Parisienne Farmgirl

Anybody for a Picnik???

2012-01-25T21:52:00.000-05:00

Say it ain't so.

For those of us to lazy to open up Photoshop

(Um, that would be me... I am SO put out by the 15 seconds it takes to load :).

For those of us who loved those easy, crazy edits like "Cross Process."

For those of us who LOVE hard to come by fonts like "Pepe".

For those of us who just re-did their header using all "Polaroid" frames - ahem.

I know, I know... there's Picassa and Google + something or other...

(I swear, is Google becoming the freekin' AntiChrist or WHAT??? They are starting to scare me!)

I don't WANT to learn another online editing program.

I like Picnik!

"I don't want FOP &?%^$*!

I'm a Dapper Dan man!"

I don't want to wait 15 seconds for Photoshop to load.

I don't have 15 extra seconds to hit the loo.

Well, I am crying -

are you?

Say it ain't so Picnik.

We will miss you.

This just about kills me every time. It never gets old.
Sorry for the cursing.

Settee Crazy!

2012-01-23T09:45:00.158-05:00

I am a sucker for settees.
This house has four... and counting.
I think that if you are going for a Parisienne Farmhouse kind of look you just about have to have a settee. There are few pieces that look as cool when paired with rustic, farmy accents and settees have that authentic "Paris Apartment" look that few other pieces of furniture can give a Francophile.

I've only been in a handful of Parisian flats. Most seem to be decked out in a truly European combo of antiques-meets Ikea-meets flea market. You'll often see the influences of the French colonies too like a bit of Morocan flair. I was lucky enough to be invited for lunch to the home of a rather affluent Parisienne once. Right on the Blvd. St. Germain. This building was the real deal. Red carpeting, an old iron clad lift, large spiraling staircase.
I was giddy. And rather nervous to meet this friend of a friend.
She of course like a true Parisienne entertained me with lively conversation, graciously assisting me with my French when needed. I calmly tried to eat only as much as she was even lest I look like a hog though she had made my favorite salad (endive with walnuts and blue cheese). Everytime she left the room I tried to take in all that I could from the GORGEOUS elaborate plaster moldings that trimmed the ceiling to the ancient painting of a family member placed above the buffet and of course the settee. It was all I could do not to stand on the table, rip the chandelier out of the ceiling and run for la Butte!* Showing restraint I found myself instead fascinated by this lovely, interesting woman who in the last year had learned how to bind old books and reupholster antique chairs.
Yes, she was that cool.

After lunch we walked to the Jardin du Luxembourg and I hung on for dear life as she prattled away as only the French can do. Finally a particular word lost me and I had to interrupt. She had been ranting about the hideous Montparnasse tower and had lost me with this word I had never heard. Today, years later I don't remember the word (It was a word that meant something like "grievous error") but I do remember the way she defined it by equating the Tour Montparnasse to Martin Luther and his 95 Theses. She had been such splendid hostess that I did not have the heart to tell her that I was rather intrigued with Luther. She was after all, the first person of Faith I had met in the city which seems to be rather Faithless so I kept my mouth shut not caring about small or even large theological differences. We continued our walk to the garden, stopped for an Orangina, found two chairs along the pond talked a bit longer and then went our separate ways.
What does that have to with settee's? Nothing much. But it's a fond Parisian memory for me.

If you wait patiently you will find the perfect settee but you might need to be ready to paint or whip up a slip cover. Plan to spend anywhere from nothing to $1500 or so depending on the level of your patience and your resourcefulness.
Here are mine, where I found them, what I did to them and how much I paid...

This one lives at the edge of my bed. It is covered in green silk but the wood was icky, speckled 1970's so I painted it. It desperately needs to be recovered. That blue throw covers a whole mess of duct tape. For real. I paid $90.00 for this lovely around the corner at a re-sale shop. I have never seen anything like it and hope to be able to afford to have it reupholstered some day. It features a Louis VXI leg which is my favorite.

This one is green too...

I am admittedly horrible with fabrics. I believe this is green velour and it has seen everything from almost black nail polish to a dark chocolate disaster one New Years Eve. I paid $250.00 for it at an "Antiques in the Park" day across the street from the house. It too was 70's and speckled so I painted it gaining inspiration from Annie of Eurotrash fame's sofa. It really needs to be repainted. It's been about eight years. I'll cry when the material finally gives out. I just love it.

And now the garbage pick...

Well sort of. Let me see if I get this straight... I think my Mom bought it from a dealer friend who had garbage picked it and then charged Mom $80 for it. Then Mom got sick of it and I adopted it as my own. I am assuming I paid Mom for it, but maybe I owed her money for something and we wrapped it up with this sofa. Nonetheless - look at those legs. Once again it's that 1970's French Revival looking speckled wood. This settee made books and magazines last year but now that it has a new home in my sun room it's getting a paint makeover ASAP. Oh, and I can't WAIT to show you the rest of the room.

And now, the piece de resistance...

Craigslist baby.
$175.00
That's right. $175.00.
Peachy, paprika velvet. Down filled. From an antique store in San Fransisco. We went to pick it up a couple years ago - the day Chicagoland flooded. We arrived at the lady's house on the swanky North Shore a half hour before she did. It was a total deluge. She called us, told us how to get in so we went in and waited. Glancing down her open basement stairs we could see her basement was flooding. She got home just then and we proceeded to help her frantically save all her family photos which were on the basement floor. ...Opening boxes of them and spreading them all over her house to dry. It was so weird and so sad. Then we wrapped our new sofa in YARDS of plastic drops cloths that we had brought with us, duct taped them and loaded the kids in the truck praying the whole way home (one hour) as we drove thru the streets-turned-rivers that our sofa would make it OK.

Now since I have never slip covered my own (yet) I wanted to show you this charming little number I found over at my new friends "Dear Lillie" - this is your typical, ugly, thrift shop settee and I was just so impressed with this simple makeover I had to show you! (Promise me you won't get lost on their blog and never come back to mine! It is SOOOOOOO wonderful!)

Isn't that FABULOUS!??

And, now, if you find yourself licking your chops for a settee of your own I want to show you how easily you can find one. Below I have five settees/sofas from major cities across the country. Click the link to see the actual Craigslist page.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/fud/2800737479.html
$1,000

http://houston.craigslist.org/fuo/2812644898.html
$500 -OMG.

http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/fud/2813585441.html

No price listed and yes, it's more of a SOFA - but you should SEE what else this store carries!

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/fuo/2764614837.html

$450

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/fuo/2759253967.html

$499

Hope you enjoyed~!

Oh, and "la Butte" - well if you got that then you are marveling at how funny I am! HAHAHA!

If you didn't, you're not alone I am sure of it... that was my lame attempt at humor and to say "run for the hills" as I was referring to la Butte de Montemartre - Paris' little city on the hill.

All photos not labeled as mine: Google Images.

Music played during original post:
Compainte de la Butte from Moulin Rouge

The War Against Boys - Where Have all the Cowboys Gone???

2012-01-19T01:03:00.005-05:00

I am pretty burned out.
Not because I am the Momma of a little boy but because I am the Momma of a little boy.
Allow me to explain...

If you get me going you'll be hard pressed to get me to shut up on the joys of being a Momma to a little boy (two little boys!). It is so awesome and I love it! (I'd have ten little boys. The challenge is thrilling.) You'll also be hard pressed to get me to shut up on the frustrations of being a Momma of a little boy and it's not because of the boy.

I am of the opinion that people, most people just don't "get" little boys these days. I am of the strong opinion that anit-male feminism has corrupted our view of little boys and what they should be like. Even sadder, I feel this anti-male feminism has pervaded our church and our families.

I am reading Christina Hoff-Sommers Book "The War Against Boys" so I have a lot of feelings up at the surface this evening.

Today so many... SO MANY little boys are drugged into submission and tranquility. So many are wasting away in front of the television, Internet and video games. So many are pumped full of sugar and then dumbed down on tranqs. It's heartbreaking. And almost all little boys are told to...
sit still,
don't hit,
be quiet,
don't run,
don't build,
don't shout,
don't fight,
don't get dirty
... did I say, "sit still." Go to most homes, most church Sunday school rooms, most day care rooms and you will see a pile of safe, girly toys. Nothing to jump off of, nothing to bash, crash. build and destroy.

This has been our families struggle in the last couple years. We can clearly see that our son needs more room to be a boy - part of our desperate desire to get to a farm. You should see him when he has room to "be". He is a completely different child.

We live in a culture that is the advanced stages of beginning to find men completely disposable. This culture seems to want to strip everything from men that makes them men, (and the same goes for little boys). Today most men are so soft. It's gross. Their nice, safe and neutered. And who needs men right? Today women can earn tons of money, fight wars, shimmy up a fire(wo)man's ladder, heck... they can get pregnant without a man. Men are to be soft, kind, polite... they can shake propper hands at church but when do they get to really cut loose... shoot a gun, shoot hoops, spar, drink a beer, act like they don't need a women around to tell them what to do???
I digress. Sorry. I do that on this topic...

Back to boys. Let me give you a little reminder. Boys are loud, aggressive, creative, destructive, curious... they eat A LOT, they shine flashlights in your eyes, they pester their little sisters, they want to wrestle, the bristle when you tell them to be careful, they don't want to be called "little", they long to know how strong they are, they want to be respected by their mothers and they want to feel like real men around their fathers. You can tell them all day to be quiet, sit still and play nice but you might as well tell the sun not to shine. Now, I am not excusing disrespectful or bad behavior... but sometimes I wonder how much we interperet as bad behavior because we too are a part of this brainwashed, overly feminine culture??? How might that behavior change if we were sure to give our little boys a chance to be BOYS. How much of that "behavior" is because they feel like caged animals in our pretty, suburban houses and politically correct classrooms???
Where is Tom Sawyer with his pockets full of toads and his hilarious entrepreneurial white washing skills? Where is Huck Finn and his risky raft? Where is the worm and the fishing pole? Where are the dirty bare feet? Where are the cap gunns, the smoke bombs and dirt bikes? Heck, where is John the Baptist... rockin' it out in the wilderness eating bugs and honey and skinning dead camels for his latest ensemble???

I am very wary of it all. Probably to the point where I sometimes let my son get away with things he shouldn't because I get defensive when I think people think he should be behaving a certain way. But I believe, we are paying for it as a culture... we want them to sit still and be quiet and then women complain when full grown men sit and play video games all night!
Well, you wanted them to sit still didn't you???
I do fear for my son. By the time he is a man I believe the popular consensus will be that he is totally dispensable as a man. In the meantime I am trying to raise him to be a man. Strong, courageous, Godly and dare I say... a bit wild.

Go on Man Cub. Momma loves you.

To read all my "Cowboy" posts from the last couple years - CLICK HERE.

Do You See What I See?

2012-01-18T21:58:00.003-05:00

Real quick girls.

Lame post here before I post one I have been working on.

The new header.

I am pretty pleased with it HOWEVER people keep telling me it's all messed up on their screens. What I see is my title header with the highly photoshopped "die-cut me" and the name. Then, I see six photos/tabs across with another six tabs/photos across. Everything is nice and symmetrical in my world. It looks great.
However some are saying the header is too big for their screen, others are saying they get ten tab/photos across and two underneath... etc...

So. Obviously it takes A LOT of time to trick out ones blog and I am pretty bummed if it looks all jacked up to you girls out there?

Do you see what I see????
Aidez-moi!

Oh. BTW.

You would not BELIEVE the articles and photos that are pouring in for this magazine! IT IS GOING TO ROCK! And like fine wine... get better with time! I am so excited!!!!!

Today in The Kitchen - Pierre Hermé's Chocolate Éclairs

2012-01-17T12:21:00.001-05:00

Now I wasn't praying for this snow but my Chickens sure were. They were ready to bust out the 1/16 of that Cherokee Heritage of theirs and run outside for a "Snow Dance" but alas, lace fell from the sky for the first time this winter.

