French Accents: Farmhouse French Style for Today's Home

I am excited today because I am joining my friend and fellow Scoop co-host Anita Joyce on her blog book tour! I have long followed Anita’s blog Cedar Hill Farmhouse and always felt a connection to her through her love of French style. And now Anita is the author of a beautiful new design book French Accents: Farmhouse French Style for Today's Home, outlining everything you need to know…quite literally!…for creating her rustic yet elegant style. If you have ever contemplated adding farmhouse French style to your home but didn’t know where to start, this is the book for you!

Decorating with Vintage French Images

I am so excited because it’s time for our Country French design group's monthly share! I love seeing what my very talented fellow francophiles have to show us each month! This time the topic is our choice so I chose one of my favorite ways to add some frenchiness to your décor without spending a lot of money… decorating with vintage French images. I will show you five different ways to use images and I will even provide them for you!

Pillows...Country French Style

It’s the last Sunday of the month so it’s time for our Country French Design Group to share…and this time the topic is our choice. Sooo…if you know me, I bet you could have easily guessed what I would choose! Yep…pillows!  ;-)  I have over 30 different pillows that I have designed on my Project Page, but my all-time favorites are the ones that have a Country French feel! Just take a vintage-y image or script and add in some frenchiness and I am in!

Restoration Hardware Inspired Vintage Book Bundle

I am excited to share my latest project with you because it meets my two favorite DIY requirements…it’s a very cheap inexpensive copy of a much more expensive item and it’s frenchy! I love the look of vintage books, but they can be very costly!

Fun and Easy Vintage Paper Crafts...Plus How to Age Paper

If you know me, you know that I love anything vintage-y and frenchy…so I have pulled together ten of my favorite paper crafts that combine those two elements to share with you. They are fun and easy to make, too! Some involve aging paper, some use sheet music, some are very Parisian and I’ve even thrown in a little Christmas for good measure! Enjoy!

First, I used paper that I "aged" (instructions included) and frenchy graphics to create a set of vintage-look French candle wraps.

Got some old paperback books? Give them a completely new…er, vintage…look with my French fairy tale book covers!

Nothing says vintage like old filament bulbs and these filament bulb candle covers inspired by Country Living are no exception!

I used print-outs of vintage maps of Paris  and a fun vintage Eiffel Tower to create the feeling of a little turn-of-the-century visit to the City of Lights!

Baby Kitty says this is one of his favorites because he can play Catzilla and attack the tiny Eiffel Tower! Don’t let that sweet face fool you! ;-)

Some wonderfully distressed old books and a few Paris postcards from the early 1900s stacked up to create my vintage book bundle with those same postcards for you to copy and use in your projects!

And yet another Parisian project involving stacks of books…a vintage photo of the Eiffel Tower is spread across the spines to create my vintage Eiffel Tower book bundle.

Print-outs of old French advertisements from The Graphics Fairy were used to découpage plastic fruit and create my vintage French script fruit.

Vintage sheet music found at the flea market became fun sheet music sailboats, complete with masts and pennants…perfect for summer!

More vintage sheet music went into making these projects…a sheet music wreath, candles and ornaments…not just for Christmas!

And finallly, sheet music…this time it’s actually scrapbooking paper…was used in these vintage paper trees! I love the way they turn simple greenery into a festive Christmas decoration!

And there you have it…my favorite vintage-y, frenchy, fun and easy paper crafts! I hope you found something that you like among them!


Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed seeing my vintage paper crafts! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants. 
Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party , Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday , Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday , The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday , Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday , A Stroll thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Inspire Me Tuesday, Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays , The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays , No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays ,  French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday , Common Ground for Be Inspired on Fridays , The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday , Craftberry Bush for the Inspiration Gallery on Friday 
See you next time! À la prochaine!

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Charles Faudree Giveaway Winner!

