Hi, there!
Are you enjoying these carefree, lazy days of summer? What are your favorite summertime activities? Mine include eating ice cream (that’s an activity, right?), combing outdoor markets, touring gardens and lots of walking (so I can have more ice cream). By the way, July is National Ice Cream Month 🙂
However, I’d say traveling, especially road trips, would top the list. I could get in my wagon and just go! So while I’m on the go, check out these photos from an earlier trip to the southern coast of England.
But first, the winner of the signed copy of An Affair with a House is Inga from Lone Star (comment #47). Congratulations, Inga! I will be in touch regarding shipping. Thanks to everyone for making this drawing such a huge success. There were 450 entries!! 392 comments qualified as 58 were duplicates, follow-ups or anonymous / unknowns without information. A very special thanks to Phyllis Higgerson of Henhurst Interiors for both the book and her captivating photos of Bunny Williams’ garden. I couldn’t have asked for a lovelier guest post – thanks, again, Phyllis!
Now let’s take a little holiday to the southern coast of England.
Welcome to historic Emsworth, a small maritime town lined with specialist shops, quaint cottages with cute names, and local eateries.
Emsworth’s picturesque harbor has long attracted sailors, artists and visitors. Cheers, Mr. Harbor Master 😉
Driving into the city of Chichester to visit the majestic 900-year-old Cathedral Church of the Holy Trinity. Don’t miss the free concerts. There is also a hearty lunch with tea at the Cloisters Cafe.
What’s this?
Foxed Grey – looks like a shop specializing in French antiques. I’m going in! What fabulous pieces! Let me stop drooling, and walk myself over to meet the proprietress, Fiona Lewin. Love your style, Fiona!
Look at all the dreamy mirrors with their original mercury glass plates. . .
. . .and the painted antique furniture!
A stylish grouping of old perfume bottles.
Antique flatware with ivory, mother-of-pearl or silver handles in vintage jam jars from France.
Vintage homespun towels draped on an old orchard ladder – clever! Fiona is a styling whiz. If you visit Foxed Grey, please tell Fiona that Loi sent you :)Foxed Grey
25 West Street
Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 1RZ
Outfitters to the gentry. . .hmmmm, sounds so posh! Maybe next time when I’m wearing smarter shoes.
Next, a visit to picture-perfect Bosham. There was an unhurried atmosphere around this quiet, little coastal village.
Bosham oozes charm. I could live there!
Thanks so much for visiting.
Happy July!
Loi
What a lovely area, and that shop is amazing! We hope to visit southern England again soon, the Cornwall area, but maybe we'll plan a side trip! Congrats to the winner of the book as well!
xo Kat
Loi what a picturesque locale and I love the Foxed Gray shop.So glad that you had a relaxing getaway!
Xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Hello Loi, Beautiful photos from England. Summer is also great for smaller, local trips, or even investigating things you've never seen in your own city. Nature-related activities are perfect for summer–just yesterday we were out walking and found some wild black raspberries.
–Jim
Such a lovely villages Loi! Great photos too! Love that shop!!
Have a beautiful day!
Hugs,
Vesna
Dear Loi – I am not too familiar with the Bosham area so I enjoyed seeing it through your eyes. I really liked the way you picked up on the different doorways and names, and highlighted such a lovely shop, Foxed Grey.
Congratulations to Inga.
Oh, Loi it's way to late tonight but I am up dreaming of your holiday in a town that only shares the best picturesque inspiring beauty, oh how grand it would be to live there. I love the Foxed grey shop and after I am finished here I am going to go back and take a longer look encouraging sweet dreams. In a couple of photos I noticed a double handled wire oblong basket, like a clam or fishermen basket! I have this same exact one and love how it looks in the mix of my pieces.
I love the muted feel of old mercury glass mirrors with the lack of sharp glares, the blacks with aged oxidized whites, tin and metals of grey patinas how it all takes my breath away! Do you ever tire of these pieces, I think not, and one would always be taken with surprise when stepping into a shop like this one.
See you when you get home, and new things or pieces have inspired your own homes decor 🙂
Beauty to you and yours and all that it inspires
Xx
Dore
Dear, dear Loi,
I LOVE your sensibilities, your shop (I showed a friend your on-line shop!) and your travels. Your photography is sublime, and yes, I too could live in such a place of perfect patina. (Alliteration not intended here!)