I sighed.

They ran for the snow pants!

We had to celebrate and since my little, sweet Amélie is showing such an interest in Patisserie lately (she sits and looks at cookbooks like they are a Cinderella story! It's so cute) I thought I would "whip up a batch" of Pierre Hermé's Chocolate Éclairs. By the time I got to the chocolate sauce topping everyone was coming in with rosy cheeks and sopping wet gloves so I made my own recipe (you will see, they are not the most attractive éclairs) but nonetheless everyone was thrilled with this mid-winter, first snow of the season treat!

Recipe to follow photos. It's a doozy.

Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs

makes 20-24 Éclairs
Cream Puff Dough / Pâte à Choux (see below for recipe), fresh and still warm

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the oven into thirds by positioning the racks in the upper and lower half of the oven. Line two baking sheets with waxed or parchment paper.
Fill a large pastry bag fitted with a 2/3 (2cm) plain tip nozzle with the warm cream puff dough. Pipe the dough onto the baking sheets in long, 4 to 41/2 inches (about 11 cm) chubby fingers. Leave about 2 inches (5 cm) space in between each dough strip to allow them room to puff. The dough should give you enough to pipe 20-24 éclairs.

Piped pâte à choux.

Slide both the baking sheets into the oven and bake for 7 minutes. After the 7 minutes, slip the handle of a wooden spoon into the door to keep in ajar. When the éclairs have been in the oven for a total of 12 minutes, rotate the sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continue baking for a further 8 minutes or until the éclairs are puffed, golden and firm. The total baking time should be approximately 20 minutes.

Baked pâte à choux sliced horizontally. It actually came out hollow!

Notes:

The éclairs can be kept in a cool, dry place for several hours before filling.

Assembling the Éclairs:

Mise en Place:

Chocolate glaze (see below for recipe)
Chocolate pastry cream (see below for recipe)

Slice the éclairs horizontally, using a serrated knife and a gently sawing motion. Set aside the bottoms and place the tops on a rack over a piece of parchment paper.
The glaze should be barely warm to the touch (between 95 – 104 degrees F or 35 – 40 degrees C, as measured on an instant read thermometer). Spread the glaze over the tops of the éclairs using a metal icing spatula. Allow the tops to set and in the meantime fill the bottoms with the pastry cream.
Pipe or spoon the pastry cream into the bottoms of the éclairs. Make sure you fill the bottoms with enough cream to mound above the pastry. Place the glazed tops onto the pastry cream and wriggle gently to settle them.

Notes:

If you have chilled your chocolate glaze, reheat by placing it in a bowl over simmering water, stirring it gently with a wooden spoon. Do not stir too vigorously as you do not want to create bubbles.
The éclairs should be served as soon as they have been filled.

Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff Dough
Pâte à Choux

makes 20-24 Éclairs
1/2 cup (125g) whole milk
1/2 cup (125g) water
1 stick (4 ounces; 115g) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
5 large eggs, at room temperature

In a heavy bottomed medium saucepan, bring the milk, water, butter, sugar and salt to the
boil.
Once the mixture is at a rolling boil, add all of the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium
and start to stir the mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon. The dough comes together very
quickly. Do not worry if a slight crust forms at the bottom of the pan, it’s supposed to. You
need to carry on stirring for a further 2-3 minutes to dry the dough. After this time the dough
will be very soft and smooth.

Pâte à choux before adding the eggs.

Transfer the dough into a bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using your
handmixer or if you still have the energy, continue by hand. Add the eggs one at a time,
beating after each egg has been added to incorporate it into the dough.
You will notice that after you have added the first egg, the dough will separate, once again do
not worry. As you keep working the dough, it will come back all together again by the time you
have added the third egg. In the end the dough should be thick and shiny and when lifted it
should fall back into the bowl in a ribbon.
The dough should be still warm. It is now ready to be used for the éclairs as directed above.

Notes:

Once the dough is made you need to shape it immediately.
You can pipe the dough and the freeze it. Simply pipe the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets and slide the sheets into the freezer. Once the dough is completely frozen, transfer the piped shapes into freezer bags. They can be kept in the freezer for up to a month.

Chocolate Pastry Cream

2 cups (500g) whole milk
4 large egg yolks
6 tbsp (75g) sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted
7 oz (200g) bittersweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona Guanaja, melted
2 1/2 tbsp (1 1/4 oz: 40g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. In the meantime, combine the yolks, sugar and cornstarch together and whisk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Once the milk has reached a boil, temper the yolks by whisking a couple spoonfuls of the hot milk into the yolk mixture. Continue whisking and slowly pour the rest of the milk into the tempered yolk mixture.
Strain the mixture back into the saucepan to remove any egg that may have scrambled. Place the pan over medium heat and whisk vigorously (without stop) until the mixture returns to a boil. Keep whisking vigorously for 1 to 2 more minutes (still over medium heat). Stir in the melted chocolate and then remove the pan from the heat.
Scrape the pastry cream into a small bowl and set it in an ice-water bath to stop the cooking process. Make sure to continue stirring the mixture at this point so that it remains smooth.
Once the cream has reached a temperature of 140 F remove from the ice-water bath and stir in the butter in three or four installments. Return the cream to the ice-water bath to continue cooling, stirring occasionally, until it has completely cooled. The cream is now ready to use or store in the fridge.

Notes:

The pastry cream can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
In order to avoid a skin forming on the pastry cream, cover with plastic wrap pressed onto the cream.
Tempering the eggs raises the temperature of the eggs slowly so that they do not scramble.

Chocolate Glaze

makes 1 cup or 300g
• 1/3 cup (80g) heavy cream
• 3½ oz (100g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 tsp (20 g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
• 7 tbsp (110 g) Chocolate Sauce (recipe below), warm or at room temperature

In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly begin to add the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Stirring gently, stir in the butter, piece by piece followed by the chocolate sauce.

Adding the pieces of butter to the chocolate glaze.

Adding the chocolate sauce to the glaze to finish.

Notes:

If the chocolate glaze is too cool (i.e. not liquid enough) you may heat it briefly? in the microwave or over a double boiler. A double boiler is basically a bowl sitting over (not touching) simmering water.
It is best to glaze the eclairs after the glaze is made, but if you are pressed for time, you can make the glaze a couple days ahead of time, store it in the fridge and bring it up to the proper temperature (95 to 104 F) when ready to glaze.

Chocolate Sauce

makes 1 1/2 cups or 525 g
4 1/2 oz (130 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (250 g) water
1/2 cup (125 g) crème fraîche, or heavy cream
1/3 cup (70 g) sugar

Place all the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil, making sure to stir constantly. Then reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens.

Today in the Kitchen - Tapanade Provençal

2012-01-13T15:41:00.001-05:00

I hated olives as a child.

Once, my Dad... in some sort of sick and twisted joke convinced my brother and I that if we ate a big, black olive (the worst kind there is!) that we could open a Christmas present early. My dearly departed super-strict Christian Grandparents' box had just arrived in the mail and one of the presents was small and VERY heavy and the curiostiy was just about killing us. (Now you may be reading and thinking, Hey Parisienne Farmgirl... "I would call YOU super-strict Christian" - well, I wouldn't but... fair enough... however... these Grandparents, bless their hearts sent us games like Bible Checkers when we wanted Strawberry Shortcake and Legos... you get the picture.)

So, me, who NEVER wants to know a surprise early, who, till this day would NEVER peak at a present before it's intended open date... well, I just HAD to know what that small, heavy package was and so, I gagged down a big, black olive. Dry heaving with tears streaming down my little girl cheeks.

I was full of anticipation over the heavy mystery gift...

You won't believe this.

It was a piece of petrified wood. Grandpa said it was from the days of Noah.

My brother... to this day swears that he didn't actually swallow the olive but instead successfully fooled our Dad.

Brat.

Can you believe that?

I am still traumatized... by the taste of the big, black, gross olive and the disappointment over such a stupid gift.

These days, I do love olives... green and provançal style that is. Don't you dare serve me black olives - cause I will gag.

At the French bistros in the area once you are seated they serve you a small ramekin of tapanade and I just had to figure out how to make it for my family. Here is the recipe we enjoy... no petrified wood surprises either.

Pinky swear.

Four cups green olives (I use Lindsay from Costco and with pimentos is fine)

1 1/2 cup Greek Olives

3 large carrots

1/2 cup lemon juice (I use Volcanic Organic Lemon Juice)

1/2 cup Canola or Olive Oil

2 Teaspoons Italian seasonings

2 Tablespoons white wine mustard

Using a food processor chop the carrots to approx. 1/2 inch pieces, then add the rest of the ingredients and pulse chop, scraping the sides down as needed.

Slather onto fresh or toasted baguette and enjoy.

Other ingredients you can add...

Capers

Red Peppers

Onion

Tomato

Bon Appetit!

Got snow?

We finally do!

Linked to http://laurieannas.blogspot.com/

AND THE WINNER IS!

2012-01-12T17:53:00.004-05:00

Magazine Subscriber

TRACY BROWN!

Lovin' that chipped nail polish!
Congrats Tracy!

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT IS THIS AFTERNOON 5pm CST!!!

2012-01-12T14:07:00.000-05:00

Get ready girls!

The big giveaway winner will be announced today!

Can't wait!

Thank you so much for helping me get the word out about the magazine.

I have an amazing team assembled and you should SEE the

GORGEOUS first edition we are putting together for you!

Did you subscribe yet?

A bientôt mes amies!!!!

Trés Funny

2012-01-11T14:57:00.003-05:00

I just found this on Facebook...

Yes, you long time Parisienne Farmgirl's I have completely sold out thanks to the Magazine and now use Facebook toute le temps...

I even Twitter for the magazine... though I once spouted on this blog "shoot me if I ever Twitter".

These days I don't see how you could run an online business without the two. Have you subscribed to Parisienne Farmgirl Magazine yet? (You're not gonna want to miss our first Edition! You should see the articles and spreads we've got ready for you!) I can't believe the lovely contacts I have made in the last ten days on FB and Twitter. But you'll never see me sign on and say something stupid like, "I just ate a really big burrito" or "OMG my BFF just LHAO at this video"

But you might laugh yours off.

I almost fell over at the "Putain Maird" part. (pardon my French) Seriously. This is a most accurate spoof on French conversations!

TODAY IN THE KITCHEN coming later this week! Parisienne Farmgirl's restaurant worthy (If I do say so myself) Tapanade!

Pantone's 2012 Color of the Year

2012-01-10T09:34:00.001-05:00

Pardon my crappy graphic... I was too lazy to re-do it.

Let's just call it orange... cause "Tango" makes me way too sad (Hubby and I used to take Tango... dream come true... but now we don't...)
Something happened to me after 30.
I fell in love with orange.
From my Chinese Poppies to my orange wig I wore to be Syndy Bristow one year for Halloween and then last year to be Madeleine for Amélie's birthday...
Orange is fun, bright, super sexy and goes well with almost everything.

Not for the faint of heart though... it does really zing!
I use it in décor... and love, love, love the orange Nine West strappy heels that my SIL gave to me. (I'll never understand why??)
If Tangerine Tango is the color for 2012 I say bring it on! The more to choose from the better!

So what say you on Tangerine Tango
Yay, Nay or all the way?

What's your color for 2012???

Dresses found on Polyvore... Prices $3000-500.00

LipGloss - Tarina Terantino... my new favorite... even if I don't own it yet!

Parisienne Farmgirl's Big Announcement... and a Giveaway Fantastique!!!!!!!!

2012-01-06T22:54:00.001-05:00

Oh my goodness...

I am so nervous.

So nervous!

What if you don't like it...

What if you think, "Big deal."???

AHHHHH!

Here we go!

You can bump it out to enlarge it.

So there you have it!