First, I would like to thank those of you who left so many wonderful comments and expressed an interest in my blog! I never would have thought when I started blogging that my little blog would grow as it has…and I owe it all to you, my readers! Sooo…I want to take this opportunity to tell you how much I appreciate you all! Thanks for almost four years of bloggy love and support!

I am excited to announce the winner of a copy of Charles Faudree’s Details. The random number generator chose Mary J. Mary says she loves Charles Faudree and only owns one of his books…and it is dog-eared! lol I understand! Sooo…Mary, just email me your address and your book will be on its way!

Once again, thanks so much to all of you! I wish I had a book for each and every one of you. I appreciate so much all the love and support you have shown me. Merci beaucoup, mes amis! Thanks so much, my sweet bloggy friends!

Vintage French Fairy Tale Book Covers

I had so much fun creating my most recent project…turning old paperback books into vintage French fairy tale books with just the addition of a book cover! But the best part was working with two of my frenchy favorites…Charles Perrault’s classic French fairy tales and Gustave Doré’s amazing illustrations!

Of course, Baby Kitty is also a big fan, since Le Chat Botté (Puss in Boots) stars one of his own! And he wants to point out that in the Perrault version of Le Petit Chaperon Rouge (Little Red Riding Hood), the wolf wins in the end! French fairy tales teach a lesson and are not for sissies! You can find the English translations of Perrault’s fairy tales (dating from 1697) plus more of Doré’s illustrations (added in 1867) for Little Red Riding Hood here and Puss in Boots here.


The real fun was in creating the graphic! The script in the background is actually the beginning lines from Le Chat Botté. I added a border from The Graphics Fairy and then one of Doré’s illustrations.



Then I repeated the process for Le Petit Chaperon Rouge…gotta love those illustrations and the frame just makes it perfect…then I added the titles on the spine.

Here’s how to do it…
1. Print the covers above at 8 x 10 size and fold them to fit a paperback book. Then trim the edges so that they fit exactly on the top and bottom, with a flap to fold over the sides. I trimmed the flap at an angle so that it would not show.
2. Next, place the cover on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil and add a little strong coffee. Give it a few moments to soak in, then pour off the excess. Place the cover (still on the cookie sheet) in a preheated 200 degree oven for about 5 minutes or until the edges begin to curl up. Watch carefully to make sure it doesn’t burn!
3. When you have finished, it should look something like this! Start with the front and re-crease along the previous folds.
4. Place the cover on the paperback, making sure it fits properly. You may find that the back of the cover has shrunken a tiny bit, so it is important to start with the front first. Coat the inner sides completely with rubber cement and smooth them down. You can roll off any excess that comes out using your fingers. As a final touch, you might add some Distress Ink on the book edges with a small sea sponge to give them a vintage look. I started with an old paperback from Goodwill (so old its original price as new was just 60 cents! lol) so I didn’t have to do much!

And there you have it! They look pretty authentic, huh? That’s my favorite Quimper candlestick from a local antique shop and a peek at my $1.91 vintage bottle wrapped in wickerwork...from Goodwill! I’ll show you more later.

And the books were virtually free! Don’t you love those illustrations? Now I am looking for more so I can add to my “vintage” collection!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my French fairy tale book covers! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Karen at The Graphics Fairy for Brag Monday
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Beth at The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Anita at Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up on Tuesdays
Kristin at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Tuesday's Treasures
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Swing into Spring
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

Fabulous 100+ Year Old Frenchy Find...France in "la Belle Époque"

I have something wonderful to show you…a fabulous French treasure over 100 years old…a bound copy of all of the issues of the Parisian magazine La Famille from 1896! How it found its way there is a mystery, but it was waiting in a little antique shop when my friend Linda at Nina’s Nest noticed it. It was love at first sight for me, so Linda kindly let it come home with me! Merci, mon amie! And you will not believe what I paid for this amazing peek into Parisian life over a century ago…$20! Yes, you read that right…$20…a real steal for something so very special!

In fact, my treasure is so special that our seldom-seen CEO Ozzie is serving as our co-host today! Ozzie begs your forgiveness if I seem a little geeky, but the French teacher in me is coming out! Warning! Warning!

