A New Year

Our dear old Prissy, in honor of our new friend, Spotty!!

I have heard that number, 2012, soooo many times this year.  The year of the Big Election in the states, the year the Mayan calendar says the world will end, [ha!], the year we will buy a château in France [ another really big HA!].  But in all likelihood, Lord willing, we will be living in this momentous year in just a few hours.  And so, dear friends, and followers, and family who read this and smile

!!HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

may all your dreams come true, and all your prayers be answered in 2012

But before we move into the new year, I want to share a few pix of our Christmas, like so many of you have done on your inspiring blogs.  We were thrilled to be part of the Christmas House Tour in our town this year, as a fundraiser for our historic Courthouse.

I got lots of great decorating ideas from 

Pinterest

Like painting a poster board with chalkboard paint, and writing on it...

This one is mine, but I got the idea from bucketsofburlap.blogspot.com

And was inspired by the beautiful photos from the lovely Miss Glenda at

The Paper Mulberry

Among all of her Christmas images she showed a stunning pinecone wreath, frosted with white, which led me to the barn to dig up my old one and FROST it, too.

But when it actually came time to decorate, I ended up just doing pretty much what I do every year.

Vintage ornaments in urns, with white branches

vintage angels on the kitchen shelf

We always decorate my Mutti's bathroom...

and her bedroom. I made her the antique lace stocking in 1983.  

we just love the vintage wooden angel candle holders.  

[Mutti,is, BTW, my 94 year old mom.]

Here she is sitting by the fire.

Can you guess how much I love my Santos cage doll, given to me by my darling Jill?

This is our daughter's Photography studio

...painted grey even before she knew it was de rigueur! Thank you so much for taking all these pictures, Crickett!

So bring on the New Year!!!  All we need now is some snow!!

2012 Big Hugs,

dawne

Silent Night...Holy night...

...all is calm, all is bright

May the Joy, Peace and Love that comes from our Lord and Savior be in your hearts during this Christmas Season.

Love to ALL of you, my dear friends who email me when you read my posts, 

and thank you, to all who have become my dear NEW friends, through the blogosphere!  Your comments and your blogs have given me so much happiness this year!
Bisous amies,
dawne

So, finally...

Taken at Galleries Layfayette, last month in Paris.  Oh what a store!!!

...I'm taking a short break from my Christmas preparations so that I can finally continue with my part of the award given to me by the very sweet Irina last month: The Blog on Fire Award. She actually awarded my Photography blog French at Heart , but I don't write on that one, so I hope it's okay to write from here... Thanks again for the honor, Irina!

If you recall, I am supposed to tell you 5 things about myself that you don't know, and then award 5 other blogs that I think are just amazing, and they will tell you 5 things about themselves.  So here goes:


1. I live in a 170 year old farmhouse with 4 generations under one roof..5 to 95. We're sort of a crazier version of the Waltons.


2. I didn't go to college after high school...I went to Hollywood to become a star.  Fortunately Johnny Matthis talked me into going home.  He said Hollywood would eat me alive.


3.I was caught in quicksand when I was 9. I was up to my chest. God saved me by a miracle. He had plans for me.


4.  I was the class clown when I was in school.  Oh, not as a student, but when I was the teacher.:o)


5. I've see The Bourne Identity 37 times. When we rent a car in France, and pull back into the underground garage in Paris to return it, we always wait a beat, and then my husband says, "We can never come back to this car, understand?"  Then he makes me change my hair color.
This will only make sense to those of you who have seen The Bourne Identity 37 times.

So, now on to the awards!

My first award goes to
Zsa Zsa Bellagio

ZsaZsa says that her blog is "like no other" and I must agree. You HAVE to check her out!!! This spectacular collection of images comes into my inbox everyday and simply blows me away!!  Each day is not just one post, but 10 or 12 posts of some of the most beautiful images on the web! Not a lot of talking, just the best eye candy imaginable!!  ZsaZsa, I applaud you and can't wait to find out who you are and much more!!


Next, I have to honor another friend who shows up in my inbox each morning, Maureen Bower of 

Eclectic Revisited

Maureen is indefatigable, searches out all the best interiors, and always gives me a little dose of decor with my morning coffee

whether it be romantic

sophisticated

Frenchified

or just plain...ballsy


Her decor offerings are simply top-notch, and always eclectic!  She's had lots of blog awards, but I do hope she shares 5 things about herself.


Next award goes to another decor blogger, but one who inspires me to 


RESTORE INTERIORS!!! 

Kelli Wright is a true artiste when it comes to restoring vintage and just plain old furniture.  She is a whiz at painting with chalk paint, and one of these Wednesdays I'm going to gather my courage and link up with her 
Restored It Wednesday

Doesn't it just make you want to go out to the barn or to a tag sale and get an old piece of furniture and just start painting?
*******


My 4th pick for great blog goes to one of the most whimsical, féerique, enchanting blogs on the net 


merveilles en papier

I love the world that Laetitia lives in...it is truly a French Fairytale, populated by fanciful creatures and delightful domiciles, all created from Papier Maché.  Her larger pieces are for sale at La Maison du Roy,

24/26 Passage Jouffroy

75009 Paris 

I really hope Laetitia tells more about her artist's life in France!  Oh, and her blog is written in both French and English, which helps those of us still struggling with those French idioms!


My final blog needs no introduction, for EveRYoNe knows AniTa Rivera of Castles, Crowns and Cottages!!!!!

