Sunday, May 4, 2025

Spring in London and Southern France

Just before Easter, I went to London for a few days. 

The weather could not have been better—sunny, bright, and beautiful. I walked everywhere, up to 17 km a day!


Tea at Number Sixteen in the gorgeous Tall Trees china.




My first stop in London is usually the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre, where all major interior design showrooms are located in one place. I love browsing the latest fabric and wallpaper collections, and am always looking for new designs for my inserts. And there is generally so much inspiration to be found. 





The flower arrangements at Number Sixteen are beautiful complements to the artworks, wallpapers, fabrics, and design elements around them.


A delicious Middle Eastern feast at Bubala with DS (more dishes kept coming)




Girls' lunch with DS's GF at Daphne's




The drawing room at Number Sixteen is such a cosy and lovely place to relax after a busy day.



How gorgeous are these embroidered silk panels at Mekams on the Fulham Road?


Back home in Southern France, spring has almost turned into summer.


We had a lot of rain this year, so the wild asparagus has grown abundantly. I'd pick a big bunch when walking the dogs and steam them in the evening. I'd sprinkle them with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, parmesan shavings, ground pepper, and sea salt, and add soft-boiled eggs cut in half. Utterly delicious! 


Our little lemon trees have done incredibly well and brought us a fantastic harvest in their first year.



Peony season is here again!


A new fabric for my inserts: Liberty of London Petit Fleurs, available here for most bag sizes




I am still slightly obsessed with making appliqué flowers; the latest two are in their finishing stages.




Have a wonderful remaining spring everyone xx


The places mentioned above (no affiliations)

Bubala

28 comments:

  1. I cannot wait to explore your post more thoroughly, but I first wanted to say how glad I am to see you have a new one. Thank you, ahead of time, for shariing more colorful adventures! Kind regards, Carolyn

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    1. Thanks so much for the warm welcome back, dear Carolyn. I hope you enjoy the post! Warm regards, Tai

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  2. Thank you for the wonderful story and beautiful pictures!

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    1. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. So happy you enjoy the post, merci!

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  3. Nanette CatarinellaMay 4, 2025 at 7:39 PM

    So happy to see your post again. Beautiful photos. I look forward to more!

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    1. So happy that you enjoyed the post! Many thanks also for the warm welcome back; it makes me feel less guilty for having not posted in a while!

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  4. AAA post - blue &. white fabrics, lemons, peonies, & yummy asparagus recipe. Hope the dachshunds are well.Thank you. Cynthia

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    1. Aww ... thanks so much for the lovely words, dearest Cynthia! The dachshunds are well ... again. Poor Roley broke one of his little paw bones and wasn't allowed to go on walks for nearly two months. He still came with us but was riding in a pram, while enjoying sniffing the air. All fine now, and they are both back to chasing butterflies in the spring sunshine! Have a wonderful Sunday x

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  5. Your lovely photos give me hope that spring will indeed come and stay in the Rocky Mountains of Canada. She’s not here quite yet!!

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    1. Hope spring will be with you very soon! Warmest wishes from France to Canada!

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  6. J’adore vous lire et j’apprécie vos belles photos!

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    1. Je vous remercie pour votre gentil commentaire!

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  7. Beautiful pictures as always. The flowers and the fabrics are a feast for the eyes. I am quite taken by the upholstery method used on the Number 16 sofa. The bottom skirt is tufted to the floor and I have never see it done like that before. The decor there is interesting and elegant. Congrats on your lemons!

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    1. I love how you observe the details. Number Sixteen is rich in amazing details ... quite a feast! The photo is slightly misleading as the wooden surface is a coffee table. The sofa itself has small legs, but the bottom part is still tufted. If you like you can send me your email address and I'll send you a picture that shows the entire sofa.

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  8. Thank you for lovely post and beautiful photos. We will visit the places you recommend next time we are in London.

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    1. I am so happy you enjoyed the post, thanks so much for your comment. Have a wonderful time when you are in London next!

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  9. Thank you for taking us on this wonderful little journey in pictures!

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    1. So nice to hear from you, dear Bettina, and happy you like the post. Lieben Dank und herzliche Grüsse!

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  10. How beautiful Tai! I miss your posts. You look so lovely and that food at Bubala looks amazing! I also love the tall trees China dishes! 😍

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    1. Thank you so much for the lovely words! DS chose Bubala because I'm vegetarian, I was so touched by this. The Tall Tree china is truly beautiful ... I could not resist and bought a few pieces. Not sure how to stop myself from wanting more 😅

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  11. So sorry to miss you this time but you certainly had a splendid weekend and I am definitely going to try Bubala next time I'm in London. Stunning lemons by the way - I wonder whether you'll lemonade them, lemon curd them or lemon preserve them. See you very soon I hope. Melissa xxx

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    1. Next time for sure! You were on my mind, as I saw your designs everywhere I went. I had grand plans for the lemons, but their juice was so exquisite that I could not resist picking a fresh one for squeezing every morning. Bubala was great fun, you'll love it! See you soon, I hope xxx

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  12. What a pleasure to open my email and read your post and vicariously visit London. The photos are so inspiring. Have a wonderful summer.

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    1. Thanks so much for the lovely comment; it is so nice to know that the email brought you joy. Have a wonderful summer, too!

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  13. Happy Spring and Happy Mother's day. Lovely photos. I can't resist a corner flower shop. I enjoy your artistic view. Thank you!

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    1. Happy Spring and Happy Mother's Day to you, too! I agree with you on corner flower shops, they are particularly enticing.

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  14. The photos are stunning as usual. Hard to believe I have been following you long enough on various platforms for your DS to be grownup enough to have GF for you to lunch with. Where did the time go?! Regards, LadyMartin

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    1. It is such a good question, Lady Martin. DS was only seven when I first posted online, and he's turning 25 later this year. A long time in one sense, and a blink of an eye in another. I am touched that you've been keeping in touch all this time, thank you for your lovely comment.

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