Crumbling Châteaux

With modern times achanging, old money does not warrant stability and continuity: one way or another the estates it relates to likely meet their fate. Heating bills, maintenance and repair costs, and property taxes end up sealing the deal on one remorseless Winter night.

Passed down the generations, the estates increasingly turn into financial burdens (financial money pits!), unless pockets are deep and/ or resourcefulness (return on investment projects), DIY skills, family team spirit and general stamina are unequivocally high.

Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers (dating back to 13th century), Les Trois-Moutiers, Vienne, France

Maybe any land-related business attached to the estate (farming, winemaking, fruit orchards, garden nurseries, crafts, hospitality) which used to support or supplement its income ends up folding altogether due to high running costs and other expenditures - and the implacability of French taxation (so be said). The château lifestyle may then take a turn for the worse and bite the dust...

Likewise the French château dream may turn sour for those idealist buyers and unpractical investors who succumbed to the lure of a quick, cheap and fanciful purchase, only to find out that they are biting more than they can chew. And then the château lifestyle increasingly becomes a distant vision. 

Château de Maupas (built c.1580), Maupas, Dordogne, France

I have little knowledge about the history of the châteaux featured herein - and the reasons that led to their falling from grace. Regardless, my aim is not to blame or condemn. Mirabelle knows only too well how easy - very easy - it is for a property - grand or otherwise - to fall into disrepair, catch you off-guard, and for its maintenance costs to escalate beyond repair, especially when the property has not been consistently looked after or if you have been dealing with cowboy builders and other rip-off con artists from the associated building trades. Those elderly ladies made out of stone, brick, slate and wood require constant methodical TLC: choose to disregard or overlook it at your peril!

Château de la Boissière (dating back to 19th century), Edern, Brittany, France

Some owner-renovators and passionate volunteers are riding the wave high and proud and making a success out of their property venture, through blood, sweat and tears. First expect cold sleepless nights, spartan comfort, improvised dinners out of a camping stove, and chamber pots for toilets... Or best make a caravan your home while a modicum of comfort is being established in your property. All in all, keep at it and never lose sight of the reward at the end of the dirt track, beyond crumbling plaster and patches of dry rot!

Château de Coat an Noz (built 1870), Belle-Isle-en-Terre, Brittany, France

Source: (1-5) French château photography via Châteaux de France. (1) Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers (built 13th century), Les Trois-Moutiers, Vienne, photography by Pierre Mairé. (2) Château de Maupas (built c.1580), Issac, Dordogne. (3) Château de la Boissière (dating back to 19th century), Edern, Brittany, and (4) Château de Coat an Noz (built 1870), Belle-Isle-en-Terre, Brittany, photography by Morgan Corbet. (5) Château de Bonnefontaine (built 1818-1822), Altwiller, Alsace. (6) Château de Blancafort (built 1453), Sologne, Loire Valley. (7) Château de Meauce (built c.13th century), Nivernais.

Château de Bonnefontaine (built 1818-22), Altwiller, Alsace, France

Depressed about the château sorry state? Cheer up and read on...


Château Success Stories:

• Adopte un Château, in partnership with Dartagnans, presents itself as an innovative crowdfunding scheme designed to bring together investing members of the general public willing to be involved in the rescue of a struggling château that has fallen into disrepair. The initial goal is for the investors to collectively meet the seller's asking price. By purchasing one or more shares (affordably priced at 51 euros a share), they become in effect one of the several owners who will be involved in the château's future, with its renovation funded by its conversion into a profitable business. This is exactly what is happening to our featured (1) Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers right now! Now whether the scheme has real potential for the safeguard of a château - or is purely utopic - remains to be seen, especially in the long term.
• Push open the door to a successful privately-owned current château renovation scheme: Château de Meauce (built 13th century), set in Nivernais, the Central area of la belle France. The château is featured on the Adopte un Château website.
• Follow the river and admire the quintessential châteaux of the Loire Valley: those are healthy and wealthy! And while you're at it, take a leisurely stroll through the grounds and the gardens. 
• If your pockets are deep and you envision yourself as the proud owner of a renovated château in Sologne, within the Loire Valley, you are in luck! Château de Blancafort (built 1453 as a fortified stronghold) is up for auction... and already has your name on it! 
• Purchased in 2015 by TV personality Dick Strawbridge and his wife Angel Adoree, Château-de-la-Motte Husson is the star of a (British) TV home renovation series. The Loire Valley-located château (which finds its origins in Medieval times and was rebuilt 1868-1874) also hosts vintage weddings and other hospitality events under the umbrella of The Vintage Pâtisserie, Angel's hospitality company.
• In the French Pyrenees village of Château-Verdun, Château de Gudanes (built mid-1700s) is too enjoying a second youth! Its new owners are a couple of  dynamic Aussies who gave up their home comforts from Down Under for a château life made up of cracks, leaks, drafts, overdrafts... and much joy! The château restoration is well underway now and paying off! In fact, each Summer paying guests are invited to contribute their skills in exchange for a slice of the pie. 

