On Friday the 13th, Network Provence stayed IN, meeting at the Maubec home of our founder Rebecca Ronane, where we were treated to an insightful presentation by home styling expert Karen Stride and shared a delicious potluck lunch in the garden. It was a lucky day for all of us, enjoying great company under the sunny October skies with a clear view of the petit Luberon’s majestic heights.

What is it like to come to a Network Provence meeting? You might be intimidated to show up at a stranger’s home and meet new people in an intimate setting. However, I can assure you that more than in any other gathering I’ve attended, the welcome of NP women is uncannily relaxing and inclusive. This group celebrates our diversity in age and origin because of the knowledge that we have one thing in common. We have all come to this region to attain a change of life, direction and often career. We are of different ages and have lived in the area for various periods. Our family styles, income levels and goals are varied as well. Still, here we are, communing in Provence, in love with the light, the land and the possibilities we are creating as women of Provence. The odds are good for making creative connections within the group, which Network Provence also celebrates. More than just a network to find tradespeople or customers, Network Provence sees regular collaborations arise from the individual members. We are enthusiastic about encouraging and supporting each other’s endeavours as a group. So, when discovering Network Provence, the intimidation factors soon evaporate. To be in the company of such warm women is at once a comfort and an inspiration.

A few weeks back, Karen Stride gave a notice to develop her presentation of the day using a home needing an update. Jan Burgess took up the challenge and sent photos of her “snug” – a cosy room where she loves to pass the time but which had become cluttered and needed an update. Karen came back with many ideas for brightening and bringing in light, moving current objects and artwork to maximise space and comfort, and ideas for new objects that could update the space. Her knowledge of where to source furnishings and her expertise in colour theory was explicit. Karen knows so much about colour, both what is typical of the region and how to modernise it. Jan left with many suggestions to help her craft a better snug with her current furnishings, plus some new items she had not previously considered. We all left with ideas for our decor and a small amount of lamp envy. If you have a decorating dilemma- Karen should be your first port of call.

Our al fresco lunch was simply delicious, made by everyone, and enjoyed in Rebecca’s natural garden, which has a beautiful array of plants and flowers suited to this dry garden region. This meeting was “fill your plate and grab a seat” with lively conversation and laughter. No stuffiness, political debates or pretences allowed. We discuss our businesses, our latest restaurant or new shop discoveries, our upcoming plans and everything in between. There is a very comforting sense of being seen and heard. We searched Rebecca’s garden for seeds we could forage for our gardens, which became a metaphor for a deeper sense of why we gather like this.

Hopefully, if you are new to the region or just new to Network Provence, you can join us soon at one of the future events and enjoy community benefits with the women of Provence.

By Maryna Fontenoy for Network Provence