Picturesque Provence

So we returned from glorious colorful Provence and found a smelly house full of mouse droppings.

That deflated my mood considerably.

Today we’re trying to clean and scrub and erase any vestige of rodent (and not snap at our kids because our vacation is over). I know – I have it so tough, right?

But I have picked the winner of the giveaway! And on top of it, I found this cute little sachet of lavender in Provence to throw in (provided the winner likes the scent).

So with further ado, here are a few snapshots of Provence to whet your appetite for the month’s worth of posts to come.

Really it’s to reminisce about the peaceful days long gone before I plunge elbow deep back into mouse droppings.

contemplating the ducks in some small town

perhaps the biggest ice cream we've ever eaten

the vineyards that make the vin

Monet's famous red poppy, called a coquelicot

olive oil sold here, there and everywhere

yellow canola fields

these lavender fields will be a beautiful muted purple in a couple of months

a lady in provence who wouldn't mind staying

Now for the drawing. See your name?

The hand goes in.

The hand comes out.

Congratulations Tracy!

22 Comments

Alison@Mama Wants This April 29, 2012

Beautiful Provence!!

Sorry about the mouse droppings though – so not nice.

Congratulations Tracy! (nice handwriting)
- ladyjennie April 29, 2012
  
  I thought maybe you’d win and it would be like a baby shower gift, but the little hand pulled out a different name.
OpinionsToGo April 29, 2012

The photos are so, so lovely…Provence looks like a little bit of Heaven.

Only one teeny thing I would have done differently…not talk about mouse droppings and then immediately go to
a photo of Ice cream.
- ladyjennie April 29, 2012
  
  You are so right I had to immediately change it.
angela April 29, 2012

Beautiful Truly. I am sorry about the mouse, but you make even a drawing for a giveaway picturesque!
- ladyjennie April 29, 2012
  
  Thanks Angela!
julie gardner April 29, 2012

Contemplating ducks is always a good idea…

And no one announces the winner of a giveaway quite like you, my lady.
Ameena April 29, 2012

Lucky Tracy! But lucky you…Provence looks stunning…

PS: You have such pretty writing!
ayala April 29, 2012

Wonderful pictures. Happy you had a great time
Andra April 30, 2012

*sigh* It’s so lovely–thanks for transporting me away from rainy, dreary Wisconsin for just a brief moment. But hey–we did get to sneak in a trip from Madison to Milwaukee today, and saw some ducks! It’s almost like being in Provence, n’est-ce pas?
Andi April 30, 2012

I love how you did the drawing – adorable!
Galit Breen April 30, 2012

Stunning photos and hooray for Tracy!

(Also? How lovely is your handwriting? Love!)
deborah l quinn April 30, 2012

When we were in Provence last summer, I walked around with my jaw hanging open because it was so beautiful – and I figured that all those pictures of rolling colorful fields, gnarled trees, and perfectly arranged stone farms MUST have been photo-shopped or imagined…but noooo it really, really does look like that. I didn’t want to come back either. Where in Provence were you? (and sorry about the mouse poop – sort of a literalization of the emotions surrounding re-entry, i guess. what educated mice you have)
- ladyjennie April 30, 2012
  
  Hi Deborah, I’m going to do a couple posts on Provence since the pictures are so gorgeous, but we went to Avignon, Menerbes, Gordes, Viens, Rustrel, Roussillon, and we stayed in a tiny place called Cereste.
tracy@sellabitmum April 30, 2012

Squeeeeee!! So excited. Thank you so much!!! xoxo

I love Provence. We have some table linens that we picked up there before we married that I will cherish forever.

Also – teach a handwriting course please? Mine is atrocious.
Mom April 30, 2012

Once we returned from a vacation to find (when we turned the oven on) that a mouse had chewed a nest hole into the insulation lining of our oven. It cost $200 to replace it. We practically could have bought a new stove for that much.
Jackie April 30, 2012

Such beautiful pictures! I would love to see the lavender… it is my absolute favorites!

Sorry about the mouse issues… I hate when that happens.
iceprinxess May 1, 2012

Welcome back and good for Tracy that she won. The handwriting for the draw is so neat and nice… something my handwriting is not.

Somehow that picture of the ice-cream is my favorite :p Provence looks like a really nice and scenic place.
anymommy May 2, 2012

Every single picture is gorgeous, but I may get on a plane to come and eat that ice cream with you!!
- ladyjennie May 2, 2012
  
  I know. Is it wrong to remember the food the most?
Carole May 2, 2012

Oh, Provence is one of my favorite places in the whole world. Lucky you, being so near!
Carole May 5, 2012

Nice post. Provence is on my list of Top Ten Places I Have Visited