And here are the "Giveaway Fantastique" details!

I humbly ask you to help us get the word out... Blogging, Facebook, Twitter... (we've got investors to impress!)

To enter this giveaway simply blog about the launch of this new publication! You can use my video or put it into your own words! The first 100 subscribers to the magazine will also be entered! (Don't delay in subscribing - we are expecting this to go fast as we have some pretty popular people committed to helping us get the news out!) ... feel free to use any Parisienne Farmgirl images for your post.

Silly me - I could not figure out how to post the HTML - if you want to post the video on your blog I will email the HTML to you!

Here's what's in the Giveaway Fantastique!

Over $200 in Parisienne Farmgirl inspired goodies!

A gorgeous rosette brooch made by Mandy at A-la-Parisienne!

This LARGE gorgeous cookbook "Romancing the Home" by Chicago favorite Susan Hawthorne - prepare to be inspired!

A bottle of 25 year old Balsamic Vinegar

Fifi's best seller Romantic Prairie Style

A coveted copy of Jeanne d'Arc Magazine from City Farmer!

Gorgeous chandelier crystal earrings - soooo very Marie Antoinette!

Organically grown spearmint leaves and two antique Royalty Souvenirs (As a closet Anglophile and collector of Royalty Souvenirs such as these, I must say... these are SUPER COOL and I am VERY jealous of whoever wins them!!!!)... from HomeMakerAng at Maple Valley Farm!

This Giveaway will end on midnight January 7, 2012. (NOW EXTENDED TO MONDAY the 9th AT MIDNIGHT! There are just a few more spaces left to enter via being one of the first one hundred subscribers... We are SO close...I thought I would give you a little more time if you are procrastinating!)

Please leave a comment and let me know if you will be doing a post and if you would like the HTML for the video.

Thank you so much! We are working hard on the first issue - it's going to be beautiful! And it will leave you plenty inspired for Spring! Be sure to inquire if you would like to write for us or advertise with us! We've got tons of topics we are looking for writers for... and we are anxious to see your ideas too! Each edition is going to feature regular contributors too... I can't wait to share these ladies with you!

This magazine is all about beauty and promoting women!

In fact,

Here's our Mission Statement!

I know you are going to love it!

We know you are going to love it!

Thanks for your support mes amis!

BONNE ANNÉE!!!

Visit the website to subscribe or for info on writing or advertising!
www.ParisienneFarmgirlMagazine.com

You can follow us on Facebook too:
Parisienne Farmgirl Magazine

and by Monday we'll have that Twitter account up and running!

JUST A FEW MORE HOURS!

2011-12-31T16:36:00.000-05:00

A Little Teaser... The Big Announcement

2011-12-29T12:45:00.000-05:00

Allow me to entice you with a clue... or rather tempt you to be SURE to visit Parisienne Farmgirl after the ball drops Saturday night.

I can't tell you the Big Announcement yet... but soon the posting, Facebooking and Tweeting will have it plastered all over the Internet!

I can however tell you that to coincide with "The Big One" I will be

doing a

GIVEAWAY FANTASTIQUE!

Trust me - this announcement is cause for some serious New Years celebrating! And can you think of a better way to celebrate than with a giveaway full of over

$200

worth of Parisienne Farmgirl inspired goodies?

Serious.

This is gonna be one amazing give away...

and of course...

One AMAZING announcement.

Stay tuned girls.

Photo credit: Pintrist.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay Too Much Talent

2011-12-27T18:49:00.000-05:00

The amount of talent oozing around my family is sick.

My cousin is a crazy photographer, hysterical (you should see her spin on Lady GaGa) and she paints these gorgesous paintings of Africa and her people.

My other cousin sings like a fifty year old black gospel singer (she is a twenty four year old white girl).

My brother rhymes the likes to put Eminem to shame and he can slice and dice the most articulate atheist. The man NEEDS his own radio show. It would go number one!

My Aunt is a wonderful writer and a great photogapher.

My 85 year old Grampa sings the National Anthem down in Flordia at the spring training games...

And my other cousin can sing Italian opera... like wow... he's 19.

My Mom... well, you KNOW what she can do.

Have I ever mentioned I sing not half bad too?

Whenever anyone gets any recognition for their talent we all hoot and holla'!!

So here's me - hootin' and hollering for my cousin Ben. He runs a video biz in Grand Rapids Michigan... I know he does more than this but his wedding videos are the best in the industry. He recently entered a UPS contest and won!!! This is his commercial. He's the one with the hat~

CONGRATULATIONS BEN!!!

A Tinkerbell Birthday Party - Parisienne Farmgirl Entertains

2011-12-26T19:04:00.001-05:00

How do you take a Mom's love of a beautiful party and a sweet daughter's love of Tinkerbell and meld them into a gorgeous, Christmas Eve Birthday Brunch?

I know there are some Mom's who have chosen not to introduce their daughters to the Disney girls... and I know there are some that probably go over board on the entire "Princess" "Fairy" thing.

I'm not really down with everything my girl's own being stamped "Princess" but dang, I loved Cinderella and Tinkerbell as a girl... why shouldn't they experience some magic too?

For their parties I try to blend and adult look with a child's look. It's a little girl's party and a Momma's chance to entertain. LeeLee and I were thrilled with this year's results!

We started with two questions:

Do you want a Hello Kitty Party or a Tinkerbell party?

Do you want a cake or a macaron tower?

It was Tinker all the way and the decision for the macaron tower was easy. When I make macs the kids get the broken or imperfect ones. Amélie was THRILLED at the idea of a ton of macs being made just for her. And of course, she put in the request for lots of pixie dust.

Big brother had the GREAT idea to put a Tinker doll on the top! See the gold pixie dust?

Next step:

Green and silver vintage ornaments

gold chargers

My prized antique green and cream Bavarian china

and a $20.00 trip to Party City for all the fairy stuff!

Other touches include Marie Antoinette style champagne glasses (found this fall at the Goodwill) and new (old) cutlery from my local favorite thrift shop, a giant scrap of satin I found in the linen closet, two bouquets from Trader Joe's.
HINT: When someone brings you that two foot long bunch of flowers from the grocery store you're always left scrambling for a vase and often they are still teeteringly tall. Just lop them off and find a creative container instead. For this party I used two etched wine glasses. Instantly $6.00 floral bunches take on a very stylish look.

A simple brunch of fruit salad, sausage, scrambled eggs with herbs de provence and feta cheese, and of course, Amélie's Great, Great Gramma's cinnamon rolls complete with purple frosting and pixie dust!

Fairy wings from Auntie Chels.

How in the world is this sweet baby already four years old?
Here we were again, on another "Morn Before Christmas" reveling in the joy and laughter she brings to this family.

I love you baby girl.
Je t'aime.
Je t'aime.

Joyeux Noël

2011-12-24T22:40:00.000-05:00

Luke Chapter Two

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

(Luke 2:1-20 ESV)

The Final Fitting... And More Teasers about the Big News

2011-12-22T10:11:00.000-05:00

OK, first.

If, by some miracle,

you have ANY inkling of what the "Big News" is PLEASE,

S'IL VOUS PLAIT

DO NOT mention it in the comment box!

But I will tempt you by letting you know a HUGE giveaway will coincide with the Big Announcement... spread the word girls!

Second...

My days of rolling out of bed and crawling to the sewing machine are over.

And I've decided I have named a new mental disorder...

Look at that! Hubbies shirt from off the floor and everything! I can't believe I am posting this photo!
Just keepin' it real!

And I've decided I have named a new mental disorder...

O.T.T.D.

Over-the-TOP-Disorder.

It's the creative curse I suppose. It's the reason just sewing an "Easy Sew" dress could never be good enough. Noooooooooooooo... I had to add rosettes trim, a giant sash and use slippery, shreddy, ornery taffeta!

But, boy oh boy... sometimes O.T.T.D. pays off!

Two dresses, two girls, two birthdays (one Christmas Eve and one in January!)

Not to mention my grand- daughters someday getting to wear them!

Now I am off to make the Tinkerbell (or "Tinker" as she is known in this house)

Macarons... with the requested Pixie Dust of course.

Then I shall set the table for the party, finish wrapping

and collapse into a heap.

'Tis the season to be Momma.

Parisienne Farmgirl Entertains ... Bracelet Exchange

2011-12-20T08:25:00.000-05:00

First...

Let me say a wonderful "Merci" to my neighbor Liane who gave me this great idea, she is more Martha that Martha Stewart herself...her parties are always the best, bringing women together and her attention to detail is out of this world...

I was so sad I didn't get to attend...but so inspired by the idea I had to have my own!

Seventeenish years ago a big, extended family all attended the same "mega church", sitting next to each other every Saturday night.. seventeen years ago they used to go out for dinner, have potlucks and Thanksgiving and Christmas occasions too.

Divorce... Disagreements... Decades... Death...

Things don't always stay the same.

Sometimes families need a little space... but sometimes that space turns into years and a void is created.
A void that was once filled by laughter.

When I knew I just had to host a bracelet exchange the women of this extended family came right to my mind, brought there I think by the Holy Spirit. It must have been Inspired because it was SO MUCH FUN and everyone reconnected like we didn't miss a beat. The next day everyone was still basking in the "afterglow" as the calls and emails came in about how great is was to all be in the same room again and laugh that hard!

Who needs another ornament exchange right? Lame-o.
For your next girls get-together why not a bracelet exchange? Everyone brings a bracelet... New... Vintage... Homemade...and wrapped very enticingly.

Then everyone draws a number according to how many guests you have. Person #1 gets to choose the package that appeals to them the most - then she opens it and shows off her new bracelet. Person #2 may then pick a package of her own or "steal" person #1's bracelet... you go around the room until all the packages are open and then you go again, person #1 can "steal" someone else's bracelet or keep her own...

We laughed so hard.
'Til the tears came.

And we decided to get together again as soon as possible. Next time around will be a thrift store purse exchange. So we are now on a mission to find the most fabulous thrift store purse we can find for February.

I will be hosting an intimate Christmas Eve Bruch in honor of Amélie's 4th Birthday but aside from that this was my holiday entertaining...
It was so perfect. I could not have asked for more.

I served...
Christmas macarons in:
Fleur de Sel/Caramel
Pistachio
Chocolate Hazelnut
Mint
Raspberry
&
Cinnamon
(Recipe coming in my Macaron book late Spring... no that's not the big announcement... it's bigger!)

Reine de Saba Chocolate Cake
(See side bar or my feature on the Where Women Cook Website)

Carmelized Onion Galettes with 25 Year Old Balsamic Vinegar
(Recipe inspired by Williams Sonoma. I have made these for Gluten Free friends and family and they come out rather well using rice flour. A little flakier than wheat flour but very good nonetheless.)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
12 Tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 to 7 Tbs. ice water

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. Using a pastry blender or 2

knives, cut in the butter until pea-size crumbs form. Add the water 1 Tbs. at a time

and mix with your hands, adding more water as needed until the dough comes

together. It should be moist but not sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, divide into 2 balls and shape each

into a 5-inch disk. Cover separately with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1

hour.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out each dough disk into a 12-inch round about 1/8

inch thick. Using a small knife, trim the uneven edges. Transfer each round to a

parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Use as

directed in your tart recipe. Makes enough dough for two 10-inch tarts.

Ingredients:

2 rolled-out rounds savory tart dough, each 12 inches in diameter (see
related recipe at left)
5 Tbs. olive oil
4 yellow onions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. minced fresh thyme
2 Tbs. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 oz. mixed salad greens
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:

Place the dough rounds on separate parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate

for 30 minutes.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 400°F.

