Over 30 years ago, I met a French man at a dog park in Brentwood, CA, never expecting we would one day live in France. After 12 moves on the West Coast and in the Pacific Northwest, we settled in Normandy, where we now live in a 380-year-old farmhouse with our three children, cats, an Australian Shepherd, and a Welsh Corgi. We also have a farm with chickens, Nubian goats, Ouessant sheep, Toulouse geese, ducks, and two donkeys, along with some neighbor cows visiting occasionally!

In 2010, we moved to Normandy, France, bringing our two boys (then 11 and 5), three cats, and three dogs. We left behind our beloved home and friends on Bainbridge Island near Seattle, WA. Adjusting to a new home and culture was tough, but when we found our dream house, Rabbit Hill, in late winter 2013, we finally felt at home in the French countryside.

Creating a beautiful and welcoming home for cooking and hosting friends has always been important to us. As former bed and breakfast owners, we loved planning for and entertaining our guests. After five enjoyable years of leading vintage shopping tours, starting Rabbit Hill Foodie - Markets & Cooking Workshops at the farm seemed like a perfect next step.

For our online shop, Rabbit Hill Lifestyle, we carefully curate and offer a selection of unique French vintage items and essential home goods that we have come to love since our move to France. Each sale is thoughtfully designed with a unique theme, beautifully featuring kitchenware, rustic yet elegant linens, or delightful décor, all showcasing the captivating and timeless French country style that we so cherish at Maison Rabbit Hill. Nestled in the picturesque Normandy region, I take pride in shipping these lovely treasures worldwide, ensuring that everyone can experience a taste of French elegance in their own homes.

That's a brief overview of our story. At Rabbit Hill, we spend our days working on the farm, taking photos, writing, testing recipes, and enjoying life in beautiful Normandy. Thank you for joining us!

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More about Cat …

Cat Bude is a food and lifestyle photographer, writer, recipe creator, and entrepreneur. She grew up on the East Coast and went to school in New England and Ohio, earning a Fine Arts degree in Art History and Design. She started cooking as a young adult and deepened her interest in food and recipes during college.

In 2002, Cat chose to leave her career as a director of marketing in the corporate world to purchase and run a B&B in Port Townsend, WA. It was there that she discovered her love of hosting which led to future work in catering, decorating, and eventually, to teaching cooking workshops once established in France.

After departing from the B&B business, the Budes moved to the Seattle area, where Cat became involved in the creation of a local support, action, and advocacy group for parents of children with special needs and led a successful fundraising campaign that enabled the creation of a public education program specifically to provide services and support for children on the Autism spectrum.

After sixteen years together in the US, Cat and her husband and family moved to France in the summer of 2010. Very soon after settling in, Cat became enamored with the daily markets and the access to seasonal fruits, vegetables, and small farm producers. She began teaching Markets & Cooking workshops and hosting guests seeking authentic French food and culture experiences from a local in the spring of 2014.

She continues hosting Markets & Cooking workshops for participants from all over the world, travels to the US for speaking & cooking events and maintains a small farm in Normandy, France.

Cat has written several blogs, including one that featured her experience of moving to France. She has written as a freelancer for vintage websites and blogs and has appeared in several specialty magazines. Her successful online business sells vintage, French Lifestyle Essentials, kitchen items, and copper cookware, which became her brand ‘Rabbit Hill Lifestyle’ in 2013. In 2022, Cat was awarded the honor of receiving the recognition as 'Global Photographer' for her work with NC Media Company based in London and New York.

Rabbit Hill … French country life, photography, food & flea markets.

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