Château de Blancafort (built 1453), Sologne, Loire Valley, France

Château de Meauce (built c.13th century), Nivernais, France (pict source)

Chocolate Chip Cookies the Mason Jar Way

Easy as 1-2-3, you got it right here! With the holiday season a sprinkling of snowflakes away, here is one nifty instant cookie present fit for a sweet-tooth relative or friend! You've heard of cakes that pop out of a packet, Betty Crocker way. How about cakes that elegantly swish out of a Mason jar and that are entirely personable, i.e. as health-conscious, organic and luxurious as you want them to be? And pretty and thoughtful enough to become presents, without your breaking the bank or a nail?

The Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe infographic brought to me by the guys at Fix is a nifty edible present that is 100% customisable and assembled together in less than 5 minutes. The present requires a little involvement for the recipient, namely mixing the ingredients together with egg, butter and vanilla - and have an oven at the ready. Talk about hassle-free baking, when virtually all of the ingredients have been selected, weighed and handed over to you in a jar with a tag and a ribbon. Yes we could do the baking for you, but then we would have to scoff all the cookies!

Source: Mason jars have the power to be repurposed in all sorts of creative ways and the Mason Jar Madness article by Dinah Wulf goes under the hood (sorry, lid!) of the jar to dig out domestic uses for the home and garden. You will find a host of nifty ideas, tips and advice from the Fix blog!

Fast and Fancy Last-Minute Advent Calendars!

How about sprinkling sweetness to the Christmas countdown as December is getting into gear? Bring it on with the Advent calendar! This is one Christian tradition that is bound to fill the little ones with anticipation while putting them through their paces all the way to the height of the festive season.

Advent calendar season conjures up fond memories for later in life. This time of year always brings me back to the memory of those charming colourful little calendars that my mum would get my brother and I. The design was invariably that of a cardboard mountain chalet frontage with 24 shuttered windows. Each morning as I got ready, I would religiously and delicately open the shutters of the window of the day, to a nested piece of moulded chocolate. The shuttered window for Christmas Eve outsized all the others, revealing its double-whammy of a chocolate duo!

It looks like Advent calendars have widened their scope for creative licence these days. Although you can still buy them ready-made and get on with your life, DIY Advent calendars seem to be the thing; you don't need to be a master craftsperson either. With 1st December only a breath away, shall we get cracking like... now?

Sources from top right: Photo montage by Mirabelle, assisted by PicMonkey. Everyday in December is going to be Christmas! (1) The Advent calendar made up of numbered clothespins by Marie Claire Idées, holds up sachets containing little treasures to hold and behold. Use fancy paper clips if no clothespins handy, and small envelopes instead of sachets. (2) Make a statement and deck the halls! Advent calendar by Most Lovely Things, via ibid. (3) A Postcard Advent calendar by ibid. will make good use of unused postcards and celebration cards that are lying around the house. Gift appreciative words to the word lovers and wordsmiths of the family. Write a heartfelt note in each card, an uplifting proverb, a thoughtful quote, an observation, a charade or a light-hearted joke. Maybe compose a verse from a favourite poem, or a hiaku of your own. Never underestimate the power of words! Or drop one hint a day about the Christmas present(s) intended to your recipient, writing in code which they will have to crack. Turn those words into an Advent-ure! (4) The Advent calendar mobile by Avec Ses 10 Ptits Doigts, via Marie Claire Idées will solve any space dilemma within the tiny housing community. Amp up the Christmas vibe by adding necklace pearls, silver/ gold ribbons, twinkling stars and fresh ivy!

P.S: (1-3) Thou shall not worry about the French wording: the tutorials' how-to pictures are self-explanatory.

Sweet Paul - a Pretty Lovely Mag!

There has been a quiet revolution out there in the lifestyle press, led by a 50-year-old Norwegian-born gentleman named Paul 'Sweet Paul' Lowe who lives and works in New York City as a food and craft stylist, and looks like a bearded teddy bear 'chasing the sweet things in life' - and yes this might as well include honey and hives of habitation...

Welcome to the world of Sweet Paul, a digital and print magazine that is creatively revisiting lifestyle, and where - refreshingly - normality is the new luxury. There is an honest, authentic love for the home in Sweet Paul's approach that has been honed and crafted over the last six years, with a consistent attention to detail and an eye for beauty in the everyday. There is a thoughtful art direction to the modern home with enough nostalgia and countrified hands-on approach in the homemade and handmade that makes us want to cosy up on our sofa with the mag like a family member to soak up some inspiration, before cracking on with the new projects!

DIY Rubber Stamp

Sweet Paul's honesty verges on humility in its approach to recipes, entertaining, DIY, kids or pets that truly makes this magazine an inclusive family-focused, family-friendly publication that involves everyone in. It celebrates the lifestyle without the drama, the lifestyle that lives in or near the city or further afield, and yet the city's noise is pared down of its hustle and bustle.

