Over 25 years ago I met a ‘French guy‘ at a dog park in Brentwood, CA never thinking that one day we would live in France.  12 moves around the West Coast and the Pacific Northwest, and we landed in Normandy France where we now live in a 380-year-old farmhouse with our family of three children, our cats and an Australian Shepherd and a Welsh Corgi …. and a barnyard family of chickens, Nubian goats, Ouessant sheep, Toulouse geese, ducks, and two donkeys  ... and a bunch of neighbor cows … now and then!

In 2010 we packed up our two boys, then 11 and 5 (with a petite-fille on the way!) three cats and three dogs and began our new life in Normandy, France after bidding a very fond farewell to our home and friends that we dearly loved in the Seattle area of the Pacific Northwest.  The adjustment and transition to a new home and culture was not always easy and it wasn't until we found our 'maison de rêve' which we named Rabbit Hill in late winter 2013 that we really felt that we had finally found HOME in the French countryside.

The concept of creating a beautiful and welcoming home, cooking and hosting friends and people we love, has long been ingrained in our life. As previous bed and breakfast owners, we knew that we thrived by planning for and entertaining guests.  After more than five years of coordinating and guiding vintage shopping tours, creating Rabbit Hill Foodie - Markets & Cooking Workshops at the farm, was a natural progression.

Along with creating and teaching workshops, I host monthly online pop-ups sales for my shop Rabbit Hill Lifestyle. I love finding French vintage items and adore sharing 'French Home & Lifestyle Essentials' that I have come to know and love since moving to France.  Each pop-up opening of the shop is a little different, featuring a favorite style or item; kitchen wares, linens, or décor items -- and always with the rustic and authentic French country charm that we adore at Maison Rabbit Hill. Based on the Northwest coast of France in Normandy, I ship worldwide.

So that is the short version of our story. Our days at Rabbit Hill are filled with daily tasks involving the farm-family members, photography projects and writing ... and recipe testing -- and enjoying French country life in 'belle Normandie' ... Thank you for following along!

You can find daily updates and peeks into our ‘Rabbit Hill life’ on Instagram and monthly updates by subscribing to our newsletter.

More about Cat …

Cat Bude is a food and lifestyle photographer, writer, recipe creator and entrepreneur. Born on the East Coast, Cat spent her childhood living in New England and attended high school and college in Ohio, where she graduated with a degree in Fine Arts in Art History and Design. She began cooking as a young adult and further explored food and recipe creation while in 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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