In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 3 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the onions,

salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the thyme, parsley and 2 tsp. of the

vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated,

about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Spread half of the onion mixture on each dough round, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold

the dough up and pinch together at 2-inch intervals. Lightly brush the top of the

dough with the beaten egg. Bake the tarts until the crusts are golden, 30 to 35

minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let the tarts cool for 10

minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tsp. vinegar, the remaining 2 Tbs. olive

oil, salt and pepper to form a vinaigrette. Toss half of the vinaigrette with the salad

greens, then place the remaining vinaigrette in an oil mister. Top the tarts with the

salad, dividing evenly, and sprinkle with the cheese. Mist the salads with the

remaining vinaigrette. Serve immediately. Serves 8.

Now this is not quite how I made mine, but all least you can follow their directions the first time and then tweak it to suit yourself.

I do not make a vinaigrette but instead use my favorite Balsamic aged 25 years. Available here (tell them Parisienne Farmgirl sent you).

Really, this stuff is life changing. It's so good you can drink it like a shot. I kid you not. Look at the consistency!!

The décor for the evening was pretty simple. Lots of fresh greens and I did get a chance to show off my "new" Victorian era Bavarian china in pistachio green and creme. White linen table cloth, champagne flutes, cake plates and vintage cutlery. Pandora set to Charlie Brown Christmas... Champagne, Sparkling Pomegranate juice and a killer Bordeaux. (Mais bien sur.)

I had so much fun. Entertaining is of course a ton of prep work and I could NEVER do it without my babe of a husband who does ALL my last minute errands and vacums for me as I frantically throw on my mascara. He rocks.

Amélie's party is going to be simple but pretty to make her feel extra special...

She has requested a macaron tower in Tinkerbell colors with Pixie Dust.

No pressure Mom.

And we will have lots of "Tinker" colored balloons...

Oh... that reminds me.

I'd better get off the computer and go finish that DRESS!

Friday Night - Toute Seule - Movie Recommendation

2011-12-16T23:44:00.002-05:00

My hard drive is FULL! So until I transfer photos to the external I can't upload my latest photos and thus... upload my latest blog post...

I am burned out on sewing for the evening... I have about 4 more hours to go to put the final touches on my skirt and the girls' two (adorable) dresses...

I have the "big announcement" for January 1st and a ton of work to do for that, but I'm a bit burned out on that too...

Tonight I needed a little entertainment and so for the first time in weeks I watched a movie..

I have seen every Ewan (my heart, my heart) McGregor movie there is (except the Jim Carry one from last year - not happening... that would just kill it for me!) anywhoo... some of his early stuff... well, I would NEVER recommend it but about a decade ago I was on this kick and plowed thru all of them...

Moulin Rouge is still my fav, followed by Trainspotting and of course, Little Voice.

Well, tonight I got to enjoy "Perfect Sense"...

LOVED IT!

So beautiful. So sensual. Made you wanna go grab your hubby and just "make out" in case you wouldn't get the chance to tomorrow. Lovely coloring, lovely music... can you tell I loved it?

That's it - that's all I've got to say tonight... until I have room to upload the photos from my latest shenanigans! Of which - I can't wait to share...

Bon Weekend Mes Amies!

Express Yourself

2011-12-12T10:32:00.004-05:00

Morning ladies~
How about a little Madonna throwback?

My master Ray Vogue trained seamstress friend stopped by last night to help me with my sewing problem... would you believe it was that I was just plowing thru the directions and paid no head to the teeny, tiny, "View A" and "View B" as I went along???

Dork.

With another weekend of dinner parties and events I just felt like encouraging any of you that had vowed to yourself not to pack on seven extra pounds this Christmas season. 'Tis not the season to pork out and then make some lame New Years Resolution!~

I am still pretty startled at how slow the baby weight is coming off this time around... Hubby keeps trying to encourage me that it IS baby number four and that this time around I am another two years older than the last time. 'About thirteen more gone since my last post (34 total so far)... fifteen to twenty to go to look "normal"... Twenty-eight to go to look fab!

It's not all vanity you know - it's about being frugal too. Sure it would be easy to stay this size but it would not be wise! It's my closet that motivates me. Even though I "hate" my clothes... they aren't exactly super trendy... I still like them enough to know I would never go buy new clothes to accommodate me right now.

Thought I might tempt you... see those earrings in the box... they are actually part of my New Years Give Away! but no... that's not the New Years Day announcement!!!

I suppose I could have neatened it up a bit for the camera!

Slowly but surely I have been able to add a piece here and a piece there to the maternity clothes/larger sizes I still sorta have to wear (which are as equally ill-fitting as my "thin clothes"). Slowly but surely I am sprinting up the stairs like my old self, slowly but surely my knees aren't as easily aggravated. No, no... it's not all vanity...As a Mom of four it's important for me to be in "ship, shape shape*" to keep up with Hoolie and the Hooligans!

So, not sure why I am doing this post, except to encourage you girls and myself to stay healthy! Endless days of hor d'oeuvres and champagne are not excuse for us to pork out!

Health, fugality and a little vanity are the perfect combination.
Clothing is a form of self expression no matter what your style!
How do YOU Express Yourself!

PS -
"Ten bucks" if you know what movie "ship, shape, shape" is from.
No fair googling.

Oh... 18 more days 'til the BLOGWORLD ROCKING ANNOUNCEMENT...
Get ready!

Meet My Best Friend...

2011-12-06T22:03:00.000-05:00

No, sorry Big Daddy... I'm not referring to you...

Sorry Momma... not you either...

Meet my best friend-

Suzy Seamripper.

Actually, she's not my best friend.

She offers no friendship like qualities.

She's never around when I need her. Always buried at the bottom of some heap of scraps on my table. She offers no kind words of encouragement. On the contrary, she mocks me scornfully whenever we meet. She's used and broken, but does not offer her friendship humbly; instead she is proud and haughty as she knows how very desperately I need her. The more I think about it the more I hate her. I know she thinks I am a fool and that my reliance on her is rather pathetic.

So went my sewing day today.

I have three skirts and two dresses to finish in two weeks. (Can you hear her laughing???) I had joy in finally finding plaid that I love but it has since departed in a sea of bias-cut blues. I've got a little over two weeks...

Today pattern lingo is alluding me.

I mean - what the heck? Why can't a pattern speak in a normal language?

"Easy Sew" - Easy sew my rear end!!! Maybe if your last name is Versace!

"Stitch in the Ditch" - This sounds like something one might do after too many glasses of Bordeaux!

"Baste" - Isn't that something you do to a turkey?

"Right sides together" - Sounds like a Tea Party rally to me!

Today I read some "Under stitching" directions that might as well have said:

Honestly.

Somedays I think I am getting so good and others I feel a drunken costume designer.

Sad clown face-n-all.

The designs in my head (cause of course, I can't just be happy with the outcome the pattern has for me... I always have to "do more") are going to be really cute. Either that or the girls and I will be in potato sacks for their birthdays and Christmas...

Hey - it worked for my girl Marilyn!

Goodbye Christian Boys!

2011-12-06T00:18:00.000-05:00

So often Christian's embarrass themselves (myself included) when in the eye of the public.

Andy and Tommy were the exception.

You know me and my "Where Have all the Cowboys Gone" mantra... good Christian men are few and far between. And in this culture, Christian or not, it seems you are hard pressed to find men that don't whine, snivel and complain over challenges that life brings them...

Andy and Tommy were (are) the exception.

How bummed we were tonight to log on to cbs.com only to see the "rad" Christian, pro-snowboarders eliminated thanks to cab drivers with flapping jaws.

How badly we wanted them to win.

And yes, I've still got it bad. After what, 19 seasons, I still lust over going on the Amazing Race. I never, ever tire of this show. I never ever tire of imagining how Joel and I would handle each and every Road Block. I never tire of imagining how viper-like competitive I would be...

But anyways,

Andy and Tommy - thanks for not coming off like total Christian morons - which is how television usually portrays believers - thanks for being normal, kind, competitive and totally inspiring human beings. Joel and I are truly sorry you aren't in the final three.

It's been a pleasure.

Word to Your Mother

2011-12-04T11:44:00.000-05:00

Ha! That title made me laugh...

My word to me-n-the-other Momma's this morning

from the Word of God...

"Rejoice in the Lord always,

I will say it again,

REJOICE!

Let your gentleness be evident to all,

the Lord is near!"

Philippians 4:4

How to Clothe 4 Children for 8 Dollars... Fashionably.

2011-11-29T22:15:00.001-05:00

Alors...

It wasn't eight dollars exactly but the title caught your attention hugh?

Since I am on such a plaid kick I just HAD to share with you the ensembles My Chickens wore for Thanksgiving! (I have been on a plaid kick as long as I can remember but REALLY so since last year when I made myself something for the first time... the skirt that made the cover of Where Women Cook!) Always on the lookout for a unqiue find I went to a garage sale this past summer around the corner from our house and bought a remnant of fabric that caught my eye... plaid... mais bien sur.

$4.00.

I have been sitting on it since then waiting to make something for My Chickens to wear for Thanksgiving... now that I think about it, I made the girls dresses last year for Thanksgiving too... in plaid! I didn't want to take any chances without a pattern since I was working with a VERY limited amount a fabric. One bad design and my whole idea would be shot so I hit our horrendous new Super Wal(Hell)mart (there is nothing "super" about it except that it's super gross) and bought some lame, Easy-Sew patterns.

$4.00

Turns out I really did have enough fabric to make all four kids (Chickens) something to wear! And two headbands for the girls!

Aidan & Cousin Sofia

So far, I had spent $8.00 - here's how much it cost to pull off the rest...Now, Aidan's sweater is Janie and Jack. If you are going to buy retail and buy quality you gotta buy Janie and Jack. Regular price is outrageous but they have wonderful sale racks and I have found that the way their clothing is cut that my children have ALWAYS been able to get two to THREE years out of any particular piece. I'm serious. It's so bizarre but it never fails. Aidan is six years old and that is the sweater he wore the Christmas when Amélie was born. You can just make their stuff work - it's incredible. That sweater was a gift.

$ Free.

The orange polo shirt is a neighborhood hand-me-down

$ Free.

I am all about the hand-me-downs. I sort thru the stuff that is totally not "us" and keep the basics.

Speaking of... those little shoes Julien is wearing are from a friends son who was a baby 11 years ago. They've been in a tub in my basement until this moment.

$ FREE

Now back to the girls for a moment.

What to do when it's the day before Thanksgiving and you need tops? Why you pile the kids in the truck, say a prayer and head over to Target of course. I am always in need of solid color tops for the girls and on top of that, I love to dress them alike when I can.

I found these two cream color shirts, one in each their size on clearance...

$4.00 a piece! And cute to boot.

My sister's wedding this summer.

Now for the fascinators. Ever since the wedding this summer and the fun I had designing and making the girl's hats and fascinators I have designed a hundred in my head. It all starts with an inspiration. What you probably can't see is that on everyones piece of clothing I used the selvage edge of the fabric as the hem (I LOVE doing that) and on the little pocket on Julien's romper I did not stitch the fabric under but left the left, right and bottom edges raw so they became all fringy... and super cute. I decided to go with the whole raw, fringy, Chanel thing for the headbands... The only Chanel I wear is No. 5 but Coco Chanel and that particular look thru the years is a major source of inspiration in many of my personal clothing selections. Now, if only I was a rich, 110 pound ingenue who epitomized the look...

I digress...

I love the gnarly rosettes and added the pearls at the last minute (at about midnight Wednesday night). After deciding they desperately needed pearls to cap of the Chanel thing I was considering cutting up a strand of my own and then I stumbled upon an old stretched out bracelet in my stash! JACK POT!

I KNEW there was a reason I never threw that piece of junk out!

Now for Julien's Onsie and Juliette's tights...

What do you do when the theme is plaid with CREME and all you've got is white tights and a white Onsie???

Why you bust out the tea and TEA STAIN of course!!!

Problem solved!

Oh, Juliette's navy blue Mary Janes are from the thrift shop, Striderite's... never-been-worn

$2.00

And Amélie's brown boots are from that semi-annual swanky children's resale thing I go to. Gymboree never-been-worn $9.00.

