Lavender Fields July 2010
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I just got back from Provence last night (found a little sprig of lavender still in my suitcase this morning). The fields were incredible. This first photo was taken late in the morning and the other 2 just before sunset.
The lavender looks very good this year, and the harvest will take place within a week or so. I think the hand-cut bouquets will be beautiful. I brought back fresh sachets and lavender pillows in my luggage, (a slightly different design), so be sure to pick up a fresh one either at the market or online.  |
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Voila Suzanne proudly displaying the lavender "bottles" that she made.
Packing up the goods and preparing the shipment.
 
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Lisa and I are in Provence now making the annual purchases for the website. The lavender is harvested in July but not dry and ready to ship until now. Sounds like our supplier has lots of beautiful blue and regular flowers this year. We will be mixing the greyer (stronger scent with the blue for color). Lots of new soaps to be shipped back, more of your favorite olive oil and other goodies. Here is Lisa today in Orange scouting out new products. Check back the next few days to see what else we have found. We are on the lookout for lavender plants that need a little extra pruning...smudge sticks?
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Back in May we decided it was time to update and improve our website. We would like to hear what you think, so that we can make it as user-friendly and interactive as it can possibly be. We can now publish articles that may be of interest, that were formerly only on the blog, we can update information about the tour we offer annually to Provence, as well as update information on the local markets where we participate. I will be adding new recipes this week and you can request to be on our mailing list, as well as tell us what you think of the products and services from Essence de Provence. I invite you to please go to the "Talk about it" section and let us know what you think of all of these changes. This is the best way for us to know what is useful and interesting for you, our loyal customers.
Merci,
Beth & Lisa |
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I frequently see the spelling of lavender as "lavendar". Are they both correct? I have always assumed it was a British spelling. While researching the subject, I found a Canadian writer who believes it a "Canadian thing". It is a more romantic spelling according to a few, I must agree. Dictionary entries call it an "obsolete spelling". I welcome any information readers may want to contribute. Let's solve the mystery! |
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We are fortunate enough to be in Provence at the moment. Our Experience Provence Tour has begun. After a few delayed flights, and 1 lost bag, we are settled and enjoying the time in this magical place.
The first evening we left St. Cecile-les-Vignes to find Domain Rouge-Bleu on the edge of the village. Kristen Espinasse writes French-Word-a-Day and she and her husband Jean-Marc are the vignerons.
The tasting and discussion took place around this table in a lovely setting. Jean-Marc shared a few tips that I had never heard about tasting, that I’d like to share.
He had just come back from an event where professionals taste wine, and we were curious about all of his gesticulations with the nose and mouth were about when he was tasting so we asked for some tips from a professional.
One tip he mentioned was to oxygenate the wine by swirling it around in the glass, but when he swirls the wine around the glass, he is serious. This is no “whish” around the glass, but a seriously tornadic event. Even more impressive is the fact that every drop stays in the glass.
He told us about a vacuum/bubbling action he also does to really take in the scent as one tastes, but if that cannot be mastered, blowing air out the nose immediately after swallowing will intensify the scent.
If the scent remains 5 seconds after tasting, the wine is ok. 5-10 seconds is good and 10 or more exceptional.
http://www.rouge-bleu.com/
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It has been almost a year since I started screen printing. I also develop and print black and white photos. Neither of these things are my forte. I love them both! I don't think it's fair for the detail oriented, organized and methodical to always succeed-do you? Screen printing is very precise, there are many variables involved and trying to figure out why it is not working for you, can be a very maddening process. I wanted to combine photography with screen printing, so love the idea of using photo emulsion to transfer an image onto the screen, and then on to the fabric. However just as in a darkroom, emulsion must be put on the screen in total darkness (hard to see how thick or where you are spreading it), and dried in total darkness. (Okay, you can use red lights, but if your night vision is as bad as mine, this isn't much help). You then shine a light on the transparency of your image that has been laid over the emulsion to expose it, and then wash the it out of the screen, with the result being a nice clean image on your screen.
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