But don't try to follow this link, because the most awful thing has happened...
Someone has hijacked her URL!!!!!
 I know that things will work out with Blogger eventually, but it is so frustrating not to see her most recent post, which starts out so beautifully, until it switches to some other interloper's site.  Still I must award this award to Anita, because she has been so sweet, and is really responsible for me even being in the blogging world, and most of you who follow me came here through her. Is there anyone more faithful in commenting on everyone's blogs?  Is there anyone more enthusiastic? So Anita, dear, even though you've probably received numerous blog awards, and even though you are a legend in the Blogosphere, I have to honor you and thank you in this most public way...
God Bless you, and lets get that blog back!!!


UPDATE!!!  YAY!  Anita's husband found the bug in her gadgets [ whatever that means!] and her blog is now back in the Land of the Living!  Now you can follow the link!

Bisous à tous,

dawne

Back From Paris....

Sacré Cœur from the Musée D'Orsay

...and I will be posting about that really soon for all you Francophiles!!!  But, on this Sunday morning how could I not share this?  Seen it already? Me too.  But it's worth seeing again!!

[And what an amazing Teacher, cast, and concept!!!]

Hallelejah!

Praising Him today!
dawne

These three girls...

...were sitting out in front of my gazebo tonight...

[I don't do witches, but I DO do weird...]

I was so honored today to be the recipient of Irina's Blog Award  


[The award was actually for French at Heart, my strictly Photo blog.]

Click on the link to visit her wonderful blog, and then follow the links to see her other two.  They are all beautiful and inspiring.  And also please visit the other 4  lovely blogs! 


Thank you, Irina!!!

And when I get back from France I will play the game, tell you 5 things about myself, and choose 5 other blogs to give this award to. And I will dedicate a blog to Palomasea [Irina]:) 






Also, tonight, this photo was featured on RedBubble's Front Page
[ one of the young girls from my church]

n e v e r m o r e










So, there was more excitement around here today than just packing! I know I owe some blog stops, and I will try to do that from my iPhone in Paris! [ That should be interesting!! :O ]  




Have a fun night, and I'll see you when I return!

Boo!

dawne

Bayeux and Beyond...

g o o s e  g i r l   i n   b r i t t a n y 

As I'm getting packed to leave for Paris, I realize that I never finished showing you the rest of the trip we took this summer through Normandy, Brittany and the Loire.  This is a trip that I would recommend to anyone, as it was easy, affordable, and sooooo beautiful.  Have any of you ever done this trip?  I know a few of my friends who read this blog actually live there!!  You know how envious I am of you, don't you? :) My trip to Paris next week is a little Photo Workshop, but I really want to lead one through this part of the French countryside next summer!  Stay tuned!

The opening photo is a fantasy, of course, and parts of the composite were shot in France.  But little goose girls are hard to come by, so I used a painting of a Breton girl by the Victorian painter George Clausen.


Anyway, , here are a few shots from the beautiful medieval town of Bayeux, home of the Bayeux Tapestry, where I met these charming children on holiday from the UK. I wish I were their teacher!!

[I can't help it.  I gravitate to kids.  This is how I used to photograph my own students when I took them on EuroTrips.  Sniffle.  I miss it.]










Bayeux had lots of sweet boutiques, with many devoted to needlework

This one was my favorite. Ooo, the dentelles!..

inside the shop.

I bought my one frivolous item on the trip here from this adorable shopkeeper: very jazzy French leggings.  I really wanted her dress!




Never, ever, ever stay at this hotel: La Maupassant.  Even though it is extremely cheap and you feel very virtuous for being so frugal,[ because you are going to spend the farm on a chateau the next night] and they promise you a bathroom and shower in your room, don't believe it.  You will lie awake ALL night long, staring at the sink 

and taking pictures of your feet with your iPhone, 

and hang out the window taking pictures of the building across the street,

 afraid to go down the hall to la toilette,

and at the first hint of light you'll creep out of bed, so as not to wake the sleeping giant next to you, and tip-toe downstairs to go out photographing those...

  Blue Buildings at dawn.

But, in truth, it really wasn't so bad.

So...

Off to Dinan,in Brittany, where things were decidedly Old World.  What a charming city!

  

Isn't it straight out of a fairytale?

And speaking of fairytales, have you visited 

le Château de Chenonceau? I think it's the prettiest of the big chateaux, 

and I'm smitten with the kitchen, downstairs, under the main floor

this is where the scullery maids peeled vegetables and threw the peelings out into the river

I love this little scene

isn't this a homey centerpiece for a kitchen table?

 this is a bit out of focus, but I had to show you massive fireplace where they cooked

and baked bread

Gasp!

These were some pottery jars that I thought looked so beautiful

If I could BE any piece of furniture, I would be this.  In fact, I look quite like this...

There are beautiful flower arrangements all over the chateau

and all of the flowers are grown in the chateau greenhouses and gardens

I had to play with this photo that my husband took of one of the gardener's cottages...

and turn it into a bit of a fairytale

the gardener's cottage

********




!!!!Late Breaking News!!!!!


Sweet Ria, from the lovely blog


It's Me


is doing the most delightful 
GIVEAWAY!!!  

Wouldn't you just love to own this book?  Ahhh.  That Scandinavian Style that we all love so much...
Just Click on "It's Me" and leave a comment and find out how you might become the winner!!

*****************

So, mes amies, we're off to beautiful France again on Tuesday!  Wish you were all coming along with us!!!!! Maybe on our workshop in April, hmmm????
See you in two weeks, Lord willing,
Love,dawne