So, shoes-n-all what is that, like $29.00??!!!!

Sa-weet~

Here's a few more pics...

All the Grandkids in our family. My SIL makes those sweet knit headbands! Have you seen her Butterbean shop? Victoria is one of the most creative people I know. Like the rest of us, if she had more time and more money... we'd all have to watch out!

Time for mashed potatoes!

SIL Victoria et Moi

Me and My Sisters!

Necessity is the mother of invention.

A creative spirt MUST create.

No matter how flat a$$ broke she is.

Grab ahold of those crazy ideas in your head, whether it's selling your house in a horrible market to find your dream farm or making an elusive plaid taffeta dress and go for it!!!

Keep on creating girls!

Who knows what you will come up with next!!!

In Search of Plaid Taffeta

2011-11-28T13:46:00.000-05:00

I have this vision for our Christmas outfits... well, not yours but for my girls and I.

I'm thinking long, floor length skirts for them and for me too.

For me, my vision is a long skirt, with a slight but dramatic nonetheless train and a super starched white shirt... you know, something along the lines of a Carolina Herrera number.

and...

I want to make them out of plaid taffeta.

I guess I must be out of gourd because every store I go in looks at me like I am speaking Swahili when I ask for plaid taffeta. As if this is some alien, bizarre request on November 27th. I am so frustrated. I can see these outfits in my head!!! I've got tunnel vision and I'm not going to be satisfied until I can create them.

Can't you see it? Cumberbun style belts, the girls in patent leather peeping out from decadently long taffeta... me dripping is some serious Marie Antoinette style blingage against the simplicity of a white blouse???

I thought I had hit the jackpot yesterday online. I found emerald and sapphire plaid taffeta which wasn't my first choice but it was gorgeous and it would have been SO in style with the whole gem colors thing going on this fall/winter on the runways.

"This item is no longer available"

Ugh.

The only thing I can find is so bright and tacky looking. It looks like it's a bolt left over from 1983. I guess I can't quite describe what I am looking for, I just don't want it to look cheap.

So here, dear readers where you come in...

If you stumble across some pretty plaid taffeta (I am not picky, it can be poly or silk) would you let me know??

I hate having an idea that I am in love with only to find myself vexed at every turn.

Oh, and what is your Christmas ensemble going to look like?

'Tis the season to go for it...non?

Shop is Open!

2011-11-27T16:25:00.000-05:00

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack!

Finally got the Mac back. WHEW!

Talk about "cold turkey" - that was a LONG WEEK! And to leave my "shop" half finished... Oh, that was irritating. But, it's all up and running now for your shopping pleasure! Fun little treats for every budget.

This week I will be adding to the inventory a gorgeous Italian vintage nativity set with the COOLEST camel I've ever seen! And a wonderful, vintage brass hallway light.

Hope you enjoy! I am working on a "real" post and will be enlisting YOUR help with my Christmas outfit but wanted to explain the chaos if you visited Parisienne Farmhouse in the last week.

It's all good!

Ciao!

Just in Case...

2011-11-20T17:00:00.001-05:00

I seem to

POOF!

disappear... it's not the Holiday... it's my darn computer. I am trudging back to the not-so-Genius Bar tomorrow morning at the Mac Store and PRAYING that whatever repairs are necessary are covered under the five hundred dollars worth they did two weeks ago!!!!

In the meantime, every spare minute I can get this thing to run I am loading new inventory on Parisienne Farmhouse and trying to re-style to site a bit too for Black Friday.

This is such bad timing... there are such exciting things right around the corner for "Parisienne Farmgirl."

Just in case I am POOF... gone for a few days while the MacTop gets some TLC... I'll leave you with these hysterical You Tube's my sister-in-law sent me this morning. I almost coughed up my spleen. Consider it a warning....

Who Doesn't Know What I'm Talkin' About?

2011-11-17T22:30:00.000-05:00

A hundred times in the last week I have gone to sweep the bread crumbs out the back door and no one has been there to greet me.
No warbely cackle, no pecking at the screen...

The eggs in my fridge are store bought.
They are not blue.

Many tears were shed by all of us as we loaded our girls...
The City Chicks...
The Hens Austen...
In the Suburban and drove them fifteen minutes down the road.

To the country.

Juliette keeps going to the back door too...
wanting to see "her ladies".

We were rearing to fight. Ready to appeal. To give 'em hell.
Plans to invite the Mayor over for lunch.
Plans to give a coop tour.

Thoughts of retaliation.
Fantasies of kicking my neighbors door in! (Insert evil laughter!)
I thought about getting a legal Pot Bellied pig (To see if my neighbors would like THAT smell!)
Then, I contemplated a GIANT sheep dog. (Not my style).

Then Joel and I sat down and considered the energy all of that would take for me.
All the emotional energy.
And we decided it's time to follow thru on a dream instead.

Guess what?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
There's a for sale sign in my front yard.

"She needs wide open spaces...

new places..."

Julien (My Heart, My Heart) James

2011-11-15T21:36:00.001-05:00

Someday, I'd like to get to the point where I don't work so dang hard around here

ALL DAY LONG!

I had one of those days where it feels like I pick things up off the floor for a living...

Paper

Legos

Coins (EVERYWHERE!)

Lonely socks

Food

You name it.

I ended a busy day by dusting and vacuuming the upstairs while the bigger chickens took a bath and the little one swung peacefully in his swing... as my shop vac or Mom Vac as I call it, roared. Yes, that's what I use as a vacuum cleaner. I need to be able to suck up anything I please... when I don't feel like picking it up that is.

I get to end 5 out of 7 days cuddled on the bed with baby, book and laptop and sometimes, when I am lucky, a glass of much deserved Bordeaux or Champagne. Alas, no nectar of the gods for me tonight. It's just me and my darling... take a peek... don't mind my hideous jams.

Romantic Prairie Style Cookbook...

2011-11-12T14:15:00.000-05:00

Coming Next Year!

Found this photo on Fifi's blog...

It's not the cover of the cookbook but it was fun to see my darling Juliette and my Blackberry Cake.

I can't wait to see this cookbook! Mark's photography is SO amazing. When you see the photos he took of My Chickens all dolled up... well, they are truly charming photographs.

It will feature The Parisienne Farmgirl's:

*Blackberry Grapefruit Buttermilk cake with Sauternes

*Honey Wheat Bread

*Chevre and Zucchini Quiche

and my to-die-for if I do say so myself

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Hearty farm food with a French flair...

mais bien sur!

Thanks Fifi for your continued inspiration and another opportunity to be a part of your lovely projects!

Bon Weekend Mes Amis!

Angela,

The Parisienne Farmgirl

Just in Time for the Holidays!

2011-11-09T16:24:00.000-05:00

I admit, it's been pretty lame and neglected so I am announcing the...

The Grand Re-Opening of Shoppe Parisienne Farmhouse

Vintage Lighting

Artwork

Vintage Textiles

Christmas Gifts

Saturday November 12th!

And for those of you local Chicagoland, Indiana & Wisconsin girls, if you would like a special invite to the Christmas Sale and Open House (featuring my Christmas Macarons) I am holding on December 8th with SavvyCityFarmer shoot me an email at

angelovesparis@gmail.com

'Tis the season to be ~~freezing~~ Merry!

Love Grows Where my Rosemary Goes...

2011-11-08T13:09:00.002-05:00

Eight scrappy little rosemary plants from Home Depot turned into THIS!

I couldn't believe it! I have never seen Rosemary grow so big in this area. The largest was 2' x 3'!

I decided, since they were going to die anyways this winter I would harvest all that I could and try to over-winter them in my little green house. So I hacked them all down, dug them out - saving two for my kitchen to enjoy - even though I kill Rosemary anytime I try to overwinter it.

I could not resist displaying the sprigs in my baby blue roaster. I added a little water to keep them fresh and now that they have started to wilt I am tying them in big bunches to dry for Christmas gifts.

Our kitchen smelled SO fragrant that Joel said he could smell it OUTSIDE through the closed door when he got home from work! Can you imagine living in a climate where Rosemary grows as big as an arborvitae?

Sigh.

I don't know who was more exited about this harvest - the kids or myself. Nothing like fresh, gorgeous dirt to run the trucks thru!

Bucolic Babies

2011-11-04T15:31:00.001-04:00

Intro:
Joel was reading this rough draft and he "was like" "What's with you and that word?"
I love it but I know, I used it in the last post and that is highly irritating. So let me get it out of my system and I will try not to use it again for some time...

"Bucolic, Bucolic, Bucolic, Bucolic, Bucolic, Bucolic, Bucolic, Bucolic, Bucolic, Bucolic, Bucolic, Bucolic..."

It's such a fricken cool word that's all.

Real post begins-
The other day I looked at my schedule and realized that I had three days that were totally empty! And during those same three days Big Daddy was going to be working 12-15 hour days. Now my Grandparents had just left for Florida so their farmhouse was just sitting there empty... beckoning me...

So... WE GOT OUTTA HERE!

The kids and I spent three days doing nothing, playing with the kittens, walking the farmyard, playing legos, eating pre-made food (I cook from scratch so it was a wonderful break for me!). It was incredible and just what we needed. It was hard to come back.

It was my first road trip by myself with The Fab Four Chickens too!

I had packed two little dresses that won't fit the girls next year... sniff, sniff, bawl...

and Aidan is my little hat head and looks like such a Dapper Dan... it was the perfect time for a photo shoot! And shoot I did!

Indulge me here. And if you find endless photos of my chickens dull, that's OK. My Gramma reads my blog and she'll love it!

Thanks Gramma and Grampa for use of The Farm!

We made some great memories!

Hypothetical Question...

2011-11-02T21:59:00.000-04:00

Long time no blog.

I kicked the MacBook, the precious, precious MacBook off the bed.

My bad.

$500 and a panic attack that I lost all 22,000 photographs later...

I am back to blogging.

Back in Mac.

So here we go...

Let's just say I was to put the Parisienne Farmhouse on the market and finally go thru with the more bucolic of my two dreams (those being to live on a farm or to live in Paris).

Let's say you found yourself interested in the Parisienne Farmhouse and while giving the tour I said,

"The chandeliers are not included in the sale of the home. We will be replacing them with other light fixtures appropriate to the style of the home."

If you loved my house, would that be a deal breaker for you?

I have been collecting chandie's for sixteen years and I am not just going to hand them over to someone just because "that's how it's done". And I just don't want to take them down. See, who knows how long a house takes to sell these days and I just would not want to live that time, however long it may be without my beautiful chandeliers.

I was selling the Parisienne Farmhouse that is.

Your thoughts???

Big Daddy, The Dirty Protester

2011-10-26T16:55:00.000-04:00

In "honor" of the protests arriving in Chicago

I thought I would share with you the costume that Joel wore to a party last weekend. Ever the "politically incorrect" couple, I sent him off (since we had no sitter) as a dirty, Wall Street protester. Sporting matted, un-washed "hair" (hubby rocks the cue ball in real life), a home made "peace" t-shirt (something he wouldn't be caught dead in), a sock cap going for that rastaman look and a homemade sign made even funnier with texting era numeric "words"... you know, like those over-educated Columbia U. students might use.

Can't you smell the stench?

If your knickers are in a knot you should have SEEN the illegal alien costume his friend wore! "OMG"

Grow up protesters.

Good Lord, I don't even watch T.V. and I am sick of you already.

Oh, and "BTW" Big Daddy went almost two years without work and never once did he (quit showering,) pick up a sign and begrudge the money that other people were working for.

Just Sayin'.

