Bonjour Happiness

I just started reading BonjourHappiness by Jamie Cat Callan. As a young girl, Callan was fascinated byher French Grandmother. Callen captures the secrets of her grand-mères classicstyle and how she took joy in simple, everyday pleasures. Callen shares lessonson how to age gracefully, enjoy life and how to celebrate being an elegant woman. She remindsus that we too can acquire this joie de vivre.

Hmmmm I'm excited to see where this goes.

Here area few sneak-peek-lessons from Bonjour Happiness.

Edited version ofShannon Ables Review at Simply Luxurious Life

*Break the connection between spending money and happiness by findingexperiences that bring you joy, but do not cost a thing

*Fill your home with fresh flowers and original art

*Learn to survive on your own

*Learn a new language

*Reject the fast and efficient and instead choose something that takes alittle more time and delays gratification, ultimately creating moresatisfaction.

*Don’t share everything about your personal life– maintain your mystery

*Try to ride your bike or walk everywhere

*Do not seek approval from othes in life. Do what you think is best and be proud of your actions

*Keep the dining room table clutter free even when not using it

*Pay attention to your posture

*Buy local

*Plant herbs

*Consider staying away from the kitchen between meals

*Practice the art of conversation by complimenting both men and women

*Wear good lingerie all the time.

*Buy one bra for every three panties

*Pair quality basics with unusual finds

Dreamy Wish List

Euphoria Perfume

 

Capri Blue Candles( Scents: Aloha Orchid, Volcano or Paris)

Fresh Sugar Rose Lip Treatment

 

Williams Sonoma Olive Wood Salt Keeper

KAI Body Butter and Roller Oil

Flip Video

Rodin Olio Lusso Olio Lusso Luxury Face Oil

 

 

Cocco0n Wrap

Spexclub Glasses

Emmerson Jeans

Nespresso Citiz Espresso Maker with Aeroccino Plus Automatic Milk Frother

 J Crew Cashmere Cascade Sweater

Clutch

 

Floppy Brown Hat

Vintage Italian Heels

Handmade Sterling Silver Lace Earrings
I've featured these before! So Pretty!

Anthropologie Cashmere Boatneck

Chanel Flats

Copper Kitchen Aid Mixer

 

 

 

Bonjour, Happiness

By Jamie Cat Callan

 

 

 

 

Victorian Cottage

I've seen pictures of this cute little cottage for months now. Here is the story  by the New York Times of how this fairytale came about.

I can't wait for our house to be done! Ms. Foster you have inspired me!

This is a very special sort of dream house: the Victorian Ms. Foster has wanted since she was a teenager on Long Island and her middle-class family lost their home. It is a house that is as soul-satisfying as it was when she first imagined it as a 15-year-old, even with the ups and downs that grown-up life brings.

“My refuge,” she calls it.

After Ms. and Mr. Foster sold their Farm house, they found this wooded property, with the trailer and cabin, for $46,000. Ms. Foster, seeing the hunting cabin on the hill, knew it could be her dream house.

The cabin was then a 9-by-10-foot box with a peaked roof, five small windows and a sleeping loft over a small porch supported by tree trunks. Ms. Foster began work on it as soon as time and money allowed, in July 2009.

With her saw, Ms. Foster cut out spaces for windows. She found a tin ceiling on Craigslist for $200, and a wooden mantelpiece in High Falls for about $350. Many of the faded white book jackets came from Beth Neumann, at TatteredVintage.

Armed with a crowbar, hammer and electrical saw, she removed the front of the cabin and extended the floor and porch, using salvaged floorboards. She framed out the porch and found columns, a screen door and hardware at New York Salvage.

The only help Ms. Foster required from her husband was setting the columns and rafter over the porchFurnishings, which had to be carried across a shaky bridge over the stream and then up the steep hill, posed a challenge. So what appears to be a short, fat love seat is really a lightweight wicker sofa from Ikea, plumped up with pillows and embroidered Ralph Lauren pillowcases. Ms. Foster built the china closet using scrap wood and French doors she found at a yard sale.

Was she ecstatic when it was completed?

“Yeah,” Ms. Foster said. “I was. I remember the night I finished as clear as a bell: It was November 1st. I was listening to Rush at very high volume over and over, it was freezing cold, I was starting to paint and the moon was out. I looked up at the moon, twirling, with my arms out. I was ready to cry.”

Finally, it was time to go back down the hill and across the stream to the trailer, where her husband came through the door with a surprise: freshly baked rolls, still warm from the oven. He placed them in a basket and put them, with a bucket of margarine and cups of green tea, on the coffee table.

Good job Ms. Foster! Dreams can come true.

Pictures: Pinterest

Fool Proof French Macarons

Here is a fool proof recipe that I use for making French Chocolate Macarons by David Lebovitz. David you are awesome!

and

Here are some pretty pictures of macarons... just because they're fun to look at! I'll take them all please.

Pictures: Pinterest

Funday Sunday

Shanny, Julia and I had a lovely morning at church. We then went to South Coast Plaza to do some window shopping and grabbed coffee and croissants at Vie De France Cafe. I've found the croissant of my dreams! Their Chocolate Almond Croissant is AMAZING -- a buttery piece of heaven with crispy edges and a soft center, lightly drizzled in chocolate and a sweet almond paste! I saved half of it to share with Danny when I got home; he agrees -- heaven. We'll be back for more in a day or two!
As of now, we're going for an afternoon bike ride and meeting up with friends for a possible boat ride and Breaking Bad episode. Life is good.

Picture:1

La Crêperie Café: A Night Out With Friends

So Christina called tonight and had the GENIUS idea of going to La Crêperie Café in Downtown Long Beach. I had never been there, but had heard wonderful things about it. Shanny, Christina, Alex, Dan and I all drove down to check it out. One word...freakenfantazmic! If you're nearby, you've got to get some crepes here! First-off, the place looks really cool. They have giant chandeliers, fun French murals and a live band! The crepes were amazing -- savory dinner crepes, as well as DESSERT crepes. Shanny, Dan and I weren't too hungry so we ordered garlic fries and  the Martinique dessert crepe; Bananas flambéed in dark rum with brown sugar in a warm crepe with French vanilla ice cream! Yummmm! Christina and Alex ordered a savory crepe for dinner and a Nutella, fresh strawberries and bananas crepe for dessert. All in all it was an A+ night. Good food and friends!

Feeling Frenchy

My friend Ethan is on a tour of Europe for the next three weeks. He is currently in France with his mother and sister -- what a lucky duck! Their trip has inspired my day dreaming for the moment. Next is Italy!

Pictures are from Weheartit and Flickr. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15