FAQ

What’s Adventures & Ateliers all about?

What happens when you chuck your old life into the air like confetti and start afresh? Do your wildest dreams turn into dazzling reality, or do they just leave you tangled in a mess of "be careful what you wish for"?

Will your brilliant ideas actually work or will they spectacularly combust? And the million-euro/dollar question: can you pull this off on your own without losing your mind, your dignity, or the shirt off your back?

In my case, these questions are on a constant, high-speed loop, responsible for an alarming number of to-do lists, sleep-deprived existential crises, and a daily (occasionally, hourly) chorus of “oh my God, what have I done?”

This newsletter is part adventure log, part behind-the-scenes peek, a place to share the highs, the hiccups, and the outright disasters, with a side of self-soothing (!) as I set about transforming spaces, building a business and navigating life as (another) foreigner in France.

Along the way, I’ll do my best to silence the ever-present “will I ever wear heels again?” gremlins and maybe, just maybe, inspire YOU to take your own leap - whether that’s a daring plunge or just a cautious toe dip.

Expect me to be flitting between ‘Madame’ (my temperamental old stone property) and the beautiful chaos of her orbit, building an ateliers business, some borderline obsessive sourcing habits and fabulous design finds, creative distractions, communications work (a.k.a. my “real job”), and life in all its messy, joyful, what-now glory.

Subscribe to receive the newsletter direct to your inbox every other Thursday : )

Who writes it?

I’m Alethea, I’m currently at the beginning of establishing a long-held dream (or some unpredictable variation of it) in the Périgord Noir, South-West France. Here, I’m setting up a home, a business, and a whole new kind of life, alongside Romy (dog), Nala (cat), and a rotating cast of visiting family and friends.

This newsletter was an ‘almost-ran’, as the world hardly needs another ‘foreigner moves to France’ chronicle, and I was very wary of adding to that well-worn genre. Yet, somehow I find myself doing just that! Perhaps my route here, and the way I tell the stories will add a slightly new angle…

I’m a recent immigrant to France, via a long stint in the Netherlands, and previously the UK and South Africa. With an international background (UK, Zimbabwe), a melange of languages (EN, FR, NL) and plenty of experience of adapting to different cultures through both family and my communications career.

This isn’t my first new-country-from-scratch adventure, and the stories I share aren’t sweeping epics, or even nicely chronological diaries (sorry!) rather, they focus on the ridiculous, tangents, and moments of everyday life. Originally, I started writing the newsletter to capture these little tales for myself, family, and friends.

As the newsletter’s grown, with readers I don’t even know (thank you so much!), I’ve continued with these short, observational stories on our exploits restoring ‘Madame’, creating a business, as well as random musings, resources and of course, all accompanied by Lara’s lovely illustrations.

My hope is this newsletter provides some light-hearted escape, makes you smile, sparks a thought, entertains, or even delivers a dose of inspiration to anyone looking to make their own leap in life - whether that’s across continents or simply into a new chapter.

For more ‘about us’ context, I refer you to ‘start here’ and click on these links:

You can also follow our day-to-day adventures via instagram @domainelesplonges.

Do you have vacation rentals?

Yes! Just the one: La Petite Maison is our perfectly proportioned little house, an ideal rural escape sleeping one or two people. Later, and in the plan, there will also be vacation opportunities with La Petite Grange and the Grand Grange.

For booking details, please visit our Airbnb listing.

For more images / videos, please check our instagram: @domainelesplonges

What kind of ateliers do you run?

The plan is to host a small number of creative ateliers per year with groups of between 6-12 people. Hosted by some fabulous leaders in their fields (writers, artists, coaches, musicians, nutritionists, yogis & more) with everyone staying on site for an immersive experience.

I’ll be sharing more details as we progress through our extensive renovations.

Can I attend or run an atelier?

Yes!

Guests / participants - I’ll be sharing news of upcoming atelier dates via the newsletter.

Or, if you’re a host / expert looking for somewhere to run your atelier or retreat? Get in touch!

Do you do location shoots?

Bien sur! Looking for an editorial or commercial shoot location? We’ve got some great spaces across the property, so do get in touch to see if we can help your brief.

With a career in communications and events - fashion, lifestyle, health, finance, through to NGO’s - I know what’s required to make things super organised and easy, from shoot briefs through to all logistical elements. I’m looking forward to working with old, and new, friends!

Where are you on the renovation journey?

Plans here include a lot of renovation, with key sustainable features retro-fitted where possible (water, heat, solar, potager etc). The property dates from 1730 so there’s some technical challenges!

A property, life and business renovation like this is not a one-hit wonder, it’s a big, expensive, project with a multi-year plan. We just finished a major 18m renovation on the main property, and also La Petite Grange, as well as many all-encompassing groundworks to prepare for the next stages. Next up: La Petite Grange.

Slowly, we’re also starting some media outreach once things start to look ‘put together’!!. Do visit the ‘media coverage’ page to see the latest editorial.

Who does the illustrations?

The illustrations dotted throughout the newsletters are by my talented friend, and neighbour, Lara.

She also does commissions!

You can see more of Lara’s work via her instagram, here.

Why do you ask people to subscribe if it's free?

Simply put, for two key reasons:

Safety - it helps me know who’s reading.
Support - it plays a role in building the business side of Les P.

There are free and paid subscription options:

With a free subscription, you’ll receive a bi-monthly newsletter- just like this one, but different (obvs!) - every other Thursday.

With a paid subscription, it’s not just more of the same, you’ll also receive a long list of additional stuff. More details here

Whichever way you subscribe, I’m delighted to have you along for the adventure - thank you 💛

Ps: If you discover Adventures & Ateliers is simply not your thing you can unsubscribe easily and anytime via the link in footer below.
New disclaimer: If big life stuff happens, I’m giving myself permission to deliver this newsletter a day or even a week late!

What platform / tech do you use?

I’ve been surprised by how many people have asked this Q, so here you go:

If you’re interested in the tech I’m using for this, it’s Beehiiv. I did a LOT of research on platforms and I’m happy to explain why etc in more detail, just ask.

They’ve also given me a partner link, and this gives anyone using the link a 30-day free trial and 20% off your first three months on any paid plan. Note, it’s an affiliate link and I may receive commission on any purchases made through it.

Why do you have adverts & affiliates?

Even in these early days, this newsletter receives a fair number of advertising opportunities. Most of which I reject because they simply don’t fit. However, where I’ve liked the brand and thought it may be of interest to others (ie, you lovely people!) I’ve said yes.

Why? Adverts such as these also pay this newsletter for any clicks which in turn helps me pay for the software (and time involved!) in creating this newsletter. So, if you’re even vaguely interested, please do click through on an advert and have a look - there are no requirements to subscribe, shop or register any details - and you may just find something of interest as well as helping Adventures & Ateliers along the way!

Occasionally, I will also have the odd affiliate link. Again, I’ll only include these if it’s something I already use or was going to mention anyway. Affiliate links simply mean that I may receive commission on any purchases made through it.

Got another question?

Get in touch, here.