summer living in provence

As you probably know, our August box theme is Summer Living in Provence. Every item has been carefully curated to bring you the experience of a hot summer day in the south of France. But what exactly IS summer living in Provence? What is it we’re sending to you, neatly boxed up and tied with a ribbon? What are these aspects of a Provençal summer that make us wish the season would never end?

It’s visiting the local markets to pick up the freshest fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses, most grown or produced within an hour or two of where you’re buying them.

It’s pulling over when you see a particularly beautiful lavender field, just to stand between the rows and inhale its sweet scent.

It’s visiting one of the many local wine domaines, often located in the producers’ home, and being shepherded into their cool damp wine cave to taste before you inevitably buy. It’s drinking said wine on the terrace, a crisp chilled white or a rosé with a few ice cubes dropped in (referred to as a rosé piscine), alongside the meal prepared with the aforementioned market haul.

It’s waking up early just to catch that gorgeous morning light over the villages and fields.

It’s a quick jaunt off to the Mediterranean or the nearest lake for a swim when it gets just too hot!

But more than anything, it’s slowing down and taking the time to appreciate the simple things in life- the smells, tastes and sounds. In Provence, many of the luxuries of larger cities are fewer and further between, inciting a return to nature that is embraced by the locals, who flock en masse to the weekly markets and for whom Sunday is still an unquestioned day of rest.

Some villages date as far back as the 9th century, like Saint-Saturnin-lès-Apt, where the duo behind Bon Fond have recently reopened the historical restaurant Le Saint Hubert (read more about them in the July/August issue of My French Country Home Magazine). Many of the restaurant’s patrons frequented it as a child, or remember summer evenings dancing the night away in its former ballroom. The region as a whole has resisted the pull of mass modernization, maintaining much of the rustic charm that causes people to return time and time again.

We have created the August box to reflect this kind of slow living, including lots of natural colors and materials, and of course our usual brocante item. It is our hope that you will one day visit, or return to, Provence, but until then, the gifts in this box will bring a bit of that feeling into your home.

Fortunately, there are still a few left! Get your August box HERE before they sell out.

Photos by Sharon Santoni (1st photo) and Emily Jackson