A Year At The Chateau

I will start by saying I've known of Dick, Angel, and their Chateau for a couple of years after finding them on HGTV one night when I couldn't sleep.

That being said I was fascinated and had everyone I know watching this couple renovate what was essentially a fairytale castle in my mind.

Seeing this book brought back all of those real life magic feelings and I couldn't get through it fast enough, reading all of the behind-the-scenes things, from their point of view was fascinating and honestly I want more.

The book itself is wonderfully written, with witty anecdotes, fabulous recountings of this remarkable renovation, and the surprising addition of Dick describing his cooking (which sounds beyond amazing to me) it was the icing on the cake and now I want to try mussels.

The ups and downs, the budget overages, and the difficulties of doing all of this with two small children, Dick and Angel lay it all out on the table.  While the show may have made it seem like everything happened for a reason (that fabric wallpaper in the tower comes to mind) this book tells all of the behind-the-scenes moments and it was anything but easy.

They worked through it, supported each other, and created a fantasy world for themselves and anyone lucky enough to have an encounter at the Chateau. 

I loved every moment of reading this book, and can't recommend it enough to anyone interested in following your dreams, owning a Chateau or home restoration in general.

This book made the Strawbridge family and the Chateau seem so much more real than they had just watching the show. A weekend at the Chateau is now at the top of my ever growing bucket list.