From Cottage to Castle
In late July, we journeyed from our tiny house in Venice to a tiny village in France for a two week vacation in Belcastel. This little medieval town is nestled in the Aveyron Valley, and has been my home-away-from-home for a decade. The Château de Belcastel, which sits atop the village, is a striking and stunning historic monument, owned by my dear friend Heidi Leigh. I usually stay in her castle during my visits, but this year I was joined by more friends and family members than ever before, so I rented us all a gîte instead. It was the best of both worlds-- we were nestled in the heart of the village, and we were also fortunate enough to have access to the gorgeous castle. (When I could find wifi, I documented the stay on Instagram via Stories, and via #FromCottageToCastle.)
This year's trip was particularly magical for a few reasons: it was our first time in Belcastel with Baby West, it was the first time my sister visited the village, and we all got to see and celebrate an original mural that two of my close friends from LA-- Chandler Wood and Darren Le Gallo-- painted for one of the art galleries within the castle. It was extraordinary to be in one of my favorite places with so many of my favorite people:
One of the things I love most about Belcastel in summer is its Friday night market series. Artisans, bakers, wineries and more set up booths along the river and offer their specialty items to residents and visitors:
Both the village and the castle are spectacular. Adam and I are seriously considering finding a little cottage in the area...
I wore an outfit that was super practical for traveling-- particularly with a baby who I'm still nursing. I selected a button-down one-piece from Tysa, flats by Mohinders, an ascot (so West can yank on it) from Late Sunday Afternoon, and a teething necklace from Etsy. We requested a bassinet seat from Air France, and were thrilled with the results (even though our 10-month-old West is almost too big for it). We dressed him in a one-piece from Primary, which was extremely easy to manage on board.
Oh, Belcastel-- we all love you so much. We cannot wait to return next summer.
Coverage of our trip to Belcastel is also up on Domino! Click here to view.
Another favorite "tiny house" in Venice
What do you do when you need a mini-vacation, but you don't have enough time to travel? Airbnb! In-town vacation rentals are perfect for unique staycations. Adam and I just spent a couple days at my other favorite "tiny house" in Venice (which I first discovered on Airbnb), and I completely fell in love with the space:
Meet the @craftsman.mini.me by @shophbleu. Isn't it a dream? The fig vines creep in at every corner, stretching from the outdoor shower, which is the most gorgeous little place to relax and breathe:
At 400 square feet, this house is only slightly bigger than our Tiny Canal Cottage. But, much like our home, the numerous windows and doors make the space feel open and airy.
Learn more and/or book the house here.
(My camera is currently being repaired, so these photos are mainly iPhone. Sorry for the less-than-ideal quality, but the subject is so amazing that it hardly matters. Enjoy!)
North Florida Vacation
I love our Cottage, but as it's our live/work environment, it's always good to get out and adventure.
This Christmas, I decided to return to my childhood home in Gainesville, Florida for the first time in three years. Luckily my folks come to LA all the time, but nothing tops visiting in them here:
Sometimes I can't believe I grew up here. It's a wet prairie, surrounded by a live oak forest. This is my parent's immediate backyard. It was just as magical as I remembered it being, and at the end of the week-long vacation, I wasn't ready to leave. (I definitely won't wait three more years to return again.)
When I wasn't clipping botanicals from the garden to decorate our dining table and holiday gifts, I stopped by some gorgeous local sites with my 2½ year-old nephew, Finn. I'd definitely recommend the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens and The Florida Museum of Natural History to anyone staying in the Gainesville area.
If you're interested in seeing more photos of this region of Florida, I recommend checking out the work of my friend Mac Stone-- his Insta is one of my favorite accounts.