The Off-Grid Family, Why They Inspire Me

2011-10-25T22:06:00.001-04:00

When I first met Ang four years ago it was a big deal for me. We had WAY too much in common and our phone calls were always animated and interesting. (We met cause of Blogland and a mutual friend.) But I was arrested in the impact her children made on me. At the time Aidan was so little and I was slowly but surely warming up to the idea of Homeschooling... we were almost completely weaned off television by that point... I was about two years into my journey of, I suppose, some would say, "being weird" - in that I found myself more conservative with every sunrise, more ready to learn to honor and serve my husband, my desire (because Aidan was quickly getting older) to protect my children from the outside world was getting sharper and more articulate... I began blogging six years ago when he was four months old, you can probably chart my "progress" from my first blog post...

But anyways... when I met Homemaker Ang's children, in particular her eldest girls, I was bowled over. I will NEVER forget the impact they made on Joel and I. For the first time IN MY LIFE I encountered teenagers without a gigantic CHIP on their shoulder, teenagers that were innocent and not ONE BIT dorky but on the contrary; very cool!... Teenagers that had skills, teenagers that thought the other, boy crazy girls were rather ridiculous... they even called them "Totally" girls in slight mockery of the way the typical teen girl talks...

It gave me hope that this way of parenting that some people would call "different" (I call it "intentional") can actually have a pleasant end result... that not all teens rebel... that a home can be loving and not ravaged by the teen years...

Anyways... sorry, I am prattling... but check out this clip from todays show...

I love you girls! Keep on this path! God's blessing is surely upon you!

video platform video management video solutions video player

PS: Sadly thru talk radio osmosis and magazine covers in the checkout lanes I know who the Kardashians are but I have no idea why they are famous. I am assuming it's the mass amount of exposed curves? I think they have a reality show or something right?
Yikes.

The Other Ang Hits it Big!

2011-10-24T17:52:00.000-04:00

My dear friend (Homemaker Ang), her family and their off-grid Maple Valley Farm will be featured on Anderson Cooper's show tomorrow (Tues on CBS check local listings).

Watch as a stressed out family turns in all their gadgets and gizmos to live 24 hours off the grid...

We've done it and highly recommend it.

Check out our experience here and be sure to tune in tomorrow!

I love you girl!

Baby Love

2011-10-24T00:17:00.000-04:00

I am sure I will resume a regular (more interesting to someone other than myself) blogging schedule again... but in the meantime I am taking it all in...

It's not just the older two that are mad about the boy...

Juliette is one smitten kitten.

Juliette and Julien.

My babies.

He's seven weeks today.

Please time, I beg you, slow down.

Here I Go Again...

2011-10-19T23:43:00.001-04:00

It's about that time.

6 weeks postpartum.

Sigh.

I know I can do it but it seems so daunting.

I've done it thrice before but it seems so impossible.

Sigh.

Finding that fine line between seeing the scale move...

And most importantly being able to provide baby with what he needs. ("Milkies")

22 down,

30-35 to go.

Sigh.

Yeap, that's the plan.

Time to get back to "me".

Back to feeling confident and strong.

Back to the enjoyment of picking out an outfit.

Back to my "skinny jeans"... or better yet, a nice, chic, pencil skirt. I just keep telling myself it will happen. I know it will. I know how it works. I've done it after each baby. This time is going to be even more difficult though, I can tell. Now there are five people who will be waiting for me to "hurry up and finish my workout"... two that need to be schooled, one that wants to be nursed, 4 that need breakfast, one that needs to get out the door for work... finding time for yourself is almost as impossible as loosing thirty pounds!

Today was my first workout and it wasn't as grueling as I thought it would be.. Oh, remember the days where I could throw on my tenny's and go for a run! Pound the pavement til all my problems disappeared... (I think if I did that today my uterus would fall out!) Gotta do it though. Whatever it takes. I know darn well how much work is going to be involved over the next couple months... but oh! to throw on an LBD and heels!

I can't wait! It's going to be so worth it!

Anyone else need to shed a toddler before Valentines Day??

Go! GO! Go!

Homestead Revival Interview!

2011-10-18T14:26:00.000-04:00

Life has beens such blur these last few weeks...

Chicken crap (as in meetings, votes and lame city politicians)

Teaching Aidan to read (oh-my-gosh I love homeschooling but there are days I wonder why I am inflicting this on myself??)

And of course loving my baby!

I TOTALLY forgot to blog about my interview with the delightful Amy at Homestead Revival. Hers is a favorite blog of mine. Her wisdom and creativity are amazing. I was SO honored that she asked me to be a part of her Homestead Tour.

Please visit Amy and tell her I said hello!

Homestead Revival Parisienne Farmgirl Interview

Fall Valentino Fav's

2011-10-16T22:10:00.000-04:00

The one good thing about summer being over is that fashion can come back into play...

No more garden dirt, no more melting when you walk outside (though you will NEVER hear me complain about the heat!).

I love to cruise the designer sites and watch the fashion shows online... now that I am packing up the maternity clothes I am giddy with the thought of putting on a REAL outfit again! I found a bit of inspiration in this little numbers from Valentino's ready to wear collection for this fall/winter.

Structure, structure and more structure... some lace, a little plaid and a hint of emerald...

CHECK!

Sick in the Head...

2011-10-16T01:36:00.001-04:00

In more ways than one...

First being, all of my children have been sick with a cold at some point in the last two weeks, thus my lack of presence here on the website. Now, the poor baby has it... all sniffy and snorty. So unfair for a little six week old person.
Le pauvre.

Second being, my sense of humor is sick and deranged. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to laugh and this is the kind of ridiculous crap that literally leaves me clawing the floor and gasping for air... after 1,000 snot wipes I had to have SOME entertainment and when my cousin shared this with me last night I knew I had to share it with you. You will either think I am off my bloody rocker and thinking "I don't get it" or you too will find yourself gasping for air...

I promise I will be back in a more normal fashion soon. The baby is the last to get it so we should be A-OK in the Parisienne Farmhouse again pronto.

You may want to use the ladies room first...

I swear they get funnier each time.

Sephora Smitten...

2011-10-07T09:50:00.001-04:00

I LOVE SEPHORA!

Even our dinky little JC Penny's Sephora sends me to the moon.

You should SEE the one on the Champs Eylsees! "The last time I saw Paris" the doors of Sephora were swung open, bumpin' music playing and practically nude models were being body painted up on platforms... with big burly guards forbidding tourists trying to take photographs!

Boy, did I stock up! I think I spent what I spend these days on groceries - back then I'd be happy to go without food for a cabinet full of lush skin care and the latest makeup! Theses days as a "Maman de 4" I am just trying to maintain some semblance of fashion and cosmetic sense! You know what I mean??!!!

Here is a list of goodies I would love to get my hands on this fall!

First of all - how about this makeup? Isn't it gorgeous? So feminine~

A girl can dream can't she???

Boiling Blood.

2011-10-05T22:02:00.001-04:00

Get me a bandana and a black mask.

-Parisienne (Outlaw) Farmgirl

What Came First?

2011-10-03T14:46:00.000-04:00

The Chicken or the Ordinance???

If I understood the newspaper correctly yesterday the "big vote" is tonight.

I'm taking Aidan with me and find myself all irritated again at something so stupid as chickens that are neither seen nor heard being "against the law".

Pray I can control my mouth if people are asked to speak.

I swear if it doesn't pass I'm gonna go throw a double-wide on the closest five acres I can find...

OK, not really. But come on!

Here's hoping!

Yo' Momma

2011-10-01T14:36:00.000-04:00

OK, not yo' Momma but...

MINE!

Congratulations Mom on your HUGE spread in

Jeanne d'Arc Living Magazine!

(pronounced Jawn Darc)

You've once again proved that there is more to decorating with whites and neutrals than a few pieces of chipped furniture and some blue Ball jars!

(Don't get me started... or for a good laugh, do!)

You can order copies of this GORGEOUS magazine over on Mom's crazy popular design blog: Savvy City Farmer

(And of course you can order copies of Vintage & Victorian here - if you are interested leave me a comment saying so - I am testing the waters before I place me order for a stack. 'Not wanting to be stuck with too many leftovers!)

Thanks Mom for raising me with antiques, tag sales, thrift shop and instilling in me the love for all things with a story.

If you love all things with a story save the date for our next Shop the Shed sale in 2012!!!

If you aren't on the mailing list shoot me an email!

angelovesparis@gmail.con

Bon Weekend!!!

Pray for Youcef!

2011-09-28T15:25:00.000-04:00

"For I am NOT ashamed of the Gospel of Christ!..." Romans 1:16

Ladies.

Pray for Youcef and his family. He may be executed as early as today for his faith in Christ.

Unreal.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/09/28/iranian-pastor-faces-execution-for-refusing-to-recant-christian-faith/

Julien's First Promenade

2011-09-26T15:06:00.000-04:00

And the Winner Is...

2011-09-25T21:44:00.001-04:00

Congratulations!

Sue@CountryPleasures is the Winner of the Vintage & Victorian Magazine featuring The Parisienne Farmhouse!

How wonderful! Shoot me an email babe with your mailing info!

We start school tomorrow morning...

can't wait to share!

Thank you to all of you who are promoting Parisienne Farmgirl on your sidebar! From the bottom of my heart I appreciate it!

Vintage and Victorian Magazine Giveaway!

2011-09-18T20:02:00.001-04:00

Bonjour Mesdames!

Ça-va?

I've been debating sometime on creating a "button".

'Got this idea for a new header but won't be able to create it until next year... you'll have to wait and see why. I have really wanted to wait to make the button match the new, upcoming header but can't take it any longer so I made one to match this header!

Aren't you glad I explained all that!

So here you go... You sweet Parisienne Farmgirl junkies you!
If you have a blog grab my "button" to be entered to win a copy of Vintage and Victorian Magazine featuring
The Parisienne Farmhouse!

Ma Chambre!

And/or become a follower! Leave a comment and let me know!
Contest closes Tuesday at Midnight Central Time
(I'll be up nursing the wee one I'm sure!)

...One for the Parisiennes...

And one for the Farmgirls...

How to add the button?
Simply drag the button/photo of your choice to your desktop* then add it to your sidbar by adding the gadget "add photo", when it asks you for a link, type in www.parisiennefarmgirl.com.
*I am Mac user, please let me know if dragging photos to your desktop is something PC users can't do. :)

Best Wishes!

Vintage and Victorian Magazine

2011-09-16T18:00:00.000-04:00

I quit using my cell phone about a year ago.

After Juliette was born I noticed I was getting horrible headaches.

and could not figure it out.

I actually wondered if I was drinking too much wine!
(Is there such a thing? Oh, don't get your feathers ruffled, I am kidding of course!)

But really.

I knew I was pretty happy to be able to have some and I would have a glass or two in the evenings with my dinner... you know, "Drinking and Blogging"

Now that could get funny...

"Don't Drink and Blog"

"Bloggers Against Drunk Blogging"

Oh good grief.

I digress.

Big time.

Anyyyyyyyyyyyywhoo.

Now-a-days I only use my cell phone when I leave the house. I am pretty convinced of the whole cancer/cell phone connection. My headaches quit the day after I stopped using my cell!!!

One day about 5 weeks ago I was on my way to my Moms and stuck in HORRIBLE traffic. Just SITTING there loosing my impatient mind I thought I would check my cell phone voice mail.

Woopsie.

I had 17 messages and TWO were from WEEKS ago... "Janet from Vintage and Victorian Magazine."

"Oh great. I blew it!!!" I thought. Here I had the chance to be in another publication and me and my stupid cell phone paranoia have blown it. I frantically called her, trying to sound calm... to my surprise even without hearing from me they decided to begin to put the article together!!! The entire magazine was being re-vamped, including the name and... surprise! My bedroom was going to be on the inaugural cover!

I hung up the phone and just shook my head.

Three covers in one year!

CRAZY!

