Beautiful Belle Inspiration!

a p p r o a c h  t o  t h e  h a m e a u

from the story  "L'Hameau de la Reine Marie Antoinette"

I am thrilled to have my photo story on Marie Antoinette's hameau featured in this month's issue of 

Belle Inspiration Magazine!

You can see the article here

from Belle Inspiration's Facebook page

And what a beautiful issue it is, filled with all things romantic, feminine, fun, and French!

I've found lots of new Etsy shops I need to visit, and also several new blogs I need to check out.  And at under $20 for not just one, but TWO subscriptions, it makes the perfect gift for yourself and a friend!

Thank you Mimi Bleu, for doing such a wonderful, creative job with your magazine!

**********

I haven't posted in two weeks because my internet has been down.  While that was sort of frustrating on one hand, on the other, it was just what I needed to get me off of Pinterest!!!


God's in charge, even with the internet!


So, while I had some time, I finished a 
Mixed Media art piece

played with BooBoo...

And I read a lot of French books...

Cleaned out one of my art storage closets in the mudroom, which looked like this

and now looks like this

except that the counter and sink are now gone, and tomorrow the darling Monsieur Master Carpenter who lives here will begin to transform this space into a new powder room.




I also switched out the stuffing in my globes de mariage, on the fireplace mantle, 

Oh, but I lost that tall one when the big picture frame to the right blew off the wall from the explosion in my fireplace...
I will not tell you about that, except to say


I AM NO LONGER ALLOWED AROUND FIRE!!!!


And I was also tagged by the ever-so-sweet Irina, and have to answer some probing [fun] questions, but that will take some thinking...


There is still room in our 
Photography Workshop in Paris and Normandy
July 6-11

scroll down  to see more samples of our photographic technique
and contact me for more details
iluvfrance@wildblue.net

au revoir,mes belles

dawne

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

o n   t h e    r i n g   o f   k e r r y

Although I'm French at Heart, I do share a birthday with St. Patrick

which makes me feel really quite Irish!!

I've only been to Ireland 3 times, but I feel as at home there as I would in Maine.

Except for the Irish traffic jams, of course...

Ireland still feels nicely old fashioned to me

I always drink Guinness when I'm in Ireland [ with Black Currant syrup on top].

My last trip was with my friend, artist Betsy Hubner

Here she is at Cahir Castle

 

my editing style has really changed in the past few years!

I Hope you are all having a wonderful Wearin' O' the Green!!  I know I am!

Please scroll down to  read about our Photography Workshop in Paris and Normandy this summer!  All photographers welcome--- from beginner to expert!!

!!Photography Workshop~~PARIS~~July 11-16!!

b o y  w i t h  r e d   b a l l

s i m p l e  b & w, o r...

t e x t u r e d...or...

t h e  "p a i n t e r l y"  p h o t o g r a p h

a n d  e v e n  i P h o n o g r a p h y

at versailles

Dean and I are leading a 
Photography Workshop 
in Paris and Normandy

 July 11-16

We would love to have you join us as we photograph the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, and the streets of Paris,

spend Bastille Day at Versaille,

travel to Monet's gardens at Giverny,

and sleep in a French Château!

All photographers are welcome, 

from beginner to expert.

For more details, please email Dawne at

iluvfrance@wildblue.net 

We Hope to see you HERE!!!

textures by French Kiss Textures and Boccacino

The Week's Most Pinteresting

You LOVE Pinterest don't you? I do too!  It's become my go-to place for decor inspiration and beauty, great recipes, beautiful photography, and all things French!!!  I also learn a lot there.  Like how to make a word splash out of any text, such as the one above from Wordle. It only took about 2 minutes to make. But before you go to create one for yourself, check out a few of my favorite pins of the week...

via

Two absolutely gorgeous dining rooms

via

GASP!!!!

via

this cozy room just oozes charm from Vermont 

via

Martha offers a good idea on something to make with James Dean

via

definitely want to go here on our next trip!

via

more crafts...these only cost $3.50 and are downloadable

via

Joy the Baker says this is absolutely delicious

via

...but this looks sweet, too

via

I get to travel to beautiful areas like the  small town of Brantôme in the Périgord from 

La Pouyette

via

Or travel to Budapest through these beautiful doors 

via

And at the end of the day, there are always good words to live by

via

via

All of the above pix should link to my Pinterest boards, and if you click on the photo there, it will take you to the originator of the post.  C'mon and follow along!

My Pinterest Boards

Oh , wait!  Here's one of my own photos of Paris!  A postcard for you!

texture from Boccacino

Bisous!

xxxxxx

dawne

Is Oscar French at Heart?

It's been two weeks since my last post, and I did promise you more pix from Paris.

Above are two versions of the same shot.  The top one is a "painted" photograph, texturized with French Kiss Textures, and the bottom one is simply a snapshot, processed in BW/sepia. I'm always amazed at how processing changes the personality of a photograph.  Both have their charm, because, after all, both are taken in Paris!!  Which one do you like better?




Meanwhile, I'm still basking in the glow of the Academy Awards.  What with "Midnight in Paris", Hugo" and "L'Artist", I'm thinking that this year, Oscar was a little "French at Heart"!!


This Oscar winner isn't French, but it has some French in it and it certainly has a French sensibility.  A friend sent it to me today, and I watched it at breakfast with two of my loved ones.  You might do the same. [I'd suggest that you watch it full screen on Youtube, preferably with a little one on your lap.]

And speaking of French films, our most recent one last night was "Avenue Montaigne".  I give it a 5!!


à bientôt, mes chers,


dawne

Chartres

wonky little house in front of the cathedral

We chose to go to Chartres on this Photo Tour, as one of our guests had studied it in school,  and wanted  to see the cathedral that was so famous.  Built around 1200, it is an exceptionally well preserved architectural tribute to the genius of the unknown architect who designed it, and to the men who built it over a 65 year span. The majority of stained glass windows are still intact, and there have been very few changes to the architecture.

  I used to teach about this when I covered the Gothic era in Art History,

["Height, Light and Pointy Bits",as my students would learn to define it. Indeed, an inordinate number of my former students still refer to backsides as "flying buttresses"!].  

I had been a few times before, but never had the time to discover what a charming town Chartres was. Interesting windows...

school boys...

sweet boutiques...

antique stores...

and tea across from the cathedral

at the cozy Café Serpente

where the owner's wife displayed her huge collection of teapots and coffee pots.  I'm smitten with teapots [being somewhat shaped like one],so I was thrilled to find this little feast for the eye.

While we were there, we stayed in the cozy farmhouse 

adjacent to this beautiful château, owned by a Russian man who visits alone for only three months a year.  The other nine months the château is empty!  Hmmmm...Do you think he could be talked into a Bloggers' retreat???

From here we go to Paris!


Oh, I'm working up my nerve to do my first giveaway!  I just won something on a blog giveaway, and I want to pay it forward.  Next time...


A demain, copaines,
dawne