WHY: Unpacking the French Care Package

Several of the paid subscribers (who subscribed by August) had questions about what was in the care package so I thought I would unpack it a bit, so to speak.

First, I hope you can tell how much fun I had putting it together. I’m definitely going to do this again next year for new and re-subscribers. And if you subscribed after August, you are definitely on the list for next year.

The contents varied a bit. If I knew you were into sewing supplies, you definitely got more of those. I found at lot of them at the vintage craft room that was at the Beziers Emmaus, which was only open on Saturday mornings. Buttons, ribbons, fabric, dish cloths. Some people got small rectangular fabric pouches. I don’t really know what they are for. Maybe holding glasses. Maybe packing something in a suitcase. I just don’t know but I thought they were neat.

The little linen patches (Lamb, sailboat) came from a table that specialized in sewing antiques at the Isle Sur La Sorgue brocante market (one of my favorites!). No idea what they are actually for but I thought they were sweet and they came in packs of ten, as did some of the vintage buttons, so they were easy to distribute.

Everyone got a little sachet of French-grown dried lavender, found at many vide greniers, brocantes and fairs. Great for scenting your drawers or keeping moths away. I keep one in my car and sometimes throw one into the dryer with my clothes. Everyone also got a bar of my favorite vanilla petit marseillais soap, a tiny Rhodia notepad, and a little package of Haribo candies. Haribo candies are made in the south of France and you can tour the factory (haven’t yet, but it’s on the list). Next year I might change it up with some French chocolate, but you have to admit, at least you don’t have to worry about the Haribo melting en route. Rhodia notebooks are iconic and come in all sizes but I thought the tiny ones were adorable and eminently packable. Next year I’ll probably try a different brand, maybe my other favorite, ClaireFontaine. Honestly, between the French and the Japanese, I’m not sure who does stationery products better but I can spend a lot of time in a French stationery store. My son showed me around some impressive Japanese stationery stores in New York last summer (he knows the route to his mother’s heart) but all my experience otherwise is with French ones, which are exquisite and everywhere, in every village and town. I might include some good pens next year too, but they would have to be French pens, which might be difficult to find. The French know a great pen when they see one—which is why most of the pens in their stores are Japanese. I also included some French planner stickers.

Too, everyone should have gotten a tiny porcelain figure or feve. French for bean, feves are the tiny figurines baked into King Cakes for the Epiphany every year. Originally they were fava beans. Whoever got the “bean” got the paper crown that made them “King” or “Queen” for the day. At a certain point decades ago, however, someone had the idea to make them figures in porcelain. At first tiny porcelain nativity figures were the most common, and are still popular, but then brands got into the game and every year you can find different brand sets of faves, which, of course, makes collectors go crazy. Scooby Doo feves, Tintin feves, Disney feves (every movie you can think of), just to name a few. I haven’t found a set of Bluey feves. . . yet but I’m sure they’ll come along at some point. As a huge Bluey fan, I’ll have to have them.

Check out Feve Collector to learn more. At a lot of brocantes and vide greniers, you’ll find huge bowls of feves you can pick through for a euro or two each. It’s lots of fun.

I hope that explained most of the contents. Next year the categories (stationery, bath product, sweets, etc) might be the same but the actual contents might differ depending on what I come across (that’s part of the fun). But I think I’ll always pack a feve. They’re so easy to pack and completely adorable.

Until next week,

Stephanie