That fabulous grouping of vintage bottles and tarnished silver trays is the perfect indulgence for a photo shoot and I'm going to try it. I'm having fun with my camera and learning how to get the look I want so I can share my home.
Enjoy this glorious summer, and yes, ICE CREAM is a huge part of the fun, with my favorite being good old fashioned vanilla bombarded with fresh fruit!
Big hugs to you dearest Loi! Anita
Loi, Thanks for taking us on an intriguing visit to England's southern coast. Your photos captured its charm: the swan, the unique square clock below the elongated belfry, and the orange and yellow flowers lining the path to the cathedral were my favorites. Finally, the names you highlighted brought a smile to my face–Dolphin Cottage, Quay Meadow, and Outfitters to the Gentry. 🙂 Enjoy some more ice cream for me, because alas, I'm off sugar.
You really have a great eye for photography and take the most amazing photos Loi! These are beautiful! I'd love to go there and that shop! What fun. My favorite summer activity is being out in my yard gardening, playing with pets, swimming or hanging out by the pool. I look forward to a beach trip every summer, since that is my favorite place to go. We're going the end of August. I hope youre having a great time and talk to you when you get back! xo Nancy
How beautiful! Your pictures are heavenly and make me want to go NOW. Like you I LOVE road trips (just came back from a southern road trip, stop by to take a look if you haven't) and there are more in my future. THANK YOU for telling me its national ice cream month this month, it totally justifies the pint of Haagen Dazs I wolfed down yesterday, I meant for it to only be a few spoons but you know I have to do my civic duty for the sake of national ice cream month!
I am so envious! I would love to call one of those cozy cottages home. England has so many quaint villages, you must have been in heaven.
Loi, you are giving me a serious case of wanderlust. What charming villages and beautiful sights. And I think I could move right in to Fox Grey! What a find. Hope you are enjoying your time in Maine. Happy Summer!
I absolutely love everything!! You brin me smiles and joy looking at this beauty! Cheers!! Xoxo, K
Gorgeous photographs Loi! A charming spot indeed 🙂 I love the picture with the yellow flowers and the homes in the background. The shop you discovered is filled with eye candy. I'm sure you picked up a few goodies:) Sounds like you are having a fun summer and enjoying the tastes of the season (we've been eating lots of ice cream too:) xxL
So fun…one of my best friends lives in Chichester…Mary Turner!! Hmmm, I must visit!! Now..off to get more Ben & Jerry's "Karmal Sutra!" franki
Hi Loi, Your photos are so beautiful!! That little shop with the French "stuff"–gorgeous. But the English countryside is taking my heart this morning. Have a super day! xoxo Mary
Dear Loi, what a fabulous post! There is nothing I love more than travelling, or a road trip, especially to new towns, and I feel like I have just had a visit to Emsworth and Chichester. I will have to go in person, however, because I need to visit that charming shop! The family and I will be in England later this summer – I will see if I can convince them to do some 'hunting.' 😉
Hope you and Tom are enjoying this fabulous weather! xoxo, Phyllis
Loi, what a wonderful trip to the coast of England! I love traveling the little villages and towns of England, each is so different and beautiful.
I hope that you are having a wonderful Summer, relaxing, hunting some beautiful antiques and of course eating lots of ice cream! If you like to make your own I have some excellent recipes.!
Take care
Loi….I've told you a million times….your images are gorgeous! You have a great eye and I think you should save all these images and write a book!
Oh, Loi, such beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing your trip with us. And thanks to Fiona too for letting you take photo's of her gorgeous shop. So many beautiful things, my credit card would get a workout there! Take care, Patty/NS
Dear Loi,
My favorite vacations are the ones I take "with you"!
Hi Loi. What perfect timing as I am back home in the UK visiting home and my family and I am right near Chichester. It's beautiful there and all the surrounding area and I will make sure I visit Fiona's beautiful shop. Thank you for such a lovely post. If you ever get the chance go to Arundel or Petworth you must as the arquebus shops are wonderful.
Thanks for the recommendations, Kate! Enjoy beautiful England!! Cheers
I did not KNOW that July was ice cream month!Thanks for the heads up!I have been par-taking nightly this month and it is my birthday month so….I think we both should continue!
Beautiful shots in England……….loved the antique shop!
OMG! How come it takes someone from 'over the pond' to tell ME about such a terrific store which is practically on my doorstep??? Crazy or what? I actually live between Southampton and Winchester, so Chichester is a few miles from here, I guess about a 40 minute drive. I adore Bosham, it's one of my favourite places to visit when we're down that way, but I haven't been into the main part of Chichester for some time now, so guess where I'm going tomorrow 🙂
Thanks for reminding me how beautiful our country is.
