Travel, Monet, Giverny and French Love

My mom travels a lot - to the point where I generally don't know where she is in the world, but this time is different. She's off on a trip driving from Amsterdam through France. Right before she left, she casually slips into conversation that she may stop by Giverny if there's time. You gotta make time for that!  

I'm sad that I'm in the US with our sub-par gardens today, so this morning I pulled out this book I found at a thrift store years ago, sipped some tea and dreamt of fields of French lavender and wild gardens.

Last year on an impromptu trip to Paris, I got to see some of Monet's work up close at l'Orangerie in Tuileries Garden and I've just been hooked ever since. I remember when I was really young, my parents were so obsessed with impressionist paintings that the majority of our house was sponge-painted mustard yellow, so this may be a genetic trait.

One day I hope to make this trip myself and see the wild gardens of Giverny and overgrown lavender fields in Southern France. Though until then, I'll always have this little bit of French Love.

Tones of lavender and sweet sweet vanilla - perfect for a soft Spring day like today.