kim and Juliet for Weekend Meanderings — go say hello.
How are you spending Holy Week? And Easter? Will you be traveling or celebrating at home? Tell me in the comments — I always love to know.
If you like the post please share and don’t forget to follow along on Facebook, Instagram or X or Pinterest.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends.
You might also enjoy:
Monday Musings No. 213 | Beautiful, Itchy and Completely Worth It
Monday Musings No. 212 | The Dawn Chorus
Weekend Meanderings No. 103 | Gardens, Great Women and a New Monty Don
Monday Musings No. 210 | A Lazy Weekend
On My Radar
I love your blog. Feels like sitting at the kitchen table thinking about life with a friend. Thank you.
Georgia, this comment brought tears to my eyes. I consider all of you my friends and love that you get that feeling from the blog.
Have a lovely day and thank you!
Elizabeth,
I just wanted to say I love your blog. I learn so much from your articles and have read many of your recommended books. I also love to buy plants and they often go unplanted for too long–ugh!! Keep up the baking and enjoy this special week.
Darlene,
Thank you! I am so happy that you enjoy the blog, the books and the articles. If you have a favorite book, recipes, thought, article or anything else please feel free to share in the comments I know that I would enjoy and so would everyone else.
As for plants, I am happy to know that I am not the only one.
Have a blessed week and a happy easter.
Thanks for the book recommendation…it sounds very interesting, and I will see if my library has a copy. Thanks!
You are very welcome Paula. I hope that you enjoy it. Have a wonderful Easter.
I also adore assembling new plants but not so much actually planting them! And I get the sirens call to do so the day after a new manicure weird, right? I’ve learned to get it in gear and get the planting, ironing and laundry done BEFORE I go to the nail salon so I guess it’s proved to be an incentive to do the work then get the reward, haha. One tip for you, before I go out to plant I dig my nails into a bar of bath soap, Dove is good as it is soft, then wear gloves and it saves the manicure. Bonus is nails stay clean too. Happy planting ❤️
Pamela, thank you for the Dove tip! I have never hear of doing this and it is genius. I am also happy to know that I am not the only one that buys plants and dislikes planting. I do love to iron and do laundry.
I hope that you have a blessed week.
Laundr? not so much but I do love to iron too! But hard on a fresh manicure and the heat from the dryer is as well. I get a mini vacay for a day or two after a manicure, no cooking, dishes, laundry or cleaning for at least 24 hours. Hubby chips in while I take a bath and a book and he even brings me a glass of wine, maybe a bit of cheese while I’m soaking. Then a movie together on the couch. That’s what 50 years of marriage looks like 🙂
Pamela, I love this! Wine, cheese and a book in the tub! I usually have a book and a cup of tea but wine and cheese sounds like a great addition. 50 years of marriage, congratulations! It sounds like a wonderful partnership!
Ironically just yesterday my husband and I were talking about our mothers and ironing. Both are very good at ironing and any time we are or were with them they always insisted on ironing our things because they claim to do it better.
Have a wonderful day and thank you for sharing.