Judi in the UK
Thanks, Judi 🙂 Your country really is very special! I love visiting!
Hello Loi,
Firstly congrats to Inga!
You always seem to find the most interesting places. Fox Grey looks brilliant.
Have you visited Petworth in the South of England? Its a whole village of antique shops..Right up your alley I should think.
Hope you have a lovely week,
Liz x
Thanks, Liz! I haven't been to Petworth in a very long time. Thanks for reminding me!
Loi, your vacation destination has me dreaming of a return to the English countryside. I adore the quaint villages with charm at every turn. I could live there too! Foxed Grey has me making a shopping list………top of the list are the ivory handled forks and knives followed by the group of vintage perfume bottles. I think I could fill an extra bag with things from this shop. '-)
Thanks for taking us along. And thank you for your recent visit and thoughtful comment. Glad you enjoyed a patriotic 4th!
What gorgeous images, Loi and so happy that you had a wonderful trip. Fox Grey is full of beautiful treasures – love the painted pieces. And yes, ice cream is definitely one of my favorite summer guilty pleasures – an activity indeed!!
I could truly live in England! Just returned from Ireland and loved the clean air and greenery the UK and surrounding area is wonderful. That Antique shop is unbelievable a store after your own heart!!
Loi …as always I am excited about a new post from one of my favorite blogs and I start reading focused on text and as always, beautiful photos….and then I see my name….my name? It sinks in a moment later….out of almost 400 entries I am the lucky winner! Looking forward to the book!
Have a great day!
Hello, Inga – Can you please email me at: topiaryplants @ gmail . com Thanks! Loi
Hello Loi,
Oh ice-cream such a summer weakness of mine. I now have a Cuisinart ice-cream maker that is easy peasy and makes yummy recipes quick and easy. OH no… working our way through the recipe book!!!
Oh Loi, I so love the photography you share, ever so appreciative that you blog. Your Share of England is wonderful, Foxed Grey looks divine.
Not to make you blush but the photo of you captured in the foxed mirror is adorable.
John and I will be down in DC, the French alliance display of Citroën's at the Hillwood's French Festival if our paths should meet this weekend.
Be well and happy,
Vera
Loi,
Be still my heart. I have not been to this region of 'my favorite country to visit' so I feel like I've been on a mini tour. How I loved the named cottages and that shop! Oh, if I could get that black armoire home via telepathy.
Yes, eating ice cream qualifies as a summer activity and I think just doing that uses up 20 of the 200 calories involved. 🙂
xo,
Karen
Oozing with charm!
FABULOUS, dear Loi!
Your post with – as always! – wonderful and atmospheric images brings back memories of a day in the past when I've passed Chichester, coming from London heading down to Portsmouth to catch the Ferry. No time for a stop at that time – So, I'm more than delighted about your post!
I love the south coast of England, the old villages, the light..and….and…
You've "catched" it all – with heart and soul and you certainly have the eye for the details! I really do enjoy your travel-posts! Of course all others as well 🙂
Thanks for sharing, thanks for a lovely and "comfortable armchair-travelling".
Warmest greetings from the Périgord, and very best wishes for a wonderful summer,
xxxkarin
Loi,
Your adventures are always the best! I SO wish I could just pop over to the Foxed Grey, as I love everything you showed. Darling English villages and I spy and "Elizabeth" cottage!
Your photos always inspire me to bring out my camera more often.
Hoping you and Tom had a wonderful 4th of July!!!
xoxo Elizabeth
Your vacation Loi is so nice. The town is so picturesque wih the sea views,the swans and the buildings around it. The shops are very nice too. I agree that eating ice cream is an activity too. So is walking! I love eating ice cream during this Summer. I will eat more ice cream with you my friend.
oh loi, this anglophile thrilled in this post! a british friend just told me they are moving to bosham and i need to come and stay…….had no idea it was so lovely!
spied you in the mirror 🙂
xx
debra
Another lovely post, Loi. It's such fun to see the world through your eyes.
What a coincident I too am eating ice cream and walking to burn all those ice cream calories, but this year I am staying put, no travel.
best wishes.
I so enjoyed this trip along the English coast Loi – especially as it's the place of my childhood! We were just there also following the Baltic/Russia cruise……….and thankfully the weather cooperated and we enjoyed warm, sunny days. When were you there?