It’s a rainy afternoon and a little cool…finally…so I have been reading. I have cut a few of my somewhat battered Knockout roses to put in my new (old) finger vase and made some Russian tea. And I have pulled out my best vintage Wedgwood, hoping that you will join me. So settle down with a cup of tea and a croissant and let me give you a little peek inside my new treasure!

Isn’t it amazing…with embossed gold lettering and a lovely patina on the old leather spine. All of the issues for the year are bound in one book…one hundred and sixteen years old! It was a wonderful time in French history…la Belle Époque…a long period of peace and prosperity for the growing French middle class.

I found so much that I want to share that I have had to keep little tabs on the pages…so much that I will have to show you over multiple posts!

It is a weekly magazine, so I have 52 issues to read! And in each issue…advice and recipes for young wives, fun magic tricks to entertain your guests when the conversation lags at the dinner table, a summary of the news, financial advice, directions for creating lovely handwork, a chapter of a continuing novel…

  …and wonderful engravings on the cover of each issue and scattered throughout the magazine. This is one of my favorites…and you will know why if you know how much I love my Quimper plates…a little Breton couple! I love their provincial dress!

It is so much fun to read history as it is being made! Here…a rave review of the fabulous Sarah Bernhardt…the darling of the French theater! Other interesting stories…excitement about the first-ever Olympic Games to be held in Athens, Greece that summer and the continuing work on the métropolitain…the Parisian subway system, to be completed in 1900. And equally interesting, but of no historical significance…the guards at the Statue of Liberty, a gift to the United States from the people of France ten years earlier, are reported to be frightened by strange noises coming from the interior and believe it to be haunted!

Perhaps the hardest story to read for me was the account of the first visit to France of the newly crowned Russian Tsar Nicholas II and the Tsarina Alexandra along with their little daughter Olga. They are reported to be a very charming and gracious couple, making the rounds of the European capitals to aid him in his understanding of foreign relations. Little do they know what lies ahead of them…murdered twenty-two years later along with little Olga and her yet unborn sisters and brother at the hands of the Bolsheviks…the future mercifully hidden from them.

On a much lighter note, each issue also contains numerous fashion plates and patterns, presenting the latest styles of the season! Just look at that tiny waist…

…which explains the numerous ads for corsets in each issue! This one was designed with the help of a doctor to protect the stomach while giving you a slim waist and “harmonious proportions.”

And speaking of sewing and fashions, I have something else special to show you…antique spools of thread from the brocante in France…a much-loved gift from my sweet friend Pat! Don’t you love the patina on the wooden spools and the sheen of the thread…almost like silk, although it is cotton. Why doesn’t our thread look like that? Fabulous!

And that’s it for now! I have lots more to show you so I will periodically post some more of the wonderful contents of the magazines. I have a post filled with fashions in mind and certainly more of those wonderful engravings. I haven’t tried scanning them yet because I am concerned about protecting the integrity of the spine of the book, so please bear with me if the quality is a little less than perfect. I hope you will enjoy my treasure along with me!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little peek at my frenchy treasures! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants!
Stephanie Lynn at Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Thrifty Treasures
Sarah at Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday (first Monday of the month)
Mary at Boogieboard Cottage for Masterpiece Monday
Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for Tabletop Tuesday
Beth at The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
Linda at Coastal Charm for Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Anita at Cedar Hill Ranch for Cowgirl Up on Tuesdays
Kim at Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays
Judy at DIY by Design for Swing into Spring
Gina at The Shabby Creek Cottage for Transformation Thursdays
Sherry at No Minimalist Here for the Open House Party on Thursdays
Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday
Courtney at French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday
Honey at 2805 for Potpourri Friday
Heather and Vanessa at At the Picket Fence for Inspiration Friday
Debra at Common Ground for Vintage Inspiration Friday
Sherry at The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday
Donna at Funky Junk Interiors for Saturday Nite Special
See you next time! A la prochaine!

