Famille Summerbelle

Countdown til' xmas...

Last night while the children were asleep I was setting up their advent calendar I secretly made over the past few days. I got some little things like crayons, hair clips, Kinder chocolates, some Playmobiles toys and other silly things. I used a gold crepon paper to make the little houses and pinned them to the wall in the shape of a Christmas tree ( I actually got inspired by similar advent calendars I saw on Pinterest).

My best present was this early morning when the children walked out of their bedroom. The first reaction I could hear was Whooouaaaaa! Then they were jumping screaming 'yeah! c'est bientôt Noel! Merci maman! T'es trop gentille! T'es la meilleure maman du monde!
It's nearly Christmas! Thank you mummy! You are so nice! You're the best mummy in the World!.
Happy happy morning.

Weaving materials

We Make Carpets is a Dutch collective who mixes traditional skills to make unusual carpets with a critical view of the consumer society. At first you see a beautifully crafted carpet, but with a closer look you discover surprising items like soldier figurines, band-aids, or plastic forks cleverly assembled to create colourful graphic patterns.

Seen on Plenty of Colour.

Le Marché Saint Pierre

Le Marché Saint Pierre (also known as Dreyfus) is the place to visit if you are looking for all sorts of fabric and haberdashery in Paris. It is located in the very touristic area of Montmatre. I've just been today to buy some linen to make cushions and 3 meters of bright pink tulle to make a tutu for Ophelia!

Christmas window display, Paris

Last saturday morning, the children and I went to see the Christmas window display at the Galeries Lafayettes and Printemps department stores in Paris. We got there early for them to have plenty of space to look at the puppet display. They loved it. The music, the bright colours, sparkles and of course the puppets dancing and ice-skating. It was such a pleasure to see their eyes wide open and amazed by it all. The gigantic Swarovski Christmas tree in the Galeries Lafayettes was for both of them the highlight of it all (Now they want the same at home!) It was all very enjoyable but I got a little annoyed that everything is now brand sponsored. Dior and Louis Vuitton were respectively in charge of Printemps and Galeries Lafayette window displays, as for the Christmas tree, well you could not miss the logo!

Have a wonderful weekend. We are going to Lille!

Origami paper lampshades

These beautiful origami lampshades are going on my wish list this Christmas!

Pink, blue & green

I had fun drawing and cutting little danish houses on a special rubber stamp pad I bought on my last trip to Japan. I'm just experimenting at the moment!

Colours

After spending my day in the ceramic studio I needed some fresh air so I cycled with a Velib to the Musée d'Art Moderne de la ville de Paris. It was soooo cold on the bike! I stopped for some time in front of the Portrait de Pierre Bonnard by Edouard Vuillard (painted in 1930). Stunning colours....

Enjoy your weekend!

Win a Manhattan tray

We have a competition running on Facebook at the moment. We're giving away one of our splendid Scandinavian birch wood trays from the Morning in Manhattan collection. It really is a lovely tray (my favourite at the moment!) so do enter if you have the time.

All you need to do is 'like' Famille Summerbelle and then leave your email address.

Easy peasy.

Happy birthday Lucien

Three is the magic number,
Yes it is, it's the magic number...

Flying Houses

By French photographer Laurent Chehere. The Flying Houses series are on show until 8th December at the Galerie Paris-Beijing, 54 rue Vertbois, Paris 3ème.

Les fermes de Gally

It's another one of those wet Autumn days today. We started the day very slowly with that French staple of croissants and confiture!

On days like this we often pay a visit to Les Fermes de Gally. Gally is a farm on the edge of the Versailles estate and it's very close to where we live. It has a long history, having provided food for the Kings and then Napoleon.

Today it continues to produce an incredibly wide selection of fruits and vegetables, and the farm shop is a truly magnificent place to visit.

We rounded off the shopping with a short visit to the farm, petting the goats, donkeys and horses before heading home for a late lunch. Not such a bad day after all!