Nothing really comes from this exposure, at least not yet - (Though, hey, HGTV, I'd take my own show! Hhaahahaha!) but I can't say how simply fun it is to see the last fifteen years of thrift shopping, antiquing and garage sale-ing featured in these books and mags. Really, it's a riot and if one page of my house inspires anyone the way photos of other people's homes have inspired me well then... voila.

So, here is it. "L'Appartement" as we call it (due to it's size) featured on the September cover of the "new" magazine Vintage & Victorian.

Want a copy?

I'll have them available asap!

For other posts on "Ma Chambre" you can visit...

$1.10 Bedskirt

Design on a Centime - Ma Chambre

Juliette "Moves Out" (Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child)

Bon Weekend Mes Amies!

Stick around...Recent posts you may enjoy...

The Birth Story

How to Dry Hydrangea

The Romance of Herbs- Bouquet Garni

Julien - The Birth Story

2011-09-15T11:10:00.002-04:00

It's been over one week.

How is that possible?

In the beginning I thought I was going to loose this baby.

Having lost a baby before (my first)... all the signs were there.

My midwife suggested I run over to the hospital to "test my levels". Turns out my progesterone was low so she put me on a progesterone creme. Progesterone, if I remember correctly is the hormone that helps the placenta connect to the uterine wall. Low levels accounted for the spotting and continued low levels could have meant another miscarriage. I was very upset and prayerful that week and very much relieved when a week or two later my levels registered normal. I continued to rub the creme into my arms and belly thru month six. If you are prone to miscarry I highly recommend use of the creme, it can't hurt!

Fast forward through another hard, sick all day, "when will it be over" pregnancy...about 33 weeks.

Last Friday I went to my "cousins" house for the day. She's got a clubhouse with a nice kid's pool and it was going to be 98 degrees out. Both husbands thought I was overdoing it, driving there, hauling kids in and out, beach towels, snacks, keeping daredevil, fearless Hoolie above water. But I told Joel, "You know me, if I stay home I will work." I had a handful of things left on my pre-birth to-do list. And so instead of working I spent the day in the company of someone I really enjoy being with, got some wonderful sun and steered clear of kitchen/project duty.

We got home around 4:30 and I was ready to collapse. We got some carry out and there was a hair in my cole slaw that I was craving so much. I thought I was going to breakdown! I got Juliette to bed at 5:10 and told the "big kids" to go play Legos, that I would come and tuck them in in awhile (we had all skipped our naps) and I promptly passed out. An hour later they came in my room, exhausted, in tears, "Can we PLEASE go to bed?" And so, everyone was down by ten after six and of course, I couldn't go back to sleep. I crashed in front of the computer with my new favorite documentary series, "Victorian Farm."

Joel usually has Saturdays off and Friday night, while I laid around in a sort of awake/coma he called me during his route to say the company was in a bind for the next morning. If he would take a Saturday a.m. route then they would give him Sunday off. "Do it!" I said, as we rarely get two days in a row together. Sunday and the Monday Holiday would be great!

Saturday I woke up and though I had plenty of energy I thought I'd better take it easy. I went from couch to couch snuggling with each child but around 11:30 I couldn't take it anymore and dove into another project (I was half way thru clearing out my art/wrapping/storage room at the end of the hall, preparing it to be the coziest nursury ever). What a mess--- bins, garbage bags, photographs, fabric scraps, scrapbooking scraps, I think I saw a scrap of my brain laying on the floor... then I just had this feeling to hit the "ladies room" ...like something might be up down there. Sure enough, we had action. I called Joel and said, "I'm giving you the heads up, we are having a baby in the next 24 hours." I began to put everything back as neatly as I could. I needed to be able to pull out the hide-a-bed in there for my Mom. Then I called the kids in, told them the news and we went into what we call, "Team" mode. We got out the Mom Vac (the AWESOME Shop Vac Joel bought me - it's my new vacuum cleaner and I am obsessed with the fact I can suck up broken glass, food chunks, spilled milk... IT ROCKS!), I gave the kids the mirror spray, they picked up everything off the floor for me, I ran and emptied the dishwasher... we went nuts and within an hour this house was spotless!

When Joel got home we ran to Target for a few more supplies. That night Joel and I watched a movie, set up the midwife's table with all our birth supplies, I put the shower curtain down under my sheet in case my water broke during the night - we were ready.

I slept terrible.

The plastic, even under my sheet was making me sweat. It was gross.

I woke up Sunday morning with the familiar gnawing in my throat. I usually am ill, or at least gag my brains out in the morning when late in my pregnancy. I get so tired of seeing stars every morning and I laid there dreading the havoc that that violent, morning action made on my body. I had this feeling that I would go in there, gag and BAM! my water would break from the pressure.

That's exactly what happened!

That was around 7 a.m. (Sunday morning)

We called the midwife around 7:30 a.m. or so and she was here about an hour later. I was not having any contractions before that point and then I had about 4 wussy ones over the next hour. By that point my Mom had arrived and the house was buzzing. The kids were so excited! When I told Amélie my water was breaking she freaked and cried with sheer glee, "THAT MEANS MY BABY BROTHER IS COMING TODAY!" I was feeling the pressure, not from the baby, just the pressure to perform. I was snuggling and interacting with the kids, calling out to brush teeth, where to find shoes... you know, Mom duty. I was so happy that everyone was clean, nails trimmed and hair washed. Between the clean kids and house I felt settled. Midwife Debbie suggested my Mom take the kids to the park so my brain and body could focus on shifting into gear.
Great idea.

At that point in the morning I had been putting off Juliette for her "Morning Milkies". I have to admit, though I knew what was going to happen over the next few hours, I was a little freaked. Just to KNOW you are going to go thru that kind of pain.

Ugh.

I knew her "Milkies" would get things going. She nursed about five distracted minutes and then left for the park. I then did a little shot of some black and blue Cohash tincture from Debbie and contractions started about ten minutes later.

This time around my contractions seemed so strange. They seemed to be all over the place. Rapidly getting closer together but some were twenty seconds, some were a minute. They would peak in agony and then just stop... not even tapering off. Just stopping. I got pretty frustrated as the pain was intense but they just seemed so weird. I was feeling a bit of pressure too, like Joel, the Midwife and Nurse (Debbie and Jane) were just waiting for things to kick into high, high gear since my previous two births had been so fast. (Two and three hours.) Once I expressed this the nurse and midwife excused themselves to go downstairs so Joel and I could get down to business*.

And we did. Joel comforting but cracking jokes in between contractions to keep my spirits up...
"You know when I'm down to just my socks that it's business time baby..."

Awhile later I heard myself begin that slight grunting sound at the end of my "relaxing exhales". I knew that sound. I wanted to believe I was getting closer. Debbie and Jane heard it too and came back upstairs. Now the pain was here in all it's fullness. And I was so tired from the terrible sleep the night before. I began to cry. With each contraction I just broke down and cried, so desperate for it to be over. Debbie assured me the baby would be here by lunch time but my mind was skeptical, wondering if she was just cheering me on. I wanted no cheerleading. I needed it to be over. Strange thoughts were going thru my mind. I wondered HOW IN THE WOLRD I had done this three times before. My first lasting 28 unbelievable hours. I vividly saw every woman over the millinia that had ever birthed without drugs (no offense to you pain relief girls!) but I saw the slaves in the fields, the Jewish women, whose bodies, in sheer stress went into labor in the box cars, crammed with people. It was crazy.
I felt for all of us.

Contractions must have been about every 30 seconds to a minute and this point and Joel and I were doing our thing... the way we do. Rocking. "Slow dancing."
Poor guy, "Just breathe, just breathe." was all he could seem to get out to encourage me. During a contraction I snarled, "WOULD YOU STOP SAYING THAT?!! What the frick do you think I am doing!!!" and then in the few seconds before the next contractions I began to laugh and so did Joel, then Debbie and Jane. "Wow. You've never yelled at me during labor before."

I continued to cry. Crying that I just wanted to push. That I loved to push. At least that is something you can DO instead of just standing or sitting there being racked with pain.

A little more time passed and I decided to let her check me. I had still had that grunting urge... she didn't want me to push too soon. Don't they always say that? She checked, which was horrible and made me break down in sobs again but she said I was almost there. Within minutes she was telling me to listen to my body and do what it said to do. I could totally tell the babies head was ready to pass thru the cervix... there is no feeling like that. It's funny, cause I swear Joel and I could deliver on our own (and have!) but there is something so encouraging about the verbal affirmation of my midwife telling me to go for it.

I began to talk to the baby. "Come on baby. Come on baby. Momma wants to hold you."

He must have heard me.

Oh, and then to think that I had WANTED to push. I laughed out loud and verbally mimicked myself, "I just want to push!"

I grabbed Joel's forearms to prepare for our little dance for the oncoming contraction and that's when my legs said, "We're done!" and began to buckle. I have never passed out before but I could stand up no more. I shouted that I was going to faint and Debbie and Jane jumped over to have Joel help me get on the bed. With the next contraction I pushed with all I had. I felt the head come, FLYING down and out... then a shoulder...

"Stop! Stop!" I heard.

What?

I had to stop my giant push half way.

"Cord!"
said the midwife and for what seemed like an eternity but was probably a second she unlooped the cord from around his neck. I had paused my push and finished it off without starting all over on another one and "poof". It was over. I had been laying on my side and now was on my back with relief and thump suddenly there was a warm mass laying on my chest. I opened my eyes to see my beautiful baby. Totally COVERED in thick vernix, whimpering slightly.
It was over.
I was in love.

As I cried those first moments, hysterical, "It's over"s and "Isn't he beautiful"'s Debbie and Jane seemed quiet and rubbed on him. They didn't think he was quite pink enough. Deb just wanted him to cry a bit. Poor thing came flying out in one shot, I wouldn't have the energy to cry either. She got her little oxygen tank out and waved the hose blowing oxygen in his face for a minute. That made him mad and they got the result they were looking for.

There is nothing like pushing out a baby. It's horrible and AWESOME at the same time, and to have him in my arms. From in, to out. Well, no matter how they arrive, it's just a miracle isn't it?

A minute or two later Joel called downstairs for the kids to come up. That was awesome too. To present your children with another sibling to love. What a privilege.

Everything went so well.
Three hours total. Joel was home, not out driving his truck in Chicago. It went fast. The kids were good. The sun was shining.

Within five minutes of being born Julien James (who was not named until an hour or two later) was surrounded by the people that hold him dearest. Midwife Debbie said, "Let's sing a song. Let's sing the Doxology."
My throat began to collapse with the urge to cry. How could Debbie have ever guessed that the Doxology is such an important song to our family? My dear, dear Grampa leads us in that vocal prayer before every meal down on the farm, this summer all two hundred guests sang it as the blessing before my sisters wedding dinner... our entire family harmonizes... three and four generations... it's very special to us.
So there we were, me with a wet baby, husband at my side. Four beautiful blessings from the Lord. My dear Mom who is my best friend and two women, Debbie and Jane passionate about a woman's moment in time - being delivered of a baby.

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above ye heavenly host.
Praise Father,
Son
and
Holy Ghost.

Amen."

(*Not "business" but simply focusing on the contractions and relaxing during them! I had to add this post script because of my friend A-la-Parisienne's hilarious comment aluding that we actually got down to "business". TOO FUNNY but unterstandable considering the next original sentence where Joel sings "Business Time" to me by Flight of the Concords.)

As Featured in... Late Summer Press

2011-09-14T12:25:00.000-04:00

OK, so it's really Fifi's press and not mine.

But one day my uncle contacted me while sitting on the beach in Chicago, perusing a magazine, "Your house is in Chicago Home and Garden!"

Fifi's book is getting SO MUCH press this year - it's amazing and every time they use a photo of my house I get giddy!

Kind of fun that it's a hometown publication this time... Mine is just the little photo in the lower left corner, just above this text.

Candlesticks circa 1915 featuring the Holy Family, from a church in Paris, a footstool decked out in moss and cloche, two Italian nativity lambs from the thrift shop around the corner and I am really proud of my blue homemade trumeau.

