Have you ever bought something for yourself or your home with the best of intentions, but it has ended up in a closet somewhere, completely untouched, because you didn’t want to risk messing it up? No? Just me? Well then, I admit it. I’ll buy nice things that I actually need and then save them for a special occasion. Then instead of actually wearing or using these said nice things, they’ll end up collecting dust. It’s not because I don’t like whatever I buy. It’s just the opposite. When I buy a few things on the nicer side, I like them too much and I’m scared to damage whatever it is just by using it. Anyway, while in Brittany for Tom’s birthday earlier this month, I came across a French textile brand called Pixtil that makes beautiful table linens, scarves, and more, and I couldn’t resist. Let’s hope I actually use the dishtowels and napkins…. although maybe I should save them for a special occasion. I wouldn’t want to get tomato sauce on them if I used them at a casual dinner one night. 😉
Pixtil: A French textile brand
Over the past couple of years, I’ve become more intentional about what I buy and from where. I try to buy locally and sustainably when I can and focus on quality items I need and thoughtful gifts over mindless consumption. Although I have a tendency to be cluttered and am nowhere near a minimalist, the days of buying random junk because it’s on sale are long over. That mindset carries over to souvenirs when traveling as well. I’d rather buy a useful, well-made gift for myself or a loved one instead of spending a few bucks on a plastic piece of junk.
So to that end, let’s talk about those meaningful, well-made things. First up is a French brand and the other two mentions are places I visited while traveling over the summer.
Pixtil is a French textile brand set in Normandy that I discovered while in Dinard, France. It was started by 2 French designers, Delphine Saltet and Olivier Paradeise. I learned of the brand when I popped into the eco-responsible boutique Esperluette in the neighboring region of Brittany and ended up with some stainless steel straws, but while there, some fancy napkins caught my eye.
I noted the brand name because I didn’t want my family waiting for me while I looked at every little thing in the store and googled them upon returning home. To my surprise, Pixtil offered free shipping in France for purchases over 30 euros, so boom. I was sold. I have a selection of bland dishtowels but could use some nicer ones for company… meaning my in-laws. And these looked nice.
I also loved the pastel colors in the knit weave of these napkins. Since I don’t even have any sets of cloth napkins for guests (not sure if the lack of fancy napkins or lack of guests is the bigger issue), I figured it’s time to step up my game. I’ve been an adult and homeowner for a while now, but I don’t have all the adult homeowner things. So yeah, I’m the proud new owner of the dreamy ones below. Want to come over for dinner?
Pixtil also makes other items in this same Galaxie fabric in case napkins aren’t your thing.
Here’s one of the dishtowels, called torchons in French, on display in my kitchen. Right next to it out of frame is the regular everyday dishtowel to actually, you know, use to dry stuff.
So yah, I picked up 2 dishtowels and a set of 4 Galaxie napkins in total.
I think I’ll ease my new table linens into regular use because if you can’t enjoy the nice things you buy, what’s the point of spending the money in the first place? As much as I know that, I’ve had trouble implementing my own advice. These beauties elevate any regular meal and jazz up kitchen cabinets. So yes, I’m going to use them starting this weekend.
As I mentioned, I like supporting local small businesses making beautiful, ethical products, so yeah, not a shocker that I picked up a few things. Especially to fuel my “nice things that I’m too afraid to use” habit. I’m going to change…
Anyway, I asked Pixtil if they ship worldwide and they do, so why not have a look. I’ve found everything to be great quality and perfect to give as a gift. You can read about their quality and environmental standards on their site.
Has anything caught your eye?
2 Other brands worth a look
While traveling for work this summer, I found myself in two really cool women-owned stores. One was in Haiti and the other in Rwanda and they may be some of my favorite souvenirs to date.
Pascale Théard Créations
In Port-au-Prince, Haiti, I picked up a pair of gorgeous handmade sandals. Guess where they are at the moment? Yup, you guessed it. Still in the box because I didn’t want to mess them up… by, well, wearing them out and about as you do with shoes. But there’s dog poop. And mud. OK, OK, this spring, I am going to wear them. Promise.
Pascale Théard Créations was founded by Pascale herself, a Haitian woman who employs local ladies who work right there on site in the workshop. Seriously beautiful things. I got a change purse as well with hand-beaded decor.
The Rwanda Clothing Store
The Rwanda Clothing Store is a modern boutique in Kigali that has African printed fabric that can be turned into custom clothing and other accessories. Think big, bold, and colorful but can still be understated and subtle depending on the design. You can pick from the styles in the store, buy ready-made garments, browse their binders full of custom tailored designs, or come up with something yourself.
