Linens, and Things

Two summers ago, we spent a two-week vacation in Villefrance-sur-Mer, a tiny town in the French Riviera.  We brought the girls (of course) and a wonderful friend "L" who helped with them.  One day, Bryan watched the girls while L and I took a train to Nice for some shopping.  I wanted to buy tablecloths and napkins in that terrific provencal palette--rich yellows, blues and that rust-colored maroon with olive leaf and flower details.  They're typical of the region and heaven on the eyes.

L and I had fun laughing over the fact that they were all pretty inexpensive, no-iron, polyester numbers.  I don't iron, so it was great to realize it wasn't going to be necessary.  Since then, those two tablecloths have been among the workhorses of my linen closet!  They brighten up the room and wash up like a dream.  I use nothing else.

So when we arrived in France at the start of April, I was surprised to find The World's Most Awful Tablecloth (I verified with the the Ripley's people) on our rental apartment's dining table.  I forget that the French love these plastinated, hideous things.  Sporting an insouciant cigarette burn, the offending item features a multi-colored clashing palette of sherbet orange, seasick yellow, fake cornflower blue and viral-photo-of-that-goop-they-make-chicken-nuggets-out-of red.  And eggplant purple.  Don't let's forget the eggplant purple.

Here she is--hold your nose!

It's like eating off one of those awful plastic raincoats we all wore in the 80's, but it doesn't have cute whales printed on the inside.  It shifts awkwardly when you get up from the table.  The flower pattern produces a slight seasickly wavy feeling as you eat, aware of the movement in the background.  It pretty much has no redeeming features, other than providing a great topic for a blog on a chilly Friday morning when the kids are asleep and I don't feel quite ambitious enough to shower yet.

You can buy individual tablecloths like this or buy any length of hideous plastinated crap you want at various home stores.  In the emergency case of there NOT be a standard-sized plastinated crap tablecloth that suits your table needs, that is.

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So, I set out to buy a few more provencal tablecloths, but seem to be in a Parisian den of the hideous crap!  I looked and looked.  The expensive stores sell the nice "Jacquard de France" ones with matching napkins for $450.  But I have kids--I don't want to pay "good purse" prices for a tablecloth!

I looked at BHV (the "Target" of Paris), Monoprix ("Kmart") and Casino ("Giant Eagle/Meijer/Piggly Wiggly"), but no go.  Finally, I remembered Habitat.  It's a home decor store that I've enjoyed shopping in before--nice stuff, fun design, "cheap purse" prices for tablecloths.  I dragged the kids on a rainy day and BINGO! 

Now I have a set of four placemats and napkins (which raised an eybrow from my husband, we've never been fans of placemats)...

... and I have a gorgeous (to my eyes, dear reader, I'm not stating that as a point of fact, mind you) tablecloth and napkins set.

Victory!