More "As Featured In"'s coming... You won't believe it!

Birth story almost written too!

Back to kissing babes!!!

A Week of Bliss...

2011-09-11T09:14:00.001-04:00

Day Three

Day Four

Send the world away... I've got better things to do.

On day four Julien and I went for a walk in the garden. My bedroom desperately needed flowers and so we cut this lovely bouquet.

She calls him, "Cutes."

He looks JUST like Aidan did!

Day Five

Oh! That lip line!

Today at 12:15 it will be one week ago he came fully into our lives.

What did we ever do without him???

WE ARE REMEMBERING TODAY...

Julien - Day Two!

2011-09-07T12:00:00.000-04:00

...more to come... got to get back to kisses duty!

Introducing...

2011-09-04T22:05:00.001-04:00

Je Vous Présente...

Julien James

11 days early!

8 pounds, 2 ounces

20 inches

Story to follow...

but a few captions for now!

Midwife Debbies headlamp shines on my sweet boy moments after delivery.

IT'S OVER!

He's so beautiful!

Proud, pround, ELATED big sister snuggles to congratulate Momma.

I must say, I don't really have many words to describe the wonder and excitement of Juliette - at only 20 months her face shone with the understanding of an old soul.

Another eight pounder! Thank GOODNESS he was born early (my first really early delivery!) - who knows WHAT he would have weighed by the 15th!

Joel. He is so amazing.

Julien.

You couldn't do this in a hospital bed... could you?

Left to right...

Joel, Juliette, Angela, Julien, Amélie & Aidan!

Amélie is a smitten kitten...

Just enamored.

Aidan is so happy. SO HAPPY. He gave me the thumbs up on his new brother.

More to come... thank you for your prayers!

How to Dry Hydrangea

2011-09-02T21:25:00.000-04:00

I am on a dried Hydrangea KICK!

I can't get enough of them and they are all over our home this late summer season. Two falls ago when I was pregnant with Juliette my sweet Joel shut my garden down for me, alas, I looked out the window to see he had hacked down my best Endless Summer. What could I say? He was just trying to help. She has finally recovered and this year brought forth so many blooms! (FYI: Don't cut down your Hydrangea... at least not most varieties as the blooms spring forth from the dead wood of the previous year!) All my others are in recovery mode after the big Potager/Garden expansion last fall - giving just a few blooms this summer. Next year should be Hydrangea heaven though!

If you haven't grabbed Brooke Giannetti's Patina Style you simply must do so! Looks like she loves them too. It's got to be their muted, graceful tones that simply can not be duplicated with any other flower, fresh or dried.

Patina Style montage - Google Images

Patina Style book cover - Google Images

Patina Style page - Google Images

Truth be told, I don't even have it yet but I devoured it the other day at Mom's! It is YUM! With a name like "Patina Style" how could it not be??? There is no other word like "Patina" - especially for those of us obsessed with it!

DRYING HYDRANGEA
Step One:
Have patience.
Sure, if you can't take it you can cut a couple and bring them in to enjoy but the will finally droop and disappoint. The more patience you show in cutting time the more lovely, muted tones you will get and the fuller, dried blooms that you covet.

NOT READY.

READY. She could even "stay on the vine" a few weeks longer.

A ready/not ready combo. I know, it's difficult to wait but if you just hold out you will be amazed at the colors you will get to enjoy indoors for the next year or more.

Step Two:
Smash base of stem, just a little.

Step Three:
Add water and flowers to your vase.
To REALLY manipulate the color of your blooms you can add Rit Dye to the water. (I did not do that to mine.) If your stems are scrawny you can dry them by hanging them upside down. I should have done that to a couple of mine.

Step Four:
Wait patiently as it evaporates. Over the days your blooms will change colors a bit yet again... many of these blooms are from the photograph earlier in this post. See how they have blued?

Step Five:
Enjoy!

How to Braid Onions

2011-08-29T16:03:00.000-04:00

This post may be a bit seasonally late but perhaps I will catch some of you whose onions are ready to be stored...

Step One: Know when you onions are ready. When the tops fall over your onions are ready to be picked. If you're busy at the time, no worries, they can lay there for quite awhile. Amélie and I just got to ours a couple weeks ago.

Step Two: Be proud of your harvest - it is what it is! Onions can be ornery to grow. I grew mine from sets this year and most of them grew to a pretty decent size thanks to well tended and amended soil. But if you threw late seeds in like my sister did and expected giant onion ring size bulbs by August you'll probably be disappointed... what do I always say? Gardening is always about next year!

Step Three: Well, really, it's a lack of step. Don't wash them, just gently brush away big clumps of dirt. Or don't, it won't matter in the long run.

Step Four: Set your onions in a sunny area with lots of air flow. The point here is to allow the onions to create a couple layers of that papery skin. I use an old screen and a wagon. I pull them out into the sunshine every morning and pull them back in from the rain or overnight dampness every night. Mine sat out a good 10 days before I could find time for them this year.

Step Six: Your onions should be papery and dry. Now is a great time to gently rub your hand over them release any really loose paper and any left over clumps of dirt.

Step Seven: Take three onions and place as pictured. Tie kitchen twine to the middle onion.

Step Eight: Begin to braid the three onions, cross each strand once like the beginning of a braid, using the twine to stableize the structure. Then grab another onion and treat it as you would when you reach for another section of hair when you are french braiding. (If you don't know how to french braid here is a tutorial. IT'S NOT DIFFICULT but you will need to know how to braid your onions!) Continue to add onions as you would hair. How long you make your onion braids is up to you. This year I did mine short and fat. When you get to the end you can braid your leaves and twine for a few inches and then use the left over twine to tie a knot to secure the braid, then make a loop and knot it to use as a hanger.

Step Nine: Store your onions in a cool, dark area. I have had mine last all the way into March! When you need one just cut one from the bottom! This technique can also be used for garlic!

Happy Harvest!

Later this week...

How to Dry Hydrangea and Keeping Clean with Herbs!

Unless I deliver of course!!!

The Romance of Herbs - What Goes with What?

2011-08-28T20:49:00.000-04:00

Ok, So "What goes with What" isn't a very romaaaaaantic expression but I looooooooove knowing,

"What Goes with What" from wine pairings to chocolate pairings!

The herbs in our Potager are out of control. It's like heaven! My rosemary is almost obscene and allows me for a moment to pretend I live in Napa Valley with it's sheer size! And my basil? Oh my goodness, I have already cut it down once to make pesto and it's almost three feet tall again!!!

Oh, that this "pairing" knowledge were swirling around in my own head but I have gleaned it from the infamous Geraldene Holt and her book "Recipes From a French Herb Garden".

She suggests these herbs/flavorings can be made into Bouquet Garni for your particular dish but I don't see why you couldn't get creative... using them as flavorings, rubs, etc.I can't get over how giddy I get when I get to incorporate citrus zest into my meal too (which you will see on a handful of these suggestions)...

If this list doesn't get you revved up to cook then you need to go frolic in some herbs for awhile, get lost in their heady aroma's... honestly, I can think of few things that make me swoon like herbs.

They are truly romantic.

Poultry - Parsley, chives, leek, thyme, celery

Beef - Parsley, thyme, bay, 2 cloves and for Provencal dishes add orange zest

Lamb - Parsley, lemon thyme or lemon balm, bay and celery

Next in this Series...

The Romance of Herbs - Cleaning with Herbs?

Pork - Parsley, bay, thyme, and a small piece of orange zest

Veal - Parsley, bay, marjoram, a small piece of lemon zest and sometimes a leaf of sage

Game - Parsley, bay, rosemary, and 2 juniper berries wrapped in a layer of leek

Tomatoes - Parsley, bay and basil

Fava beans - Parsly, chives and savory

Peas and snow peas - Parsley, mint and chives

Root vegetables - Parsley, bay, oregano or thyme

Potatoes - Parsley and bay (and of course, rosemary on it's own!)

Belly Shots

2011-08-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

Sort of.

Easier said than done with your kids underfoot, a borrowed flash (mine is broke) and a busted remote control for your camera.

Everyone keeps telling me to take it easy - have you ever met an expectant mother who had time to take it easy?

If you want me to take it easy than you come over and clean my house, entertain my kids and fill my freezer with meals - hows that?

In the meantime, I've got a list and I'm checkin' it twice.

Belly shots - no matter how crappy they turn out are on the that list. I thought today, since I have to give the borrowed flash back tomorrow I would try to get some done (though, if time allows I will have Joel help me and be a part of the another batch!). I threw on about ten pounds of makeup, grabbed the black sheets and the kids and I had a riot trying to get ONE photo where we are all looking at the camera. No success. And the focus and lighting was terrible since I had Aidan basically running the camera so I wouldn't have to keep hoisting myself up and off the ground over and over again. Photography speaking - these are REALLY bad but

I over-edited the snot out of them to make them "acceptable" - sure hope we can get some proper ones in before the big day but at least now, if this sweet baby makes and early appearance I've got something to show for "my last belly." The best ones I ever took where when I was pregnant with Aidan, my friend Sarah took them for me and they were beautiful.

Too bad she lives 3 hours away now.

Wish I had a photographer nearby.

When you're everyones photographer - who takes YOUR photographs?

If I have time to try again, I promise I'll share.

Parisienne Farmgirl

Anybody for a Picnik???

Settee Crazy!

The War Against Boys - Where Have all the Cowboys Gone???

Do You See What I See?

Today in The Kitchen - Pierre Hermé's Chocolate Éclairs

Pierre Hermé’s Chocolate Éclairs

Notes:

Assembling the Éclairs:

Mise en Place:

Notes:

Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff DoughPâte à Choux

Notes:

Chocolate Pastry Cream

Notes:

Chocolate Glaze

Notes:

Chocolate Sauce

Today in the Kitchen - Tapanade Provençal

AND THE WINNER IS!

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT IS THIS AFTERNOON 5pm CST!!!

Trés Funny

Pantone's 2012 Color of the Year

Parisienne Farmgirl's Big Announcement... and a Giveaway Fantastique!!!!!!!!

JUST A FEW MORE HOURS!

A Little Teaser... The Big Announcement

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay Too Much Talent

A Tinkerbell Birthday Party - Parisienne Farmgirl Entertains

Joyeux Noël

Luke Chapter Two

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

(Luke 2:1-20 ESV)

The Final Fitting... And More Teasers about the Big News

Parisienne Farmgirl Entertains ... Bracelet Exchange

Ingredients:

Directions:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Friday Night - Toute Seule - Movie Recommendation

Express Yourself

Meet My Best Friend...

Goodbye Christian Boys!

Word to Your Mother

How to Clothe 4 Children for 8 Dollars... Fashionably.

In Search of Plaid Taffeta

Shop is Open!

Just in Case...

Who Doesn't Know What I'm Talkin' About?

Julien (My Heart, My Heart) James

Romantic Prairie Style Cookbook...

Just in Time for the Holidays!

Love Grows Where my Rosemary Goes...

Bucolic Babies

Hypothetical Question...

Big Daddy, The Dirty Protester

The Off-Grid Family, Why They Inspire Me

The Other Ang Hits it Big!

Baby Love

Here I Go Again...

Homestead Revival Interview!

Fall Valentino Fav's

Sick in the Head...

Sephora Smitten...

Boiling Blood.

What Came First?

Yo' Momma

Pray for Youcef!

Julien's First Promenade

And the Winner Is...

Vintage and Victorian Magazine Giveaway!

Vintage and Victorian Magazine

Julien - The Birth Story

As Featured in... Late Summer Press

A Week of Bliss...

Julien - Day Two!

Introducing...

How to Dry Hydrangea

How to Braid Onions

The Romance of Herbs - What Goes with What?

Pierre Hermé’s Cream Puff Dough
Pâte à Choux