Custom Home Illustrations Years ago, when we bought our first house, a friend gave us a thoughtful housewarming gift. She commissioned a custom illustration a “house portrait” of our new home. The artist created a small watercolour print of the house from a photograph. The picture hung in our home …

French Riviera an Artistic Book Whether you have been to the French Riviera countless times or have always dreamed of the place, Virginia Johnson’s “Travels Through the French Riviera” is an insider’s guide from an artist’s perspective. Johnson is a Canadian designer and illustrator, and her book is a compilation …

With her camera and laptop close at hand, Carolyne Kauser-Abbott traded in her business suits for the world of freelance writing and social media consulting. Carolyne is the founder of the digital magazine Perfectly Provence. Focused exclusively on Provence, this website is an essential online resource, a digital magazine for …

I have always loved gardens, although I have to admit to not being a great gardener myself. A summer garden with deep herbaceous borders, filled with the scent and colour of roses is always a delight and we have some delightful ones around us in the UK, such as this …

Les Vacances! Holidays in Provence en Famille The trip is booked, finally a chance to spend some time in Provence with the family. However, you want this experience to be one that everyone (and every age) will remember with equal amounts of joy. Touring old Provencal villages in a hot …

Whether fiction or not, Nutmeg thinks it is appropriate that Casanova the infamous Venetian writer, gambler and reputed womanizer is weaved into the history of les Jardins d’Albertas. This garden, owned by the Albertas family, is located just a few minutes outside of Aix-en-Provence in the town of Bouc-Bel-Air, where the ancient …

I have the incredible luxury of spending time in France every summer. Starting in 2000, when my daughter was still in junior high, my husband and I made it our priority to travel to France every year (rather than remodel the kitchen or build a new deck). We loved Paris, …

I have avoided the Riviera when visiting Provence, figuring that it would be too busy, too ritzy for my taste. Well, after finally deciding to give it a try—after all it is the Riviera—all I can say is “I get it!!!” I now see why it is so popular. Read …

Images from La Belle Èpoque (1871-1914) on the French Riviera generate the impression of a whimsical golden era brimming with pleasurable pursuits and indulgences. It was a time of pure fantasy; the stuff little girls might dream of — castles, palatial homes, ball gowns and glass slippers. For Madame Ephrussi, …

I’m a real Francophile and have stayed in more than one hundred towns, cities, villages and hamlets in France. Twenty-two of these have been in Provence, the shortest for one night, the longest for four months. Every time I plan a trip to Provence, the dilemma is where to choose… …