We Have a Winner!

First,  would like to thank everyone who entered my giveaway for a copy of the fun new book Dog Trots Globe: To Paris and Provence! There are a lot of us out there who are lovers of both France and our sweet pets! But I only have one copy to give, so the random number generator chose number 48…Vickie at Ranger 911! Congratulations, Vickie! Just get your information to me and your copy of the book…autographed by both Chula the Sheltie and her owner Sheron Long…will be winging its way to you!
Thanks again so much to everyone who entered!
I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend! I am busy decorating for Christmas...I'm behind, I know... and making a few new goodies to add to my decor. I'll have them ready to show you later today, so check back for the reveal! 

Love Dogs and France? This Book Giveaway Is for You!

Just a reminder...there's a fun book giveaway going on right now on my blog! Chula the Sheltie, who has sniffed the lavender fields of Provence and shopped the flea markets of Paris, has provided me with a copy of her book Dog Trots Globe: To Paris and Provence to give to one of my readers! It's a multi-sensory book, accompanied by music, video clips and lots of wonderful photographs of France! Click here to read about the book and get the giveaway details! You don't want to miss this one! Be sure to leave comments on my previous post (here) to enter! Hey...dogs and France...how can you not love it? Just don't tell my staff and give them ideas!

Dog Trots Globe: To Paris and Provence...A Review and a Giveaway!

If you love all things French and you love dogs, have I got a book for you…Dog Trots Globe: To Paris and Provence! The author is Chula Wula D’Augue (pronounced dog)…simply known as Chula…a nine-year-old Sheltie who spends most of her time in California. The book, as barked to her owner Sheron Long, tells Chula’s adventures as she travels to France for the first time!

You will first see Provence through Chula’s eyes and check out the café and bistro scene, where well-behaved dogs are welcome in France!

Chula takes us to some of my favorite places as we visit the markets in Provence. She kindly provides us with a list of her favorite market days and I was pleased to see my very favorite…l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue’s Sunday antique and flea market… among them! The book is filled with wonderful photos that will instantly transport you to Provence!

Of course, Chula takes us to visit the picturesque little villages and the beautiful countryside! What trip to Provence would be complete without an opportunity to smell the lavender…

…and to rub elbows with the friendly locals!

And of course, you must top off your trip with a stay in Paris and an excursion to the fabulous marchés aux puces…the flea markets! Chula even attends the opening night of a Parisian art gallery. There’s so much to do in France for a curious and adventuresome dog, especially since France is a very dog-friendly country! And this book really takes you along, too, including lots of practical tips as well in case you decide to travel to France with your dog.
And here’s what I really like about this book…it comes with extra goodies! It has a wonderful music video of market day in Provence and a narrated video of a fun walk through the village of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, as well as video clips from Chula’s visit to France!  (They are embedded in the enhanced eBook edition and included online for the print and standard eBook editions.) And…the book is absolutely filled to the brim with fabulous color photographs for the feeling of a little getaway to Paris and Provence!

And now for the fun part…Chula has been kind enough to supply me with a copy of the book…autographed by both Chula and her owner Sheron Long…to give to one of my readers!
You can win in one of five ways:
1. Leave a comment on this post. Be certain to leave an email address if you do not have a blog so that I can contact you if you win!
2. Leave an additional comment telling me that you are a follower or subscriber.
3. Like our page on Facebook (here) and tell me in another comment.
4. Become Chula’s friend on Facebook (here) by sending her a friend request and tell me in another comment.
5. Blog about this giveaway or take the giveaway button from the sidebar and post it on your sidebar and tell me in another comment.
That’s five ways to win! The giveaway will end on Thursday, December 1st at 7:00 pm Eastern time. The winner will be chosen at random. Be sure to leave an email address or contact if you do not have a blog so that I may let you know if you win! 



Please note that I have not been compensated in any way by the publisher or the author for this review. And…please do me a favor and don’t tell my staff about this book…it will give them ideas! Bonne chance! Good luck!