How To Do French Style: Homes, Gardens, Living, Beautifully

The French have a way of doing things that is just about perfect and is seldom pretentious.



France is a tradition, a romance,  a style. Some more formal and others less so, but style is always present. Let me dish on how France celebrates this abundance.

As shown at left, even today on the streets of Paris, one still observes the prototypical Frenchmen wearing
their berets, bicycling along and carrying baguettes under their arms.

And even today the Frenchwomen go about their business - wearing their everyday scarves - tied ever-so chic.  (Serious style tip.)

These small things are part of the art of daily living, in France.

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Click Here to continue reading article and to see Bonus Recipe Chicken Fricassee With Tarragon

A Something Beautiful Thought

I just need some time in a beautiful place to clear my head.

Click here to see my
Collection Of "Something
Beautiful Thoughts"

Decorating My Loft In Rockford, IL

My lovely loft was located in the William Brown Building, U.S. National Register of Historic Places, states about what is one of the last remaining commercial buildings of significant Romanesque Revival architectural style in Rockford, Illinois:

". . . with the recent rehabilitation

of its first story storefronts, the

building has excellent integrity,

particularly in its exterior detailing

and design . . ."  

I moved into this old bank building (built in 1891-92) which now hosted 30 loft-style apartments and a first floor anchored by commercial/retail space.

Those apartments, with their high reaching 11' tall walls overlooked Rock River. (I was on the fifth floor.)  My kitchen pantry was a huge, old bank vault. Is that cool or what! I found it extraordinary.

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Here are photos and narrative about the decorating of my loft (you gotta' get you one!)

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Whether it is working with a design client or whether I'm designing my own home, I am looking to create a surround of collections that reflect memories - or - of items that are cherished, items of interest or even that can be of interest. I have decorated using the things that I have, things that I love, integrating them into this incredible space.

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Click here to continue reading article and for bonus recipe, Brown Sugar Grilled Peaches.

10 Ways To Be Happier In Your Home + Tartelette Lemon Cakelets Bonus Recipe

Found this list on apartmenttherapy.com and was inspired! Hopefully it will inspire you too!

1. Make your bed.

The book The Happiness Project, explains that this three minute task is one of the simplest habits you can adopt to positively impact your happiness.

2. Bring every room back to “ready.”

I learned this trick from Marilyn Paul’s clever book, It’s
Hard to Make a Difference When You Can’t Find Your Keys. It’s a known fact: Clutter causes stress; order creates a haven from it. This mood-boosting routine is simple: Take about three minutes to bring each room back to “ready” before you depart it. (Unless you have a toddler, or a partner who likes to simulate earthquakes, three minutes should be sufficient.)

3. Display sentimental items around your home.

One reason that experiences (and memories of those experiences) make us happier than material
things is due to the entire cycle of enjoyment that experiences provide: planning the experience, looking forward to the experience, enjoying the experience, and then remembering the experience. Make your home a gallery of positive memories.

Click here to continue reading this article and to see Tartelette Lemon Cakelets Bonus Recipe.

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The 'Sound Of Many Books" Brian Kershisnik Art

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I am so in love with artist Brian Kershisnik's artwork.  

A splendid example is "The Sound Of Many Books."  Kershisnik tells us about this piece:

"a contemplative woman

surrounded by books

listens to the stories

each tells."  

For book lovers everywhere, like me, this artwork floats on clouds.  It so represents what books do.  Books awaken you in the morning and tuck you in at night. That's the power of books.

That is also the power of a Kershisnik piece. When I am in a library or book store, I am surrounded by books - I move slowly, listening to the stories they tell. 

Just listen.

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As I write in my article, Art And Artwork On A Budget, artist Brian
Kershisnik's artwork is hot and only getting hotter.  His 132" x 96" original oil, "She Will Find That Which Is Lost," is available from the Park City Meyer Gallery for $82,800.  Kershisnik is a contemporary American artist born in 1962 whose originals are selling for hefty amounts.


But check it out, you can purchase limited edition, signed and numbered Brian Kershisnik giclee prints at very reasonable amounts, from the Something Beautiful Shoppe.  Click to see available prints.

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Crisp Lemon Cookies Bonus Recipe

Prep:  30 min.  Bake:  15 min./batch + cooling  Yield:  54 Servings

Ingredients

1-1/3 cups butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup vanilla or white chips, melted

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon juice, peel and vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well.
• Shape dough into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Coat the bottom of a glass with cooking spray; dip in sugar. Flatten cookies with glass, redipping in sugar as needed.
• Bake at 325° for 11-13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Drizzle with melted vanilla chips. Yield: about 4-1/2 dozen.

Sweet White Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a sweet white wine such as Moscato or a sweet Riesling.

A Something Beautiful Thought:

Kids:  they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music.

~  W. Stafford  ~

Click here to see my
Collection Of "Something
Beautiful Thoughts"

Art Objects Make Room Come Alive

Objects of art are sometimes awfully energetic - for being inanimate objects, of course.

We know clay is not alive, as in, clay is considered a non-living material. However, when clay is sculpted into a form, it can take on its own unique personality. Knowing how objects interact with us and our surroundings can be enjoyable as well as helpful in the creation of beauty.
This object, this ceramic piece, caused the stir. Looking through a Guild Catalog,

I saw the object WAS that cannonball girl. I was seven years old. It was MY curled-up body. My knees drawn tight to my chest. I could feel the impact of hitting that water. I was under the warm summer sky. I felt the SPLASH! It was me, me, me. There is nothing like a cannonball! For a split second, I was the art.



Article continued, including Mini Black Bottom Cheesecakes recipe, click here.

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