Glitter Acorns

Angel Chocolate Easter Eggs

Family gatherings and other joyful celebrations of life are given centrestage. Everyone is truly invited here, in a rare balancing act! There is no poncey editorial tone, no political message, no megalomaniac overpaid chefs dishing out impossible recipes, no pretentious interior designers talking down to us readers; no intimidating displays of lavishness or brash. Everything is at its place. Everything is paced, measured, tasteful and tasty! Sweet Paul gently nudges us to bring in elegance into the every day, in a sweet and pretty lovely way! Sweetness has never tasted so good!

Lunch Bowl with Cauliflower, Avocado and Eggs

Sources: The publishing adventure of Sweet Paul quarterly magazine kicked off in Spring 2010. If you are a late starter, Sweet Paul's got it all covered for you! Thus do rest assured that you won't be missing out as all of Sweet Paul's back copies are still available to purchase here. And why look back when you can look forward? Purchase an annual print subscription of Sweet Paul magazine (4 issues) via this link or a digital PDF subscription via Gumroad. Meanwhile (1) Sweet Paul's latest edition, Issue 25/ Summer 2016 is available to read online, via Issuu, the digital magazine platform. (2) DIY Rubber Stamp by Sweet Paul. (3-4) There is Sweet Paul inspiration for every season and holiday under the sun: (3) Glitter Acorns for Christmas and (4) Angel Chocolate Easter Eggs. (5) A quick bite with some bite: Lunch Bowl with Cauliflower, Avocado and Eggs by Sweet Paul. (6) The print version of the latest magazine issue may be purchased here for a cool $18.00 and the PDF version via Gumroad for a sweet $2.99. It's your call, folks! And for that extra generous dollop of sweetness, you have 280+ pages of it in a book, as Sweet Paul Eat and Make: Charming Recipes and Kitchen Crafts You Will Love! We just can't get enough!

Be Your Own Sunshine in 2015 and Beyond!

Count your blessings daily. Do not wait for the proverbial sun to bless your off days, create your own sunshine! Step into the New Year with a new friend on board: yourself! That's right, be your own best friend, because the world is tough enough! Being your own best friend will be like wearing a crown or tiara. Your higher opinion of yourself will make you feel bright and breezy to yourself and others, not crushed by the weight of the world.

Secondo, do a little Feng-Shui in your life: clear off the bad vibes, the dead-end thoughts, the uninspiring home settings, the draining friendships, the broken halos and other disillusions. Stay kind to yourself and others, just let go of what is no longer necessary. Keep decluttering until you feel lighter. It is all about a little tweak here and there, a little physical or mental reorganising, nothing drastic, nothing daunting. Be your own sunshine in 2015 and beyond!

Sources: (1) "Couronne en Paillettes Façon Diadème" (Sequin Tiara), created by Marion Taslé for Marie Claire Idées. In the Christian calendar, The Epiphany marks the end of the Christmas season and is celebrated on the 12th day of Christmas, i.e. 6th January. In France, the celebration is commonly referred to as La Fête des Rois (The Kings Party) and involves the sharing with relatives, friends or even co-workers of the popular Galette des Rois (Kings Pie), a melt-in-the-mouth round puff pastry pie filled with Frangipane (a rich paste made up of butter, sugar, eggs, ground almonds and almond extract). Hidden in the paste is a Fève (literally a fava bean, nowadays replaced - or complimented - by a small ceramic figurine). Whoever gets the fava in their slice of Galette will be crowned King or Queen and wear a golden fleur-de-lys cardboard crown provided by the bakery/ pâtisserie shop at the time of purchase of the Galette. Pictured here is a much more elaborate and luxurious take on the crown, as creatives and crafters have a field day reworking the coveted headpiece, and putting their personal stamp on it! (2) Get motivated and kick-start the year with Lara Casey's Handwriting Desk Cards Gold Foil and keep the year in check with Lara's amazing Making Things Happen PowerSheets™. (3) 'Small Ostrich Feathers in Blush Pink' by PLUMULEfeathers, via Etsy. Add a touch of glitter to your home environment, surround yourself with objects and books that are meaningful to you. Stay close or get closer to nature by collecting river pebbles, seaglass, feathers, seed pods. Keep it organic. (4) Uncredited source, via Pinterest.

A Gold-Speckled Easter

I'm dreaming of a golden Easter day...

Just like the ones I used to know

Where the eggtops glisten

And children listen

To hear the crackling sounds of Easter...

Source: (1) 'DIY Confetti-Dipped Easter Eggs' by Studio DIY. (2) 'Golden Marbled Easter Eggs DIY' by She Knows (Holidays & Seasons). (3) 'Gold and Pastel Eggs' by Honest to Nod. (4) 'Gold Glitter Dipped Pink Painted Eggs', photography by Emily Faulstich, also recently featured in Sköna Hem. (5) 'Dipped Easter Eggs' by Fabulous K.