Everything is made right on site. I got two skirts and a pair of pants and get compliments every time I wear one of their pieces. They also have home accessories like place mats and potholders, which I bought for family.
This is a photo of their tailor shop and the ready-made blazer above is for sale in the boutique. They have an online shop in the works as well. The creative director and fashion designer behind the brand is Joselyne Umutoniwase.
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Have you picked up any meaningful souvenirs lately? Tell me about them!
Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post and I have no affiliation with any of the companies mentioned here. I happily bought their wares with my own funds. 😉
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Thank you for the tip about Pixtil! I am a sucker for beautifully arranged dinner tables and those colors look like a perfect pick for spring. I transitioned to linen napkins many years ago and I use them daily. At the beginning I was like you, I was afraid of ruining them.These days is easy as there are stain removers on the market. For daily use I usually pick patterned or darker colors, but for special occasions I use white linens…gorgeous! Surround yourself with beautiful and well made things and enjoy them, those dish towels were made for dishes so there is no reason not to use them. Waiting to hear about the reaction of your in-laws:))
Yes, the colors are so fun! I applaud you for using nice linen napkins daily. I haven’t quite made it to that point yet but I will get there. Going to stock up on some good stain removers. And for any saucy dishes, I’ll stick with my old ones. Baby steps.
I’m thinking my in-laws will notice the nice linens but not sure they’ll comment out loud. But you never know. Will report back. 😉
They look lovely. My parents had a sitting room which was only used when we had visitors! Imagine that! I used to be
like you but after moving house several times I decided to only keep one set of crockery and table linen. So I kept the best and only use those now. The same with clothes. I have learnt how to elevate the everyday into special
Yes, a sitting room! My family’s house growing up had a living room and was a special room we only used for holidays or guests. Completely forget about that. So see, we even make houses with rooms we’re too afraid to mess up. Such a waste of space.
I can definitely elevate my special linens into the everyday, but it’s going to cost me. Thinking of the stains and how quickly they’ll get worn out… 😉 I look forward to it.
I was happy to see it wasn’t a sponsored post! I’m always looking for smaller, great brands. They just feel unique. I’m tired of multinationals…
Hi Juliette! Thanks so much for reading and glad I could introduce you to Pixtil. Like you, I’m tired of huge global corporations and wanted something different. 😉
If you have a sec, may I ask you to explain more about why you were glad it wasn’t sponsored? That confused me a little bit and would love to hear more about why you feel that way.
I wanted to share my thoughts on the topic because I think sponsored posts get a bad rap and other readers here may be interested. For anyone wondering, sponsored content is when a blogger receives compensation for producing particular pieces of content. It’s still 100% free for the readers to consume.
Like I mentioned, this post was NOT sponsored, but if I had received payment and the content was 100% the same (photographed by me, written by me, etc.), would it make the brand less appealing? Honest question. I wrote the post because I loved the products and figured my readers would as well.
For the record, I have no problem with sponsored posts. That said, I’ve probably done fewer than 10 paid collabs during my entire blogging career of over 7 years but it makes me a little sad that sponsored posts have this stigma attached to them. Blogging and related endeavors can be really expensive (tech, monthly operational costs, and especially video and travel costs), and most readers probably have no idea what a site costs to run or the time involved in doing so. I think when a partnership is authentic and makes sense for both the blogger and brand, and it’s disclosed, then there’s no issue. I’ve enjoyed so many sponsored posts on other blogs over the years and learned about companies and brands I never otherwise would have come across.
On the other hand, I think sponsored posts can be problematic when:
1) A blogger isn’t transparent and doesn’t mark sponsored content as such. It leaves the reader not sure who to trust, especially when it’s clear the content was paid.
2) A blogger partners with a brand who isn’t a good fit so the content isn’t authentic at all or not even written by the blogger.
3) It’s spammy paid content from digital marketers who just want backlinks, with zero value to the reader.
Anyway, just my 2 cents. 😉
Here are some great posts explaining more about sponsored content that I think are important to read in case anyone else is interested and wants to learn more:
https://www.thehealthymaven.com/what-i-wish-everyone-knew-about-sponsored-posts/
https://www.thisrenegadelove.com/truth-about-sponsored-posts/
http://www.thelifeofbon.com/2013/09/to-people-who-complain-about-sponsors.html
https://www.coffeewithsummer.com/lifestyle/stop-the-stigma-sponsored-posts/
Thx again for reading! Always appreciate your input. xx
can’t really add much to your thorough reply. but I wholeheartedly agree with you. Sponsored posts get a bad rap.
Wow talk about nice, I do like this