Vintage French Herb Pots

Yesterday, I shared with you some pictures of a lovely shop in Fairhope, Alabama.  It's a store that specializes in European culinary antiques.  You can see the pictures from Aubergine here.

(link to store is in previous post).   

I love to visit this store every time we are in Fairhope, but I don't have a French country home/kitchen, so many of the beautiful items there might look a bit out of place in my home.  Sigh.

So on our visit last month, I was delighted to see this crate full of little vintage herb pots.  Yes, these little beauties could certainly find a spot or two in my home and look perfectly at home!

All the little pots were unique.  They each had their own personality.  The shopkeeper told me that only one pot had a stamp or mark on the bottom (an elephant).

It was fun to sort through the little pots and pick out the ones that were to come home with me.

I know I will use these little vintage gems in so many fun ways...mostly in vignettes in my kitchen and great room. 

So, here's the first use of my vintage French herb pots. I gathered some pine cones, some small candles, a few mercury glass ornaments and a few snips of fresh greenery.  It's so easy to make a simple design with just a few items.  

I got this drift wood angel last year and couldn't wait for January so I could bring it out again.  I also had an old column base I had gotten at a salvage store for a dollar.  I topped the salvage piece with a dictionary page and added a couple glass ornaments  here, too.

Simple and fresh for the new year!

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Culinary Antiques in Fairhope, Alabama

A few weeks ago, we were in Fairhope, Alabama. Have you ever been there?  I love to visit the shops in this beautiful town. Would you like to come along and shop with me?  Come on-let's go!
One of my favorite shops, Aubergine,  specializes in culinary antiques.  Years ago, I would visit---drawn in because of beautiful natural light that streamed in through the windows...and because it had kitchen items.  Now that there are so many wonderful blogs that feature lovely European antiques, I can't help but feel like I'm walking through a blog or a beautiful magazine when I visit this shop.  The antiques are beautiful, the merchandise changes often and the shop keepers are always so pleasant. 

I love to take photographs in this shop

 because of the lovely antiques

 and the wonderful natural light.

This room is to the right when you step inside.

  It's my favorite area and it is different every time I visit.

 Confit pots

Copper cookwear

These sardine pots are one of my favorites.

I have many lovely pieces of my Daddy's 

crockery that he collected over the years.  If I didn't 

have those pieces in my home now, 

I would love to have a small sardine pot. 

 I think I could use it in several different ways in my home.

 I love cutting boards.  I think I would enjoy collecting them, 

but I haven't figured out how to display them in my kitchen.

Lovely vintage baskets.

I loved this zinc bottle carrier.

There are always seem to be a good number of

 demijohns on hand when I visit.  So pretty.

My husband and I both liked this bread basket. 

 Maybe if I learn how to make beautiful loaves 

of French bread, I could get this beautiful basket??? 

 Maybe I could get it because I like to eat French bread???

I hope you're still enjoying the visit to this wonderful shop! 

 I have a few more pictures to share with you.

I was delighted to see this crate of French herb pots.  

The lady in the shop said that the owners

 had never found herb pots before until their last buying trip

 (they make trips to France and have containers shipped back).  

I hope you've enjoyed the trip through this lovely shop.

  Aubergine means eggplant in French--so when you get to Fairhope and see this eggplant sign,

 you'll know you're at the right place!

The Grand Hotel

A trip to The Grand Hotel is always wonderful and relaxing.  It is located on Point Clear, Alabama and it is on Mobile Bay.  We love to take a trip there in the summer.

Would you like to travel to The Grand Hotel with me? 

Once you see the sign, you know you have arrived

 and will soon be relaxing and enjoying your vacation.

You drive through the gate and then you pull

your car into this circular drive to check in. 

 This sign tells a little bit of the history of The Grand Hotel.  It is very old.  It became a hotel known for their hospitality in 1847.  Parts of the hotel served as a hospital during the Civil War.  It also was a training area during World War II.

One of the things that I like best about going to The Grand is

seeing all the beautiful flowers. The grounds are lovely.

They spend a lot of time making sure that the grounds are beautiful.

 They would never want any guest to be disappointed

 with the way the property looks.

The property has many beautiful Live Oak trees. 

They are very old and very large.  They just remind you
of how pretty the south can be.

There is a beautiful lagoon with three fountains.

  There is a brick walkway that goes around the water.
It is always nice to stroll around the water
 while you're at The Grand.  So peaceful!

Sometimes you see fish jumping in the water.  You'll always see the ducks.  They are very polite.  They don't rush up to you.  They are quiet as they share their home with visitors.

The property is on Mobile Bay.  You can walk along the grounds and see the water. 

 It is so pretty and relaxing.  There are a lot of pelicans that fly over the bay. 

Every afternoon at 4 o'clock, they fire this cannon.

They tell you a little bit of history and then they fire the cannon. 

IT IS LOUD! 

After the cannon is fired, you may go inside and have tea. 

 They serve tea, coffee, homemade cookies and scones. Yummy!

Even people who don't normally drink coffee,

 have a cup when they're at The Grand.

 They have bikes that you may ride while you're staying at The Grand Hotel. 

They have wonderful pools, too. They have a big one for everyone and then

 a regular sized one for the adults only.  No splashing kids allowed!! :)

One time, they had this guy out by the pool playing his guitar. 

 How good can it get?

During some summer nights, they have a bon fire on the beach.  They start that fire and then put out sticks and little individual bags that have everything you need to make the perfect s'more.

I hope you enjoyed the trip to The Grand Hotel!

If you liked this post, you might enjoy a walk I took while at The Grand Hotel: Fences and Gates