Cannelle & Vanille

Aran Goyoaga, the food writer/stylist/photographer/blogger from Cannelle & Vanille has just launched a new book called Small Plates & Sweet Treats...it will be on my wish list this Christmas...

Monotone, Duotone, Multitone

The Index Collection by Dutch design studio Raw Color is series of tea towels and blankets. The total collection consists of 3 different colour series. Each series follows the same process, from Monotone, through Duotone, to Multitone, with the first shade taking the lead and a new tone will be added in the following step.

Love Locks

Hundreds and hundreds of cadenas d'amour (love locks or wish locks) on the Pont des Arts in Paris.To symbolise their love couples are hanging a padlock with their initials on the barriers of the bridge and then throw the keys in the river Seine!

Surexposer

We are very proud to be part of the first edition of new French magazine Surexposer. Launched by brother and sister Audrey + Matthias Sorge, the magazine highlights the savoir-faire (know-how) of designers and artists around the World: from the enigmatic London based musician and illustrator Keaton Henson to six French sisters Six Soeurs customising handbags to the large scale graffiti Portuguese sculptor Alexandre Farto (Aka Vhils) who scrapes off walls to reveal anonymous faces.
Vhils, Lisboa.


Available in Paris in Palais de Tokyo shop and Artazart or online here.

Hanna Konola

Beautiful prints and illustrations from Finish designer Hanna Konola.

Enjoy your weekend and/or the holidays with your children. Tomorrow we are going to London for few days to spend time with our dear friends and family.

Our new collection, Morning in Manhattan.

"He adored New York City. He idolised it all out of proportion….no, make that: he - he romanticised it all out of proportion. Yes. To him, no matter what the season was, this was still a town that existed in black and white and pulsated to the great tunes of George Gershwin"
Woody Allen, Manhattan 1979

I seem to always drift back to Woody Allen when I'm thinking about New York City and the start of the movie Manhattan is just about the best tribute to this beautiful city!

Today we launch our new collection Morning in Manhattan, a very own homage to brownstone buildings, wrought iron fire escapes, rooftop water towers, bustling streets and an unforgettable skyline.

Let us know what you think!

Morning in Manhattan, Yellow Taxi Cab & Silver.

Morning in Manhattan, Sky Blue & Hudson River.

Morning in Manhattan, 100% cotton Tea Towel.

Morning in Manhattan, Tray made from Scandinavian birch wood.

Morning in Manhattan, Mug. Fine bone China made in the UK.

Styling and photography by Aurélie Lecuyer.

When it rains

Another very autumnal weekend in Paris with grey sky and rain. And yes, it rained all day non stop on saturday. I was quite happy reading magazines and browsing around Pinterest but Ophelia was sitting next to me very bored! She wanted to draw and paint mermaids (she is 6 years old). So I grabbed some paint and large paper from the studio and set her up on the kitchen table. Ophelia drew fishes, mermaids and some interesting sea creatures to make an underwater scene...and I went back on the sofa...

What do you like to do with your children when it's raining outside?

Slow Wood

Slow Wood, handmade wooden furniture crafted in Fryslân (Netherlands).

Enjoy the weekend!

Window shopping, Le Marais.

I started my day in Merci meeting up with the lovely Emilie from Lait Fraise chatting about work, children and the difficult task of finding a home in the East side of Paris!
Afterwards I had a little look around Merci, Bonton next door and few shops in the charming rue de Bretagne.


This cane and leather chair is on my wish list...


Beautiful dinnerware colours designed by Russel Wright (Made by Bauer pottery, Los Angeles)


Malle W. Trousseau is a present made to last a lifetime offering in one huge box the finest ever made kitchen utensils.


Love neon sign, Bonton.


Cute cat rug from Bobo Choses at Bonton.


I quickly jumped on a Velib to check French Trotters and Little French Trotters, rue de Charonne. They have a great selection of some of my favourite brands Polder, Médecine Douce, Avril Gau, Bobo Choses, Blah Blah Kids...


Lunch at Cuisine de Bar open sandwiches served with Poilâne bread, rue Debelleyme 75003.