Lovely pics – I would have enjoyed looking around Foxed Grey – l love foxed mirrors and have a few myself but am always looking for more!
Mary –
Greetings Loi! Hope you are doing well- are you still in Maine? I'm longing for a nice long trip and some life in the slow lane:)…. What lovely places you visited very charming indeed! I would love to shop at the Foxed Grey shop- so many things there I could take home with me. Beautiful photos Loi! Cheers! Sarah
Hi, Loi,
You've sold me on Bosham — I'd like to move right into that charming house with the blue door. I'm struck by the attention to door colors. It's such a simple thing to make a big impact.
Hello Loi!
I haven't been to Bosham since I was a teenager, when my grandparents lived nearby, but I remember it so well and how gorgeous it was! I seem to remember that when the tide comes in, part of the village gets completely cut off? Love the look of Foxed Grey….shall make a note for next time I am in that area. Hope all well with you?
Sophia x
These images are beautiful. They make me want to take a vacation 🙂
Hi Loi,
Do such perfect places truly exist?!! How spectacularly beautiful! I'm sitting here, trying to imagine what it must have felt like to stroll these seaside, charming – beyond – belief neighbourhoods – which I have only come across in sweet fairy tales!
Happy weekend!
Poppy
Hi Loi – lovely charming places – heavenly little gems. I bet you could live there (me too)! We're planning an England trip for next year…!
xox
Your portrait of the Harbour Master is striking! I hope you were able to send it to him. Love these photos. Except for all that tarnished silver! I'll never get on board with that 🙂 What kind of wagon do you drive? I'm switching from a sedan to a wagon, and am eager to hear any/all opinions on the subject. I'm sick of my pretty BMW sliding around in a centimeter of snow, and never being able to fit any furniture in the trunk! I'm thinking for MPG, available technology, safety, cargo room (and the best ads on tv) I'm going to go with a Subaru.
Hey, Stephen – I have a Volvo station wagon. I do like it! Good luck!! L
you're such a tease. and you know i love that about you. take me to this emsworth. and oyster cottage. and foxed grey. i think i belong at foxed grey, don't you? my last name does translate to fox. and that is enough shameless campaigning from me. except. don't forget i take up precious little space. i travel quite comfortably in a snuggly in fact. ok, not true. but yer photos and tour here are truly totes inspiring and beautiful. thanks for taking us along. 🙂
Wonderful, mini-vacation to England. Thank you. It looks so cool, especially since we are looking at our first weekend of temps over 100 down here in Texas.
Suzanne
LOI YOU ARE SUCH A WONDERFUL TOUR GUIDE. I AM AFRAID I CAN ONLY TRAVEL VICARIOUSLY this year.
perfect Loi! Every scene looks like a painting!
I want to go on vacation with you!
This post couldn't have come at a better time. I'm planning a trip to England for my _0th (fill in the blank…lol) birthday next June. I can't thank you enough for sharing this with all of us.
I'm making a list of all of the gardens that I want to visit… Any suggestions are much appreciated!
xo xo
Brooke
Thank you for sharing your discoveries Loi. We are currently looking for a hall table with a little extra height and with space for some baskets underneath perhaps I should be popping into Foxed Grey.
So glad to hear that you had a lovely holiday on our beautiful shores.
Now where can I get myself a pair of nice yellow wellies like the harbour master's?
We love ice cream too! Denali tops my boys' list but I love good ol' banana split with strawberry, vanilla and chocolate! YUMMM!
This tour is perfect and so picturesque Loi. Once again, your photographs are stunningly beautiful! And initially when I saw the photo of the shop on IG I thought it was your store! Lovely displays and items there too, thank you for taking us along. 🙂
Was that a pink facade I noticed? How delicious! Beautiful architecture and it's all so picturesque(fitting for a postcard). Thanks for sharing Loi. It's a delightful experience to live vicariously through you:)
Loi I forgot to ask you if Foxed Grey has an online shop….
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Interview with Raji
I wasn't able to find a website, Karena. They do have a facebook page.
I love England! Those cottages and the shops with all those yummy things. Beautiful post, Loi.
Claudia
Aahhh, England. My husband has his family there and would love to visit some day! And now I know where to go antiquing 🙂 xx
Beautiful architects design..
What a lovely post and trip, thank you for sharing your experiences with us out here in blogland.
Foxed Grey has closed its doors…
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