Sharon Santoni

This is an over-sized "coffee table" book and reading it was just like taking a trip to the French countryside to visit a girlfriend. The author, Sharon Santoni, lives with her husband in Normandy, France in a lovely old French home that is perfect for entertaining. The book's subtitle is "entertaining through the seasons,"and contains a few of her favorite recipes as well as suggestions with photos on how to accessorize with creative table decorations. But the best part are the photos! Many charming photos using antiques and flea market finds, featuring her garden and beautiful blooming plants and trees, and shots of nature (ferns, spider webs, frost, ripples on a nearby lake, leaves, sunlight through trees, candles, cut flower centerpieces, etc.).

This book is inspiring and encouraging for any level of entertainer, and not at all intimidating - most of the meals were served in her garden, or her spacious lawn underneath a blooming magnolia tree. In winter the tables were cozily decorated indoors. And even if you don't have this kind of property in which to entertain, it is lovely to imagine... After I began reading I learned from her Instagram account that Sharon offers private tours of the rural French countryside including trips to flea markets and wineries. What a treat that would be… (plus d'informations)

When you want to take a peek into the lives of those rich French friends of friends, without the jet lag or need to get dressed up, this is the book for you. I had fun curling up with this over-sized, weighty tome full of drool-worthy color photos accompanied by a few pages of descriptions for each girlfriend. Each of these women has a unique and confident sense of style which they demonstrate in their homes, gardens, and even their clothing. A few of them operate B&B's on part of their property and the author provides contact info for all of them at the back of the book. I'm getting ideas for my next trip to France.… (plus d'informations)